Western Alamance tops East Lincoln for NC high school soccer 5A title

Western Alamance’s defense smothered the East Lincoln attack as the Warriors captured the 5A boys’ state soccer championship with a 1-0 win.

It was the second straight boys’ soccer state title for Western Alamance, which also captured a girls’ soccer state title last year.

Western Alamance became only the eighth team in N.C. High School Athletic Association history to complete an undefeated season and win a state title.

The Warriors have a 53-match unbeaten streak, dating to a loss to Asheboro on Aug. 19, 2024.

The Warriors got the only goal they needed in the 61st minute, when Franky Maya dribbled the ball around in the box, then squared up with a shot that beat East Lincoln goalkeeper Luke Bissinger.

Western Alamance coach Camden Brooks recognized that both teams were evenly matched and that this would be their toughest opponent.

After ending the first half with zero goals, he had to remind his team during halftime to settle down and play its game.

“We had a few chances, the missed PK, so it’s easy to get frustrated,” Brooks said. “Once we scored the goal, our confidence grew, and we knocked it around a little bit more.”

Western Alamance (19-0) had several other scoring opportunities, and the Warriors tightly restricted East Lincoln’s ability to operate an offense.

The Warriors paid special attention to East Lincoln’s Carter King, a senior who scored 32 goals during the regular season. King was unable to get any good scoring chances, as he often found himself surrounded by Western Alamance defenders.

Bissinger, meanwhile, played well in goal for the Mustangs (21-5-1). He stopped back-to-back Western Alamance scoring chances in the 12th minute, then helped force the Warriors’ Edwin Angulano into a wide shot on a penalty kick in the 36th minute.

Bissinger also made a big save with six minutes remaining on a shot by Grant Bacchus. Bissinger finished with eight saves.

Western Alamance goalie Eamon Hipps was named the player of the game after making six saves, several with a high degree of difficulty. He thwarted East Lincoln’s last good chance at scoring with about four minutes left, snatching away a corner kick attempt.

This story was originally published November 22, 2025 at 1:16 PM.