Charlotte-area high schools rack up 13 state titles in championship week

Charlotte-area families had plenty to celebrate last week as local high schools claimed 17 N.C. High School Athletic Association state championships across multiple sports.

Charlotte Catholic led the way with three crowns, Providence brought home two, and schools from Ardrey Kell to Pine Lake Prep, Marvin Ridge to Weddington turned in performances Piedmont communities will be talking about for years, according to The Charlotte Observer.

Here are the moments that made it unforgettable.

Providence baseball: Jackson Debe delivers the championship swing

Providence’s fourth state baseball title came down to one at-bat.

Trailing 2-0 in Game 3 of the Class 8A finals against Corinth Holders, the Panthers (30-1) loaded the bases in the fifth inning after senior Asher Lyon beat out a chopper to third. Senior third baseman Jackson Debe, who was 0 for 2 on the day, then lined a two-run single up the middle to give Providence a 3-2 lead — the championship-winning run.

In the sixth, Corinth Holders loaded the bases with two outs. The Panthers picked off the runner at third to escape the jam and seal the title.

The win gave coach Danny Hignight his third state championship, snapping a heartbreaking Game 1 loss that had ended a 29-game win streak. In Game 2, sophomore Braxton Thompson struck out eight and retired the final 10 batters. Eli Webb’s three-run, two-out double in the first inning set the tone, and Jaxon Haynes added a solo home run.

Providence softball: Panthers rally behind sophomore power

The Panthers’ softball team — loaded with sophomores — refused to go down quietly. After dropping Game 2 to Corinth Holders, 8-0, Providence trailed 2-1 in the sixth inning of the deciding Class 8A Game 3 at UNC-Greensboro Saturday.

Sophomore Camryn O’Connor launched a two-run homer to left, her 15th of the season, igniting a four-run rally that delivered a 6-2 win and the championship.

Sophomore Sophie Strugar, who had homered to lead off the second inning of Game 1, returned to the circle in the seventh and shut Corinth Holders down. The Panthers finished 30-3.

Marvin Ridge baseball: Mavericks rally for 7A crown

Marvin Ridge coach Trey Putman watched his team drop Game 1 of the Class 7A finals to Holly Springs 3-1. In Game 2, sophomore pitcher Levi Kerr threw four innings, struck out seven and added three hits, including a leadoff triple.

In Game 3, trailing 1-0 in the fifth, Marvin Ridge tied the game and loaded the bases.

Senior catcher Dean Larkin drew a bases-loaded walk to score Austin Martinez and give the Mavericks the lead they would not relinquish. In the sixth, Martinez walked to load the bases again. Kerr — 0 for 3 on the day — delivered a sacrifice fly to score Alex Hampton for a 4-1 cushion.

Two more runs in the seventh sealed the 6-2 win.

Charlotte Catholic: Three titles in one week

The Cougars captured championships in girls’ soccer, boys’ lacrosse and girls’ lacrosse.

Girls’ soccer (6A): Charlotte Catholic, ranked No. 1 nationally by MaxPreps on the morning of the final, beat Jacksonville 1-0 on a goal by Savanna Leckner — her 21st of the season — with about 10 minutes to play in the first half.

Jacksonville got zero shots on goal in regular play. The Cougars finished 24-0-1 and allowed only seven goals all season. Coach Gary Hoilett now has nine state championships at the school.

“It’s been the hallmark of this team all year,” Hoilett said. “What they’ve done this entire playoffs is not give teams many looks.”

Girls’ lacrosse (1A-6A): Trailing East Chapel Hill 8-7 with just over four minutes to play, Sophie Tan tied the game at 4:11 — her fifth goal — while Catholic played a player up. In sudden-death overtime, Tan scored her sixth goal to win it 9-8.

Boys’ lacrosse (1A-6A): Hours later, the boys delivered their own thriller against Middle Creek. Up three goals with four minutes left, Catholic watched Middle Creek’s Reed Stack tie the game with back-to-back goals, his sixth coming with 70 seconds remaining. Just 15 seconds into overtime, Catholic’s Jason Leonard scored from about 20 yards out for the 9-8 win.

Ardrey Kell boys’ lacrosse: Cole Stankavage’s storybook finish

The Knights’ Class 8A championship was decided with 38 seconds left in regulation and Hoggard ahead 11-10. Catholic’s Cole Stankavage scored running down the right side to force overtime. In the extra period, Stankavage netted his eighth goal of the game — and his 97th of the season — with just over three minutes left for a 12-11 win.

Weddington softball: Joella Thomas dominates an unbeaten run

The Warriors completed a 27-0 season with the Class 7A championship at UNC-Greensboro.

In Game 1, junior Lilly White delivered a two-out, eighth-inning walk-off single to score senior Reece Lindsay for a 1-0 win. Pitcher Joella Thomas, a Lenoir-Rhyne commit, struck out 11.

In Game 2, Weddington broke through with three runs in the third and a Callie Hill RBI double in the seventh for a 5-0 win. Weddington outscored opponents 190-31 on the year.

Pine Lake Prep girls’ soccer: Back-to-back champions

The Pride (20-3) rolled past Wake Prep 5-1 for a second straight 3A title. Sophomore Tabitha Schmedes opened the scoring off a corner kick from sophomore Eva Smith. Freshman Peyton Peterson finished with three goals. Freshman Mara Sweeney added another.

Christ The King girls’ soccer: A Huntersville dynasty

Addison Pearce scored all three goals as the Crusaders beat Franklin Academy 3-0 for the 2A championship — Christ The King’s fourth state title since 2022. In every championship appearance, the Crusaders have not allowed their opponent to score.

Myers Park girls’ soccer: PK heroics deliver a title

Myers Park’s 8A title came on penalty kicks against Wilmington Hoggard.

Down 4-3 in the shootout, sophomore Addie McCarley — daughter of legendary Myers Park coach Bucky McCarley — buried hers to keep the Mustangs alive. After a Hoggard miss, freshman Eliza Huffstetler ripped the championship-winner into the right side of the net.

Senior Amaya Falzarano, an Indiana recruit and the school’s all-time leading scorer, nearly won it in extra time on a kick that tapped off the crossbar. The Mustangs (19-2-3) finished on an 11-game win streak and won their first state title since 2021.

The article was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists, based on original source reporting by Charlotte Observer journalists.