Well we’ve made it to the last 8 teams for the 2024 season. Some big matchups are coming this round. A win gets you 48 more minutes.
Round Three Prediction Results:
14-2
1/2/3A
Called it perfect for the small school bracket! Quarter Finals will
Most Interesting Matchups
East: JH Rose vs First Flight
West: Lake Norman Charter vs Christ the King
Predictions
Orange vs Carrboro
Despite being less than 17 miles apart, these two teams didn’t meet in the regular season. Senior Connor Kruse became the all-time leading scorer (505 points) earlier this season. he’s put up 62G/107A proving he can make you pay if you slide to him.
Winner: Orange offense is too much for the Jaguars
First Flight vs Croatan
Croatan held off a Knighthawks come back back in April to win 10-9. In that game Sophomore Danny Gardill went 1/11 shooting. He leads the Knighthawks in points and is going to have to make a bigger impact if they are going to win this game.
Winner: First Flight redeems themselves and marches forward
Community School of Davidson vs Lake Norman Charter
Way back in the earliest days of the 2024 season CSD put themselves on the map with an overtime win against LNC despite Sr jack Dalton (5G/3A) doing his best to take the game over. Excpect this to be a high scoring affair as the two teams have combined for almost 700 points this season!
Winner: CSD book-ends the season with another OT victory
Bishop McGuinness vs North Lincoln
This game could come down to a race to 100! Matthew Cetrone (Bishop McGuinness, 55G/44A) and Noah Oracion (North Lincoln, 60G/41A) are both on the verge of 100 points for the season. If one of them can get there, then he might lead his team to victory. Which of them has the ball more will most likely come down to the battle at the dot between Kade Sturgill (North Lincoln, .536) and Miles Fuehler (Bishop McGuiness, .796)
Winner: Changing up our prediction for the first time Bishop McGuinness moves on to the final four
Final Four prediction
East
Orange vs Croatan
West
Lake Norman Charter vs Bishop McGuinness
4A
Apex fell just short of extending their Cinderella run in an OT lost to Heritage. Broughton took a trip to Topsail and came back with another coastal game to play against Ashley. Big time conference rubber matches highlight round 3.
Matchups
Green Level vs Ashley
Traveling into the Green Level “Swamp” could a big order for the Ashley Eagles. The Gators have taken all comers this season and only dropped one game to an NCHSAA school (Middle Creek) and one to Cannon School. Both of Ashley’s losses came to Topsail (10-7). Harrison Bailey (Ashley, .730) will have his toughest match up of the year against Marist-bound Josh Smith (Green Level, .736). The biggest match up of the night, however will probably be Jr. Cooper Wert (Ashley, 84G/29A) vs So. Jacob Fedich (54 CT, 76 GB)
Winner: Green Level senior leaders take them forward
Heritage vs Cardinal Gibbons
Heritage hasn’t seen a defense like the one the Crusaders bring to the table. Backed by a two-headed goalie monster in Sr. Chris Schwartz and Jr. Grant Alexander. Continuing up the middle of the field Reese Campbell (Hertitage, .550) will have to figure out Crusader faceoff man Alex DeBender (.627) if the Huskies want to see much of the ball.
Winner: Cardinal Gibbons
Charlotte Catholic vs Marvin Ridge
The Cougars got a big scare from Myers Park in the 3rd round squaking by 19-18. But that’s the run against Catholic, if you want to beat them, you’re probably going to have to get to 21 goals to do it. Jack Ransom (Georgetown, 100G/64A) seems to be an unstoppable force having scored at least 4 points in every game this year. It’ll be up to the Maverick’s senior leader Ryan Ormand (St. John’s, 64G/21A) to keep pace for Marvin Ridge to have a chance at the biggest upset of the season.
Winner: Charlotte Catholic
Weddington vs Lake Norman
Not sure how many teams were hotter in April than Lake Norman, and they’ve continued it into May. Weddington has been the belle of the western ball upsetting Northern Guilford and getting by Moorseville. Last time these two squared off LKN won 10-6. I think both of these teams have done a lot of growing up since then and, with a lot more on the line, this could be the best game of the round. Two very balanced teams across the board will slug it out on Friday night!
Winner: Lake Norman take this one, 2OT
Final Four prediction
East
Cardinal Gibbons vs Green Level
West
Charlotte Catholic vs Lake Norman