Joe L Hughes II, Gaston GazetteSun, November 23, 2025 at 1:43 AM UTC·2 min readEast Lincoln boys soccer’s dream of a state championship fell just short Saturday afternoon in Greensboro, the Mustangs falling to Western Alamance 1-0 in the NCHSAA 5A state final.
A match which will be remembered most for both teams' defensive prowess and physicality, it was the Warriors’ Frankie Maya who proved to be the difference. His shot in the 61st minute gave Western Alamance a lead it would not relinquish, preserving a 29-0 season, the program’s 53rd consecutive victory as well as its second NCHSAA title in a row, joining its 3A state crown from last fall.
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Saturday was East Lincoln’s second crack at a championship, its previous trip to a state final in 2019. Such wasn’t for lack of effort, though, putting a few shots on target and earning their share of corner kicks. Western Alamance goalkeeper Eamon Hipps was up to the task, erasing East Lincoln opportunities at every turn.
“We created chances, maybe finishing more (chances),” said East Lincoln boys soccer coach Michael Arabie when asked what the team could’ve done differently in the attacking third of the pitch. “These boys gave it their all; they fought. Maybe we could’ve created a little more.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementEast Lincoln finished the season with a 21-5-1 record and the inaugural NCHSAA 5A West championship. The team is senior-laden, led by captains Carter King, Yuniel Sifuentes Rodriguez and Evan Blackley, along with Tayden Dockens, Brodan Barnes, Carson Brown, Simon Xiong, Tristan Kendall, Miles Hart, Braden Mulkey, William Morales Palacios and Ian Grindstaff.
Though disappointed with the result, King found an adequate silver lining.
“I’m really proud of the boys; it was a fantastic season,” King said. “You know, we get to be one of the teams that got to play (every minute possible in a season). We can’t ‘wish’ for more minutes. We were able to fight hard and get to play all the minutes we could.
“Super proud of our seniors; you know, we had 12 fantastic seniors that went out there and fought hard. Everyone gave it their all, all throughout the season, all throughout the playoffs. We had great wins, we had a lot of fun. I’m going to go back and remember it the rest of my life.”
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: East Lincoln soccer finds silver lining after NCHSAA 5A final loss
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