Fayetteville-area preseason boys soccer player of year

Star names give the ballot weight

The attacking end of the ballot appears especially strong.

• Patrick Guest is reported to return after a 30-goal season with 12 assists.
• Kwabena Asante reportedly followed with 27 goals and five assists.
• Carlos Montes Palma is said to have delivered 14 goals and 16 assists.
• Jesse Baker and Xander Morgan also reportedly return after strong scoring years.

That variety is the key theme. This is not one-player territory. It is a field built on different profiles: penalty-box finishers, wide threats and creators who can control games as much as decide them.

Team success backs up the individual hype

Preseason ballots matter more when they reflect winning environments, and reports suggest that was the case across the area last year.

• Cumberland County reportedly sent six NCHSAA teams to the state playoffs.
• Five NCISAA sides also reportedly reached the postseason.
• Gray’s Creek is said to have made the deepest local run.
• Cape Fear reportedly enter the year as Tri-County Conference champions.
• South View is said to have shared the Eastern Sandhills Conference title.

The South View angle stands out most. A reported first league title in 20 seasons gives the program real momentum, not just a good memory.

Goalkeepers could shape the season

Attackers will draw votes, but the goalkeeper numbers are hard to ignore. Reports say Alex Hallis, Zachary Sargent, Tyce Thurman and others posted strong save totals or goals-against averages last season. In high school soccer, that can tilt entire seasons. Tight conference races often come down to one goalkeeper stealing one result.

The next storyline is simple: whether preseason reputation becomes autumn form. With regular-season matches beginning on Aug. 10 and ballot voting reportedly open until Aug. 14, the conversation now shifts from résumés to who starts fast.