Meet the All-Observer lacrosse teams, the best prep athletes in the Charlotte area

Cannon School senior Brevin Wilson is the Charlotte Observer’s boys’ lacrosse player of the year after setting school records in several offensive categories and helping lead his school to its third consecutive N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association Division 1 state championship.

And Aime Caines of Lake Norman Charter is the Observer’s boys’ lacrosse coach of the year after directing the Knights to the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 3A-2A-1A championship in his first year at the school.

Wilson had a remarkable season and a remarkable career with the Cougars.

He totaled 66 goals and 63 assists and finished with the school record for goals (242), assists (180) and points (422), among other categories. Wilson is a two-time all-America selection and won all-conference and all-state honors each of his four years at Cannon School.

He was captain of a team that finished 19-3, narrowly beating Providence Day 8-7 for that third straight state title.

Wilson will play next season at North Carolina.

Caines took over a Lake Norman Charter program that had won back-to-back state championships.

He guided the Knights to a 15-7 record, including a 16-7 victory over Orange for the 3A-2A-1A championship.

Caines played and coached high school and college lacrosse in western Ontario and Minnesota before moving to North Carolina. He also played six seasons in the National Lacrosse League.

Also receiving strong consideration as coach of the year was Steve Schattner, head coach at Cannon School for 14 years. Schattner, a former lacrosse standout at West Genesee High (N.Y.) and at UNC, won Coach of the Year honors in 2022 and 2023.

Here is the All-Observer boys’ lacrosse team:

First team

Attackers

Josh Ameo, Nation Ford, junior: Ameo scored 76 goals and added 45 assists, earning Upper S.C. Player of the Year honors. He also was an all-state and all-America selection. Ameo totaled 116 ground balls and spent some time at the midfield position. He is a High Point commit.

Jack Dalton, Lake Norman Charter, senior: Dalton, a Washington & Lee commit, led his team to its third straight state championship. He had 64 goals and 64 assists, along with 40 ground balls. His career totals: 219 goals, 283 assists and 102 ground balls.

Alex Jessey, Providence Day, senior: Jessey, also a first-team All-Observer pick in 2023, totaled 116 goals and 61 assists in a season that saw him earn all-America honors for the second straight year. He had 299 goals and 203 assists in his career, setting school records. Jessey is a Dartmouth commit.

Jack Ransom, Charlotte Catholic, senior: An all-America selection and a Georgetown commit, Ransom scored 102 goals this season. He finished with a career total of 284 goals and was the top-ranked attackers in North Carolina.

Midfielders

Brandon DeBerardinis, Lake Norman, junior: DeBerardinis had 33 goals and 13 assists on a 4A public school state runner-up team. A Harvard commit, DeBerardinis was named Charlotte-area Midfielder of the Year and earned all-conference, all-state and all-America honors.

Cole Frood, Cannon School, senior: A three-time all-conference and all-state honoree, Frood totaled 39 goals and 41 assists, despite mossing the first five games due to a broken foot. His career totals: 163 goals and 85 assists, the second-highest total at the school. He has committed to Brown.

Joe Hauck, Mooresville, sophomore: Hauck, who has been invited to the Under Armour All-American Team Tryouts, led his team with 61 goals and 85 assists. He also collected 73 ground balls and had 44 takeaways.

Defenders

Kyle Van Dam, Providence Day, senior: Van Dam, a four-year starter and a Colgate commit, totaled 127 ground balls and 81 takeaways. He was a two-time academic all-America pick and three-time all-state selection.

Quinn Falasca, Cannon School, senior: Falasca is a three-time all-conference and all-state selection who also earned all-America honors. He totaled 20 takeaways, No. 1 on his team, and usually was assigned to cover the opponent’s top scorer. Falasca is St. John’s-bound.

Dylan Murphy, Lake Norman, senior: Murphy, a team captain and a Queens commit, always seemed to come up big in the important games. He usually was assigned to defend the opponent’s top scorer and finished with team-high totals of 34 ground balls and 23 forced turnovers. Murphy is an all-state and all-America pick.

Long stick/Midfielder

Duncan Smith, Mooresville, senior: Smith, who also played defense and has committed to Belmont Abbey, totaled 77 ground balls and 38 takeaways this season. He totaled 237 ground balls and 133 takeaways in four years with the Blue Devils.

Faceoff specialist

Mason Adams, Myers Park, senior: Adams, who will play collegiately at Catawba, won 72.5 percent of his faceoffs (229 of 316) this season and 69 percent over his career. He was a four-time all-conference pick and also had 145 ground balls.

Goalkeeper

John Torpey, Lake Norman, junior: Torpey, a Loyola (Md.) commit, is the school’s all-time saves leader. He stopped 64 percent of the shots (187 saves) this season and was named Charlotte-area goalkeeper of the year. He also earned all-state and all-America honors.

Second team

Forwards

Hayden Chicon, Lake Norman, senior: 52 goals, 12 assists … Lenoir-Rhyne commit.

Luke Fenderson, Christ the King, junior: 80 goals, 64 assists.

Ryan Ormond, Marvin Ridge, senior: career totals of 170 goals, 59 assists … all-state.

Midfielders

Topher Accetta, Hough, senior: 119 goals, 131 ground balls in career … Hofstra commit.

Will Swartz, Cannon School, senior: High Point commit … 135 goals, 244 ground balls in career.

Nate Tenzer, Myers Park, junior: 48 goals, 46 assists, 34 ground balls.

Defenders

Edward Grasty, Myers Park, freshman: 55 ground balls, 24 takeaways as freshman.

Jonathan Law, Lake Norman, senior: Lenoir-Rhyne commit … conference Defensive Player of Year.

Mark McMahon, Charlotte Catholic, senior: second-team all-state … St. Bonaventure commit.

Long Stick/Midfielder

Garrison Dull, Lincoln Charter, senior: 88 ground balls … first-team all-conference.

Faceoff specialist

Colton Davies, Community School of Davidson, senior: won 73 percent of face-offs … Lander commit.

Goalkeepers

Chubs Slater, Hough, senior: Stopped 62 percent of shots.

Third team

Attackers

Caden Cinotti, Hough, senior

Eric Mendenhall, Myers Park, senior

Tyler Price, Lake Norman Charter, junior

Midfielders

Will Alvarado, Nation Ford, senior

Aiden Davies, Community School of Davidson, senior

Alec Kalugirou, Sun Valley, junior

Brady Knutson, Myers Park, junior

Defenders

Ryan Grant, North Lincoln, junior

Alec Ordoqui, SouthLake Christian, junior

Long stick/Midfielder

Ethan Lott, Hough, senior

Faceoff specialist

Colton Davies, Community School of Davidson, senior

Goalkeepers

Romare Turner, Bradford Prep, junior

Honorable mention

Jack Hofert, Community School of Davidson, attacker, sophomore

Camden Pearson, Sun Valley, attacker, junior

Call Stankavage, Ardrey Kell, attacker, freshman

Ryland Wilkinson, Mooresville, attacker, senior

Charlotte Latin’s McMahan, Charlotte Catholic’s Bier take top girls’ honors

Charlotte Latin’s Evie McMahan had a part in seven of her team’s 11 goals in a state championship game victory.

McMahan, a four-year standout with the Hawks, has been named the Charlotte Observer’s girls’ lacrosse player of the year.

And Dee Bier, longtime coach at Charlotte Catholic, is this season’s girls’ lacrosse coach of the year.

McMahan had four goals and three assists in her team’s 11-8 N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association victory over Charlotte Country Day. For the season, she totaled 59 goals and 22 assists.

McMahan is two-time CISAA player of the year and earned all-state and all-America honors. She finished with 259 career goals, the all-time record at Charlotte Latin and will play next season at Virginia.

Bier has coached Charlotte Catholic girls’ lacrosse for 15 years, including state championships in 2010 and 2014.

This year’s Cougar squad finished 15-8, losing to Cardinal Gibbons in the NCHSAA 4A championship. Only four of Charlotte Catholic’s losses this season came against N.C. schools (two of those to Cardinal Gibbons).

Bier is a Long Island native and a standout in both basketball and lacrosse. She played college lacrosse at Hofstra.

Also meriting honors in coaching was last year’s winner, Nikki Williams of Charlotte Latin. Williams guided the Hawks to their fifth NCISAA championship in six years. She has coached Charlotte Latin since 2017 and also has a pair of state runner-up finishes.

Here is the All-Observer girls’ lacrosse team:

First team

Attackers

Kate Daniels, Charlotte Catholic, senior: Daniels, a Louisville commit, scored 45 goals despite missing 10 games with a concussion. Her career totals were 184 goals and 47 assists. She is an all-state selection.

Lucy Dyer, Providence Day, junior: Chargers’ coach Nicole Donoghue calls Dyer “one of the favorite athletes I have coached.” A member of the Elite Nike American Select team, Dyer had 57 goals, 35 ground balls and 24 forced turnovers this year. She has numerous Division 1 college offers.

Elektra Koulouris, Weddington, senior: Koulouris, who will play her college lacrosse at Duke, totaled 238 goals and 113 assists in her career and was a two-time all-America pick. She had 62 goals and 37 assists in her senior season.

Midfielders

MC Farley, Charlotte Catholic, senior: A captain and a Wofford commit, Farley became the first Cougar ever to reach the 100-goal/100-assist mark. She had 50 goals, 36 ground balls and 18 forced turnovers this season, earning all-state and all-America honors.

Ciara McCormick, Clover, senior: McCormick finished with the school’s career goals-scored record and had 50 goals and 87 ground balls this season. She was an all-Upper S.C. pick and will play in the state’s North-South all-star game.

Grayson Anne McCurdy, Charlotte Country Day, junior: McCurdy totaled 87 goals, 39 assists, 64 ground balls and won 110 draws this season. She won all-state and All-America honors and is on the U.S. U16 national team. She is a James Madison commit.

Defenders

Caroline Beasley, Charlotte Country Day, senior: Beasley was the team’s No. 1 defender, with 32 ground balls and 18 takeaways this season. She was a two-time all-conference and all-state player.

Ava Bella Jordan, Weddington, junior: Jordan usually defender the opponent’s top scorer. She earned all-state honors.

Julia Nelson, Charlotte Catholic, senior: Nelson led the defense on a state runner-up squad. She is also among the most versatile players on the All-Observer squad, as she is effective at both attacker and midfield too.

Faceoff specialist

Ardyn Henry, Charlotte Latin, senior: Henry, a first-team All-Observer pick last year and a California-Berkeley commit, won nearly 70 percent of her draws this season. She also scored 49 goals and 15 assists for the state champion Hawks.

Goalkeeper

Aubrey Hamm, Lake Norman Charter, senior: Hamm stopped 52 percent of the 340 shots she faced this season and had 492 saves in three years. She was named conference defensive Player of the Year.

Second team

Attackers

Ciara Cacciatore, Mooresville, senior: 81 goals, with 247 in her career … Flagler commit.

Isabella Pierce, Davidson Day, sophomore: scored 59 goals and 21 assists.

Ava Purser, Lake Norman Charter, junior: 55 goals, 18 assists … 111 goals in three years.

Midfielders

Maddy Baumgratz, Charlotte Catholic, junior: 56 goals, 81 draws won, 19 forced turnovers … Virginia Tech commit.

Ashlyn Goforth, Clover, junior: 30 goals, despite missing half the season with an injury.

Kira Kleinschmidt, Ardrey Kell, senior: 23 goals, 15 assists, 28 ground balls this season.

Defenders

Anna Bella Jordan, Weddington, junior

Kennedy Rogers, Charlotte Catholic, senior ... 27 ground balls ... all-conference and all-state honors.

Ella Struple, Lake Norman senior

Faceoff specialist

Addison Maynor, Cannon School, freshman: won 57 percent of her draws (121), scored 36 goals.

Goalkeeper

Elle Collier, Charlotte Latin, senior: stopped 48 percent of shots against a tough schedule … all-state pick … Rollins commit.

Third team

Attackers

Emily Better, South Mecklenburg, sophomore

Gwen Clarkson, Ardrey Kell, sophomore

Margaret Scheurer, Charlotte Country Day, senior

Midfielders

Hayden Krombolz, Lake Norman Charter, freshman

Kendall Middleton, Butler, senior

Reese Morgan, Charlotte Latin, junior

Defenders

Lindsay Trakimowicz, Charlotte Catholic, senior

Faceoff specialist

Ally Benken, Ardrey Kell, junior

Goalkeepers

Ashlea Neiland, Weddington, junior

Honorable mention

London Barnhardt, Cannon School, sophomore

Molly Burbank, Charlotte Country Day, senior

Maggie Murphy, Cannon School, attacker, freshman

Ella Stein, Charlotte Country Day, attacker, junior

Marlo Stuart, Providence Day, midfielder, junior

Gracie Webb, Weddington, attacker, freshman