Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Cherryville, NC (WNN) - The Cherryville High School girls’ soccer team finished the 2026 regular season with the third-best season in program history. Their 9-12-1 record was good enough to earn them a home playoff game in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A tournament. The Lady Ironmen scored 66 goals in the season for an average of 3 per match. They also allowed 64 goals for an average of 2.9 per match.
A vast improvement over last season’s 26 goals scored and 112 goals allowed. Leading the way for the team was conference leader Emily Allen, who recorded 327 saves and ranked third nationally. Kate Bookout tied for third in the conference with 24 goals scored. Kaydence Ellis scored 17 goals, and Gracie Adkins added 15 goals.
On the evening of May 11, 2026, the Lady Ironmen hosted Queen’s Grant Community School of Matthews, NC, in the first round of the NCHSAA 2A Soccer West Regional Playoffs. This was Cherryville's first appearance in the first round since 2011. By defeating Queen’s Grant 2-1, Cherryville earned only the school’s second berth in the second round in school history.
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The match was a hard-fought battle for both teams. At the 27:12 mark in the first half, Auria Barnes scored the first goal of the match to give Queen’s Grant a 1-0 lead. They held that lead until the 27:21 mark in the second half when Gracie Adkins tied the score for Cherryville. Adkins struck again with a goal for the Lady Ironmen at the 18:46 mark. Emily Allen held off several back-to-back attempts on her way to a total of 15 saves for the match as Cherryville held on to the 2-1 lead to advance to the second round. The victory also extended Cherryville’s win streak to 5 games.
The fourteenth-seeded Cherryville Lady Ironmen traveled to Murphy, NC, on May 14, 2026, to take on the third-seeded Murphy High School Lady Bulldogs. This was only the second time in school history that Cherryville girls' soccer had made it to the second round of the playoffs. The Lady Bulldogs entered the match with an impressive 13-3 record. The Lady Ironmen entered at 10-12-1. Cherryville gave Murphy all they could handle throughout the match. Emily Allen made 35 saves on the night. The outstanding play by both goalkeepers kept the score at 0-0 until around 30 seconds left in the contest. Murphy was awarded a penalty kick, and the resulting shot grazed off the fingertips of Cherryville goalkeeper Emily Allen to give the Lady Bulldogs a 1-0 win.
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Even with a heartbreaking loss, the Lady Ironmen can hold their heads high. Coach Will Manning and staff helped lead the team not only to a much-improved season but also to a record-setting season. Three seniors will graduate, leaving 12 of 15 team members to return next season. The pieces are in place for the opportunity next season to build upon this year's success.
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