Like it or not, the sport of soccer continues to dominate the Lowcountry prep landscape. A record nine area teams have advanced to the state championship game in their respective classifications.
The finals will be played May 22-24 at Memorial Stadium in Columbia. The area could potentially see nine state champions to go with SCISA state champions from Porter-Gaud (girls) and First Baptist (boys).
The Oceanside Collegiate girls program is trying to win a fifth consecutive state championship. Coach Mark Meyer said his 2025 team has done more with less than the previous four title-winning teams.
"We lost 11 players from last year's team, nine that went to play in college," Meyer said. "We're a young team, but we throw our teams into the fire against a tough schedule, and I think it helps. This is not our most experienced team, but we have some good young talent. This team has good chemistry as well."
Junior Ella Petry provides plenty of leadership as one of the top players in the Southeast. The Maryland commit has 13 goals and seven assists as the captain in the midfield. Sophomore Hailey Piesner has a team-leading 21 goals scored.
This will be the third straight year that Oceanside Collegiate's state finals opponent is Christ Church of Greenville. The Landsharks won the previous two meetings by 3-0 scores.
The Oceanside Collegiate boys team is seeking a third straight championship under coach Colin Phillips. The Landsharks take on Upper State champion Powdersville, making its first finals appearance after near misses in recent years.
Phillips said his team is very experienced but played a lot of the regular season without key players.
"Every one of our seniors were out with injuries at some point during the season," the coach said. "We had a lot to overcome, but they fought through it."
Ethan Duncan is a Class AAA all-state selection, and keeper Sean O'Neal is a top performer in goal.
Academic Magnet and Bishop England also have both their boys and girls teams in the Class AA and AAAA finals, respectively.
Academic Magnet's girls will take on Dixie in the championship matchup, while the boys team will play Andrew Jackson. Girls coach Alister DeLong said a tough schedule helped his team mature into a contender.
"Five of our seven losses came to teams that either played for a Lower State title or will be playing this weekend, so we have been challenged," DeLong said. "It helped us improve and really helped develop good team chemistry."
The Raptors are led this season by Mattie Vermette (16 goals, 8 assists) and Sophia Benich (12 goals, 6 assists).
Leading the Academic Magnet boys team into the finals are all-state selections James Benetti, Jackson Daley, Jace Gotting, Blake Yarborough, Matt Sereda, Aiden Ruggiero and Cesar Ramirez. The Raptors are 22-1 this season.
Bishop England's girls take on A.C. Flora in the AAAA finals. The Lady Bishops are 21-4 going in, led by Sophia DeMarco, Charlotte Cline, Reese Woodard and Ava Delpino. All four reached double figures in goals, and all four were named all-state.
The Bishop England boys face Upper State power Daniel in the finals. The Bishops (17-5) are making their first appearance in the finals under coach Brandon Costa, a former player. The Bishops have won 17 state titles but none since 2015.
The Wando girls program is quite familiar in championship games. Under coach Shannon Champ, Wando is making its 15th finals appearance and has won nine state titles. Wando won three consecutive titles from 2021-23.
Wando will play J.L. Mann in the AAAAA Division I finals.
Ashley Ridge's boys team will play in the AAAAA Division I finals, taking on J.L. Mann. The Swamp Foxes (22-3) won the AAAAA title two years ago. Senior Beckham Harris and junior Aiden Butts are top performers for the Swamp Foxes.
Lucy Beckham's boys team will play for the AAAAA Division II championship. The Bengals' opponent is perennial title contender Riverside. The Bengals are led by all-staters Wels McLeod and Brady DeLay.
Coinciding with the state championships this weekend, the South Carolina High School Soccer Coaches Association released its all-state soccer teams for the 2025 season.
The boys and girls lists include nearly 60 players from the Lowcountry.
All-State Soccer
Boys
Class AAAAA Division I -- Wando: Caedon Reynolds, Bryson Vail, Brody Gotts; Ashley Ridge: Beckham Harris, Keith McCune. James Island: Sahil Jivan. Class AAAAA Division II -- Lucy Beckham: Brady Delay, Wels McLeod. Class AAAA - Bishop England: Jonah Cooker, Lucas Loor, Patton Lyttle. Class AAA -- Oceanside Collegiate: Ethan Duncan, Roy Johnson. Class AA -- Academic Magnet: James Benetti, Jackson Daley, Jace Gotting, Blake Yarborough; Matt Sereda, Aiden Ruggiero, Cesar Ramirez. Philip Simmons: Grayson Barna, Frank Jannuzzi, Max Topenza, Nick Kirk, Cris Morales, Peyton Owens.
Girls
Class AAAAA Division I -- James Island: Izzy Astle, Omi Griffin; West Ashley: Sophia Trio, Emmi Cence. Wando: Natalie Gulio. Summerville: Addison Rollison. Fort Dorchester: Brittain Floyd. Class AAAAA Division II -- Lucy Beckham: Reagan Soldano. Class AAAA -- Bishop England: Elizabeth Brady, Charlotte Cline, Ava Delpino, Sophia DeMarco, Reese Woodard. Class AAA -- Oceanside Collegiate: Ella Petry, Emma Gesser, Ava Klein, Izzy Pessillo, Hailey Peisner. Class AA -- Academic Magnet: Sophia Benich, Anna Cook, Elle Fennell, Ridgeley Kalil, Mattie Vermette. Philip Simmons: Lucy Bailey, Hailey Franko, Avalyn Healey, Tatum Hirshman, Ada Madden.