By Ryan Moxon – Hough boys soccer enters the season with plenty of new faces after losing much of last year’s starting lineup.

The Huskies’ 2025 season ended with a 1-0 loss on a goal in the final three minutes of the state quarterfinals. Coach Mike Kutcher said Hough had been the more dangerous team for most of the game but missed several late chances before conceding the decisive goal.

The 2026 Hough roster has undergone significant turnover. Only five starters from last year’s lineup are back.

Returning starters include defender Lukas Patrignani, midfielder Levi Sloan, who can play multiple positions, offensive standout Ignacio Guzman and defender Oscar Jones, who excels in the air.

New contributors expected to make an impact include forwards Sam Markwell, Nick Earle, Timi Soremekun and Calen Smith; midfielders Landen Roper and Ethan Peres; and defenders Callahan Clark, Quinn Notte, Miles Helfrich, Hunter Hoe and Eric Brennan.

The front-loaded schedule has given the inexperienced Huskies plenty of early tests, including losses to Ardrey Kell, Cardinal Gibbons and Chapel Hill, and ties with Pine Lake Prep and Community School of Davidson.

With two-thirds of the season left to play, the Huskies were 3-4-2.

Goal scoring has come from a multitude of places so far this season, with six players finding the net, led by Patrignani, Soremekun and Roper.

Sophomore goalkeeper Alex Fagan is averaging 7.5 saves per match.

Remaining matchups include a trip to North Mecklenburg for the opening of the Vikings’ new stadium, and conference contests against perennial state contenders Myers Park and South Mecklenburg.

Kutcher said the team is close-knit and competitive and has been eager to improve. He believes the team has the players it needs to be successful, but it will require consistent growth and improvement throughout the season.

“This group has the potential to be very special,” Kutcher said. “It may just take time to get all the pieces in the right place.”

Girls tennis

Dave Gilroy takes the helm in his first season as head coach of both the girls and boys teams at Hough. The girls compete in the fall and the boys play in the spring.

It’s a rebuilding year for the girls team, which graduated six players. Seniors Chloe Ketner and Tuana Cankurtaran anchor a young group.

“We’re working really hard and have a great group of committed players who are trying their best and getting better every week,” said Gilroy.

Gilroy’s daughter, Devin, was the 8A individual state champion last season and is among those players who graduated.

Girls volleyball

The Huskies girls volleyball team opened the season with wins against North Mecklenburg and Carson, dropped the next three matches and rebounded with wins against Myrtle Beach, Palmetto Christian Academy and Lake Norman.

The team was 5-6 at press time.

Junior Bella Ah Hoy leads the team with three kills per set and has a .470 hitting percentage.

On the defensive side, Ah Hoy has eight total blocks, and sophomore Aideen Smith is averaging four digs per set.

Cross country

The Hough boys team placed second in the season-opening Pioneer Clash of the Classes in Boone. Grant Collum won the junior boys race.

Across the boys and girls teams, top 15 finishers included Grant Mills, Noah Weber and Oliver Neff for the boys, and Stella Stromburger, Reese Sazama, Sophia Hoogsteen, Ava Long, Juliana Mills-Zacapa, Adelyn Bamford, Madie Epperson, Jenna Beyerle, Maribelle Myers and Brynn Breitwise for the girls.

Collum also broke the school’s 5K record with a time of 15:57.40 at the South Meck Invitational.