Sophomore sensations Nolen, Velasquez at forefront of Patton’s success

Experience matters, but youth can also be a good thing.

Just ask Will Singley, who is in his first year as the head coach of Patton’s girls soccer team after spending four years as an assistant under Keith Scott.

Of the 21 players on the Lady Panthers’ roster this spring, 12 are underclassmen. And nine of those underclassmen are sophomores, meaning that Patton has as many 10th graders as it does juniors (five) and seniors (four) combined.

“I think the biggest thing is just following in Keith Scott’s footsteps because he definitely left a big gap to fill,” said Singley. “And having such a young group of girls allows me to kind of mold it in the playing style that I think works best for them, and then it also makes my job less stressful knowing that I have such a good group of kids coming back and the fact that they’re willing to learn. The fact that they get along well with each other just makes the whole experience that much better.”

Notably, the county’s top two goal scorers this season are Patton sophomores Jaxyn Nolen and Becca Velasquez, who entered Thursday’s regular-season home finale against Chase with 20 and 18 goals, respectively. Thus far, their efforts have helped the Lady Panthers post an overall record of 13-3-1 and a Western Piedmont 3A/4A Conference mark of 8-3-1.

“I think the work ethic for sure is the biggest thing for both of them,” said Singley of the dynamic duo. “They play well with whoever I put on the field, they are both great workhorses, they want to be there, they want to score goals, and they want their team to get better as well.”

Nolen, a striker/midfielder who called “getting to play with my friends and getting to celebrate wins with them” her favorite thing about playing soccer, also has one assist in 2026. She made it clear that last year’s senior class, which consisted of seven players, helped lay the foundation for the success that Patton is currently having and is looking to continue over the next few years as well.

“Having a large senior class helped because there were a lot of new freshmen last year,” said Nolen. “... It helped us become a better team.

“It’s a lot of fun getting to play with the same group for a couple of years. It also makes it easier each season because there are no big changes. We have been able to find success because we all get along and no one fights on the team, which makes a huge difference.”

Velasquez, meanwhile, is a striker who stated that she enjoys making “lifelong friends” through soccer. And while she hasn’t played since April 14 due to a knee injury that she hopes to return from soon, she is already nearing 50 career goals at the prep level after scoring 29 goals — the program’s single-season record — as a freshman.

According to Velasquez, who is also tied with sophomore Brenda Lopez-Ortiz for the team lead in assists with five, many of Patton’s players were previously teammates in middle school and club soccer.

“We’ve played with each other for a very long time … so we’ve already got the chemistry that we need to build up top and everything, and that helps us finish in the end,” said Velasquez, who also pointed out that the players are “able to take feedback really well too and apply it to our game.”

“We are so strong on offense because we all support each other and pass and share the ball,” added Nolen. “We also lift each other up, which gives us more confidence on the ball.”

To this point, the Lady Panthers have scored 81 goals as a team, including nine or more goals in five matches and at least five goals in four other contests.

“It’s not just Becca and Jaxyn,” said Singley of his squad, which has also gotten 12 goals from Ana Sic and 11 from fellow junior Carlie Harris. “They are the standouts, but we also have a very diverse group of young ladies that have scored goals and have the ability to score, so that takes a lot of stress off of the two top goal scorers, knowing that they have a lot of backup regardless of how we play it.”

Patton’s defense has also been solid, allowing opposing teams to find the back of the net just 12 times on the year. The Lady Panthers have shut out nine opponents, and they have yet to allow more than two goals in any match.

“We will need to continue to work hard individually and also as a team,” said Nolen of what it will take to keep winning when the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state playoffs begin on May 11. “If we grow together and help each other, it is hard to bring down a well-built team.”

Although Patton’s boys soccer team has a long history of success, particularly in the postseason — the Panthers have advanced to at least the third round in each of the last four seasons — the girls program is still searching for the same type of consistency. But after totaling 14 wins in 2025, when they reached the third round of the playoffs for just the second time in school history, the Lady Panthers are optimistic about what lies ahead.

“There’s a lot of excitement for the future, especially knowing that I’ve got some more who will be coming in from Liberty,” said Singley. “I think we can definitely create a program that will maybe not rival the boys but will certainly give them a good run for their money and hold them accountable. It’s just a great group of girls to work with, and that makes the job so much easier, and it makes looking forward to the future that much more exciting.”