Because the 2024 school soccer season winds down, the School Soccer Playoff race is as huge as ever within the inaugural season with the 12-team playoff format.
There isn’t a clear-cut champion in any of the Energy 4 conferences, whereas a number of may have important modifications that might come up over the subsequent few weeks, particularly with convention championship video games developing.
One of many larger races of the group comes within the ACC, the place it’s become a three-team race between the Miami Hurricanes, SMU Mustangs and Clemson Tigers.
Miami, seen because the perceived favourite of the group, took a hit final weekend once they misplaced 28-23 to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, dropping to 9-1 and 5-1 within the convention.
SMU has been the most important shock within the convention, as they’ve gone undefeated within the ACC this yr, whereas beginning out 8-1, with Virginia, Boston School, and California on their schedule to spherical out the yr.
Then, there’s Clemson, who stands at 7-2 with losses to the Georgia Bulldogs and Louisville Cardinals, whereas going 6-1 in convention play to this point.
The Tigers are seen because the underdogs to win the ACC, as they’ll need assistance to make the championship sport, the place it’ll be an uphill battle to really win the competition and crack the School Soccer Playoffs this yr.
Nonetheless, because the season is winding down, they’ve began to get some main contributions from surprising sources that might assist them make that last push into the Prime 12.
Three-star freshman Ashton Hampton was inserted into final weekend’s 24-14 win over Virginia Tech, filling in for injured beginning cornerback Jeadyn Lukus and enjoying a season-high 41 defensive snaps.
At first, Hampton confronted some adversity, giving up a significant catch, however the true freshman rebounded with a loopy one-handed interception that ended up being a significant turning level within the sport, as Virginia Tech was driving with an opportunity to tie the sport. From there on, the Tigers held a two-score lead, finally successful 24-14.
“Whenever you play nook, it’s a must to have some amnesia, man,” head coach Dabo Swinney stated after the sport about his younger cornerback. “That’s a tough place to play. He had superior protection. You’ll be able to’t cowl it no higher, that was only a nice play. I stated, ‘Hey man, that was nice protection, simply go to the subsequent play.’”
Hampton wasn’t the one true freshman who performed a major function, as five-star linebacker Sammy Brown was referred to as upon to contribute, with Clemson utilizing a trio of linebackers extra on Saturday.
He performed alongside starters Barrett Carter and Wade Woodaz, registering a team-high eight tackles in 31 snaps, whereas additionally getting 5 stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack, and two pressures in 9 pass-rushing snaps.
His play was instrumental in holding Virginia Tech to only 40 speeding yards on 21 makes an attempt, which was key within the victory as Clemson’s offense wasn’t working at its normal stage.
The true freshmen contributors didn’t finish there, as four-star Elyjah Thurmon was thrust into the sport attributable to an harm to beginning left sort out Tristan Leigh, permitting simply two pressures on 40 pass-rushing snaps towards one of many hardest defensive fronts within the nation, led by Antwuan Powell-Ryland.
General, there have been much-needed performances by all three true freshmen, serving to Clemson safe one other victory and holding them within the race for a School Soccer Playoff spot.
Whereas the contributions got here attributable to harm, all three gamers may find yourself being key items for the Tigers to finish the season as they appear to make a push, displaying a number of the success that Clemson has began to see with their freshman class already.
They’ll get their subsequent probability to contribute this weekend when Clemson faces Pitt on the highway on Saturday, with each sport being a must-win at this level.
