Senior Merced Mendez (10) and the Hawks will visit Jacksonville.
(Dunn Area Sports Photo/Paul Burgett)

The Triton varsity boys soccer team got some good news on Saturday when the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released its 3-A playoff bracket.

The Hawks made the field as the No. 12 seed in the East. Triton will travel to fifth-seeded Jacksonville, the champions of the Coastal Conference, in the first round on Tuesday.

The Cardinals are 9-2 overall with a 2-0 nonconference loss at Fike to start the season. Jacksonville went 9-1 in league play, the lone defeat by a 7-4 margin at Swansboro in double overtime on March 9.

Triton is 8-2 overall and went 6-2 in the Tri-County Six Conference with both losses to Southern Lee. The Cavaliers topped the Hawks, 4-2, in overtime at Triton on Feb. 10 and took a 1-0 win at home on March 1.

Senior Merced Mendez is the leading scorer for the Hawks with 16 goals and three assists. Junior Benny Villalvazo has 10 goals and eight assists.

Triton keeper Logan Pope has 38 saves.