By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Eamon Hipps, a star player for Western Alamance’s back-to-back state championship boys’ soccer team, died during the weekend in an automobile crash.
Hipps, 17, was a Western senior.
The Alamance-Burlington School System confirmed the death in a message to families in the district Sunday.
The North Carolina State Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation. A report says that Hipps was the lone person in the vehicle, which went off Gibsonville Ossipee Road in Alamance County late Saturday night.
In November, Hipps was selected as the Most Valuable Player after Western defeated East Lincoln 1-0 to win the Class 5-A state title in Greensboro. He was the team’s goalkeeper.
He also was a standout swimmer, placing in the top 10 in two events in last February’s Class 3-A state meet.
He was the son of Kristin and Tim Hipps. He had an older brother, Tigue Hipps.
A social media post from a Western Alamance soccer account offered the following as part of a tribute: “Words can’t describe this loss. Anyone who had the pleasure of knowing Eamon knew that he was a big loving goofball. He lit up any room that he walked into. Not only was he an incredible soccer player, athlete, and student, but he was a leader who had a positive impact on anyone he came in touch with.”
Across a few hours Sunday, there was an outpouring of support through a GoFundMe page established to help the family with expenses.
In an announcement made December 26, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association named Hipps one of two recipients of the Performance of the Month for November. Previously, he had been picked as the Defensive Player of the Year for boys’ soccer in the Mid-Carolina Conference.
Hipps’ efforts in the state final resulted in his 16th shutout of the season.
During the Warriors’ postseason run this fall, Hipps expressed big aspirations for the Western team.
“I would like to be remembered as a two-time state champ.” he said after a playoff victory.
He also was a member of the Dream Center Soccer Club in Burlington and the YMCA Burlington Aquatic Center Hurricanes swim club.