In August, the Cedar Ridge girls tennis team wasted no time in laying notice to the rest of the Big 8 Conference that they would be a force to be reckoned with. They wound up winning the first conference championship in school history.
While it’s too early to say the Cedar Ridge boys tennis team has served a similar wake up call, they certainly looked dominant in its conference opener. Against its crosstown rival, no less.
On Monday, the Red Wolves swept Orange 9-0 at Red Wolves tennis courts. Like their female counterparts, the Red Wolves have a combination of seniors and underclassmen throughout its lineup.
At #1 singles, senior Bryce Phares defeated Orange’s Evan McCallum 6-0, 6-1. Freshman Ivo Gardener, senior Trent Gill, sophomores Seth Malie and David Vaslef all captured singles victories for CRHS, dropping a combined ten games in five matches.
Phares & Gardner teamed in doubles to win 8-0 to ensure the victory, improving Cedar Ridge’s record to 3-0. The Red Wolves opened the season with a 7-2 victory over Eastern Alamance, then swept Durham School of the Arts 9-0.
On Wednesday, Eastern Alamance travels to Hillsborough to face the Red Wolves.
Orange fell to 2-2. The Panthers started the season with a 8-1 victory over Southern Alamance. After a 9-0 loss to Burlington Williams, they topped Eastern Alamance 7-2. Freshman Ronan Towell and Noah Miller have singles victories for the Panthers, who face Burlington Williams on Thursday.