Month: December 2017

After being led by the same head coach for 29 years, one would think a change in command would bring a change in philosophies or atmosphere.

Spenser Poteat is now the head coach of the Orange wrestling team, replacing his longtime mentor Bobby Shriner, who retired in May. Yet ask any Orange wrestler if there’s a difference in attitude around the famed Panther Wrestling room, and they’ll say the same thing: no.

So far, certainly the success hasn’t changed.

For the 3rd year in a row, Orange captured the Jim King Invitational Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Jim King Gymnasium. The Panthers captured 259 points to win the two-day event for the eighth time in its 37-year history Cary, who has won the JKO 22 times, finished second with 239 points. Leesville Road finsihed third with 144 points. Northern Durham, which figures to be Orange’s biggest challenger in the Big 8 Conference, came in fourth with 138 points.

Cedar Ridge, behind a strong 4th place finish by Darius McLeod at 126 pounds, came in 18th with 39 points.

Four Panthers won individual championships. Senior Bailey Hawkins captured his first JKO Championship with a 4-0 decision over Cary’s Cymek Shaw. Hawkins, who finished 2nd in the JKO at 132 last year, scored two pins in route to the semifinals, where he defeated McKray Monday of Southern Alamance.

After coming in third last year, Orange senior heavyweight (and Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion) Daylan Alston scored four pins to win his first JKO Championship. In the first of what will likely be several meetings this year, Alston pinned Northern Durham’s Tyric Swennie in 5:33 for the championship. That was the only match where Alston was stretched beyond the first period. On Friday, he pinned Burlington Williams Bryce Stewart in 1:49, then finished off Bartlett Yancey’s Josh Stewart in :19. On Saturday morning. Alston pinned Person’s Noah Harris in :34 to advance to the finals.

Alston is 9-0 so far this season.

One week after capturing his 100th career victory, Josiah Ramirez won his 2nd consecutive JKO Championship, this time at 182 (last year, Ramirez wrestled at 170). Ramirez scored a major decision over Cary’s Nick Straight 14-4 in the finals. In the semifinals, Ramirez grinded out a 3-1 decision over Cedar Ridge’s Colin Davis. Ramirez started the tournament with consecutive pins over Northwood’s William Lake (in :15) and Corinth Holders Cameron Carroll (:27).

Cedar Ridge’s Davis advanced to the semifinals by pinning Middle Creek’s Jaxson Chopp in :31. He started by pinning Southern Durham’s Jamar Blank in 2:24. Davis finished 6th at 182.

Braden Homsey won his first JKO Championship at 195. Homsey, who lost in the opening round last year to Northwood’s Hunter Queen, scored a technical fall on Millbrook’s Ben Williard 20-5 in the finals. Homsey was dominant throughout the tournament, getting a major decision in the semifnals over Cary’s Dontay Turner 12-2. Homsey pinned Northwood’s Hsernay Day in :46 and opened the tournament with a pin of Person’s Zakery Lieske in :30.

Two other Panther grapplers finished 2nd. At 113, Mitchell Askew lost in the championship match to Cary’s Kobe Early 13-2. Askes, who also had a runner-up finish at 106 in 2016, defeated Bartlett Yancey’s Jacob Wright 8-6 in the semifinals.

In the 160 Championship match, Donald Cates of Northern Durham defeated Orange’s Avery Jenkins 10-3.

Gavin Wiggins finished 3rd for Orange at 126 with a 7-2 victory over McLeod. Orange’s Trey Jones came in 3rd at 170 with a pinfall of Person’s Genuine Morris in :55.

At 220, Jake McBrook came in 5th after a 4-2 decision over Southern Durham’s Xavier McGhee. Orange’s Luke Riley, in his first JKO, placed sixth at 132.

After the first two weeks of the season, there was a sense of optimism around the Cedar Ridge girls basketball team.

They started the season with three straight wins over Durham School of the Arts, Jordan-Matthews and Person. However, Coach Felton Page knew the toughest was yet to come the week after Thanksgiving, when his team would face Rockingham County, Goldsboro and Riverside in a span of four days.

Rockingham County advanced to the 3A state quarterfinals last season. Goldsboro is a stingy defensive team and Riverside is 4-1 that’s already defeated Chapel Hill, Northern Durham and Sanderson by lopsided margins.

Sure enough, the reason for concern was validated.

On Friday night, Riverside’s full-court press caused 26 Cedar Ridge turnovers in a 59-21 Pirates’ victory. The game was even 8-8 after the first quarter, but the Pirates used its pressure defense to hold the Red Wolves to only four field goals the rest of the game.

Earlier in the week, Rockingham County handed the Red Wolves a 57-26 loss. The Cougars’ Madeline Hardy, a 6-6 center who has committed to Lenoir-Rhyne, finished wth 19 points.

On Wednesday, Goldsboro held off the Red Wolves 43-49 in Hillsborough. Wardlow led Cedar Ridge with nine points while Yolanda Simpson had 8.

Against Riverside, Aijah Perry finished with 23 points to lead the Pirates. Ashauntee Nelson added twelve while Ladasia Jones had nine.

Cedar Ridge will return to action on Monday night in Hillsborough to host Raleigh Word of God at 6. They travel to Carrboro on Wednesday night at 6.

RIVERSIDE 59, CEDAR RIDGE 21

CEDAR RIDGE: Yolanda Simpson 2, Natalia Garay 2, Logan Woody 6, Madison Wardlow 4, Grace Davies 1, Tori Dalehite 4, Caitlyn Lloyd 2.

RIVERSIDE: Nakaya Crowley 4, Aijah Perry 23, Ashauntee Nelson 12, Ladasia Jones 9, Eliza Dukes 2, Allison Nichting 2, Jaela Self 3, Deborah Easley 4.

For the first time in three years, Cedar Ridge boys basketball coach Clay Jones didn’t serve as an assistant coach for football.

Instead, he helped coach girls golf, which allowed more time to focus on his basketball team.

Through summer workouts, Jones has made no bones about where his teams stands in the new look Big 8.

“We’re looking up at everyone else right now,” said Jones before Thanksgiving.

So far, that’s been prescient.

On Friday night, Riverside used a 19-4 run in the second quarter to blow past the Pirates 64-35 at Margartha Chambers Court. Treyvon Byrd paced the Pirates (2-3) with ten points. Nine Pirates scored.

Cedar Ridge’s Mekai Collins led the Red Wolves with 13, but Cedar Ridge was held to just 14 points in the 2nd quarter against the taller and faster Pirates.

“Right now, we just have a problem getting the ball in the basket,” said Jones. “It’s not just with one team, it’s a program problem. We struggle against taller teams and that’s what we ran into tonight.”

Cedar Ridge’s only lead of the game came after a pair of free throws by Collins, after Chris Tinnen opened the scoring with a 12-foot jumper on the baseline.

Riverside, coming off a win over Sanderson, got consecutive 3-pointers from Kenny Massey and Micah Jones to push the lead to 16-7 at the end of the first quarter.

“We need to find a bench and we need players who can step up for us,” said Jones. “That’s what we need right now.”

The Red Wolves (1-4) host Word of God on Monday at 7. They travel to Carrboro on Wednesday before hosting Sanderson on Friday.

RIVERSIDE 64, CEDAR RIDGE 35

CEDAR RIDGE-Khalil Barnett 5, Terrance Crawford 7, Chris Tinnen 7, Mekai Collins 13, John Vaughn, Eddie Altieri 2.

RIVERSIDE-Christian Johnson 7, Kenny Massey 9, Treyvon Barnes 10, Jevon Johnson 5, Micah Jones 5, Ben Amstead 5, Trey Goldsmith 6, Josh Alston 3, Myles Sanford 5, Jordann Baker 5.