Month: March 2019

As reliable as ever, Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Phillip Berger delivered the goods in the Red Wolves’ season-opening win over Oxford Prep on Thursday night. Berger threw a five inning no-hitter, striking out ten as the Red Wolves defeated the Griffins 10-0. Berger earned the 18th win of his high school career. In turn, new Cedar Ridge head coach Mitchell Frazier won his first game in Hillsborough. In each of the last two seasons, Berger has won eight games. Cedar Ridge is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday to face Carlisle of Martinsville, VA at Red Wolves Territory.

The season ended in disappointing fashion for the Orange women’s basketball team. On Tuesday, Eastern Alamance defeated the Lady Panthers in the opening round of the 3A state playoffs. Nontheless, Orange went 19-5 this season. Coach B.J. Condron played four freshmen regularly who will help out greatly in the future, including point guard Aaliyah Harris and forward Jarmil Wingate. In December, Harris stepped in to start after senior point guard Grace Dively injured her ankle against Lee County. Wingate was a regular rotation player from start to finish this season and occasionally started at small forward for an Orange team that finished 2nd in the Big 8 Conference.

Kate Franklin will go down as among the most inspirational athletes in Orange High history. She has competed with the Orange women’s cross country team despite the fact she’s legally blind. Kate was born with a visual impairment disability and is legally blind. The disability is called optic nerve hypoplasia, an underdeveloped nerve. The optic nerve in her right eye is one-third of the size of a normal optic nerve. Sadly, the condition can’t be corrected by medication, surgery, glasses or contact lenses. Despite dealing with shin splits and a rolled ankle this fall, Franklin continued to run. Most recently, she participated in the Turkey Trot 5K held at Riverwalk Trail and Gold Park on Thanksgiving morning. Though others offered to run alongside her for guidance, Franklin completed the race by herself at her own behest.

Takia Nichols 1st varsity softball game was Thursday. Ignite against Bartlett Yancey, and it was memorable. In her very first at-bat, she laced a two-Run double to left field to jumpstart a 13-run 2nd inning for the Red Wolves. Later that inning, she grooved a two-run single to centerfield. Even though she’s a freshman, Nichols got the start at 3rd base in Cedar Ridge’s season-opener as the defending Big 8 Conference champions defeated the Lady Bucs 19-7, even though they trailed 6-0 going into the bottom of the second inning. After getting rained out twice this week, Cedar Ridge will try to get back on the field next week against Cardinal Gibbons. 

Cedar Ridge shortstop Tionna Carter went 3-for -4 with RBIs in the Cedar Ridge softball team’s season-opening 19-6 victory over Bartlett Yancey on Thursday night in Hillsborough. After reaching on a fielder’s choice in the first inning, Carter went to bat twice during Cedar Ridge’s  13-run 2nd inning. In the first at-bat, she singled to centerfield to score Taylor Rhul. Later, Carter was knocked in by Kymberlie Thacker on a sacrifice fly to right field. Later on in the second inning, Carter laced another single up the middle to score Takia Nichols. She would go on to score again in the 2nd off a sharp grounder by Tori Dalehite. In the third inning, Carter had her third RBI of the game with an infield single to plate Reagan Rhul. Carter scores her third run of the game off a double by Dalehite. 

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior Natalia Garay. Last week, Natalia played her final basketball game at Cedar Ridge after three years at the varsity level. As a sophomore and junior, she helped Cedar Ridge reach the 3A State Playoffs. This season, Garay played 25 games for the Red Wolves and knocked down some important early field goals in their upset victory over Orange on January 9. In addition to playing basketball, Garay runs track and is a member of the International Baccalaureate Program at Cedar Ridge. Last October, she was named the homecoming queen at halftime of Cedar Ridge’s JV football game against Chapel Hill.