Usually when the state playoffs roll around, it provides high-achieving teams a chance to deviate from playing against its conference rivals, at least in the early rounds.
You would think that would be the case in lacrosse for Orange and Cedar Ridge.
And you would be wrong.
Orange, which rallied from five goals down to defeat Northwood on Wednesday night, faces a likely matchup against either the Chargers or Walter Williams in the third round. Meanwhile, Cedar Ridge will take on Western Alamance in the opening round on Friday night at Red Wolves Stadium.
The 34-team bracket for the 3A/2A/1A State Men’s Lacrosse championships was released Friday. Orange received a #1 seed and earned a bye into the second round. The Panthers will face the winner of J.F. Webb versus South Brunswick at Auman Stadium on Friday night. If Orange wins, the Panthers will take the winner of Northwood/Walter Williams on May 10.
Cedar Ridge (14-5), after beating Bishop McGuinness and Carrboro in the final week of the regular season, received a #7 seed. The Red Wolves will host Western Alamance on Friday night at Red Wolves Stadium. It will be the first time Cedar Ridge has hosted a game in the state playoffs since the 2017 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional Championship game, when the Red Wolves defeated Chapel Hill to advance to the state championship. That Cedar Ridge squad became the first Hillsborough lacrosse team to win a regional lacrosse championship.
The winner of Cedar Ridge/Western Alamance will travel all the way to Kill Devil Hills to face First Flight on May 10. First Flight, the #2 seed in the East, won the Northeastern Coastal Conference championship and finished 8-3 overall.
Cedar Ridge swept the regular season series from Western Alamance. In Elon, the Red Wolves won 8-6 on March 22. In Hillsborough, Cedar Ridge won 18-12 on April 14 behind six goals from senior Roman Oguntoyinbo.
Orange played five games in a span of seven days to finish the regular season. Included in that frame was a 12-8 victory over Williams on April 22 in Hillsborough where the Panthers didn’t take its first lead until there was 1:03 remaining in the first half. The Panthers led 9-8 at the end of three quarters, then held the Bulldogs scoreless for the final 12:07. Sophomore Connor Kruse scored five goals.
On Wednesday in Hillsborough, Northwood led Orange 10-7 with 7:15 remaining in regulation on the strength of eight goals from junior Taylor Laberge. The Panthers closed out the game with five consecutive goals to win. After junior Jake Wimsatt scored off an assist from Kruse, Joe Cady tied the game on a transition goal, his third of the game. As Cady scored, Northwood was called for a slashing penalty, which led to Tigh Metheney firing in a man-up goal from 15 yards away to put Orange ahead.
Cedar Ridge will enter the postseason the #3 ranked team in the 3A/2A/1A East Region. The Red Wolves grabbed a stunning 8-7 overtime win over Bishop McGuinness at Red Wolves Stadium on Wednesday night. Senior Alex Castro scored the game-winning goal off an assist from Roman Oguntoyinbo. Billy Power led Cedar Ridge with four goals, while Oguntoyinbo, James Clayton, and Erickson Thole scored one each. Freshman Leo Oguntoyinbo earned the win in net.
On Thursday night, Cedar Ridge defeated Carrboro 8-2 at Jaguars Stadium to finish the regular season. Oguntoyinbo had seven goals, a season-high for the Red Wolves. Senior Joshua Taylor came away with four saves, while Leo Oguntoyinbo, who played the second half, had three.
This will be the first time that Orange has ever been a #1 seed in the East Region for lacrosse. Last year, Orange reached the 3A/2A/1A State Quarterfinals. Cedar Ridge was eliminated in the opening round at East Chapel Hill, who eventually played for the state championship.