In Steve Mayhew’s playing days, it was called “Pine Valley.”
As a player under coach Nick Walker in the 1980s, the fledging tennis program at Orange High didn’t have a series of country club courts to play on like their brethren at nearby schools. But their court had flavor. Situated across a secondary road separating Stanford Middle School from the senior institution, Orange’s tennis court was shrouded by pine trees and enveloped by a cage. If it wasn’t for the lights that shined well off into the distance before closing at 9PM, it would be easy to miss.
This was once Mayhew’s playground, where he played alongside Russell Westbrook, who went on to be Orange’s cross country coach in 2016. After he graduated and developed in life, Mayhew passed his love of tennis to his children Josh and Cameron.
On Wednesday night, Mayhew came full circle. One final time before he retires next month, he returned to the courts he once played on to coach against the school he once played for. In his fourth and final season as Cedar Ridge women’s tennis coach, Mayhew went out a winner to keep the Red Wolves hopes for a birth in the 3A State Dual Team Tournament alive.
Cameron Mayhew and Adeline Cummings defeated Orange’s top doubles team of Erinn and Shannon Sollars for the clinching victory as the Red Wolves defeated Orange 6-3. The Sollars sisters, looking to avenge an earlier loss to Mayhew and Cummings, charged out to a 2-0 lead. Mayhew and Cummings won eight of the final ten games to secure the Red Wolves eighth win of the season by a score of 8-4.
Cedar Ridge (8-4, 6-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) remains in second place in the CCC, one game behind Watler Williams. The Red Wolves will face Williams to cap the regular season on October 9.
“We’re just trying to get better,” Mayhew said. “Our regular season isn’t over. We still have matches to play. So we’ll cross that path when we get there. But we’re just trying to get better, improve and just take one match at a time. But I like where we are right now. We’re really improving and getting better. That’s what you want.”
A light drizzle fell as the final match of the night concluded. Cedar Ridge’s Ella Caltabiano and Catherine Ballinger faced Orange’s Makayla Davis and Molly Kruse. Early on, Mayhew objected when he thought an Orange player crossed her racket over the plane of the net, which triggered an immediate protest from the player on a night that had already been chippy. This led to the unusual instance of Mayhew and Orange coach Justin Webb standing on opposite sides of the net to oversee the match. Usually, players act as their own linesmen to call balls in or out. Caltabiano and Ballenger would take the match 8-5 despite trailing early.
Cedar Ridge won four of the six singles matches. That included Mayhew winning at #1 doubles over Erinn Sollars. Mayhew, a senior, has now won 14 matches this season for the Red Wolves, including a 9-2 record in singles.
Cedar Ridge swept the regular season series from Orange for the first time since 2018.
Orange, the defending CCC Champions with Walter Williams, fell to 10-5, 5-4 in the CCC. It was the Lady Panthers third match in three days. On Tuesday, Orange rolled past J.F. Webb 9-0 in Hillsborough. Oakley Gaddy finished with two wins for Orange against the Warriors. Gaddy defeated Samantha Ragland at #6 singles 8-0. Gaddy teamed with Evelyn Gover at #2 doubles to win over Madison Ragland and Michaela Bryant 8-3.
Sophomore Adelyn Alvis also won two matches for Orange against the Warriors. Alvis defeated Bryant 8-0. Alvis teamed with sophomore Nora Plummer at #3 doubles to defeat Savannah Moody and Samantha Ragland 8-0.
Shannon Sollars won at #1 singles over Kallie Goldamez 8-0.