It would have been easy for Cedar Ridge football to just relax leading into Labor Day weekend.
Originally, Cedar Ridge was supposed to face Granville Central in Stem. But just days before the season-opener, Granville Central canceled its season due to a lack of players.
It’s something that’s happened before at Cedar Ridge and head coach Brent Bailey has worked extremely hard to make sure it doesn’t happen again. This year, the Red Wolves have 40 players on its roster.
Instead of taking it easy, Cedar Ridge managed to secure a game at Northwest Halifax, a 1A team out of Littleton. The Vikings came away with a 38-12 win, but it wasn’t a lost night for the Red Wolves.
Junior running back Isaiah Craig rushed for 155 yards. It was his second consecutive 100-yard rushing game. In the season opener against East Chapel Hill, Craig rushed for 101 yards It was the first 100-yard rushing effort in a varsity game by a Cedar Ridge running back since 2015, when Shemar Miles racked up 126 yards in a 24-6 victory over J.F. Webb. Miles scored a touchdown.
The last time a Cedar Ridge players rushed for over 150 yards in a game, it was also Miles. Back on August 21, 2015, he piled up 161 yards in Cedar Ridge’s 56-15 win over Carrboro at Jaguars Stadium.
Against the Vikings, it was another strong game for wide receiver Mason Hughes, who came away with 102 yards receiving. He also scored a touchdown on a pass thrown by junior Thomas McDermott.
Cedar Ridge started the season with a loss to East Chapel Hill at Red Wolves Stadium, but Hughes made his own wrinkle in school history. Hughes had a 93-yard pass reception for a touchdown, the longest play from scrimmage in Cedar Ridge football history. It was McDermott’s first touchdown pass at the varsity level.
Bailey has raised the enthusiasm level at Cedar Ridge so much, there’s one player who is a senior that decided to play football this season for the first time in his life. Bryan Judd is a first-year defensive lineman who was front and center during Cedar Ridge’s media day at Radius Pizza in Hillsborough last month.
“I’ve been watching football all my life,” Judd said. “I decided to come out my senior year. I’ve had enough experience watching football, playing it on Madden to want to try it.”
Cedar Ridge offensive lineman Luis Donjuan, who is a center this season, encouraged Judd to try to sport. Judd was among the Cedar Ridge players who were out during their midnight practice a month ago, just before a scrimmage at Riverside High in Durham.
“It was a different experience to actually be out there and doing it,” Judd said. “Getting the reps and the experience has been fun. My coaching staff can get me experienced to play some more in my life. I do want to play in college.”
Judd also became addicted to football when he joined some Cedar Ridge players at several North Carolina games at Kenan Stadium last year.
Learning the techniques of the game has become common for Judd as Bailey tries to revive football culture at Cedar Ridge.
“Learning hand moments and trying to fire off the ball has been fun,” Judd said. “It’s different when you talk about it. When you actually do it, it takes a different mentality. I wanted to play so I’m going to go out there and play.”
McDermott, in his first varsity start against the Wildcats, threw for 184 yards.
Cedar Ridge will face the American Leadership Academy of Johnston County on Friday night in Hillsborough. It will be the first-ever matchup between the two teams.