Cedar Ridge Men’s Tennis

The nominations are out for the HighSchooolOT.com Honors for 2022, operated by Capitol Broadcasting, and Cedar Ridge has two finalists.

In the category of Boys Tennis Player of the Year, Cedar Ridge junior Josh Mayhew is one of five nominees. Also nominated are Carrboro’s Aidan Chung, Greensboro Grimsley’s Carl Gedlitchka, Greensboro Day’s Carter McWhorter and Carmel Christian’s Gabe Avram.

For the award of Female Coach of the Year (regardless of sport), Cedar Ridge volleyball coach Fiona Cunningham is one of the five nominees. Joining Cunningham on the finalists list are Alston Godbold, the head coach of the Green Level Volleyball team; Deb Clarke of the Fuquay-Varina volleyball team; Kerri Snipes, the women’s basketball coach at Northwood; and Julie van Olden of the Marvin Ridge women’s tennis team.

Voters are allowed to go to HighSchoolOT.com and vote once per day until May 15. The finalists will be honored during an awards ceremony at the Duke Energy for Performing Arts Center on June 18 in Raleigh.

The High SchoolOT.Com honors are statewide and not limited to one geographic region.

Last May, Mayhew became the first Cedar Ridge men’s tennis player to reach the finals of the 3A State Tennis Singles Tournament. This season, Mayhew helped Cedar Ridge win its conference conference championship in men’s tennis. On Wednesday, the Red Wolves will face Carrboro in the opening round of the 3A State Dual Team Tennis Tournament.

As Cedar Ridge’s #1 singles player, Mayhew was named the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year. He qualified for the Mideast Regionals, which will start this Friday at the Burlington Tennis Center. If Mayhew advances to the semifinals, he will qualify for the 3A State Championships for the second straight year.

This season, Mayhew went 12-0 as a singles player as the Red Wolves went 9-1 in the Central Carolina Conference. He faced players from Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Northwood en route to an undefeated regular season.

In her second season at Cedar Ridge, Cunningham led the Red Wolves to the 3A State Championship in volleyball last November. It was the first state championship by a women’s team in school history. The only other female team to ever win a state championship in Hillsborough was the 2017 Orange High softball team.

Cunnigham’s first season as Cedar Ridge head coach (in 2020-2021) was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but she hit the ground running. In her second game as a head coach on November 19, 2020, the Red Wolves swept Chapel Hill 3-0 at Smith Middle School. The Tigers were a year removed from winning the 3A Eastern Regional Championship. Cunningham played at Chapel Hill High and served as an assistant coach under current Tigers head coach Ross Fields before starting her head coaching career with the Red Wolves, replacing Anna Seethaler.

In two seasons as a head coach, Cunningham is 23-0 against conference opponents. She has won two conference regular season championships, the 2021 Central Carolina Conference Tournament championship, and the 2021 3A Eastern Regional championship. Last November, the Red Wolves defeated North Iredell 3-1 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh for the 3A State Championship.

Playing in possibly the toughest 3A conference in the state, Cunningham played a non-conference schedule that was every bit as rigorous. On August 20, 2021, the first Friday night of the academic year, the Red Wolves made it clear this would be a special season when they defeated D.H. Conley, the defending 3A State Champions, 3-0 in Greenville. Cedar Ridge also played Conley in Hillsborough, as well as Chapel Hill, Green Hope, Carrboro and Pinecrest. The Red Wolves faced Northwood, Person and Orange in conference play, all of whom were ranked in the #10 of the 3A East Region.

Cunningham, who formerly played at UNC Asheville, managed to accomplish winning the state championship while expecting her first child. Tony Collichio arrived just in time to see his mother’s favorite basketball team, the UNC Tar Heels, make the most surprising run to the NCAA Championship game in school history.

Last summer, Josh Mayhew became the first Cedar Ridge men’s tennis player to ever advance to an individual state championship match.

Now, Mayhew has led Cedar Ridge to another unprecedented feat. The Cedar Ridge Red Wolves have won their first-ever conference championship as a 3A team.

The Red Wolves commemorated its Senior Night by sweeping two matches against Walter Williams at Red Wolves Tennis Courts on April 6. Cedar Ridge won each of the dual matches against the Bulldogs by identical 5-2 scores. During the post match celebration, the Red Wolves knew they had clinched a share of the Central Carolina Conference championship. They also knew that Northwood was ahead 5-2 in a match that started the day before in Hillsborough and was stopped due to rain. If the Chargers had completed that victory over Cedar Ridge and then won their subsequent three CCC matches, they would have tied Cedar Ridge for first place (Cedar Ridge won the earlier match against the Chargers 6-1 in Pittsboro). The match was supposed to resume last week.

Those plans were canceled when Williams defeated the Chargers 5-4 on April 8, ensuring that Cedar Ridge had won the outright conference championship.

Under head coach Steve Mayhew, the Red Wolves will take the #1 seed into the 3A State Dual Team Tournament, which begins next week. The field for the tournament will be unveiled on Monday, with the opening round Wednesday.

“I knew we could do this,” said Josh Mayhew after beating Williams. “I believe in my team. Everybody has put in so much work. I have never been more proud of my team. It’s just awesome.”

For the second straight year, Mayhew has advanced to the 3A State individual championships. Last Wednesday in the Central Carolina Conference Championships at the Burlington Tennis Center, Mayhew received the #1 seed after finishing the season 12-0 in singles play. Mayhew defeated Chapel Hill’s Ayan Patel 6-2, 6-2 on March 1. Of Mayhew’s 12 wins, he didn’t lose a game in seven of them.

At the conference championships, Mayhew received a bye into the second round. He defeated Orange’s Nathan Pavalonis to advance to the semifinals and secure a spot in the state tournament.

Sophomore Lev Bearman went 7-2 in singles play for the Red Wolves this season and also qualified for the state championships. Bearman held off Walter Williams’ Alex Brown 7-6, 6-2 in the CCC Tournament quarterfinals.

“Lev has impressed me the most this year,” Josh Mayhew said. “He’s going to be the #1 singles player when I’m gone. He’s going to be the best.”

Cedar Ridge also sent the doubles team of Eli and Holden Rachlin to the state championships. The Rachlins, who received the #4 seed at the CCC Tournament, defeated Northwood’s Tate Clark and Mason Erman 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, winning the third-set tiebreaker 7-2 in the quarterfinals.

“We always have a positive mindset going into each match,” Lev Bearman said. “Josh is like an assistant coach and he’s always cheering people on and supporting us.”

Cedar Ridge opened the season with seven consecutive conference wins, starting with a victory over Person on February 28 in Hillsborough. The Red Wolves, who are 9-4 overall, also faced stiff non conference opposition from Chapel Hill, Durham School of the Arts and Carrboro, who could potentially play Cedar Ridge again in the state team playoffs.

The championship will hold a special place for seniors Eli Rachlin (a co-Captain) and Derrick Stephens.

The individual state championships will take place at the Burlington Tennis Center on May 6th and 7th.

The last tennis team from Cedar Ridge to win a conference championship was the 2016 Red Wolves’ women’s team, which finished undefeated in a Big 8 Conference that included Chapel Hill. The Red Wolves, coached by Lennie Corbett, swept the Tigers and advanced to the state quarterfinals of the 3A State Dual Team Tournament.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior tennis player Seth Upchurch. This season. Upchurch has been one of the vital players on the Red Wolves team to ever win a conference championship at the 3A level. Upchurch has been a regular singles player under head coach Steve Mayhew. On April 6, Upchurch won his match at #6 singles 8-2 as the Red Wolves officially clinched the Central Carolina Conference championship after sweeping a doubleheader over Walter Williams. The Red Wolves won the opening match 5-2. Also this season, Upchurch won his singles match against Orange 6-2, 6-1 as the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 7-2 at Red Wolves Tennis Courts. Upchurch is also a member of the Cedar Ridge Theatre Company and has a role in the upcoming production of Talia on the Path of Shadows. The opening round of the 3A State Dual Team Tennis Playoffs will be April 27 and the Red Wolves will host a match in the opening round for the first time ever as a 3A team. 

Men’s Tennis: Cedar Ridge 6, Western Alamance 3 With three conference dual matches remaining, the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team is still atop the Central Carolina Conference with a 7-0 record. On Monday, the Red Wolves defeated Western Alamance in Elon to complete a season sweep of the Warriors.

Cedar Ridge junior Josh Mayhew remained undefeated on the year with a 6-0, 6-0 victory at #1 singles. Mayhew, who became the first Cedar Ridge player to reach the 3A State Championship match last season, is 9-0 this spring. At #1 doubles, Mayhew teamed with sophomore Lev Bearman to win 8-2, which ensured a Red Wolf team victory.

Cedar Ridge won four singles matches to take a 4-2 lead going into doubles action. Sophomore Holden Rachlin defeated Jacob Howell 6-2, 6-2. Rachlin improved to 8-2 in his first season at varsity. At #5, junior Seth Upchurch prevailed 6-4, 6-2 for his fourth singles win of the season. Senior Derrick Stephens earned a 6-4, 6-4 win over Western Alamance’s Evan Gwin.

The Red Wolves’ (7-3 overall, 7-0 in the CCC) match against Northwood, which was rained out on March 24, was in the process of being resumed on Tuesday in Hillsborough before it was interrupted by rain. The Red Wolves also have two matches against Walter Williams still on its slate. One is a regularly scheduled match set for Wednesday in Hillsborough. The other is a make-up trip to Burlington for a date that was rained out on March 16. If the Red Wolves win two of its final three conference matches, they will clinch at least a tie for the conference championship.

Orange 5, Williams 4: The Orange men’s tennis team went into spring break on a four-match winning streak. On March 24, the Panthers defeated the Bulldogs in its most dramatic win of the season. The doubles team of Justin Conover and Porter Pelphrey trailed the #1 team from Williams 7-4, but rallied to win the final five games and captured the match 9-7, which ensured an Orange victory over the Bulldogs.

The Panthers and the Bulldogs split the six singles matches. Orange freshman Cameron Foster had the longest match of the day against Williams’ Nathan Amyot, which went to a third seed. Foster won the tiebreaker, and the match, 11-9 after winning the opening set 6-3. Amyot took the second set 6-1.

Orange junior Tristan Plummer won at #5 singles 6-0, 6-1. At #6 singles, Orange’s Brendan Kassler won when he opponent didn’t finish the match.

Northwood 5, Orange 4: The Chargers, who are currently second in the CCC, held off Orange in Hillsborough on Monday. Three of the singles matches went to tiebreakers, including the opening match where Conover defeated Northwood’s Jio Sumogod 7-5, 7-6 (12-10). It was Conover’s ninth overall win of the season. Orange junior Nathan Pavalonis won in three sets at #4 singles against Mason Erman. Pavalonis won 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.

Orange’s doubles team of Tristan Plummer and Tate Clark won at #2 8-6. Conover teamed with Pelphrey to win at #1 doubles 8-6.

Golf: The fourth Central Carolina Conference men’s golf match of the season was held at the Preserve Golf Course in Pittsboro on Monday. Orange finished fourth in the team standings. Junior Thomas Loch and senior Jacob Thompson, each of whom just finished basketball season for Orange, had identical 44 scores for the Panthers. Josh Roberts and Ryder Lee each carded a 48 for Orange. Brad Marochak and Cooper Zinn also competed for Orange.

Cedar Ridge came in tie for fifth in the team standings, matching Eastern Alamance with 190 team strokes. Ward Mann was the top Red Wolf on the day, finishing with a 46. Rowan Parker carded a 47 for Cedar Ridge, while Bradley Monschein, who qualified for the 3A Central Regional last year, had a 48.

Western Alamance had the top team score.

Two matches have already been held this season at Occoneechee Golf Club in Hillsborough. Loch led Orange in the opening two rounds. He shot a season-best 40 during a match on March 24. Thompson had a 44.

Cedar Ridge 9, Orange 0: With a critical road trip on tap for later today against Williams, the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team has completed its first fourth straight dual win over its crosstown rival.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 7-2 at Panther Tennis Courts. Junior Josh Mayhew maintained his undefeated record for the season with a victory at #1 singles 6-1, 6-0. The Red Wolves swept all five singles matches. At #2, Eli Rachlin prevailed 6-2, 6-0 to improve to 5-1 on the season. Lev Bearman won at #3 singles 6-3, 6-1. Bearman is now 5-1 in 2022, as well.

In the only three-set match of the day, Walker Richards-Baker of Cedar Ridge and Orange’s Nathan Pavalonis battled into the third set. Pavalonis took the opening set 6-2. Richards-Baker fought back to win the second set 6-3. In the 10-point tiebreaker to determine the match, Richards-Baker won 10-8.

Holden Rachlin won at #5 singles 6-4, 6-2. At #6 singles, junior Seth Upchurch prevailed 6-2, 6-1.

Orange won two of the three doubles matches. At #1 doubles, Justin Conover and freshman Porter Pelphrey captured the first Panther match of the day 8-4. At #3 doubles, Orange’s Tristan Plummer and freshman Cameron Foster won 8-5. Cedar Ridge’s Richards-Baker and Bearman won the #2 doubles match 8-3.

Cedar Ridge 9, Western Alamance 0: On Monday, the Red Wolves remained undefeated in Central Carolina Conference play after beating Western Alamance at Red Wolves Tennis Courts.

Mayhew won at #1 singles 6-0, 6-0 to start the sweep. Eli Rachlin, Richards-Baker, Bearman, Holden Rachlin and Upchurch also collected singles wins.

In doubles, Mayhew teamed with Upchurch for a victory at #1. Holden and Eli Rachlin teamed to win at #2. Richards-Baker and Bearman earned the duke at #3. Cedar Ridge is 5-2 overall, 5-0 in the CCC.

Women’s Soccer: Cedar Ridge 5, South Granville 0:

The Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team rolled past South Granville in its season opener in Creedmoor on March 2. In her first varsity game, freshman Fleury Nicholson scored two goals. Another freshman, Sophia Feken, scored her first high school goal, as well. Junior Lillian Dyslin and sophomore Susanna DeMarchi also added goals as the Red Wolves won over the Vikings. Ianna Pfeifer collected an assist. Sophomore Addie Reid, a member of Cedar Ridge 3A State Championship volleyball team, earned the clean sheet in net.

Cedar Ridge 9, Clover Garden School 0: Nicholson and Pfeifer each collected hat tricks as the Red Wolves defeated the Grizzlies in its home opener on March 4. Nicholson had five goals only two games into the season.

DeMarchi added two goals and assisted on three others to come away with seven points on the night. Nicholson also assisted on a goal by Pfeifer. Freshman Celine Galla scored her first varsity goal. Junior midfielder Lillian Dyslin added three assists. Another freshman, Anna Peterson, notched an assist.

Goalkeeper Addie Reid played 52 minutes to pick up the win in net.

Orange 3, Western Alamance 1: The Orange women’s soccer team won its first game in the Central Carolina Conference game at Davis Morton Field. Two freshmen scored for the Lady Panthers. Elliana Sullivan-Gaddy scored her first varsity goal. Cora Bailey, another freshman, added insurance. Junior Sydney Rogers tallied another goal for Orange. Junior Abby Monteith earned the win in net by making ten saves.

Orange 3, Northwood 2: In the first game inside Northwood’s new soccer stadium, the Lady Panthers scored late to pull out the conference win. Sydney Rogers notches two goals for Orange in earning the win. Senior Bella Brown, who was Orange’s leading scorer last season, added another goal. Monteith made five saves for her second win of the season.

A year after become the first Cedar Ridge competitor to play for the 3A State Singles tennis championship, sophomore Josh Mayhew has led the Red Wolves to a solid opening week of the season.

On Monday, the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team defeated Person 8-1 to open the season at Red Wolves Tennis Courts. The Red Wolves captured all six singles matches, with Mayhew winning at #1 singles 6-0, 6-0. At #2 singles, senior Eli Rachlin won 6-0, 6-0. Lev Bearman, Walker Richards-Baker, Holdin Rachlin and Seth Upchurch also claimed singles victories for the Red Wolves.

At #1 doubles, Upchurch teamed with senior Derrick Stephens to win 8-2. Juniors Bowen Wood and Jason Pattison captured the final Red Wolf victory at #2 singles 8-4.

In its first nonconference match of the year on Tuesday, Chapel Hill defeated the Red Wolves 8-1. However, Mayhew did captured the Red Wolves #1 singles match over Chapel Hill’s Ayan Patel 6-2, 6-2. Last year, Chapel Hill’s Dennis Permuov was the only player in the state to beat Mayhew the entire season. Permuov and Mayhew met four times, including once in the 3A State Championship match, as well as the Mideast Regional Final.

On Thursday, the Red Wolves won its first road match of the season went they defeated Northwood 6-1 in Pittsboro. Mayhew defeated Jio Sumogod 6-3, 7-5 in the top singles match. At #2, Eli Rachlin had a thrilling match with Matteus Butler. Rachlin pulled out a three-set win, 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (10-4).

Bearman, Richards-Baker and Holden Rachlin all captured singles wins for the Red Wolves. In the only doubles match, Richards-Baker and Bearman prevailed 8-2.

Cedar Ridge hosts Orange on Monday.

Men’s Tennis: Western Alamance 6, Orange 3: The Panthers opened the season with a loss to the Warriors in Hillsborough on Monday. Freshman Cameron Foster, in his first match for Orange, won at #4 singles 6-1, 6-3.

At #5 singles, Tristian Plummer defeated Western’s Jacob Howell 5-7, 6-2, 10-4. Orange sophomore Jackson Panning also extended his match to a 10-point breaker, but Western freshman Evan Gwin won 1-6, 6-4, 10-8.

Orange’s doubles team of Porter Pelphrey and Cameron Foster, both freshmen, earned a win at #2 doubles over Christopher Barringer and Harry Jefferson 8-5.

Williams 8, Orange 1: The Bulldogs, which have now won 21 consecutive conference matches dating back to its days in the Mid-State Conference, rolled past the Panthers in Hillsborough on Wednesday. Sophomore Jackson Panning claimed Orange’s only win at #6 doubles. Panning defeated Res Sharpe 6-4, 6-3.

Orange travels to Riverside for its first nonconfence match of the season on Monday.

The Bulldogs, which have won three consecutive conference championships, travel to Western Alamance on Wednesday for its next match.

Women’s Soccer: Cedar Ridge 5, South Granville 0: For the first time since 2018, the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team played a match without its all-time leading scorer, Emerson Talley, who is now at Lenoir-Rhyne. Nonetheless, the Red Wolves easily disposed of South Granville 5-0 in Creedmoor on Wednesday night.

Cedar Ridge will host Clover Garden School tonight (Friday) at 6PM in its home opener at Cedar Ridge Stadium. On Saturday, the Red Wolves face South Brunswick.

After becoming just the second tennis player in the history of Hillsborough high school athletics to reach a state championship match, Cedar Ridge sophomore Josh Mayhew has been named All-Big 8 Conference.

In addition, Cedar Ridge’s Eli Rachlin and Will Ballenger also were named to the All-Big 8 Conference team. Orange’s Justin Conover and Brandon Gwinn were also named first-team All-Big 8.

On May 15, Mayhew defeated Soham Pradhan of Marvin Ridge 6-2, 6-4 to reach the 3A State Tennis final at the Burlington Tennis Center. He became the first Cedar Ridge singles player to become a state finalist. The only other player from the Orange County School District to ever reach a state final was Britton Webb of Orange, who played for the 2A championship in 2005.

This was Mayhew’s first full varsity season. He went 14-4 in singles play. All four of his losses were to 3A State Champion Dennis Perumov of Chapel Hill, who naturally was also the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year. Mayhew finished second in the Mideast Regional, where he defeated Chapel Hill’s Eddy Ferreira 6-2, 6-2 in the semifinals. Mayhew qualified for the state championships on May 8 with wins over Western Alamance’s Will Geiger and East Chapel Hill’s Rama Varanasi in the opening rounds of the Mideast Regionals. He became the first singles player from Cedar Ridge to qualify for the state tournament since 2014.

Rachlin was the junior co-Captain of the team. He started all matches at #2 singles. Rachlin helped the Red Wolves sweep the season series from crosstown rival Orange. On March 22, Rachlin defeated Orange’s Colin O’Hagerty 6-2, 7-5. Throughout the season, Rachlin teamed with Lev Bearman on #2 doubles. Together, they defeated Northwood’s #2 doubles team 8-7, winning the tiebreaker 7-5 on March 15. It preserved a 5-4 Cedar Ridge victory.

Ballenger had 14 wins this season. He teamed with Mayhew to go 8-2 as the Red Wolves’ top doubles team. Ballenger also played #3 singles for much of the year, including a three-set victory over Carrboro’s Joseph Lee that ended 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (12-10). It helped the Red Wolves defeat the Jaguars 9-0 at Carrboro Tennis Courts.

Orange’s Brandon Gwinn teamed with O’Hagerty to reach the 3A State Doubles Tournament. It was the first time since 2013 that Orange High was represented in a state tennis tournament. On May 8, Gwinn and O’Hagerty defeated Northern Guilford’s Duncan Moore and James Harrington 6-3, 6-4 to reach the 3A Mideast Regional semifinals. Earlier in the day, Gwinn and O’Hagerty knocked off Isai Gutierrez & Francisco Urieta of Harnett Central.

Gwinn, a sophomore, had 12 wins overall in 2021. Despite facing players from perennial powerhouses Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill, Gwinn finished 7-4 in singles play. Gwinn defeated Ballenger 6-1, 7-6 (8-6) on April 14 at Red Wolves Tennis Courts.

In his third year as a varsity player, Conover was usually Orange’s #1 singles player. He helped the Panthers to a winning season on the strength of two wins over Northwood. Conover defeated the Chargers’ Jio Sumogod 6-4, 6-4 on March 24. A month later, Conover defeated Sumogod 7-5, 6-4 as Orange defeated Northwood 5-4 in Hillsborough.

Bearman was named Honorable Mention All-Big 8 for Cedar Ridge. O’Hagerty was named honorable mention for Orange.

In addition to tennis, the Big 8 Conference has named its All-Conference teams for men’s golf. Orange’s Josh Frank and Cedar Ridge’s Bradley Monschein made All-Big 8.

Frank, a senior, had a nine-hold average for the year below 42. He qualified for the 3A Mideast Regionals at Keith Hills Golf Club on the campus of Campbell University. On April 13, Frank shot a 79 at Occoneechee Golf Course in Hillsborough, the home of Orange and Cedar Ridge golf.

Monschein was the Red Wolves’ top player throughout the season. In mid-March at Occoneechee Golf Course, Monschein led Cedar Ridge with an 87 over 18 holes, which was tied for fourth among competitors from five different schools. Somewhat remarkably, Monschein didn’t start getting serious about golf until about a year ago. This was his first season on the Cedar Ridge golf team. He’s currently playing for Cedar Ridge’s junior varsity baseball team.

The first Cedar Ridge men’s tennis player to ever reach a state championship match.

Only the second player from Hillsborough to ever play in a state final, and the first in 15 years.

Yet hours after he finished 2nd in the 3A State Tennis Tournament on Saturday at the Burlington Tennis Center, Josh Mayhew mainly discussed the future. When he’s told that no player from a higher classification in Hillsborough history has ever reached a state final, the sophomore flashes a smile, then talks about a summer’s worth of work ahead. It will hardly resemble the desolate months of 2020.

What do you learn at an event where you achieve something unprecedented within your own school and town, but fall short of the state championship? You learn from it. For starters, Mayhew discovered the difference between a runner-up and a state champion.

“I learned there’s some good competition out there,” Mayhew said at A.L. Stanback Middle School on Saturday, where he played in middle school. “It’s going to take a lot to be the best. I gotta work a lot harder. I need to learn to play better behind the baseline and hang in points longer.”

On Saturday, Mayhew defeated Soham Padran of Marvin Ridge 6-2, 6-4 to reach the championship match. In terms of United States Tennis Association rankings, it was an upset. According to the USTA Southern Regional Junior standings, Padran is 260 spots higher than Mayhew.

The only other men’s high school player in Hillsborough history to reach a state championship final was Orange’s Britton Webb in 2005. Cardinal Gibbons’ Will Rollinson defeated Webb 6-2, 2-6, 6-3. It was the first of Rollinson’s three consecutive 2A State Championships.

In Saturday’s championship match, Chapel Hill’s Dennis Perumov defeated Mayhew 6-2, 6-2. It was the fourth time they had met this year and the second time in four days. On Tuesday, Perumov defeated Mayhew in the Mideast Regional Final on the same court.

Outside of his four losses to Perumov, Mayhew went undefeated in his first full season at the varsity level.

Mayhew’s father, Steve, is the Cedar Ridge head coach who formerly played at Orange. Josh’s earliest memories of tennis go back to when he was five years old when he would play in the driveway with his father.

“I came up with ways to make it fun,” Steve said. “It was a good way for the family to have fun. Josh, Cameron (his younger sister who is currently Cedar Ridge’s #1 women’s player) and even Hannah would all play tennis together.”

At seven years old, Josh started playing USTA Tournaments competitively with a red compression balls (which don’t bounce as high as regular balls) on a 36-foot court. By ten, he advanced to a 60-foot court with orange compression balls. Once he got to 12 years old, he played tournament on standards courts with standard gear.

“He aged up,” Steve said. “He has tons of experience. He’s played so much tennis at such a young age. He’s had tons of reps.”

Aside from his father, Mayhew has had help with coach Chris Cloer, a native of Brevard who went on to become an All-American at Florida State. Cloer is now a volunteer assistant with UNC.

“When Chris was an assistant coach at N.C. State, Josh worked with him.” Steve said. “Then when Chris went to UNC, we worked with him in Chapel Hill. He works to make Josh’s swing as efficient as possible.”

Mayhew’s current coach is someone called “Z,” a nickname he’s grown so attached to, neither he nor his father can remember his formal name.

Training can’t prevent cramping, which Mayhew experienced in his second round match against Ben Jones of Clayton on Friday. Late in the second set, Mayhew needed time to recover. He prevailed 7-5, 7-5 to reach the semifinals.

“I had to take a medical timeout,” Mayhew said. “I got ice and stretched. I was good again.”

Now a month away from finishing his sophomore year, Mayhew’s ultimate goal is clear. And obvious.

“I feel like I’ve accomplished something,” Mayhew said. “But I want to accomplish more. I want to be the best in the state next year.”

On Saturday, Cedar Ridge sophomore Josh Mayhew did something only one other man in the history of Hillsborough has done: play in a state tennis tournament final. Mayhew defeated Marvin Ridge’s Soham Pradhan 6-2, 6-4 in the 3A State Semifinals at Burlington Tennis Club. The only other male player to reach a state championship match in Hillsborough history was Orange’s Britton Webb in 2005. The only person to beat Mayhew the entire season was Chapel Hill’s Dennis Permuov, who captured the state championship on Saturday. Aside from that, Mayhew went 14-0 in his first season as a varsity player. Next season, Mayhew will be a junior in a new league. Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill will be 4A teams again, and Mayhew will set his sights on trying to become the first player from Cedar Ridge High to win a state championship in tennis. Mayhew started preparing for his sophomore season during the pandemic with daily workouts in Chapel Hill. Now that the offseason has arrived for him, Mayhew still won’t stop working towards his goal, even though he’s already accomplished something that no other tennis player at Cedar Ridge High has ever done.