Cedar Ridge Men’s Soccer

Through three different head coaches, the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team has managed to beat its crosstown rival in three of their last four meetings.

On Wednesday night, the Red Wolves (2-7, 1-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) got two goals each from Chris Mendez and senior Jorge Salazar to defeat Orange 4-1 at Red Wolves Stadium.

It was the first Central Carolina Conference win for new Cedar Ridge men’s soccer coach Chauncey Brummell, who replaced Andrew Berg over the summer. While it’s always great to do it against your crosstown rival, it was satisfaction delayed for the Red Wolves and Brummell, in particular.

Without any prompting, each Cedar Ridge player to a man will tell you the team’s first conference win should have been last Monday night against Northwood. The Red Wolves were tied with the Chargers 1-1 in Pittsboro, but the Chargers’ scored the game-winning goal with two minutes remaining in regulation.

Justin Murillo scored the only goal for Cedar Ridge against Northwood.

“I think heart made the difference tonight,” Brummell said. “I think the kids had a lot of determination tonight. They’re a tight-knit, close group. I think they wanted to get that win tonight after we fell short on Monday night.”

Though the scoreline may indicate otherwise, Orange (3-7, 0-3) had numerous opportunities to get the equalizing goal throughout the second half. Trailing 2-0 at halftime, Orange’s Cooper Zinn took an entry pass from midfielder Dylan Silverman and fired the ball into the lower left corner for the Panthers’ first tally with 18:56 remaining.

Orange continued the pressure after Zinn’s goal. The turning point came when Orange’s Konnor Johnson sent a pretty ball into the box for Darius Corbett, who was open at the penalty spot. Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Benjamin Weaver raced out of the net to block Corbett’s shot. The subsequent corner kick was headed wide by Johnson with 14:04 remaining.

“Ben has shown up for us time and time again this year,” Brummell said. “He’s made some really big, key saves for us. He’s a talented goalkeeper. I think that save just put a reassurance how bad the boys really wanted this game. He came through for us.”

Orange’s Jasper Tyll let loose with another attempt from 17 yards that missed wide, which was the Panthers’ last serious attempt to tie. With 7:59 remaining, Salazar led a charge from the left flank to the top of the box. Orange was issued a yellow card for a handball in the box, leading to a penalty that Salazar tucked firmly into the bottom right corner for an insurance goal.

Mendez would add his second goal after he unleashed a shot chest high that rebounded off Orange goalkeeper Connor McMurtry. Mendez headed the loose ball over McMurtry to put the Red Wolves ahead 4-1.

Cedar Ridge led 2-0 at halftime. With 20:43 remaining in the first half, senior Alex Jackan found Salazar for a chip shot that lofted into the bottom of the net for the opening goal. Nine minutes later, Jesus Quirez-Rivera passed across the penalty area to Mendez, who uncorked a rocket in from nine yards away.

“I would like to build up the program and bring it back to where it once was,” said Brummell. “Historically, Cedar Ridge has had some great players come through. They were a dominant team in 2A. I want to get them back where they once were. This is a new conference for us and we’ve got a good group of kids.”

Orange will go for its first Central Carolina Conference win against Person tonight (Monday) in Hillsborough. Cedar Ridge will attempt to win consecutive games for the first time this year when they face Eastern Alamance tonight in Mebane.

Bryse Wilson: The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Miami Marlins 6-3 at LoanDepot Park in Florida in Saturday night. It marked Wilson’s first win in a Pirates uniform. Over five innings, Wilson retired the Marlins in order twice. He surrendered two runs off four hits with three strikeouts and no walks. The only runs that Wilson gave up came off a 2-run homer from Nick Fortes in fifth inning. Wilson is now 3-7 with a 4.88 ERA this season. His next start will likely be at Philadelphia next week. It marked the end of a bittersweet week for the Wilson family.

Payton Wilson: On Monday afternoon, N.C. State football coach Dave Doeren announced that Wilson will miss the rest of the season after suffering a shoulder injury against Mississippi State last Saturday. Wilson led the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles per game last year. Before he left the contest against the Bulldogs, Wilson had his first sack of the season. Wilson has led N.C. State in tackles each of the last two seasons with a total of 177. Last season, the Wolfpack went 6-1 in games where Wilson led the team in tackles. Wilson is a redshirt sophomore who took a medical redshirt two years ago after an injury during spring practice shortly after he enrolled in Raleigh. Wilson had surgeries on both of his shoulders last winter, which led to him missing spring practice.

Trent Gill: On Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C. State rolled past Furman 45-7 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Gill, the former Cedar Ridge kicker, had four punts for an average of 38 yards. Three of the punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest was 41 yards. The Wolfpack are 2-1 and will face #5 Clemson next weekend in Raleigh.

Keshawn Thompson: It was another big week for the former Orange linebacker. Campbell hammered Presbyterian 72-0 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson had his first career interception for the Camels. He also registered two tackles. The past two weeks, Thompson led the team in tackles. Campbell is now 1-2 and will travel to North Alabama next Saturday to open Big South Conference action.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated Furman 2-0 on Thursday in its final nonconference game of the season. Hodges played all 90 minutes for Elon, who improved to 5-3. Hodges has played 685 out of 690 possible minutes so far this season. The Phoenix will travel to UNC Wilmington to open Colonial Athletic Association action this afternoon.

Emerson Talley: The all-time leading goal scorer in Cedar Ridge women’s soccer history made her college debut for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne last week. The Bears defeated Francis Marion 6-0 at Mortez Sports Complex in Hickory. Talley came off the bench to play 30 minutes. On Saturday, it was a matchup between two former Cedar Ridge players when Lenoir-Rhyne faced #21 Limestone, featuring goalkeeper Taylin Jean. Neither Talley nor Jean played. Lenoir-Rhyne defeated the Saints 3-2 to improve to 3-0-2. It was the South Atlantic Conference opener for both teams.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision to Randolph-Macon College in Ashland. Daley made her sixth start of the season and played all 90 minutes. On Wednesday, Bridgewater College defeated Greensboro 5-1 in Virginia. Daley also started and played the distance. The Pride are 2-4.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team defeated Ferrum 3-1 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener at WakeMed Soccer Parkin Cary on Saturday night. Rogers started and played all 90 minutes. On Wednesday, Rogers also went the distance as the Pacers played a scoreless tie against Brevard College at Ives-Lemel Family Field in Brevard on Wednesday. Peace now has a four-game unbeaten streak and is 3-2-1 overall, 1-0 in the USA South.

For the fourth straight time, the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team defeated Orange on Wednesday night at Red Wolves Stadium. Jorge Salazar and Chris Mendez each scored two goals as the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 4-1. It was the first win in Central Carolina Conference action for new Cedar Ridge men’s soccer coach Chauncey Brummel, who took over in July. The score was deceiving as Orange nearly tied the game with 15:00 remaining. Konnor Johnson sent a gorgeous ball to Darius Corbett, Orange’s leading goal scorer, from eight yards away. But Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Benjamin Weaver Madeline big save with his knee just as Corbett got the shot away. Salazar added a late goal on a penalty kick. The Red Wolves earned its first home win of the season. They will travel to Eastern Alamance on Monday night in Mebane. Cedar Ridge has also beaten Orange in four of its last five matchups.

Keshawn Thompson: It was a showdown between a former Orange Panther and a former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek on Saturday. The Campbell Fighting Camels, featuring former Orange linebacker Keshawn Thompson, faced off against the Elon Phoenix, which included former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa. The Phoenix defeated the Camels 24-23. For the second week in a row, Thompson led Campbell in tackles with nine. Last week, Thompson was honorable mention for Big South weekly football honors. Campbell is 0-2. They will face Presbyterian on Saturday in Buies Creek.

Adam Chnupa: Elon is now 1-1 after the victory over Campbell. Chnupa played special teams for the Phoenix in the win. Elon will travel to Appalachian State on Saturday.

Payton Wilson: In N.C. State’s loss to Mississippi State on Saturday night at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, MS, Wilson suffered a shoulder injury. Wilson did register his first sack of the season. He finished with three tackles. There’s no word yet on whether Wilson will miss any action. Mississippi State defeated N.C. State 24-10. The Wolfpack were deprived of its first road win against an SEC team since 1977.

Trenton Gill: Former Cedar Ridge punter Trenton Gill was too busy for the Wolfpack’s liking against Mississippi State. Gill had seven punts on Saturday night. He averaged 43.6 yards per punt. His longest was 55 yards. One of the punts was downed inside the 20-yard line. The Wolfpack will host Furman on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Rodney Brooks: After missing the opening game of the season for the Division II Livingstone Blue Bears, former Orange quarterback/defensive back Rodney Brooks made his season debut on Saturday. Savannah State, an FCS team, crushed Livingstone 50-6 at Theodore Wright Stadium in Savannah, GA. Brooks, a safety, had four tackles.

Bryse Wilson: On Sunday at PNC Park, the Washington Nationals defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2. Wilson suffered the loss for the Bucs. In four-and-one-third innings, Wilson surrendered five runs off seven hits and two walks. Luis Garcia, Alex Avila and Lane Thomas honored off of Wilson, who is now 2-7 this season with a 4.97 ERA. The Pirates travel to Miami next weekend.

Kayla Hodges: After a tight loss to N.C. State, the Elon women’s soccer team rebounded with consecutive wins last week. On Thursday, the Phoenix defeated Gardner-Webb 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. Hodges started and played all 90 minutes. On Sunday, the Phoenix defeated American University at Reeves Field in Washington, D.C. Once again, Hodges played the duration of the game and fired one of Elon’s ten shots against the Eagles. Through seven games, Hodges is tied for the team lead with two goals. Elon faces Furman on Friday in its final nonconference game of the year.

Brittany Daley: Emory University’s women’s soccer routed Greensboro College 6-0 in Atlanta on Saturday. Daley played all 90 minutes at centerback for Greensboro. The Pride will travel to Bridgewater on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team has won two in a row. On Sunday, the Pacers defeated Ferrum 3-1 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Rogers started at wingback for Peace. On Wednesday, Peace defeated Johnson & Wales University 2-0 in Charlotte. It was Rogers’ 40th game for Peace. The Pacers are 2-2. They will travel to Brevard on Wednesday.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team won two out of three matches over the weekend. On Friday, Christopher Newport defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 25-18, 24-26, 25-23 and 25-12 at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh. For the first time this season, Lucas didn’t start for Meredith. She did finish with two kills, 14 assists and five digs. The Avenging Angels won both of its matches on Saturday. They opened with a sweep of Guilford on scores of 25-17, 25-8 and 25-22 at the Hermann Athletic Center in Raleigh. Lucas came off the bench and had 16 assists and one dig. Meredith defeated William Peace 3-1. Lucas led the Avenging Angels with 25 assists and seven digs. Meredith is 5-3 and will play a doubleheader against Brevard and Maryville on Friday in Brevard.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith Avenging Angels volleyball team opened its season with four matches in four days. Meredith started with a 3-1 win over Roanoke at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Meredith won on scores of 16-25, 25-10, 25-16, 26-24. Lucas started and played all four sets. She had 17 assists, an ace and four digs. On Friday, the Avenging Angels swept Geneva on tallies of 25-15, 25-23 and 25-6 to start play at the Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach, VA at TowneBank Arena. Lucas led the team with 14 assists in the win over the Golden Tornadoes. She also had two digs. On Saturday, Virginia Wesleyan defeated Meredith 3-0. Lucas had nine assists and five digs. To end the weekend, the Avenging Angels defeated Mary Washington 3-1. Once again, Lucas led the team with 20 assists. She also registered six digs.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson returned from the injured list for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The White Sox defeated the Pirates 4-2. Wilson suffered the loss after he threw five innings. He surrendered four runs off six hits. Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer off Wilson in the second inning. Jose Abreu lauded a solo homer off Wilson in the third. This season, Wilson is 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges scored her second goal of the series for Elon in a 3-0 win over UNC Asheville on Thursday at Greenwood Field in Asheville. Hodges scored the game’s second goal off an assist from Abby Fusca in the 24th minute. She fired two shots against the Bulldogs. On August 26, Virginia Tech defeated Elon 7-1 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, VA. Hodges started as a defensive midfielder. Elon is 2-2 and will travel to N.C. State later today (Sunday).

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team suffered a loss to Roanoke 2-0 in its season opener on Wednesday. Daley, a former Cedar Ridge All-Conference selection, started her 37th game with Greensboro as a center back. It was her 40th game. On Saturday, Greensboro rebounded with a 2-1 win over Johnson & Wales University at Pride Field. Daley started for the Pride once again.

Jordan Rogers: Rogers started her senior season for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team. On Wednesday, Guilford College defeated Peace 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. On Saturday, Randolph College shut out the Pacers 2-0. Rogers started both games as a wingback.

Keshawn Thompson: The former Orange defensive back led Campbell in tackles in its loss to Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Thompson had a career-high 13 tackles for the Camels, who lost to the Flames 48-7 to open the 2021 season. This was Campbell’s first game since last fall. Unlike many FCS schools, the Camels didn’t play last spring. Next week, Campbell will host Elon.

Payton Wilson: To open his third season with the Wolfpack, Wilson had two tackles as the Wolfpack routed South Florida 45-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson had one-half tackle for loss as he was in and out of the lineup throughout the night. The Wolfpack will travel to Mississippi State on Saturday.

Trent Gill: N.C. State only punted three times against the Bulls. Gill, a former Cedar Ridge football and soccer player, had two of the punts for a 45-yard average. Gill’s longest punt was 45 yards. Both of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had eight kickoffs, four of which were touchbacks. His average kickoff was 64.6 yards.

Adam Chnupa: Former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa started his redshirt sophomore season at Elon with a tremendous game against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium. The Terriers defeated the Phoenix 24-22 on Saturday. Chnupa made one tackle as the Phoenix dropped its opener.

Colin Guentensberger: Guentensberger, who led the 2018 Orange football team in tackles, suffered a torn ACL and MCL during practice with Appalachian State’s football team. Guentensberger is a junior walk-on with the Mountaineers.

For any new coach’s first victory at his/her new school, there’s usually a ceremonial game ball that the players present to their leader.

In light of current circumstances, Cedar Ridge’s men’s soccer team may have been doing head coach Andrew Berg a favor by skipping that part Monday night.

After the rainiest winter in 37 years across the Triangle, the field at Red Wolves Stadium has taken a beating. It hasn’t helped that there’s currently three different sports being played on the field, with women’s soccer set to start next week.

In the aftermath of Cedar Ridge’s 6-1 win over Orange in the Hillsborough Derby on Monday night, the soccer balls were in better condition than your standard Nerf soccer ball that had been ruined by your dog during the 1980s, but only slightly.

In lieu of a game ball, Berg told his team to salute the fans in attendance, some of whom carried banners and signs to honor their respective seniors.

“I really wanted that win for the boys,” Berg said. “It’s what we’ve been looking for the whole season. We finally saw everything we wanted to put together for the first time.”

It was also special because it was seniors who produced on Senior Night. Victor Salazar scored two goals and an assist, while classmate Danilo Babchencko added another goal as the Red Wolves claimed its first win of the season.

There was also a measure of redemption from what many of the Red Wolves’ players thought was a missed opportunity the week prior. In the first matchup between the two teams on February 25 at Orange Soccer Park, they played to a scoreless tie through two overtimes. Salazar, Nicholas Frank, Iliah Babchenko and Chris Mendez all had shots on goal, but none of them found the net.

“We were 100% the better team that night,” said Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Ty Corbin, who is also playing lacrosse this winter. “We just weren’t playing 100%. Tonight, we did play 100% and we proved it on the scoreboard.”

“Any team, especially if it’s your rival, is going to be a tough game,” Berg said. “I thought our boys came in a little over heated in that game. We made a lot of silly mistakes in that game that we corrected tonight and it showed.”

Berg inherited a young team used to playing for longtime coach Chris Walker, who watched from the stands on Monday night. Berg, a former assistant coach at Thomas University in Georgia, has dealt with the obstacles of a limited season because of the pandemic.

On Monday night, Salazar opened the scoring off a kick restart when Orange was called for a pass back to the goalkeeper, who picked the ball up. Off a free kick from 18 yards, Frank found Salazar, who sent away a low finish that rolled into the right corner of the net to give Cedar Ridge a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

It took only 31 seconds for Cedar Ridge to score in a lively second half. Sophomore Michael Garcia Salazar played a ball deep towards the left corner that appeared to be rolling over the end line. An Orange defender stopped running, but Frank did not and chip the ball over the end line.

Orange (0-4-1) controlled the following 15 minutes of play, but Corbin made one key save after another.

“They were pressuring us and we could have easily given up a goal or two,” Berg said. “Overall, we had the talent to make up for the little mistakes we’ve done and we had the goals to show for it.”

With 14:12 remaining, Victor Salazar tallied his second goal off an assist from sophomore Chris Mendez. Two minutes later, Mendez won a dual in the box and slammed the ball past Orange’s goalkeeper to push the Cedar Ridge lead to 4-0.

Senior Jonathan Clemente added a fifth Cedar Ridge goal in the waning minutes. Danilo Babchencko ended the scoring with his first goal of the season off an assist from Jorge Salazar.

The Red Wolves (1-5-1) will finish the season on Thursday night with a home game against Southern Durham. Orange will travel to Northern Durham to conclude the season. It will also be the final sporting event where Jason Franklin represents Orange. Franklin was named Most Valuable Player for the Panthers’ basketball team this week. He has played basketball and soccer at the varsity level since he was a freshmen.

It’s a busy time for Cedar Ridge senior Ty Corbin. In addition to being the starting goalkeeper for the Red Wolves soccer team, Corbin is also a midfielder for the Cedar Ridge lacrosse team. Ordinarily, those seasons would be split far apart. But in a pandemic world, they’re taking place simultaneously. Corbin made several big saves during Cedar Ridge’s 6-1 win over Orange on Monday night at Red Wolves Stadium. The previous week, Corbin pitched a clean sheet in a scoreless time in double overtime at Orange Soccer Park. While Corbin will wrap up soccer season this week, he’s preparing for a potential wildcard birth in the 3A/2A/1A NCHSAA State Lacrosse Playoffs. The Cedar Ridge lacrosse team hosts Vance Charter on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Stadium as they continue to push for a postseason bid for the first time in two years.

It was the perfect team for the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team to grab a victory over crosstown rival Orange. In the Hillsborough Derby. The Red Wolves rolled past the Panthers 6-1 at a muddy Red Wolves Stadium on Monday night. Senior Victor Salazar opened the second half with an assist on a goal scored by Issac Anderson only 31 seconds into the second half. Salazar scored the game-winning goal in the first half when he chipped the ball in off a feed from Nicholas Frank in the 38th minute. Salazar scored his second goal off a feed from Isbah Morales. It was the first win for new Cedar Ridge head coach Andrew Berg. The Red Wolves will wrap up the season with two games this week. They will host East Chapel Hill on Wednesday, then face Southern Durham on Thursday.