Cedar Ridge Wrestling

Photo by Amy Tatro 

With one of its most anticipated dual matches in team history on the horizon, the Cedar Ridge wrestling squad crowned another individual champion during its annual trip to Cary.

On Saturday, senior Kaden Tatro won his second individual championship of the season at the Green Hope Grapple at Green Hope High School on Saturday. It was his fifth individual championship.

Cedar Ridge placed four wrestlers to finish in fifth place in the team standings with 130 points. Athens Drive, who won the team championship at the Red Wolf Invitational last month, claimed the team title in Green Hope, as well, with 174 points. Cape Fear finished second with 154 points.

Competing at 175 pounds, Tatro received the #2 seed and wasn’t taken beyond the second period in any of his four matches. In the championship match, he defeated the top seed Dominic Hittepole of Wheatmore via pinball in 3:15. Tatro took down Hittepole in a mere 19 seconds to open the match and led 2-1 at the end of the first period. Starting from the bottom to open the second period, Tatro notched a reversal and earned the pin after he shifted his body weight forward on top of Hittepole to earn the pin.

Tatro is now 13-0 this season with seven pints and six technical falls. In the second round in Cary, Tatro pinned Webb Crumpler of Broughton in 1:16. He scored the first of two tech falls in the quarterfinals when he defeated Matthew Schneider of Overhills 15-0 in 2:28. Tatro earned a spot in the championship match with a a 15-0 tech fall over James Lee of Western Harnett in 3:12.

Tatro, a senior, now has 122 career wins, the sixth Red Wolf wrestler in history with 100 career wins. He needs eight more to tie Randy Greenough for fourth place on the all-time Cedar Ridge list. The all-time leader is Chandler Collins, who compiled 166 wins from 2003-2007.

Cedar Ridge senior James Este-Wittinger finished second at 190 pounds. Este-Wittinger, a fullback and linebacker on the football team, defeated Baby Soles of South View 5-1 in the semifinals. Zaid Marjan of Athens Drive won over Este-Wittinger in the finals. In the second round, Este-Wittinger pinned Trenton Westbrook of Cape Fear in 4:31. Este-Wittinger won an exciting match over Canon Thoren of Sanderson 3-2 in the quarterfinals. With the match even 2-2 going into the final period, Este-Wittinger won after getting an escape point with 1:16 remaining.

At 157 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Ryan Rakouskas finished in second place. Rakouskas, who won at 157 pounds in the Red Wolf Invitational, defeated Thomas Gingerich of Green Level 8-1 in the semifinals. Deshawn Cary of Harnett Central defeated Rakouskas 12-5 in the championship match.

Rakouskas pinned Hunter Langdon-Adams of Cleveland in the second round in 1:20. In the quarterfinals, Rakouskas defeated Jose Pereira of Wakefield 10-3.

At 113 pounds, Favio Jaramillo finished in third place. In the consolation final, Jaramillo defeated Christopher Geiger of Athens Drive 7-5 in the opening sudden victory round. In another tight finish, Geiger forced overtime with an escape point with six seconds remaining in the opening period. Jaramillo needed only 18 seconds to score the winning takedown in the extra round.

Jaramillo, who finished third at 106 pounds in the Red Wolf Invitational, defeated Max Bojdo of Sanderson 13-6 in the second round. Brian Dopp of South View held off Jaramillo 7-4 in the quarterfinals. Jaramillo defeated Hunter Barns of Wakefield 6-1 in the consolation semifinals.

Cedar Ridge has started 2-o in the Central Conference. On November 21, the Red Wolves won its league opener over Person 45-30, keyed by six pins. Tatro defeated David Garrett at 175 pounds. Rakouskas pined Addison Carey, while Jaramillo pinned Ryan Wilson at 106 pounds. Pierce Prescod, competing at 120 pounds, pinned Taveon Moss.

Last week, Cedar Ridge defeated Southern Alamance 52-24 in Graham. Grayson Collins, Rakouskas, Joe O’Melia, Jaramillo and Nathan Vendura all had pins for the Red Wolves. Tatro and Prescod both had technical falls.

Cedar Ridge will host Orange in a quad meet on Wednesday night.

A year after losing one of the most successful grapplers in school history, Cedar Ridge showed its depth during its season-opening event.

At the Red Wolves Invitational at Cedar Ridge High School, senior Kaden Tatro captured his second tournament championship at 175 pounds. Tatro, who finished sixth in the state at 182 pounds at the 3A State Championships last year, had a decisive run to the championship that included two technical fall victories and a pin in the final.

Tatro, who finished 54-8 last year, defeated Rodrigo Perea of Green Level 17-1 via technical fall in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Tatro knocked off Micah Frye of Middle Creek 17-0 in the semifinals. In the championship match, Tatro pinned Alexander Laughlin of Athens Drive in 1:55.

For junior Pierce Prescod, the season started with what one may view as a revenge tour. Last year, Prescod went into the 3A Mideast Regionals at 120-pounds with an 42-9 record. After losing to eventual regional champion Omari Figuroa of Eastern Guilford, Prescod faced off against Carson Cori of South Johnston needing only one win to qualify for the state championships. Just seconds into the match, Prescod was penalized for an illegal slam. Cori claimed his back was injured, which led to Prescod being disqualified against an opponent he would have been a favorite against.

In the Red Wolf Invitational, Prescod rolled through the field like a man with a purpose. He scored pins in all three of his matches. In the championship match, Prescod pinned Bearik Bigelow of Asheboro, the #2 seed, in 4:13. Prescod also defeated Fareed Busisou of Athens Drive in 50 seconds of the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Prescod finished Alexander Gardner of Northern Durham in 1:40.

Ryan Rakouskas, who finished third in the region at 145 pounds last year, captured the championship at 157 pounds. In the championship match, Rakouskas defeated Thomas Gingerich of Green Level 9-3. Rakouskas got the opening takedown 37 seconds into the match, then took down Gingerich twice in the second period to take control of the match. Rakouskas needed only ten seconds to pin Ethan Cohen of Panther Creek in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Rakouskas defeated Bilial Benzemour of Southeast Raleigh in 1:07.

The team championship came down to the very end. Athens Drive managed to hold off Cedar Ridge to take the team title. The Jaguars finished with 178.5 points. The Red Wolves, with six wrestlers who placed, finished with 168 points.

At 190 pounds, Cedar Ridge senior James Este-Wittinger, who qualified for the state championships in 2022, finished runner-up. Este-Wittinger pinned Gabriel Delrosario of Millbrook in 4:38. Este-Wittinger was leading 8-2 at the time of the pinfall. In the semifinals, Este-Wittinger deefeated Person’s Malakai Newman 7-3 n what could be a preview of a Central Conference Championship match. Top-seeded Zair Marjan of Athens Drive pinned Este-Wittiner to win the championship.

At 126 points, Nathan Vendura finished runner-up in his first Red Wolf Invitational. Vendura upset top-seeded Carter Goodwin of Middle Creek 8-5 in the quarterfinals. In the opener, Vendura pinned Mason Winstead of Northern Durham in 5:06. Vendrua pinned Riley Neil of Southern Alamance in 2:39 to reach the final. In a wild final, Christian Neal of Corinth-Holders outscored Vendura 16-13 to win the championship. Venura got a late takedown and had Neal’s shoulders down for back points in the waning seconds, nearly getting the pin for an improbable championship until time ran out.

At 106 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Favio Jaramillo Espar finished in third place. Espar lost his opening match to McBride Colton of McMichael. He rebounded to win four consecutive matches in the consolation round to earn third place. Espar held off Faysal Busisou of Athens Drive 8-5 in the third place match. In the consolation semifinals, Espar scored a major decision over Simon Hairstead of Apex Friendship 15-5.

Some matches it’s Bach. Some matches it’s Latin Hip Hop. Some matches it’s Kittie, a nu-metal band straight from its peak in 1999.

Regardless of what Cedar Ridge wrestler Zoey Moreno is listening to before a match, she’s among a growing crop of female wrestlers across Hillsborough.

Over the weekend, Moreno celebrated her second individual championship at the Red Wolf Invitational at Cedar Ridge High School. Moreno scored three pins in three matches to take the 120-pound championship. It was Moreno’s first Red Wolf title. Last year, Chapel Hill’s Siena Palmisciano defeated Moreno in the opening round in Hillsborough. Moreno finished third.

On Saturday, none of Moreno’s three matches exceeded one minute. She pinned Maddie Carter of Middle Creek in 13 seconds. In the semifinals, Moreno finished off Aastha Shah of Green Level in 55 seconds. Moreno pinned Adriana Gruner of Northern Durham in only 15 seconds to take the championship.

Last year, Moreno captured the Green Hope Girls Grapple in Cary, winning all three of her matches via pinfall. She pinned Ava Lytle of Wakefield in 33 seconds of the championship match.

Moreno’s wide array of musical influences in prematch preparation goes along with her typical school day. She’s a member of the wind ensemble with the Cedar Ridge band. She plays percussion and has a drum set at home.

Females wrestling at Cedar Ridge has been going on for nearly a decade. Deborah Urban became the first Cedar Ridge women’s grappler. In 2019, Katie Watkins became the first wrestler in Cedar Ridge history to compete for a state championship. In the first North Carolina High School Wrestling Women’s Invitational, Watkins defeated Haley Shipes of West Mecklenburg in a consolation round, but didn’t place.

Women’s wrestling has grown so rapidly in North Carolina that in order to qualify for the State Championships, a competitor must finish in the top four of a regional. Moreno felt she had the confidence to do that last winter. In the Mideast Regional, she pinned Triton’s Jenna Phelps in 1:09. Hoke County’s Jobe Carter defeated Moreno in the quarterfinals. Moreno defeated Ariana Anampa of Green Hope in a consolation round, but fell to Samantha Dedeaux of Jack Britt in the consolation semifinals. She fell one win short of qualifying for the state championships.

“I was very disappointed in myself,” Moreno said in an interview last February.” It wasn’t necessarily like a sad or bad feeling, it was just disappointment because I knew I could have beaten my opponents. The second girl I wrestled (Carter), I didn’t approach that match very well. Because I came in there super strong, but I wasn’t cautious about my moves. I made a big mistake because she was a lot bigger than me, stronger than me. I should have just used my speed.”

Last year’s disappointment led to changes how Moreno trains. She did more cardiovascular work during the spring and summer.

“I’m really hard on myself when it comes to looses,” Moreno said. “Because I know I’m been training this long. It’s pretty much been my life up to this point. So any loss tells me I did something really bad and you should not have done that.”

With a successful start to the 2023-2024 season, Moreno is taking aim on reaching the state championships in February. Moreno is the latest member of a growing breed of female wrestlers. Now, she wants to finish her career on a high note.

“I like wrestling because it’s not something anybody could really do just because they wanted to,” Moreno said. “You have to keep a strong mindset. The grit and power. And I like the fact it’s a confidence booster. I don’t mind being the only female in the wrestling room some days. It’s some ways it’s more special.”

Later this month, Cedar Ridge graduate Fernando Martinez will start his college wrestling career at Division II UNC Pembroke. It’s something of a surprise for Martinez, who didn’t envision his wrestling career extending beyond Cedar Ridge. For that matter, Martinez didn’t see his wrestling career going beyond 8th grade at Stanback Middle School. Fortunately for him and Cedar Ridge wrestling coach Scott Metcalf, Martinez proved to be a quick learner at Cedar Ridge. He finished his career with 143 wins, the most decorated 3A wrestler in school history. Last February, he advanced to the 113-pound 3A State Championship match, where he faced Jacob Kresicki of First Flight. There are only two wrestlers in school history with more wins than Martinez, which is all the more impressive since he was limited to just 24 matches in his sophomore year due to COVID-19. If he had a full season, there’s a chance he could have broken the school record for wins, held by Chandler Collins with 166 victories. During his senior year, Martinez was a part of a Cedar Ridge team that won the Central Carolina Conference Tournament championship at Orange High School. Martinez is one of only four wrestlers in school history to reach a state final. He was also the third member of HIllsboroughsports.com’s Four-Timers Club, winning Cedar Ridge Athlete of the Week four times in four years, along with Takiya Nichols and Cameron Lloyd.

Cedar RIdge graduate Fernando Martinez prepares for college career at UNC Pembroke

No Description

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore wrestler Ryan Rakouskas. Last month, Rakouskas qualified for the 3A State Wrestling Championships for the first time in his career. Rakouskas finished third at 145-pounds in the 3A Mideast Regionals at Cedar Ridge High School. This season, Rakouskas went 36-20. He ended the season wrestling inside the Greensboro Coliseum. In the Mideast Regionals, Rakouskas pinned Jose Ortiz of Westover in 4:54 to earn a spot in the state championships. Rakouskas took the third place match over Eastern Guilford’s Nasir Grant via injury forfeit. Rakouskas pinned Joseph Vrabcak of Union Pines in the opening round of regionals in 3:32. In the consolation rounds, Rakouskas defeated Daniel Edmonds of Fayetteville 71st in 1:48. In the consolation quarterfinals, Rakouskas pinned John Mewborn of Harnett Central in 35 seconds. Rakouskas’ older sister, Marlee, was a conference champion volleyball player for Cedar Ridge who is now in Florida at the University of Miami. Rakouskas is also a practitioner of ju-jitsu, which runs counter to his wrestling training. This spring, Rakouskas is playing lacrosse for the first time in his career after a successful wrestling season. 

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Ryan Rakouskas

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore wrestler Ryan Rakouskas. Last month, Rakouskas qualified for the 3A State Wrestling Championships for the first time in his career. Rakouskas finished third at 145-pounds in the 3A Mideast Regionals at Cedar Ridge High School. This season, Rakouskas went 36-20.

There was hope for a storybook finish in the final wrestling matches in the careers of Cedar Ridge’s Fernando Martinez and Orange’s Acoya Isley.

Each of them accomplished something in their own right when they reached their respective finals of the 3A State Wrestling championships at the Greensboro Coliseum last week. Martinez, who won the 113-pound Mideast Regional Championship in 2022, became the first wrestler for Cedar Ridge to ever reach a final in a 3A event.

Isley, at 195-pounds, is the first Orange wrestler to reach a state final since 2019. It’s only his second full year as a varsity starter.

Unfortunately, Martinez and Isley ran into quicker, stronger foes that denied them their dream finishes.

In the 113-pound final, Jacob Kresicki of First Flight defeated Martinez 8-3. Martinez was going for his second win against a regional champion in as many days. In the semifinals, Martinez defeated Israel Guerra of South Johnston, who won the Mideast Regional championship on February 11 at Cedar Ridge.

Dylan Smith of Fred T. Foard defeated Isley 10-4 in the 195-pounds championship. Smith, a senior, finished an undefeated season at 49-0.

Kresicki, a senior won finished 38-3, scored the opening takedown against Martinez just 24 seconds into the match with a single-leg. Martinez got an escape later in the period. Kresicki tossed Martinez off a collar-and-elbow tie-up to take a 4-1 lead at the end of the first period.

It remained 4-1 after two frames. Martinez had an escape point conceded by Kresicki to start the third period to make it 4-2. Kresicki shot in for a takedown, and after Martinez went for the back, Kresicki gets out and got the takedown with 1:31 remaining. Kresicki added another double-leg takedown late in the match.

Martinez ends his career as the most decorated 3A wrestler ever for Cedar Ridge. He finished with 143 career wins, 3rd in school history. The only wrestlers ahead of Martinez on the all-time wins list, Chandler Collins and Josh Collins, competed when Cedar Ridge was a 2A school. Martinez also became just the fourth Cedar Ridge wrestler to reach a state final.

Martinez was limited to 24 matches in his sophomore year because of COVID-19 restrictions. If he had a full season in 2021, he may have broken the all-time school record for career wins held by Collins, who had 166 from 2003-2007.

In the 195-pound title match, Smith double-legged Isley at the top of the circle just 25 seconds in. After a restart, Isley escaped to make it 2-1. Smith did most of his work in the second period as he started from the bottom. Isley tried to take him down but Smith escaped and got the reversal with three near fall points. Isley got a reversal. but Smith escaped to go ahead 8-3. Smith was fresher down the stretch as he prevented Isley from getting a takedown.

Smith is a member of the Fred T. Foard team that has won the Dual Team State Championships in 2022 and 2023.

Isley, known as “‘Bama,” ends the year 34-3. Last season, Isley qualified for the state championships at 195 pounds but didn’t place. He finishes his career with an overall record of 57-11 and helped Orange to back-to-back Central Carolina Conference championships.

Orange junior Jared Hutchins completed a successful season with a 5th place finish at 132-pounds. Hutchins reached the semifinals before he lost to Jackson Baglio of Central Cabarrus in 1:12. In the consolation round, Kevin Orien of West Rowan defeated Hutchins in 4:34. In the fifth place match, Hutchins defeated Barnett Klutzy of Wilson Fike 9-2. Hutchins led 5-2 after he scored the opening takedown with 38 seconds remaining in the first period, followed by two near fall points. Hutchins racked up three more near fall points in the second period. Hutchins ends the season 28-7.

Cedar Ridge’s Kaden Tatro finished sixth at 182-pounds. Tatro had a rematch against Pisgah’s Landon Pope, who he faced off with in the opening round. After Tatro won the first match 4-2, Pope took the battle in the consolation semifinals 5-2. In the fifth place match, Tatro had another rematch against Trevor Schweitzer of First Flight. Schweitzer, who lost to Tatro 6-2 in the quarterfinals, won the final match 2-0 off of two near fall points in the second period.

Tatro ends the season 54-8. He led the team in victories this season and has over 100 for his career.

Forget premature farewells and victories denied.

Cedar Ridge’s Fernando Martinez and Orange’s Acoya Isley are making their final days as high school wrestlers ones to remember.

Martinez and Isley have each reached their respective finals at the 3A State Wrestling Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Martinez, competing in the 113-pound tournament, entered as the #4 seed from the Mideast Region. On Friday night, he defeated South Johnston’s Israel Guerra 6-4 in the semifinals. Guerra was the Mideast Regional Champion who captured the title at Cedar Ridge High School last Saturday.

Martinez, who is 46-11 on the season, bolted out to a 6-2 lead and held on as Guerra scored a reversal in the final 30 seconds. Martinez got called for a stall warning late, but time expired before Guerra could send the match to overtime.

Martinez, who is 3rd in school history with 142 career wins, becomes the first Cedar Ridge wrestler to ever reach the final of a 3A State Championship match. He is the first Cedar Ridge grappler to reach a championship final since 2006 when Chandler Collins finished 2nd in the 2A State Championships at 140 pounds. Randy Greenough also came in second at heavyweight in 2006 for Cedar Ridge.

The only Cedar Ridge wrestler to ever win a state championship was Josh Collins, who captured the 2A/1A 189-pound championship in 2005.

Martinez started Friday with a dominant performance over North Davidson’s Levi White in the quarterfinals. Martinez bull rushed White, scored an immediate takedown and hooked him into a pinning combination to score the fall at 1:07. Martinez, who finished fifth in the state at 113 pounds in 2022, opened the tournament on Thursday with an 8-4 decision over Kane Bryson of Pisgah, the Western Regional champion. Bryson fell to 44-3 after the loss.

Martinez will face Jacob Kresicki of First Flight for the 113-pound state championship. At the very least, Martinez will become just the third Cedar Ridge wrestler in history to finish as a state runner-up.

Isley became the first Orange wrestler to reach a state championship final since Levi Anderson in 2019. Facing Dudley’s Tayshaun Glover in the semifinals, Isley shook off conceding an early takedown to win 10-4. In the midst of the first period, Glover had to be checked out by his coaches, which required a trash can to be placed on the mat. As Glover got instructions, Isley pounded his chest with his right hand, then proceeded to take the lead with a takedown. In the final period, Isley clung to a 5-4 lead after Glover scored a reversal. Isley used his strength to backslide Glover’s shoulders down for a near fall in the final seconds. Glover, the Midwestern Regional Champion, suffered only his second loss of the season against 52 wins.

Isley started the day with a dominant win over Justin Bullock of Fike. Isley scored his second pin of the tournament in 3:34. He was ahead 5-1 at the time of the pin. On Thursday, Isley reached the quarterfinals after he pinned Eddie Solo of Asheboro in 2:34.

It’s the first time that Isley has ever placed in a state tournament.

Cedar Ridge’s Kaden Tatro fell in the semifinals at 182-pounds. North Iredell’s Brixon Burgess defeated Tatro 9-1 to advance to the final. Earlier in the day, Tatro defeated Trevor Schweitzer, the Eastern Regional Champion out of First Flight, 6-4. Tatro conceded a late escape but held on to win, his 54th victory of the year. Tatro, who surpassed 100 career wins earlier this year, will take on either Landon Pope of Pisgah or Braxton Berger of West Rowan in the consolation semifinals.

In the opening round, Tatro defeated Pope 4-2.

Orange’s Jared Hutchins reached the semifinals at 132 pounds. Hutchins went into attack mode against West Brunswick’s Luke Connick, the Eastern Regional Champion, and scored a pin in just 1:25. Central Cabarrus’ Jackson Baglio defeated Hutchins in the semifinals. Hutchins, who is 27-6, will face either Cristian Rothrock of Douglas Byrd or Kevin Obrien of West Rowan in the consolation semifinals. Rothrock held on to defat Hutchins 10-8 last week in the 132-pound Mideast Regional Final.

Orange’s Braden Crawford remains in contention to place at 126 pounds. Crawford had one of the most thrilling matches of the day in his consolation opener. Against Pisgah’s Matthew Mehaffey, Crawford trailed 5-0 at the end of two periods. He roared back to even it up with ten seconds remaining in regulation with three near fall points, then got the match-clinching takedown 13 seconds into overtime.

Crawford’s next victory wasn’t nearly as dramatic. He defeated Skylar Oxford of West Carteret 20-7. Crawford will face Cain Solis of Montgomery Central in the consolation quarterfinal on Saturday morning.

Cedar Ridge’s James Este-Wittinger (195), Jalen Williams (126) and Ryan Rakouskas (145) all competed in the state championships for the first time on Thursday.

Orange’s Ben Musser ended his season in the consolation round on Friday.

The career of one of the most successful Cedar Ridge wrestlers ever to put on a singlet will wind to a close this weekend at the 3A State Championships. Fernando Martinez started when he was a freshman under head coach Scott Metcalf in 2019. Since then, he has won the 113-pound Mideast Regional Championship in 2022. He has won 140 matches in his career, good enough for third all-time in school history. Only Chandler Collins (Class of 2007 with 166 wins) and Josh Collins (Class of 2005 with 151 wins) are ahead of Martinez. He has also qualified for the state championships twice. On Thursday, in the opening round of the 3A State Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum, Martinez defeated Kane Bryson of Pisgah, the 113-pound Western Regional Champion 8-4. Martinez also won the Central Carolina Conference championship at 113-pounds last month. He defeated Person’s Christian Lemaire in the championship match. Martinez has a goal of placing in this weekend’s tournament in Greensboro. He will attempt to reach the semifinals on Friday morning. In the second round, Martinez will face Levi White of North Davidson. This season, Martinez is 44-11.

Cedar Ridge’s Fernando Martinez discusses State Wrestling Tournament

The career of one of the most successful Cedar Ridge wrestlers ever to put on a singlet will wind to a close this weekend at the 3A State Championships. Fernando Martinez started when he was a freshman under head coach Scott Metcalf in 2019. Since then, he has won the 113-pound Mideast Regional Championship in 2022.

Earlier this winter, Cedar Ridge junior Zoey Moreno became the first female Red Wolves wrestler to win a tournament.

While she didn’t quite reach the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s Women’s Invitational Tournament last weekend, she didn’t leave empty handed.

Moreno won her bracket at the Women’s Wrestling Showcase, held at the RISE Sports Complex in Bermuda Run, last Friday. Competing at 120 pounds, Moreno was the only competitor from Hillsborough in the event.

Moreno defeated Anella Fabriziani of Willow Spring 7-4 in the opening match. It took Moreno 1:04 to score the opening takedown. Fabriziani came back with a reversal and two back points to take a 4-3 lead at the end of the first period. Moreno notched four points in the final period to earn the win.

In the second match, Moreno defeated Amyna Denton of Hayesville via pinfall in 49 seconds. In the finale, Moreno pinned Annaleigh Tinoco of North Henderson in 44 seconds.

On January 26, Moreno competed against eleven other wrestlers in the 120-pound division of the Mideast Regional at Jack Britt High School in Fayetteville. Moreno defeated Jenna Phelps of Triton via pinfall in 1:09 of the opening round. Joce Carter of Hoke County, who went on to finish runner-up in the tournament, defeated Moreno in the 2nd round.

In the consolation round, Moreno pinned Ariana Anampa of Green Hope in 2:53. Jack Britt’s Samantha Dedeaux defeated Moreno in the consolation semifinals, which determined who would advance to the state tournament.

Moreno concludes her season with a 12-5 record.

In December, Moreno won the Green Hope Girls Grapple in Cary. Moreno defeated Ana Lytle of Wakefield for first place via pinfall in 33 seconds to win the championship.

Indoor Track: 

The Orange Indoor Track & Field team will have five competitors in the 3A/2A/1A NCHSAA Indoor Track and Field State Championships at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem on Friday.

Junior Aedan Sampey cleared 11-feet, 6-inches in the pole vault during the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear at Fred Brady Stadium in Mebane on January 31. The minimum qualifying standard is 10-feet. Previously, Sampey qualified for the state championships when he cleared 11-feet at the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear #2 on January 10.

Orange senior Issac Seymour will be going to the State Championships in the high jump. On December 10 at Dave Thaden Stadium, Seymour cleared 5-feet, 10-inches to finish in second place at the East Chapel Hill Polar Bear #2 meet. The minimum high jump standard is 5-feet, 8-inches. At the Eastern Alamance on January 10, Seymour won the high jump with another top leap of 5’8′, two inches better than Bron Rogers of Walter Williams.

Last week in the final regular season meet of the indoor season, Seymour again cleared 5’8″. He finished third. Brayden Garrett of J.F. Webb came in first with a leap of 5’10”.

Seymour also won the East Chapel Hill Polar Bear #4 meet on January 21. He cleared 5’10” for a new personal best.

The Orange men’s 4×400 meter relay team qualified for the State Championships at the East Chapel Hill Polar Bear on January 21. They won a meet, comprised of seven team, with a time of 3:42.16, beating the Wakefield squad by .23-of-a-second.

Also on January 31, Orange junior Katheryn Scully qualified for the high jump. She won the event with a leap of 5-feet. The qualifying standard for high jump in the state championships is 4’10”.

At the East Chapel Hill Polar Bear on January 21, Orange’s Grace Pell had a jump of 4’10”, earning her a spot in Winston-Salem. Pell qualified for regionals for the Orange women’s cross country team last November.

Orange junior Gabriel Schmid, who won the 3A State Cross Country Championship last fall, qualified for the state championships in the 3,200 meters during the first meet of the season on November 19 at the New Balance Dash for Doobie 3,200 in Pfafftown.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior wrestler Fernando Martinez. In turn, Martinez becomes a member of a select club: he wins the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week for the fourth time. Thus, he becomes a member of the Four-Timers Club, only the third-ever member of the club. He joins Cedar Ridge softball third baseman Takia Nichols and volleyball outside hitter Cameron Lloyd. Last week, Martinez won the 113-pound title at the Central Carolina Conference championships at Orange High School. Martinez’s victory helped Cedar Ridge to win the Central Carolina Conference tournament championship. Martinez also won the Silver Fox Invitational at Riverside High School in Durham at 113-pounds on January 14. Martinez is third all-time in school history with 139 career victories. This season, he has a record of 41-9. Martinez is the defending 113-pound champion of the Mideast Regional. Next week, Martinez will attempt to qualify for the 3A State Championships for the second time in his career. In the CCC Tournament championship match last Saturday, Martinez defeated Person’s Christian Lemaire. Earlier this year, Lemaire defeated Martinez twice during the regular season. Martinez will graduate in June as one of the most decorated wrestlers in Cedar Ridge history.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Fernando Martinez, who joins 4-timers club

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior wrestler Fernando Martinez. In turn, Martinez becomes a member of a select club: he wins the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week for the fourth time. Thus, he becomes a member of the Four-Timers Club, only the third-ever member of the club.