Cedar Ridge High School

The Cedar Ridge baseball team swept its first Big 8 Conference season of the year last week. They defeated Hillside 13-1 on Tuesday in Durham, then defeated the Hornets 13-3 in Hillsborough on Thursday. Chris Pearce earned his first varsity pitching win for the Red Wolves on Thursday. Pearce threw four-and-two-thirds innings, striking out five while surrendering four hits and three runs, one earned. Pearce made his first varsity start on March 6 in a loss to Carlisle (VA). This week, Cedar Ridge will look to maintain its momentum when they face Southern Durham in a doubleheader in Hillsborough on Tuesday. That doubleheader will be broadcast live here on Hillsboroughsports.com.

Cedar Ridge senior centerback Geri Messinger asked head coach P.J. Michaelson to move up to midfield in the midst of the first half of the Red Wolves 7-0 win over Orange on Wednesday night. She got the opportunity and turned it into a goal as the Red Wolves completed a season sweep of the Lady Panthers. Messinger is winding down her Cedar Ridge career. She aims to push the Red Wolves into the state playoffs for the second year in a row. Last year, Cedar Ridge won a state playoff game at West Carteret. Emmy Talley scored a hat trick for the Red Wolves against the Lady Panthers. Cedar Ridge will travel to Northern Durham on Monday night.

Cedar Ridge junior Giselle Solis Morales assisted on three goals as the Red Wolves women’s soccer team defeated crosstown rival Orange 7-0 on Wednesday night. With the win, Cedar Ridge completed a season sweep of the Lady Panthers. Solis Morales had three assists in Cedar RIdge’s 5-0 win over Orange on March 25 at Orange Soccer Park. This season, Solis Morales has two goals and ten points. Cedar Ridge followed the Orange win with a 7-2 win at Southern Durham on Thursday night. The Red Wolves are now 6-7-1 overall, 4-5 in the Big 8 Conference.

For the second time this season, Cameron Koehler has been honored as the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week. Earlier this week, Koehler played his final home match as a Red Wolf as the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team defeated Northern Durham on Tuesday. Koehler has played four different sports in his Cedar Ridge career. He has been a goalkeeper and striker for the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team. He was a kicker on the football team. Last year, he went out for swimming and led a relay team that qualified for the Central Regional Championships. In the meantime, Koehler has maintained a fascination with the ocean. He will major in naval architecture in college after spending plenty of time by the North Carolina Coast. Koehler will graduate in June.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore striker Emmy Talley. On March 25, Talley scored a hat trick in a 5-0 win over crosstown rival Orange. It was her second hat trick of the season. On March 28, Talley followed with her 3rd hat trick of the season in a 9-0 win over River Mill Academy. Talley also had two assists in the win over the Jaguars. Talley scored two goals in Cedar Ridge’s 9-0 win over Hillside on March 12. After helping Cedar Ridge win a state playoff game last year over West Carteret, Talley is the leading scorer for the Red Wolves this season. Cedar Ridge will host Orange on Wednesday.

The final week before spring break was an active one for the Cedar Ridge softball team. On March 28, they routed crosstown rival Orange 11-1 at Red Wolves Softball Territory. Freshman 3rd baseman Takia Nichols hit a two-run homer to deep center in the 4th inning. Junior 2nd baseman Tori Dalehite went 3-for-4 with two RBIs, including the walkoff single to score Taylor Ruhl and Tionna Carter in the 5th. The following night, Cedar Ridge scored a wild 11-10 win over Person where the lead changed four times. Dalehite had the game-winning hit in the 7th. Cedar Ridge is tied with Orange for 2nd place in the loss column of the Big 8 Conference. Next week, Cedar Ridge resumes its season with a two-game series against East Chapel Hill, a squad that made the 3A state playoffs last year.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior pitcher Phillip Berger. On March 19, Berger earned the 19th win of his Cedar Ridge career as the Red Wolves held off Chapel Hill 3-2. Berger threw his third complete game of the season, holding the Tigers to four hits. He struck out eight as the Red Wolves won its first Big 8 Conference game of the season. This week, the Red Wolves are off for spring break. When Cedar Ridge resumes its season against East Chapel Hill on Tuesday, Berger will go for the 20th win of his career. Berger started the season with a 10-0 victory over Oxford Prep, a game where he gave up no hits in five innings.

On Monday night, the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team defeated Orange 5-0 at Orange High Soccer Park. Junior midfielder Giselle Solis Morales assisted on three goals in the first half, all of which were scored by striker Emmy Talley. In the 9th minute, Morales snuck a gorgeous through ball to Talley, who blasted it home from 15 yards for the opening goal. Talley notched her 2nd goal with 28:17 remaining in the first half off another assist from Morales. In the 2nd half, Morales assisted on two balls that turned into penalty kicks. Both penalties were attempted by goalkeeper Grace Davies, who scored on her 2nd try. Cedar Ridge improve to 2-3 in the Big 8 Conference with the victory. On Thursday night, Morales helped Cedar Ridge defeat River Mill Academy to improve to 4-5-1 on the season.