Cedar Ridge High School

Takia Nichols 1st varsity softball game was Thursday. Ignite against Bartlett Yancey, and it was memorable. In her very first at-bat, she laced a two-Run double to left field to jumpstart a 13-run 2nd inning for the Red Wolves. Later that inning, she grooved a two-run single to centerfield. Even though she’s a freshman, Nichols got the start at 3rd base in Cedar Ridge’s season-opener as the defending Big 8 Conference champions defeated the Lady Bucs 19-7, even though they trailed 6-0 going into the bottom of the second inning. After getting rained out twice this week, Cedar Ridge will try to get back on the field next week against Cardinal Gibbons. 

Cedar Ridge shortstop Tionna Carter went 3-for -4 with RBIs in the Cedar Ridge softball team’s season-opening 19-6 victory over Bartlett Yancey on Thursday night in Hillsborough. After reaching on a fielder’s choice in the first inning, Carter went to bat twice during Cedar Ridge’s  13-run 2nd inning. In the first at-bat, she singled to centerfield to score Taylor Rhul. Later, Carter was knocked in by Kymberlie Thacker on a sacrifice fly to right field. Later on in the second inning, Carter laced another single up the middle to score Takia Nichols. She would go on to score again in the 2nd off a sharp grounder by Tori Dalehite. In the third inning, Carter had her third RBI of the game with an infield single to plate Reagan Rhul. Carter scores her third run of the game off a double by Dalehite. 

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior Natalia Garay. Last week, Natalia played her final basketball game at Cedar Ridge after three years at the varsity level. As a sophomore and junior, she helped Cedar Ridge reach the 3A State Playoffs. This season, Garay played 25 games for the Red Wolves and knocked down some important early field goals in their upset victory over Orange on January 9. In addition to playing basketball, Garay runs track and is a member of the International Baccalaureate Program at Cedar Ridge. Last October, she was named the homecoming queen at halftime of Cedar Ridge’s JV football game against Chapel Hill. 

A tough campaign for the Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team came to an end on Monday night. Hillside defeated the Red Wolves 66-30 in the Big 8 Conference quarterfinals in Durham. Cedar Ridge ends the season 1-23. The Red Wolves were hurt by defections in the offseason. The good news is Cedar Ridge’s junior varsity boys team won ten games, its best record in recent years. Coach Clay Jones is also happy that several of his players will spend their spring playing lacrosse to keep in shape for next year. Meanwhile, Hillside will prepare for Northern Durham on Wednesday night in the Big 8 semifinals.

A tough regular season for the Cedar Ridge Red Wolves ended on Friday night with a loss to Southern Durham on Senior Night in Hillsborough. Despite the defeat, seniors Justin Holes, Keshon Crisp and Zach Crane are a tribute to never giving up and staying the course despite steep odds against them. Cedar Ridge will have to plenty to build on for the future after the solid freshman play of Derrick Smith this season. Plus, captains K.J. Barnes, Chris Tinnen and Andrew Altieri return for next season. Cedar Ridge will face Hillside in the opening round of the Big 8 Conference Tournament on Monday night in Durham.

The fields for the Big 8 men’s and women’s basketball tournament have been finalized. Of the four teams from Hillsborough, the Orange women’s basketball team will be the only squad hosting a game when the tournament begins.

The Lady Panthers will open with East Chapel Hill on Monday night at 6 PM inside Panther Gymnasium in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, hours after finishing its season against Southern Durham in a heartbreaking loss on Senior night, Cedar Ridge will turn right back around and face the Spartans on Monday afternoon at 5:30 at Spartan Gymnasium.

In the men’s tournament, Orange will travel to Southern Durham on Monday night at 7. Also on Monday, Cedar Ridge faces Big 8 regular season champion Hillside at 7.

The Orange women’s team completed a 19-5 regular season with a 71-26 trouncing of Northern Durham on Friday night at Panther Gymnasium. Senior Icez Barnett, despite barely playing more than 12 minutes, finished with 22 points in her final regular season home game. Lauren Cates added 14. Overall, 12 Lady Panthers scored.

Orange defeated East Chapel Hill twice during the regular season, but both contests were tight. In the first matchup on January 4, the Wildcats led at the half 17-12. After being held to 21 points through the first three quarters, the Lady Panthers scored 19 in the fourth quarter to prevail 40-33. Cates led Orange with 18 points.

In Hillsborough, Orange won 45-39. Cates finished with 17 points while Barnett added eleven.

The Cedar Ridge women’s team led for the majority of its game against Southern Durham on Friday night, but the Spartans came out on top 56-51. The Red Wolves led by as many as 12.

It was a tough ending for Cedar Ridge senior Madison Wardlow, widely regarding as the greatest women’s player in school history. Wardlow finished with 28 points, becoming the first Cedar Ridge player with 1,000 points in her career. Tori Dalehite added eleven. It was also the final home game for Cedar Ridge seniors Natalia Garay and Amy Stutzer.

Southern won the first matchup 58-28 on January 30 at Spartan Gymnasium.

The Cedar Ridge women’s team is the only team in Hillsborough that has been to the state playoffs in back-to-back years. In order to reach the postseason for the third straight season, Cedar Ridge will likely have to win the tournament.

If Orange wins in the opening round, they will host the semifinals on Wednesday.

Next week’s game at Southern Durham will be the second time in six days that the Orange men’s team has traveled to face the Spartans. On Tuesday night, Southern romped past the Panthers 95-55. On Friday night, Orange shot out to a 20-9, but Northern quickly erased that deficit and went on to an easy 75-60 victory in Hillsborough.

Both the women’s and men’s championship games are slated for Friday night at Hillside High School in Durham. Hillside, which will move up to 4A at the conclusion of the season, claimed both the men’s and women’s regular season championships.

Big 8 Conference Men’s Tournament:

#1 Hillside

#8 Cedar Ridge

#4 Chapel Hill

#5 Northern Durham

#3 Northwood

#6 East Chapel Hill

#2 Southern Durham

#7 Orange

Women’s Tournament:

#1 Hillside

#8 Northern Durham

#4 Chapel Hill

#5 Northwood

#3 Southern Durham

#6 Cedar Ridge

#2 Orange

#7 East Chapel Hill

Orange senior Levi Anderson is one win away from becoming the 25th wrestler in school history to win a state championship.

On Friday, Anderson won both of his matches to advance to the championship of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A State Championships in the 145-pound division at the Greensboro Coliseum. Anderson started the day by pinning Yoel Del Rio of North Brunswick in 1:32 to advance to the semifinals. On Friday night, Anderson scored his sixth pinfall victory in the last two weekend, putting West Carteret’s Devin Bumgartner’s shoulders to the mat in 2:24. Bumgartner was the first person in the tournament to extend Anderson beyond the first period.

Anderson, now 49-3, will face Spencer Leonhardt of Morganton Freedom on Saturday afternoon for the 3A Championship at 145 pounds. It will be Anderson’s 146th match in a career that spans back to his freshman season in 2015-16. Anderson has a career record of 122-23. He claimed the 3A Mideast Regional Championship at Southeastern Guilford High School in Greensboro last weekend.

Sadly, the career of Cedar Ridge senior Darius McLeod ended on Friday. In the 132-pound state quarterfinals, McLeod lost to Heath Gonver of Northern Guilford 8-3. In the consolation round, Dayvion Downs of Kings Mountain scored an escape point to defeat McLeod 1-0. McLeod ends his wrestling career with 98 wins. He concludes his senior season with a record of 34-12. McLeod competed five days after suffering a cut to his bottom lip that required ten stitches to his bottom lip in the regional semifinals last Saturday. McLeod finished the match and won it, qualifying for the state championships.

After defeating Midwest Regional Champion Sam Voncannon of Asheboro in a major decision on Thursday, Orange senior Avery Jenkins lost a 2-1 decision to West Caldwell’s Easton Griffin in the quarterfinals at 170 pounds on Friday morning. In the consolation rounds, Jenkins defeated West Carteret’s Jake Reynolds in a sudden victory decision. Jenkins took down Reynolds, who was the Eastern Regional Championship last weekend, in the fourth overtime period to advance 4-2. On Saturday morning, Jenkins will wrestle Kurt Hayes of Charlotte Catholic. The winner advances to the consolation semifinals against Charles White of Morehead, who Jenkins defeated two weeks ago in the 1st round of the State Dual Playoffs in overtime. Jenkins now has a 40-10 this season and has a career record of 117-39.

At 120 pounds, Orange senior Gavin Wiggins lost in the state quarterfinals to Bailey Wicker of Piedmont via pinfall in 5:55. In the consolation rounds, Nathan Bray of Topsail defeated Wiggins 7-1. Wiggins concludes the season 24-9. He ends his Orange career with a record of 125-41, including a 42-11 record his sophomore season.

Also on Friday, Tanner Glock of Sun Valley defeated Orange sophomore Kessel Summers 10-9 in the 113-pound consolation round. Summers ends the season 37-14.

At 182 pounds, Orange’s Chandler Harward ended his career with a loss to Jack Wilton. Harward concludes the season 29-12, but was vital in getting Orange the victory in the Jim King/Orange Invitational in December. He agreed to wrestle two weight classes higher than his usual weight, leading Orange to 12 team points and winning the tournament.