Cedar Ridge High School

The first Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week for the spring sports season is softball freshman 3rd baseman Takia Nichols. In her first game at the varsity level, Nichols had four RBIs as Cedar Ridge rallied from a 6-0 deficit to defeat Bartlett Yancey 19-7. In her first varsity at-bat, Nichols had a two-run double as Cedar Ridge scored 13 runs in the 2nd inning against the Lady Bucs. Later that inning, Nichols had a two-run single. On Tuesday, Nichols had her first varsity home run as she went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI and four runs scored in an 18-15 win over Cardinal Gibbons. Nichols played regularly during basketball season for Felton Page’s Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge is 3-0 as they prepare for Rockingham County on Monday night in Hillsborough.

After two rainouts in the opening week of the season, the Cedar Ridge softball team got two games in this week. On Tuesday, they defeated Cardinal Gibbons 18-15 in Raleigh. After trailing 12-8 at the end of four innings, Cedar Ridge scored ten runs in the final three innings. Taylor Ruhl went 3-for-5 with a double and a home run. On Thursday night, things were most less dramatic as the Red Wolves routed the Crusaders 13-2 in five innings in Hillsborough. On Thursday, Ruhl went 3-for-4 with two doubles. Cedar Ridge is 3-0 as they head into Monday’s home game against Rockingham County. Then they host Northwood in their first Big 8 Conference series of the year on Tuesday.

As reliable as ever, Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Phillip Berger delivered the goods in the Red Wolves’ season-opening win over Oxford Prep on Thursday night. Berger threw a five inning no-hitter, striking out ten as the Red Wolves defeated the Griffins 10-0. Berger earned the 18th win of his high school career. In turn, new Cedar Ridge head coach Mitchell Frazier won his first game in Hillsborough. In each of the last two seasons, Berger has won eight games. Cedar Ridge is scheduled to return to action on Wednesday to face Carlisle of Martinsville, VA at Red Wolves Territory.

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.