Cedar Ridge High School

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior setter Rachel Alverson. This season, the Red Wolf volleyball team won the Central Conference Tournament. Alverson eclipsed 1,000 career assists as the Red Wolves reached the third round of the state playoffs with a 17-9 record. It was the fourth year in a row that Cedar Ridge reached the round of 16 in the state playoffs. Alverson filled the role of three-time All-Conference selection Julie Altieri as the Red Wolves setter and thrived. She had 928 assists in 2023, which is believed to be a school record. Altieri’s best was 717 in 2021. Alverson had 52 assists in a five-set win at East Chapel Hill on September 11. She recorded 47 assists against Person on September 21. In the Central Conference Tournament championship match, Alverson had 51 assists as the Red Wolves handed Orange its only loss against a league opponent this season. Alverson is also on the women’s soccer team, where she was joined by her volleyball teammate Addie Reid. Alverson was a member of the 2021 3A State Championship team that defeated North Iredell at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. After she graduates in June, Alverson will look to pursue a career in teaching.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Rachel Alverson

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For over 20 years, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team had not defeated its crosstown rival, Orange. On Wednesday night, the streak finally ended in resounding fashion as Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 54-21 at Red Wolves Gymasnium. Junior Pierce Prescod earned three wins during the quad match. He pinned Orange’s Adrian Sierra in 1:33. Prescod, competing at 120 pounds, is 16-2 this season with a championship in the Red Wolf Invitational last month. Kaden Tatro won at 175 pounds, beating Orange’s Andre Hill 13-8. Tatro went on to pin Rosewood’s Aldinio Previl in 3:20 later in the night. Tatro is 15-1 this season with individual championships at the Red Wolf Invitational and the Green Hope Grapple at 175 pounds Tatro is looking to return to the 3A State Wrestling championships in February. As a team, Cedar Ridge has a bigger goal ahead: winning the Central Conference regular season championship. Cedar Ridge’s last conference regular season championship in wrestling came in 2010. Last year, the Red Wolves won the Central Conference Tournament championship, but didn’t make the state dual team playoffs. Cedar Ridge is already 3-0 this season with wins over Orange, Person and Southern Alamance. Next Wednesday, Cedar Ridge will travel to Eastern Alamance. This weekend, the Red Wolves travel to Apex High School for the Cougar/Crusader Duals, featuring Apex and Cardinal Gibbons.

Cedar Ridge wrestling’s Kaden Tatro & Pierce Prescod discuss first-ever win over Orange

For over 20 years, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team had not defeated its crosstown rival, Orange. On Wednesday night, the streak finally ended in resounding fashion as Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 54-21 at Red Wolves Gymasnium. Junior Pierce Prescod earned three wins during the quad match. He pinned Orange’s Adrian Sierra in 1:33.

The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team won its season game of the season on Monday night. Senior Amiyah Ware scored 15 points while Sarah Utley added eleven as the Red Wolves defeated Northern Durham 59-27 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves led at the end of the first quarter 19-2 following the opening field goals from Cameron Copeland and Addie Reid. The Red Wolves shot 7-of-10 from the field in the opening quarter and never looked back. Cedar Ridge beat a previously undefeated Northern Durham team who came in 2-0. Cameron Copeland finished with six points and three rebounds, while Cyani Jacobs had six points and four rebounds. Cedar Ridge head coach Megan Skouby, who played college basketball at Iowa, has spent the past three years building the Red Wolves program from the bare bones. Before Skouby joined the program, during the pandemic, Cedar Ridge had only five players for some home games where fans weren’t permitted to attend. Since then, Skouby has built the program to where Cedar Ridge is fielding a junior varsity program. Last year, the Red Wolves won two Central Conference games and this year they’re focused on taking another step up in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge will travel to Northern Durham on Wednesday afternoon at 5 o’clock.

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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.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior middle blocker Addie Reid. Recently, Addie concluded her volleyball career at Cedar Ridge in the third round of the state playoffs with a loss to J.H. Rose. It was a career full of championships for Reid. She was a regular rotation player for the 2021 3A State Championship squad. Against North Iredell in the state title match, Reid had eight kills and two blocks. In October, Reid won her seventh championship with the Cedar Ridge volleyball team when they defeated Orange 3-1 to win the Central Carolina Conference Tournament title. Against the Lady Panthers, Reid had 12 kills and four blocks. In her final three years with Cedar Ridge, Reid had an overall record of 73-13. Reid is a three-sport athlete. Last year, she was the starting center for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team. In her sophomore and junior seasons, she served as the goalkeeper for the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team, where she made All-Central Conference last spring. In addition, Reid was named the Homecoming Queen during Cedar Ridge’s football game against Person on September. This season in volleyball, Reid finished third on the team with 180 kills. She led the squad with 54 blocks. As Reid volleyball career ends, her trademark thunderous kills that always ignited the Red Wolves fans, along with her team, will forever be remembered by Cedar Ridge faithful around Orange County and beyond.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Addie Reid

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Julie Altieri: The Salisbury Seagulls volleyball team ended its season in the second round of the NCAA Division III Tournament on November 17. Salisbury was one point away from getting swept in the opening round against Williams College Ephs, but mounted a remarkable comeback to win 3-2 at Rockwell Cage at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on November 16 in Cambridge, MA. The Seagulls prevailed on scores of 18-25, 20-25, 26-24, 25-21, 15-10. Altieri finished with 40 assists, 12 digs, seven kills and two aces. In the second round, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps defeated the Seagulls 3-0 (25-15, 25-22, 25-18). Altieri had 22 assists, six digs, two kills and one ace. Salisbury ends the season 21-8 and the champions of the Coast-to-Coast Conference Tournament. It was the first time that Salisbury won games in the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back years since 2011-2012. Altieri ends her freshman year with a team-high 694 assists. She was third on the squad with 225 digs and 31 aces. Altieri also had 87 kills.

Lottie Scully: The Binghamton Bearcats volleyball team reached the championship match of the America East Tournament, where they lost to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County inside Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore on November 18. In the semifinals, the Bearcats defeated New Hampshire 3-2, avenging a loss in the regular season finale. The Bearcats fought back from two sets down to win 23-25, 22-25, 25-17, 25-23, 15-9. Scully, the sophomore setter for Binghamton, finished with 49 assists, 12 digs, one kill and one ace. In the championship match against UMBC, Scully finished with 23 assists, six digs and one kill. Binghamton ends the year 15-13. Scully led the Bearcats with 679 assists. She was third on the team with 199 digs.

Cameron Lloyd: The Bucknell volleyball team’s season ended with a loss to Navy in the opening round of the Patriot League Tournament. The Midshipmen swept the Bison at Davis Gym in Lewisburg, PA on scores of 25-23, 25-19, 25-23. Lloyd had six kills and 14 digs in the final match of her freshman season. Bucknell ends the year 15-11 overall, 11-5 in the Patriot League. Lloyd played in all 26 matches for the Bison this year. She was third on the team with 168 kills and 250 digs. Lloyd has 26 aces and 21 blocks.

Anaya Carter: The Division II UNC Pembroke team had its season end in the championship match of the Conference Carolinas Tournament inside the North Charleston Athletic Center in Charleston, S.C. Emmanuel defeated the Braves 3-1 (25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21). UNC Pembroke went 21-14 overall, 12-5 in Conference Carolinas. Carter played in 15 matches and finished with 26 kills and 94 digs in her freshman year.

Payton Wilson: Wilson was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week for the fifth time this season on Monday. It came after the Wolfpack dominated archrival North Carolina 39-20 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Wilson, who received an enormous ovation as he was introduced last on his senior night, led the Wolfpack in tackles for the tenth time this season. Wilson had 15 tackles as the Wolfpack held the Tar Heels to its lowest point total of the season. He also tallied two tackles for loss, a forced fumble and an interception. Wilson was also named a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation’s top linebacker. He is the first N.C. State player to be named a finalist for the Butkus Award. Wilson concluded the regular season leading the Wolfpack in five different categories. He had 138 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions (tied for the team lead), ten quarterback hits, and two fumble recoveries. He is second on the team with six sacks and also had six pass breakups. The Wolfpack will learn its destination this Sunday. Wilson concludes his career 3-2 against North Carolina with three straight victories. The Wolfpack end the regular season 9-3 overall, 6-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Wynston Brown: Brown spent this season with the Division III Methodist football team. The Monarchs ended the year 2-8, 2-5 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Brown was a quarterback and wide receiver for the Orange Panthers before he graduated in June.

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.”