Cedar Ridge High School

After winning his 100th career match in November, Ryan Rakouskas became the latest Cedar Ridge wrestler to celebrate 100 career pins.

In the quarterfinals of the Coach T Memorial Classic at Riverside High School in Durham on Saturday, Rakouskas pinned Topsail’s Luke Williams in 4:00 for his 100th career pinfall. It came two weeks after Rakouskas teammate, Pierce Prescod, earned his 100th career pin.

Rakouskas competed against Williams twice. In the consolation final, Rakouskas pinned Williams again, this time in 3:43, to earn third place in the tournament. Rakouskas improved to 39-6 on the season with 27 pins. He surpassed Randy Greenough for sixth on the all-time schools career win list.

Speaking of which, senior Pierce Prescod continues to move closer to the all-time record, held by Chandler Collins, with 166 career wins. Prescod is now at 152 wins after finishing 2nd in the 120-pound weight division. In the semifinals, Prescod pinned Santos Marin of Wakefield in 3:01 for his 152nd career victory, surpassing Josh Collins for third place on the all-time list. Prescod, who is looking to qualify for the state championships for the first time, lost in the finals to Cape Fear’s Mac Johnson, who was the #3 seed.

Kaden Tatro, who graduated from Cedar Ridge, is #2 in school history with 159 wins.

In the women’s tournament, Cedar Ridge freshman Thalia Paterno continued an impressive rookie year with a second place finish at 100 pounds. In a round-robin event, Paterno score pins in each of her opening three matches, none of which exceeded one minute. Paterno pinned Kaleigh Poteat of Southeast Alamance in 13 seconds; pinned Ashley Smith of Wakefield in 37 seconds and finished Anai Carrillo of Cardinal Gibbons in 50 seconds.

It set up a championship match with Morgan Carpenter of Pine Forest, who had also won her opening three matches. Carpenter scored a pin at 4:49. This season, Paterno has won three individual championships at the Red Wolf Invitational, the Jim King/Orange Invitational and the Eagle Invitational in Mebane.

At 113 pounds in the men’s tournament, Cedar Ridge junior Favio Jaramillo captured 3rd place in a tournament where he scored three wins to boast his record to 37-8 on the season. Jaramillo, who won the championship of the Eagle Invitational last month, dominated Bennett Teague of Southern Alamance 16-3 in the 3rd place match. Jaramillo, seeded #2, scored a technical fall over Jaxton Couch of Pine Forest 19-3. In the consolation semfinals, Jaramillo defeated Jacob Keel of Rolesville 19-11. Top-seeded Spencer Sterling of Cardinal Gibbons won the 113-pound championship with an 11-4 decision over Jacob Pope of Topsail.

Sophomore Alejandro Briones had tough luck in a fourth-place finish at 144 pounds. Briones, who is 37-8 on the year, won his quarterfinal match over Troy Crain of Seaforth. Broughton’s Benjamin Zeren scored a takedown in the third period to defeat Briones in the semifinals 9-6. Briones pinned Wesley Taylor of Cape Fear to reach the third place match. Cardinal Gibbons’ Derek Mason a takedown with :08 remaining to edge Briones 10-9 in the consolation final.

In the women’s tournament, Cedar Ridge’s Chloe Pankratz finished fourth at 138 pounds. Pankratz, a senior who won the JKO tournament in December, opened with a pin over Izabella Roldan of Curritcuk County. Italia Squicciarini of Topsail pinned Pankratz in the second round robin match. Katie Lloyd of Southeast Alamance pinned Pankratz in the 3rd place match.

Cedar Ridge’s Carolina DonJuan was the only entrant in her weight class and claimed first place at 235 pounds.

On Saturday, Cedar Ridge will compete in the Central Conference Championships at Williams High School in Broughton. Briones and Prescod each won their respective conference championships last year in Burlington.

For the first time, there will be a conference tournament for women’s wrestling. This season, Cedar Ridge had several dual women’s matches, including wins over Person, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Walter Williams and Southern Alamance.

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It was a joyous holiday for Juan and Favio Jaramillo at the Eagle Invitational in Mebane on December 21. Juan, a freshman, won the 106-pound championship, his first individual tournament title as a Red Wolf. Favio, a junior, won the 113-pound championship. It helped Cedar Ridge to a 1st place finish at the Eagle Invitational, the Red Wolves second team tournament championship this year. Juan scored pins in all three of his matches. In the championship match, he defeated Roland Owen of East Chapel Hill in 5:58. At the time of the pin, Juan led the match 10-1. Juan also pinned Junior McKay of Overhills and Max Molinar of Orange in the tournament. Favio was seeded #2 in the 113-pound tournament and pinned top-seeded Alex Raymundo of Randleman in 4:28. In the semifinals, Favio scored a technical fall against Wyatt Collins of Northwest Guilford 16-1. Favio has had a strong freshman year. Juan is 26-10 with ten pins this season. Favio had a career-high 34 wins with eleven pins this season. Together, they’ve helped Cedar Ridge reach the 3A State Dual Team Playoffs for the second consecutive season after beating Walter Williams on Wednesday night. The Red Wolves have already clinched 2nd place in the Central Conference and the Jaramillo brothers have been a big reason for the team’s success.

Cedar Ridge wrestling’s Juan and Favio Jaramillo discuss their championships at Eagle Invitational

It was a joyous holiday for Juan and Favio Jaramillo at the Eagle Invitational in Mebane on December 21. Juan, a freshman, won the 106-pound championship, his first individual tournament title as a Red Wolf. Favio, a junior, won the 113-pound championship.

In a pressure situation, two players stepped up for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in its biggest win of the season. Junior Jamee Watson drained two free throws with 54 seconds remaining for the game-winning points as the Red Wolves defeated Chatham Central 36-33 on January 10 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Bears came into the game with an 8-2 record. Sophomore Esther Mwirinzi added six points, including two more free throws after a steal by Kennedi Fearrington with 17 seconds remaining. Watson finished with eight points to lead the Red Wolves. Watson has been on the varsity since her freshman year under head coach Megan Skouby. Mwirinzi is in her second year at the varsity level. To start 2025, Cedar Ridge defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 for its first Central Conference win of the season. Watson scored nine points against the Patriots and also had four steals. Cedar Ridge forced 28 turnovers in the win over the Patriots. Mwirinzi has learned on the job as the starting point guard this season after the transfer of Sarah Utley during the summer. The win over the Bears gave a boost for Cedar Ridge to make the state playoffs for the second year in a row. The Red Wolves will commemorate Senior Night with a home game against Walter Williams on Friday night in Hillsborough.

Cedar Ridge’s Jamee Watson & Esther Mwirinzi discuss win over Chatham Central

In a pressure situation, two players stepped up for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in its biggest win of the season. Junior Jamee Watson drained two free throws with 54 seconds remaining for the game-winning points as the Red Wolves defeated Chatham Central 36-33 on January 10 at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

For the second year in a row, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team is going to the State Dual Team Playoffs.

On Wednesday night in Burlington, the Red Wolves disposed of Walter Williams 68-12 to officially clinch second place in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge improved to 15-7 overall and finished the conference season at 5-1. Only a 34-32 loss to Person on November 26 in Roxboro kept the Red Wolves from repeating as Central Conference champions.

Person earned its first conference championship since the league was formed in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Senior Pierce Presco, who achieved his 100th career pinfall victory last month, continues to move up the career win list in school history. Prescod defeated Abdiel Gutierrez Moreno via technical fall 19-4 at 120 pounds to improve to 38-6 on the season. Prescod is now at 148 career wins. The school record is 166 wins held by Chandler Collins. Josh Collins on the original Cedar Ridge team in 2001, is 2nd on the all-time list at 151 wins. Prescod could surpass Collins during a dual event at Montgomery Central High in Troy this Saturday.

Cedar Ridge’s Graylon Collins pinned Kyleaf Kosh to push the Red Wolves lead to 47-12 and secure a Red Wolf victory. Collins is now 22-14 on the season after his eighth pin of the year.

The Red Wolves started the night with a pin from Will Meyer at 175 pounds. Meyer pinned Gavin McMahan to improve to 19-14. It was Meyer’s 17th pin.

After Sawyer Marshall earned a pin for Williams, Oscar Narera pinned Porter Faucette at 215 pounds to put the Red Wolves ahead 12-6. Williams’ Christopher Melton evened the match with a pin at heavyweight.

Cedar Ridge’s Juan Esparza Jaramillo (106) and Favio Esparza Jaramillo (113) both earned forfeit wins. Juan Esparza, who won the 106-pound championship at the Eagle Invitational, is now 26-10 this season. Favio Jaramillo improved to 34-7 with eleven pins.

Jordin Blue of Cedar Ridge pinned Justin Powell at 157 pounds. In the only match of the night to go the distance, Cedar Ridge’s Shea Spiller earned a 9-4 decision over Angler Laxson. Spiller is 22-13.

Senior Ryan Rakouska and sophomore Alejandro Briones both earned forfeit wins for the Red Wolves. Rakouskas is now 35-5 this year. Briones improved to 35-6.

With the Central Conference championships one week away, the Cedar Ridge women’s swimming team finished the regular season undefeated in dual meets on Senior Night.

For the second time this year, Cedar Ridge’s relay team of Sophia Stinnett, Margaret Payton, Quinn McCrimmon and Natalie Kunz broke their own school record in the 200 yard medley relay with a time of 2:03.23. In the opening meet of the year on December 9, Stinnett, Payton, McCrimmon and Kunz broke the record at the Orange County Sportsplex.

The Cedar Ridge women finished the regular season 11-0 in the Central Conference, 12-0 overall. The Red Wolves held off Orange 87-79 and defeated Eastern Alamance 130-24.

It was a special night for Stinnett and McCrimmon, two seniors competing in their final regular season meet at the SportsPlex, which is a year-around home for swimmers. Not only do swimmers compete at the SportsPlex, but they practice there, as well.

Stinnett, who who the Central Regional championships in the 100 yard backstroke and the 500 yard freestyle last year at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, won in both events on Tuesday night and again qualified for regionals.

In the men’s dual meets, it was the final regular season meet for Orange senior Luke Roman, who is only the second male swimmer to win a state championship in school history. Roman, the defending champion in the 500 yard freestyle, won the event once again on Tuesday night touching the wall at 4:47.39. He also won the 200 yard freestyle, touching the wall at 1:49.77. Cedar Ridge freshman J.E. Sandor finished 2nd at 1:55.31 while Orange’s Ayden Twiddy came in third at 2:00.59.

Orange held off Cedar Ridge 172-149 in the men’s dual meet, tying the Red Wolves for first place at the end of the regular season with identical 10-1 conference marks. The Panthers also defeated Eastern Alamance 211-45. Cedar Ridge defeated Eastern Alamance 228-44 The Red Wolves men’s team finished the regular season 10-2 overall.

Roman joined Alex Andre, Nick Bazara and Noah Jones to win the 200 yard medley relay at 1:48.54. Cedar Ridge’s team Christopher Seawell, J.E. Sandor, Phillip Cauwels and Jacob Olmstead also qualified for regionals with a time of 1:55.70.

Orange’s 200 yard freestyle relay team of Baczara, Jason Spey, Colin Wuthrich and Twiddy won the 200 yard freestyle relay. Cedar Ridge’s Cauwels, Seawell, Sandor and Zion Green finished second, earning a spot at regionals.

Baczara won the 200 yard individual medley at 2:20.31. Jones claimed the 50 yard freestyle at 24.21. Cauwels, a senior for Cedar Ridge, finished 2nd.

Andre earned a trip to regionals in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.83 seconds.

Cedar Ridge’s Seawell won two events. He claimed the 100 yard freestyle at 51.18 seconds. Twiddy finished second, also earning a spot at regionals, at 53.65.

Seawell also won the 100 yard backstroke at 1:00.92.

Orange’s Andre, on his senior night, won the 100 yard backstroke (1:07.75). Sandor just trailed finishing second at 1:08.64.

In other women’s individual races, Orange’s Piper White claimed two individual events. She won the 50 yard freestyle at 25.95 seconds. White has won three state championships in relay events with Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Katie Belle Sikes (now swimming at the University of Georgia). White also won the 100 yard Butterly.

White teamed with Rasinske, Zoe Jones and Addison Moore to take the 200 yard medley relay at 2:01.77. Cedar Ridge’s relay team of Stinnett, Payton, McCrimmon and Kunz finished second.

Rasinske captured the 200 yard freestyle at 2:15.34. Orange’s Moore finished 2nd at 2:17.97 while Cedar Ridge’s Eden Pollard finished third at 2:18.41. All three earned spots at regionals. Moore also qualified for regionals in the 100 yard backstroke with a runner-up finish (1:09.53).

jones finished first in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:27.44, just beating McCrimmon to the wall by .13 of a second. Payton finished third, also earning a spot in regionals at 2:29.88.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s basketball forward Kennedi Fearrington. To open 2025, Fearrington scored eleven points as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It was Cedar Ridge’s first Central Conference win of the season. Fearrington and fellow freshman Kassidy Tolliver have developed a young core of the Red Wolves women’s basketball team after losing leading scorer Amiyah Ware and starting point guard Sarah Utley from last year’s team. Fearrington and Tolliver have been teammates since their sixth grade season at Gravelly Hill Middle School. Fearrington has played on the varsity since the start of the season. In only her fifth varsity game, Fearrington scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 55-31 win over the Durham School of the Arts on December 6. Against Eno Rivera Academy, Fearringotn scored ten points as the Red Wolves won its first-ever matchup against the Bobcats 41-25. Fearrington played 13 minutes in the Red Wolves 36-33 win over Chatham Central last week in Hillsborough. Chatham came into the game with an 8-2 record, which gave a boost to Cedar Ridge’s hopes of making the state playoffs for the second straight year. Fearrington figures to be a standout performer in the years ahead for Cedar Ridge women’s basketball.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Kennedi Fearrington

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s basketball forward Kennedi Fearrington. To open 2025, Fearrington scored eleven points as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It was Cedar Ridge’s first Central Conference win of the season.

Against a Chatham Central team that arrived into Hillsborough with an 8-2 record, the Cedar Ridge women’s team had young players came through in the clutch to deliver its biggest win of the season.

Junior Jamee Watson hit two free throws with 54 seconds remaining to put the Red Wolves ahead while sophomore Esther Mwirinzi added two insurance points in the final seconds to lift Cedar Ridge over Chatham Central 36-33 on Wednesday night at Red Wolf Gymnasium. In a time game where neither team led by more than six points, free throws proved to make the difference. Cedar Ridge was 6-of-9 from the stripe in the fourth quarter while the Bears were 4-of-8.

Watson led Cedar Ridge with eight points while freshman Elliott Weisenfeld added seven.

Chatham Central (8-3) was led by Karaleigh Dodson, who finished with 15 points and nine rebounds. With 2:10 remaining in regulation, Dodson hit two free throws to tie the game at 32-32. The Bears, who had 13 offensive rebounds, took the lead with 1:29 remaining after Dodson sank a free throw with 1:29 remaining to conclude a trip where Central grabbed three offensive rebounds.

With 5:54 left in regulation, Dodson tied the game off a strip and steal and scored in transition. Cedar Ridge freshman Kennedi Fearrington drained a short jumper while getting fouled by Central’s Sydney Scott. Dodson found Addison Goldston to tie the game at 30-30.

Cedar Ridge’s Kate Finnegan put the Red Wolves ahead 32-30 on a breakaway layup off a pass from Ava Smith with 3:58 remaining.

Chatham Central led 9-5, then Cedar Ridge went on an 8-0 run in the second quarter. Mwirinizi drained a 3-pointer off a pass from freshman Kassidy Tolliver. Mwirinzi threw to Watson for another 3-pointer to give the Red Wolves its first lead since its was 2-0. Tolliver scored a three-point play to conclude the first half after getting fouled to send the Red Wolves into the locker room with a 16-12 lead.

Orange 62, Person 36: The Lady Panthers outscored the Rockets 21-6 in the second quarter to beat the Rockets for the eighth straight time.

Two day after scoring her 1,000 career point, Orange forward Evelyn George led the Lady Panthers with 19 points and nine rebounds. Orange claimed its third straight win.

Orange senior Shannon Murphy added 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. She knocked down 3-of-4 from 3-point range.

The Lady Panthers forced 35 turnovers and had 21 steals. George, McMurtry and Kyla Mehl each had four steals each. Orange improved to 8-6 overall.

Person led 14-13 at the end of the first quarter because of 7-of-15 shooting from the field. Ava Mandizha opened the game with a field goal and Nayahana Marner added all six of her points in the first quarter. The Lady Panthers took its first lead of the game when Evelyn George scored on a short jumper off a pass from Mehl.

Orange outscored Person 21-6 in the second quarter and didn’t look back. The Lady Panthers shot 9-of-11 from the field in the second quarter and forced 12 turnovers to turn the game into a rout. After Marshea Byrd’s lay-in assisted by Mehl, Orange kept its lead in double-figures for the rest of the game.

Orange’s lead grew to 31 points in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, Murphy and George combined to hit three straight 3-pointers as the lead stayed about 20 points for the rest of the game.

Bryce Jones scored a late field goal for Orange

Nayahana Marner and Destyni Harris each had seven points to lead the Rockets. Person falls to 7-7, 2-1 in the Central Conference.

Person’s last win over the Lady Panthers was on December 17, 2013.

Orange will travel to Durham Academy for a game that will tipoff at 6PM. Orange returns to Central Conference play against Southern Alamance on Tuesday night in Graham.

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