Cedar Ridge High School

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This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman women’s basketball center Kassidy Tolliver. In December, Tolliver scored 12 points to lead the Red Wolves over Durham School of the Arts 54-31 at Sykes Gymnasium in Durham. On a young Cedar Ridge team that lost its top two scorers from last season, Tolliver has taken the reigns right away this season. Just eight games into her high school career, Tolliver is Cedar Ridge’s leading scorer. Tolliver has been playing basketball since her sixth grade year at Gravelly Hill Middle School, where she played alongside her current teammate Kennedi Fearrington. Against Eno River Academy, Tolliver scored 15 points as the Red Wolves defeated the Bobcats 41-25 in the first-ever game between the Hillsborough schools. Against Person on December 20, Tolliver grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds. Cedar Ridge won its first Central Conference game of the season on Friday night over Southern Alamance. Tolliver scored nine points, grabbed seven rebounds and forced eight steals. Tolliver has become a regular starter for the Red Wolves in her freshman season. She aims to keep improving as Cedar Ridge aims to reach the state playoffs for the second straight year. This week, Cedar Ridge will play three games over four days. They will host Orange on Tuesday, then host Chatham Central. On Friday night, the Red Wolves will travel to Mebane to face Eastern Alamance at Tal Jobe Gymnasium.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Kassidy Tolliver

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman women’s basketball center Kassidy Tolliver. In December, Tolliver scored 12 points to lead the Red Wolves over Durham School of the Arts 54-31 at Sykes Gymnasium in Durham.

In a Central Conference women’s basketball chase filled with experienced teams, Cedar Ridge is playing more freshmen in its regular rotation than seniors.

On Friday night, two rookies paved the way for the Red Wolves first conference win of the season.

Kennedi Fearrington tied her career-high with eleven points while Kassidy Tolliver added nine points as the Red Wolves held off Southern Alamance 37-29 at Red Wolves Gymnasium on Friday night. Junior James Watson added nine points for the Red Wolves (4-5, 1-1 in the Central Conference).

Tolliver and Fearrington were teammates with the Gravelly Hill Middle School team the past three years, as well as several travel teams.

Southern Alamance outrebounded the Red Wolves 38-23. Sarah Kathryn Maness led all scorers with 15 points.

With the Patriots leading 14-12 at halftime, the Red Wolves scored eleven consecutive points starting with back-to-back 3-pointers from Watson and Elliott Wisenfeld. After Fearrington scored on a lay-in after a feed from Ava Smith, Watson drained another 3-pointer off a skip pass from Fearrington. In the final seconds of the quarter, Tolliver scored off a pass from Fearrington to give Cedar Ridge a 25-18 lead going into the final stanza.

Cedar Ridge forced eight Southern Alamance turnovers in the third quarter.

Maness keyed a late Southern Alamance charge. With 1:37 remaining, she made two free throws to cut the Red Wolf lead to 33-27. Maness stole the ball off an inbounds pass and scored on a lay-in with 1:321 remaining. Fearrington put the game away on a breakaway lay-in off a pass from Fearrington.

Cedar Ridge didn’t trail in the first quarter after Wisenfeld scored on a 3-pointer on Cedar Ridge’s first possession. Tolliver scored off a steal by Fearrington to cap a 7-2 Red Wolf run to start the game. Southern Alamance’s Emory Gilley scored a jumper off a pass from Maness to give the Patriots its first lead at 11-10. Maness drained a 3-pointer just before halftime to give Southern Alamance the lead going into the locker room.

Men’s Basketball: Southern Alamance 51, Cedar Ridge 49: In a game with 16 lead changes, Southern Alamance built a 48-39 lead and held on for dear life to beat the Red Wolves on Friday night.

Drayden Brewer paced a balanced Patriot attack with 12 points as Southern Alamance won despite shooting 29% from the field. The Patriots grabbed 18 offensive rebounds.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Jordan Jacobson led all scorers with 17 points, shooting 3-of-8 from 3-point range. Red Wolf senior Braeden Wilbourn added 13 points.

Jacobson knocked down a 3-pointer with four seconds remaining in the first half to tie the game 27-27 at halftime. Cedar Ridge center Jack Kelsey, who finished with six blocks, scored off a pass from Jacobson to give the Red Wolves a 31-29 lead, but that would be the home team’s last lead. Southern Alamance went on a 12-2 run keyed by Brewer, who sank consecutive 3-pointers. Southern Alamance’s Riley Warren, who finished with ten points and eleven rebounds, assisted on Brewer’s second three-pointer that put the Patriots ahead 41-32.

Cedar Ridge (5-8, 0-2) chipped away at the Patriot lead in the final five minutes. Southern Alamance was held without a field goal for 4:46 as Jacobson drained back-to-back 3-pointers which reduced the Patriots lead to 48-45 with 1:56 remaining. Warren scored a crucial lay-in off a pass from Brewer with 1:01 remaining. Cedar Ridge’s Tripp Beasley got free on the wing, took a skip pass from Jacobson and scored another 3-pointer to cut the Red Wolf deficit to 50-48.

Brewer split two free throws with 20 seconds remaining. With Cedar Ridge trailing 51-48, Kelsey grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed shot, which led to Wilbourn hitting one free throw. On the subsequent inbounds pass, Beasley stole the ball from Brewer. In a wild scramble at the finish, Wilbourn got free for a 3-point attempt which bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.

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MEBANE–Saturdays in the winter can be generic for high school wrestlers.

Almost every weekend, they’re at a tournament inside a gym with bleachers. Aside from the school colors, the surroundings look almost the same each week.

The Eagle Invitational in Mebane offers a respite. It’s held at the Mebane Arts Center, where wrestlers walk past paintings and portraits on their way into the center to compete. Fans watch from portable seating that’s set up and removed by organizers from Eastern Alamance High School before and after the tournament. There also isn’t the usual hardwood gym floor under the mats.

It was the first time in years that Cedar Ridge competed in the Eagle Invitational. On the Saturday before Christmas, three Red Wolves won individual championships as Cedar Ridge won the team championship, their second tournament title of the year.

Freshman Juan Jaramillo won his first tournament championship while his older brother Favio Jaramillo captured his first individual title at 113 pounds as the Red Wolves won the team championship with 215 points. Cedar Ridge, despite losing seven starters from last year, has won two tournaments this year. They opened the 2024-25 campaign by taking the Atkins Invitational in Winston-Salem on November 16.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Alejandro Briones won the championship at 150 pounds, his first individual championship of the season. Briones scored technical falls in both of his matches. He defeated Northwood’s Cole Shambley 21-6 in a bout that last three minutes. In the final, Briones defeated top-seeded Sincere Savage 19-4. Briones came away from the Eagle Invitational 30-4 with 15 pins on the season.

Orange claimed two individual champions. At 138 pounds, senior Braden Crawford won the Eagle Invitational for the third time. Crawford scored three pins on his way to the championship. In the final, he pinned East Chapel Hill’s Cole Shuster in 2:42. He opened with a quarterfinal victory over Chase Johnson of Bartlett Yancey in 1:36. Crawford, a senior Co-Captain, is 16-4 with 12 pins this season.

Graylon Collins of Cedar Ridge finished 3rd at 138 pounds. Collins defeated Ali Alissa of Northwest Guilford 16-5 in the consolation final.

Orange’s Jayden Medley earned his first championship of the year at 215 pounds. Medley, seeded seconds, pinned four straight opponents to improve to 17-7 on the year. Medley defeated top-seeded Stephen Silhan of Chatham Center in 4:22 in the final. Medley scored three takedowns before he gained a reversal in the final period leading up to the finish. In the semifinals, Medley pinned Kennedy Woods of Southeast Alamance in 29 seconds.

Juan Jaramillo captured the 106 pound title for Cedar Ridge when he pinned Roland Owen of East Chapel Hill in the final. Jaramillo, who walked away from the Eagle Invitational with a 22-8 record, pinned Junior McKay of Overhills in the semifinal. Juan defeated Max Molinar of Orange in 1:18 to open the event.

Favio Jaramillo won the 113 pound championship by beating Alex Raymundo of Randleman in the final. In a tight match, Jaramillo trailed 3-2 in the second period before he got Raymundo on the bottom and scored the pin. Favio earned technical fall wins over Wyatt Collins of Northwood and Devin Rathburn of Chatham Central leading up to the final.

In the women’s tournament, Cedar Ridge freshman Thalia Paterno earned her third championship of the season by winning the 100 pound championship. In a round robin tournament, Paterno wasn’t working by the hour. She pinned all three of her opponents in less than 30 seconds. In the final match, Paterno pinned Kyra Mattis of Overhills in 28 seconds. She opened with a victory over Kaleigh Poteat of Southern Alamance in 15 seconds. In the sandwich match, Paterno pinned Kailey Cabrera of Bartlett Yancey in 15 seconds.

Cedar Ridge senior Pierce Prescod, just days after securing his 100th career pinfall win, finished 2nd at 126 pounds. Prescod dominated Hezekyan Matson of Randleman 24-2 in the semifinals. Brandon Mann of South Granville defeated Prescod 18-14 in a wild final where the lead changed twice in the opening three minutes.

The Red Wolves were buoyed to the team championship by several competitors who had their best tournament showings. Mikey O’Melia finished 2nd at 150 pounds, pinning second-seeded Shane Shuster of East Chapel Hill in the semifinals. Caden Rancer of Northern Guilford took the championship.

Cedar Ridge senior Ryan Rakouskas came in third at 157 pounds. Anthony Bradley of Overhills, the eventual champion, upset Rakouskas via pinfall in the quarterfinals. Rakouskas actually competed against his own teammate, Isaiah Craig, in the consolation final. Rakouskas won a 17-0 technical fall.

At 215 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Oscar Najera finished third. He scored a 9-1 major decision over Aric Lipscomb of Bartlett Yancey in the consolation final.

Cedar Ridge senior Jordin Blue finished third at 165 pounds. Blue, who finished the tournament with an overall record of 21-8, defeated Angel Berlanga of Bartlett Yancey via pinfall in 3:15 in the consolation final.

Orange freshman Jordan Barbee reached the finals for the first time in a high school tournament at 190 pounds. Barbee pinned Jadyn Bryant of Northwest Guilford in 3:47. Jack Harty of Northern Guilford won the 190 pound title by pinfall in 2:16.

Orange’s Lucas Carrasco finished third at 120 pounds. Carrasco, a freshman, defeated Jaxton Strickland of Randleman 7-3 in the consolation final.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman wrestling Thalia Paterno. Last week, Paterno won her third individual championship of the season when she captured the 100-pound title at the Eagle Invitational in Mebane. After wrestling at Stanback Middle School for three years, Paterno started her high school career by winning the Red Wolf Invitational on November 23 at Cedar Ridge High School. She pinned Elyse Wilscam of Orange in 1:03 in the final. In the quarterfinals, Paterno pinned the tournament’s top-seed, Eva Serrano of Panther Creek, in 25 seconds to reach the next round. On December 7, she became the first Hillsborough-based wrestler to win a female championship at the Jim King/Orange Invitational at Orange High School. Paterno pinned all three of her opponents in a round-robin tournament in less than 40 seconds. In the Eagle Invitational, Paterno won all three of her matches in less than 30 seconds. She pinned Kaleigh Poteat of Southern Alamance in just 15 seconds to earn the championship. Paterno decided to start wrestling in sixth grade because Stanback didn’t offer an ultimate frisbee team. Paterno is 19-3 after finishing fourth in the 100-pound division at the Tiger Holiday Classic on Saturday at Chapel Hill High School. She follows in the footsteps of several former Cedar Ridge wrestlers like Kady Watkins and Zooey Moreno who helped established the sport for women locally.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Thalia Paterno

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman wrestling Thalia Paterno. Last week, Paterno won her third individual championship of the season when she captured the 100-pound title at the Eagle Invitational in Mebane.

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This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior basketball guard Braeden Wilbourn. Last month, Wikbourn led the Red Wolves with 16 points as the Red Wolves defeated Seaforth in Pittsboro. It ended the Red Wolves 16-game road losing streak. The following week, Wilbourn scored 18 points to lead the Red Wolves past Durham School of the Arts 80-66 at Sykes Gymnasium. Wilbourn has been a constant presence in the starting lineup for Cedar Ridge head coach Mike Jones over the past three years. Already this season, the Red Wolves have surpassed its win total from last year. Wilbourn is a constant presence in Cedar Ridge sporting events and not just because he is a Red Wolf fan. He is also a documentary film maker. Throughout last season, Wilbourn followed the Cedar Ridge baseball team around the area to document its season. Wilbourn created a documentary about coach Bryson Massey’s team, which was released online earlier this year. Wilbourn has worked with the documentary film studies at Duke University and has had his photography featured prominently online. Wilbourn will continue his film career as he continues his education, but his focus isn’t limited solely to sports. He wants to create films based on a varsity of subjects. He has also received an offer to continue his basketball career at Warren Wilson College.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Braeden Wilbourn

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior basketball guard Braeden Wilbourn. Last month, Wikbourn led the Red Wolves with 16 points as the Red Wolves defeated Seaforth in Pittsboro. It ended the Red Wolves 16-game road losing streak.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Alejandro Briones captured his first Eagle Invitational Championship at the Mebane Arts Center on Saturday. Briones finished the tournament with consecutive technical falls. In the semifinals, Briones defeated Cole Shambley of Northwood 21-6. In the championship match at 144 pounds, Briones defeated Sincere Savage of Overhlls 19-4. Briones was one of three Cedar Ridge wrestlers to capture individual championships on Saturday. He helped Cedar Ridge win the team championship. It was the second team title for the Red Wolves this season. Earlier this year, Briones finished 3rd at 150 pounds in the Red Wolf Invitational, beating Alexander Patino of Asheboro 19-11 in the consolation final. Briones won the Central Conference championship in his freshman season at 144 pounds. In the conference championship match, he edged top-seeded Mason Tanner of Eastern Alamance 10-9. Including the two wins at the Eagle Invitational on Saturday, Briones is now 30-4 this season with 15 pins. He has won 19 consecutive matches and has become one of the most reliable grapplers for Cedar Ridge head coach Scott Metcalf. Briones won all five of his matches in the Cougar Duals at Apex High School on December 14. He pinned three of his five opponents. Briones will continue his sophomore season in the Tiger Holiday Invitational at Chapel Hill High School next weekend.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Alejandro Briones discusses winning the Eagle Invitational

Cedar Ridge sophomore Alejandro Briones captured his first Eagle Invitational Championship at the Mebane Arts Center on Saturday. Briones finished the tournament with consecutive technical falls. In the semifinals, Briones defeated Cole Shambley of Northwood 21-6. In the championship match at 144 pounds, Briones defeated Sincere Savage of Overhlls 19-4.