This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore wrestler Alejandro Briones. This season, Briones won his second Central Conference championship. At Walter Williams High School, Briones pinned Orange High’s Sebastian Guardia in 1:36 to take the conference crown. Briones, the top-seed, pinned Aiden Cameron of Southern Alamance in the semifinals. Briones has been a quick study for the Red Wolves. A regular starter during his freshman year, he was an invaluable presence during Cedar Ridge’s run to the Central Conference regular season championship in 2023-2024. Briones went 23-14 in his freshman year and defeated senior Mason Tanner of Eastern Alamance to win the 2024 Central Conference championship at 144-pounds. Last week at the Mideast Regional championships at Cedar Ridge High, Briones reached the semifinals and came one win shy of qualifying for the state championships. He starts the tournament by pinning Gavin Macmurray of E.E. Smith. In the quarterfinals, Briones outscored Kyan Webster of Eastern Guilford 24-20. Briones hasn’t lost to a Central Conference opponent in his first two years. He has accumulated 66 wins in his first two varsity seasons. As Pierce Prescod and Ryan Rakouskas graduate, Briones will be one of the grapplers that head coach Scott Metcalf relies on to lead the Cedar Ridge wrestling program into the future.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Alejandro Briones

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore wrestler Alejandro Briones. This season, Briones won his second Central Conference championship. At Walter Williams High School, Briones pinned Orange High’s Sebastian Guardia in 1:36 to take the conference crown. Briones, the top-seed, pinned Aiden Cameron of Southern Alamance in the semifinals.

Next week marks the beginning of Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Quinn Finnegan’s final season. Finnegan is a true renaissance man with the Red Wolves. Just last week, Finnegan appeared on WRAL’s Brain Game with Cedar Ridge. This year, Finnegan wants to take the Diamond Red Wolves to the Central Conference championship. In December, Finnegan signed with Wagner College based out of Staten Island, New York. Through his relentless work ethic, Finnegan has been a constant at the Barn, a local facility for baseball players. A founding member of Cedar Ridge’s DECA Club, Finnegan is a three-time co-Captain of the Cedar Ridge baseball team under head coach Bryson Massey. He has a 4.38 grade-point average, 31st in his class. He was inducted into the National Honor Society last year. Finnegan was an All-Central Conference selection last season after helping Cedar Ridge finish in 3rd place in the Central Conference. With the graduation of Mason Cates, Finnegan will be the top man in the Red Wolves pitching rotation in a highly competitive conference. Cedar Ridge will open its season with three home games next week. They will open against Jordan on Tuesday night at 7 PM. On Wednesday, the Red Wolves will face Burlington Christian Academy. Then they’ll take on South Granville next Friday.

Cedar Ridge pitcher Quinn Finnegan discusses signing with Wagner College

Next week marks the beginning of Cedar Ridge senior pitcher Quinn Finnegan’s final season. Finnegan is a true renaissance man with the Red Wolves. Just last week, Finnegan appeared on WRAL’s Brain Game with Cedar Ridge. This year, Finnegan wants to take the Diamond Red Wolves to the Central Conference championship.

For Cedar Ridge senior Pierce Prescod, his wait to reach the 3A State Wrestling championships wasn’t denied. It was just delayed. Last Saturday, Prescod finished third in the Mideast Regional championships at Cedar Ridge High School at 120 pounds. Prescod had to overcome some anxious moments in the consolation semifinals. Facing Westover Connor Dean, Prescod got out to a 5-1 lead at the end of the first period. Prescod scored a slam that left Dean injured. It was reminiscent of 2023, when Prescod was disqualified in the consolation semifinal at 120 pounds. This time, the slam was ruled legal. Prescod was awarded the win when Dean couldn’t continue. Prescod would go on to finish in 3rd place in the regional with a decisive technical fall victory over Chris Schroth of Union Pines 20-4. Prescod is now 49-8 on the season. On Saturday in the opening round of the 3A State Tournament at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, Prescod pinned Ethan Brownlee of South Johnston in 5:53. Prescod is now tied with Kaden Tatro for second place all-time in school history in career wins. Prescod has now won 161 matches. Earlier this year, he celebrated his 100th career pinfall win. Prescod will face Kane Bryson of Pisgah in the state quarterfinals on Sunday.

Cedar Ridge senior Pierce Prescod discusses qualifying for state wrestling championships

For Cedar Ridge senior Pierce Prescod, his wait to reach the 3A State Wrestling championships wasn’t denied. It was just delayed. Last Saturday, Prescod finished third in the Mideast Regional championships at Cedar Ridge High School at 120 pounds. Prescod had to overcome some anxious moments in the consolation semifinals.

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We cover Hillsborough Sports. Play-by-play for Orange and Cedar Ridge baseball, football, basketball, volleyball, softball and lacrosse!

After being a member of Orange’s men’s cross country state championship in November, junior Myles Jermyn nearly won an individual state title in Winston-Salem.

At the 3A State Indoor Track & Field Championships at the JDL Fast Track on February 15; Jermyn finished 2nd in the 3,200 meters. The longest race in track & field came down to a thrilling finish as North Buncombe’s Michael Ferguson edged Jermyn to the finish line by .62 of a second. Ferguson crossed the finish line at 9:24.38, while Jermyn clocked in at 9:25.00.

Jermyn’s teammate, junior Lucas Van Mater, finished at 9:37.44.

Meanwhile, Cedar Ridge nearly had its first individual track and field state champion since 2022. Junior Ender Buchanan finished second in the pole vault, topping out at 14-feet. Swansboro’s James Yesunas captured the state championship at 14-feet, 6-inches.

Orange junior Owen Grant finished tied for 16th at 11-feet, 6-inches.

Cedar Ridge’s last state champion in track & field was Caroline Fowlkes, who won the pole vault in the 2022 outdoor track and field championships at Truist Stadium at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro.

Orange’s relay team of Cyrus Neal, Grant Schid, Van Mater and Jermyn finished 2nd in the 4×800 meter relay. They closed at 8:16.39. Croatan won the state championship at 7:59.66.

Cedar Ridge senior Naomi Dyreng finished in the top-five in two separate events. She finished 5th in the 1,600 meters at 5:16.18. North Lincoln had the top two finishers. Olivia Ferraro claimed the state title at 5:07.95, while Bella Green finished 2nd (5:09.91).

Dyreng also finished 5th in the 3,200 meters (11:38.42). Morgan Miller of First Flight claimed the state title at 10:49.37, a good 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up, freshman June Leis of A.C. Reynolds (11:03.96).

Orange junior Adeline Alvis finished 5th in the long jump at 17-feet, 6-inches. Alvis also nearly medaled in the 4×400 relay. Running the anchor leg with Gianni Burnette, Asia Whitsett and Kayla Willey, Orange finished at 4:13.05. Franklin’s team earned the bronze at 4:12.85. Greensboro Dudley, who won the overall women’s team championship, earned the gold medal at 4:01.82.

The Orange men’s 4×400 relay team of Riley Potter, Cyrus Neal, Hunter Albert and Gabe Yen finished 10th at 3;38.41. Dudley, which won the overall men’s state championship, earned the relay state title with a time of 3:29.45.

Neal finished 8th in the 1000 meters at 2:43.77. Croatan’s Noah Guerrero won the state title at 2:30.29.

Orange finished 13th in the women’s  4×800 relay. Sullivan Gaddy, Kayla Willey, Evelyn Over and Caroline Cathey finished at 11:03.97.

Orange’s Clara Flowkes came in fourth in the women’s pole vault as she cleared 8-feet, 6-inches. Blythe Jaworsky of North Lincoln claimed the state title at 10-feet, 6-inches.

Will Berger: Former Cedar Ridge pitcher Will Berger continues to excel as a member of the Wofford men’s track & field team. At the Bulldog Invitational in Birmingham, AL on February 14, Berger set a new school record in the 3,000 meters. He finished at 8:44.20. Last month at the Mondo College Invitational at the JDL Fast Track in Winston-Salem, Berger finished 11th in the 3,000 meters at 9:14.76. Berger returned to the track this winter after redshirting last season. He also competes in cross country and outdoor track & field with the Terriers.

Caleb Barreto: The former Orange Panther is now a sophomore on the Division III Methodist men’s basketball team. This season, Barreto has played in ten games and is averaging 3.2 points per game. Barreto scored a season-high ten points in a game against Apprentice on November 13 in Newport News, VA. Most recently, he played against Greensboro College.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central softball team went 1-2 in the HBCU Collegiate Invitational in Covington, GA last weekend. The Eagles opened with a 4-2 win over Southern University. Nichols started at first base and went 1-for-3. Nichols had a game-tying RBI single in the sixth as the Eagles scored three runs in its final at-bat to win. Alcorn State edged Central 8-7 in the Eagles’ second game on Friday. Nichols had a two-run double on Saturday, but Prairie View A&M defeated the Eagles 11-8. Games against Florida A&M and Grambling State were canceled due to the weather.

Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team defeated Morgan State to start the Elon Classic at Hunt Softball Park last week. Wirt started as catcher as the Phoenix won 2-1 in eight innings. The remaining two games of the event were cancelled. Wirt played as a pinch-runner against N.C. State in Elon on Tuesday, a game the Wolfpack won 4-0.

Connor Kruse: The Lenoir-Rhyme men’s lacrosse team stormed back from a 6-0 deficit to defeat #8 Rollins 15-9 at the Moretz Sports Complex in Hickory. Rollins led 6-0 at one point. Lenoir-Rhyne is ranked #4. Kruse got one shot off as the Bears improved to 4-0. Lenoir-Rhyne will face #8 Indianapolis in Hickory on Saturday.

Nick Cardone: Now a sophomore, Cardone made his season-debut for the Division II Catawba men’s lacrosse team. Cardone played on defence as Catawba defeated Belmont Abbey 13-11 at Shuford Stadium in Salisbury. Catawba improved to 3-0.

Cy Horner: The Division III Methodist men’s lacrosse team scored eight unanswered goals to defeat Guilford College 10-7 at Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville. Horner fired seven shots, grabbed three ground balls and created one turnover.

Josh Crabtree: Also playing for Methodist, Crabtree had one ground ball and created two turnovers. The Monarchs are 1-2 and will face Virginia Wesleyan in Fayetteville on Saturday.

College baseball season got underway earlier this month. Here’s a list of Orange and Cedar Ridge products that are now playing at the next level.

Dante DeFranco: A former middle infielder with Cedar Ridge and Orange, DeFranco enters this season as a graduate student with the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte had a wild 10-9 win over Old Dominion on Friday where they rallied from a 7-1 deficit to win. DeFranco started the second game of the season, a 3-1 loss to Northeastern, on February 14 as a designated hitter.

Ryan Honeycutt: Honeycutt has started his freshman year at Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears are 11-1 and won its opening game in the South Atlantic Conference over Wingate on Friday at Durham Field in Hickory.

Cross Clayton: Clayton has started his freshman season at Gaston College in the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Rhinos are 10-3-1 overall.

Mason Cates: The former Cedar Ridge hurler is now at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory. The Red Hawks are 6-7 overall, 2-1 in Region X in the NJCAA.

Coltin Hedrick: A freshman at Wake Tech Community College.

Wyatt Hedrick: A freshman at Wake Tech Community College. The Eagles have opened the season 4-6, 1-2 in Region X.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is freshman wrestler Jordan Barbee. This season, Barbee was one of numerous freshmen who started for the Orange wrestling team. In December, Barbee won all five of his matches when the Panthers won the Rumble in the Jungle dual team event at Carrboro High School. Barbee scored pins against Greensboro Page’s Luke O’Reilly, Arturo Cuellar of Ashley and Jesse Mcarthur of Leesville Road. Earlier this month, Barbee won the 190-pound Central Conference Championship at Walter Williams High School in Burlington. Barbee pinned Williams’ Sawyer Marshall to take the championship. Barbee went undefeated against opposition from the Central Conference this season. He pinned Person’s Christian Burwell on December 18 and defeated Cedar Ridge’s Will Meyer in 5:50 on December 11. Barbee’s freshman year ended in the consolation semifinals of the Mideast Regional championships at Cedar Ridge High School last Saturday. Barbee was the #4 seed in the 190-pound tournament and opened the event with a pinfall victory over Cape Fear senior Trenton Westbrook. Barbee would score two more wins in the tournament and fell one match short of qualifying for the state championships. Barbee will be an important piece as Orange wrestling looks to return to championship form next winter.

Orange Panther of the Week: Jordan Barbee

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is freshman wrestler Jordan Barbee. This season, Barbee was one of numerous freshmen who started for the Orange wrestling team. In December, Barbee won all five of his matches when the Panthers won the Rumble in the Jungle dual team event at Carrboro High School.

Cedar Ridge senior Ryan Rakouskas has become the first Red Wolf wrestler to win a regional championship since Fernando Martinez in 2022. Last Saturday, Rakouskas won the 150-pound championship at the Mideast Regionals at Cedar Ridge High School. In his final match inside his home gymnasium, Rakouskas pinned Royce Espinoza of Triton in 23 seconds to take the championship. In the semifinals, Rakouskas advanced when Eastern Guilford’s Kolby Gryder, the top seed in the weight division, couldn’t continue after Rakouksas legally slammed him. Rakousksas was the #4 seed in the tournament. Two years ago, he finished third in his weight division when the regionals were held at Cedar Ridge. This is the second time that Rakouskas has qualified for the state championships. Rakouskas’ win over Gryder was the 144th of his career. It put Rakouskas past Fernando Martinez for fifth on the all-time school wins list. Rakouskas has been a varsity wrestler for four years at Cedar Ridge under head coach Scott Metcalf. He will end his career the way every wrestler in the state dreams of ending their careers–at the Greensboro Coliseum competing for a state championship. Rakouskas will start the state championships on Saturday against Eligah Brown of West Charlotte.

Cedar Ridge’s Ryan Rakouskas discuses winning the 150-pound Mideast Regional Championship

Cedar Ridge senior Ryan Rakouskas has become the first Red Wolf wrestler to win a regional championship since Fernando Martinez in 2022. Last Saturday, Rakouskas won the 150-pound championship at the Mideast Regionals at Cedar Ridge High School. In his final match inside his home gymnasium, Rakouskas pinned Royce Espinoza of Triton in 23 seconds to take the championship.

No last second foul. No clutch free throws. No drama.

Unlike last week’s season finale against Eastern Alamance, the Orange women’s basketball team put up a dominant performance against the Eagles. It has led the Lady Panthers to its first conference tournament championship game since 2017.

Junior Addie Atkins scored a season-high 16 points, shooting 3-of-7 from 3-point range, to help Orange in a wire-to-wire 54-36 win over Eastern Alamance in the Central Conference Tournament semifinals on the Coach Evans Court at Western Alamance High School.

Orange (17-8) will face top-seeded Western Alamance for the Central Conference championship in Elon on either Friday or Saturday. The Warriors crushed Walter Williams 77-22 in the other semifinal. The Warriors, who won the Central Conference regular season championship for the second straight year, have won 25 consecutive games against conference opponents.

Orange was the last Central Conference team to defeat the Warriors on January 3, 2024.

Atkins came up one point shy of her career-high of 17 points, set against Garner on December 12, 2023. Orange senior Evelyn George added 16 points and seven rebounds.

Aliya Trollinger paced Eastern Alamance (13-12) with 19 points. She was the only Eagle in double-figures.

The Lady Panthers have won six in a row, tying its longest winning streak under first-year head coach Josh Underwood.

“I think we picked up our defensive intensity the way we should have early on,” said Underwood, an Orange graduate who previously served as an assistant at Eastern Alamance. “We set a precedent for how good we could be early on against Cedar Ridge. Hopefully that will carry forward as we move on into the conference tournament final and the state playoffs.

Orange’s defense wore down the Eagles, who shot just 26% from the field. Orange built a lead up to 54-32 as they held the Eagles to just three points in the opening five minutes of the fourth quarter.

Shannon Murphy, a senior who drained two free throws with one second remaining to beat Eastern Alamance 64-63 on her senior night last Friday, opened the game with a 3-pointer. Eastern’s Ayanna Garner came back with a 3-pointer, notching the game’s only tie. Atkins scored five consecutive points to put the Panthers ahead for the rest of the game, including a 3-pointer assisted by point guard Maura McMurtry and a lay-in assisted by Murphy.

“Addison has had some great practices,” Underwood said. “She’s really knocked down some shots for us. Tonight, she put everything together on a night where we needed someone else to step up. She stepped up.”

George and sophomore Lily Wilson added consecutive field goals to push the Panther advantage to 13-5, but the Eagles inched back. Trollinger and J’Mya Stump keyed six consecutive Eastern points to cut the Panther lead to 13-11 at the end of the first quarter.

Atkins opened the second quarter with back-to-back 3-pointers, including one on the wing assisted by Murphy. Senior center Marshea Byrd, who finished with seven points and ten rebounds, extended the Panther run with a lay-in while getting fouled by Ayanna Garner. George scored on a lay-in off a steal to push the Panther lead to 24-13.

The Panther lead would grow to 27-13 after another lay-in by George. Atkins and Wilson added the final two field goals of the first half as the Panthers went into the locker room ahead 32-19.

The last postseason tournament championship for the Orange women’s basketball team came in 2017, when they defeated Northwood 58-34 to take the Big Eight Championship. Kaylen Campbell, currently the Orange women’s junior varsity head coach and a varsity assistant, led the Panthers with 21 points against the Chargers.

In the tournament championship game, Orange will be the decided underdog against a Western Alamance team that has defeated Orange four straight times, including last year’s tournament semifinals. The Warriors would go on to take the postseason championship.

“They have one of the best back courts in the state,” Underwood said. “They’re a tough team. I feel like we played them tough at their place. It was a game of 3-pointers the last time in Elon. We made two. They made eleven. I feel like our defense is much better now. We’re a much different team than we were at that time.”