PHOTO BY HEATHER BRADSHER

The Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team is now off to its best start in five years.

Behind 16 points from senior forward Rawlins Taylor, the Red Wolves easily rolled past Raleigh Charter 55-37 on Monday night at Red Wolves Arena. Cedar Ridge (3-4) kept the Phoenix scoreless in the opening 6:47 and rolled out to a 12-0 lead to start a wire-to-wire win.

The last time the Red Wolves had a better beginning to a season, it was the 2016-17 squad that started 3-2.

Raleigh Charter (0-3) was led by Colin Smith, who finished with 15 points.

Coming off losses to Western Alamance, Northern Durham and Person last week, the Red Wolves used its quickness to beat the Phoenix off the dribble. Neco Clark, Garrett Ray and Colton Taylor each had two field goals in the first quarter as the Red Wolves kept Raleigh Charter playing catch-up the entire game.

Clark threw down two dunks in the first half to put a jolt in the student section. Cedar Ridge placed three players in double-figures. In addition to Taylor, Ray added 13 points. Clark finished with a season-high ten points.

Cedar Ridge led 30-14 at halftime. Smith had eight of the Phoenix’s 14 points. Raleigh Charter center Sam Benjamin was the only other Phoenix in double figures with 12 points.

Since Cedar Ridge will not play in a Christmas tournament, this will be the final week of the 2021 calendar year for the Red Wolves. It will be an active one. The Red Wolves will travel to East Chapel Hill on Tuesday night in another nonconfernece game. Cedar Ridge defeated the Wildcats 39-32 on December 3. East Chapel Hill has not played since that game.

On Friday, Cedar Ridge will return to conference action against Northwood in Pittsboro. The Chargers, who played Weddington for the 3A State Championship last March, are 5-1 and captured its Central Carolina Conference opener over Orange 64-48 on December 4.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: CEDAR RIDGE 30, RALEIGH CHARTER 20

The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team has officially surpassed its win total from the past two seasons combined.

After ending a 26-game losing streak against Northern Durham last Monday, the Red Wolves defeated Raleigh Charter (1-2) 30-20 on Monday night in Hillsborough. The Red Wolves only trailed once, and that was at 2-1. Junior guard Julie Altieri led the Red Wolves with 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Phoenix Smith, who hit the game-winning shot with three seconds remaining against Northern Durham, added seven points and four steals for the Red Wolves (2-5).

Raleigh Charter’s Sophie Embry had seven points and 18 rebounds to lead the Phoenix.

After Raleigh Charter’s Sophie Wilson hit a jump shot to put the Phoenix ahead 2-1, Cedar Ridge held Raleigh Charter scoreless for the final 7:45 of the first quarter. Smith put the Red Wolves in the lead after a lay-in to trigger a 9-0 Red Wolf run. A minute later, Smith set up a 3-pointer by Altieri. To conclude the first quarter, Grace young sank a 3-pointer on a pass from Altieri to put the Red Wolves ahead 10-2 at the end of the first frame.

Embry scored on a lay-in while being fouled to open the second quarter, but it was the only field goal of the second quarter for the Phoenix. Smith assisted on a basket by Angelica Carbajal to put the Red Wolves ahead 12-5. A minute later, Carbajal assisted on a basket by Altieri. Of Cedar Ridge’s nine field goals, five had assists.

Cedar Ridge will travel to East Chapel Hill on Tuesday night. On December 3, the Red Wolves led by six points with 4:00 minutes remaining, but the Wildcats finished the game on a 13-0 run to win 39-32.

After a tough week, the Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team got back on the winning track with a 55-37 victory over Raleigh Charter on Monday night at Red Wolves Arena. For the second straight game, senior forward Rawlins Taylor was the leading scorer for the Red Wolves, finishing with 16 points. Cedar Ridge didn’t give up a point in the opening 6:47 seconds against the Phoenix and never trailed in the game. Sophomore forward Hayden Kirk added three points for the Red Wolves, who improved to 3-4 on the season. This week will be the final games of 2021 for the Red Wolves, but they will complete the calendar year with a busy slate. On Tuesday night, they travel to East Chapel Hill, who the Red Wolves defeated on December 3rd 39-32. East Chapel Hill hasn’t played since that loss. Then Cedar Ridge will face Northwood in Pittsboro on Friday for its final game before Christmas.

It’s not even Christmas break yet and the season could already be considered a success for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team. In just seven games, they have surpassed their win total from the previous two years combined. On Monday night, the Red Wolves defeated Raleigh Charter 30-20 at Red Wolves Arena. Sophomore twins Cameron and Cierra Copeland started for the Red Wolves. Last season, the Cedar Ridge women’s team only had five players for several games, but the Copelands were out there ready to play alongside Phoenix Smith, Anjelica Carbajal and Bryn Booker. After winning just one game in the previous two seasons, Cedar Ridge has won two already this season. Cameron Copeland had four rebounds for the Red Wolves in the victory over the Phoenix. The Red Wolves could easily have four wins at this point after close games against Voyager Academy and East Chapel Hill. On Tuesday night, Cedar Ridge will travel for a rematch against East Chapel Hill, which can be heard on Hillsboroughsports.com with Jon Franklin on the play-by-play.

Just a few months into her sophomore year at Orange, Katie Belle Sikes has already accomplished more than any swimmer in school history.

This weekend, Sikes added to her impressive resume by competing at the Winter Junior Championships East at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, adjacent to the Greensboro Coliseum.

The four-day event started on Wednesday with a 200 medley relay and an 800 freestyle relay. It brought together swim teams and competitors from states from as far away as Nebraska, Michigan, Kentucky and New Jersey.

In the 50 yard freestyle, which is Sikes’ top event, the qualifying standard for the Winter Junior Championships is 23.29 seconds. Sikes has beaten that mark several times in various competitions, most recently for Orange High in its season-opening event at the Orange County Sportsplex competing against Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance on November 24. Sikes finished first in that meet at 22.84.

On Saturday, Sikes represented the Hillsborough Aquatic Club, her travel team that keeps her training at the Sportsplex year-round. In the 50-yard freestyle, Sikes finished 23rd overall in her first appearance in the event. Sikes had a time of 23.24 seconds in the final. Anna Moesch of New Jersey finished 1st overall at 22.52 seconds. In her preliminary race, Sikes finished 24th with a time of 23.26 seconds.

The Winter Junior Championships are a highly anticipated annual event that bring the elite of youth swimming together. The East Regional was held at the Greensboro Aquatics Center, while the West Regional took place in Austin, Texas.

In her freshman year, Sikes won the 3A Central Regional Championship in the 50-yard freestyle at 23.31 seconds. In the 3A State Championships, Sikes finished second behind Charlotte Catholic senior Olivia Rhodes, who touched the wall at 22.99 seconds. Sikes came in at 23.26 seconds.

Sikes will return to Greensboro this winter. In the season-opening meet last month, Sikes qualified for four regional events. In addition to the 50-yard freestyle, she qualified for the 100-yard freestyle, the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay with Orange teammates Melissa Campbell, Sandra McCouch and Ellie Wiseman.

Another Orange competitor who has been on the verge of a state championship had an impressive start to his senior season. Stans Zitko finished first at the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Dive Invitational at Koury Natatorium on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus on Wednesday afternoon.

After six dives, Zitko finished with 238.95 points. Jack Adler of East Chapel Hill finished second at 195.55 points. Competitors from Chapel Hill and Northern Durham High School were also in the event.

Competing on a 1-meter board, Zitko put distance between himself and his opponents immediately with a forward one-and-a-half somersault. With a 1.7 degree of difficulty, Zitko earned a 38.25 score on the opening dive, eight points higher than Adler. Zitko also earned an 81.15 score on a forward one-and-a-half somersault.

Zitko is no stranger to competing at Koury Natatorium in Chapel Hill. In 2019, Zitko finished 3rd in the 3A State Championships at the North Carolina High School Diving Championships at UNC. In February 2019, he became the first diver in Orange High history to win a Central Regional Championship when he compiled 372.70 points. In his freshman year, he won the Big 8 Conference Championship.

While his swimming colleagues train at the Sportsplex, Zitko works out at Duke University. He has qualified for the 3A State Championships in all three of his years at Orange. His goal this season is to win a state championship and earn a diving scholarship to a major university.

The Orange men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams will continue its season in 2022 at the Orange County SportsPlex.

Going into Christmas, the race for the Central Carolina Conference wrestling championship has come down to Orange, Northwood and Eastern Alamance.

Orange remained undefeated in CCC action by beating Cedar Ridge 54-15 during a tri-meet at Red Wolves Arena last Wednesday. The Panthers, coming off winning the Jim King/Orange Invitational the previous weekend, also defeated Providence Grove 72-3 last Wednesday to improve to 7-2 overall, 4-0 in the CCC.

Despite losing to Orange last Wednesday, Cedar Ridge defeated Jordan-Matthews 72-4 and edged Providence Grove 37-31 during the tri-meet. The Red Wolves are 9-7 overall after splitting two dual matches during another tri-meet at Wakefield High in Raleigh on Thursday night.

Orange, Northwood and Eastern Alamance are tied for first place in the Central Carolina Conference with undefeated league records. Northwood is 3-0 with victories over Person, Cedar Ridge and Walter Williams. Eastern Alamance has defeated Williams and Western Alamance.

Orange will travel to Northwood on January 4 in a dual match that could determine the CCC championship.

Against the Red Wolves, Orange’s three individual champions in the JKO each captured wins. Acoya Isley pinned James Este Wittinger in 1:14 at 195 pounds. At 220 pounds, Orange’s Elijah Acosta earned a decision over Cedar Ridge’s Joe O’Melia 10-4. Acosta, in his first season as a starter, currently has a 12-1 record with seven pins. At heavyweight, the Panthers’ Hugo Vazquez defeated Louis Tedder 5-1.

Isley and Acosta are among eight new starters for Orange this season. Another newcomer, Kale Womble, defeated Jaylen Williams at 113 pounds 6-2. Braden Crawford, at 120 pounds, decisioned Pierce Prescod 5-0. At 132 pounds, Jared Hutchins, one of Orange’s few returnees from last year, pinned Tommy Heckler in 1:13.

Avery Clark (145), Samuel Crawford (152), Andre Hill (160) and senior Brendon Worsham (182) all claimed pinfall wins for Orange. At 170 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Kaden Tatro edged Orange senior Nate Hecht 3-2.

Cedar Ridge’s junior co-Captain, Fernando Martinez, pinned Orange’s Dillon Heffernan in 3:05. Later in the night, Martinez would get a forfeit victory over Providence Grove for his 70th career win midway through his junior year. Red Wolves freshman Lee Oguntoyinbo pinned Orange’s Miles Adams in 5:56.

The following night, Orange earned three more dual match wins in the Lexington Quad at Lexington High Schoo. The Panthers defeated Alexander Central 66-13, Lexington 76-6 and R.J. Reynolds 78-3. Worsham scored two more pins to improve his season record to 11-3 with eight pins.

Last season may have been one of the first times that Orange didn’t have a competitor at 106 pounds. This season, Adrain Sierra has filled that void, and he earned two pins for Orange in Lexington. Heffernan had three pins at 120 pounds, while Braden Crawford scored three pins at 126. Womble and Vazquez each added two wins to their season total. Vazquez is 9-1 with six pins.

On Friday, Orange will return to the Tiger Holiday Classic, a two-day event that brings together teams from across the southeast. Traditionally, it’s one of the major tournament in the southeast that didn’t take place last December due to the pandemic.

Also on Thursday, Cedar Ridge participated in the Wakefield tri-meet. The Red Wolves defeated Sanderson 60-9, but lost to Wakefield 51-27.

Martinez improved his season record to 17-2 with a pin of Wakefield’s Lincoln Froh in 2:53. Against the Spartans, Martinez pinned George Sessions.

Cedar Ridge’s Joe O’Melia earned two wins at 195 pounds. Against Wakefield, O’Melia pinned Frankie Nahilia in 3:18. In the victory over Sanderson, O’Melia pinned Thomas Kenner.

At 170 pounds, Tatro pinned Ethan Kring of Sanderson. Against Wakefield, Tatro earned a 6-0 decision over John Page.

Cedar Ridge will go to Knightdale next weekend for the two-day WRAL Invitational at Knightdale High School. The event will also include a women’s tournament, which will feature Cedar Ridge’s Zoey Moreno, which earned two wins during the Red Wolves Invitational last month.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior men’s basketball guard Jerec Thompson. In his first game of the season on December 2, Thompson scored a career-high 41 points as the Panthers defeated the North Carolina School of Science and Math 73-54 in Durham. Last week, Thompson scored 27 points as Orange knocked off Carrboro 61-58 in Hillsborough, handing the Jaguars its first loss of the season. On Friday night, Thompson added 30 points against Riverside. In his freshman season, Orange men’s coach Derryl Britt called Thompson up to the varsity team during the Eastern Guilford Holiday Hoops tournament. He’s been on varsity ever since with his prolific 3-point shooting. Last winter, during the pandemic-shortened season, Thompson scored 32 points in Orange’s 65-62 win at Vance County. He scored in double-figures in eleven of Orange’s 12 games in 2021, including 23 points against Cedar Ridge on February 5. Thompson returns to action on Tuesday night when Orange hosts Western Alamance.