There was a rainbow that appeared midway through the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team’s Senior Night game against Walter Williams. It turned out to be a perfect symbolization for the best Cedar Ridge women’s season in 18 years. The Red Wolves got four goals from junior Katie Paulakonis, including the game-winner that broke a 3-3 tie in the second half. Paulakonis would score again in the final minute to win 5-3 and complete the regular season 12-6-1 under first-year head coach Sam Semerzier. It’s the most wins for Cedar Ridge in a season since the 2005 team, which finished 15-0-1. Captain Rachel Alverson has been a versatile presence along the Red Wolf back line. Alverson’s volleyball teammate, Natasha Buchler-Fosado, played her first season of soccer at Cedar Ridge this year. Isabella Warren and Ella Streilein were also valuable performers for the Red Wolves this year. Now, Cedar Ridge is preparing for the state playoffs for the first time since 2019. It isn’t out of the question that the Red Wolves could host a game in the state playoffs. After its win over Williams, Cedar Ridge has an RPI of #15. The Red Wolves will enjoy the rest of the week off and prepare for the release of the field of 64 brackets later this week.

Cedar Ridge soccer seniors Rachel Alverson, Natasha Buchler-Fosado, Ella Streilein & Isabella Warren

Uploaded by Jeff Hamlin on 2024-05-07.

There wasn’t a Central Conference Baseball Tournament this year because the coaches didn’t want to wear out their pitcher’s arms going into the state playoffs.

It was just as well. Turns out, the opening two rounds of the 3A State Playoffs will essentially be a mini-Central Conference Tournament with the winner advancing to the round of 16. And the biggest grudge match imaginable will comprise one end of the bracket in Hillsborough.

On Monday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released the field of 64 in the 3A State Playoffs. Orange received a #12 seed and will face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge at Panther Field on Tuesday night. The winner will face either Southern Alamance, who received a #5 seed, or Eastern Alamance on Friday.

Orange, who claimed a share of the Central Conference championship with Southern Alamance after they each finished with a 9-3 league record, was supposed to face the Patriots on Saturday to determine the league’s #1 seed. Once both teams showed up to Southeast Alamance to play, the rain started coming down and didn’t really ease up. It was determined that Southern Alamance had earned the #1 seed after they swept a two-game series from Williams, who finished third in the conference. Orange split the series with Williams.

The loss to the Bulldogs on April 12 turned out to be costly. The Panthers finished #2 in the 3A East Region RPI, behind only J.H. Rose. Instead of a #2 seed in the East Region, Orange got a #12.

And they will face a Cedar Ridge team playing its best baseball of the season and craving a win over Orange. The Red Wolves have lost ten in a row to the Panthers. They haven’t won at Orange High Field since 2012.

That’s enough to make the matchup juicy as it is. Then there was the matter of the April 2nd game that Orange won 10-4 at Cedar Ridge that left plenty of hard feelings on both sides. It led to coaches from both teams being suspended, complaints by parents to the county administrative offices and more spice to a rivalry that already has plenty of animosity.

It may also be the last time that Cedar Ridge and Orange meet in the state playoffs in any sport. In August 2025, the NCHSAA will expand from four classifications to eight. If realignment is based on enrollment, it’s possible that Cedar Ridge and Orange will be in the same conference, but it looks unlikely they will be in the same classification.

Currently, Orange has 1,272 students. Cedar Ridge has 1,141.

That won’t be the only wrinkle of finality. It will almost certainly be the final home game for eight Orange seniors, including pitcher Cross Clayton, who earned his 20th career win last week. He became the first Panther with 20 wins since Bryse Wilson in 2016. Orange regularly starts six seniors, including centerfielder Cameron Guentensberger, who has become the team’s closer with four saves in its last six games. There’s also first baseman Ryan Honeycutt, who missed the first six games of the season after breaking his right thumb playing Cedar Ridge in basketball last February.

Cedar Ridge arrives into the state playoffs under head coach Bryson Massey with six straight wins. The Red Wolves started April with six straight losses, then started a rebound with a victory over Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Junior Quinn Finnegan has won his last two starts, including a 3-2 victory over Chapel Hill on April 24. Last week, Cedar Ridge senior Mason Cates earned the win in his final home game in an 8-2 victory over Knightsdale. The Red Wolves swept a two-game series from Western Alamance to conclude the regular season.

It’s the third straight year that Cedar Ridge has reached the state playoffs.

Cedar Ridge will go for its first postseason win since 2019, when they defeated Southern Alamance 10-2 in Hillsborough.

There will be a sense of what might have been for the Orange softball team as they go into the state playoffs.

They won its first eleven games against 3A competition, including sweeping the defending Eastern Regional champions Western Alamance. They were one win away from the Central Conference title, but lost its final four regular season games.

Even after the Lady Panthers fell out of first place in a loss to Southern Alamance, they got a reprieve when Eastern Alamance stunned the Patriots. It set up a showdown in Mebane last Thursday where if Orange won, they would claim the regular season title.

The Eagles, on its senior night, scored the game-winning run in the sixth inning after Kayden Manning left off with a double that hit the top of the centerfield fence. Taylor Byrd sent another fly ball to center, which was captured by Hayleigh Hammond, but she fell down as she retrieved it. McKenzie Blevins, running for Manning, tagged up from second and took two bases on a sacrifice fly to score the game-winning throw without a throw to the plate.

Eastern Alamance, who trailed Orange by two games for first place on April 22 with three conference games remaining, wound up tying Southern Alamance for a share of the Central Conference title. Southern Alamance will be the #1 seed from the conference going into the state playoffs after winning a coin toss against Eastern Alamance.

Orange will still get a home game for the opening round of the state playoffs. They will open against C.B. Aycock on Tuesday night in Hillsborough. Orange received a #11 seed. The winner of Orange/Acycock will face either South Johnson or West Carteret in the second round on Friday night.

Most likely, it will be the final Orange home game for pitcher Caden Robinson and designated hitter Mia Leathers. Robinson is the leading hitter for the Lady Panthers with a .551 batting average. She leads the team is almost every offensive category with a .551 batting average, 34 runs scored, 38 hits, 31 RBIs, 16 doubles and five home runs. Robinson has committed to play at Averett University.

The Golden Falcons finished second in the Quad County Conference behind South Johnston, the #3 seed in the East Region. Aycock will arrive into Hillsborough with a 12-9 overall record and wins in its last four games, including a 12-11 victory over South Central in its regular season finale.

The coin toss that Southern Alamance won likely kept anxiety levels down considerably across Hillsborough on Tuesday night. If Eastern Alamance has won, it would have been Cedar Ridge facing Orange in the state playoffs.

Instead of traveling across town, the Red Wolves will head to Cameron to face Union Pines. Cedar Ridge received a #19 seed. The winner of Union Pines/Cedar Ridge will take on either Southern Alamance or Franklinton on Friday night.

The Red Wolves go into the playoffs for the third straight year with momentum. Last week, Cedar Ridge junior Kimber Shambley whacked a walkoff home run in the seventh inning to beat Western Alamance 7-6 on Senior Night in Hillsborough.

Shambley, who has committed to play at Western Carolina, leads the team with eight home runs, 34 RBIs, and 28 runs scored. Second baseman Mia Best leads the Red Wolves with 32 hits and ten doubles and is only behind Shambley with a .457 batting average.

Cedar Ridge, 12-7-1, will likely start pitcher Charlotte Lowry. This season, Lowry has won six games and has registered 97 strikeouts with only 25 walks.

Union Pines finished 9-3 in the Sandhills Conference, good enough for second place behind Scotland County. The Vikings lost three conference games, two to Scotland County and the other to Southern Lee in Sanford.

Six teams from the Central Conference made the field of 64 for the state playoff. Three will have home games in the opening round of the playoffs .Eastern Alamance faces Croatan in Mebane.

MEBANE–Orange baseball had to win Friday to get to Saturday.

Though it wasn’t overwhelming, Orange did precisely that to win a share of the Central Conference championship.

Senior Josiah Gibbs struck out seven to improve to 7-0 on the season as the Panthers held off Eastern Alamance 5-2 to close out the regular season at Eagles Field on Friday night. Cameron Guentensberger was called in from centerfield to get the final out, earning his fourth save in six games. The Panthers finished tied with Southern Alamance for first place in the Central at 9-3.

The Patriots and the Panthers are slated to have a one-game playoff to determine the #1 seed from the Central Conference going into the 3A State Tournament on Saturday afternoon at 5 at Southeast Alamance High School in Haw River. It comes after the Panthers and the Patriots split its two-game series last week with the Patriots winning the opener in Graham.

A young Eastern Alamance team solely consisting of freshmen and sophomores committed six errors, which directly led to the opening three Panther runs that proved to be enough. Wyatt Hedrick, one of six Orange senior starters, lined a double off the right field fence to lead off the second. Designated hitter Garrett Sawyer stroked a grounder through the heart of the 5-6 hole for a single, moving Hedrick to third. With Cross Clayton at the plate, Eagles starter James Wellons picked off Sawyer trying to steal, but first baseman Conner Horner’s throw went off the back of Sawyer’s leg as he slid head-first into second. Hedrick scored the opening run as the ball rolled into right field.

Gibbs retired the first seven Eagles in order until Wellons singled to centerfield, the first hit of the two-game series for the Eagles.

Orange freshman Oliver Van Tiem was beaned to open the third inning and Hedrick laid down a bunt to get him over to second. After Sawyer walked, Cross Clayton sent a grounder that appeared to set up a double play, but the throw to second wound up in right field. Van Tiem scored off the error and Sawyer went to third as right fielder Jarrett Newell had trouble picking up the ball in foul territory. That extra base proved crucial as Elijah Santos lined a fastball to Newell, scoring Sawyer off a sacrifice fly to increase Orange’s lead to 3-0.

Eastern’s Zach Merchel provided the first Eagles run of the series solely from his legs. He beat out a throw by Van Tiem for an infield single, stole second, stole third, and scored off a wild pitch by Gibbs, the only run he conceded in five innings.

Clayton sent a fly ball to centerfield where a diving attempt by Tyler Westbrooks came up short and it one-hopped the fence for a double. Santos lined a fastball tight down the left field line to score Clayton. Santos would advance to third off a wild pitch. With Kayden Bradsher at the plate, Merchel uncorked another wild pitch, allowing Santos to score.

There were nervous moments for Orange late, where the final two innings felt like pulling teeth. Newell and Horner drew walks in the sixth, which paved the way for Sawyer to come in from the bullpen. After Kasen McGinnis reached on a fielder’s choice where Van Tiem threw out Newell at second, Horner walked. McGinnis would score from third after Tate Yount grounded out to Ryan Honeycutt at first to cut the Orange lead to 5-2.

In the seventh, the tying run got to first base for Eastern. Sawyer struck out pinch-hitter Christian Vieau, but Rett Page got plunked on the back on a 3-2 pitch. Sawyer struck out Westbrooks, which prompted Orange coach Jason Knapp to call in Guentensberger to close it out. Braxton Ballard sent a bouncer to Clayton at second, but the ball eluded Clayton. Newell loaded the bases after another infield single where Van Tiem did everything he could just to chase it down. McGinnis grounded out to Van Tiem to clinch Orange’s fourth straight conference title.

On Saturday, Orange and Southern Alamance will play in a game that will determine playoff seeding. If Orange wins, they will likely get the #2 seed in the East Region, which means every game will be at home as long as the Panthers keep winning until the Eastern Regional Championship series. If they lose, Orange will likely receive a #12 seed, which means a first-round home game against a more formidable opponent.

There are some things out of Orange’s hands, namely the weather. There’s a 30% chance of rain early Saturday night, which would put the tiebreaker game at Southeast Alamance in question.

But for now, Orange has taken care of what they can control.

They are conference champions. Again.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior lacrosse midfielder Jacob Driver. This season, Driver was the leading scorer for the Cedar Ridge lacrosse team. He scored six goals in a win over Eastern Alamance on March 21. In his sophomore season, Driver was a midfielder for a team that included Roman Oguntoyinbo, Alex Castro and James Clayton. That team won in the 3A/2A/1A State Playoff over Western Alamance. Driver scored 26 goals in his junior year. This year, Driver led the Red Wolves back to the state playoffs under new head coach Joe De Leo, where they hosted a state playoff game against West Carteret on Wednesday night. The Red Wolves came up one goal short in beating the Patriots. In his final game, Driver had three goals and an assist as he sparked a comeback after the Patriots held the Red Wolves without a goal for over 16 minutes. Driver has an insatiable appetite for lacrosse, watching college and professional games when he isn’t playing or practicing for the Red Wolves. After he graduates next month, Driver will prepare for a college lacrosse career, where he will play at Division II Mount Olive College, becoming the latest Cedar Ridge lacrosse product to play at the next level.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Jacob Driver

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior lacrosse midfielder Jacob Driver. This season, Driver was the leading scorer for the Cedar Ridge lacrosse team. He scored six goals in a win over Eastern Alamance on March 21.

The Cedar Ridge softball team played its final home game of the season on Wednesday night. It ended with a 7-6 win over Western Alamance when Kimber Shambley hit a walkoff home run. It was the final home game for seniors Cierra Copeland, Cameron Copeland, Aliceann Kohler and Kaitlyn Nieves. Cameron and Cierra Copeland have been a huge part of Cedar Ridge athletics since the emotional and physical depths of the pandemic in 2021. Together, they have played basketball and softball. They have also been managers for the volleyball team, including for the 2021 State Championship squad. Aliceann Kohler hit a huge catch playing left field on Wednesday night as the Warriors rallied to tie the game at 6-6. She has played in all 20 games for the Red Wolves this season. Nieves has appeared in nine games and had her number 17 spray painted along the third base line during a pregame ceremony. It was the first time the Red Wolves have beaten the Warriors since the two teams became conference rivals in 2022. Cedar Ridge ended the regular season 12-7-1. This week, they played three games in three days, playing to a tie against Falls Lake in Creedmoor. On Tuesday, they defeated Walter Williams in Hillsborough 10-0 in five innings. Cedar Ridge will move on to the state playoffs and learn their matchup in the field of 64 this weekend.

Cedar Ridge softball seniors Cierra & Cameron Copeland, Aliceann Kohler & Kaitlyn Nieves talk win

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Tonight is the night that the Orange lacrosse team has been waiting three months for. It’s the start of the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs at Auman Stadium. The Panthers are the #1 seed in the East Region for the third straight year and will face Southern Alamance at 6PM at Auman Stadium. This year, the Panthers have had nine players score at least ten goals. Sophomore Brett Clark has scored 52 goals in his sophomore season, second on the team. He ended the regular season with five consecutive games with hat tricks, including five goals against Eastern Alamance on April 19. His season-high is six goals against Seaforth on April 9. Junior Gray Crabtree has scored 32 goals, including seven goals against Southern Alamance on April 22. He has five hat tricks this season. This Orange team has set a school record with 355 goals. They won the Mid-Piedmont Conference championship for the fourth consecutive year. As long as the Panthers keep winning in the state playoffs, they will continue to have home games. The Panthers swept the season series from the Patriots, winning 18-5 on March 25 and 20-1 on April 22 in Hillsborough. If Orange wins tonight, they will meet the winner of Seaforth vs. Western Alamance in the round of 16 next week.

Orange lacrosse’s Brett Clark and Gray Crabtree discuss the start of the state playoffs

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