Cedar Ridge baseball gained a sweep of Walter Williams to start its Central Conference season this week. On Friday night, Hudson Kelly earned his first varsity win as the Red Wolves defeated Williams 3-1 at Bulldogs Field. Kelly only allowed one unearned run off of hit over five innings. After he started the week with a win over Williams in Hillsborough, senior Quinn Finnegan came over from first base in the sixth inning and earned a six-out save. It was the second year in a row that Finnegan earned a save in a win at Williams. Kelly also drove in the game-winning run with a two-run single in the fourth inning. Williams mounted threats in the sixth and seventh innings, but Cedar Ridge’s Carter Warren made a huge catch in right field with runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs in the sixth. Warren managed to force a double play after making the big grab. After the Bulldogs got two runners on base off infield singles in the seventh inning, Finnegan struck out the final two Williams batters to end the game. Cedar Ridge is atop the Central Conference with a 2-0 record as they prepare to travel to Person on Tuesday night. The Red Wolves will also have a home game against Clover Garden School in Hillsborough on Wednesday night at 6.

Cedar Ridge baseball’s Quinn Finnnegan and Hudson Kelly discuss win at Walter Williams

Cedar Ridge baseball gained a sweep of Walter Williams to start its Central Conference season this week. On Friday night, Hudson Kelly earned his first varsity win as the Red Wolves defeated Williams 3-1 at Bulldogs Field. Kelly only allowed one unearned run off of hit over five innings.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior wrestler Ava Lytle. Only two years ago, Lytle started wrestling but became a first learner. She didn’t even know the sport existed for women until her sophomore year when she was at Wakefield High School in Raleigh. The head coach of the Wolverines, Russell Williams, approached Lytle about going out for wresting. When she transferred to Orange for her junior year, Lytle began working with Orange wrestling coach Spenser Poteat. Lytle was joined by several other female wrestlers who has helped women’s wrestling grow to such an extent that now there are dual matches between Central Conference teams. This season, Lytle finished 3rd int he 126-pound division at the Red Wolf Invitational at Cedar Ridge High School. She pinned Aaliyah Pearson of Southeast Raleigh to win the consolation final. On December 7 at the Jim King/Orange Invitational, Lytle finished 2nd in the 126-pound division. It was the best finish ever by an Orange female wrestler at the JKO. Lytle pinned Rebecca Parker of East Chapel Hill in the semifinals. She finished 2nd in the Central Conference at 126 pounds, pinning Laura Blanchard of Walter Williams during the league tournament in Burlington. At the Mideast Regionals, Lytle won three matches and missed qualifying for the state championships by one match. As her wrestling career has ended at Orange, Lytle plans to continue her career as a wrestling coach.

Orange Panther of the Week: Ava Lytle

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior wrestler Ava Lytle. Only two years ago, Lytle started wrestling but became a first learner. She didn’t even know the sport existed for women until her sophomore year when she was at Wakefield High School in Raleigh.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior runner Henry Alexander. This season, Alexander helped the Cedar Ridge men’s cross country team finish second in the Central Conference. At the Central Conference championships in October, Alexander finished fourth with a time of 17:25.84. It led to the Red Wolves finishing with 44 points, second only to Orange in the conference. At the Mideast Regionals at Owens Recreation Park in Louisburg, Alexander finished seventh at 17:07.53. It led to Cedar Ridge finishing finishing second in the Mideast Region with 83 points. Alexander had a 5th place finish at a tai-conference meet at Orange High School on September 10. This winter, Alexander competed in indoor track and field. He finished fourth in the 3,200 meters at the East Chapel Hill Polar Bear inside Dave Thaden Stadium with a time of 10:49.95. At the final regular season meet on February 4, Alexander finished 5th in the 3,200 meters at 10:37.19. Since indoor season ended, Alexander has started running outdoor track and field. Last week, he started the outdoor season by running in the 800 meters inside Red Wolves Stadium. He finished in 7th place at 2:23.80 in a meet that also included Western Alamance and Southern Alamance. Alexander will spend the spring trying to qualify for the 3A State Outdoor Track & Field Championships at North Carolina A&T State University in May.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Henry Alexander

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior runner Henry Alexander. This season, Alexander helped the Cedar Ridge men’s cross country team finish second in the Central Conference. At the Central Conference championships in October, Alexander finished fourth with a time of 17:25.84.

BURLINGTON–Carter Warren’s name won’t be in the box score for Friday night’s game.

But it should be.

With Cedar Ridge clinging to a two-run lead in the sixth inning against Williams, Warren moved from centerfield to right field after Quinn Finnegan replaced Hudson Kelly on the mound. With runners at 1st and 2nd, Williams’ Will Allen lined a first-pitch fastball to the right field gap.

Warren had barely got his cleats in place at his new position before he had to make a move that may decide the game. As the ball soared closer to wall, he reached up with his glove hand and snagged the hardest hit ball of the night.

Williams’ baserunners frantically moved in opposite directions. Vince Coker lunged back to first and got back safely. But it was too late for Charlie Smith, who was a step away from third base by the time Warren made the catch. Grant McGuffey took Warren’s throw from right field and tossed it to Jesus Valezquez for the easy double play.

It was the biggest defensive play as Cedar Ridge completed a two-game sweep of Williams 3-1 on Friday night. For the first time since the two teams became league rivals in 201, Cedar Ridge swept a series from the Bulldogs.

Hudson Kelly earned his first varsity win, allowing just one unearned run over five innings. Kelly also knocked in the go-ahead runs in the fifth inning with a liner to centerfield, scoring Noah Heckman and Grant McGuffey.

For the second year in a row, Cedar Ridge senior Quinn Finnegan earned the save at Williams. After Williams got Aidan Pullman and Liam Kerr Finger on board in the seventh inning off infield singles, Finnegan struck out Chris Gonzalez-Gomez and Cooper Rice to end the game.

Coker scored Williams’ only run when he reached off an error in the first inning. Rounding the bases with a passed ball and a groundout, Coker scored off an grounder to second by Angel Mora. Kelly limited the Bulldogs to one hit over the first five innings.

John Grove reached on an error at second base with one out in the fourth inning. Heckman replaced Grove as a courtesy runner. Grant McGuffey lined a double to the left field gap, sending Heckman to third. Kelly drove a liner to left field, which bounced away from Williams’ Jazion Bigelow and came to a rest just shy of the fence, allowing Heckman and McGuffey to score standing up.

Cedar Ridge (3-5, 2-0 in the Central Conference) will start a two-game series against Person in Roxboro on Tuesday.

The dominance of the Orange lacrosse team has stretched on for so long, even their head coach didn’t know the last time they had lost a regular season conference game until it finally happened.

It was April 27, 2019. A span of 47 games.

“It was really that long?” Orange coach Chandler Zirkle said as he walked to the team field house postgame.

That was before the COVID-19 pandemic. Before Orange won four consecutive conference championships, the first four in program history. Before they hosted three consecutive 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship games. Before they played for the state championship last spring.

It was even before Seaforth High School opened in 2021.

As Seaforth has done in so many different sports recently, they served notice that they are the new kings of the hill on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Behind five goals from junior Ivan Grimes, the Hawks outscored Orange 7-1 in the second half to win 11-6 at Auman Stadium.

Orange, who defeated Seaforth by scores of 17-3 and 22-6 during its Eastern Regional championship season last year, suffered its first loss of the season after opening the year beating 4A teams Pinecrest and Northern Guilford.

“They’re a tough squad,” Zirkle said. “They hit more tough shots and they got more ground balls. They deserved to win.”

Orange (6-1, 4-1 in the Central Conference) didn’t trail in the first half after junior Matthew Macneir opened with an overhand shot assisted by Aidan Monteith with 9:53 remaining in the first quarter. Grimes responded with an equalizer off a pass from Liam McCann. Brett Clark, who led Orange with three goals, notched his first off a feed from Brady Pfeiffenberger to put the Panthers ahead 2-1 at the end of the first quarter.

Clark’s goal started a 4-1 run that pushed the Panthers ahead 5-2. Following a man-up tally from Grimes to tie the game, Orange scored consecutive goals from Gray Crabtree, Jay Parker and Clark in a span of 1:18. Clark’s second goal, assisted by Macneir, came with 3:19 remaining in the first half.

The Panthers would notch just one more goal the rest of the game.

Seaforth junior Cameron Exley started the Seaforth comeback with a man-up goal after two Panthers were penalized. Senior Connor Yalch scored with 1:50 remaining in the first half off an assist from Exley to close Orange’s lead to 5-4.

The second half was total Seaforth domination. Grimes opened with the game-tying goal on a sidearm from 12 yards away to even it up at 5-5. The Panthers had uncharacteristic problems clearing the ball, leading to Seaforth dominating possession for most of the quarter. Grimes gave the Hawks the lead with his fourth goal off a pass from junior Jack Petrusa. Yalch added his second goal, followed by another marker from Exley with 1:16 remaining in the third quarter to compete a string of six consecutive Seaforth goals, pushing the Hawks lead to 8-5.

Clark scored Orange’s final goal with :48 remaining in the third quarter. Seaforth midfielder Jackson Powell squelched any chance of an Orange comeback when he took a pass from Exley in front of Orange goalkeeper Jackson Runkle and scored from point-blank range. Exley would finish with three goals and two assists.

On the chances Orange did muster in the fourth quarter, they were shut down by Seaforth goalkeeper Finn Prospero, a freshman who finished with 22 saves.

Exley, Yalch and Grimes all scored in the fourth period as the Panthers couldn’t take advantage of some man advantage opportunities late, including a 6-on-4 following a skirmish in front of the scorer’s table.

Earlier in the week, Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 13-4 at Red Wolves Stadium. The Panthers will face 4A foe Millbrook at Human Stadium on Wednesday night in Hillsborough, then return to conference action against Southeast Alamance on Friday.

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The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2. Cecil hit two home runs, including a three-run blast that put the Lady Panthers ahead in the second inning. Sophomore Addison Guentensberger has become Orange’s top pitcher this season, replacing Caden Robinson. Guentensberger earned the win throwing a complete game. She also had a single in the second inning and scored off the Cecil homer. In the season opener against South Granville, Cecil threw a three-hitter in a 10-1 win over South Granville in Creedmoor. She struck out three. Against the Vikings, Cecil went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Cecil has opened the season with a five-game hitting streak as Orange has started the season 3-2. Guentensberger has thrown 27 innings through five starts. Orange sits atop the Central Conference going into its doubleheader tonight (Friday) against Walter Williams in Hillsborough. Last month, Cecil signed to play at Division II Mars Hill College, along with her Orange teammate, Allie Carden. Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil & Addison Guentensberger discuss start to season

The Orange softball team captured its Central Conference opener in a wild game over Western Alamance on Tuesday night. In its final trip to Elon for a league game, senior Sadie Cecil went 3-for-5 with three RBIs as the Lady Panthers defeated the Warriors 13-10. Last week, Orange held off Roxboro Community School 4-2.

The Cedar Ridge lacrosse team earned its first win of the season behind four goals from Grant Thole. On Monday night, the Red Wolves defeated Northwood 6-5 in a tight defensive battle at Red Wolves Stadium. After being held scoreless in the first quarter, junior Grant Thole scored four goals, including the game-winner in a man-advantage situation with less than three minutes remaining in regulation. Junior Joshua Hart added another goal as the Red Wolves defeated the 2023 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional champions. Sophomore Jordan Jacobson, a starter for the Cedar Ridge basketball team, added another goal and two assists. Ian Castro had four face-off wins for Cedar Ridge. Junior Michael O’Melia, who just finished wrestling season under Cedar Ridge wrestling coach Scott Metcalf, made eight crucial saves. Many of them were crucial in the fourth quarter as the Red Wolves clinged to a one-goal game in the final 12 minutes. Thole also had four ground balls while Jacobson scooped up five loose balls. Senior Gavin Scher had three ground balls and created one turnover. Cedar Ridge will try to finish the week strong when they travel to Burlington to face Walter Williams tonight (Friday) at 6 PM at Memorial Stadium. Cedar Ridge is led by head coach Joe De Leo.

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The Cedar Ridge lacrosse team earned its first win of the season behind four goals from Grant Thole. On Monday night, the Red Wolves defeated Northwood 6-5 in a tight defensive battle at Red Wolves Stadium.