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In its best season under third-year head coach Mike Jones, the Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team built another point of pride in Graham.

Jack Kelsey earned his first career double-double with 16 points and eleven rebounds as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 52-43 in Graham on Tuesday night. It ended a ten-game Central Conference road losing streak for the Red Wolves, who improved to 6-13 overall, 1-6 in league play after the win.

It’s the most wins for Cedar Ridge since the 2022-2023 season, when they finished 6-16. Previous to Tuesday, Cedar Ridge’s last road win in the Central Conference was on February 3, 2023 in a 42-33 victory over Western Alamance in Elon.

A thin Red Wolf team that played just six players was enough to defeat a depleted Southern Alamance squad, which has lost starting guards Kaleb Kronbergs and Bo Day due to injuries. Cedar Ridge sophomore Jordan Jacobson added 16 points for the Red Wolves.

Micah Stone paced Southern Alamance (4-14, 1-6) with 16 points. Southern Alamance’s Riley Warren, who finished with eleven points and eight rebounds, gave the Patriots a 17-15 lead after he cashed in a lob from Stone. After Southern’s Brandyn Gonzalez nailed a 3-pointer off a pass from Eli Gilley, Cedar Ridge went on a 12-0 run. They held the Patriots scoreless in the final 4:47 of the first half.

Jacobson started the run with a 3-pointer off a skip pass from Wilborun. Wise got an offensive rebound off a miss and stuck it back in, which put the Red Wolves ahead for the rest of the night. Kelsey scored consecutive field goals, again off offensive rebounds. Jacobson ended the half in style with a 3-pointer to give Cedar Ridge a 31-23 lead at halftime.

The Red Wolves built a 12-point lead in the third quarter after Wilbourn found Kelsey for a lay-in, vaulting the Red Wolves ahead 37-25 with 5:03 remaining in the third quarter. Cedar Ridge outrebounded the Patriots 46-29, including 15 offensive rebounds. Kelsey, who is in his first year at the varsity level, finished with his most impressive line of the year. He came away with 16 points, eleven rebounds, four blocks and three steals.

The Patriots shot just 4-of-22 from the 3-point line and only 29% from the field overall.

Southern Alamance climbed with six early in the fourth quarter after guard Drayden Brewer scored on a lay-in. Cedar Ridge’s Kevin Etim scored off his own miss, which was followed by a crucial 3-pointer from Red Wolf sophomore Tripp Beasley. To end the game, Beasley sank two free throws.

Women’s basketball: Cedar Ridge 34, Southern Alamance 12: The Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team earned its first conference road win of the season with a dominant victory over the Patriots on Tuesday night in Graham. Cedar Ridge allowed only 12 points, the lowest total by an opponent this season.

Freshman Kassidy Tolliver led the Red Wolves with nine points and eight rebounds as Cedar Ridge improved to 6-9, 2-5 in the Central Conference. Both of Cedar Ridge’s conference wins have come against Southern Alamance.

Sarah Kathryn Manness led Southern Alamance with eight points. Manness scored all three of the Patriots field goals.

Manness gave Southern Alamance its only lead of the game when she scored in the opening minute off an offensive rebound. The Red Wolves went on  an 11-0 run, which started when sophomore Kate Finnegan split two free throws. Guard Ava Smith drained a jumper off a pass from freshman Kennedi Fearrington. Tolliver scored off a turnover to finish the first half.

Smith finished with a career-high eight points for Cedar Ridge. Finnegan finished with five points and four rebounds. Fearrington had four points as the Red Wolves started a string of three road games over the span of four days with a victory. Cedar Ridge built its lead to as large as 23 points in the second half.

Katie Belle Sikes: On Senior Day for the Georgia Bulldogs swimming team, Sikes won the 50 yard freestyle at the Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium on Saturday. Sikes finished with a B-cut time of 22.28 seconds as Georgia defeated Emory 191-102. Sikes has first place finishes against Florida and UNC Wilmington in the 50 yard freestyle this season. Georgia will focus on the SEC Championships in Athens, Georgia February 17-22.

Ryan Moss: Now a freshman at Division III Waynesburg University in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, Moss recently scored his first points at the college level. Moss scored a field goal against Thiel College on January 18 in Beegly Gymnasium in Greenville, PA. Moss played four season under head coach Derryl Britt at Orange High School.

Mia Davidson-Smith: There’s news in several professional leagues regarding the all-time home run hitter in Orange softball history. Davidson began play in Liga Mexicana de Softbol in Mexico playing for Diablos Rojos Femenil. Davidson hit a two-run homer in just her second at-bat of the season to put Diablos ahead 4-0. It was the first home run by any player in Liga Mexicana de Softbol this year. On Tuesday, Davidson caught the first perfect game history of LMS, thrown by Megan Faraimo in a 6-0 win over El Aguila de Veracruz. On Wednesday, Davidson was selected in the inaugural Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft. She was picked by the Bandits in the fifth round with the #17 draft. Davidson has been with Athletes Unlimited since she graduated from Mississippi State, but the league is shifting to a traditional franchise model for the upcoming summer. She will start a 24-game season in June. That’s in addition to playing in Japan’s Diamond Softball League, where she plays for the Denso Bright Pegasus.

The college softball season is underway for Division II schools, and will formally start for Division I schools on Friday. Here’s some of the Hillsborough products that will be playing at the next level.

Takia Nichols: The all-time home run leader in Cedar Ridge history will start her junior season at North Carolina Central on Thursday. Nichols started 14 games for the Eagles last season and hit .308 with 12 hits and three RBIs. The Eagles will play in the Elon Softball Classic at Elon University against Ohio University on Thursday morning.

Mary Moss Wirt: The former Orange third baseman will start her junior season at Elon. In her sophomore season, Wirt played 33 games and made 19 starts. She scored seven runs. The Phoenix will face Ohio in the Elon Softball Classic. The Phoenix will face North Carolina Central on Saturday.

Carson Bradsher: After one season at South Carolina Upstate, Bradsher transferred to Division III Averett University in Danville, VA. The Cougars will start its season with a doubleheader against Salem College on February 16 at Cougar Field.

Ava Lowry: The former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf will start her junior season at Division III North Carolina Wesleyan on February 20 against Pitt Community College in Rocky Mount. Last season, Lowry started 31 games and hit .349, driving in 15 runs. She was a regular starter at shortstop last season, where she played at Cedar Ridge.

Kelsey Tackett: Tackett will start her sophomore season at North Carolina Wesleyan. Last year, Tackett played in two games.

Brianne Foster: Breezy will start her sophomore season at Wake Technical Community College later this month. Last year, the Eagles went 15-22. Last year, Foster played 33 games as a freshman and frequently played at catcher.

Tori Dalehite: After graduating from UNC Greensboro, Dalehite will come home to start another aspect in her career. Dalehite has joined the staff of Cedar Ridge softball, where she was the leader of the Red Wolves first-ever conference championship in 2018. Dalehite will serve as an assistant on the staff of head coach Allen Byrd. Cedar Ridge starts its season against Wakefield on February 24.

BURLINGTON–Methodically, Orange senior Braden Crawford ended a period of dominance at his final Central Conference Tournament championship meet.

Crawford won his 3rd tournament championship at 138-pounds, pinning Jameer Farmer of Person in the championship match in 1:20. It was more than a championship final for Crawford. In his four years at Orange, he has never lost a conference match.

Crawford likely would have very likely had four tournament championships on his resume. In 2022, the Central Tournament, slated for Eastern Alamance High, was canceled because of winter weather. He won all five of his conference matches he competed in during the 2021-2022 season.

Crawford, who won the championship of the Eagle Invitational in Mebane on December 21, will go into the Mideast Regionals with an overall record of 27-7 on the season. He has 124 career wins. Crawford won his 100th career match during the Wolverine Challenge at Wakefield High School in November. He has qualified for the state championships three times. As a sophomore, he finished 2nd in the Mideast Regionals at 126 pounds.

“I feel, great, excited and happy,” Crawford said as he held the completed tournament bracket in his hands following the awards ceremony last Saturday.

Overall, Orange had its best showing as a team in the Central Conference Tournament since 2023. Bolstered by four individual championships, the Panthers finished 2nd in the team standings with 178 points. Person, which completed the regular season 17-0 under the direction of former Orange High wrestler Chase Kernodle, captured the team championship with 211 points. It’s the first time since 1976 that Person won a regular season and conference tournament championship in the same season.

Senior Jayden Medley captured his first tournament championship at 215 pounds. Medley earned a technical fall over Alfonzo Gonzalez of Eastern Alamance 15-0 in the semifinals, then pinned Western Alamance’s Esaiah Slade in 4:56 to earn the title. Medley, who is 27-8 this season, earned his second individual title of the year. He also won the Eagle Invitational in December. Medley earned All-Conference honors in football, finishing with 104 tackles, second on the team.

Freshman Jordan Barbee continued a strong season by winning the 190 pound tournament. Barbee scored a major decision over Sawyer Marshall of Walter Williams 17-8 in the championship match. Barbee, who was the top seed, pinned Christian Burwell of Person in 2:25 in the semifinals. Barbee improved to 22-9. In December, Barbee won all five of his matches at the Rumble in the Jungle event at Carrboro High School.

The surprise of the day came at 175 pounds. Sophomore Connor Harward captured the championship for the Panthers, his first individual title. The top-seed, Gage Latta of Person, came into the tournament with a 34-7 record. Walter Williams’ Gavin McMahon pinned Latta in the semifinals in 3:57. Harward, who was the sixth-seed, trailed Cedar Ridge’s Will Meyer 6-2 going into the final period of the second semifinal match.  Harward scored four near fall points in the final period and wound up with a 8-7 victory. Harward held on to defeat McMahon 8-5 in the championship match, outscoring McMahon 7-2 in the second period on the strength of four nearfall points.

In the women’s tournaments, Orange senior Ava Lytle and junior Rose Brady both finished second in their respective weight divisions. Lytle pinned Laura Blanchard of Walter Williams in 1:05. Toriana Murphy of Western Alamance defeated Lytle 7-0 to win the 126-pound championship.

At 235 pounds, Brady pinned Cedar Ridge’s Caroline DonJuan in 2:54. Eastern Alamance’s Jazmine Smith took the 235-pound title in the first women’s tournament in conference history.

On January 24, Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 60-20 at Tal Jobe Gymnasium in Mebane in its final dual match of the season. The Panthers scored seven pins to finish the regular season 10-3 overall, 4-2 in the Central Conference. Harward, Medley, Barbee, Logan Scarantino, Adrian Sierra, Markus Thomas and Renn Van Hoose all earned pins for the Panthers. Crabtree and Sebastian Guardia picked up forfeit victories.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior forward Michael Clark. This season, the Orange Panthers are off to the best start since Derryl Britt became the head coach in 2018 even though they lost Coleman Cloer, the top-ranked junior in North Carolina, last season. Clark has delivered with leadership from the very beginning of the season, when he scored a career-high 23 points against Voyager Academy in the season-opener. Clark has been a varsity performer since his freshman season, when he scored 13 points against Southern Alamance in his first varsity game. Later on in his freshman year, he scored 17 points against Northwood. As Cloer and Mason Robinson left the team last summer, Clark has filled in every conceivable role possible. He had a double-double of 13 points and ten rebounds against Eastern Alamance on December 13 in Mebane. On January 7, Clark had 14 points in a victory over Cedar Ridge.Against Wakefield, Clark scored 18 points in a 64-59 win in the Southern Alamance Holiday Invitational Tournament. Orange is in contention for its second straight Central Conference regular season championship and Clark has been an invaluable commodity over the past four seasons. He scored a lay-up that sealed Orange’s win over Person in Roxboro on January 9, a game where the Panthers roared back from a 28-9 deficit to win. He will continue his senior season when the Panthers face Person in a crucial game on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.

Orange Panther of the Week: Michael Clark

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior forward Michael Clark. This season, the Orange Panthers are off to the best start since Derryl Britt became the head coach in 2018 even though they lost Coleman Cloer, the top-ranked junior in North Carolina, last season.

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Two instrumental parts of the Orange softball program signed to play with the Mars Hill Lions on Wednesday night. Senior shortstop Sadie Cecil and catcher Allie Carden were honored during a ceremony at the Orange High School Library. Carden, accompanied by Mike Carden, Carla and Justin, joined Orange last season after two years at Person. She tied for the team lead with 33 RBIs as the Lady Panthers finished 16-7 and reached the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs. It was the deepest playoff run for Orange since they won the 2017 3A State Championship. Carden and Cecil played for the Carolina Elite travel team coached by John Warf. Cecil’s contributions for Orange athletics isn’t limited to the softball diamond. An aspiring athletic trainer, Cecil has been a regular at Orange football practices, where her brother Luke is the starting center. She sits in the golf cart alongside trainer Emily Gaddy and assistant Alicia Harris from August to November. Last year, Cecil was the leadoff batter and starting shortstop. She has a lifetime batting average of .354 over 50 games. In 2024, Cecil was tied for the team for second on the team with 32 hits. She also scored 34 runs and hit .410 on the season. Sadie was joined by her father Anthony and mother Robin during the ceremony, which included many members of the Orange softball and baseball teams.

Orange softball’s Sadie Cecil & Allie Carden discuss signing with Mars Hill Lions

Two instrumental parts of the Orange softball program signed to play with the Mars Hill Lions on Wednesday night. Senior shortstop Sadie Cecil and catcher Allie Carden were honored during a ceremony at the Orange High School Library. Carden, accompanied by Mike Carden, Carla and Justin, joined Orange last season after two years at Person.

It was another dominant meet for the Orange women’s relay team at the Central Conference Swimming championships last Saturday at the Orange County SportsPlex. Orange won the 200 yard medley and the 400 yard freestyle relay races. Senior Zoe Jones, juniors Piper White and Ainsley Rasinske and freshman Addison Moore won the 200 yard medley relay at 2:02.68. They also teamed to win the 400 yard freestyle relay at 4:09.98. Last year, Jones and White were members of the 3A State Champion 200 yard medley relay team, along with Katie Belle Sikes and Riley White. Rasinske and White were members of the 200 yard freestyle relay state championship team last year. Piper White would go on to win two individual conference championships. White won the 50 yard freestyle title for the second year in a row with a time of 26.51 seconds. White also won the 100 yard freestyle at 59.63 seconds, holding off Sophia Shideler of Walter Williams. Piper White and Rasinske were members of the first relay team in school history to win a state championship in 2023. It was also Senior Day for Orange swimming. It was the final home meet for Jones, Kayleigh Karkoski, and Madeline Dutton. Jones finished 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle. The Lady Panthers will prepare for the Central Regional Championships at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on Saturday.

Orange swimming’s Piper White, Zoe Jones, Ainsley Rasinske & Addison Moore talk relay championships

It was another dominant meet for the Orange women’s relay team at the Central Conference Swimming championships last Saturday at the Orange County SportsPlex. Orange won the 200 yard medley and the 400 yard freestyle relay races. Senior Zoe Jones, juniors Piper White and Ainsley Rasinske and freshman Addison Moore won the 200 yard medley relay at 2:02.68.