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Coming off its most successful season since 2016, Cedar Ridge men’s soccer wasn’t supposed to have a rebuilding season this year.

They only lost four seniors from 2023, when they won 12 games and hosted a state playoff matchup against Southern Lee. Magical moments happened throughout the season, starting with a six-game undefeated streak and a 1-0 win over Western Alamance when Solomon Hernandez headed in the game-winner late in the second half. The entire team posed in front of the scoreboard following the biggest result for the Red Wolves in years.

Even when tryouts started three weeks ago, it appeared most of the pieces from last year’s remarkable squad would return. But nothing is as certain nowadays in sports as it seems.

Last week, senior Dominic McNerney, who led the team with nine goals in 2023, transferred to Western Alamance. It came as a surprise to Cedar Ridge head coach Chauncey Brummell. McNerney participated in the team’s summer camp at UNC Greensboro and attended tryouts on August 1.

On top of that, junior midfielder Gael Antunez-Nunez is ineligible for the season. Antunez-Nunez racked up eight assists in 2023, second on the team behind senior Iliah Babchenko, who graduated in June.

“It’s a major loss,” Brummell said during practice last Friday. “You just rely on your seniors. We’re going to have some growing pains, obviously. It’s going to be rough for us as the season begins. Once we get out full team back, we should be able to overcome some of those hurdles.”

Hernandez, who scored six goals last season, sat out most of the summer after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. Usually, Hernandez trains with Wake FC at Ting Park in Holly Springs, but the layoff led to him missing Thursday’s season-opener against Carrboro. He’s slated to return at Vance County on Monday night.

Junior goalkeeper Erik Galunas is back. In 2023, Galunas was named to the All-Central Conference team after he posted five clean sheets and 12 wins overall.

Cedar Ridge is also spending a lot of time on the road to open the year. They start with four straight road games, including contests at Vance County on Monday, at Asheboro on Wednesday and a trip to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Friday to face Cape Fear.

A short-handed Cedar Ridge team dropped its season-opener to Carrboro 4-1 last week at Jaguars Stadium. Galunas saved a penalty kick in the second half. Junior Niko James scored the Red Wolves’ first goal of the year in the second half. Carrboro (1-1) won its home opener after starting the year with a loss at Orange.

Cedar Ridge does return junior midfielder Edber Lopez, who scored three goals last season. There’s also Alejandro Macero-Ramos, who also netted three goals in 2023.

The Red Wolves will play its opening home game against Vance County on August 26. They will start Central Conference play against Person on September 11 in Roxboro.

“The goal is to keep everyone positive,” Brummel said. “Yeah, we’re hurting a little bit because of Dom’s departure. One person isn’t the face of Cedar Ridge soccer. We just have to work harder. We’ve got some kids who are talented. It’s just going to take us some time to gel because they’re new.”

Southern Durham 3, Orange 0: The Spartans, the defending Northern Lake Conference champions, defeated Orange at Spartan Stadium on Wednesday night. Chris Morales, Juan Soliz and Joseth Banegas each scored goals for the Sparans, who are 1-0-1.

Orange goalkeeper Hector Garrido made eight saves, including a penalty kick, in his second varsity start. The Panthers fall to 1-1 and will host Durham School of the Arts on Monday night in Hillsborough. Last year, the Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 2-1 in the Bull City.

Photo by Jacques Morin 

The embryonic stages of any team’s season is a time to grow, develop and learn.

Coming off winning the 3A Eastern Regional championship in 2023, Orange volleyball coach Hope Heverly started this season by scheduling four non-conference opponents, three of whom went undefeated in their respective leagues last year.

Right away, her team started to learn about itself, first in victory, then in defeat against a traditional powerhouse.

On Tuesday, Orange defeated Roxboro Community School in four sets, winning 25-15, 21-25, 25-11 and 25-17. Junior Katie Silcott, who alternates between setter and outside hitter, finished with a triple-double of ten kills, 22 assists and ten digs. She also served Orange out of a competitive opening set with three straight aces to go ahead 24-16. Junior Aubrey Jordan ended the frame off an attack set up by Silcott.

The Bulldogs, who went 12-0 to win the 1A Triangle North Conference in 2023, captured the second set when they opened up a 12-7 lead following consecutive blocks by senior Kynlee Brooks. The third set was tied 11-11 before Ava Wilkerson swatted down a set by Silcott, which triggered a 7-3 Orange run. Freshman Aubrey Hodges, the latest protege in the lengthy (in several ways) Hodges/Wilson family tree that includes her older cousins Bryse and Payton Wilson, blocked an attack from Brooks for the 24th point, and Orange closed out the set a point later when a Bulldog spike went wide.

Orange sophomore Sawyer White had five kills in the final set, where Orange jumped out to a 7-2 lead. Wilkerson added four more kills and Orange pressed the Bulldogs into attacking miscues to take the final set for its first win of the season.

The following night, D.H. Conley’s Britni Silver racked up 17 kills to pave the way for the Vikings to beat Orange 3-1 in Hillsborough. The Vikings, who improved to 3-0 after beating Hoggard on Friday, ended Orange’s 18-game regular season home court winning streak. Cedar Ridge was the last team to beat Orange in a regular season game on September 6, 2022 (The Red Wolves also defeated Orange in the Central Conference Tournament championship game last year in a postseason matchup).

Each of the first three sets came down to the wire. Wilkerson evened the opening game at 21-21 following an assist from Silcott. Conley took the final four points of the game off a serve from Olivia Jones, which included an ace and a kill by Emilee Wilson.

“With the start of this season, I think we’re a little bit out of shape,” Heverly said. “Their #15 (Silver) found her swing, for sure, in the fourth game. So that helped them on their side.”

Orange evened the match by taking the second set 25-23. The frame was even at 17-17 when Sawyer blocked an attack by Silver, followed by consecutive kills from Wilkerson. Orange had four sets points, but Conley narrowed the lead until a serve by Wilson went wide on set point.

“I was proud of the girls that they didn’t give up, no matter what the score difference was,” Heverly said. “So it was exciting to see the grit that they’re already showing three weeks into our season. So it will be interesting to see how that progresses throughout that season.”

Neither team could get consecutive points to open the third set. There were ten ties before Conley reeled off four straight to take a 14-10 lead, which included consecutive blocks by Olivia Jones. Hodges stuffed an attack by Silver, which led to the largest crowd reaction of the night, to give Orange a side out.

“She’s stepping up big time as a freshman,” Heverly said of Hodges. “She has a really big drive where she wants to continue to get better so we’re excited about the growth she’s gonna have throughout this season.”

Conley won four of the last five points to win the third 25-20. Silver had three kills in the final four points, along with an ace from Olivia Jones.

The Vikings roared out to a 8-2 lead to start the fourth as it appeared Orange was worn down. The Panthers didn’t any closer than 13-6 following a kill by Jordan. Conley’s Emilee Wilson spiked home match point to win the fourth 25-12.

“We always want the win,” Heverly said. “But I was very pleased with how the girls played. They all worked hard. They came together as a team, even in the tough moments. With it being the second match, it wasn’t too bad.”

Orange will travel to Jordan on Tuesday. Falls Lake, the defending 1A Eastern Regional champion, will visit Orange on Thursday.

Without so much as a scrimmage to prepare for its opening game, the Orange volleyball team shook off the rust to win its first game since playing for the state championship last year. The Panthers defeated Roxboro Community School 3-1 in the season opener at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night on scores of 25-15. 21-25, 25-16 and 25-17. Junior Katie Silcott finished with a triple-double of ten kills, 22 assists, and ten digs. She also had four aces late in the first set as the Panthers took control of the opening frame after tight moments early. Junior Ava Wilkerson, who just committed to play at UCF, finished with 12 kills. Sophomore Sawyer White had eight kills and nine assists. It was the first time that Orange played against an outside opponent this year. Two scrimmages scheduled for last week were both canceled due to Tropical Storm Debby. It was a solid win over a Roxboro Community School team that finished undefeated in winning the Triangle North Conference championship in 2023 and made it all the way to the state quarterfinals of the state tournament. Orange’s demanding non conference schedule will continue tonight (Wednesday) when they host perennial 4A power D.H. Conley in Hillsborough. The first serve will be immediately following the junior varsity game, which should be around 6:20-6:30. While school hasn’t started yet, it will be a big-game atmosphere in August. Your presence would be welcome. 

Orange volleyball’s Aubrey Jordan and Sawyer White discuss win over Roxboro Community School

Without so much as a scrimmage to prepare for its opening game, the Orange volleyball team shook off the rust to win its first game since playing for the state championship last year. The Panthers defeated Roxboro Community School 3-1 in the season opener at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night on scores of 25-15.

For the first time in program history, Orange men’s soccer defeated Carrboro on Monday night. Junior Yurem Tapia Mendez accepted a pass from senior Kace McAuley for the game-winning goal in the second half as the Panthers defeated the Jaguars 1-0 in the season opener at Orange Soccer Field in Hillsborough on Monday night. In his first varsity start, goalkeeper Hector Garrido earned a clean sheet for Orange, making two saves. After Mendez’s game-winning goal, Orange back line of Dallas Johnson, Eben Petrides, Jay Parker and Logan Edwards worked tirelessly to keep the Jaguars from scoring, despite repeated corner kicks in the final 15 minutes. Going into the game, Carrboro was 3-0-2 lifetime against the Panthers, including a 1-1 tie last year in Jaguars Stadium. Mendez scored two goals last season and got off to a strong start to the season on Monday. Petrides was selected as the Rick Ashby State Farm Defensive Player of the Game. It’s the second straight year that Orange won its season opener. Last year, the Panthers defeated Durham School of the Arts. Orange will travel to Durham on Wednesday night to face Southern Durham, the defending Northern Lakes Conference champions. Orange will return home to face Durham School of the Arts next Monday in Hillsborough.

Orange soccer’s Yurem Tapia Mendez & Eben Petrides discuss season-opening win vs. Carrboro

For the first time in program history, Orange men’s soccer defeated Carrboro on Monday night. Junior Yurem Tapia Mendez accepted a pass from senior Kace McAuley for the game-winning goal in the second half as the Panthers defeated the Jaguars 1-0 in the season opener at Orange Soccer Field in Hillsborough on Monday night.

Just because one of the Sollars sisters graduated in June doesn’t mean their presence with Orange women’s tennis is in the rear view mirror.

Erin Sollars teamed with her younger sister Shannon to comprise Orange’s top doubles team the past two years. After Erin turned the tassel in June, she looked for a way to remain with the program while she attended classes at Alamance Community College.

So she’s now an assistant coach.

“Her scheuedle allows her to help,” said Orange women’s tennis coach Justin Webb. “She’s been great. We’ve got 21 players out there. I’m projecting a really high number. It’s going to be hard for me to coach these girls. Erin is one of the most decorated players to ever come through Orange High. So a lot of girls enjoy working with her.”

Just one dual match into the year and it’s already been an unpredictable season for Orange. On Monday, the Lady Panthers hosted its season-opening match against Eno River Academy–at Walker Tennis Complex in Mebane.

The courts at Orange High went through a repaving project at the conclusion of the men’s season last May. Unfortunately, the project is behind schedule. It appears that the courts won’t be available until after Labor Day.

It has forced Webb to hold practices in Mebane. There were also workouts scheduled at the Fairview courts in Hillsborough, but both were canceled as a result of Tropical Storm Debbie.

The humor of Eno River and Orange, schools separated by barely two miles, going all the way to Mebane to play a match wasn’t lost on the participants.

Sollars started her senior year with wins at #1 singles and doubles as the Panthers rolled past the Bobcats 9-0 on Monday. Sollars won her singles match 6-4, 6-2. Later, she teamed with junior Casey Robinson to win 8-5.

Orange freshman Kalynn Mason made her debut in the tightest match of the day. Eno River’s Chiara Menolascino extended Mason to a third set, leading to a 10-point tiebreaker. Mason captured her first varsity win 6-2, 4-6, 10-3.

Sophomore Ellie Wilson won at #3 singles 6-4, 6-4. Junior Molly Kruse, a three-sport athlete who also swims and plays soccer, captured her match at #4 singles 6-3, 6-2. Oakley Gaddy defeated Lyla York 6-1, 6-0. Robinson completed a singles sweep for Orange with a 6-0, 6-1 win.

Mason and Wilson won at #1 doubles 8-3.

Adelyn Alvis, who was an All-Central Conference performer in track and field, teamed with Gaddy to win at #3 doubles 8-0.

Orange will face Durham School of the Arts on Tuesday.

The drawback for Orange men’s soccer is its goalkeeping position is young.

But their centerbacks and wingbacks are not.

On Monday night, the defensive backline of Jay Parker, Dallas Johnson, Eben Petrides and Logan Edwards defended strongly in front of goalkeeper Hector Garrido, who got a clean sheet in his first varsity start.

And what a time to do it.

Orange defeated Carrboro 1-0 for the first time in recorded history to open the season on Monday night at Orange Soccer Field. Yurem Tapia Mendez scored the game’s only goal after he received a through pass from senior Kace McAuley with 23:47 remaining in regulation.

MaxPreps.com records show that Orange and Carrboro had met five previous times dating back to 2010. The Jaguars and the Panthers played to a 1-1 tie last year at Jaguars Stadium. Carrboro, which opened in 2007,  had gone 3-0-2 lifetime against Orange going into Monday night. Records date back to 2010.

After Mendez’s opener, Carrboro continued to press looking for the equalizer. The Jaguars amassed a series of corner kicks in the final 20 minutes, but Orange thwarted each attempt.

It was the second straight year that the Panthers won its season opener. Last year, Orange won at Durham School of the Arts.

Orange’s preparation for its season opener was rushed because of Mother Nature. Last week, the Panthers had two scrimmages scheduled. The first one against Chapel Hill lasted all of eight minutes before a downpour ensued and everybody went home. Another scheduled scrimmage canceled for Thursday was washed away courtesy of Tropical Storm Debby.

“I think everybody was working out some kinks tonight,” said Orange coach Palmer Bowman. “That had to work through it.”

Yurem, a junior, scored two goals in 2023. He replaced Emmanuel Mil Cruz, who led the Panthers with five goals last season before graduating in June, at forward. It was set up when McAuley stepped into a passing lane and found Mendez cutting up the center of the field.

“We emphasized quick counters,” Bowman said. “Kace made a good read and intercepted it and it was a quick counter.”

Carrboro, coming off a second place finish in the Northern Lakes Conference in 2023, finished 13-6-3 last season. The Jaguars were looking for a scoring option after its top three goal scorers from 2023 graduated, including Kesar Lamb, who finished with 20 goals in 2023 en route to the state playoffs.

That’s where Orange’s backline came through. They patrolled the goal where Garrido, who had numerous starts as a freshman in men’s basketball last winter, made two saves to earn the shutout. Petrides helped engineer several clearances in the final ten minutes as the Panthers desperately cringed to a one-goal lead for the final 20 minutes of regulation.

“They limited Carrboro’s opportunities,” Bowman said. “Carrboro had way more possession, but we limited opportunities in our defensive third. They deserve a lot of credit.”

Orange finished 8-8-3 overall in 2023 with a fourth place finish in the Central Conference. For the first time since the formation of the Central Conference in 2022, the Panthers defeated Walter Williams in Burlington. Earlier in the year, the Bulldogs and the Panthers played to a scoreless tie in Hillsborough.

For the first time in the 44-year history of the program, Orange men’s soccer reached the state playoffs in consecutive years. After finishing the regular season with a 2-0 win over Eastern Alamance in Mebane, the Panthers fell to Lee County in Sanford in the state playoffs. In 2022, J.H. Rose knocked off Orange in Greenville.

With Southern Durham, the defending Northern Lakes champions, on tap for Wednesday night, Bowman isn’t letting his team get ahead of itself.

“We’re only one game in,” Bowman said. “I told the guys that the season is about responding to good and bad alike.”

It was Midnight Madness for Cedar Ridge football last week. The Red Wolves practiced in pads for the first time this season under head coach Brent Bailey, attracting fans for a Midnight Madness event at the Cedar Ridge football field last Friday night. The entire Red Wolf volleyball team came out as the players practiced under cooler conditions. Among the players warming up was junior Thomas McDermott, who is slated to start at quarterback for the season opener against East Chapel Hill on August 22 at Red Wolves Stadium. Tight end Mason Hughes, who will be a junior this year, will be among the targets that McDermott will look for. Juniors Carlos Baldwin and Luis Donjuan will be among the offensive linemen, while Jayden Harvey will line up as a pass rusher. Throughout the summer, Coach Bailey has beefed up Cedar Ridge’s coaching staff. Among the new additions are defensive coordinator Ryan Johnston, previously the head coach at Jordan-Matthews. There’s also Phil Credle, previously the quarterbacks coach at Cleveland High School in Clayton. Coach Bailey has more players out for the team as the Red Wolves look to build stability in football. You can hear Cedar Ridge’s season opener against East Chapel Hill on Hillsboroughsports.com on August 22 live from Red Wolves Stadium. Kickoff will be at 7PM.

Cedar Ridge football players discuss Midnight Madness practice to kick off season

It was Midnight Madness for Cedar Ridge football last week. The Red Wolves practiced in pads for the first time this season under head coach Brent Bailey, attracting fans for a Midnight Madness event at the Cedar Ridge football field last Friday night.

As with any special season, it’s easy for a coach to reflect.

Hope Heverly’s first season as Orange volleyball coach resulted in the second regional championship in team history. They faced Kings Mountain for the 3A State Championship inside Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh and were three points away from taking it all, dropping the fifth set 15-12.

It was a season beyond anyone’s expectations. Before last year, Orange hadn’t won a conference title since 2005. Along the way, the Lady Panthers defeated defending Eastern Regional champion J.H. Rose, then triumphed over Carrboro for the regional championship in a classic match on Halloween night in front of a raucous crowd at Orange Gymnasium that ended with the students rushing the floor after match point.

But Heverly wouldn’t be a competitor if she didn’t look back at Orange’s state title match with curiosity.

“I’ve thought about what if we changed this or that,” Heverly said with a chuckle. “But I’ve been really excited about this year.

Orange’s run to the state championship match brought the community together. Heverly wondered if that would be reflected with increased interest when tryouts started last week.

She got her answer when nearly 40 players showed up, including a large freshman class.

As Orange’s players ventured to their travel teams last winter, Heverly kept track of them.

“I’m really excited about where this program is moving forward,” Heverly said. “To be at the level where we want this program to be, it takes more effort than what we show from August-to-October. It’s takes work in the offseason and they’ve put in that work.”

Heverly’s second Orange team will have a Big 12 recruit in its ranks. Junior middle blocker Ava Wilkerson committed to UCF last week. Wilkerson, a 6-foot-4 junior, led the team with 79 blocks for an Orange team that went undefeated to the Central Conference regular season championship in 2023. Wilkerson has played varsity each of her first two seasons and was third on the team with 293 kills last year.

“She’s really grown in many ways,” Heverly said. “Not only has she grown in terms of skill level, but also her maturity level. Her leadership abilities have really sprouted. I’m excited to see how she will lead this team.”

Orange lost outside hitter Ella Wimsatt and libero Sadye Porter to graduation. Wimsatt led the team with 456 kills in 2023 and was the Central Conference Player of the Year. Porter was a defensive wonder, pacing the squad with 521 digs after missing her junior season.

“Ella was a one of a kind athlete,” Heverly said. “She brought an attitude where she would go all out. She didn’t have to tell the team that. She would show that on the court and the team would follow.”

However, Orange brings back most of its firepower. 6-foot-1 outside hitter Aubrey Jordan is back for her junior season after racking up 385 kills in 2023. Setter Katie Silcott, another rising junior, returns after setting the single-season school record with 1,037 assists. Sophomore Sawyer White, who was inserted into the starting lineup late last season, alternated with Silcott as setter for much of the postseason. White finished with 236 assists and 22 kills.

Regular rotation players Mariah Poole (middle blocker), Karleigh Johnson and Abby Silinski (who finished with 62 aces) also return from a squad that finished 27-5 overall. Junior Addison Guentensberger is expected to get time as libero to replace Porter.

It’s a team that has high expectations and Heverly has put together a schedule that reflects that. Following the season-opener against Roxboro Community School next Tuesday in Hillsborough, Orange will host perennial power D.H. Conley from Greenville on Wednesday.

“Last year, the team worked hard and earned a lot of things,” Heverly said. “They caught a lot of schools’ attention. We will come and we will be prepared as much as we can after a week-and-a-half of practice. I’m not shying from any tough competition. You only get better by playing the best.”

Heverly will schedule tough opponents and will gladly tell you how optimistic she is about her second Orange team. Just don’t expect her to make any predictions about a potential return to Raleigh for another state championship appearance this fall.

“We’re not comparing anything to last year,” Heverly said. “We’ve got to make this team our own team for the 2024 season. We know we had a great year last year. Now we’re going forward.”