This gyms around Hillsborough will be quiet for the rest of this month. That’s a far cry from last year.
Last year, of the four high school teams in Hillsborough, three made it to the state playoffs. The Orange boys advanced to the state quarterfinals behind Connor Crabtree and Logan Vosburg. The Orange girls opened the season with 21 straight wins and earned the Big 8 Regular Season and Tournament Championships, advancing to the the round of 16 in the state 3A playoff before losing to Rockingham County. The Lady Panthers ended the year 26-2.
The Cedar Ridge girls team surprised everyone by advancing to the 2nd round of the 3A state playoffs, beating Cleveland in the opening round. The Red Wolves hosted Corinth Holders in the round of 32, losing 38-34 in overtime.
Fast forward a year. The Orange boys finished 9-16 after a difficult season which saw injuries to its two star guards in the final three weeks, as well as the resignation of two assistant coaches. The Orange girls were forced into a rebuilding season after the loss of seven seniors, including four starters. They finished 11-15 despite advancing to the Big 8 semifinals last week after upsetting Cedar Ridge in the opening round 39-27. Hillside, the eventual Big 8 Tournament champion, ended Orange’s season 65-26.
At 14-11, the Cedar Ridge girls team were the only local squad to make the state playoffs. On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves will travel to Greenville to face D.H. Conley in the opening round of the field of 64.
The Vikings (18-9) finished second in the 4A/3A Eastern Carolina Conference, behind only 4A squad South Central. Last week, Conley reached the Eastern Carolina Conference Tournament Championship game, where they lost to South Central 59-43. The Vikings defeated South Central on February 8th 60-55 during a season-long five-game winning streak.
Cedar Ridge arrives to the postseason on a three-game losing streak. When the Red Wolves have scored over 40 points this season, they’re 12-0. In their last win over Northern Durham, junior Madison Wardlow scored 17 points, while Taylin Jean had ten points. The Red Wolves lost reserve guard Logan Woody against Northern after she hit her head on the floor diving for a loose ball. Woody had to be taken off the floor on a stretcher. She hasn’t returned to action since.
Wardlow has been the leading scorer for the Red Wolves this season, averaging 12 points per game. Simpson, a senior, is the main post presence, averaging six points and six rebounds per game.
The Red Wolves have almost certainly played its final home game of the season. Cedar Ridge is the #27 seed for the state playoffs (Conley is a #6 seed). The winner of the game faces the winner of #11 Terry Sanford vs. #22 Northeast Guilford on Thursday night.