The days of wondering whether Cedar Ridge would have enough players to field a football team in a given year are over.
And not a moment too soon.
The murmurs around Hillsborough about the annual state of Cedar Ridge football became an unfortunate springtime pattern after the Red Wolves failed to field varsity teams in 2018 and 2021. Last week, Red Wolves head coach Brent Bailey started workouts for his third season with anywhere from 40-45 players reporting.
There’s 15 seniors on the roster, more than Cedar Ridge has had on any one team since 2014. It also doesn’t hurt that, in Bailey’s words, “we don’t play in the SEC anymore.”
Indeed, over the past few years Cedar Ridge had to feel like Duke in the early 2000s, when legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden once said “We play in the toughest conference. The Florida Conference.”
Just as FSU, Miami and Florida dominated college football in the early 2000s, Walter Williams, Southern Alamance, Western Alamance and Eastern Alamance controlled the Central Conference the past two years. Cedar Ridge, Orange and Person were the outliers. None of them defeated the established Alamance County schools in Central Conference action (Orange did beat Southeast Alamance in the Stallions first-ever game in 2023).
The Red Wolves join Orange in the new Big Seven Conference with Carrboro, J.F. Webb, South Granville, and Seaforth (Durham School of the Arts doesn’t field a football team). Now, the Red Wolves are aiming to end a 28-game losing streak.
Many coaches would have thrown in the towel long ago. Bailey, who drives into Hillsborough daily from Johnston County, has gone beyond the call of duty to put stability back into Cedar Ridge football.
It’s Bailey’s nature to be enthusiastic. Last year, when trailing Orange 54-0 midway through the fourth quarter, Red Wolf defensive back Matthew Asay picked off a pass. Even with his team on the short end of a running clock against their archival on the road, Bailey chest bumped Asay on the sidelines like he had just clinched a state playoff game.
Shortly after last season ended, Bailey decided to shift Asay to quarterback. A 6-foot-3 junior, Asay took snaps against Wake Prep during Friday night’s Andy Simmons’ Football Jamboree inside Red Wolves Stadium.
“We’re excited about him,” Bailey said. “He’s athletic and very smart. We started making that transition in January. He’s been working hard trying to get that position taken care of for us.”
Bailey has built depth in the running back room. Senior Isaiah Craig, who had consecutive 100-yard rushing games against East Chapel Hill and Northwest Halifax last year, returns for his senior season. Brian Tedder, another regular contributor, returns. Sophomore Ethan McCall will make his varsity debut.
“We feel like that will be the strength of the offense,” Bailey said. “The vibe around our team this year is very enthusiastic, very upbeat and very competitive. Every day, they’re getting after each other. It’s iron sharpens iron type of stuff. The vibe feels different and I think it comes from the foundation that the prior two teams have built.”
The heart of the offensive line, including seniors Joshua Scism and center Luis Donjuan, are also back. The seniors have endured a lot together with the exception of winning. They’re looking to change that when the season begins on Friday at East Chapel Hill inside Dave Thaden Stadium.
Regardless of their win-loss record, the seniors haven’t quit and neither has Bailey.
“We going to win football games this year,” Bailey said. “What gets me through every day is the support from my family. We’re a big football family. I’m big on faith. The Lord has helped me on days when I am tired of driving back and forth. The Lord has helped me through that. I tell my team all the time that I’ll be out here regardless of whether I’m sick or tired. I’ll be here.”
The atmosphere at Cedar Ridge has changed. This year, the Red Wolves are aiming to change thing in the win column.
And not a moment too soon.
