When the new athletic year started two weeks ago, Cedar Ridge rolled, slid, fell and dove in the mud to beat Southern Alamance in its men’s soccer opener in Hillsborough.
On Monday night in Graham, it felt more like a playoff atmosphere with temperatures hovering in the low-60s leading up to Labor Day weekend. But the result didn’t change.
Senior Barclay Arnold scored his first career game-winning goal early in the second half as the Red Wolves defeated the Patriots 3-1 at Hanford Stadium in Graham on Monday night. The Red Wolves improved to 2-1 after earning its first road win under head coach Emiliano Chirigliano.
The game was tied at 1-1 after Aaron Morales scored the opening goal. Andy Tarija, who scored the game-winning goal against Southern Alamance in the season opener, added insurance with a header in the second half.
Cedar Ridge will travel to Southeast Alamance on Wednesday. They will face former Red Wolf head coach Chauncey Brummell, who left in June to become the new head coach of the Stallions. Brummell led Cedar Ridge to the brink of the Central Conference championship in 2023, falling one win short. It led to Cedar Ridge hosting a state playoff game for the first time since 2015, falling to Southern Lee.
Orange 1, Northern Durham 0:
After four straight road games to open the season, the Orange Panthers dominated possession in its first home game against Northern Durham, but had a hard time breaking through against Northern Durham.
In the 65th minute, the Panthers top returning scorer provided the spark.
Yurem Tapia Mendez sent a gorgeous through pass to classmate Carson Condon, who rolled the ball past Knights goalkeeper Alexi Fernandez into the right corner of the net for the night’s only tally as Orange claimed its third win in four games.
The Panthers defeated the Knights for the second straight year.
Up to that point, the Panthers best chance on the night came with 6:30 remaining in the first half when John Tercero found Condon in the box. Condon fired on a dead sprint, but it bounced off Fernandez’s knee. Northern tried to counter, but Orange senior Captain Dallas Johnson rushed back to turn the ball away from Evan Elema.
Northern’s best opportunity came with 16:08 remaining in regulation off a corner kick. The Knights were called for a handball before the shot was fired into the net.
C.B. Aycock 3, Orange 1:
Adrian Salazar scored two goals as the Golden Falcons defeated Orange on Field #5 at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday in the North Carolina High School Coaches Athletic Association Kickoff Classic.
After a scoreless first half, Aycock’s Drew Hill broke the ice off a great pass from Dennis Graham. Salazar put the Golden Falcons ahead 2-0 off a shot from 15 yards to make it 2-0.
The Panthers drew closer off a corner kick that was initially headed out. Orange’s Brendan McDonald recovered the loose ball and fired it straight into the net from 19 yards for his first goal of the season.
Orange continued to pour the pressure on late in the game. Mendez was fouled just outside of the box with under five minutes remaining, narrowly missing drawing a penalty. His subsequent free kick faded over the crossbar.
Salazar added his second goal in the final 90 seconds of regulation. Aycock improved to 4-0.
Orange 3, Williams 1:
Carson Condon, Ajali Carer and Logan Edwards all scored goals as the Panthers defeated the Bulldogs for the third straight time on August 20 at Memorial Stadium in Burlington.
Mendez finished with two assists. Johnson had an assist. Junior goalkeeper Hector Garrido made ten saves.
Just after Williams cut the Orange lead to 2-1, Edwards scored off a header on a corner kick.
It was the first nonconference matchup between Orange and Williams since the Bulldogs left the Central Conference at the end of last academic year.
