Prior to 2023, Cedar Ridge wrestling celebrating a competitor winning his 100th match happened once in a blue moon.
Now, it’s become an annual tradition.
In the season-opening quad meet last Wednesday, senior Favio Jaramillo become the ninth Cedar Ridge wrestler to win 100 career matches. In a match that showcased Jaramillo’s stamina, he outlasted Eastern Alamance’s Jayden Batten for a pinfall victory in 3:50 at 120 pounds.
It was Jaramillo’s third match of the night. Earlier, he claimed career win #98 in another pinfall win over Jordan-Matthews Jhonatan Saldana in 5:17. Later, he picked up a forfeit win against the North Carolina School of Science and Math.
He is the fifth Cedar Ridge wrestler to win 100 matches since 2019.
Jaramillo’s path to 100 career wins started when he was on Cedar Ridge’s junior varsity team as a freshman. Just a few weeks into the season, he was called up to the varsity by head coach Scott Metcalf. Jaramillo was among the young lions guided by competitors who lifted Cedar Ridge to its golden age and surpassed longtime power Orange as the premier local wrestling program.
Jaramillo’s mentor was Fernando Martinez, who would go on to reach the 113-pound 3A State Championship match in 2023 and captured the 113-pound Mideast Regional championship as a junior. Martinez was a four-time All-Conference selection who is sixth in school history with 143 career wins.
“Working with Fernando definitely helped out a lot,” Jaramillo said. “He’s always been there for me throughout my high school career. He always came in from college to help me out.”
Martinez spent the past two years on the Division II UNC Pembroke wrestling team.
Jaramillo had to make up for lost time once he entered Cedar Ridge. At Stanback Middle School, he only competed in his eighth grade year because the 2020 and 2021 seasons were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As a freshman, he didn’t win a match at the Mideast Regionals. The following year, Jaramillo he won three matches at regionals at advanced to the consolation semifinals at 106 pounds. Last year, Jaramillo finished third in the region at 113 pounds, pinning Joshua Sasser of Harnett Central to secure his first trip to the state championships. He finished his junior year 43-13.
On opening night, Cedar Ridge won all three of its dual matches in a quad match. The Red Wolves got eight pins in beating Jordan-Matthews 76-6. Junior Alejandro Briones opened the season by pinning Christopher Hipolito in 16 seconds. Mikey O’Melia, Damian Carbajal, Jacob Erickson, Juan Jaramillo, David Angel, Caleb Copeland and Landon Kemp all scored pins for the Red Wolves against the Jets. Isaiah Craig, Daniel Silva, Colton Poole and Dimas Jimenez all earned forfeit victories.
Cedar Ridge defeated N.C. Science and Math 71-10 in a match that had eight forfeits. Craig defeated Atlas Lad via technical fall 18-2 in 5:05. Juan Jaramillo pinned Aryan Saha in 28 seconds. Jimenez pinned Christopher Ramos-Alpuce in 1:40. Landon Kemp finished off Jeffrey Valdovinos in :39.
The Red Wolves defeated Eastern Alamance 60-24 in the nightcap. After O’Melia and Jose Rios started with forfeit victories, the Eagles evened the dual match at 12-12 behind pins from Julian Jones (190) and Christopher Scild (215). At heavyweight, Cedar Ridge’s Jacob Erickson pinned James Hammock in 46 seconds, which started a string of four straight Red Wolf wins.
Juan Jaramillo and Poole each had forfeit wins, followed by Favio Jaramillo’s 100th win that put the Red Wolves ahead 36-12. Eastern Alamance’s Elijah Watson and Brayan Acosta also picked up pins to reduce the Red Wolf lead to 36-24. Jimenez pinned Jacob Byrd. After forfeit victories by Briones and Kemp, Craig ended the night pinning Brandon Mandizha in 1:17.
Cedar Ridge’s women’s team has seven competitors, which led to two dual matches on opening night. The Red Wolf women defeated Jordan-Matthews 36-18. Eva Dockery pinned Briana Leandro Balderas in 50 seconds. Ella Grace-Reed pinned Johanna Carter in 2:14 at 138 pounds. Carolina DonJuan, Thalia Paterno, Kimberly Rocha, and Olivia Carotenuto all earned forfeit wins.
NCSSM defeated Cedar Ridge 24-18 in the other women’s dual match. Grace-Reed picked up her second pin of the night, defeating Andrea Leon-Cruz.
