Cedar Ridge Men’s Basketball

Even after an 0-6 start, you won’t see Mike Jones panicking,

His boundless enthusiasm is impossible to ignore along the sidelines during Cedar Ridge men’s basketball games, constantly applauding his defense in the midst of possessions and trying to find the right pieces for a team that hasn’t had a winning season in eight years.

“It’s kind of my nature,” Jones said. “I just feel like the moment I give up and lose my confidence, they’re going to lose their confidence. They say that attitude reflects leadership, so the minute I give up, everybody else is going to give up. I think the true test of anybody is how you handle the bad days. Everybody’s good on a good day. How do you handle the bad days?”

On Wednesday night, Jones patience paid off when the Red Wolves defeated Jordan-Matthews 46-38 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. Senior Landon Dalehite scored eleven points while center Harrison Perel finished with ten points and eleven rebounds.

“Top to bottom, we played like a team tonight,” Jones said. “Everybody played good. Harrison played his second good game in a row. Braedon played his second good game in a row. Braedon’s rebounding as a guard meant a lot. Our zone looked really good. We took their big men out of the game. We executed at the other end and played through our mistakes. Really proud of our guys.”

Cedar Ridge out rebounded the Jets 40-20 to secure its first win of the season. Braeden Wilbourn finished with eight points and nine rebounds as the Red Wolves avenged a 58-46 loss to the Jets on November 27 in Siler City.

Jordan-Matthews led 19-18 after a lay-in by Brennen Oldham off an assist from Kelton Fuquay with 7:10 remaining in the third quarter. Dalehite put the Red Wolves ahead with a three-pointer from the corner off a skip pass from freshman point guard Jordan Jacobson. On Cedar Ridge’s next possession, Jacobson found Dalehite again for another 3-pointer. Jacobson knocked down a jumper after the Jets missed a jumper to increase the Red Wolf lead to 26-19, leading to a J-M timeout.

The Jets got a 3-pointer from Kamarie Hadley and a lay-in from Brennen Oldham to reduce the Red Wolf lead to 26-24 with 3:36 remaining in the third quarter, Cedar Ridge finished out the third quarter with seven straight points, starting with a lay-in from Perel off a pass from Elijah Jenkins. Wilbourn finished the quarter with a three-point play where he scored off a steal at midcourt and was fouled by Oldham. Wilbourn’s subsequent free-throw increased the Red Wolf lead to 33-24 going into the fourth quarter

Cedar Ridge pulled away early in the fourth quarter. They held the Jets without a field goal in the opening four minutes. Jacobson, who finished with nine points, drained a 20-footer off a relocation pass from Luke Orstad to put the Red Wolves ahead 36-25 with 6:13 remaining. Corin Wingate, the smallest player on the floor, scored off an offensive rebound following a miss by Jacobson to put the cap on a 13-1 Red Wolf run.

“Jacobson was playing middle school basketball last year,” Jones said. “He’s amazing. I’m going to have trouble keeping him. Other schools are going to be going after him. Jordan did really well tonight.”

The Jets narrowed its deficit to 38-31 following four free throws from Fuquay with 2:35 remaining, but Wilbourn scored off a stickback basket to put the game on ice.

The Red Wolves will venture into its Central Conference opener against Western Alamance in Elon on Friday night, its final game before holiday break. For the first time since 2016, Cedar Ridge will play in a holiday tournament this year. The Red Wolves will play in the Southeast Alamance tournament in Haw River, organized by former Orange High women’s basketball coach B.J. Condron. Cedar Ridge will play three games over three days starting on December 28.

Women’s game: Cedar Ridge 52, Durham School of the Arts 29: A fight between two players marred the end of the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball game against Durham School of the Arts on Monday night inside Red Wolves Gymnasium.

Cedar Ridge led 52-29 with 2:44 remaining in the fourth quarter when a Cedar Ridge player tied up a Durham School of the Arts player for a held ball. The DSA player slung the Red Wolves participant to the floor, across from the Cedar Ridge bench. The Cedar Ridge player got up and threw a punch, which led to several DSA players and a few parents running onto the floor. Most attempted to quell the situation, but one person from the DSA fan section ran straight for the Cedar Ridge player involved in the altercation, screaming at her. Red Wolves coach Megan Skouby and Cedar Ridge guard Cameron Copeland got in her way and the fan eventually left the gym with the player, who was presumably her daughter, accompanied by an Orange County deputy.

Another DSA guard, who started the game, had to be restrained from getting near the Cedar Ridge bench.

Larry Faucette, a retired Orange County deputy who has worked within Cedar Ridge’s athletic department for years, along with several Orange County deputies quickly brought peace to the situation. DSA players and coaches later left the gym through the main entrance, as opposed to locker room entrance on the other end of the gym, probably to prevent another possible altercation with a Cedar Ridge player.

The two players involved in the fracas were ejected. The referees said they would later review the game video to decide any further disciplinary action.

The game ended at that point with Cedar Ridge being declared the winner.

With 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, DSA’s Kaylen Mumford scored on a drive near the right baseline to cut Cedar Ridge’s lead to 24-23. The Bulldogs had a chance to take the lead, but Cedar Ridge’s Addie Reid stripped the ball bay from Shakari Vasquez. Amiyah Ware scored on a three-pointer in the right corner while getting fouled by Genesis Daniels. Ware completed the four-point play, which triggered a 28-6 run that carried the Red Wolves to the abbreviated victory.

Cedar Ridge (4-3) is off to its best start since the 2017-2018 season, which was the last time they made the 3A State Playoffs.

Ware and junior guard Sarah Utley each scored 15 points for the Red Wolves. Jamee Watson added nine points.

Men’s game: DSA 54, Cedar Ridge 48: Cedar Ridge was denied its first win of the season, largely because of DSA’s Darren Johnson.

Durham School of the Arts ended the game on a 7-0 run behind Johnson’s 26 points as the Bulldogs won on Monday night. The Red Wolves had a chance to take the lead in the final minute but was called for three seconds. Johnson made two free throws to stretch the Bulldog lead to 51-48 with :37.5 remaining. Cedar Ridge’s attempt to tie the game from beyond the arc in the waning seconds came up short.

Cedar Ridge guard Braeden Wilbourn knocked down a shot from outside to reduce the Bulldogs lead to 49-48 with 2:03 remaining.

Durham School of the Arts started the game on a 9-2 run off the hot hand of 6-foot-8 center Jadin Haynes, who drained a trio of 3-pointers in the opening minutes. The Red Wolves never led in the first half, but reduced the deficit to 24-21 at halftime behind six points from center Harrison Perel.

In the third quarter, DSA led 37-31 when the Red Wolves reeled off seven in a row to take the lead for the first time. Perel took a pass from Wilbourn and scored off a catch-and-shoot lay-in to start the spurt, followed by a three-pointer from Landon Dalehite. Corin Wingate but the Red Wolves into the lead for the first time with two free throws after he stole the ball at midcoast with 1:03 remaining in the third quarter.

Harrison Perel led Cedar Ridge with 13 points. Wilbourn finished with eleven.

Haynes and Josiah Doresette added eleven points each for the Bulldogs.

Cedar Ridge (0-6) hosts Jordan-Matthews on Wednesday night at 7.