The Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team is off to its best start in 13 years, at least.
On Monday night, the Red Wolves journeyed to Henderson and defeated former conference rival Vance County 3-1. Cedar Ridge is now 3-0 after starting the year with wins over Eno River Academy and Voyager Academy.
Inside Vipers Stadium, sophomore Gael Antunez-Nunez notched his second goal of the season. Last week in a win over Voyager Academy, Antunez-Nunez assisted on two goals in a 4-1 victory over Voyager. Antunez-Nunez also scored in the season-opener against Eno River.
Senior Abazar Babiker added his first goal of the season, while Rudy Fuentes added insurance for the Red Wolves, who claimed its second straight road win. Fuentes had an assist, as did junior Dominic McNerney and sophomore Giovanni Yanez added assists.
Sophomore goalkeeper Erik Galunas made nine saves for his third win of the season. Cedar Ridge will continue its four-game road trip on Wednesday when they face Northwood in Pittsboro. During the summer, the Chargers left the Central Carolina Conference to drop down to 2A to join the Mid-Carolina Conference.
Southern Durham 4, Orange 0: After winning its season opener at Durham School of the Arts on Thursday, Southern Durham defeated Orange in the Panthers home opener on Monday night. The Panthers will travel to recover when they face the Carrboro Jaguars at Jaguar Stadium on Wednesday night.
Women’s Tennis: Orange 5, Riverside 4: In a tight dual match where one doubles tilt decides the whole shooting match, it’s good to have a duo who qualified for the 3A State Tournament last year on your side.
That’s exactly what Orange had against Riverside in Durham last Thursday.
With the dual match all square 4-4, Erin and Shannon Sollars teamed at #1 doubles to defeat Calista Robinson and Jordan Oakley 8-6 to provide Orange a dual match victory in Durham. The Lady Panthers improved to 2-0.
Shannon Sollars, a junior, also won at #2 singles over Oakley 6-2, 6-2.
Senior Makayla Davis won two straight matches on the day for the second time in as many dual matches. Davis captured her singles match over Emma Wilcox 6-4, 6-0. At #2 doubles, Davis teamed with sophomore Molly Kruse over Wilcox and Cynthia Balin 8-4.
Kruse also won two matches. In addition to her doubles win, Kruse won the tightest match of the day against Rachael Ades 5-7, 6-1, 10-3. Kruse has won all four of her matches this year.
Orange returns home today (Tuesday) to face Durham School of the Arts.
Cedar Ridge 8, Voyager Academy 1: The Cedar Ridge women’s tennis team opened the season last week. In its second match, the Red Wolves defeated Voyager Academy. The Red Wolves won five of the six singles matches.
Senior Cameron Mayhew won at #1 singles over Katelyn Hutson 6-1, 6-3. Junior Ella Caltabiano won at #2 singles over Karli McKenna 6-3, 6-0. Junior Adeline Cummings, another returning player from last year, won 6-0, 6-0 over Grace Garrett. Raven Mowles-Airing won at #4 singles over Fiorella Cedeno 6-4, 6-0. Red Wolves senior Annabeth Lundberg won at #6 singles against Jillian Draughon 6-1, 6-0.
Cedar Ridge captured all three doubles matches. Mayhew and Cummings won at #1 doubles 6-4. Caltabiano and Ballenger won at #2 and Mowles-Airing and Lunbdberg prevailed at #3 doubles.
Cross Country: The Cedar Ridge cross country team started its season at the Early Bird Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Saturday. Red Wolves junior Naomi Dyreng finished 10th in the women’s competition among 156 runners. Dyreng came in with a time of 20:58.90. Last year, Dyreng won three Mideast Regional championships in the outdoor track and field championships at Franklinton High School. Dyreng won the 1,600 and 3,200 meters. Dyreng teamed with Abigail Klaitman, Serena Summers and Eliza Klaitman to win the regional championship in the 4×800 women’s relay.
She was also the top female runner for Cedar Ridge at the 3A State Cross Country championships last November at the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.