This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior men’s soccer midfielder Niko James. Last week, James scored the game-winning goal as the Red Wolves defeated Eastern Alamance 4-0 at Red Wolves Stadium. James launched a shot from 30 yards into the net to start a four-goal second half for Cedar Ridge. So far this season, James has scored three goals. He scored against Northern Durham on August 18. Against Southeast Alamance on August 27, James scored the Red Wolves only tally. Last year, James scored eleven goals. That included a hat trick against Person in an 8-0 victory. He also scored the game-winning goal against Eno River Academy. James added a goal in the season-ending victory over Vance County, a 3-2 victory in Hillsborough. Niko has played soccer from the time he was in elementary school, starting with the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department. Last season, after the Red Wolves abruptly lost one of their top players from the 2023 season, James was relied upon to carry more of the scoring load as a sophomore. He has adapted to a scoring role in the new Big 7 Conference. Cedar Ridge will look to start conference play strong when they travel to Orange on Monday night.
