Check out Phil Stapleton online here for more of his work with East Chapel Hill. He was on the sidelines on Monday night as East Chapel Hill men’s soccer defeated Cedar Ridge 3-0. The Red Wolves remain in the hunt for a state playoff birth and is #64 in the latest MaxPreps ranking, meaning they’re right on the bubble. Thanks, Phil!
It’s finally feeling like fall.
This year, it also feels like playoff anticipation is alive and well again across Hillsborough after a relatively quiet 2018 at Cedar Ridge. Last academic year, only the Cedar Ridge softball team made the state playoffs among sports that determine their champions through a routine knockout tournament (the Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s cross country teams did qualify for the state championship meet)
This week, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team will officially make the state playoffs for the first time since 2015 when the brackets are unveiled online by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Orange will also be included in the field of 64. Not only that, but the Lady Panthers have a chance to be the winningest volleyball team at Orange this decade with a win over Northern Durham on Tuesday.
This Friday, Olivia Ward will represent Cedar Ridge women’s tennis in the 3A State Championships at the Burlington Tennis Center. Details about Ward qualifying for the state championships are detailed below.
On Monday, the 3A Central Golf Regionals will be held at Greensboro National Golf Club. Orange’s McKenzie Hawks and Sarah Durham will be competing and attempt to qualify for the 3A State Championships. Hawks and Durham will be the only golfers in Hillsborough competing in the regionals. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 3A State Championships with the three best scores. The top 17 individuals not on a qualifying team (which Orange falls into since they’re only taking two players) can also qualify for the state championships.
Here’s this week’s Magnificent 7. As always, we’ll have the announcement of the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week and the Orange Panther of the Week later this week.
Olivia Ward: For the second year in a row, Olivia Ward has qualified for the 3A Women’s Tennis State Championships. In a thrilling match on Friday afternoon at the Burlington Tennis Center, Ward defeated Orange sophomore Jera Hargrove in the 2nd round of the 3A Mideast Regionals. Ward won 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to establish herself as the most established women’s tennis player in school history. Ward started the day with a victory over a player from Terry Sanford 6-0, 6-1. In Ward’s freshman year, Cedar Ridge won the 2016 Big 8 Championship. As a junior, she teamed with Alana Lutz to qualify for the 3A State Championships in doubles, where they lost to the eventual state championship tandem of Natalie Lutz and Madelynn Frye of Kings Mountain. Ward will start play in the State Championships on Friday as the #4 seed from the Mideast. She will face the champion of the Midwest Region in the opening round.
Nicholas Frank: Scored the final goal in regulation as the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team defeated Orange 3-2 in penalty kicks on Monday night. Frank, who notched a brace in the first game between the two teams last month, also scored the game-winning penalty kick as the Red Wolves took another step toward qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time since 2017. Cedar Ridge is 6-10-1 overall, 4-7 in the Big 8 Conference.
Julie Altieri: Yet another week where a freshman Cedar Ridge freshman makes the Magnificent 7. On Thursday, Altieri had 26 assists, five digs, five aces and one block as the Red Wolves swept Vance County in Henderson. Altieri leads the team with 78 aces and 552 assists for the Red Wolves, who are scheduled to conclude its regular season at Southern Durham on Tuesday (though Southern forfeited against Orange on Thursday due to a lack of available players).
Jera Hargrove: Last week’s Orange Panther of the Week won her first match in the Mideast Regionals over the top singles player from Eastern Alamance on Friday at the Burlington Tennis Center in straight sets. It’s the second time in the opening two years of Hargove’s athletic career that she has qualified for regionals. She missed qualifying for states by two games. Hargrove was the #1 singles player for the most successful Orange women’s tennis team this decade. The Lady Panthers finished 11-8.
Kaitlyn Werden: Finished with six kills, three aces, one block, 15 digs and 22 assists in Orange’s five-set thriller at Roxboro Community School on Friday. Werden also had 10 assists and five digs in the loss to Chapel Hill. Combined with Orange’s forfeit win over Southern Durham, the Lady Panthers have won 15 games this season. If they defeat Northern Durham on Tuesday, this Orange team will have more wins than any other Panther volleyball squad this decade.
Machai Holt: Scored two touchdowns in the Orange football team’s 40-30 loss to Vance County on Friday night in Henderson. Holt leads Orange with seven touchdowns. He paced the Panthers with 48 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards against the Vipers. The previous week against Northern Durham, Holt had 111 of Orange’s 144 yards of total offense.
Elliott Sikes: Blasted the game-tying goal for the Orange men’s soccer team in the waning minutes to send the Cedar Ridge game into extra time. Sikes is 2nd on the team with five goals on the season. Orange travels to Chapel Hill on Monday.
It’s finally feeling like fall.
This year, it also feels like playoff anticipation is alive and well again across Hillsborough after a relatively quiet 2018 at Cedar Ridge. Last academic year, only the Cedar Ridge softball team made the state playoffs among sports that determine their champions through a routine knockout tournament (the Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s cross country teams did qualify for the state championship meet)
This week, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team will officially make the state playoffs for the first time since 2015 when the brackets are unveiled online by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.
Orange will also be included in the field of 64. Not only that, but the Lady Panthers have a chance to be the winningest volleyball team at Orange this decade with a win over Northern Durham on Tuesday.
This Friday, Olivia Ward will represent Cedar Ridge women’s tennis in the 3A State Championships at the Burlington Tennis Center. Details about Ward qualifying for the state championships are detailed below.
On Monday, the 3A Central Golf Regionals will be held at Greensboro National Golf Club. Orange’s McKenzie Hawks and Sarah Durham will be competing and attempt to qualify for the 3A State Championships. Hawks and Durham will be the only golfers in Hillsborough competing in the regionals. The top three teams automatically qualify for the 3A State Championships with the three best scores. The top 17 individuals not on a qualifying team (which Orange falls into since they’re only taking two players) can also qualify for the state championships.
Here’s this week’s Magnificent 7. As always, we’ll have the announcement of the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week and the Orange Panther of the Week later this week.
Olivia Ward: For the second year in a row, Olivia Ward has qualified for the 3A Women’s Tennis State Championships. In a thrilling match on Friday afternoon at the Burlington Tennis Center, Ward defeated Orange sophomore Jera Hargrove in the 2nd round of the 3A Mideast Regionals. Ward won 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 to establish herself as the most established women’s tennis player in school history. Ward started the day with a victory over a player from Terry Sanford 6-0, 6-1. In Ward’s freshman year, Cedar Ridge won the 2016 Big 8 Championship. As a junior, she teamed with Alana Lutz to qualify for the 3A State Championships in doubles, where they lost to the eventual state championship tandem of Natalie Lutz and Madelynn Frye of Kings Mountain. Ward will start play in the State Championships on Friday as the #4 seed from the Mideast. She will face the champion of the Midwest Region in the opening round.
Nicholas Frank: Scored the final goal in regulation as the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team defeated Orange 3-2 in penalty kicks on Monday night. Frank, who notched a brace in the first game between the two teams last month, also scored the game-winning penalty kick as the Red Wolves took another step toward qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time since 2017. Cedar Ridge is 6-10-1 overall, 4-7 in the Big 8 Conference.
Julie Altieri: Yet another week where a freshman Cedar Ridge freshman makes the Magnificent 7. On Thursday, Altieri had 26 assists, five digs, five aces and one block as the Red Wolves swept Vance County in Henderson. Altieri leads the team with 78 aces and 552 assists for the Red Wolves, who are scheduled to conclude its regular season at Southern Durham on Tuesday (though Southern forfeited against Orange on Thursday due to a lack of available players).
Jera Hargrove: Last week’s Orange Panther of the Week won her first match in the Mideast Regionals over the top singles player from Eastern Alamance on Friday at the Burlington Tennis Center in straight sets. It’s the second time in the opening two years of Hargove’s athletic career that she has qualified for regionals. She missed qualifying for states by two games. Hargrove was the #1 singles player for the most successful Orange women’s tennis team this decade. The Lady Panthers finished 11-8.
Kaitlyn Werden: Finished with six kills, three aces, one block, 15 digs and 22 assists in Orange’s five-set thriller at Roxboro Community School on Friday. Werden also had 10 assists and five digs in the loss to Chapel Hill. Combined with Orange’s forfeit win over Southern Durham, the Lady Panthers have won 15 games this season. If they defeat Northern Durham on Tuesday, this Orange team will have more wins than any other Panther volleyball squad this decade.
Machai Holt: Scored two touchdowns in the Orange football team’s 40-30 loss to Vance County on Friday night in Henderson. Holt leads Orange with seven touchdowns. He paced the Panthers with 48 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards against the Vipers. The previous week against Northern Durham, Holt had 111 of Orange’s 144 yards of total offense.
Elliott Sikes: Blasted the game-tying goal for the Orange men’s soccer team in the waning minutes to send the Cedar Ridge game into extra time. Sikes is 2nd on the team with five goals on the season. Orange travels to Chapel Hill on Monday.
Last-minute strikes. Quick equalizers. Desperation defense. Yellow cards. Injuries. Timely saves. Smack talk. And, to top it all off, the ultimate drama of a penalty shootout. The second installment of the 2019 Hillsborough Rivalry, boys’ soccer edition, featured a little bit of everything. For the second straight meeting between Orange and Cedar Ridge, a second-half comeback set up a tense round of penalties, and for the second-straight meeting, Cedar Ridge prevailed.
A victory in the rivalry match would have been critically important for two teams that are on the fringe of HighSchoolOT’s current 3A soccer playoff projections. On Monday night in Hillsborough, the Red Wolves (6-9-1) withstood a steady barrage of Orange (6-10) offense and overcame a late Panther goal before winning the shootout 4-3 to seize the match 3-2, sweeping aside the Panthers for the first time since 2016.
In front of their home fans, with a few of those white “Beat the Ridge” shirts sprinkled throughout, the Panthers turned in a fairly dominant first half, but were never rewarded for their efforts. They controlled nearly all of the possession through the first 20 minutes and set up plenty of long-distance shots, most from either the right foot of Jose Beltran-Reyes or the left of Jason Franklin, but nothing got close enough to goal to trouble Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Ty Corbin. Finally, the unrelenting pressure resulted in a breakthrough in the 31st minute, as Franklin laid in Tyler Werden with a perfect through ball in the left half of the box, but Werden was flagged for offside as he converted his chip shot over a sprawling Corbin. Beltran-Reyes hit a curler just over the bar with about four minutes left, and the teams headed to halftime with the score still deadlocked at zero.
After halftime, something changed. After a first half with plenty of chances but no real tests, both sides upped their game almost immediately. Cedar Ridge opened the second half with a long-range bid from right back Bryan Dock, but it sailed over the bar. A few minutes later, Werden was deemed offside again on a header attempt to finish a rush, but he would not be denied. Eight minutes into the half, Werden was played into the attacking third. Surrounded by three Red Wolves defenders with a fourth one crashing in, Werden somehow spun around and lobbed the ball over the goalie for the opening score.
Cedar Ridge looked stunned, but not for long. Barely two minutes later, the Red Wolves were on the attack, forcing Orange goalie Jonathan Cowan to knock a low shot away. But with Cedar Ridge’s Nick Frank crashing in, Cowan couldn’t control the ball, and Will Mendoza swooped in to knock it home at the far post to level the score. Orange protested that Frank interfered with Cowan, but to no avail.
After a frenetic first ten minutes, both teams settled down for a while until Cedar Ridge found its breakthrough when Frank was played in perfectly, guided towards goal behind two defenders. Frank did the rest, slotting home his sixth goal of the season in the bottom corner to Cowan’s right. With 16 minutes to play, the Red Wolves had the lead. Orange nearly equalized a few minutes later, but Connor Blankford made a sliding play to deny Beltran-Reyes a glorious opportunity at the right post with Corbin out of position.
Still protecting the one-goal lead, Cedar Ridge continued to push forward, forcing a goal line clearance off a corner and threatening Cowan with a bid by Alex Jackan with two minutes to play. The Panthers knew they were running out of time. Cowan set up the goal kick after the Jackan miss, and, less than half a minute later, the Panthers passed the ball through their defense, past midfield, and into the stride of Elliott Sikes racing down the right sideline. With one big windup, Sikes blasted a shot around Corbin and into the back of the net from an impossible angle, tying the score at two apiece with 1:06 left to play. Beltran-Reyes got one more shot on goal with 20 seconds left, but Corbin did well enough to knock it away, sending the Hillsborough Rivalry to extra time for the second straight time.
The best chance of extra time came in the first minute when Orange’s Jerry Velazquez got an early shot on frame that Corbin parried right into the path of Franklin, but the Cedar Ridge defense was up to the task. Both offenses were quiet from there, setting up the ultimate drama that is the penalty shootout. Corbin and Cowan exchanged a cordial fist bump as they prepared to play their roles in the five-round showdown. The Red Wolves had to operate without co-leading scorer Reese Weaver, who had departed in the second half after a hard collision with Kobe Thompson that earned the Panther defender the game’s only yellow card. Instead, Garcia, the other co-leading scorer, led off with a confident goal. Leif Mahaney, who left the game himself with an injury on two separate occasions, returned to equalize.
Back and forth it went. Dock scored and Thompson equalized in a battle of defenders. Beltran-Reyes finally had a reward for his relentless pressure with a goal following a Mendoza miss to put the visitors ahead 3-2. Dean Allen responded for the visitors, but one more Orange goal might have been enough to make the difference. The Cedar Ridge contingent began clapping for Corbin, and he came through, getting all of a Luke Phillips shot that came straight down the middle.
It was down to round five. Frank calmly slotted his attempt past Cowan to put Cedar Ridge ahead. The crowd went silent. Orange senior Rohan Kasthuri stepped up to the spot and confidently – or, perhaps, casually – strolled up and curled the ball to the right post – and wide. Corbin, who had dived to his right, threw his arms in the air. The Cedar Ridge huddle at midfield exploded and rushed to join their goalie. As they raced past him at full speed, Kasthuri, seemingly in slow motion, fell to the ground.
Payton Wilson: Florida State defeated N.C. State 31-13 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL on Saturday night. In his fifth college game, Wilson had a career-high with seven tackles, including a sack of Seminoles quarterback Alex Hornibrook. Wilson also had a pass breakup. As Florida State pulled away in the second half, Wilson’s impact wasn’t lost on longtime Raleigh News and Observer sportswriter Joe Giglio.
Joe Giglio on Twitter: “And Payton Wilson is just hammering people / Twitter”
And Payton Wilson is just hammering people
As a redshirt freshman, Wilson is 3rd on the team with 23 tackles. He has three tackles for losses, tied for third on the Wolfpack.
Trent Gill: The former Cedar Ridge star had six punts for N.C. State against Florida State. Gill averaged 47.5 yards per punt. Two of the punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Two more went over 50 yards. Gill also had four kickoff, three of which went for touchbacks. Gill, who instructs current Orange kicker Nigel Slanker, is averaging 47.2 yards per punt on 20 punts this season. N.C. State is off next weekend. They return to action on October 10 against Syracuse in Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
Keyshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell Camels defeated Mercer 34-27 at Five Star Stadium in Macon, GA on Saturday night. Thompson, who was put on scholarship over the summer, played defense put didn’t record a tackle. Campbell is 3-1. They host Presbyterian in its Big South Conference opener next Saturday at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek.
Adam Chnupa: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate made his debut for FCS Elon on Saturday. #2 James Madison defeated the #24 Phoenix 45-10 at Rhodes Stadium at Elon. Chnupa, a redshirt freshman who was an All-Big 8 Conference football and baseball player at Cedar Ridge, entered the game in the fourth quarter. Elon, now 2-3, will travel to New Hampshire next Saturday.
Rodney Brooks: The Livingstone Blue Bears defeated Lincoln University (PA) 35-19 at Lions Stadium in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Brooks registered two tackles. Livingston is 4-0, 1-0 in the CIAA. They host Virginia Union next Saturday in Salisbury.
Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated UNC Wilmington 3-1 at Rudd Field in Elon in its Colonial Athletic Association opener on Thursday night. Hodges, who was featured on the front of the team’s program that night, assisted on the final Phoenix goal scored by Jessica Carrieri. Hodges, a sophomore, has started all ten of Elon’s games this year. Elon is 7-2-1 going into Sunday’s game against Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y.
Taylin Jean: Division II Barton College defeated Limestone 2-0 at Bulldogs Athletic Complex in Wilson on Saturday. Jean started in net for Limestone. She made five saves in the loss.
Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace University women’s soccer team defeated Mary Baldwin 6-2 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener on Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Rogers made her ninth start of the season, this time as a wingback. Peace is 4-4-1 overall, 1-0 in the USA South Conference.
Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team defeated Salem 2-1 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener at Varsity Field in Winston-Salem on Saturday. Daley started at centerback for the Pride, her tenth start of the year. Greensboro is 7-3.
Lilli Henry: The Methodist volleyball team had a tri-match in USA South Athletic Conference action on Saturday at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. The Monarchs defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-1 to end the day. Averett started the afternoon by beating Methodist 3-1. In the Monarchs’ win over Wesleyan, Henry had 22 assists, seven digs and an ace. In Averett’s victory against Methodist, Henry finished with 12 assists, seven digs and an ace. Methodist is 2-9, 1-2 in the USA South.
The Cedar Ridge volleyball team is learning on the job what it’s like to be the hunted. Especially for a team that starts three freshmen.
On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves retained its share of first place in the Big 8 Conference with a 3-2 win over Vance County at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves prevailed on scores of 25-14, 16-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-3. It was the second five set match of the year for Cedar Ridge. Two weeks ago, the Red Wolves stunned Chapel Hill in five set in front of a rowdy crowd in Hillsborough.
With the win, Cedar Ridge is 11-2, 5-1 in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge will host Southern Durham on Thursday night. With one more win, the Red Wolves will clinch its first winning season since 2016, when they reached the Eastern Regional Championship match.
The Red Wolves remain tied with Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill for first place in the Big 8. East Chapel Hill, who lost to Orange on Monday, rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Northwood in Pittsboro on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Chapel Hill swept Northern Durham 25-11, 25-16, and 25-8. Since losing to Cedar Ridge, the Tigers have won five in a row, dropping just one set in the process.
In the Bull City on Tuesday night, Orange rolled past Southern Durham 3-0 for its third win in four matches. The Lady Panthers cruised on scores of 25-4, 25-15 and 25-10.
Sophomore Avery Miller led Orange with eleven kills. It’s the fourth time this year that Miller has finished in double-digits in kills. Her career-high of 13 kills came in the 3-2 loss to Cedar Ridge on September 12.
Senior Kaitlyn Werden had ten aces, three digs and 23 assists. Freshman Erin Jordan-Cornell had six kills.
Orange is now 9-5 overall, 4-2 in the Big 8. After its win over East Chapel Hill on Monday, the Lady Panthers’ MaxPreps ranking went up to #21 among 3A teams. Chapel Hill is #2, Cedar Ridge is #11, East Chapel Hill is #18. Person, who Orange split the season series with, is #12.
Orange will host Northern Durham on Thursday. The Knights defeated Orange three times last season, including in the opening round of the Big 8 Conference Tournament last October.
Men’s Soccer: Orange opened the week with back-to-back matches. Northwood held off Orange 2-1 in Pittsboro, despite the Panthers having many chances that they failed to convert. The Chargers earned a penalty kick with nine minutes remaining, which they converted. Tyler Werden scored the Panthers’ only goal.
On Tuesday night, the defending 3A State Champion Chapel Hill defeated Orange 2-0 in a match that was scoreless at halftime. The Panthers are 4-6, 1-4 in the Big 8 Conference. Orange will travel to Carrboro on Friday.
On Monday, Northern Durham defeated Cedar Ridge 5-0 at Jack Armstrong Stadium in Durham. The Red Wolves are 3-6-1, 1-3 in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge hosts East Chapel Hill at Red Wolves Stadium on Wednesday night (tonight).
It was one remarkable time for Nicholas Frank to notch his first brace in high school soccer. Frank scored two goals in a span of 49 seconds last Wednesday night to even the first leg of the Hillsborough Derby at 3-3. The Red Wolves eventually won in penalty kicks 4-3. Naturally, Frank had the game-winning score in penalties, and goalkeeper Ty Corbin made the final save against Orange to trigger a wild celebration among the Red Wolves. It was their first home win over Orange since 2015. Frank becomes the latest freshman to win Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week. Of the five Red Wolves who have been awarded this year, three are freshman. Frank has four goals this season, along with ten points. He also scored goals against Carrboro on August 26 and the Durham School of the Arts on September 4. Cedar Ridge hosts East Chapel Hill on Wednesday night.
It won’t feel like it, but this is the first full week of fall. It’s also the start of the 2nd half of volleyball, women’s tennis and men’s soccer seasons.
Cedar Ridge and Orange were both swept by teams from Chapel Hill last week. Against an unforgiving Big 8 Conference schedule, Orange faces East Chapel Hill tonight (Monday) to start a three-game week. After losing its first conference game to East Chapel Hill on Friday, Cedar Ridge will look to bounce back with its first-ever match against Vance County in Hillsborough on Tuesday. The Red Wolves travel to Southern Durham on Thursday.
Also on Monday afternoon, Cedar Ridge will host Orange for its senior night. It will be a special day for the Red Wolves’ Olivia Ward, who was a member of Cedar Ridge’s Big 8 Championship team as a freshman. The Red Wolves haven’t lost to Orange since the two teams became conference rivals in 2014.
On Friday, football will start conference play. Orange will host East Chapel Hill. Cedar Ridge will travel to Northwood in Pittsboro. Both games will kickoff at 7. Our coverage here on Hillsboroughsports.com starts at 6:45 with the C&R Ski Outdoor pregame show.
Without any further ado, here’s the Magnificent 7 from last week. It featured a dramatic first leg of the Hillsborough Derby between Orange and Cedar Ridge in men’s soccer. Despite losing to East Chapel Hill, it was still another strong showing from Cedar Ridge volleyball. And the Orange women’s tennis team won three dual matches.
As always, a reminder that two of these athletes will be named the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week and the Orange Panther of the Week on Tuesday.
Nicholas Frank: Orange appeared set to win its third straight men’s soccer game at Cedar Ridge on Wednesday night. The Panthers led 3-1 with 19:00 remaining. But Cedar Ridge freshman Nicholas Frank scored two stunning goals within 47 seconds to even the match. Dean Allen found Frank on a through ball with 15:43 remaining, and Frank finished from 18 yards. Moments later, Reese Weaver created a turnover and found Erickson Thole, who hit Frank again for the equalizer. Frank also scored the game-winning goal in penalties as Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 4-3.
Ty Corbin: Cedar Ridge’s goalkeeper earned the victory against Orange with back-to-back saves on Orange’s final two penalty attempts. Corbin also made a huge save in the first overtime session, which was the only major chance by either team to score after regulation ended. Corbin, who is also a lacrosse player, earned his third win of the year.
Cameron Lloyd: Yes, it’s cliche by now. But Lloyd becomes the first three-time inductee into the Hall of Awesome after two stellar games against Bartlett Yancey and Northern Durham. Against the Knights, Lloyd had 17 kills, 12 aces and ten digs as Cedar Ridge defeated Northern for the first time since becoming Big 8 rivals. In Monday’s sweep of Bartlett Yancey, Lloyd had 13 kills, one ace and four digs. Plus, she celebrated her birthday last week.
James McAdoo: The Orange football team fell short against Riverside on Friday night. It was also Orange’s best effort of the season. McAdoo, playing his second game after getting injured in a scrimmage against Person, had a team-high seven tackles. In the 2nd quarter, he stripped the ball away from Riverside quarterback Landon Sledge, and Will Torain dove on the loose ball. It led to a touchdown from Machai Holt. In the third quarter, McAdoo recovered another fumble, again leading to a touchdown from Holt.
Emma Williamson: The Orange women’s tennis team swept Vance County in back-to-back matches on Wednesday, then defeated Roxboro Community School 8-1 on Thursday. Williamson won her lone match at #4 singles against the Vipers 8-0. On Thursday, she won her match against Roxboro Community in straight sets. She also teamed with Morgan Gwinn at #2 doubles to win 8-1.
Lottie Scully: A sophomore enshrined into the Hall of Awesome for the first time, Scully had a team-high nine kills in Orange’s 3-0 win over Northwood on Tuesday night at Panther Gymnasium. Scully also had ten assists, two digs and an ace as the Lady Panthers improved to 7-4 before Thursday’s game against Chapel Hill.
Elliott Sikes: On Monday night, the Orange men’s soccer team defeated Vance County 10-1. Sikes came away with his first hat trick against the Vipers. Sikes also had two goals against Hillside in a 7-1 Panther victory on September 3.
Rodney Brooks: After a year at Fort Union Military Academy, 2018 Orange graduate Rodney Brooks made his four-year college debut for Division II Livingstone last week. Brooks, who plays safety, had a tackle in the Bears’ 27-16 victory over Elizabeth City State University at Alumni Memorial Football Stadium in Salisbury. On Saturday, Livingstone improved to 3-0 with a 21-7 win over Allen University. Brooks was a safety, cornerback and quarterback for the Orange football team who was a member of three Big 8 Conference Champions from 2016-18. He also played right field for the Orange baseball team in 2017, which had a stunning run to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Brooks’ high school athletic career ended after he suffered a torn ACL playing quarterback against Riverside in 2017.
Payton Wilson: Though he didn’t start, Wilson served as a reserve linebacker in N.C. State’s 34-23 win over Ball State at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Wilson made four tackles. Wilson, a redshirt freshman, has 16 tackles through four games.
Trent Gill: Against Ball State, Gill had limited punting duties for the Wolfpack since State scored 34 punts. Nonetheless, Gill had three punts for an average of 51 yards per boot. One was downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had six kickoffs, five of which went for touchbacks. Saturday’s game was the nonconference finale for N.C. State. They will start ACC play at Florida State next Saturday.
Keshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell football team defeated Davidson 31-29 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson, a redshirt sophomore from Orange, assisted on three tackles. Campbell won off a 50-yard field goal from Colin Gary as time expired.
Jack Schmid: Schmid saw action for Division III Wheaton College on Saturday. The Thunder defeated Illinois Wesleyan 24-10 at McCully Stadium in Wheaton, IL. Wheaton is 2-0.
Natalie Chandler: The 2017 Orange graduate is a member of the UNC women’s soccer team. Chandler was named to the 2018-19 ACC Academic Honor Roll. Now a junior, Chandler played in UNC’s 8-0 victory over UNLV in the Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium in Durham. Chandler helped Orange to the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs in 2016 and 2017.
Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team split two matches last week. The Phoenix defeated Hampton 8-0 at HU Soccer Complex in Hampton, VA on Sunday. Hodges started at wingback and was credited with a shot on goal. On Thursday, UNC Greensboro defeated the Phoenix 4-3 at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro. Again, Hodges started and had a shot on goal. Elon is 6-2-1. They will host UNC Wilmington in its Colonial Athletic Association opener on Thursday at Rudd Field in Elon.
Taylin Jean: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate posted her first clean sheet as Division II Limestone defeated Lander University at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday. Jean made five saves to post the shutout. On Saturday, Belmont Abbey defeated Limestone 4-0 at Alumni Field in Belmont, NC. It was the first time Limestone lost a Conference Carolinas match in over three years. Jean made seven saves in the loss. The Saints are 2-3, 0-1 in Conference Carolinas.
Jordan Rogers: William Peace University defeated Brevard College 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The Pacers improved to 2-3-1. Rogers, a sophomore who graduated from Orange in 2018, started at wingback. On Tuesday, the Pacers played to a scoreless tie against Randolph College at Wildcat Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Rogers, who has moved to the defensive backline, also started. Rogers has started all six of the Pacers matches this season.
Lionel Reid-Shaw: The Division III Dickinson men’s soccer team defeated Swarthmore 4-0 in its Centennial Conference opener in Swarthmore, PA on Saturday. The Red Devils ended a four-game losing streak. Reid-Shaw, a senior, started at centerback. It was his sixth game of the season. Dickinson is 3-4.
Lilli Henry: The 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate helped the Methodist volleyball team win its first match of the season on Saturday. The Monarchs defeated Regent University 3-0 at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. Henry finished with 17 assists, four aces, three digs and one kill. On Tuesday, Roanoke College defeated Methodist 3-2 in Salem, VA. Against the Maroons, Henry had 22 assists and eleven digs. The Monarchs are now 1-8.
Bailey Lucas: On Friday, the Division III Meredith College volleyball team defeated Roanoke College 3-2 at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Lucas played one set for the Avenging Angels. Meredith is 6-5.
Local high school soccer coaches are not only teachers of the game. Many are also fans.
Chapel Hill’s Jason Curtis, as well as his legendary mentor Ron Benson, wear the colors of Liverpool of England’s Premier League. For Curtis and Benson, times are good. The Tigers won the 3A State Championship last November. Last spring, Liverpool claimed its first UEFA Champions League title/European Cup in 15 years when they defeated English rival Tottenham 2-0.
It would be an embellishment to call Cedar Ridge Coach Chris Walker a fan of Sunderland. Doing so would seem to be a pathway of suffering and perhaps long-term therapy.
Sunderland was a member of the Premier League as recently as 2016. Now, they’ve suffered consecutive years of relegation (when a team finishes in the bottom three spots in the Premier League, they get sent down to the English Championship, essentially AAA baseball) Now, Sunderland is in League One (AA baseball)
But Walker certainly can relate to Sunderland. He’s coached a team in the shadow of giants like Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill an Carrboro. More often than not, he’s taking undermanned teams against schools that often have 60-70 players trying out in early August.
Nights like Wednesday night are when it’s most rewarding.
Facing crosstown rival Orange, the Red Wolves trailed 3-1 with 17:00 remaining. That’s when freshman Nicholas Frank scored two goals in a span of 43 seconds to even the game.
Cedar Ridge (3-5-1, 1-2 in the Big 8) would go on to win in penalty kicks 4-3 to beat Orange at Red Wolves Stadium for the first time since 2015.
Even more remarkably, Cedar Ridge pulled off the comeback despite leading scorer Brandon Garcia getting injured in the final 20 minutes. Garcia, who had a seven-game scoring streak to open the season, left the game and din’t return until the 2nd overtime period.
Fittingly, Frank laced the game-winning penalty into the middle right side of the net. Cedar Ridge junior goalkeeper Ty Corbin made the save on Orange’s final attempt to start a wild celebration among the Cedar Ridge players.
Orange (4-4, 1-2) had a chance to score in the opening 5-minute overtime session, but Elliott Sikes’ wormburner from 18 yards clipped the outside left post.
“I told our guys at halftime we had to go back to our game plan,” said Walker, his voice hoarse from an intense night off coaching. “I pulled Nick in the first half because he told me ‘Coach, I’m not getting the ball.’ And I asked him what he was going to do? I told him he had to do more to get the ball.”
And he did. On consecutive possessions in the 2nd half, Frank received the ball after 20-yard runs. His first goal came from 20 yards away after Orange’s goalkeeper came out of net as Frank collected a gorgeous balll from Reese Weaver.
Less than a minute later, Frank received another pass to even the game.
Orange led penalties 3-2 after three rounds, but Corbin made saves on the last two attempts.
Garcia, Weaver, Erickson Thole and Frank scored penalties for Cedar Ridge.
