Cedar Ridge Women’s Basketball

DURHAM–It would be easy to draw comparisons between Amiyah Ware and LeBron James.

Just 24 hours removed from James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA all-time scoring record, Ware made her own history inside Durham’s venerable Paul Sikes Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Against the Durham School of the Arts, Ware scored 51 points to propel the Cedar Ridge women’s team past the Bulldogs 65-57 in the Red Wolves’ regular season finale.

She became the first player in the history of Orange County, male or female, to have two 50-point games in the same season. It happened only five days after Ware set the Orange County record by scoring 54 points against Western Alamance, She topped the record set by Orange High’s Ronnie McAdoo in 1978 when he scored 53 against Southern Durham.

Like millions of others, Ware stayed up past her bedtime late Tuesday night to watch James sink a fadeaway for his 38,353rd point. Just as James captured the attention of the sports world, Ware’s domination of the Bulldogs riveted the fans inside Sikes Gymnasium, practically a miniature version of Cameron Indoor Stadium with bleachers on the lower-level and six rows of dark blue wooden seats circling the upper-deck and a crow’s nest.

Except Ware is more of a Jayson Tatum girl. She watched him play for her college team, Duke, growing up and thinks he’ll lead the Celtics to its 18th World Championship this year.

Ware closed out Cedar Ridge’s regular season by avenging an earlier loss to the Bulldogs. On November 21, the Bulldogs rolled past the Red Wolves 55-26 in Cedar Ridge’s home opener.

It should come as no surprise that Ware wasn’t in the lineup that night for the Red Wolves, still working her way back from a torn ACL in her right knee suffered last spring.

On Wednesday night, there was all sorts of obstacles that Ware overcame to lead the Red Wolves to its fourth straight victory of the year. At halftime, Cedar Ridge went to the locker room leading 32-28, with Ware scoring 18 in the first half. Yet when the Red Wolves walked out to start the second half, the overhead scoreboard read 32-30, the first of several discrepancies between the two teams’ scorekeepers on the night. After lengthy deliberation between the three officials, Cedar Ridge started the half with its four-point lead intact.

In the second half, Ware scored 33 of Cedar Ridge’s 34 points. Senior Grace Young’s fourth quarter free throw was the only exception to the Red Wolves’ second half scoring total.

Ware had to play the final quarter with four fouls. On the other hand, she fouled out three DSA guards sacrificed with the unenviable task of defending her all night. That included Lindsay Suitt and Nylah Daniels, the Bulldogs’ top two scorers.

Late in the game, a DSA reserve got extra aggressive and caught Ware with a hand across the face, which fired up the Cedar Ridge bench, not to mention Ware. Late in the game, Ware laid down a crossover move on another DSA substitute which left the hapless  Bulldog sprawling to the floor flat on her backside, sending every fan in the gym reeling. It led to Ware’s final free throws of the game.

Ware’s latest extraordinary effort led to a successful farewell for seniors Cameron Copeland, Cierra Copeland, Grace Young, Beysi Asencio, and Deepmala Ford-Williams, all of whom won their final regular season game.

Men’s Basketball: Durham School of the Arts 62, Cedar Ridge 56

Cedar Ridge hoped that a viral campaign to make guard Landon Dalehite eligible for Wednesday’s game against Durham School of the Arts would be enough to carry the Red Wolves to victory.

Though Dalehite was allowed to play by the NCHSAA, DSA was able to avenge a loss from November.

Josh Dorsette scored 25 points as the Bulldogs (6-16) defeated the Red Wolves 62-56. Early in the third quarter, Cedar Ridge took a 35-34 lead after a lay-in by Colton Taylor, who paced the Red Wolves with 21 points. Cedar Ridge built its lead to 37-34 after a transition basket by Taylor on a feed from Dalehite. Shortly afterwards, Taylor was called for his third and fourth fouls, which sent him out of the game for the final 3:02 of the third quarter.

The Cedar Ridge scorekeeper had Taylor for one foul at the end of the first half, but the Durham School of the Arts scorekeeper had him with two. The home scorebook is the official scorebook for all games at non-neutral sites.

After Taylor picked him his fourth foul, Cedar Ridge was never able to regain momentum offensively. Jaden Haynes drilled a 3-pointer late in the third quarter to put the Bulldogs back ahead. Dorsetts scored eight points in the fourth quarter.

Cedar Ridge (6-15) will start play in the Central Carolina Conference Tournament on Monday night against an opponent to be determined. If Orange defeats Eastern Alamance this Friday, and if Person knocks off Walter Williams, then the Red Wolves will travel to Orange for the opening round.

On Tuesdays night in Burlington, Walter Williams defeated Cedar Ridge. Dalehite was ejected after two technical fouls that Red Wolves coach Mike Jones, along with many others on the team, took issue with. It led to the Cedar Ridge Instagram account starting a viral campaign named #Freelando. It worked, as Dalehite was cleared to play by the NCHSAA hours before tipoff.

Women’s Basketball: Cedar Ridge 65, Durham School of the Arts 57: 

Cedar Ridge: Amiyah Ware 51, Annora Leaf 2, Grace Young 4, Jamee Rose Watson 8.

Durham School of the Arts: Nylah Daniels 15, Lindsay Suitt 27, Eboseta Arhuidese 11, Genesis Danies 2, Tatyana Cheek 2.

3-pointers: Cedar Ridge 2 (Watson 2) Durham School of the Arts 3 (Daniels 3)

Fouled Out: Durham School of the Arts (Suitt, Daniels, Kamryn Ettson)

Men’s Basketball: Durham School of the Arts 62, Cedar Ridge 56

Cedar Ridge: Colton Taylor 21, Jonovan Wingate 4, Hayden Kirk 5, Braedon Wilbourn 8, Landon Dalehite 4, Harrison Perel 2, Luke Orstad 6, Corin Wingate 6.

Durham School of the Arts: Darryn Johnson 10, Josh Dorsette 25, Kaleb Lucas 6, Jaden Haynes 17, Billy Dupree 4.

3-Pointers: Cedar Ridge 3 (Taylor, Orstad, Wilbourn) Durham School of the Arts 4 (Dorsette 2, Haynes 2)

Just a day after National Women in Sports Day, Cedar Ridge junior Amiyah Ware set a mark that will likely live on for decades.

Unless she breaks it herself. Again.

Ware scored 54 points for Cedar Ridge in a 69-64 loss to Western Alamance at Coach Erma Adams Court in Elon. She broke a series of records and milestones. For starters, she shattered her own school record, which she set in her first game in a Cedar Ridge uniform when she scored 37 points against East Chapel Hill on December 6 at Wildcats Gymnasium. Ware tied her own record last month against Eastern Alamance in Hillsborough.

She also broke the county record, regardless of gender, that had stood since 1978. Orange High’s Ronnie McAdoo held the previous Orange County record when he scored 53 points in a 92-76 win over Southern Durham on January 24, 1978. McAdoo, who went on to play at Old Dominion, accomplished the feat without the benefit of a 3-point line, which was introduced in North Carolina High School basketball in 1988.

No player from Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill or Carrboro High has ever surpassed 50 points in a game in recorded history.

Ware’s total is the 10th-highest ever recorded in a women’s game, according to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association record book. She surpassed the 53 points compiled by Wendy Palmer, who played at Person High School, against Northern Durham in 1991. After Palmer graduated from Person, she went on to play at Virginia and eventually in the Women’s National Basketball Association, starting with the Utah Starzz, for eleven seasons.

The all-time women’s record in North Carolina is held by Clinton’s Mikayla Boykin, who scored 63 points for Clinton against Pender County in 2017. Boykin, now with the Charlotte 49ers, holds the top-two spots on the all-time single-game list. She scored 62 points against Triton in 2016.

“It was inhuman, honestly,” said Cedar Ridge women’s coach Megan Skouby. “She played her butt off tonight, scoring 54 points out of 64 total points. She has absolutely been a game changer for us. She leads the floor. She’s our point guard. Teams have to concentrate so much on her. And when she’s on, she is just unstoppable.”

It’s the most points scored in a women’s game since Charlotte Sherrill tallied 56 for Blue Ridge High School against Nantahala in 2021.

Ware has changed the fate of the Cedar Ridge women’s team after she transferred from the Burlington School last summer. She tore the ACL in her right knee last spring, which led to her missing the opening six games of this season. The Red Wolves lost each of their first six games, but nearly won her in her debut at East Chapel Hill.

On December 9, Ware scored 19 points as the Red Wolves defeated Person 50-27 in Roxboro, which ended Cedar Ridge’s 39-game conference losing streak. It was Cedar Ridge’s first conference win since February 8, 2019.

Since then, Ware has scored over 20 points in nine consecutive games. She had 34 points against Eastern Alamance on Tuesday night, her final home game of the season.

Cedar Ridge will end its regular season this week. They will wrap up Central Carolina Conference regular season play at Walter Williams in Burlington on Tuesday night. The Red Wolves will face Durham School of the Arts at Paul Sykes Gymnasium on Wednesday night. Cedar Ridge will start play in the CCC Tournament on February 13.

“I saw some real growth from our team against Western Alamance,” Skouby said. “Not just from Amiyah, but our defense looked really good. We were very aggressive. We’ve definitely gotten better as the year has gone on. They just have to continue that and hopefully. If we played like we did tonight against some of these other teams, we wouldn’t be where we are now. Let’s just put it that way.”

The immediate impact of Amiyah Ware into the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball lineup was apparent in her first game in a Red Wolves’ uniform.

Cedar Ridge, who opened the year without Ware in its opening six games as she recovered from a torn ACL in her right knee, went from losing by 60 points to Chapel Hill to taking East Chapel Hill down to the wire in a matter of days. The Red Wolves had a chance to tie on its final possession but a final shot fell short and the Wildcats held on to win 54-51.

Three days later, the Red Wolves ended a 39-game conference losing streak with a 50-27 victory over Person in Roxboro. It was Cedar RIdge’s first conference win since February 8, 2019.

On Friday night, Ware permanently branded her name in the Cedar Ridge record books when she scored 37 points against Eastern Alamance at Jobe Gymnasium in Mebane. Ware broke the previous record set by Madison Wardlow, who scored 35 points against Northern Durham on February 5, 2019. Wardlow is the only female player in Cedar Ridge history to score over 1,000 points.

Eastern Alamance held on to defeat the Red Wolves 56-47.

On Thursday night, Ware scored 22 points to lift Cedar Ridge past Franklin Academy 38-30 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It was the Red Wolves first home win of the season as well as its first nonconference victory.

Cedar Ridge never trailed against the Patriots as Ware scored six points in the opening quarter. Annora Leaf added another bucket as Cedar Ridge led 8-2 at the end of the first quarter.

Franklin Academy’s Sarah Godwin keep the Patriots (6-10) alive in the second half. Godwin had ten points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers, to reduce the Red Wolves lead to 27-20. Koryn Shearin knocked down a 3-pointer with 56 seconds remaining in the third quarter, but Franklin’s Illiana Rodriguez, a 6-foot-3 center, got her long arms on a rebound for a stickback bucket. Franklin’s Ashley Probasco got a steal and threw in a set shot as the third quarter buzzer sounded  to cut the Red Wolves lead to 31-25 going into the fourth quarter.

To open the fourth quarter, Ware drew an offensive foul when Godwin was called for using the off-arm against her on offense. On the subsequent possession, Shearin threw a skip pass to Ware, who jumped up-and-down calling for the ball before she finally drained a 3-pointer for her 20th point. It was the Red Wolves only field goal of the second half, but it turned out to be all they needed. Godwin scored on a stickback field goal with 4:20 remaining to reduce the Red Wolves lead to 33-28.

The Patriots had several attempts to cut the Red Wolves’ deficit to one possession in the final four minutes, but Cameron Copeland tied up Rodriguez to force a held ball that sent the possession back to Cedar Ridge. A moment later, Ware knocked the ball away from Franklin’s Emily Capps. Copeland took the loose ball and drew a foul against Rodriguez, which was her fifth.

Probasco missed the front end of an 1-and-1 with 2:55 remaining. Franklin missed another 3-point opportunity and Shearin got the rebound. Young finally ended the long scoreless string with a free throw, and Ware got a key steal to preserve the Red Wolves lead on the next possession.

Godwin had 17 points for the Patriots.

Grace Young added seven points for the Red Wolves.

Ware, a transfer from the Burlington School, started her career playing at the age of eight at the Orange Parks and Recreation Department.

Cedar Ridge will host Western Alamance on Tuesday night at 6, the first of three straight home games. They will also host Walter Williams on Friday night, which will mark the halfway point of the conference schedule. The Red Wolves will face Person again on January 20 at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior basketball guard Amiyah Ware. Last month, Ware played her first games with Cedar Ridge after suffering a torn ACL on her right knee. In her second game, she scored 19 points as the Red Wolves defeated Person 50-27 in Roxboro. The win ended Cedar Ridge’s 39-game conference losing streak. It was Cedar Ridge’s first conference win since February 8, 2019. Ware scored 21 points in Tuesday’s game against Orange at Panther Gymnasium. On Thursday night, Ware had 22 points, a season-high, as Cedar Ridge earned its second win of the season, 38-30, over Franklin Academy. Amiyah grew up playing at the Orange County Parks and Recreation Department and started when she was eight years old. After two years at The Burlington School, she opted to transfer to Cedar Ridge during the summer. Before she returned to Hillsborough, she underwent grueling rehabilitation to get back into playing shape. Her addition to the Cedar Ridge lineup under head coach Megan Skouby has led to the Red Wolves being competitive against local rivals like East Chapel Hill and Orange. After its win over Franklin Academy, Cedar Ridge will continue its season tonight against Eastern Alamance in Mebane at 6 PM.

There wasn’t any need for a big pep talk from Megan Skouby on the night of their Central Carolina Conference opener.

Her Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team still looked motivated enough against Person in Roxboro, where the bleachers spill right onto the edge of the floor and the gym gets very loud when it’s full. Despite the circumstances, Cedar Ridge convincingly defeated Person 58-27 on December 9.

It was only afterwards that Skouby learned something from Jeff Young, the father of guard Grace Young, that caused her to raise her eyebrows.

Cedar Ridge had just ended a 39-game conference losing streak. It was their first conference win since February 8, 2019, when the Red Wolves defeated East Chapel Hill 36-35 at Wildcats Gymnasium. In fact, back then Cedar Ridge played in the Big 8 Conference, as opposed to its current home, the Central Carolina Conference.

Overall, the Red Wolves ended a 19-game losing streak.

“I didn’t realize that until Jeff told me,” Skouby said. “I was like, ‘Oh. Well. Alright.’ I was pretty surprised but I’m happy we were able to win. Just trying to build a program back up year by year. It’s a good thing for us to get that win in the conference and we’re going to go from there.”

Guard Amiyah Ware, in her second game in a Cedar Ridge uniform, led the Red Wolves with 18 points. Freshman Jamee Rose Watson added 17 for Cedar Ridge (1-8, 1-1 in the Central Carolina Conference).

Ware, a junior, transferred from the Burlington School over the summer. She tore her ACL last spring and still plays with a brace on her right leg after six months of rehabilitation.

“Amiyah brings a calming presence to the team,” Skouby said. “She’s a great ball handler so it gives us that element that we really haven’t had before. She just knows the game so well that everyone kind of feeds off of her.”

For twin sisters Cierra and Cameron Copeland, it was a particularly gratifying win. Two years ago during the pandemic, basketball season started amid a cloud of uncertainty. Virtually no fans were permitted to attend games locally or in neighboring school districts. Games were often cancelled or moved with less than 24 hours notice.

Because of injuries, illness and player departures, Cedar Ridge barely had a women’s basketball squad in 2021. More often than not, they suited up only five players for games–the bare minimum allowed to field a team. Two of those players were Cierra and Cameron Copeland, who fought against the odds every night through an 0-8 season. If one of those five players fouled out, which happened several times, Cedar Ridge would be forced to play 5-on-4.

When Skouby, a former center at Iowa, took over the basketball team the following summer, her first job was simple: get more players.

She says, perhaps half-jokingly, that she’s relied on “harassment in the hallways.”

Sometimes, she’ll see a student of above average height walking down the hallways, point to them and, if she doesn’t know their names, say directly “You! You need to play basketball.”

Skouby, an assistant coach in volleyball, talked Young and Julie Altieri to play basketball shortly after the volleyball team won the 3A State Championship in the fall of 2021. When Young played against Durham School of the Arts in the 2021-2022 season opener, it was the first time she had played a basketball game since elementary school.

Some didn’t even have that much experience.

“I think a lot it has to do with the relationship I have with the kids,” Skouby said. “I’m able to joke, I’m able to keep that lightness. But I’m also serious about wanting them to get better everyday. The kids respect that. I have some kids in my science class and they come over and I talk to them.”

Her in-house recruiting efforts have paid dividends. For the first time in years, Cedar Ridge has a junior varsity team, as well as a varsity squad with 15 players.

“I think our confidence is getting better,” Skouby said. “We work everyday to try and make sure them to teach them that if you’re open, you have to shoot it. That’s the only way we can score. Before that, it was that game where they didn’t really want to shoot it because they didn’t want to be responsible Now, the kids realize that I’m not going to hold them responsible if they miss.”

At first glance, it’s an interesting time to take over a women’s basketball program. Northwood, who defeated Cedar Ridge on Friday, are the defending 3A State Champions.

Skouby isn’t living and dying with every win or loss right now. While she’s played in NCAA Tournament games and has been an assistant coach on a state championship volleyball squad, her focus isn’t purely on the scoreboard.

“I don’t really look too far into what our competition is going to be,” Skouby said. “I look in terms of what we can improve on each day. I tell them that I don’t always expect them to go out and beat the socks off of people. I expect them to go out and get better than the last game or the last practice.”

It wasn’t simply a win for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in Roxboro on Friday night. It was the end of a losing streak that spanned nearly four years. The Red Wolves defeated Person 50-27 at Rockets Gymnasium. It ended a 39-game conference losing streak for the Red Wolves. Junior Amiyah Ware, in his second game in a Cedar Ridge uniform, led Cedar Ridge with 18 points. James Rose Watson, also in her first year for the Red Wolves added 17 points as the Red Wolves ended a 19-game overall losing streak. It was Cedar Ridge’s first conference win since they defeated East Chapel Hill on February 8, 2019. It was a great birthday present for Cedar Ridge senior guard Grace Young, who turned 18 last Friday. She added seven points for Cedar Ridge. Ware, a transfer from the Burlington School, had to sit out the first six games of the year after she suffered a torn ACL last spring. It was a signature moment for seniors Cameron and Cierra Copeland, two players who were out paying two years ago in the pandemic when the Red Wolves often only suited up five players. Red Wolves head coach Megan Skouby has now built the Cedar Ridge program to a varsity squad with 15 players, along with a junior varsity team. Cedar Ridge will host the defending 3A State Champions, Northwood, on Friday night in Hillsborough.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior basketball guard Phoenix Smith. On December 6, Smith scored on a baseline shot with three seconds remaining off a feed from Julie Altieri to defeat Northern Durham 45-44. The victory ended a 26-game losing streak for the Red Wolves women’s basketball team. The following week, Cedar Ridge defeated Raleigh Charter 30-20, where Smith scored seven points. Even during the toughest of times, Smith has remained dedicated to Cedar Ridge basketball. Last winter, because of Covid and injuries, the team often only had five players. Smith was the starting point guard and went forward with games knowing she wouldn’t be substituted. This year, Smith was a member of the 3A State Championship volleyball team for Cedar Ridge. She walked under the spotlight at Reynolds Coliseum and was introduced in front of over 1,000 fans as the Red Wolves faced North Iredell in November. Smith is also a track and field runner in the spring. In addition, she is active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and is a three-sport athlete at Cedar Ridge.

It’s not even Christmas break yet and the season could already be considered a success for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team. In just seven games, they have surpassed their win total from the previous two years combined. On Monday night, the Red Wolves defeated Raleigh Charter 30-20 at Red Wolves Arena. Sophomore twins Cameron and Cierra Copeland started for the Red Wolves. Last season, the Cedar Ridge women’s team only had five players for several games, but the Copelands were out there ready to play alongside Phoenix Smith, Anjelica Carbajal and Bryn Booker. After winning just one game in the previous two seasons, Cedar Ridge has won two already this season. Cameron Copeland had four rebounds for the Red Wolves in the victory over the Phoenix. The Red Wolves could easily have four wins at this point after close games against Voyager Academy and East Chapel Hill. On Tuesday night, Cedar Ridge will travel for a rematch against East Chapel Hill, which can be heard on Hillsboroughsports.com with Jon Franklin on the play-by-play.