Cedar Ridge High School

The only troubling part about Friday night at Orange High is that both the softball and baseball games can’t be enjoyed separately.

Instead, the Orange-Cedar Ridge baseball rivalry, such as it is, will start at 6 PM. The softball rivalry, which has only added in intensity in recent years, will start at 6:30 at the adajacent softball field just down the hill.

The ingredients are there that makes any sports fan interested. Drama. Finality. A crosstown rivalry. Intensity. Standing room only crowds And a pennant chase sprinkled into both games.

In fairness, the stakes in the Orange-CRHS baseball game drawfs in comparison to the softball matchup. Cedar Ridge baseball’s chances of making the state playoffs are virtually nil, unless they can win next week’s Big 8 tournament. Orange has already captured a share of the Big 8 Championship after winning at CRHS 7-0 on Tuesday, where Bryse Wilson improved to 7-2 after his fourth shutout of the year. If Dean Dease’s Panthers win on senior night, they will claim the top seed for the Big 8 Conference going into the state tournament, regardless of how next week’s conference tournament ends up.

The words “Senior Night” for Orange baseball is fitting since it will be the final regular season game for Wilson, Brad Debo, Cameron Mehl, Austin Sykes, Jamil Jordan, Cole Campanile, Johnny Flynn, Chandler Compton, and Landon Riley. But it will hardly be the final time those ten players will play at Panther Field. It all likelihood, they have two games remaining, minimum.

What can’t be ignored is the effect that Wilson, Debo, etc. have had on the distinguished history of Orange baseball. Since starting as freshman, Wilson and Debo have been a duo like Wilson & Stiller (just without making Zoolander 2), Dre & Ice Cube, Fey & Poehler and Hall & Oates.

They are the flagship players for the winningest four-year class in school history, going 87-14 since 2013.

However, that hasn’t protected Orange from falling victim to upsets this season due to an inconsistent offense and lack of pitching depth. Last week’s 9-8 loss to Oxford Webb in 8 innings kept Chapel Hill’s hopes of gaining a share of the Big 8 regular season championship alive. Orange will enter the final night of the regular season 9-2. The Tigers played its final conference game of the season last week and is in the clubhouse 9-3. If CRHS pulls the upset, there will be a tiebreaker between the Tigers and the Panthers after the game. The winner will get a bye through to the semifinals in next week’s Big 8 Championship, while the 2nd seed faces Southern Durham in the first round.

The stakes in the softball game are much higher after Tuesday night. Cedar Ridge defeated the Panthers 8-2, only the second loss of the season for the Panthers. Cedar Ridge pitcher Rivers Andrews threw a two-hitter, striking out 13.

Members of the Northwood softball team realized how vital the game was. After a victory over Southern Durham, several Chargers stopped by Cedar Ridge to watch the finish of CRHS vs. OHS, knowing full well that if Orange lost, the Chargers would benefit greatly.

Orange and Northwood are now tied for first in the Big 8 at 9-2. Cedar Ridge is 8-3 and will be in a spoiler role on Thursday night. If Orange wins, they will claim a share of the regular season championship. A win over CRHS and a Southern upset over Northwood (the Spartans are winless) would give the Panthers the Big 8 crown outright going into next week’s conference tournament.

Andrews made it a senior night to remember for Red Wolves Softball. The sophomore struck out 13 and yielded only two hits as Cedar Ridge defeated Orange 8-2 at Cedar Ridge Softball Complex. Andrews also went 1-4 as Cedar Ridge handed Orange only its 2nd loss of the season.

Cedar Ridge P Rivers Andrews Talks Win Over Orange

Andrews had a senior night to remember for the Red Wolves, throwing a two-hitter and striking out 13 as Cedar Ridge handed Orange only its 2nd loss of the season.

Following losses to Northern Guilford and Enloe, the Cedar Ridge boys lacrosse team found a way to bounce back just in time for a meeting with their archrivals.

The Red Wolves defeated Jacksonville 15-4 on Friday night at Red Wolves Stadium. Sean Tobin, Kyle Zylowski and Braden Danku each had a hat trick for CRHS, which improved to 3-3. Cedar Ridge’s Zak Berry made seven saves.

It was another strong all-around game for midfielder Jack Widman, who collected six points on two goals and four assists.  He also won four of six faceoffs.  He leads the team in scoring with 23 points, and is tied for second on the team with eleven goals.

Tobin paces the team with 16 goals.

Cedar Ridge faces Panther Creek on Monday in Cary before traveling to face Orange at OHS Thrusday at 7.

Cedar Ridge Goalkeeper Zak Berry Talks the Red Wolves Season

Cedar Ridge defeated Jacksonville on Friday night 15-4. Berry made seven saves as the Red Wolves ended a two-game losing streak.

Jack Widman scored a highlight reel goal late with an behind-the-back pitchfork shot that found the top of the net vs. Northern Guilford. Sean Tobin scored four points, including two goals. Northern Guilford defeated the Red Wolves 14-8 at Johnny Roscoe Stadium in Greensboro.

Jack Widman, Sean Tobin Talk About CRHS Loss to NGHS

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There was something about Cedar Ridge’s final six weeks of the season that indicated they wouldn’t let their season end without a fight in the state playoffs.

Indeed, that turned out to be the case against Rocky Mount.

Peyton Pappas scored 35 points while Jacob Thomas 24 as the Red Wolves defeated 81-77 on Tuesday night in Rocky Mount.

It was clear someone from the Rocky Mount coaching staff watches the Los Angeles Clippers regularly, because the Gryphons fouled after every made basket down the stretch. Unfortunately for Rocky Mount, there were no DeAndre Jordan’s on the Red Wolves roster.

Thomas and Pappas sank pressure free throws in the final minute to preserve the Cedar Ridge lead. When Rocky Mount had a chance to tie with a 3-pointer late, Pappas knocked the ball away from Rocky Mount’s Emmanuel Spruill at midcourt to put CRHS into the second round.

Cedar Ridge, seeded 17th, will face the number one seed in the 3A East bracket, Eastern Alamance in Mebane. The Eagles, who defeated C.B. Aycock on Tuesday night in the first round, are 26-1. It’s only loss came against Burlington Cummings on January 30th 69-61.

It was Cedar Ridge’s first state playoff victory since February 26th, 2010, when the Red Wolves competed as a 2A team and made it to Eastern Regional semifinals under the program’s first head coach, Jim Pappas.

Cedar Ridge is now 19-9, the most wins for the program since going 25-3 in 2009-10.

The Gryphons, who earned the top seed from the Big East Conference, ends the season 7-17.

After winning ten of its last eleven, there was more than hope within the Cedar Ridge basketball camp that Wednesday night would be the night they could gain the elusive win over Orange in the Big 8 Semifinal.

There was not only proof they could play with anyone. They could beat anyone. They had won 10 of its last 11. They defeated Southern Durham less than three weeks ago, still the only team in the Big 8 to accomplish that this season. The very next night, Southern blew out Orange 81-62, despite losing leading scorer J’Tori Christmas 80 seconds into the game with an injured ankle.

All of that hope dissipated within seconds at Orange High Gymansium on Wednesday night.

The Panthers defeated the Red Wolves 76-62 in the Big 8 Semifinals at Jim King Gymnasium. With the win, the Panthers will face Southern again, this time for the Big 8 Championship on Friday night at Chapel Hill High School. Game time will be 7:30. You can hear the game on Hillsboroughsports.com.

There was some good news for the Red Wolves. Southern defeated Northern Vance 83-54, meaning Cedar Ridge will make the 3-A state playoffs as the third seed from the Big 8. The announcement of the state playoff field will be made on Saturday.

With the win, Orange improves to 16-8. Cedar Ridge drops to 17-8.

Peyton Pappas opened the game with a transition layup off a blocked shot by Jacob Thomas. It was Cedar Ridge’s only lead of the game. Not only that, but only one other CRHS player aside from Jacob Thomas scored a field goal in the first half, a Khalil Barnett jumper in the second quarter long after the Panthers had established a double-digit lead.

As usual, Orange’s Connor Crabtree was the X factor, finishing with 28 points. He hit consecutive 3-pointers in the first quarter, and finished with 10 points in the opening stanza. Daniel Mulligan, who ended with 11 points, scored on a reverse layup with :40 remaining to put Orange ahead 21-10 to finish the first quarter.

Thomas kept Cear Ridge in the game during the second quarter with nine points. He finished with 23. But after Cameron Cavanaugh hit a three-pointer, followed by Logan Vosburg’s spinning lay in that put Orange ahead 27-15, the Red Wolves never got the deficit below ten points again.

The Cedar Ridge transition games was slowed by the Panthers. Pappas finished with 12 points, but eight of those came from the foul line.

“Once he gave up the ball, we tried to keep him from getting it back. We know he handles the ball well in transition, and we tried to limit that tonight.” Orange coach Greg Motley.

Now, Orange focuses on something that’s been elusive: a conference tournament championship. Since Motley became head coach of Orange in 1998, the Panthers have never won one.

To do it, they’ll have to defeat a Southern Durham team that won the last Big 8 Tournament championship in 2014 against Orange. In the same building where they won it two years ago (Last year’s tournament was cancelled because of snow).

The victory by Orange means the Panthers will be the 2nd-seed from the Big 8 conference, which likely means a home game in the opening round of the playoffs.

Cedar Ridge: 10 15 19 18 = 62

Orange: 21 20 16 19 = 76

Cedar Ridge: Peyton Pappas 12, Khalil Barnett 8, Shane Evans 2, Jonathan Hall 2, Jacob Thomas 22, Terrrence Crawford 8, Colby Cashaw 1.

Ornage: Cameron Cavanaugh 3, Reggie Bradsher 5, Alex Long 5, Connor Crabtree 28, Daniel Mulligan 11, Logan Vosburg 21, Marquise Phelps 1, Jace-Jordan Cornell 2.

While neither team won the Big 8 Conference regular season championship, Cedar Ridge and Orange have played as well as anyone in the league over the past month.

On Wednesday night, they’ll meet again. This time with a berth in the Big 8 Championship tournament championship game on the line.

On Tuesday night, 2nd seeded Orange easily defeated Northwood 72-54 in the opening round of the Big 8 Tournament. Conor Crabtree scored 25 points as the Panthers improved to 15-8, sweeping the season series from the Chargers, who finish the year 5-19.

Meanwhile across town, Cedar Ridge advanced to the semifinals by trumping Oxford Webb 73-46. The Red Wolves didn’t even need Peyton Pappas, the leading scorer in school history, to reach double figures to win easily. Pappas finished with a season-low nine points in what’s likely his final game at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

Classmate Jacob Thomas scored 22 points to pace the Red Wolves. Colby Cashaw, in his first postseason game, came off the bench to score 12 points, a season high.

Cedar Ridge led 30-16 at the half and was never seriously challenge by the Warriors, who failed to register one player in double figures.

While Orange swept the regular season series from the Red Wolves, winning 74-67 on December 11th and 63-43 on January 11th, CRHS is playing its best basketball of the season. They’ve now won 10 of its last 11, and was the only team from the Big 8 to defeat Southern Durham during the regular season.

The fact the Battle of Hillsborough takes place hours before Duke-UNC in Chapel Hill seems natural. It’s a crosstown rivalry on one level followed by a cross county rivalry on another.

There was a mild upset on the opening night of Big 8 Tournament action. Northern Vance defeated Chapel Hill 65-61 at Tiger Gymnasium. The Vikings travel to Southern Durham on Wednesday night. The Spartans received a bye through the first round after winning the regular season championship.

Hillsboroughsports.com will broadcast the Orange-Cedar Ridge game on Wednesday night. Look for a post here at 6:45, as well as our Facebook page and Twitter page for all the action live from Jim King Gymnasium.

Cedar Ridge finished the regular season by winning 9 of its last 10 games, including Friday night’s 66-51 victory over Carrboro. They ended the regular season 16-8. Coach Clay Jones discussed preparations for the start of the Big 8 Tournament,which starts Monday when Webb visits CRHS.

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Five seniors played their final regular season home game for the Cedar Ridge boys basketball team on Friday night. Among them was the school’s all-time leading scorer, Peyton Pappas, and the second-leading scorer on this year’s team, Jacob Thomas. They talked about CRHS’ 66-51 win, which improved their record to 16-8 going into the Big 8 Tournament.

Pappas, Thomas Talk Cedar Ridge’s Win on Senior Night

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