Cedar Ridge High School

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Katie Paulakonis

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s soccer striker Katie Paulakonis. The Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team is off to its best start since 2009, at least. On Monday night, the Red Wolves improved to 4-0 with a 4-2 win over Franklinton at Red Wolves Stadium. Paulakonis scored all four of the goals for the Red Wolves. In Cedar Ridge’s past two games, she has scored six goals. This is Katie’s first season at Cedar Ridge. She spent the past ten years playing with Dash United out of Clayton while she was home schooled. Her arrival at Cedar Ridge corresponded with the arrival of new women’s soccer coach Sam Samerzier. On Wednesday night, Paulakonis had another four goal game as Cedar Ridge defeated Person 9-0 to win its Central Conference opener at Red Wolves Stadium. Paulakonis has scored ten goals in the past three games. She added two more goals in Cedar Ridge’s 9-0 win over Northern Durham lsat week in the Red Wolves first-ever game at the new Northern Durham High School Stadium. On Monday night, the Red Wolves will face Eno River Academy at Red Wolves Stadium, its final game before spring break. Paired with junior striker Fleury Nicholson, Paulakonis can help Cedar Ridge reach the state playoffs for the first time since 2019. 

Cedar RIdge baseball’s Mason Cates & Quinn Finnegan discuss win at Williams

Cedar Ridge showed its experience in beating Walter Williams to win its Central Conference opener on Tuesday night. Senior Mason Cates earned the win, throwing four innings and surrendering one run as the Red Wolves held on to beat the Bulldogs 7-6 in Burlington. Cates drove in two runs, starting with a triple in the first inning that plated Ian McGuffey. As Cates pulled into third, he wound up scoring off an error. Junior Quinn Finnegan, starting his third season on the varsity, started the game in right field. After the Bulldogs climbed to a 7-5 lead, Finnegan was called into a closer role by head coach Bryson Massey and got the final two outs. It was the first career save for Finnegan. Cates also drove in a run in the fourth, knocking in Landon Dalehite with a single to left field. It was the Red Wolves first win of the year after previously scheduled games against Northern Guilford and Carrboro were rained out. Cedar Ridge has one of the most experienced teams in the Central Conference returning from a squad that finished 2nd in the league last year. The Red Wolves will host Jordan-Matthews in Hillsborough tonight (Wednesday), then face Williams in the second game of a two-game series on Friday in Hillsborough. 

Cates drives in two, earns win, Finnegan nails down save as Cedar Ridge baseball holds on to beat Williams 7-6

BURLINGTON–For a team with high expectations, there’s a time when seniors need to take control.

For Mason Cates, that time was Tuesday night in Burlington.

Cates drove in two runs, scored two runs, and earned the first win of the season for the Cedar Ridge baseball team against Walter Williams. After building a 6-1 lead, the Red Wolves wore their fingernails down to the bone in holding on for a 7-6 win in its Central Conference opener.

Junior Quinn Finnegan came on in relief and nailed down the final two outs for his first save. Cedar Ridge lost 10-0 to the Bulldogs last year in Burlington, but never trailed on Tuesday night.

Cedar Ridge (1-2) was supposed to have four nonconference games to prepare for its conference opener, but only two of those were played after contests at Carrboro and Northern Guilford were rained out. In a wide-open Central Conference, the Red Wolves had little time to prepare for a veteran Williams team that returned seven starters, including 2023 league Pitcher of the Year Tate Jones.

“It seems like every year we’re struggling to get in games because of an umpire shortage,” said Cedar Ridge coach Bryson Massey. “We scheduled out schedule tough to challenge our guys. I thought it would prepare our guys once we got here. We played two quality teams and I think it prepared us well for the end of the game tonight.”

Cedar Ridge led 6-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning before Williams catcher Dan Mahan, who has committed to play football at Appalachian State, belted a solo homer over the left field wall onto adjacent Memorial Stadium. Jones legged out an infield single that narrowly beat a throw from Cates, who moved over to second base after being replaced as pitcher by sophomore Nick Aitkin. Williams’ Vince Coker lined a triple over the head of centerfielder Landon Dalehite to score Jones and cut the Red Wolf lead to 6-3.

The Red Wolves earned a crucial insurance run in the seventh. Kevin Jones walked. After Carter Warren came on as a pinch-runner for Jones, Finnegan moved Warren to second on a sacrifice bunt. Warren raced to third after a wild pitch and eventually scored off another wild pitch with Aitkin at bat to put the Red Wolf lead to 7-3.

That turned to be crucial after the Bulldogs sent nine batters to the plate in the seventh inning. With one out, Aidan Pulliam walked. Dylan Brooks sliced a soft liner into right field. Trace Hicks walked to load the bases. James Cooper grounded a ball to shortstop that was booted into centerfield, scoring Pulliam and Brooks.

Finnegan was summoned from right field to take over as pitcher. Mahan lifted a soft pop-up to centerfield to load the bases once again. Jones grounded a ball back to Finnegan, who threw to catcher David Schoof to retire Charles Smith, running for Hicks. Coker was hit by a pitch, scoring Cooper to trim the Cedar Ridge lead to 7-6. Angel Mora grounded out to Aitkin at second base for the final out.

Cedar Ridge scored in each of its first four at bats with Cates doing the most damage. After Ian McGuffey drew a walk in the first, Cates lined an 0-1 fastball to the gap in right centerfield, the deepest part of the park. McGuffey scored from first as Cates pulled up for a stand-up triple. The cutoff throw went to third base and wound up against the fence, leading Cates to score, as well.

Mahan scored the opening run for the Bulldogs in the first. He led off with a single to right field, stole second and third bases, then scored off a single from Coker to right.

The difference between the two teams was fielding. The Bulldogs committed three errors, leading to three unearned Red Wolf runs. Finnegan sent an opposite field single to left field to lead off the second. Grant McGuffey walked. After Schoof bunted Finnegan and McGuffey up 90 feet each, Aitkin sent a roller up the middle. Mora chased down the ball behind second base, but threw it away trying to nab Aitkin. Finnegan scored off the hit and McGuffey came in off the error.

In the third, Finnegan sent a fly ball to centerfield that appeared to end the inning. But the ball was dropped, leading to Cates scoring after he drew a walk earlier. That increased the Red Wolf lead to 5-1.

Aitkin was hit by a pitch to begin the fourth, followed by a walk to leadoff batter Landon Dalehite, which led to Trace Hicks being replaced as pitcher by Nathan Billings. Cates lined a single to left field to score Dalehite and the Red Wolves led 6-1.

While the Red Wolves return eight starters, they also started two freshmen in the field against the Bulldogs. But their most experienced pitchers paved the way to victory in its conference opener.

Odds and Sods: Paulakonis scores 4 goals in Cedar Ridge’s women’s soccer’s win over Franklinton; Wimsatt scores hat trick in Orange’s victory over Eno River; Cedar Ridge tennis beats Orange

W0men’s soccer: Cedar Ridge 4, Franklinton 2: The Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team is off to its best start in at least 15 years.

Through there were some nervous moments late, the Red Wolves managed to defeat Franklinton 4-2 at Red Wolves Stadium on Monday night. Junior Katie Paulakonis, playing her first season for the Red Wolves, scored four goals as Cedar Ridge held off a late charge from Franklinton to improve to 4-0.

Cedar Ridge hasn’t started the season 4-0 since 2010, which is how far records date back online. Under new head coach Sam Semerzier, the Red Wolves have started the season outscoring its opposition 17-6.

Paulokonis scored two goals in the first half, then added a third in the second half. Franklinton had a chance to chip into the lead after the Red Wolves were called for a handball in the penalty area. Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Ellamarie Perel made a diving save on the penalty kick, leading to being mobbed by her teammates. Perel is in her first year as a starter after Addie Reid stood between the posts the past three years.

Franklinton narrowed the lead to 3-2, but Paulakonis added insurance in the 77th minute to sew up the win for the Red Wolves. Freshman Kate Finnegan nearly added another goal late.

Cedar Ridge will play its Central Conference opener against Person in Hillsborough on Wednesday.

Orange 5, Eno River Academy 0: In the first-ever women’s soccer matchup between the Lady Panthers and the Bobcats, senior Ella Wimsatt notched her second consecutive hat trick as Orange improved to 2-1.

Wimsatt, who finished with six goals last season, already has six goals this season. She scored six goals in all of 2023. Wimsatt notched her first career hat trick in a win over Person in Roxboro last week.

In front of a large crowd at Orange Soccer Field, Ellianna Sullivan Gaddy and Kyla Mehl added goals for Orange.

Makayla Davis earned the win as Orange goalkeeper. Lexie Stephens played in net for the second half to complete Orange’s second clean sheet of the season.

Sullivan Gaddy, Evelyn Gover, Cora Bailey, Caroline Cathey and Kaylen Crayton all assisted on goals for Orange.

On the back line, senior Lily Crayton and Channing Manning helped Orange earned the victory. The Lady Panthers will host Durham School of the Arts on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Orange has reached the 3A State Playoffs each of the last two years. They are 1-0 in the Central Conference and will continue conference play against Western Alamance in Elon next Monday.

Men’s Tennis: Cedar Ridge 7, Orange 2: The Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team, under new head coach Mike Rogers, earned two wins each from Fionn Kuo and Lev Bearman to defeat crosstown rival Orange to remain undefeated in the Central Conference.

Kuo, in his first season as the Red Wolves top starter, defeated Porter Pelphrey 6-1, 6-0, the first of five singles wins for Cedar Ridge. Later, Kuo would team with Leo Filley to defeat Pelphrey and Cameron Foster in the #1 doubles match 8-2.

Filey defeated Orange’s Quincy Stanley 7-5, 6-2 at #3 singles.

Bearman won at #2 singles over Orange’s Cameron Foster 6-3, 7-0. Bearman won at #2 doubles, teaming with Griffin Thomas to defeat Stanley and Jackson Coleman 8-2.

Joe Garbee defeated Orange’s Ryan Jouannet 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 at #4 singles.

In the only singles match to go three sets, Orange’s Jackson Coleman defeated Landon Rogers 3-6, 6-1, 10-4 (10 point tiebreaker). Thomas, at #6 singles for the Red Wolves, defeated Zachary Cole 6-2, 6-4.

Orange claimed its only doubles win when Jouannet and Race McAuley defeated Landon Rogers and Colin Fulcher 8-6.

Cedar Ridge (3-1) started the season with a 9-0 victory over Southern Alamance in Hillsborough. They rolled past Person 9-0 in its second conference match.

Orange (3-3, 2-2) earned two conference wins last week. They defeated Eastern Alamance in Hillsborough. On Friday, they edged Walter Williams 5-4 with Foster winning two matches to earn the victory. Western Alamance handed orange its only other conference loss on March 4.

 

Softball notebook: Guentensberger hits walkoff single in Orange’s win over Roxboro Community; Cedar Ridge’s Lowry homers, throws shutout vs. Northern Durham

Orange 7, Roxboro Community School 6: In her first year as a starter, Addison Guentensberger came up with the biggest hit of her career in Orange’s first win of the season.

With the Lady Panthers trailing 6-5 going into the seventh inning against Roxboro Community School on Monday night, Guentensberger grounded a single up the middle to score Katie Carden to put the Lady Panthers past the Bulldogs. Earlier in the frame, Carden tied the game with a double to centerfield that plated junior Allie Carden.

Katie Carden, a sophomore third baseman, finished 2-for-4 with a double. Hayleigh Hammond finished with a triple. Guentensberger, in her second career start, came away 2-for-4 with the game-winning RBI.

Senior pitcher Caden Robinson earned her first win of the season, striking out seven in a complete game.

Orange (1-1) has had both of its games thus far come down to the final frame. Last week, Wakefield and Orange were tied 3-3, but the Wolverines scored four runs to win 7-3.

On Monday night, there were four lead changes. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning following Emma Brandon drove in Zoe Godard with a groundout to Mia Leathers at first base. Karrie Obie grounded out to shortstop Delanie Shaffer to bring in Katie Mann

Guentensberger led off the third inning with a screamer to right field. Sadie Cecil followed with a single that dropped into left field. After Hammond walked to load the bases, Robinson drew a walk to put Orange on the board. Allie Carden also earned a free pass to plate Cecil. Katie Carden put Orange ahead with an RBI groundout to RCS second baseman Molly Davis, which brought in Hammond.

Davis tied it up with a solo homer to leadoff the fifth. Orange jumped back ahead with a two-out rally in the fifth. Allie Carden and Katie Carden reached on back-to-back singles. Shaffer lined to right to bring in Allie Carden and put Orange ahead 4-3.

Davis responded with her second homer, a two-run blast after Presley Leonard walked in the top of the sixth to put the Bulldogs ahead 5-4. In the bottom of the sixth, Cecil drove a two-out double to left field. Hammond sent a fly ball off the wall in left field for a triple, scoring Cecil to tie the game.

Mann led off the seventh with a single, stole second base and went to third after Emma Brandon grounded out. Obie double on a line drive to centerfield to put the Bulldogs ahead.

Orange is scheduled to face the Morehead Panthers on Wednesday night in Hillsborough.

Cedar Ridge 4, Northern Durham 0: Charlotte Lowry did a little bit of everything as the Red Wolves improved to 2-0 on Monday night.

Lowry drove in the game-winning home run, struck out eleven batters and threw her second career shutout as the Red Wolves won in its first trip to the new Northern Durham High School. Lowry threw a six-hitter to improve to 2-0.

Mia Best finished 3-for-4 with a double for Cedar Ridge.

Lowry broke open a scoreless game with a solo blast to centerfield in the top of the fourth inning. Northern’s Annaclaire Spell led off the bottom of the fourth with a double, but Cedar Ridge’s Brittani Goddard forced a double play when Mason Browning lined to second. Goddard made the catch and threw to Laci Sykes to double up Spell.

Madeline Galindo-Woodirng walked to open the fifth inning, then stole second. Best scored Galindo-Woodring with a line drive to centerfield.

Cedar Ridge pulled away in the seventh inning when Galindon-Woodring opened with an infield single. Galindo-Woodring stole second again, leading to Best sending a double to left field to widen Cedar Ridge’s lead to 3-0. Goddard laid down a bunt and reached when the ball was thrown away. Best scored off the error.

Cedar Ridge will host Northern Durham on Monday in Hillsborough.

 

Rocky Mount ends Orange women’s basketball season; Cedar Ridge’s Ware scores 18 points in final game vs. Scotland

While the Orange and Cedar Ridge women’s basketball teams were several counties apart in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on Tuesday night, they both had their chances to win.

And both fell short in frustrating fashion.

Cedar Ridge, making the 3A State Playoffs for the first time since 2018, fell to Scotland County 56-42 in Laurinburg. The Red Wolves end the year 13-13, its best season since the 2017-2018 campaign when they were coached by Felton Page.

The Red Wolves led by four at halftime. Amiyah Ware, in her final game at Cedar Ridge, scored 18 points. Junior point guard Sarah Utley finished with 16 points and ten rebounds.

Fighting Scots junior Morgan Thompson finished with 25 points as Scotland County, the 9th-seed out of the Sandhills Conference, advanced to face Fike in the round of 32 in Wilson on Friday night.

Cedar Ridge led 37-33 at the end of the third quarter following a running-one hander from Utley. But Scotland opened up the 4th quarter with a 14-2 run to take control of the game. The Red Wolves shot just 24%.

The loss ended the careers of Ware, Cameron Copeland, Cierra Copeland, Addie Reid and Jordyan Delph. Reid has been a three-sport athlete at Cedar Ridge and won the 2021 3A State Championship in volleyball. Ware’s legacy will be remembered in the record books as she set the Orange County record for most points scored in a game when she registered 54 against Western Alamance last year. She is the only player in the history of Orange County to score 50 points twice in a season. She scored 51 against Durham School of the Arts just two weeks after the game against the Warriors.

Meanwhile in Rocky Mount, Orange struggled in the second half and fell 43-26. The Gyphons never trailed and advanced to the second round to face Big East Conference rival Franklinton on Friday night.

Rocky Mount’s Keysha Mizzell led all scorers with 15 points.  She opened the game by scoring the opening five points, including a three-pointer. Orange’s Evelyn George countered with a 3-pointer, but the Lady Panthers would never get that close again. The Gryphons went on a 9-2 run, which Kaitlin White capped off with a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 14-5.

Orange closed the first half with a 7-0 run. Shannon Murphy started with a 3-pointer off a feed from George. In the final minute of the second quarter, George drained two free throws, then scored off a lay-in while getting fouled by Candrice Davis. Orange trailed 22-18 at the half.

Rocky Mount (19-6) shut out the Lady Panthers in the third quarter 19-0 using a full-court press that resulted in ten Orange turnovers. Not only was Orange unable to score. They barely got off any shots. Orange was only 0-for-3 in the third quarter and just 3-of-8 from the field in the entire second half. In all, the Lady Panthers committed 12 turnovers in the second half.

Rocky Mount’s Candrice Davis, who came out for White after she picked up her third foul, sparked the Gryphons with six points and three steals in the second half. In all, Rocky Mount had 17 steals compare to just eight for Orange.

26 points is a season-low for Orange.

George and Murphy led the Lady Panthers with seven points. Natalie Roberson had six points as Orange ended the year 13-13 under first-year head coach Lamont Jones. After Orange defeated Western Alamance and Walter Williams to open 2024, they were tied for first place in the Central Conference. But Cedar Ridge swept the season series from the Lady Panthers for the first time since the 2013-2014 season and was unable to regain the momentum to catch up with Western Alamance in the race for the conference championship.

It was the final game for Orange senior Lily Crayton.