As Cameron Lloyd toured the scenic countryside of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania en route to Bucknell University last month, one thought echoed through her mind.

“This reminds me of Hillsborough.”

Funny enough, Fiona Cunningham thought the same thing the day before as she made the trek down from Syracuse, NY with her husband Dominic and their infant son, Tony. Cunningham, the volleyball coach at Cedar Ridge, assisted Lloyd during the arduous process of choosing her college destination.

Last month, Lloyd officially committed to Bucknell, becoming the third current Cedar Ridge player to declare for a Division I school. Last year, senior libero Grace Young announced her intentions to play at UNC Asheville. Cedar Ridge outside hitter Cameron Lanier, who reached the 500 kills plateau during Cedar Ridge’s 3A State Championship match against North Iredell, announced she would attend Elon last spring.

Lloyd visited several Ivy League schools, namely Penn and Cornell, and learned that the city life wasn’t for her. There was even mutual interest with Duke University, a decision that would have rendered irony somewhere in a White Cross cemetery considering Lloyd’s parents, Joel and Sherry, are devoted UNC fans.

“After I visited the city, I thought that wasn’t where I wanted to go,” Lloyd said. “I wanted someplace that wanted me as a player and a person. I feel like I talked to a bunch of schools that I was on their list to talk with, but didn’t have very much interest in me. So I wanted a school that really wanted me.”

Lloyd’s commitment to Bucknell ended an intense and, at times, stressful process that ebbed and flowed between the nomadic world of college coaching, long-standing relationships and modern communication.

“If someone asked me one week what my list of schools was, the next week it would look completely different,” Lloyd said. “It was constantly changing.”

Cunningham started assisting Lloyd in her recruitment in February.

“Fiona helped so much,” Lloyd said. “She basically became my recruiting director. She talked to coaches on my behalf and basically did everything and helped me out. She would tell me things she knew about schools. She has connections to various schools.”

“For all of my athletes, I want them to know I’m here to support them,” Cunningham said. “Whether it’s athletics or academics for them next in life, I try to make sure that high school coaches should be a resource for them for what they want to do after high school. Cameron reached out to me last February to find a good fit academically and athletically.”

Then-Bucknell assistant Erin Kretzschmar contacted Lloyd in April. After several emails of mutual interest, Lloyd started waiting for an invitation for an official visit to the Pennsylvania campus. Except her emails to Kretzchmar, which were once answered promptly, started getting no replies at all. Lloyd, Cunningham and her family figured that Bucknell had lost interest.

What they didn’t learn until later was that Kretzschmar had taken a job as an assistant at The Citadel in late May.

Lloyd arrived in Indianapolis for the USAV Nationals for her travel club team with a nagging feeling of uncertainty. Before long, Bison head coach Tyler Hagstrom reached out to Cunningham. On July 3, Hagstrom spoke to Lloyd after her last month, then called the next day as the family left Nationals.

“Are you still interested in Bucknell?” Hagstrom asked Lloyd.

“Yeah,” she replied.

“Well, let’s get you up to up to school next week,” Hagstrom said.

From that point forward, Hagstrom and the entire Bison staff put on a full-court press to attract Lloyd to Lewisburg.

“We had only talked for about 20 days,” Lloyd said. “He really just jumped on the process of getting me. The entire team made me feel so welcome. They had me play with the team. It moved very fast.”

It turned out that Lloyd had a connection to Bucknell in Jeremy Young, who joined the Bison staff as an assistant coach in 2021. Lloyd met Young when she was 13 while he helped run the UNC volleyball summer camp. Young previously served as a volunteer assistant coach with the Tar Heels until 2018. He also spent seven years coaching for Triangle Volleyball Club in Morrisville while also serving as a counselor at Phillips Middle School in Chapel Hill.

“I really didn’t know him personally, but he knows me,” Lloyd said. “We had that connection of both living in North Carolina.”

“I think academically, Bucknell is a good fit for Cameron,” Cunningham said. “In terms of volleyball, it was a good fit. So I reached out to coached at Bucknell to see what their interest was and they really liked her. The coaches at Bucknell did a good job communicating what they were looking for and what their program was like.”

Lloyd is the all-time kills leader in Cedar Ridge history with 817. She became the first player in school history to reach 500 career kills on August 31, 2021 against Person, where she amassed 18. Lloyd broke her own school record with 360 kills in a single-season in 2021. As a freshman in 2018, she broke the school record with 346.

Last year, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team became the first female sports team in school history to win a state championship. In a stacked Central Carolina Conference, the Red Wolves emerged undefeated in league play. The depth of the conference was evident in the 3A state playoffs when the league placed three of the final four teams in the Eastern Regional semifinals (along with Person and Northwood). Cedar Ridge defeated J.H. Rose for the regional championship before its win over North Iredell in the state championship match at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh.

Lloyd’s college commitment to Bucknell is now secure, which means she’s cleared another obstacle. She didn’t choose Duke, so her family’s passionate ties to UNC football and basketball remain strong. While Lloyd’s free time will dwindle further between now and Cedar Ridge’s season-opener against J.H. Rose next Wednesday in Greenville, her senior season may closely resemble “The Last Dance,” the epic, if divisive, 10-part documentary of Michael Jordan’s final year with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-1998 that’s racked up millions of views on Netflix.

Lloyd started as a freshmen at Cedar Ridge with her childhood friends from White Cross: Julie Altieri, Anaya Carter and Grace Young. Lloyd started playing travel volleyball under Coach Nancy Cates with childhood friends Caitlin Carden and Erin Jordan-Cornell from Orange High School.

The 97-98 Bulls knew that season would be their final one together due to a variety of factors. They were able to block out the distractions and win one, final world championship together before they went their separate ways, never as strong again separately as they were together.

Now, Lloyd can simply focus on volleyball.

This week, Cedar Ridge started its journey for a second straight 3A State Championship with solid scrimmage outings against Apex Friendship and Chapel Hill at Chapel Hill High School.

With her college decision now confirmed, Lloyd is ready for her Last Dance at Cedar Ridge.

“I feel like this year, I’m going to be more relaxed and have some fun,” Lloyd said. “I don’t have to be perfect 24/7 anymore. I can just relax and just play my game, have fun and hopefully get another ring.”

Josh Mayhew is such a constant, daily presence at tennis courts across Hillsborough, he’s on a first name basis with opposing players from rival Orange High School.

Even though he attends Cedar Ridge, a standard workday for Mayhew starts at 6:45 each morning when he drives to Orange High’s tennis courts to hit balls with friends or by himself. After classes, he’ll have a hitting session, followed by cardio training. On match days, if Cedar Ridge’s finishes its business quickly and successfully enough, Mayhew will hang around and hit balls off the fence to himself long after the sun goes down, even if the only people remaining have their backs turned to him as they watch a nearby softball game.

All that effort has led Mayhew to achieve unprecedented accomplishments at Cedar Ridge. This summer, he added one more.

In June, Mayhew was honored as the Best Men’s Tennis Player in the state of North Carolina during the HighSchoolOT Honors. Mayhew was awarded during a ceremony at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh on June 18.

Mayhew, who will start his senior season later this month, was also named the Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year. It comes after he led Cedar Ridge to its first conference championship in men’s tennis as a 3A school. The Red Wolves also reached the 3A State Dual Team Playoffs under head coach Steve Mayhew, a former player at Orange.

Individually, Mayhew reached the 3A State Men’s Tennis Final in May. A week earlier, Mayhew played for the Mideast Regional Final at the Burlington Tennis Center. He became the first Cedar Ridge men’s tennis player to reach the state and regional finals twice.

Last spring, Mayhew went 13-2 in singles play. His only two losses came against Terry Sanford freshman Drew Hedgecoe, who claimed the state championship.

In both of his varsity seasons, Mayhew’s only losses for each respective season have come against the eventual state singles champions. In 2021, Chapel Hill’s Dennis Perumov won the state and regional championships.

Last spring, Mayhew opened the 3A State Tennis Tournament with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over J.J. Woerner of First Flight at the Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center in Greensboro. In the quarterfinals, Mayhew defeated Shiv Patel of South Point 6-0, 6-2. Mayhew reached his second straight state final with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Ajay Swisher of St. Stephens.

Mayhew has led Cedar Ridge to its most successful years since moving to 3A in 2013. Between 2016-2020, the Red Wolves had just one winning season. In his first full varsity season in 2021, Mayhew helped Cedar Ridge to a 9-4 season.

In the 2021 state tournament, Mayhew defeated Nicholas Clementi of Charlotte Catholic 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round at the Burlington Tennis Center. In the quarterfinals, Mayhew fought through some cramps in the second set to defeat Ben Jones of Clayton 7-5, 7-5. In the semifinals, Mayhew upended Soham Pradhan of Marvin Ridge 6-2, 6-4. He became just the second singles player in Hillsborough tennis history to reach a state final.

Orange’s Britton Webb reached the 2A State Final in 2005, where he lost to Cardinal Gibbons’ Will Rollinson, who eventually won three state championships.

Immediately after facing Hedgecoe for the state championship, Mayhew was right back at work in various individual tournaments across the region. There was one in Rome, Georgia, and another in Cary.

Mayhew’s younger sister, Cameron, will start her junior season for the Cedar Ridge women’s team when they travel to face Southern Alamance in its season opener next Tuesday. Cameron Mayhew qualified for the Mideast Regionals singles tournament in June 2021, her freshman year.

The Cedar Ridge women’s tennis team will have its home opener against Voyager Academy on August 30.

Bryse Wilson: After nearly earning his second win of the season last week for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Wilson had another strong outing in his first-ever visit to Camden Yards in Baltimore on Sunday. Wilson struck out five over five innings as the Pirates defeated Baltimore 8-1. Wilson surrendered just one run off four hits. The run was supplied by Jorge Mateo, who hit a solo homer in the third inning. After the victory, Wilson is now 2-6 with a 5.86 ERA. Last Tuesday, Wilson threw five-and-one-thirds innings in a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. Wilson surrendered three runs off six hits. He struck out two. After leaving the game with one out in the sixth inning, the Pirates trailed 3-0. But Pittsburgh scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth and never trailed again. Pittsburgh has won four of its last six games. Wilson will start on Friday against San Francisco at Oracle Park.

Mia Davidson: The all-time home run hitter in Southeastern Conference softball history delivered the first professional dingers of her career this weekend. Once again, Davidson was selected to play for Team Eberle in Athletes Unlimited for a three-game series at Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, IL. On Saturday, Davidson hit her first professional home run with a solo blast to left field for Team Eberle against Team Mulipola. Davidson finished 1-3 and with 50 points (40 for the home run, ten points for Team Eberly winning the 1st inning) as Team Mulipola won 8-2. On Friday, Team Eberle defeated Team Harshman 5-1. Davidson earned 120 points (50 points for the win and 70 points for winning all seven innings), though she finished 0-for-2. On Sunday, Davidson hit a two-run homer in the 2nd inning. She finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and came away with 70 points (40 for the home run, 30 for Team Eberle winning two innings). Through two weeks of action, Davidson is hitting .214 with two home runs and three RBIs. She is currently 20th among Athletes Unlimited players with 530 points. Despite the two home runs, Davidson fell eight spots in the individual standings this week because Team Eberle went 1-2 for the weekend. Davidson will be drafted on a new team on Monday afternoon for next weekend’s three-game series starting Friday night.

Kayla Hodges: After four years at Elon, Kayla Hodges made her unofficial debut for the Virginia Commonwealth women’s soccer team just a few miles from where she played her high school soccer. Hodges suited up against UNC at Anson Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill. Hodges played 85 minutes on the defensive backline. The Tar Heels won 5-0. The Rams will play another exhibition game against Old Dominion in Norfolk, VA on Friday, then start its regular season at James Madison in Harrisonburg, VA on August 18.

Payton Wilson: After missing ten games last season after suffering a dislocated shoulder against Mississippi State, Wilson returned to the practice field for N.C. State last week. Wilson, who is a redshirt junior, went into detail about his problems after he suffered the injury to the Raleigh News and Observer’s Kyle Williams. Wilson told CBS Sports that “This is the best his body has ever felt.” During ACC Kickoff in Charlotte last month, Wilson was chosen to the All-ACC Preseason Defensive team as a linebacker.

Trenton Gill: Last week, former Cedar Ridge punter Trenton Gill started training camp for the Chicago Bears in Bourbonnais, IL. Several Bears-related media outlets have already pegged Gill as a lock to make the 53-man final roster. Chicago will play its first exhibition game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Solider Field on Saturday afternoon.

Collectively, last spring may have been the greatest season in the history of Hillsborough lacrosse.

For the first time ever, Orange hosted the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional title game after winning its second consecutive conference championship. At Cedar Ridge, the Red Wolves won a state playoff game for the first time since 2017, when they won the Eastern Regional Championship. Under first year head coach Cole Churchill, the Red Wolves finished third in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

Now, the top scorers from each of the two teams have been named All-Americans by USA Lacrosse.

Orange sophomore Connor Kruse and Cedar Ridge’s Roman Oguntoyinbo, who graduated in June, received the honors following a vote by coaches in the geographic region. Over 500 players from across the country earn All-American status. Kruse and Oguntoyinbo, who both played for the Carolina Hilltoppers club lacrosse program, were among eleven players from North Carolina public schools named All-Americans.

Kruse, who was named the Mid-Carolina Player of the Year in July, set school records with 77 goals and 136 points in 2022. He led the most successful team in school history, which set a new mark for wins in a season (17), conference wins (11) and winning percentage (.850). The Panthers reached the state semifinals for the first time ever.

Kruse, the son of former UNC and Johns Hopkins midfielder Travis Kruse, opened the season with hat tricks in each of Orange’s opening three games. He scored five goals in a season-opening 19-5 win over Vance Charter, then scored another five goals in a 14-11 win over East Chapel Hill at Dave Thaden Stadium in Chapel Hill. It was Orange’s first-ever win over the Wildcats, a traditional power that Orange head coach Chandler Zirkle played for in high school.

Kruse had a career-high seven goals against South Brunswick in the opening round of the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs on May 5. He followed with four goals in an 17-10 victory against Walter Williams.

Oguntoyinbo finished his Cedar Ridge career scoring 78 goals, the most in school history for a single season. It was the only time in his high school career where Oguntoyinbo played a full season after the pandemic cut the 2020 season short after just three games. In 2021, Oguntoyinbo scored 26 goals in a season limited to nine games.

In his final game inside Red Wolves Stadium, Oguntoyinbo scored a career-high nine goals as the Red Wolves rolled past Western Alamance 18-5 in the second round of the state playoffs. In his final game, Oguntoyinbo scored two goals and two assists against First Flight, who would go on to win the Eastern Regional Championship.

Oguntoyinbo had 13 hat tricks in the 2022 season. He opened the campaign with four goals in a 10-8 win over Jordan at Claude Currie Stadium in Durham on March 1. Two nights later, Oguntoyinbo scored a hat trick in a 6-4 victory over J.H. Rose in Greenville.

For his career, Oguntoyinbo scored 119 goals and 214 points. If he had had standard-length sophomore and junior seasons, he likely would have broken the career school record of 146 goals and 245 points set by Sean Tobin, who played from 2013-2017. Tobin and Jack Widman (59 goals in 2017) was the 1-2 scoring punch that led the 2017 Cedar Ridge team to the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional Championship, still the only lacrosse team from Hillsborough to reach the state championship game.

Oguntoyinbo earned an invitation to play in the Bull City All-Star Game at Koskinen Stadium at Duke University in June. After graduating from Cedar Ridge, his family moved to Andover, Massachusetts this summer. Roman will play for Northfield Mount Herman Prep in Gill, Massachusetts for a season of postgraduate lacrosse this winter. His brother Leo, who played goalkeeper and wrestled at Cedar Ridge during his freshman year in 2021-2022, is now at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.

Joe Kiger: On July 26, Kiger won the Mod 4 Feature race at Orange County Speedway in Rougemont. Kiger, racing in the #12 Blalock’s Towing and Recovery car, starting on the outside flanked along pole-sitter Jon Fish. Kiger, who played linebacker/running back at Orange and graduated in 2020, passed Fish and cruised to victory. Andrew Weaver finished second.

Bryse Wilson: After several weeks with the Indianapolis Indians, Wilson returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates in mid-July. On July 17, Wilson faced the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field in Denver. Wilson threw three-and-one-thirds innings and surrendered two runs off four hits with three strikeouts in a no-decision. The Pirates won 8-3.

On July 26, Wilson threw six innings in a 3-0 loss to the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Wilson gave up three runs off six hits. He struck out two with one walk.

Wilson is 1-6 with a 6.31 ERA with Pittsburgh this season. He will start against the Milwaukee Brewers tonight (Tuesday night) at 7:05 at PNC Park.

Mia Davidson: After playing for Triple Crown Colorado in the Canada Cup Softball Tournament in June, Davidson made her official professional softball debut with Athletes Unlimited last weekend. The unique format of Athletes Unlimited has players competing on teams as well as individually. A player can earn ten points for a single, 20 points for a double, 30 points for a triple, 40 points for a home run, ten points for a sacrifice bunt, and eight points for a walk or getting hit by a pitch. They also receive ten points for a stolen base and lose ten points when caught stealing. Each player receives ten points for each inning their team wins and 50 points for each game they win. At the end of every weekend, comprised of three-game series, the top four point getters become team captains. Each Monday, the captains select new teams for the upcoming weekend’s series. Last weekend, the first of Athletes Unlimited’s softball season, Davidson played for Team Eberle, captained by former Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State pitcher Carrie Eberle. Team Eberle went 2-1 for the weekend at the Parkway Bank Sports Complex in Rosemont, IL. Davidson played designated player in all three games, away from her traditional role as catcher. In her first game, Team Eberle defeated Team Chidester 4-3. Davidson went 0-for-2, but earned 116 points after drawing a walk in the fifth and getting hit by a pitch in the seventh. Team Eberle got 50 points in the win and earned 50 inning points.

On Saturday, Davidson scored the only run in Team Eberle’s 1-0 win over Team Ocasio. Davidson had the first base hit of her professional career with a laser down the right field line. She scored off a single by former Wisconsin first baseman Kelsey Harshman. It was the first 1-0 game in Athletes Unlimited history. Davidson also walked and earned 138 points for the day.

On Sunday, Team Zerkle defeated Team Eberle 9-3. Davidson went 0-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch. She came away with 36 points. For the weekend, Davidson had 290 points and in 12th place overall.

In the Week 2 draft on Monday night, Davidson was once again selected by Team Eberle in the 12th round. At the end of week 1, Carrie Eberle leads all players with 452 points. Team Eberle will face Team Harshman on Friday night at 6:30. On Saturday, Team Eberle faces Team Mulipola at 2:30. On Sunday, Team Eberle faces Team Jaquish.

Joey Berini: Following the conclusion of the East Carolina Pirates baseball season in June, Berini spent the summer playing for the Holly Springs Salamanders of the Coastal Plain League. The Salamanders ended its regular season with an 11-5 loss to the Peninsula Pilots at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, VA on Saturday. Berini, who played second base most of the season for Holly Springs, went 0-4 with a run scored. On Sunday, Holly Springs defeated the South Wake Shakes 8-2 in seven innings at Ting Stadium in an exhibition game. Berini hit his third homer of the season and finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Former Northern Durham pitcher Jackson Bishop, who graduated from high school in June, started for South Wake. Berini ended the season with a .239 batting average in 23 games with three home runs and seven RBIs.

Aidan McAllister: As he prepares to start his college career with Hofstra in February, McAllister spent the summer playing for the Carolina Disco Turkeys, a collegiate wooden bat summer team based in Winston-Salem. Among the highlights for McAllister came against the Greensboro Monarchs on July 16 when he went 2-for-3 in a 5-4 win for the Disco Turkeys at Truist Field in Winston-Salem. On July 28, McAllister had four RBIs as the Disco Turkeys won 12-4 over the Greensboro Yard Goats. The Disco Turkeys made its way to qualify for the All-American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament in Johnstown, PA. On Monday, the New Orleans Boosters defeated the Disco Turkeys 18-3. Carolina will face the Philly Bandits on Tuesday morning in the second game of pool play.

Kate Burgess: Burgess was named a captain for the UNC rowing team for the upcoming season. This past season, Burgess competed in nine races as a junior in 1V4 and 2V4. She finished first against UCF and second against Tennessee in the First Varsity 4+ boat at the UVA Invitational on March 26. Burgess was a starting center for the Orange women’s basketball team and also ran cross country.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is Sandra McCouch. In June, McCouch graduated from Orange after a successful season on the swimming team. McCouch qualified for the 3A Central Regionals at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. McCouch teamed with Katie Belle Sikes, Melissa Campbell and Ellie Wileman to finish second in the 200 yard medley relay at the Central Carolina Conference championships at the Orange County Sportsplex in February. She also qualified in the 200 yard individual medley after a third place finish in the CCC Championships. McCouch moved to North Carolin from Philadelphia last summer in hopes of attending college. She helped the Orange women’s swimming team to a 4th place finish in the CCC Championships. An Eagles fan, McCouch walked across the stage at the Smith Center for graduation in June. 

From the time he played in his first varsity game on a chilly night in Chapel Hill, Cedar Ridge catcher Efrain Morales distinguished himself from the rest.

Now, after a sophomore season where he hit safely in 19 of Cedar Ridge’s 24 games, Morales has been honored by the North Carolina Baseball Coaches Association.

Under head coach Bryson Massey, Morales was named to the 3A All-State team by the NCBCA. He was one of 32 players honored and one of only two players from the Central Carolina Conference to make the squad.

In his first varsity season, Morales made an immediate impression. In the season-opener against Chapel Hill on March 2, Morales scored the game-winning run in the eighth inning to break a 7-7 tie after Garrett Ray drew a bases-loaded walk. Morales started the rally with a single to centerfield with two outs and the bases empty. Hitting leadoff, Morales went 2-for-4 in his varsity debut with an RBI single and a stolen base. The Red Wolves held on to win 9-8.

Two days later, Morales drove in the game-tying run against Bartlett Yancey in a pitcher’s dual at Red Wolves Territory. His sacrifice fly to centerfield scored Carlo Garay to even the game in the fifth inning against the Buccaneers. Cedar Ridge would go on to win 2-1 after Cristian Macias scored off an error in the sixth inning.

The early victories struck the right tone early for the Red Wolves, who would go on to its first winning season since 2018. After finishing second in the CCC, the Red Wolves reached the 3A State Playoffs for the first time in four years.

In 2022, Morales hit .338. He was the only player to hit a home run at Red Wolves Territory this season when he parked a fastball over the left field wall against Orange on April 19.

On March 10, Morales went 3-for-5 with two RBIs in an 11-2 win over Glenn High School at Truist Point in High Point. Morales drove in the game’s opening run with an single to centerfield to score Aidan Mcallister. The following inning, Morales lined an RBI single to centerfield to score Mason Cates and increase the Red Wolves lead to 4-0.

Morales was valuable in league games that led to the Red Wolves’ best conference finish since 2018, when they finished runner-up behind Chapel Hill in the Big 8 Conference under former head coach Jamie Athas. Against Northwood in Pittsboro on March 22, Morales went 2-for-4 with a double in a 6-1 victory for the Red Wolves. Morales bolted the Red Wolves ahead 2-0 after a line drive to right field to bring in Mcallister. In the fourth, Morales doubled down the right field line, driving in Braedyn Jacobson and B.J. Thornton. Morales eventually scored on a Little League homer after several Chargers errors.

In the Hilltop Invitational on April 1, Morales drilled a fastball into the teeth of a 25-mile-per-hour wind gust over the left field wall in the second inning against East Chapel Hill at Wildcats Field. He finished 2-for-4 against the Wildcats with three RBIs.

The following week, Morales went 2-for-2 with two RBIs in a 14-5 win over Apex Friendship in Wake County. After he walked in the first inning, Morales scored off a single by Garrett Ray. Morales drove in Thornton on a sacrifice fly in the second inning to put the Red Wolves ahead 5-0. He added an RBI single in the fifth.

In the second game of a doubleheader against Eastern Alamance in Mebane on April 8, Morales added a key hit in an 8-7 Cedar Ridge win. Morales doubled to centerfield to score Mcallister and Thornton, putting the Red Wolves ahead for good in the second inning. The victory completed a doubleheader sweep of the Eagles and secured an automatic trip to the state playoffs for Cedar Ridge.

Morales added another home run in a 4-1 win over Western Alamance in Elon on April 12. Against the Warriors, he finished 2-for-2 with four RBIs.

In addition, Morales also made the All-Central Carolina Conference team.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is rising junior Kassi Scarantino. Last fall during her sophomore season, Scarantino finished in the top ten at the Central Carolina Women’s Cross Country Championships at Northwood High School in Pittsboro. Scarantino went on to finish in the top 30 of the 3A Mideast Regional championships among 106 runners. In addition to cross country, Scarantino was part of the Orange women’s soccer team’s run to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs this spring. Scarantino was a midfielder for the Lady Panthers. She played for Orange in a 5-3 win over Harnett Central, which was the Lady Panthers’ first playoff win since 2017. It was a long night for Orange, who had to travel to Lillington for the game, then endured two lightning delays. Later that week, Orange traveled to Cape Fear and defeated the Colts 5-2 in the second round of the state playoffs. It was the first time ever that Orange reached in 3rd round of the state playoffs in the 34-year history of the program. Scarantino is preparing to start another cross country season this September. Last fall was among the most successful cross country season’s in Orange history. The men’s team won its first regional championship, in addition to Scarantino’s top ten CCC finish. 

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is track & field runner Sarah Tucker. Last month, Sarah graduated from Cedar Ridge after running track for four years. In 2020, during her sophomore outdoor season, she qualified for the 3A State Championships in the 800 meters in a trio-meet against Chapel Hill and Orange with a time of 2:29.4. Unfortunately, later that day, the COVID outbreak took place and by the end of that week, the high school sports season was shut down. On January 28, 2000, Tucker finished first in the 1,000 meters during the indoor track season at the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear #3 with a time of 3:24.60, beating 13 other competitors from seven other schools. Tucker continued to compete in track and field during her final two years at Cedar Ridge in indoor and outdoor track & field. The following spring, Tucker won the 400 meter dash in a tri-meet against Southern Durham and Orange at Red Wolves Stadium. After the indoor season was largely canceled during her junior season, Tucker returned to the indoor team last December. She finished 2nd at the Eastern Alamance Polar Bear #2 meet in the 1000 meters with a time of 3:40.93. Next month, Tucker will pack her bags and leave for Boone, where she will attend Appalachian State University. She plans to be at Kidd Brewer Stadium on Labor Day weekend for the Mountaineers much-anticipated matchup against North Carolina. 

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior golfer and men’s basketball forward Thomas Loch. This spring, Loch qualified for the 3A Mideast Golf Regionals at the Valley Golf Course in Burlington. It was the second straight year that Loch qualified for regionals. Loch finished with the highest score among Orange players. Last winter, Loch was also a key contributor to the Orange men’s basketball team. On December 16, Loch scored a career-high 12 points and six rebounds against East Chapel Hill. As the winter turned to spring, Loch’s teammate on the men’s basketball team, J.J. Thompson, joined him on the men’s golf team. Loch and Thompson were the two top players for the Panthers goal squad this spring. Thomas loves to play at Occoneechee Golf Course in Hillsborough. In fact, when this interview was filmed, he had just finished a round on a Sunday afternoon. Loch will enter his senior year in August and get set to play two sports once again. He will enter his third year on the varsity men’s basketball team and be one of the senior leaders alongside returning guards Freddy Sneed and Xandrell Pinnnix along with center Isaiah Seymour.