Falcon athletics heats up
Varsity Boys Tennis
O’Neal vs Burlington Christian FINAL: 3-6, L
On Friday, March 7, the Falcons fell in a close 6-3 match against Burlington Christian Academy at the Old Forest Racket Club. The match, played before a large crowd, featured several tightly contested battles. Joseph Lucas (No. 4 singles) secured a hard-fought, three-set comeback victory, while Nathan Reifenstahl (No. 5 singles) earned a straight-sets win. Reifenstahl and Hudson Harless (No. 3 doubles) added another point for the Falcons. With three singles matches decided in tiebreakers, the overall result could have easily gone in O’Neal’s favor.
O’Neal vs St. David’s School FINAL: 1-8, L
On Tuesday, March 11, the team faced a highly skilled St. David’s School squad, falling 8-1. Chris Walters (No. 3 singles) recorded the Falcons’ point, displaying strong composure and skill. Despite the loss, competing against such a talented opponent helped elevate the team’s level of play in preparation for the upcoming schedule.
The Falcons will travel to Carmel Christian on March 19 before returning home to face Fayetteville Christian on March 21.
Varsity Baseball:
O’Neal vs Village Christian FINAL: 2-13, L
On Tuesday, March 12, the Falcons fell 13-2 to a strong Village Christian Academy team. Despite the challenging game, Andrew Pavlovich provided a bright spot for O’Neal’s offense, going 2-for-3, including a solo home run—his first of the season— to center field. Parker Maxwell also contributed with an RBI on a fielder’s choice.
O’Neal vs Northwood Temple FINAL: 6-5, W
Two days later, on Thursday, March 14, the Falcons bounced back in dramatic fashion, securing a 6-5 walk-off victory over Northwood Temple Academy in extra innings. Max Pashley played the hero, delivering a clutch double off the left field wall to score Parker Fusonie and seal the thrilling win.
The Falcons' pitching staff was outstanding, with Parker Maxwell and Jake Shepherd combining to allow only one earned run over eight innings. Shepherd also made an impact at the plate, launching his first home run of the season while going 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two walks. Kaiden Taveras and Liam Enslin each contributed a hit, helping propel the team to victory.
O’Neal looks to carry this momentum into their upcoming games, as they travel to Freedom Christian Academy on Friday, March 14, at 6:00 PM before facing Village Christian Academy again on Tuesday, March 18, at 5:30 PM.
Varsity Track & Field:
The O’Neal track and field team kicked off the season with an awesome first meet! It was the first real taste of spring with sunny skies and 80-degree weather—perfect for a day of competition. The Falcon’s middle school relay teams crushed it with smooth hand-offs and great teamwork, and our upper school athletes stepped up as leaders, showing the younger runners the ropes. Out of the 22 athletes who competed, eight took on their first-ever track meet, and nine of the remaining 14 started the season with a new personal best! The highlight of the day? Gavin Rabon set a new school record in shot put with a huge throw of 42 feet, 11 inches. Safe to say, this season is off to an incredible start, and there is a lot of anticipation for what’s next!
Varsity Boys Golf:
North State High School Boys Championship
The O’Neal Varsity Boys golf team traveled to the Country Club of Salisbury on March 7-8 to compete in the North State High School Boys Championship. Traveling for the team were Andrew Hobbs (82-84), Dylan Wolfe (81-80—161), Zeyu Zhao (81-83—164), and Jack Manning (92-99—191). The Falcons finished 16th. Scores can be viewed at https://cga.golfgenius.com/pages/5122089
O’Neal vs Grace Christian Sanford: FINAL 160-177, W
On Monday, March 10, six golfers traveled to Quail Ridge Golf Course in Sanford, NC to compete head-to-head against Grace Christian School in a scheduled 18-hole match. Due to rain, the match was shortened to 9 holes with O’Neal beating Grace by 17 strokes. The format counted the low four scores out of six. The athletes scores were: Andrew Hobbs 36, Dylan Wolfe 40, Jacob Shepherd 40, Zeyu Zhao 44, Jack Manning 48, Max Pashley 51.
Practices were held on Tuesday and Thursday.
On March 17, the boys will travel to Cape Fear CC in Wilmington, NC to compete against seven other teams in the Azalea High School Invitational.
Varsity Girls Soccer
O'Neal vs Village Christian: FINAL 1-2, L
On Tuesday, March 11, the Falcons, short on players and substitutions due to illness and injury, fought with relentless determination against Village Christian. Despite the setbacks, the team challenged every ball and gave maximum effort until the final whistle. Keelie Bosworth delivered O’Neal’s lone goal, skillfully finishing off a beautifully placed cross from Victoria York. The Falcons created several other scoring opportunities, but Village Christian’s goalkeeper managed to keep them out. Even with limited numbers, O’Neal played with unwavering heart from start to finish.
O’Neal vs Northwood Temple: FINAL 9-0, W
Two days later, on Thursday, March 13, the Falcons came out strong, securing a 9-0 mercy-rule victory over Northwood Temple Academy with 19 minutes left in regulation. Still missing two players and managing several injuries, the team controlled the game from the opening whistle. Brielle Wolfe opened the scoring after capitalizing on a high cross from Victoria York, which the opposing keeper misjudged. Wolfe quickly added a second goal, taking advantage of chaos in the box. Charli Bunder extended the lead with a powerful strike from the top of the 18-yard box.
The offensive momentum continued with a stunning volley from Christina Acker at the back post, assisted by Caroline Lee. Wolfe then secured her first hat-trick of the season, smashing home a rebound off a Bunder shot. Joelle Cole added to the tally, finishing a loose ball after a Bunder free kick. Bunder later scored her second goal from deep in the field, making it 7-0. A handball in the box led to a penalty kick, confidently converted by Kennedi Hamner, who buried it in the right corner. The game concluded with Elizabeth Cordero finishing a back-post cross from Wolfe to seal the dominant victory. The Falcons will look to carry this momentum into their next match against Freedom Christian Academy on Friday, March 14.
contributed.
photos by Wendy Hodges.
