From the Falcons Nest

4/26/2024

James Franklin, Athletic Director

Falcons are reaching the end of regular season competitions 

Varsity Boys Tennis  
This week showcased a mix of victories and challenges for the boy's tennis team. They demonstrated their talent with resounding 9-0 triumphs over Grace Christian and Fayetteville Christian, showcasing their dedication and skill on the court. However, they encountered a setback with a 9-0 loss to Carmel Christian, a formidable opponent in the 4-A category. 

A notable highlight amidst these matches was the return of Ethan Kim, the team's number two singles player, after a three-week hiatus due to a shoulder injury. Despite his limited capacity, Ethan displayed resilience by contributing to the team's success with a win in doubles against Fayetteville Christian. Although facing constraints due to his injury, Ethan's determination shone through.  

The team also celebrated their two seniors this week, Owen Williams and Will Kitchens. This is the second year the two have lead as team captains and will provide difficult shoes to fill in the years to come. Coaches, teammates, and parents commented on their dedication to their craft and the excitement to watch them grow and go onto great things. O’Neal Tennis has been made better by both of their influences and excellence. 

Looking ahead, the team remains optimistic about regaining full strength in the coming week. Will Kitchens, leading the Falcons as the number one player, continues to impress with his stellar performance and unwavering commitment, bolstering the team's morale as they approach the final stages of the season. With their collective talent and perseverance, the Falcons are poised for further triumphs in the upcoming matches. 

Boys Varsity Golf  
The boys golf team placed 4th out of 20 teams in The Pinecrest Invitational held at Pinehurst No. 9 on Wednesday. In a filed full of Division 1 college commits, William Huntley and Jack Halloran led the Falcons and were named to the All-Tournament team.  Huntley’s putter got hot on the back nine as he birdied four of his last five holes on his way to a third-place finish posting a team leading score of 70 (-2). Jack Halloran finished T8 while fighting back on the final nine with three birdies to shoot 71 (-1). Andrew Hobbs closed things out with a solid 76 (+4).  The Falcons face Westchester Country Day at Jamestown Park on Monday to close out the regular season.      

Varsity Girls Soccer 

O’Neal vs Freedom Christian Final Score: 3-0, W 

Some days it’s quite warm, and others there’s still a chill in the air; it must be spring in the Sandhills. Spring often brings to mind blooming and rebirth and other such metaphors for the seasons’ changing, but this week the O’Neal varsity girls soccer team has embodied another kind of spring: those coiled-up pieces of metal that make things bounce!  

The team bounced back from the disappointment of last week’s loss and postponed game in many ways. The Falcons hosted Freedom Christian on Tuesday and cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory thanks to goals from Hadassah Niswender, Jordin Reed, and Allie Webb. The opposing goalie made 19 saves to keep the scoreline closer than the game actually was.  

O’Neal vs Village Christian Final Score: 5-0, W 
They then travelled to Village Christian yet again to play the last 47 minutes of a game that had been suspended because of lightning. O’Neal entered with a 2-goal lead and bounced with energy the rest of the game to add three more goals against one of the toughest defenses they’ve faced. Two goals bounced into the net off the foot of Charli Bunder, and one from Jaleesa Eichel. The Falcons defense also held strong against the likely conference runners up, thanks in part to the addition of Caroline Lee who has bounced back from a pre-season foot surgery and has finally been cleared to play.  

The bus rides and practices have seen the team bouncing with renewed joy and hope for a deep playoff run. The regular season conference play will end on Friday 4/26 as O’Neal hosts Northwood Temple at 4pm. On Monday they’ll play one more regular-season non-conference game against the only team to beat them last season, Grace Christian of Sanford. With a likely bye through the first round of the conference tournament, the Falcons will begin the playoffs on Thursday with the conference semi-finals and plan to bounce on to the conference championship next Friday 5/3. All games are likely to be at home!  

Jake Shepherd strikes out 10 batters as the winning pitcher over 7 innings against FCA on Tuesday. The conference game was the second with FCA ending in a split for regular season play and sending a message to the league that the Falcons are ready to compete with anyone. 

Jacob Bates delivered an RBI fielder’s choice in the third to put the Falcons on top. Camden Harrell drew a walk in the fourth inning and Max Pashley laced a moonshot off the top of the fence going 2 for 3 on the day with a double. June Thomas executed a brilliant at-bat to drive in the winning run with a full-count double scoring Harrell. Jackson Mullis collected a stolen base on the day. 

Jake Shepherd completed the game and won his last start in conference play. He delivered. 30Ks facing 79 batters in the regular season. Shephard averaged under 4 pitches per batter, walking only 8. He led the team with a 1.316 ERA.   

VCA splits regular season play in a 1-0 loss on Wednesday. The game picked up in the bottom of the 2nd inning from a previous weather hold earlier this month. VCA started the day with a runner on 2nd base and scored on a dribbler to third, locking in the only run of a two-day contest. June Thomas delivered a stellar performance pitching 6 innings and striking out 7 batters. Thomas also collected a hit alongside Ricky Mullis, Jacob Shepherd, and Jacob Bates. 

The loss puts O’Neal in 2nd place going into the final conference season game on Friday vs Northwood Temple Academy. Conference playoffs start Tuesday of next week. 

Contributed. Photos by Wendy Hodges.

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