Weekly update from the Falcons Nest

Falcons Nest - April 19th

James Franklin, Athletic Director

Spring sports are heating up!  

O’Neal Varsity Falcons lost on Monday, despite outhitting Thales Academy 11 to 8. Will Slagle, June Thomas, and Jake Shepherd each collected two hits for the Falcons. Aggressive baserunning kept the Falcons on top until falling short in the bottom of the 7th. The Nest collected 7 steals with Slagle and Jackson Mullis collecting two each. 

Jacob Shepherd allowed only three hits and four runs in one of his best four inning showings against the 3A opponent. He struck out 7 and allowed only 3 hits. Jacob Bates pitched two innings allowing one hit and striking out 3. Pavlovich and Wade finished the game allowing 4 hits and 4 runs combined to finish the contest. 

The blistering heat Tuesday pushed the Falcons to defeat FCS collecting 14 hits and scoring 19 runs. Jacob Bates put on a hitting display going 3 for 5. He drove in 4 runs and hit 2 homeruns for the evening. Will Slagle added to the fire going 3 for 3 driving in 2 runs. Jake Shepherd went 4 for 6 with a double. Taylor and Pashley collected hits and 2 RBIs a piece. The Falcons collected 15 stolen bases on the day led by Boyd Kenny with 5. Pashley and Pavlovich each collected 3. 

Joey Wade pitched 4 innings for the win. He allowed only 3 hits and 4 runs; walking 3 and striking out 4. Jackson Mullis relieved for 3 and 3rd allowing 7 hits and 9 runs with 2Ks before Jacob Bates closed with game with 2 outs in the 7th on six pitches for the win. 

Varsity Boys Tennis   The boys tennis team embraced a packed schedule with enthusiasm, securing victories in three matches while experiencing just one loss, all of which were tightly contested. Senior standout, Will Kitchens, showcased exceptional leadership, contributing 4 wins in singles and 3 in doubles. Despite the absence of our second-ranked player due to an injury, the team admirably adjusted their lineup to meet the challenge head-on. 

On Friday, April 12th, the Falcons triumphed over BCA with a 4-3 scoreline, with two doubles matches unfinished due to inclement weather. Singles victories were secured by Kitchens, Owen Williams, Chris Walters, and Joseph Lucas. 

Monday, April 15th, saw another impressive performance with a 6-3 win against Burlington School. Kitchens, Walters, Nathan Reifenstahl, and Lucas claimed victories in singles, while doubles triumphs were achieved by Kitchens/Noah Bass and Reifenstahl/Lucas. 

Tuesday, April 16th, brought a hard-fought 5-4 victory against St. David’s, highlighted by singles wins from Kitchens, Bass, Williams, and Walters, along with a doubles victory from Kitchens/Bass. 

Although Thursday, April 18th, resulted in a 5-4 loss to Faith Christian, but the Falcons never let up! Singles wins were earned by Kitchens and Walters, with doubles victories from Kitchens/Bass and Williams/Walters showcasing the team’s resilience and competitive spirit. 

Middle School Golf  O’Neal vs. BCA & Mary Magdalene – Final Score: 161-179-213, W  Under clear skies, the O’Neal Middle School golf team hosted a tournament against St. Mary Magdalene and Burlington Christian Academy on Thursday. Bathed in sunshine, the players delivered stellar performances. Natalia Henderson led the charge with a remarkable score of 36, finishing 1 under par, while Charlotte Schroen closely followed with an impressive even par of 37. The Navy team emerged victorious with a commanding final score of 161, with the White team securing second place at 179, and St. Mary Magdalene taking third with 213. The tournament highlighted the team’s continuous improvement, demonstrating how their dedicated efforts in practice translate into success on the course during crucial competitions. 

Boys Varsity Golf   Falcon Golfers place 8th in North Carolina High School Invitational  On Tuesday, the boys golf team traveled to Durham to compete at Treyburn Country Club in the NC High School Invitational, placing 8th out of 19 teams. Andrew Hobbs led the team posting a score of 75 (+3).  The team continues to maintain their #1 spot in the NCISAA rankings and work their way to the State Championship at Jamestown Park. Next up the Falcons will tee it up on April 24th at Pinehurst #9 in the Pinecrest Invitational. 

Track & Field 

Relay Racing  

On Saturday, April 13th the Falcons Track & Field team headed down the street to Union Pines High School to compete in a relay meet. Relay meets are a special type of meet where there are fewer individual events and mostly new and different relays for the athletes to participate in. There are many different relays that the athletes would never otherwise run in other meets, and this gives them a chance to try new handoffs, new events, and learn what it means to compete your best for your fellow teammates. The highlight of this meet was the event called the throwers relay; a race that is run by all the athletes who participated in throwing events. Most throwers do not typically participate in running events, as they are best suited to throw heavy objects far, this was a very special and fun event to watch. Every athlete from every team made their way to the infield to cheer for their throws team. This relay meet taught the kids to push themselves out of their comfort zone and taught them how to have fun on the day of meet, instead of the high stress state that meets typically are. 

Varsity Girls Soccer 

O’Neal @ Village Christian Academy – Game suspended at 2-0 Falcon lead  Earth day is nearly upon us, and this week the Earth has wanted to get involved in some soccer matches too. Both contests in which the Falcons competed were battles not just against their opponents, but also against the elements.  

Last Friday, O’Neal travelled to Village Christian in what they assumed would be their last regular season away match. The opposing defense held strong for the first twenty minutes before Jordin Reed opened the scoring with a tap in after Charli Bunder’s shot was blocked. The clouds rolled in along with the Falcons attacks on goal, and Bunder was able to score one more thunderous goal just before the lightning proximity detectors forced the teams to suspend play with 7 minutes remaining in the first half. 

O’Neal vs Fayetteville Christian School – Final Score 0-2, L  The cooling rain on Friday seemed to be the Sandhills’ last grasp at cold, because the weekend ushered in the first prolonged warmth and heat of the year. Sunblock was back out at practice on Monday, and the Falcons felt the heat during their home game on Tuesday. Unfortunately, the heat suffused O’Neal with an uncharacteristic sluggishness that Fayetteville Christian School was able to exploit. They scored two easily preventable goals, and they did enough to stop all of the lackluster attacks by the Falcons and earn the shutout victory. 

O’Neal will look to bounce back from their first conference loss on Tuesday 4/23 against Freedom Christian at home. Then, they’ll return to VCA on Wednesday 4/24 to continue the suspended game with a two-goal lead. The regular season conference play will come to a close on Friday 4/26 against Northwood Temple.  

  Contributed. Photos by Wendy Hodges / Kathy Taylor