Falcons Nest - May 9
Falcons finish their spring seasons with heart.
Varsity Track & Field:
As the Falcon Track & Field team heads into the NCISAA Division III State Championship on Friday, May 16th, we want to take a moment to recognize the hard work this team has poured into the season. From the first day of practice to now, these athletes have pushed themselves physically and grown emotionally, showing incredible grit, teamwork, and heart every step of the way.
As the Falcon Track & Field team heads into the NCISAA Division III State Championship on Friday, May 16th, we want to take a moment to recognize the hard work this team has poured into the season. From the first day of practice to now, these athletes have pushed themselves physically and grown emotionally, showing incredible grit, teamwork, and heart every step of the way.
The Falcons are proud to celebrate our individual state qualifiers: Gavin Rabon, Ashton Coon, Jamaya Hooker, Ava Taylor Walker, Sam Schmitz, Chris O'Melia, Andrew Pavlovich, Matthias Davis, Sofie Itegie, Dylan Rabon, Murphy Stanton. Alongside them, Jacob Lindsey, Gabe Marrero, Hunter Monroe, and Jacob Tracy will travel with the team and may get their opportunity to shine in the competition as well. No matter the results, this season has been something special — and we can’t wait to see how it all comes together at Wingate University!
Varsity Boys Tennis:
O’Neal vs Caldwell Academy: FINAL 4-5, L
On May 6, the Falcon boys' tennis team wrapped up their season with a thrilling, hard-fought 5-4 match at the Caldwell Academy. The Falcons came out strong, securing early momentum with impressive wins at both #1 and #2 doubles.
O’Neal vs Caldwell Academy: FINAL 4-5, L
On May 6, the Falcon boys' tennis team wrapped up their season with a thrilling, hard-fought 5-4 match at the Caldwell Academy. The Falcons came out strong, securing early momentum with impressive wins at both #1 and #2 doubles.
Singles play brought intense competition, with three matches going down to the wire in tiebreakers. At #3 singles, Chris Walters had the crowd on edge as his third-set tie-breaker saw multiple swings between match point for him and match point against. After a valiant effort, he narrowly fell 13-15. Despite the narrow loss, there were standout performances across the board. Joseph Lucas earned a gritty singles win in a tie-breaker and teamed up with Walters for the #2 doubles victory. Ethan Kim and Noah Bass also delivered a strong showing with their win at #1 doubles. Though the season ends in a close contest, the team’s fight, growth, and resilience throughout the match and season are something to be proud of!
Varsity Baseball:
O'Neal vs. Northwood Temple Academy: FINAL 18-4, W
The Falcons hosted the Eagles on Tuesday afternoon for the first round of state playoffs, and the team did not disappoint. Totaling up 9 hits in this contest total, the Falcons were led by Kaiden Taveras and Oliver Gabor, who each had 2 hits. Max Pashley and Andrew Pavlovich each had 3 RBIs in the win.
O'Neal vs. Northwood Temple Academy: FINAL 18-4, W
The Falcons hosted the Eagles on Tuesday afternoon for the first round of state playoffs, and the team did not disappoint. Totaling up 9 hits in this contest total, the Falcons were led by Kaiden Taveras and Oliver Gabor, who each had 2 hits. Max Pashley and Andrew Pavlovich each had 3 RBIs in the win.
Parker Maxwell was outstanding on the mound, going 4 innings while only giving up 3 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 3. Joey Wade came in close in the last inning, giving up 0 earned runs.
O'Neal vs. Village Christian Academy: FINAL 1-8, L
The Falcons were set to face the Knights in the 2nd round of state playoffs. A rematch of last week's Conference semifinals. The Falcons did not play the cleanest game, and the Knights capitalized on a few mistakes. Jake Shepherd was on the mound and only gave up 3 earned runs while striking out 5 over 4 innings of work. Joey Wade came in and didn't give up a hit over 2 innings.
Although the Falcons did not win, they tied for going the farthest any team has gone in school history. An outstanding season for O'Neal baseball.
Middle School Baseball:
O’Neal vs Fayetteville Christian School: FINAL 17-0, W
O’Neal dominated Fayetteville Christian School in a quick three-inning matchup, securing a 17-0 victory. The offense came alive early, powered by standout performances from Kaiden Taveras, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, a triple, a walk, four RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base. Charlie Borland added two singles, two runs, and three stolen bases, while Liam Enslin contributed a double, two walks, three runs, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Enslin was equally impressive on the mound, throwing three hitless innings with five strikeouts and no walks, Fayetteville Christian struggled with control issuing 11 walks that led to nine runs. O’Neal capitalized on the opportunities, also swiping nine bases in the win.
O’Neal vs Fayetteville Christian School: FINAL 17-0, W
O’Neal dominated Fayetteville Christian School in a quick three-inning matchup, securing a 17-0 victory. The offense came alive early, powered by standout performances from Kaiden Taveras, who went 2-for-2 with a home run, a triple, a walk, four RBIs, three runs, and a stolen base. Charlie Borland added two singles, two runs, and three stolen bases, while Liam Enslin contributed a double, two walks, three runs, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Enslin was equally impressive on the mound, throwing three hitless innings with five strikeouts and no walks, Fayetteville Christian struggled with control issuing 11 walks that led to nine runs. O’Neal capitalized on the opportunities, also swiping nine bases in the win.
O’Neal vs Village Christian Academy: FINAL 5-7, L
In a hard-fought championship matchup, O’Neal came up just short against Village Christian, falling 5-7 despite a strong offensive and pitching performance. The Falcons were led at the plate by Oliver Gabor, who went a perfect 3-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, double, two RBIs, and a stolen base. Parker Maxwell added a 2-for-3 day with a walk, stolen base, and a run scored. Liam Enslin chipped in with two singles, an RBI, two runs, and a stolen base. On the mound, Maxwell threw four innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out three. Enslin followed with three innings of relief, surrendering no earned runs and striking out four. Despite tallying 10 strikeouts offensively, the Falcons stayed in the fight until the final inning in a game that showcased their resilience and talent.
Varsity Girls Soccer:
The O’Neal Falcons Girls Varsity Soccer team wrapped up an emotional week of State Playoff action—full of grit, heart, and the never-quit spirit that’s defined their season.
O’Neal vs Village Christian Academy: FINAL 2-1, W
The Falcons playoff journey began with a familiar foe—conference rival Village Christian. Just days earlier, the Falcons had cruised to an 8-0 win over the Knights in the conference tournament. But this time around, the game was anything but easy.
The O’Neal Falcons Girls Varsity Soccer team wrapped up an emotional week of State Playoff action—full of grit, heart, and the never-quit spirit that’s defined their season.
O’Neal vs Village Christian Academy: FINAL 2-1, W
The Falcons playoff journey began with a familiar foe—conference rival Village Christian. Just days earlier, the Falcons had cruised to an 8-0 win over the Knights in the conference tournament. But this time around, the game was anything but easy.
Village came out determined and took advantage of a slow O’Neal start, finding the back of the net early and holding a 1-0 lead into halftime. Despite efforts to get their attack going in the second half, the Falcons struggled to connect—until Joelle Cole came off the bench with ten minutes remaining and changed the game. Rising above the defense, she headed a Charli Bunder corner into the bottom corner of the net, giving O’Neal new life. With momentum building, the Falcons pressed forward. It was Bunder again who delivered the decisive blow—ripping a shot from 22 yards out that sealed a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory and punched their ticket to the next round.
O’Neal vs St. Thomas More Academy: FINAL 2-4, L
In the second round, O’Neal faced a tough St. Thomas More squad—and another flat start proved costly. Within the first 20 minutes, the Falcons found themselves down 3-0.
To their credit, they never quit. Keelie Bosworth and Sydney Davis each had scoring chances before halftime, and the coaching staff made tactical adjustments at the break that shifted the momentum. The Falcons came out firing in the second half and thought they had cut into the lead when Brielle Wolfe chipped the keeper—only to see the goal waved off for offsides.
Still, they pressed on. Jordin Reed broke through with a goal to make it 3-1. But in the 60th minute, controversy struck. Goalkeeper Natalia Henderson made a save and had clear possession when the ball was kicked from her hands and bundled over the line. Despite clear contact, the referee let the goal stand, putting the Falcons down 4-1.
Even then, the Falcons wouldn’t go away quietly. Bunder rattled the crossbar, and Wolfe nearly connected with Reed on a cross that missed by inches. Finally, with the last kick of the match—and of her high school career—Charli Bunder buried a free kick to make it 4-2 as the final whistle blew.
It wasn’t the ending the Falcons had hoped for, but the heart they showed was undeniable. A season filled with ups and downs, injuries, and challenges ended the way it was played all year—fighting to the last second. The coaches related their gratitude to the five seniors on the squad for their leadership, passion, and commitment. Charli Bunder, Kaylee Crow, Katherine Fensterle, Caroline Lee, and Victoria York have left their mark on Lady Falcons Soccer and O’Neal Athletics as a whole and will be deeply missed!
Photos by Wendy Hodges
Falcon Athletics Looking Ahead – 5/11/25 - 5/16/25
DAY | DATE | OPPONENT | SPORT | H/A | EVENT TIME |
SUN | 5/11/2025 | Practice Round NCISAA State Championships | BGOLF | AWAY | |
MON | 5/12/2025 | NCISAA State Championships Jamestown Park Golf | BGOLF | AWAY | |
TUE | 5/13/2025 | NCISAA State Championships Jamestown Park Golf | BGOLF | AWAY | |
FRI | 5/16/2025 | NCISAA State Championships Wingate University | T&F | AWAY | 4:00PM |
MON | 5/19/2025 | End of Year Varsity Sports Recognition | 6:00PM |
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