Falcons Nest - August 21
Off and Soaring: Falcons Open the Fall Season
Varsity Girls Tennis
O'Neal vs. The Burlington School: Final 9-0, Win
The Lady Falcons opened their season with a dominant victory over The Burlington School. Despite the intense heat, the team showed tremendous grit and focus, sweeping all six singles matches and all three doubles courts. Vivienne Rhue earned an 8-2 win at Line 1, followed by Beth Cordova with an 8-6 victory at Line 2. Valentina Roberts posted an 8-0 shutout at Line 3, Sydney Davis won 8-2 at Line 4, Izzy Grotzke earned an 8-3 victory at Line 5, and Kennedy Aytes completed the singles sweep with an 8-1 win at Line 6. The Falcons carried that momentum into doubles, with the pairings of Rhue and Cordova, Roberts and Davis, and Grotzke and Aytes sweeping all three courts to secure the 9-0 team victory. Olivia Hostler also earned a special highlight for the Falcons, winning her first-ever exhibition tennis match.
O’Neal vs. Burlington Christian Academy: 2-7, Loss
The Lady Falcons battled through the heat in a competitive match against Burlington Christian Academy, ultimately falling short. Kennedy Aytes led the Falcons with a strong straight-sets victory, showing confidence and consistency throughout her match. Valentina Roberts also earned a big win, battling back to secure an impressive comeback victory in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker. Another highlight of the afternoon came from sisters Olivia and Maddie Hostler, who competed together in their first-ever conference doubles match. Despite the final team score, the Lady Falcons showed tremendous effort, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the afternoon. The Falcons return to action next week with their Home Opener on Tuesday, August 25th and away on Friday, August 28th.
The Lady Falcons opened their season with a dominant victory over The Burlington School. Despite the intense heat, the team showed tremendous grit and focus, sweeping all six singles matches and all three doubles courts. Vivienne Rhue earned an 8-2 win at Line 1, followed by Beth Cordova with an 8-6 victory at Line 2. Valentina Roberts posted an 8-0 shutout at Line 3, Sydney Davis won 8-2 at Line 4, Izzy Grotzke earned an 8-3 victory at Line 5, and Kennedy Aytes completed the singles sweep with an 8-1 win at Line 6. The Falcons carried that momentum into doubles, with the pairings of Rhue and Cordova, Roberts and Davis, and Grotzke and Aytes sweeping all three courts to secure the 9-0 team victory. Olivia Hostler also earned a special highlight for the Falcons, winning her first-ever exhibition tennis match.
O’Neal vs. Burlington Christian Academy: 2-7, Loss
The Lady Falcons battled through the heat in a competitive match against Burlington Christian Academy, ultimately falling short. Kennedy Aytes led the Falcons with a strong straight-sets victory, showing confidence and consistency throughout her match. Valentina Roberts also earned a big win, battling back to secure an impressive comeback victory in a thrilling third-set tiebreaker. Another highlight of the afternoon came from sisters Olivia and Maddie Hostler, who competed together in their first-ever conference doubles match. Despite the final team score, the Lady Falcons showed tremendous effort, resilience, and sportsmanship throughout the afternoon. The Falcons return to action next week with their Home Opener on Tuesday, August 25th and away on Friday, August 28th.
Middle School Boys Soccer:
O'Neal School vs Lee Christian School: 9-0, Win
O'Neal School vs Lee Christian School: 9-0, Win
The Middle School Boys Soccer team kicked off its season in impressive fashion, earning a commanding victory in its season opener. After navigating some early-season adjustments, the Falcons came ready to compete and quickly found their rhythm on the field. The match was called with 15 minutes remaining in regulation after the Falcons built a decisive lead. Throughout the contest, the team did a phenomenal job controlling possession and dictating the pace of play, working together and creating opportunities on both ends of the field. It was an exciting first look at a group that has already shown tremendous potential, teamwork, and resilience. The Falcons are off to a soaring start and look forward to building on the momentum throughout the season.
Varsity Boys Soccer:
O’Neal vs. Sandhills Classical Christian School 8-2, Win
O’Neal vs. Sandhills Classical Christian School 8-2, Win
The Falcons opened the season on the road against Sandhills Classical Christian and came out firing. O’Neal controlled the match from the opening whistle, creating chance after chance before Parker Fusonie broke through for the first goal of the season. Once the first goal arrived, the Falcons kept coming. Fusonie went on to complete a hat trick, while Rafe Hardee, Gabriel Marrero, Carson Rodriguez, and Andrew Miller also found the back of the net. O’Neal controlled possession and created opportunities from all over the field on its way to an impressive season-opening victory.
O'Neal vs Lee Christian School: 6-4, Win
The second game of the week against Lee Christian presented an entirely different challenge. O’Neal again started quickly, taking the lead in just the third minute when Rodriguez found the back of the net. Lee Christian responded with three quick counterattacking goals, suddenly putting the Falcons in a 3-1 hole. The game nearly moved further out of reach when Lee Christian was awarded a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Murphy Stanton delivered one of the biggest moments of the match. Stanton got a touch on the penalty attempt, tipping it off the crossbar, then recovered to make another outstanding save on the rebound. The sequence kept the Falcons within striking distance, and Rodriguez added a late goal before halftime to send O’Neal into the break trailing 3-2.
The second game of the week against Lee Christian presented an entirely different challenge. O’Neal again started quickly, taking the lead in just the third minute when Rodriguez found the back of the net. Lee Christian responded with three quick counterattacking goals, suddenly putting the Falcons in a 3-1 hole. The game nearly moved further out of reach when Lee Christian was awarded a penalty kick, but goalkeeper Murphy Stanton delivered one of the biggest moments of the match. Stanton got a touch on the penalty attempt, tipping it off the crossbar, then recovered to make another outstanding save on the rebound. The sequence kept the Falcons within striking distance, and Rodriguez added a late goal before halftime to send O’Neal into the break trailing 3-2.
The Falcons emerged from halftime with renewed pressure and relentlessly pushed Lee Christian deeper into its own half. The equalizer came when Rodriguez sent a dangerous cross into the box and Captain Andrew Miller finished it to level the match. From there, O’Neal took control. Shahir Batterjee and Liam Enslin helped shut down the counterattacking opportunities that had caused problems in the first half, while Holden Boyd and Captain Joseph Lucas helped solidify the back line and allowed the Falcons to continue pushing numbers forward. Lucas made an impact at the other end as well, rising to meet another Rodriguez delivery and burying a beautiful header off a free kick. Gabriel Marrero and Rafe Hardee were excellent in the midfield, helping O’Neal regain control of possession and sustain its second-half pressure.
Newcomer Oliver Gabor turned in a strong performance on the wing, while Fusonie worked relentlessly as a target forward to hold the ball, find teammates, apply pressure, and win possession back. Rodriguez capped an outstanding night with four goals and two assists, playing a part in all six O’Neal goals as the Falcons completed the comeback for a thrilling 6-4 victory. The opening week showed two different sides of this Falcon team. Against Sandhills Classical Christian, O’Neal showed what it can do when it controls a match from the beginning. Against Lee Christian, the Falcons showed something equally important: how they respond when a game does not go their way. Down two goals and nearly down three, they adjusted, competed, kept attacking, and found a way to win. The Falcons return to action Tuesday, August 25 at 5:30 p.m. against Village Christian.
Middle School Volleyball:
O’Neal vs. Lee Christian School: 0-2, Loss
O’Neal vs. Lee Christian School: 0-2, Loss
The Middle School Girls Volleyball team played their first game of the season on Thursday, traveling to Lee Christian for their season opener. For some of our players, it was their very first time stepping onto a volleyball court for a game! Kennedy Morrow and Kaylee Wilson made their debuts as setters, showing off some beautiful sets and serves.
The girls started the first set with plenty of energy and motivation. Kayla McWhinney impressed with some strong hits and serves, but Lee Christian proved to be a tough opponent and took the first set. In the second set, our girls continued to show some great plays and saves, including an impressive save by Arya Stingle. Although they ultimately lost the set, the team gained valuable experience from their first game.
This match gave the team a great perspective on what they need to work on moving forward. The girls will focus on improving their communication on the court, fighting harder for every ball, becoming more consistent with their serves, and keeping a positive mindset and strong motivation. With plenty to learn and room to grow, the team is looking forward to getting back on the court and continuing to improve!
Varsity Volleyball:
O’Neal vs. Sandhills Classical Christian School: 0-3, Loss
The Falcons opened their 2026 season with a non-conference match on the road at Sandhills Classical Christian on Tuesday, August 18th, facing an experienced and well-coached opponent. Serving was a bright spot throughout the night, with the Falcons putting consistent pressure on their opponent from the service line and creating scoring opportunities. A young roster settled in as the match progressed, growing more comfortable with the rhythm and pace of match day. The Falcons took away valuable lessons from their first competition of the season that will serve the program well in the weeks ahead.
O’Neal vs Lee Christian School: 0-3, Loss
The Falcons traveled to Lee Christian on Thursday, August 20th for their second contest of the season, a non-conference matchup. Serving again proved to be a strength for the Falcons, who consistently generated scoring opportunities from the service line. The Falcons showed clear growth over the course of the match and played their best volleyball of the night in the third set as they battled to a 17-25 finish. As the program continues to build, the steady improvement across the match showed excellent progress. The Falcons host Mintz in their Home Opener on Monday, August 24th at 5:00pm in the Hannah Gym.
O’Neal vs. Sandhills Classical Christian School: 0-3, Loss
The Falcons opened their 2026 season with a non-conference match on the road at Sandhills Classical Christian on Tuesday, August 18th, facing an experienced and well-coached opponent. Serving was a bright spot throughout the night, with the Falcons putting consistent pressure on their opponent from the service line and creating scoring opportunities. A young roster settled in as the match progressed, growing more comfortable with the rhythm and pace of match day. The Falcons took away valuable lessons from their first competition of the season that will serve the program well in the weeks ahead.
O’Neal vs Lee Christian School: 0-3, Loss
The Falcons traveled to Lee Christian on Thursday, August 20th for their second contest of the season, a non-conference matchup. Serving again proved to be a strength for the Falcons, who consistently generated scoring opportunities from the service line. The Falcons showed clear growth over the course of the match and played their best volleyball of the night in the third set as they battled to a 17-25 finish. As the program continues to build, the steady improvement across the match showed excellent progress. The Falcons host Mintz in their Home Opener on Monday, August 24th at 5:00pm in the Hannah Gym.
DAY | DATE | OPPONENT | SPORT | H/A | EVENT TIME |
MON | 8/24/2026 | Mintz | VB | Home | 5:00pm |
TUE | 8/25/2026 | Village Christian Academy | GTN | Home | 3:30pm |
TUE | 8/25/2026 | Village Christian Academy | MSBSOC | Away | 3:30pm |
TUE | 8/25/2026 | Village Christian Academy | MSVB | Away | 4:00pm |
TUE | 8/25/2026 | Village Christian Academy | VB | Away | 5:00pm |
TUE | 8/25/2026 | Village Christian Academy | BSOC | Away | 5:30pm |
THU | 8/27/2026 | Northwood Temple | MSBSOC | Away | 3:30pm |
THU | 8/27/2026 | Northwood Temple | MSVB | Away | 3:30pm |
THU | 8/27/2026 | Northwood Temple | BSOC | Away | 5:00pm |
THU | 8/27/2026 | Northwood Temple | VB | Away | 5:00pm |
FRI | 8/28/2026 | Cape Fear Christian | BSOC | Away | 4:00pm |
FRI | 8/28/2026 | Cape Fear Christian@ Triton High School | GTN | Away | 4:00pm |
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