Falcons Nest - April 18
Falcons start to celebrate their senior athletes
Varsity Boys Golf:
O’Neal vs Westchester Country Day: Final 226-239, W
The O’Neal Falcons capped off their final home golf match of the season with a competitive outing against Westchester Country Day School. Dylan Wolfe led the charge for the Falcons, firing an impressive even-par 72. He was closely followed by Andrew Hobbs with a 73, while Jake Shephard contributed an 81 to round out the team’s scoring. Max Pashley (83) and Jack Manning (88) also delivered solid performances on the day.
Westchester’s top three scorers posted rounds of 77, 78, and 84, as each team counted their lowest three individual scores toward the final tally.
Following the match, the Falcons honored their three senior team members in a heartfelt celebration with their families and coach. This senior group, all of whom joined the golf team for the first time this year, was recognized for their commitment, growth, and contributions to the program in their final season.
Middle School Co-Ed Golf:
O’Neal vs Burlington Christian Academy: FINAL 221-243, W
The Middle School Falcon golfers continue to roll as they beat Burlington Christian Academy on Tuesday, April 15, at Longleaf Country Club. The Falcons were led by Luke Valkovics, who shot 1-under par (36) and birdied holes 14,15, and 16. Will Simmons, who shot 5-over par (42), parred 14 and 15 while birdieing hole 16, helping pave the way to the Falcons' decisive victory. Gabe Ballesteros was locked in throughout the match, sinking a 10-foot putt on 18 to save par and finish the match with a respectable 45. The Falcons finished with a total score of 221 to Burlington Christian's 243, beating them by a combined 22 strokes! The Falcons have a bye week approaching before their final home match of the season vs Saint Mary Magdalene School at Longleaf Country Club on Tuesday, April 29th.
Varsity Boys Tennis:
O’Neal vs. Trinity of Durham and Chapel Hill: FINAL 3-6, L
The Falcons hosted Trinity on Tuesday in a competitive home match that featured several exciting individual performances. Senior co-captain Chris Walters and sophomore Joseph Lucas each earned strong singles victories. Junior Nathan Reifenstahl added another point for O’Neal with a determined three-set win, showcasing his trademark grit and stamina.
O’Neal vs Westchester Country Day: FINAL 3-5, L
On Wednesday, O’Neal traveled to the High Point Country Club for a showdown with Westchester Country Day. Walters and Lucas once again led the way with singles wins, and the duo paired up to earn a well-fought doubles victory. Reifenstahl battled through a grueling 2.5-hour three-set match that narrowly slipped away, continuing to demonstrate the endurance that comes from his training across cross country and swimming.
With Easter Break on the horizon, the Falcons are looking forward to their upcoming matches with renewed focus. They return to action on Tuesday, April 22, at home against Durham Academy, where they will hold their Senior Recognition. They will then travel to play against Fayetteville Academy on Wednesday, April 23.
O’Neal vs. Trinity of Durham and Chapel Hill: FINAL 3-6, L
The Falcons hosted Trinity on Tuesday in a competitive home match that featured several exciting individual performances. Senior co-captain Chris Walters and sophomore Joseph Lucas each earned strong singles victories. Junior Nathan Reifenstahl added another point for O’Neal with a determined three-set win, showcasing his trademark grit and stamina.
O’Neal vs Westchester Country Day: FINAL 3-5, L
On Wednesday, O’Neal traveled to the High Point Country Club for a showdown with Westchester Country Day. Walters and Lucas once again led the way with singles wins, and the duo paired up to earn a well-fought doubles victory. Reifenstahl battled through a grueling 2.5-hour three-set match that narrowly slipped away, continuing to demonstrate the endurance that comes from his training across cross country and swimming.
With Easter Break on the horizon, the Falcons are looking forward to their upcoming matches with renewed focus. They return to action on Tuesday, April 22, at home against Durham Academy, where they will hold their Senior Recognition. They will then travel to play against Fayetteville Academy on Wednesday, April 23.
Varsity Girls Soccer:
The O'Neal Varsity Girls Soccer team delivered two commanding performances last Friday and this week with wins over Berean Baptist and Northwood Temple, showcasing their cohesive team play.
O'Neal vs. Berean Baptist: FINAL 9-0, W
The Falcons started strong against Berean, scoring in just the 2nd minute as Keelie Bosworth netted an early goal off a clever "Mario Bros" combination inside the box. In the 38th minute, Jordin Reed sliced through the defense and tucked the ball into the side netting to close the first half with a 2-0 lead.
The Falcons started strong against Berean, scoring in just the 2nd minute as Keelie Bosworth netted an early goal off a clever "Mario Bros" combination inside the box. In the 38th minute, Jordin Reed sliced through the defense and tucked the ball into the side netting to close the first half with a 2-0 lead.
The second half was a scoring showcase. Just two minutes in, Joelle Cole blasted a left-footed shot across the keeper and into the back of the net. Reed followed in the 4th minute, slotting a beautiful shot into the top left corner. In the 6th, Victoria York took a clean touch on the right side of the box and drove it into the left side of the net. Charli Bunder added a goal in the 9th with a powerful strike from the top of the 18. One minute later, a throw-in from Kennedi Hamner set up Brielle Wolfe, who used a single high touch to loft the ball over the keeper. In the 11th minute, Bunder danced past defenders and found the back of the net again. Finally, in the 13th minute, Cole connected with Bunder at the top of the key to complete Bunder's hat trick and end the game early via mercy rule.
O'Neal vs. Northwood Temple: FINAL 6-0, W
The Falcons kept the momentum rolling in their match against Northwood. In the 26th minute, a deflected corner kick landed at Wolfe’s feet, and she sent it soaring into the net. Four minutes later, Reed found Bunder, who calmly placed the ball in the back of the goal. Before halftime, Bosworth played a precise ball to Davis in the box, who took a brilliant first touch past the keeper to make it 3-0.
The Falcons kept the momentum rolling in their match against Northwood. In the 26th minute, a deflected corner kick landed at Wolfe’s feet, and she sent it soaring into the net. Four minutes later, Reed found Bunder, who calmly placed the ball in the back of the goal. Before halftime, Bosworth played a precise ball to Davis in the box, who took a brilliant first touch past the keeper to make it 3-0.
In the second half, Bunder delivered a well-placed corner kick in the 3rd minute that Hamner headed home. In the 16th minute, Hamner carried the ball upfield and found Bunder again, who took a touch and found a gap in the defense to score her second. With just over 7 minutes left, Reed crossed the ball into the box where Bunder completed her second hat trick of the season.
O'Neal will take a break for the holiday weekend and return to action Tuesday, April 22nd for their last conference home game against Fayetteville Christian School. They will hold their senior recognition ceremony that afternoon at 3:45 PM before the 4 PM kickoff.
Middle School Girls Soccer
O’Neal vs Northwood Temple: FINAL 0-2, L
This week’s game proved to be a well-matched contest for the Falcons. While the team ultimately came up short on the scoreboard, their performance, especially in the final ten minutes, was anything but disappointing. With the pressure mounting late in the match, O’Neal pushed forward with urgency and nearly found the equalizer, keeping the sidelines on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
What made the effort even more impressive was the context: the Falcons had not had a practice since returning from spring break and were playing the second of back-to-back games. Despite the challenge, they rose to the occasion with resilience and heart. The team’s growth was evident not only in their play but also in their poise, battling to the end and supporting one another like seasoned leaders.
O’Neal vs Northwood Temple: FINAL 0-2, L
This week’s game proved to be a well-matched contest for the Falcons. While the team ultimately came up short on the scoreboard, their performance, especially in the final ten minutes, was anything but disappointing. With the pressure mounting late in the match, O’Neal pushed forward with urgency and nearly found the equalizer, keeping the sidelines on the edge of their seats until the final whistle.
What made the effort even more impressive was the context: the Falcons had not had a practice since returning from spring break and were playing the second of back-to-back games. Despite the challenge, they rose to the occasion with resilience and heart. The team’s growth was evident not only in their play but also in their poise, battling to the end and supporting one another like seasoned leaders.
Varsity Baseball:
O'Neal vs. Christ the Cornerstone Academy: FINAL 7-7, Tie
The Falcons celebrated Senior Night to highlight Max Pashley, Andrew Pavlovich, and Jacob Shepherd on Monday evening. These 3 seniors are the last group to graduate from the 2022 and 2023 varsity baseball teams, who hung up back-to-back conference championship banners in the Hannah Gym.
The Christ the Cornerstone Defenders and the O'Neal Falcons put on a spectacular show to finish out the last home game of the year. It was a back-and-forth game filled with lead changes, with both teams battling it out for 9 innings. The Falcons were led by Jake Shepherd on the mound first, who threw 2 hitless innings, followed by Joey Wade who was a workhorse on the mound, pitching the next 7 innings.
The Falcon offense was led by Shepherd, who went 3-4 with a double. Kaiden Taveras and Max Pashley also had 2 hits each of their own. Wade, Liam Enslin, Parker Fusonie, and Oliver Gabor also contributed to the offense with 1 hit each. Although the Falcons wanted the win, they left it all out on the field to wrap up the final regular season home game of the season.
O'Neal vs. Northwood Temple Academy Eagles: Final 7-1, W
The Falcons took care of business against the Northwood Temple Eagles Friday night, getting a much-needed 7-inning win. Joey Wade shined at the plate, going 4-4! Jake Shepherd had an outstanding day on the mound, going 5 innings and striking out 10 while allowing only 1 hit and no runs. Parker Maxwell pitched the last two innings and sealed the win for O’Neal, only allowing 2 hits while striking out 3. It was a great all-around team victory for O’Neal. The Falcons will finish their regular season on Tuesday, 4/22, at Fayetteville Christian School.
MS Baseball:
O'Neal vs Northwood Temple: FINAL 18-1, W
O'Neal rolled past Northwood with an 18-1 win in just four innings, putting together a dominant all-around performance. Kaiden Taveras sparked the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Parker Maxwell was a force at the plate, finishing 2-for-2 with two walks and four runs. Charlie Borland delivered a well-rounded day, reaching base four times with a single, double, walk, and hit-by-pitch while scoring three runs. Liam Enslin chipped in a double, two RBIs, and a run, and turned in a commanding outing on the mound, striking out 11 over four innings while allowing just one hit and no earned runs.
O'Neal vs Berean Baptist: FINAL 6-17, L
O'Neal faced Berean Baptist in a three-inning matchup, falling 17-6 in a struggling loss, despite some strong individual performances. Charlie Borland contributed both at the plate and on the mound, going 1-for-2 with a single, a walk, a run scored, and an RBI. He also pitched 1.2 innings, recording a strikeout but struggling with control, issuing 12 walks and allowing 13 runs, only two of which were earned. Seth Itegie was perfect at the plate, going 1-for-1 with a walk and an RBI, while Bingham Winslow reached base all three times, going 1-for-1 with two walks, a run, and an RBI. Delancey Copeland pitched in relief, recording one out while allowing four runs—all unearned. As a team, O'Neal totaled three hits, drew 11 walks, stole one base, and scored six runs, while only two of Berean’s 17 runs were earned.
Photos by Wendy Hodges
Photos by Wendy Hodges
Falcon Athletics Looking Ahead – 4/22/25 - 4/25/25:
DAY | DATE | OPPONENT | SPORT | H/A | EVENT TIME |
TUE | 4/22/2025 | Durham Academy | BTN | HOME | 3:30 PM |
TUE | 4/22/2025 | Fayetteville Christian School | BASE | AWAY | 4:00 PM |
TUE | 4/22/2025 | Fayetteville Christian School - Senior Recognition | GSOC | HOME | 4:00 PM |
WED | 4/23/2025 | Fayetteville Academy- Senior Recognition | BTN | HOME | 3:30 PM |
WED | 4/23/2025 | Thales Academy, Apex | MSBASE | HOME | 3:30 PM |
WED | 4/23/2025 | Thales Academy, Apex Nature Park | MSGSOC | AWAY | 4:00 PM |
WED | 4/23/2025 | Cary Academy | T&F | AWAY | 4:00 PM |
WED | 4/23/2025 | Fayetteville Academy | GSOC | HOME | 4:00 PM |
THU | 4/24/2025 | Fayetteville Christian School | BTN | AWAY | 4:00 PM |
FRI | 4/25/2025 | Cary Elite *For qualifying athletes* | T&F | AWAY | 5:40 PM |
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