Falcons Nest
The Falcons bring in the new year adding points in the win column, as the athletics department recognizes the career of senior student-athlete Bennett Moore.
Senior Athlete Spotlight
The athletics department would like to extend congratulations to our senior student-athletes. The department is very proud of their accomplishments and the bright futures ahead of them. This week we honor Bennett Moore with a spotlight on his career as an O’Neal athlete.
Bennett Moore, Varsity Soccer & Basketball
Accolades from Head Varsity Soccer Coach, James Franklin: “Bennett is a fantastic athlete and athletic leader. He demonstrates characteristics that are beyond his years. Most impressively, he’s selfless in his service to O’Neal athletics."
Quick Facts about Bennett:
Number of years at O’Neal: 7
Sports played at O’Neal: Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, golf
College or University he plans to or wants to attend: Ole Miss, Washington and Lee
Major or preferred course of study: Biomedical Engineering
Favorite quote: “We’re going to win states, but not tonight.”- Coach Brian, Friday Night Lights
Best O’Neal Athletics memory: Winning states for golf junior year.
News from Athletics
“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.” -Abraham Lincoln
Varsity Boys Basketball (Updated)
The Falcons lost at home Tuesday night to the #1 team in the Tri-Tac conference, Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill. The Falcons were able to keep pace with the senior-laden team through the first 12 minutes and then Trinity’s talent and experience took over. The team traveled to American Hebrew Academy on Wednesday night and ended up with a 3-point loss. The Falcons were down 10 points with 53 seconds left in the game, had a couple steals and found themselves down 3 points with about 6 seconds to go. After a timeout, they drove the length of the floor and put up a few good shots that just fell short. The Falcons hit the road for the second time this week to compete against Davidson Day School who is one of the top teams in the state.
Coach Haarlow stated, “It was great to see the fight late in the game [against American Hebrew] from this team [on Wednesday]. [Against Davidson Day School] we will need to compete and create the tempo that we want to give ourselves a great chance.”
Next week, the Falcons continue their arduous schedule with 3 more games, traveling to Salem Baptist Academy on Monday, January 14th, hosting Carolina Friends School on Tuesday, January 15th, and then finishing out the week on Friday hosting Salem Baptist Academy.
Friday night the Falcons took on the #4 team in the state, Davidson Day School, and came up short. The Falcons were led by Freshmen, Jalen Lindsey and Patrick Reaves with 13 and 11 respectively. The final score was 75-31.
The Falcons get back into conference play this week with 3 more games. Monday night we hit the road to play Salem Baptist Academy and then we are home for 4 straight games. Tuesday night the Falcons host Carolina Friends and Friday night we host Salem Baptist. Please, come out and support the Falcons as we hit the tail end of the season. We should have some very good games over the last couple weeks!
Varsity Girls Basketball
The Falcons opened the week on Tuesday night welcoming Trinity of Durham and Chapel Hill for a Tri-TAC conference matchup. With their high-intensity traps, the Falcons jumped to a quick 23-6 lead in the first quarter. A balanced attack and tremendous rebounding helped the Falcons stretch the lead to 35-19 at the half. The Falcons saw various lineups throughout the night and saw each team member score during the game. In the end, the Falcons defensive energy and transition scoring were too much for Trinity School to defend, and the Falcons cruised to a 71-45 victory. The Falcons’ high-powered offense was led by senior Ralayah McRae (14 points) and sophomore Kayla Jenkins (12 points).
A quick turn around saw the Falcons hit the road Wednesday evening, heading to Greensboro to face off against American Hebrew Academy. The hot shooting Falcons did not cool off on Wednesday as the ladies jumped out to a 34-4 lead by half time. Ball movement was the key of the night as every Falcon player in uniform scored and had an assist on the evening. “For two games, we’ve done a tremendous job sharing the ball. Making the extra pass is key against good defensive teams, and we’ve bought into getting the best shot each possession,” reflected Coach Brase. Junior Kei-Kei Love led the Falcons with 12 points on the evening. The 47-4 win over American Hebrew moves the Falcons to 13-1 overall and 5-0 in Tri-TAC conference play.
The #2 seeded Falcons travel to #1 Davidson Day on Friday evening for a 6:00 PM tip. The game features the two top teams in state squaring off in an NCISAA contest. Go Falcons!
Varsity Cheerleading (Updated)
The varsity cheer squad competed in the Liberty Cheer Spirit Solutions Competition on Saturday, January 12th at the Crown Arena in Fayetteville, NC. The team won first place in the large varsity category bringing home the Liberty Cheer Star. Congratulations team!
Varsity Swimming
The varsity swim team returned to the pool this week when they hit the road to face-off against American Hebrew Academy on Thursday, January 10th. Overall, both teams did well, with a combined team effort of four wins and one loss. The lady Falcons were handed their first team loss of the season with a close matchup against Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill. The Falcons will head back to American Hebrew Academy for their next meet on Thursday, January 17th at 12:00 PM.
Middle School Boys Basketball
This week included two games for Middle School Boys Basketball. They played Ascend Leadership Academy at home on Wednesday where they won 50-27. The next night, Thursday, January 10th, the team played Liberty Christian in Fayetteville. It was a hard-fought game with many lead changes and runs, but they ultimately lost 28-24. The Falcons next game is on Monday, January 14th, against Fayetteville
Christian in Fayetteville.
Christian in Fayetteville.
Middle School Girls Basketball
The Middle School Girl's Basketball Team had a strong return to competition this week following winter break. Advancing to 6-4 (5-3 in SEMSAC Conference play), the girls had impressive wins against both Ascend Leadership Academy and Liberty Christian. On Wednesday, the Lady Falcons defended their home court against the Ascend Aviators, winning 16-5. Eighth graders Alyssa Furie and Brooklyn Adams both had standout performances, tallying 5 assists and five points, respectively. Quickly turning around and hitting the road on Thursday, the girls had their strongest collective performance of the season, scoring a season-high 31 team points against the Liberty Christian Knights. Holding the Knights to only 3 second-half points, the victory was highlighted by intensity on the defensive end, impressive guard play from Alyssa Furie and sixth grader Michaela Stone, and composure on the offensive end. Looking ahead, the middle school Lady Falcons travel to Fayetteville Christian School on Monday, January 14th, to play the always competitive Warriors squad.
Middle School Cheerleading (Updated)
The Middle School Cheerleading squad competed in the junior exhibition portion of the Liberty Cheer Spirit Solutions Competition on Saturday, January 12th at the Crown Arena in Fayetteville, NC. They completed their routine with stunts and pyramid in front of a huge crowd and closing out the show with a dynamic routine, representing the O'Neal School spirit and scored excellent in their category! Great job team!
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