Falcons Nest - April 19th

James Franklin, Athletic Director
Spring sports are heating up!  
 
Middle School Baseball 
   
 
  
RUNS 
HITS 
RBIs 
BB 
SO 
L 
O’Neal 
2 
3 
2 
2 
6 
W 
Village Christian 
6 
0 
0 
1 
4 
Falcon bats were tied up against Village Christian last week. Despite the outcome, Village Christian was on the ropes when contest time expired. Jaxson Graves collected one hit and two runs batted in. Christian Baker and Camden Harrell reached base on singles. Camden and Jackson Booth also reached base on walks. The entirety of the team had quality plate appearances throughout the game. 
 
Defensively, the team performed well. Camden Harrell started for the Falcons and surrendered four runs (two earned) while striking out four. The Falcons also completed two clutch double plays which kept Village at arm’s length throughout the event. Ultimately, it was a well-played contest. 

 
  
RUNS 
HITS 
RBIs 
BB 
SO 
W 
O’Neal 
15 
3 
10 
11 
4 
L 
Northwood Temple 
6 
0 
0 
1 
5 
O’Neal Falcons defeated Northwood Temple Academy on Monday. On the offensive, Liam Enslin led the Falcons with two hits (one double), one run scored, and four RBIs. Christian Baker connected a double and drove in one run. The Falcons did not let loose with their bats but had a sharp eye at the plate. They walked 11 times during the game. 

On the hill, Jaxson Graves struck out four, walked two, and allowed zero runs in three innings of work. Parker Fusonie came to close things out in the fourth inning. He pitched one inning of no-hit baseball. 

 
  
RUNS 
HITS 
RBIs 
BB 
SO 
W 
O’Neal 
17 
12 
10 
10 
2 
L 
Fayetteville Christian 
1 
0 
0 
1 
4 
 
The Falcons played impressive baseball against Fayetteville Christian this past Thursday. They collected 12 hits in the event and struck out only twice. Christian Baker led the team at the plate. He had three base- knocks with a double and three runs scored. Jaxson Graves also doubled and collected another hit with three RBI’s. Jackson Booth had three quality at-bats earning a double and a base hit. Kaiden Taveras also delivered two base hits. 

Jackson Booth stepped on the hill first and allowed zero hits during the contest. He allowed only one run and struck out four batters. The defense played well and looked impressive throughout the game. 
 
Varsity Baseball 
 
  
RUNS 
HITS 
RBIs 
BB 
SO 
L 
O’Neal 
8 
11 
5 
3 
9 
W 
Thales Academy Apex 
9 
8 
6 
6 
10 
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. 
 
 
  
RUNS 
HITS 
RBIs 
BB 
SO 
W 
O’Neal 
19 
14 
11 
11 
11 
L 
Fayetteville Christian 
13 
11 
11 
9 
6 
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. 
 
Middle School Girls Soccer 
O’Neal vs Village Christian – Final Score 2-0, W 
This week the Middle School Girls Soccer Team played two huge games against Village Christian and Fayetteville ChristianIt was a battle for the regular season title, as Fayetteville Christian and Village Christian are both playoff-bound teams. Village Christian was up first on Monday, and the Falcons controlled the flow of the entire game. They were first to every ball and kept the pressure on Village throughout the first halfEven with multiple chances, the score remained tied at 0-0 going into halftimeO’Neal came out strong in the second half, scoring three minutes in and this eased the pressure, allowing the girls to add a second goal midway through the half Strong team defending prevented Village from having any dangerous opportunities and the game ended 2-0 in the Falcon’s favor 
 
O’Neal vs Fayetteville Christian – Final Score: 0-0, Penalty Kicks 3-2, W 
On Thursday, the Falcons faced a very strong Fayetteville Christian team on a hot day.  The previous matchup between the teams had gone to penalty kicks and this game was equally closeO’Neal did a great job adjusting to the Fayetteville Christian’s strength, of shooting from distance, and the team’s defenders closed space quickly to prevent these opportunitiesOn the offensive side the Falcons created dangerous chances but couldn’t put one past the Fayetteville Christian goalieAfter a 0-0 regulation score, the game was again decided on penalties, where some timely saves kept the Falcons alive until they took their first penalty kick lead after the 7th kickOne final tremendous save made that lead stick, and O’Neal’s win gave them sole possession of first place. 
 
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.  
Events Next Week 4/22 - 4/26:  
All events subject to change.  
check our website for the most up to date information.  
 
DAY 
DATE 
OPPONENT 
SPORT 
H/A 
EVENT TIME 
SUN 
4/21/2024 
Navy vs. White at Union Pines - to be confirmed by Mason 
Track and Field 
AWAY 
TBA 
TUE 
4/23/2024 
Freedom Christian Academy 
BASE 
HOME 
3:30 PM 
TUE 
4/23/2024 
Freedom Christian Academy 
GSOC 
HOME 
4:00 PM 
TUE 
4/23/2024 
Grace Christian Raleigh 
BTN 
AWAY 
3:30 PM 
WED 
4/24/2024 
Fayetteville Christian School 
BTN 
HOME 
3:30 PM 
WED 
4/24/2024 
Pinecrest HS Invitational (TYGA) 
BGOLF 
AWAY 
1:15 PM 
WED 
4/24/2024 
Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill at Hillandale (White Team) 
MSGOLF 
AWAY 
3:30 PM 
WED 
4/24/2024 
Village Christian Academy 
BASE 
AWAY 
4:00 PM 
WED 
4/24/2024 
Village Christian Academy 
GSOC 
AWAY 
6:00 PM 
THU 
4/25/2024 
Carmel Christian 
BTN 
AWAY 
3:30 PM 
THU 
4/25/2024 
South Wake Sabres 
MSBASE 
HOME 
3:30 PM 
THU 
4/25/2024 
St. Mary's Magdalene at MacGregor Downs (Navy Team) 
MSGOLF 
AWAY 
3:50 PM 
FRI 
4/26/2024 
Cary Elite Sprint and Distance (Invite Only) 
Track and Field 
HOME 
TBD 
FRU 
4/26/2024 
Northwood Temple Academy 
BASE 
HOME 
3:30 PM 
FRI 
4/26/2024 
Northwood Temple Academy 
GSOC 
HOME 
4:00 PM 
 
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