Falcon Athletics Honor Seniors
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
contributed.
Photos by Wendy Hodges.
