Falcons Nest - November 15th
A WEEK FULL OF HOME OPENERS FOR THE FALCONS
Middle School Girls Basketball:
O’Neal vs Cape Fear Christian Academy FINAL 30-24, W
The middle school girls' basketball team hosted Cape Fear Christian Academy on Tuesday afternoon, facing the challenge of a back-to-back matchup. Cape Fear came out with intensity, keeping the game close and putting pressure on the Falcons throughout. Despite the tough competition, the team clinched a 30-24 victory by hitting key outside shots and maintaining relentless effort. The Falcons thrived on the energy from the home crowd, fueling an exciting atmosphere in the gym for their season's first home game.
O’Neal vs South Wake FINAL 7-39, L
On Thursday the Lady Falcons faced a tough challenge, hosting the South Wake Sabres in their final game before conference play begins next week. Despite the size and experience advantage of their opponents, the Falcons showed incredible determination and resilience, battling hard for the full game. A standout performance came from their defensive effort, with Keelie Bosworth and Julie Wilson providing excellent help defense to contain the Sabres’ drives. While South Wake’s defense tested Falcon’s offense by speeding up their play, it served as a valuable learning experience to guide future practices. This game showcased the team’s competitive spirit and readiness to take on the challenges ahead in conference play.
Varsity Girls Basketball:
O’Neal vs Word of God Academy FINAL 31-43, L
On Friday, November 8, the Lady Falcons traveled to North Raleigh Christian Academy to kick off a two-day pre-season showcase. In their opening matchup against Word of God Academy, the team displayed grit and determination, battling hard throughout the game. Despite their efforts, some easily correctable mistakes and turnovers ultimately tipped the scale, resulting in a narrow loss. This game served as a valuable learning experience for the Lady Falcons, highlighting areas for growth as they prepare for the season ahead.
O’Neal vs North Raleigh Christian Academy FINAL 52-56, L
On Saturday, November 9, the Lady Falcons returned to action, taking on the host team, North Raleigh Christian, in their second game of the pre-season showcase. The Falcons dominated the first three quarters with scoring efficiency and high intensity, keeping the Knights on their heels. However, late-game foul trouble, turnovers, and a short bench ultimately hindered their push for victory. Judah Sibley delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 28 points. Jamay Hooker added 10 points, while Kennedi Hamner contributed 8 points and an impressive 12 rebounds. Sofie Itegie chipped in 4 points, and GiGi Gabriele rounded out the scoring with 2 points.
O’Neal vs Word of God Academy FINAL 31-43, L
On Friday, November 8, the Lady Falcons traveled to North Raleigh Christian Academy to kick off a two-day pre-season showcase. In their opening matchup against Word of God Academy, the team displayed grit and determination, battling hard throughout the game. Despite their efforts, some easily correctable mistakes and turnovers ultimately tipped the scale, resulting in a narrow loss. This game served as a valuable learning experience for the Lady Falcons, highlighting areas for growth as they prepare for the season ahead.
O’Neal vs North Raleigh Christian Academy FINAL 52-56, L
On Saturday, November 9, the Lady Falcons returned to action, taking on the host team, North Raleigh Christian, in their second game of the pre-season showcase. The Falcons dominated the first three quarters with scoring efficiency and high intensity, keeping the Knights on their heels. However, late-game foul trouble, turnovers, and a short bench ultimately hindered their push for victory. Judah Sibley delivered a standout performance, leading all scorers with 28 points. Jamay Hooker added 10 points, while Kennedi Hamner contributed 8 points and an impressive 12 rebounds. Sofie Itegie chipped in 4 points, and GiGi Gabriele rounded out the scoring with 2 points.
Despite the setback, the Lady Falcons showcased their potential and resilience, leaving much to build on for the season ahead.
O’Neal vs Fayetteville Academy FINAL 52-31, W
On Wednesday, November 8, the Lady Falcons opened their season at home with an impressive performance against Fayetteville Academy. After a slow start from both teams, the Falcons found their rhythm, taking control early and maintaining their lead throughout all four quarters. Judah Sibley led the team with a stellar double-double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Gigi Gabriele added 12 points, while Jamaya Hooker contributed 8 points. Sofie Itegie and Kennedi Hamner rounded out the scoring with 5 and 1 point, respectively.
On Wednesday, November 8, the Lady Falcons opened their season at home with an impressive performance against Fayetteville Academy. After a slow start from both teams, the Falcons found their rhythm, taking control early and maintaining their lead throughout all four quarters. Judah Sibley led the team with a stellar double-double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. Gigi Gabriele added 12 points, while Jamaya Hooker contributed 8 points. Sofie Itegie and Kennedi Hamner rounded out the scoring with 5 and 1 point, respectively.
Next up, the Lady Falcons will travel to Village Christian Academy on Tuesday, November 13, for their first conference game of the season.
Middle School Boys Basketball A:
O’Neal Vs. Cape Fear Christian Academy FINAL 37-23, W
The Middle School boys basketball team pulled off a strong win against CFCA thanks to a dominant defensive performance. The Falcons only gave up 4pts in the 2nd and 3rd quarters combined. The Falcons played well on offense scoring 10 or more points in two of the four quarters including 17 points in the 4th quarter alone. Every player contributed, with 12 athletes seeing action and making an impact on the court. It was a complete team effort from start to finish, and the result reflected the hard work and focus on the defensive end.
O’Neal vs. South Wake FINAL 41-30, W
The Falcons were back in action Thursday evening at home vs. South Wake Sabres. The Falcons started off slow offensively but continued their strong defensive play holding an experienced South Wake team to 20pts through the first three quarters. The Falcon's scoring was spread out with 6 players putting points on the board. Once again, all 13 players got involved, showing our team’s depth and balance. Defense was the difference-maker, keeping up the pressure and forcing turnovers. The team’s effort and energy were outstanding, and they are looking forward to working hard in practice to keep up this momentum. The Falcons have 3 games next week, on the road Monday vs. Berean Baptist Academy and Tuesday vs. Village Christian Academy, and finish up at home Thursday vs. St. David’s school.
Varsity Boys Basketball:
O’Neal vs Fayetteville Academy FINAL 34-78, L
The Falcons tipped off their 2024-25 season at home on Wednesday night against Fayetteville Academy. The visiting team came out strong, playing great team basketball and hitting key shots early. Despite fielding a young team this year, the Falcons played with competitiveness and resilience, showcasing promising moments and impressive plays in the paint.
Freshman Jacob Lindsey led the Falcons in scoring with 15 points, while Grant Sowell added 5 points. Other contributors included Jack Manning (4 points), Joseph Lucas (3 points), Mike Lewis (3 points), Max Pashley (2 points), and Caleb Jones (2 points).
The Falcons left the game with their heads held high and valuable takeaways for the season ahead. They now set their sights on their first road matchup against Village Christian Academy, with a 7:30 p.m. tip-off next Tuesday.
All-School Cheer:
This week the All-School Cheer Team cheered at our first Middle School Girls & Boys Basketball games against Cape Fear Christian Academy and South Wake Sabres. The games were exciting, and the girls had fun cheering on our Falcon teams! They are learning new material every practice to incorporate into each game. Look for them at the next Middle School Girls and Boys home games on Thursday, November 12, against St. David's School.
This week the All-School Cheer Team cheered at our first Middle School Girls & Boys Basketball games against Cape Fear Christian Academy and South Wake Sabres. The games were exciting, and the girls had fun cheering on our Falcon teams! They are learning new material every practice to incorporate into each game. Look for them at the next Middle School Girls and Boys home games on Thursday, November 12, against St. David's School.
Middle School and Varsity Swimming
The Middle School and Varsity Swim Teams hosted two teams Thursday night-Fayetteville Christian School and Cary Christian School. Double Duel meets are only scored against one opponent even though they swim against two teams at once. The final scores were as follows:
Women-
CCS 74 vs FCS 16
CCS 55 vs O’Neal 39
O’Neal 65 vs FCS 20
Men-
CCS 60 vs FCS 25
CCS 60 vs O’Neal 25
O’Neal 45 vs FCS 28
The Middle School Team kicked off their swim season with an impressive first meet, featuring numerous personal bests and promising performances. Tanner Kennedy highlighted the night with significant time drops in both the 50- and 100-yard freestyle events.
Other notable improvements included strong advancements in freestyle flip turns by Adam Storr and Marley Pace. First-time competitors Sarah Williams and Rafe Hardee got their feet wet—literally—gaining valuable experience and a taste of racing.
With this being their season opener, the Falcons are eager to dive back into competition next week, aiming for even more personal bests. The team is excited to host more meets and continue swimming toward victory as the season progresses!
The Varsity Swim Team flew through their first meet of the season. With a dynamic mix of emerging talent and veteran leadership, the team delivered strong performances, showcasing their competitive edge despite the early stage of the season.
The Varsity Swim Team flew through their first meet of the season. With a dynamic mix of emerging talent and veteran leadership, the team delivered strong performances, showcasing their competitive edge despite the early stage of the season.
Standout swims came from the relay teams and individual efforts by Michaela Stone, Ella Marino, and Platon Korobko. Several swimmers secured qualifications for the state meet, including Sam Schmitz, Leo Van Etten, Victoria York, Bethany Risseeuw, Malia Stone, Michaela Stone, Morgan Lewis, Ella Marino, and Abigail Schupp.
Next week, the Falcons will face off against TSDCH and Grace Christian, aiming to build on this promising start.
Photos by Wendy Hodges
Photos by Wendy Hodges
Falcon Athletics Next Week 11/18-11/22:
DAY | DATE | OPPONENT | SPORT | H/A | EVENT TIME |
MON | 11/18/2024 | Berean Baptist Academy | MSBKB | AWAY | 5:00PM |
MON | 11/18/2024 | Berean Baptist Academy | MSGBKB | AWAY | 4:00PM |
TUE | 11/19/2024 | Village Christian Academy | MSBKB | AWAY | 4:45PM |
TUE | 11/19/2024 | Village Christian Academy | MSGBKB | AWAY | 3:30PM |
TUE | 11/19/2024 | Village Christian Academy | VBBKB | AWAY | 7:30PM |
TUE | 11/19/2024 | Village Christian Academy | VGBKB | AWAY | 6:00PM |
THU | 11/21/2024 | St. David's School | MSBKB | HOME | 5:00 PM |
THU | 11/21/2024 | St. David's School | MSGBKB | HOME | 4:00 PM |
THU | 11/21/2024 | Trinity School of Durham and Chapel Hill and Grace Christian Sanford | SWIM | HOME | 4:00 PM |
THU | 11/21/2024 | South Wake Sabres | VGBKB | HOME | 5:30 PM |
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