CFNN Reporter Nick Perry

Cape Fear fall sports has been very successful in the 2021-2022 school year; every single  fall team made the state playoffs for the first time in school history! This is an accomplishment not many schools can claim. Let’s dive in with our first sport, Cross Country. 

Both the girl’s and boy’s teams had a great season.The boys finished 3rd in the U8 Conference and the girls finished 3rd in the U8; the boys also finished 8th and the girls 12th in the 3A east region. 

The top runner for the boys team was Sophomore Maxwell Risenmay, who finished with a time of 17:39. He had a 15th place finish at regionals out of 130 boys. Iris Terwilliger, a four year lettering senior, ran with a time of 23:09, finishing 32nd out of 106. 

Overall, our Colts had a great run this season and will be back next year for another State finish. The boys team, consisting of Maxwell Risenmay, Maddox Terwilliger, Caleb Knudsen, Collin Gaddy, Alden Bostic, and Noah Magness is poised for another run at the conference championship. The girls team, consisting of Iris Terwilliger, Natalie Autry, Corrine McGuire, Katie Martin, Brinlee Risenmay, Lakin Clevidence, and Gabby Dsouza will say goodbye to their seniors, but will have a great chance at a U8 conference title next season.

“Cape Fear Cross Country has been some of my most favorite moments of high school, said Senior standout runner Alden Bostic. “The team chemistry was so high and everyone on the team was super close. It literally felt like a family. Coach Hanes has been the best coach I could ever ask for. He pushed me to run my hardest and give my all on the course every race. He made me such a better runner and a better person over all. I’ve learned so much from this program. I learned how to lead a team and how to lead by example. A season with the cross country team is something you won’t experience anywhere else and I am so proud to say I was a part of it for 4 years!”

The Girl’s tennis team made school history this season by winning a Team State Title! On October 26,Junior Brooke Bieneik and Sophomore Anna Piland won the State doubles title, crushing their opponents 8-0 and becoming the 2021-2022 doubles’ state champions. 

Even after this huge win, the Colts were not finished yet. They went on to win the 3A Mid-East Regionals (as a team) and advanced to the state championship on Saturday, November 6th. The girls took on the number 1 seed facing Forestview for the final match and won 5-3. This clutched the dual team state championship and earned a spot in school history. Congratulations to our girls!

“It was difficult not being able to start the season with my team,” said senior Madisyn Hall. “But our team made remarkable progress throughout the season, and we were able to end things on the highest note possible: a state championship!”

Boy’s soccer had a good year, making the state playoffs. Senior Trent Bunce led the team in goals with 16 goals on the season. 

“My time with Cape Fear soccer has been a blast. I’ve made some of my best memories here, and enjoyed every moment,” said Bunce of his All-Conferene season. “I’m grateful to have been able to play the game I love here for the past four years, and for all the people I’ve met during my time here.”

As we say goodbye to our outstanding senior soccer players, we look forward to seeing the underclassmen develop and display their talents next season.

“We had a good year and had a lot of positives to take out of the season,” says freshman Maddox Terwilleger. “But we are focusing on how we, as a team, are going to make a deep run next year.” 

Our Colts had multiple quality wins this year, upsetting both Grays Creek High School and Terry Sanford High School, helping their case in making the playoffs. They’ll be back next year for another great season.

The Colts girls’ volleyball team also played great this year, ending with a second round finish in the state playoffs. Olivia Melvin, Hannah Spexarth, and Payton Gunter all made first team all conference in the United 8 conference.

“It is a little upsetting losing in the playoffs and playing my last game as a Colt, but we had a good run this season, and I am happy we had a good year,” said senior Jenna Hales. Congratulations to our girls who finished the season with 20 wins and only 5 losses!

Girls golf had another good year, making the state championship for the second time in a row finishing 8th in the tournament. The girls won every match they played in the regular season with Junior Lexi Perez leading the team. She averaged 44.7 on 9 hole matches. 

“It feels really good to make the state championship again but our goal is always to win. Next year, we plan on going into the season with higher expectations and hoping to win a state title,” said head coach Todd Edge. 

We are definitely proud of our girls and are excited about what the future holds for this young team! 

Football had another state playoff appearance, finishing with an overall record of 6-4. The Colts led the county in passing yards with Junior Cole Wilson throwing nearly 2,000 yards. Senior RJ Mcdonald had an incredible year with 702 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns. 

¨This  was my first year on the field in high school. I think I couldn’t have asked for a better year,¨ RJ said.

Sophomore Favor Murtala led the team with rushing yards with 227 yards on 50 attempts. Senior Keyshawn Washington led the team in rushing touchdowns with 7. 

The Colts lost to a strong team in the first round of the playoffs but will definitely bounce back next season. They have a lot of potential for the upcoming season and have a lot of returners coming back next season. 

Overall, Cape Fear fall sports have been exciting for fans and the athletes have enjoyed much success! We are proud of our athletes and coaches who make these programs great. Go Colts!