Middle School Boys Soccer

MS Boys Take Tough Loss from Trinity 

A tough day for boys MS soccer, the team traveled to Trinity Academy and had a tough time keeping up with a very skilled and veteran opponent. The Lions came our roaring and the Warriors had little chance to match their talent and teamwork. The game was shortened after the mercy rule was invoked at half-time leading to a 9-0 loss as the final result. Coach Walston is hopeful that another day in practice – back to the grindstone – will reorient the boys to “bounce back and rediscover a spirited compete level”. He also added that despite it being a hard loss “Matthew Harrell and Tyler Hirt were bright spots consistently defending well and stepping to the ball”. 

MS CC away at Wake Med Park

Cross Country ran in a Jamboree on Tuesday September 14^th at Wake Med Soccer park which is comprised of 25 teams in 4 separate races; a boys open race, boys championship race, girls open race and girls championship race. In the boys race Jack Hogan was a first finisher following by Connor Jordan, McCauley Steele, Zichen Hu, and Thomas Capps. In the girl’s race Chandler Rideout was the first to finish followed by Annie Erickson, Marion Ceila, Victoria Starling, Olivia diGirolamo, and Cherry Palmer. Other standouts included Edward Pleasant (8^th) who had a huge improvement from the last meet and Patrick Mills (6^th) who finished first for St. David’s in the boys open race pushing himself to improve from the last meet and cheered on his teammates following his finish. Coach Lena Olsen said of her team that this “was our first meet of the season and we couldn't be more proud of the improvements we saw in just one week! The meet was much bigger than our first and our team stayed steadfast, confident, and enthusiastic. Throughout the entire meet, runners supported other teammates who participated in other races. This support ranged from encouraging words before runs, cheering on to the finishline, and congradulating after the runs. They acted in great sportsmanship when cheering on other teams! We are excited to continue working with the runners and seeing all they become!” MS Cross Country will run again on September 22^nd against Ravenscroft in an away competition. 

MS Tennis Beat NRCA and Trinity in Home Matches to Stay Undefeated!  

The Lady Warriors stand strong, undefeated with a 6-0 record to date after beating NRCA and Trinity this week in home matches on Tuesday and Thursday this week. This past week against NRCA in singles both Charlotte Paramore and Mary C Sewell fought hard, being down 2-5, to pull out wins on both of their courts. 

Singles players #1 Julia Painter and #2 Rankin Barnhill proved tough with exciting rallies, smashing winners and put away volleys at the net against Trinity of Durham + Chapel Hill. Doubles teams are strong including an 8^th and 6^th grade mix at the three spot of Kackie Koon and Liza Jane Green. The two are a powerhouse pair when Kackie is at the net and Liza Jane is at the baseline. Coach Emily Nelson says “our talent just doesn’t end. All 14 Lady Warriors bring a special skill set to the court always representing our school so well. We’ve had some good competition and the girls have all performed very well.” The MS Tennis team plays in an away match against NRCA on Monday September 20^th.

MS Volleyball’s Full Week of Competition

MS Volleyball had a full slate of matches with 3 games in one week pushing them to sharpen their competitive spirit. Their first match of the week against Trinity was a 0-2 loss but the team played really well. “They pushed through and they lost but lost with such a fight” Coach Jessie Carroll said. “They have plenty of work to do but played so tough and resilient against Trinity.” Miyah Wright and Mary Elizabeth Martin each scored 2 kills and libero Katie France led the team in defense with 4 digs. The team served really well throughout the game as well. In their next game, against St. Timothy’s, they were down 4 players lost to Covid protocols, but the team’s wonderful camaraderie was endearing to watch as those same girls conferenced in a facetime call to watch the entire match and support their team while they couldn’t be there. On their phone they joined the huddles and cheered on their teammates virtually for hours! They concluded their week at home on Friday September 17^th against Magellan with an 0-2 loss but just like their week started they played very well and very hard. They continue to improve with each game! Their next match is an away match against Cary Christian on September 21^st. Come support them if you can! 

MS Soccer Finishes Week with a Win

MS Boys Soccer held a slim 1-0 lead going into half time in their home match on Friday, September 18^th after a goal from Oren Cline. Early in the 2^nd half Magellan tied the game on a defensive breakdown and momentum seemed to swing in their favor. The boys team didn’t let that frazzle them because as the game progressed they played really great soccer, settled down and intensity heightened on the Warriror’s attacks. Ball possessions were some of the best the team has seen yet. Reilly Crosby made a beautiful pass across the middle to Oren Cline for a tap in goal, and Carson Riddick cleaned up a great shot that was saved by the Magellan keeper and flushed it into the back of the net.  Oren netted another goal on a breakaway to close out the scoring. Other standouts included Tyler Hirt and Nicolas Casas who led a strong defensive effort only allowing a few legitimate scoring chances.  Mason Owenby had a great game in the midfield and his desire to improve is helping him make good decisions in game situations. The Warriors had a great crowd for the game, including the Middle School Principal, Candice McCray, which the boys were very excited about.  The Warriors close out the regular season next week at Cary Christian on Tuesday, September 21st before returning home for the season finale on Thursday against Cary Academy.

A Third Straight Win for MS Girls Tennis

Girls tennis notched another win taking their record to 3-0 when they competed against St. Timothy’s on Tuesday, September 7^th. Coach Emily Nelson said that the Warriors “had great execution of shots and many fun rallies to watch that were played really well.” Strong doubles wins attributed to the overall win and hard-fought singles lead to a 9-0 finish against St. Timothy’s. 

MS Soccer Plays Great but, Takes Loss 

(Written by Jonathan Walston) 

While possession is not everything in soccer, it certainly can lead to legitimate scoring chances.  Franklin Academy dominated possession in the first half and cashed in on opportunities to take a 3-0 halftime lead.  We challenged the boys to win the 2^nd half and while both teams scored 2 goals in the 2^nd half, our compete was better, our desire was better, and our simple will to win was better.  We were a different team.  It was as if the pressure was off and we could simply play.  Oren Cline and Wiley Sloan notched 1 goal each capitalizing on errors by the Franklin defense.  The 2 goals that we gave up were a perfect 30 yard shot and a penalty kick, but overall our defense was stingy in the 2^ndhalf.  Franklin Academy clearly had a team stacked with talented 8^th graders and veteran soccer players, so we have a lot to build on from the game. Our next game is Thursday on the road at Trinity Academy where we will face another tough conference opponent.

MS Cross Country Competes at Trinity Academy

Cross Country runners for Grace Christian and Trinity Academy were the tough competitors at the meet on Tuesday, September 7^th. The twists and turns in the 1.67-mile-long race was challenging to our St. David’s runners who finally got a chance to run after their last two meets had been cancelled. The course through the forest was not easy with exposed roots, hills and turns but stand-out runners Jack Hogan, McCauley Steele and Annie Erickson more than held their own. Hogan (6^th) was the first of the St. David’s boys to finish and set a great pace for himself and was very supportive of his teammates that finished after him. Steele (8^th), the team captain, showed – as always – tremendous school spirit and led by example very much living by the St. David’s school mission. Erickson (7^th), finished a strong race and impressively passed another runner on the final stretch, and then cheered on the boys and supported the girls who finished after her. Coach Lena Olsen commented that their runners have “trained hard for this meet and showed amazing optimism for the rest of the season.” She added, “our runners exemplified great St. David’s spirit when cheering on their teammates and great sportsmanship when cheering on runners from the other teams.” Looks like our Warriors have made lots of progress and are excited about their future meets. They compete again on September 14^th.

MS Volleyball Downed by Ravenscroft

MS Volleyball took on Ravenscroft in volleyball on Thursday, September 9^th in an away match they lost. In an admirable fight they fell in 2 sets to an experienced opponent. With a new rotation in play from the coach the girls played a tough game and new leadership emerged in Katie France (6^th) who took charge of defense and took on hard serves from the Ravens. Maya Wadsworth (6^th) had great defense and net play in her first appearance as a starter with 4 digs and Avery Black (7^th) and Mary Elizabeth Martin (8^th) contributed great defense with 4 and 5 digs, respectively. The Warriors play again next week against Trinity Academy on September 14^th. 

MS Volleyball Sticks Together After Loss

MS Girls’ volleyball took on a very experienced NRCA team this week and fought very hard to keep up with the competition. “They played really well”, said Coach Jessie Carroll, “and it’s very clear that they are a tight team with a wonderful bond.” The team stuck together taking the NRCA loss admirably and made a point to support our JV and Varsity football teams by attending their games. Even the NRCA coach paid the Warriors many compliments remarking that the “team has the best camaraderie she has seen in the league.” Coach Carroll is proud of them sticking together and ready for their next match.  

Winning Week for Warriors Tennis

MS Girls Tennis took on Franklin Academy and Wake Christian Academy notching 2 wins on the week bringing their record to 3-0. In each match they “came out swinging”, said Coach Emily Nelson, and had “all around great play”. Coach Nelson made particular mention of the great net play and exceptional service by her team that helped them stay competitive in their matches. They take to the courts again on the 7^th at home against St. Timothy’s School at 4:15pm. Come support our MS tennis girls! 

A Competitive Loss

After a great start to the game, the Warriors had an opportunity to go up 1-0 on a breakaway, but a late lunge by a defender prevented the scoring chance.  Ravenscroft kept consistent pressure on the defense challenging the soccer boys to be patient at every level of the field. A few defensive breakdowns put Ravenscroft up 2-0 at half.  The second half offered a few scoring changes at close range and two breakaway chances that came up empty.  The opponent was able to sustain the pressure and capitalized on defensive breakdowns for 2 more goals. The Warriors did get a bit of a lift when Oren Cline scored on a direct kick after a handball just outside the box, however, the Ravens added another late goal to complete a 5-1 win over the Warriors.  “Overall”, Coach Walston said, “we showed true grit and defended well on multiple levels frustrating Ravenscroft and making them have to work hard to earn the win. They were a tough opponent with several skilled players at the midfield and striker positions and we truly made them uncomfortable for much of the game.“ Game balls go out to Oren Cline and Nelson Marshall for outstanding defensive pressure and consistent play. The Warriors look to get back on track on Tuesday with a home game versus NRCA.

Tough Loss in PKs

After battling to a scoreless tie, the Warriors MS Boys Soccer Team had its first penalty kick shootout of the season in their game against NRCA.  After failing to convert on any of the chances, St. David’s fell in defeat 0-0 (2-0 PKs).  “While it was a disappointing and heartbreaking finish to the game, the team continues to improve defensively and is understanding how to use the entire field to capitalize on their strengths”, said Coach Walston. “Will McClatchey was outstanding in goal turning away several scoring chances, and even making a highlight reel save on one of the overtime PK shots, only to get it called back because he moved slightly early”, he added.  The Warriors will continue to build on that momentum as they head into our next conference game on Thursday at Wake Christian.

Finishing the Week with a Win

After several practices aimed at improving defense over the entire field, the boys MS soccer team was able to transfer that knowledge to the game and saw great success.  The Warriors also possessed the ball much better than in previous games.  Oren Cline cashed in on several opportunities to notch his 2^nd hat trick of the year and Reilly Crosby added another goal in a 4-0 win over conference foe Wake Christian. The defense was anchored by stellar efforts from Tyler Hirt and Nicolas Casas.  Nelson Marshall had another great outing in the midfield while Matthew Harrell turned up the aggressiveness in the 2^nd half playing some of his best soccer of the year.  It was a great result to lean on going into the Labor Day Weekend!

MS BOYS SOCCER

Middle School boys soccer took on Friendship Christian this week and came home with a Warrior Win! The team played crisp and tough soccer on a very hot day to notch their first home win of the season. Solid play came from across the board but standout athletes included Reilly Crosby with 2 goals, Oren Cline with 1 goal and Carson Riddick with an impressive goal whose corner kick curled into the side of the net to score. Carson and Nicholas Casas centered a strong defensive effort while Nelson Marshall's aggressive midfield play was fun to watch. "The boys played much more patient defending the entire field", said Coach Walston, "which was the focus of our Monday practice as well as controlled possession." Carrying those skills from practice to the game helped them post a 4-2 win. Go Warriors! 

MS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Girls volleyball beat Friendship Christian this week with strong play from the entire crew. The girls all came together in this week's match to serve tough as well as play intense defense and purposeful offense. It was a group effort to keep the opponent at bay helped along by Mary Elizabeth Martin and Emma Kate Woody who were impressive at the service line notching 6 aces each! Katie France, Addie Howard and Elizabeth Seamster all contributed with strong defense getting many digs. The team "played great and were fun to watch and coach", Coach Jessie Carroll said. They play again at home next week against NRCA on August 31st. 

MS GIRLS TENNIS 

In an exciting home match, the girls tennis team took on Ravenscroft and eeked out a 5-4 victory and being down 2-4 when the singles games had concluded. The double team "came out firing strong and secured all three courts for an awesome victory" Coach Emily Nelson said. They were fighting in each set and put in great effort for their first game of the season. They play Wake Christian at home next week on August 30th. Come out and support our tennis team! 

MS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL

Leadership from MS Volleyball 8th Graders

MS Girls Volleyball fell to the New Life Camp team but put up a great fight after only having worked together in two practices. They played a tough first game on the first day of school and were led by their 8th grades Miyah Wright and Mary Elizabeth Martin who put up 3 kills and 6 digs respectively. Seventh grader Elizabeth Seamster pushed for momentum in the second set with 2 aces. Come support our Warriors next week at home on the 24th against Friendship Christian.

MS Girls Volleyball Falls to Grace Christian

The MS Girls played Grace Christian in an away game and experienced a difficult loss against an experienced team. The girls are still learning how to control the ball and make smart on-court decisions through rallies. Addie Howard and Reagan Hales were important subs late in the game who each kept tough serves in the court under pressure. Miyah Wright has 2 kills and Katie France had 4 digs to help push the warriors through a competitive match. The girls will compete again on Tuesday the 24^th at home at 4:15pm. Come support our Warriors!

MS BOYS SOCCER

Season Opener Hat Trick

MS Boys Soccer started their season off with am away win against Grace Christian. The team powered through the intense heat to get goals in the net - six of them - three of which came from Oren Cline in a season-opening hat trick. Solid midfield play from Reilly Crosby who scored two goals helped overcome the teams slight struggle to clear balls from their still learning defense. Coach Walston's thoughts after the match were ones of excitement for all the new faces and talent on the team. He is confident that consistency will come as they have more time to practice and develop their skills. "While we have a lot to work on, we have a lot to build on too!" Join us in support of our boys next week at home against Friendship Christian on the 24th.