Ridgecroft gains accolades at statewide competition
Published 5:04 pm Friday, May 9, 2025
- Members of Ridgecroft School’s Junior Shooting Team are, front row from left, Cade Farmer, Walker Terry, Madison Matthews, Mackenzie Knowles, Kinley Farmer, and Tripp Poston. Back row, from left, are Henry Pierce, Trenton Martin, and Carter Lassiter. Not pictured is Nathan Porter. Contributed Photo
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ELLERBE – Ridgecroft School’s junior team qualified for the 2025 North Carolina Youth Hunter Education Skills Tournament (YHEST) held here April 21 at the John Lentz Hunter Education Complex.
The annual event is a statewide competition for middle and high-school-age youth. Participants compete in multiple events including shotgun, archery, rifle, orienteering and a written hunting skills exam.
The 2025 competition attracted 61 teams.
Ridgecroft’s Shotgun team earned second place in the State Junior Division. Team members were Henry Pierce, Nathan Porter, Cade Farmer, Trenton Martin and Carter Lassiter. The alternate was Walker Terry.
In the Archery competition, Ridgecroft was represented by Mackenzie Knowles, Tripp Poston, Henry Pierce, Trenton Martin, and Cade Farmer.
Hunter Skills Test team members from Ridgecroft were Walker Terry, Kinley Farmer, Cade Farmer, Trenton Martin, and Tripp Poston.
Ridgecroft’s Rifle team competitors were Cade Farmer, Kinley Farmer, Mackenzie Knowles, Walker Terry and Madison Matthews.
The team was coached by David Knowles, Johnny Boyd, and Tim Curley.
Ridgecroft qualified for the state competition thanks to a strong showing at the District 1 tournament held March 29 in Columbia where the Junior team finished second overall. That runner-up finish was obtained thanks to first place efforts in Archery and Trap/Shotgun, and third place in Rifle. Henry Pierce shot a perfect 200 in shotgun, narrowly missing out in doubles.
Trenton Martin (left) and Cade Farmer take part in the Archery competition at the state tournament. Contributed Photo
Ridgecroft seniors Trace Farmer and Kade Slaughter were saluted for their efforts. Both have been dedicated members of the team: Trace since 6th grade and Kade since the 7th grade.
At the Tarheel Independent Conference tournament held March 19 at Hunters Pointe. Ridgecroft’s junior team won first place overall. Mackenzie Knowles claimed first place in Rifle; Cade Farmer was the top overall performer; and Trenton Martin had a perfect score (200) in Shotgun, advancing him to a tiebreaker.
Trace Farmer, competing in the Varsity Shotgun division, was part of a seven-way tiebreaker.
Sponsored by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, the Youth Hunter Education Skills Education Program involves approximately 4,000 students annually. They compete within nine divisions across North Carolina for the opportunity to qualify for the state tournament.
