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Since having its 47-game conference winning streak end against Seaforth last month, the Orange lacrosse team had its rematch against the Hawks circled in on its calendar.

Yet it was an older, more familiar Chatham County rival who nearly ruined the Panthers’ hopes of winning a fifth consecutive conference championship.

The Northwood Chargers led Orange 4-2 at halftime at Chargers Stadium on Thursday night. Holden Ray delivered a hat trick as the Panthers finished the game on a 6-1 run and defeated the Chargers 9-5. After being limited to three goals in the first three periods, the Panthers scored six in the fourth quarter to maintain its tie with Seaforth for first place in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

Owen Wimsatt also had a hat trick and scored the opening tally of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 4-4. It started a string of four goals in a span of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. Junior Matthew Macneir scored the go-ahead goal with 9:45 remaining. Wimsatt would complete his hat trick with an overhand shot 33 seconds later. Luke Nevius added his first goal of the night.

Brett Clark and Ray finished out the scoring as the Panthers improved to 13-3 overall, 11-1 in the Mid-Carolina Conference.

The showdown with Seaforth lived up to the Panthers brand of lacrosse that head coach Chandler Zirkle has installed since he arrived as head coach in 2017. Orange went on a 5-2 run in the second quarter and didn’t trail in the second half in a 10-8 victory at Hawks Stadium.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jackson Runkle finished with ten saves in a huge game.

Brett Clark scored three goals and four points. MacNeil finished with two goals and two assists against the Hawks. After the Panthers were stymied by the Hawks in their first game in March, scoring just one goal in the second half, Orange found consistency on offense scoring five goals in the second quarter.

Jay Parker, Aidan Monteith and Wimsatt all scored in the second quarter. MacNeil and Wimsatt added goals in the third quarter.

Sophomore Jackson Eackes had six ground balls while Grant Cardone added three ground balls

Orange will return home to face Eastern Alamance on Friday night at Auman Stadium.

On his Senior Night, Quinn Finnegan couldn’t leave Red Wolves Field wouldn’t taking something with him.

The park has been a big part of his young life. On Tuesday, he made sure it always will be.

After he became the first pitcher from the Central Conference to beat Southern Alamance this year, Finnegan got to take a final trot around the bases, a tradition at Cedar Ridge for seniors following their final home conference game.

Finnegan took the trip alone because he’s Cedar Ridge only senior this year. His teammates wouldn’t have it any other way.

After he rounded the bases and touched home plate, he pulled out a small bottle, where he put in some dirt from home plate and sealed it with a wooden cap. Finnegan had already placed a label on it reading “Dirt from Home Plate.” He’s taking that bottle with him to Staten Island, New York, where he will pitch at Wagner College next year.

“Wherever I go, I want to take Cedar Ridge with me,” Finnegan said. “This is my home. I’ll keep it on my nightstand in college. It’s going to be with me wherever I go. I have to have a piece of home with me everywhere.”

Though Cedar Ridge is out of the Central Conference championship race, Finnegan has truly saved his best for last.

A week after delivering a complete game and hitting a three-run homer in his first-ever win against Orange, Finnegan made his final conference home game one to remember. He went the distance and allowed just one run as Cedar Ridge surprisingly dominated Southern Alamance 7-1 at Red Wolves Field on Tuesday night.

Southern Alamance, #3 in the latest 3A East Region RPI rankings, suffered its first conference loss and fell to 15-4 overall. It was the least amount of runs for the Patriots in a game this year. Finnegan nearly earned his second straight shutout. Kaden Parker’s RBI single with two out in seventh inning to score Johnny Rojas brought in Southern’s only tally of the night.

“Quinn does things the right way,” said Cedar Ridge head coach Bryson Massey. “He’s done things the right way his whole career here. There’s no better way to go out that finish out your senior year being the best you can be. Who cares about being good at the beginning? Be good at the end. Last week, he dominated at Orange. This week, he dominated here at his last outing.”

He also got run support. Cedar Ridge scored seven unanswered runs against Southern starter Mark King, beginning with John Grove’s line drive to centerfield to score Aidan Ryan, who reached on a one-out walk in the first inning.

Finnegan helped his own cause with a leadoff single in the third. Grant McGuffey roped a double on a liner to left field to bring in Finnegan. After Grove walked, Ian McGuffey sliced another liner to left field to bring in Grant McGuffey and Ryan, pushing Cedar Ridge’s lead to 4-0.

Grove scored after a wild pitch. Walker Holmes scored Ian McGuffey on an RBI groundout to increase Cedar Ridge’s lead to 6-0.

Grant McGuffey, who finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, drove in the final Red Wolf run with an RBI single to bring in Hudson Kelly in the fourth inning.

Southern Alamance had several threats early, but Cedar Ridge delivered possibly its best defensive game of the year. Southern’s Cooper Martin sent a double that rolled to the centerfield fence. King, who singled on the first pitch of the game, held up at third. Noah Madren sent a fly ball to right field, where Carter Warren made the catch. Warren doubled up Partin at second base to end the inning.

The upset postponed Southern Alamance’s coronation as Central Conference champions. The Patriots now lead Person by two games for first place with three league games remaining. Person, who defeated Eastern Alamance on Monday, return to conference action against Williams next Tuesday in Burlington.

“I have a lot of respect for Southern Alamance,” Massey said. “I also believe in my guys wholeheartedly. We’ve played some really good baseball the last two weeks. We’re not going nowhere. We’re here to stay. Cedar Ridge baseball is on the rise. That’s what we expect.”

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The Cedar Ridge lacrosse team took a big step towards making the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs on Monday night with a 8-5 win over Walter Williams at Red Wolves Stadium. The game was tied 3-3 at halftime, but Red Wolves goalkeeper Michael O’Melia held the Bulldogs to two goals in the second half. O’Melia made 12 saves as Cedar Ridge improved to 6-7. Sophomore Jackson Burrows had his fourth hat trick of the year with three goals. He now has 16 goals on the season. Senior Joshua Hart added two goals. Hart now leads Cedar Ridge with 25 goals and 33 points this season. Junior Grant Thole added a goal, bringing his total to 15. Freshman Christopher Wilkins started the second half with his second goal of the season. Cedar Ridge avenged a tough overtime loss to Williams on March 14 in Burlington. The Red Wolves have now won five of its last six games and is looking to close the season strong as they go into the state playoffs. Last year, the Red Wolves hosted an opening round game in the playoffs. On Tuesday night, Cedar Ridge will look to continue the momentum when they face Southeast Alamance at Red Wolves Stadium. On May 2, they will play its Senior Night game against Western Alamance in Hillsborough.

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The Cedar Ridge lacrosse team took a big step towards making the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs on Monday night with a 8-5 win over Walter Williams at Red Wolves Stadium. The game was tied 3-3 at halftime, but Red Wolves goalkeeper Michael O’Melia held the Bulldogs to two goals in the second half.

Battling injuries over the past four years, Orange senior Luke Cecil was named All-Central Conference for the first time last fall. His will to win led him to play against Eastern Alamance in his final regular season game last October even though he had an injured foot. After the game, Cecil learned he had actually broken his foot. On Monday night, Cecil formally signed with Division III Methodist University. Also on hand was his father, Anthony; his mother, Robin and his sister, Sadie. Also there was Luke’s head coach since his sophomore year, DeVante’ Pettiford, and longtime Orange assistant coach Eric Stephens. Luke started playing football when he was six years old in the Hawfields community. He went on to play at Gravelly Hill Middle School and spent all four years at Orange on the varsity. During his junior season, Cecil reached the 3A State Playoffs. This season, he helped block Ja’ki McDaniels for three touchdowns in the win at Chapel Hill, the first time the Panthers defeated the Tigers since 2019. Cecil has a career in criminal justice in mind once he’s done with football. It’s been a busy year for the Cecil family. In February, his sister Sadie signed to play softball at Mars Hill College.

Orange football Offensive Lineman of the Year: Luke Cecil, commits to Methodist University

Battling injuries over the past four years, Orange senior Luke Cecil was named All-Central Conference for the first time last fall. His will to win led him to play against Eastern Alamance in his final regular season game last October even though he had an injured foot.

As Orange football enters a new conference in August, they will also have a new man leading the program.

After three seasons, DeVante’ Pettiford submitted his resignation last Monday. In a statement released on social media last week, Pettiford said “Panther Football Family, I have decided to step down from my position of Head Football Coach at Orange High School. It was 100% my decision! Thank you to staff, admin, and students at OHS. Most importantly, THANK YOU to every player I have coached during my time at Orange High School. It’s deeper than football X’s and O’s. I will always be there for you. ONCE A PANTHER, ALWAYS A PANTHER.”

Pettiford didn’t return DMs from Hillsboroughsports.com for comment.

When asked last Wednesday, Orange principal Jason Johnson referred to a statement released by the school that read, in part, “We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Coach Pettiford for his time, dedication and leadership as the head football coach at Orange High School. Coach Pettiford has poured his passion into the program, both on and off the field and we are truly grateful for the positive impact he has had on our student-athletes.”

The statement went on to wish him the best in his future endeavors.

As recently as last weekend, Pettiford was at the Carolina Coaches Combine in Greensboro where he oversaw workouts with some of his now-former players.

Since the end of last season, when Orange finished 2-8 after a close loss at Eastern Alamance in the season-finale, Pettiford has overseen offseason workouts. He also spoke at ceremonies inside Orange High Gymnasium for fullback Jayden Medley, who signed with Barton College and offensive lineman Joseph Logan, who signed with Bluffton University in Ohio.

Pettiford’s departure led to some unhappy parents and former players to start an online petition on Facebook demanding his return.

Pettiford was hired by former athletic director Mike McCauley in the spring of 2023 following the retirement of Van Smith. He was the first Black head football coach in Orange High history. Just like Smith, Pettfiord worked with a program that struggled to regain the talent of the mid-2010s, when Division I prospects Payton Wilson, Stone Edwards, Garrett Cloer, Bryse Wilson (who had several FCS football offers before his Major League Baseball career) and Keyshawn Thompson helped Orange to five consecutive 10-win seasons and three straight conference championships.

Dealing with diminishing skill levels is inevitable for any school over the mists of time. Dealing with declining participation is another, and Pettiford guided the program while in the midst of a nadir in football numbers at Orange, which wasn’t his fault.

In 2023, his second year as head coach, Orange didn’t field a junior varsity team for the first time in program history, aside from the pandemic year of 2021. As participation improved at its top feeder school, Orange Middle School, the Panthers resumed a junior varsity schedule last fall, when they finished 1-9.

Pettiford’s first win as Orange head coach came at Granville Central in September 2023. His entire team autographed the game ball and presented it to him postgame. He finished 2-8 in 2022.

Just like Person and Cedar Ridge, the Panthers had a difficult time against the Alamance County buzzsaw in the Central Conference. Orange went 0-12 against Alamance County conference opponents during Pettiford’s tenure, though Person and Cedar Ridge never defeated any of the Alamance schools over the past four years, either.

In 2023, Orange made the state playoffs for the first time in six years with a 3-8 overall record. The Panthers opened the year by beating Southeast Alamance in the Stallions’ first-ever game. Orange also defeated Montgomery Central. They would fall to conference rival Southern Alamance in the opening round of the playoffs in Graham.

Pettiford saw the resurrection of Orange football under Moser firsthand as a young defensive lineman. He graduated from Orange in 2011 after playing on a 2-8 team, but his last game was a stunning 14-11 win at Chapel Hill that knocked the Tigers out of the state playoffs. It was the beginning of Orange’s dominance across the entirety of Orange County that stretched across the remainder of the decade.

A native of Cedar Grove, Pettiford played at Division II Virginia State and appeared in two games for the 2014 team that won the CIAA Championship. He played in 12 games at Virginia State overall, including one at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles. After graduation, he returned home and served as an assistant for Moser and Smith during the golden era of Orange football.

There was hope that Pettiford was on the precipice of something special once again. Orange Middle School has won the last two Orange Person Athletic Conference championships. Many, though not all, of the players coming from the middle school will be at Orange next year when they start playing in the new Tarheel Heartland Conference.

Photo courtesy of Erin Martin 

Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team has clinched a spot in the Coastal Athletic Association Tournament. The Phoenix took a three-game series against Drexel in Coastal Athletic Association action at DU Softball Field in Philadelphia last week. Wirt started two games in the series at catcher. In the opening game of the doubleheader, she scored the final run in a 13-3 game decided in six innings on April 12. The following day, Wirt went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice hit in the Dragons’ only win of the series, a 6-3 decision. Elon is 16-4 in the Coastal Athletic Association, only one game behind Campbell in the loss column for first place. The Phoenix is 25-15 overall after sweeping a three-game series against North Carolina A&T this weekend. Wirt has started 20 games and has played in 25. She is hitting .265 with five RBIs.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central softball team defeated Delaware State at DSU Softball Field on Saturday. Nichols started at first base. The Eagles salvaged a game in the three-game set. The Hornets took the opening game of a doubleheader 6-0 on Friday and completed the sweep with a 5-4 win in the nightcap. Nichols started all three games. Nichols has played in 33 games this year. The Eagles are 11-30 overall, 8-9 in the MEAC. They will face Appalachian State at Parkwood Athletic Field in Boone on Saturday.

Mia Davidson: Ever the globetrotter, Davidson has gone from Mexico to Japan to start her season with the Denso Bright Pegasus of Japan’s Diamond League. Last Saturday, the Bright Pegasus won its season opener over Honda Reverta 3-2, a game where Davidson score the game-winning run after she led off the inning with a single.

Carson Bradsher: The Division III Averett University Cougars swept its final home doubleheader of the season against Roanoke last week. Bradsher, starting in centerfield, went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base as the Cougars won the opener 5-2. Bradsher scored in each of the first two innings. Averett won the nightcap 4-2. Bradsher finished 2-for-3 with a stolen base and two runs scored, including the opening tally of the game when she stole second and wound up scoring off a throwing error. On April 16, Averett split a doubleheader with Ferrum College. Averett edged the Panthers in the opener 2-1 at Cougar Field in Danville, VA. In the nightcap, the Panthers won 4-3 in eight innings, but Bradsher score the game-tying run in the bottom of the seventh off an infield single by Hannah Zabik. Bradsher went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI triple. Averett is 17-19 overall, 8-10 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Bradsher, who transferred from South Carolina Upstate over the summer, has started all 36 games for the Cougars. She leads the team in seven offensive categories, including a .474 batting average with 64 hits, 35 runs scored, 72 total bases, a .533 slugging percentage, a .486 on base percentage and 21 stolen bases out of 22 attempts.

Ava Lowry: The Division III North Carolina Wesleyan Battling Bishops split a doubleheader at Mary Baldwin in Staunton, VA on Saturday. Wesleyan won the closing game 10-5, rallying back from a 4-0 deficit. Lowry went 2-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run double that tied the game in the third inning. Lowry had another RBI double in the fifth. In the opener, the Squirrels won 10-2 in five innings. Lowry started both games at shortstop. Last Wednesday, Wesleyan swept a doubleheader from William Peace at Edge Field in Rocky Mount. Lowry went 1-for-4 in the the second game, which Wesleyan won 6-5 in eight innings. The Battling Bishops are 22-14 overall, 10-4 in the USA South Conference.

Olivia Aitkin: The Division III Amherst Mammoths swept a doubleheader from Trinity College out of Connecticut on Saturday. Aitkin started in centerfield and went 1-for-3 in the first game, which Amherst won 9-5. Aitkin drew two walks and scored a run in the second game, which Amherst won 11-5. On Wednesday, Springfield College swept a doubleheader from Amherst on scores of 12-3 in six innings and 1-0 in eight innings. Amherst is 14-13 overall, 5-7 in the New England Small College Athletic Conference.

Breezy Foster: The Wake Tech Community College Eagles are 18-27 overall, 12-20 in Region 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This weekend, Cleveland Community College won all four games from the Eagles. Foster started three of the four games at catcher. In a 16-2 win at Southwest Virginia, Foster went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Wake Tech will face Richard Bland College at Buffaloe Road Athletic Park in Raleigh on Wednesday.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman runner Isabella Taylor-Hall. Last fall, Taylor-Hall helped the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team win the 3A Eastern Regional championship. Running at Owens Recreation Park in Louisburg, Taylor-Hall finished eleventh overall in her first regional championship race. Cedar Ridge finished with 74 points, beating out Carrboro, who came in with 84 points. In the 3A State Championships, Taylor-Hall finished 39th, the second-best among Cedar Ridge runners at the Ivey Redmond Sports Complex in Kernersville. Cedar Ridge finished 7th in the state championships. In middle schools, Taylor-Hall ran 3K races at Orange Middle School. This was the first year she ran 5K races. In her second team meet with Cedar Ridge, Taylor-Hall finished 5th at an event inside Auman Stadium at Orange High. Cedar Ridge won that meet after finishing three of the top five runners. At Eno River Academy Invitational on August 20, Taylor-Hall finished seventh overall with a time of 24:50 as the Red Wolves won another team meet that included Eno River, East Wake Academy and Research Triangle Academy. At midseason, Taylor-Hall had a personal best at the NCRunners Elite XC Invitational in Kernersville. She finished at 20:32.44 and the Red Wolves finished 8th as a team.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Isabella Taylor-Hall

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman runner Isabella Taylor-Hall. Last fall, Taylor-Hall helped the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team win the 3A Eastern Regional championship. Running at Owens Recreation Park in Louisburg, Taylor-Hall finished eleventh overall in her first regional championship race.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior right fielder Dominic O’Keefe. On a young team, the Orange baseball team has had many different roles to fill this year because of injuries and losing eight starters from last year. O’Keefe has fulled those roles, playing four different positions this year, including pitcher. During the Hilltop Invitational two weeks ago, O’Keefe went 2-for-2 with three RBIs in the Panthers’ win over Chatham Central. He drove in the game-winning run with a double to right centerfield. Later, he knocked in D.J. Woods with a single to left field. Earlier in the Hilltop, O’Keefe had an RBI double against Heritage that scored Wren Hash. O’Keefe helped tie the game against the Huskies when he scored the first of three runs in the seventh inning. On Thursday, O’Keefe had an RBI single that plated Kayden Bradsher as Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 5-0 at Red Wolves Stadium. In February, O’Keefe signed with Lenoir Community College to continue his baseball career. O’Keefe was so dedicated to playing football for Orange, he constantly woke up early on summer and Christmas holiday mornings for extra workouts. O’Keefe will be among the seniors honored during Senior Night activities when Orange hosts Walter Williams on Friday night in Hillsborough.

Orange Panther of the Week: Dominic O’Keefe

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior right fielder Dominic O’Keefe. On a young team, the Orange baseball team has had many different roles to fill this year because of injuries and losing eight starters from last year. O’Keefe has fulled those roles, playing four different positions this year, including pitcher.