Month: November 2019

Featuring Marlee Rakouskas, Jaden Hurdle, Rachel Tilley and Ian Johnson.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is freshman wrestler Dillion Heffernan. Last week, Heffernan won the first three matches of his varsity career in the Orange Duals to start the 2019-20 season. He pinned Fletcher Kay’s of Sanderson, the pinned South Stokes Kendall Caudill. He also earned a forfeit win over North Davidson. On Wednesday in the Thanksgiving Duals, Heffernan scored a 10-4 win against Person’s Derrick Laylock. He also got a forfeit win against East Chapel Hill, pushing his record to 5-1. Heffernan was the 2019 OPAC 90-pound champion at Stanford Middle School last winter and helped the Chargers win the OPAC Championship.

Orange wrestler Nathan Hecht won all three of his matches in the Thanksgiving Duals at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Cardinal Gibbons defeated Orange 43-28, but Hecht scored a major decision over the Crusaders’ Samuel Davis. Hecht earned his first pinball victory of the year against East Chapel Hill. To end the night against Person, Hecht pinned the Rockets’ Karson Evans at 192 pounds. Hecht went 15-9 last season with seven pins as he competed in three different weight classes. Next week, Hecht will compete in the Jim King Invitational, a two-day tournament starting on Friday at Orange High. This will be the first time that Hecht has competed in a JKO. 

In this edition of Thanksgiving wishes, we hear from Orange’s Cooper Porter, Grace Andrews and Taylor Montague, along with Cedar Ridge’s Anaya Carter.

If you’ve never been in a mosh pit at a Mastodon concert four days after getting laid off from your job, I highly recommend it.

There’s nothing like throwing your body around complete strangers to “Blood and Thunder,” even completely sober. That’s where I found myself in Greenville, S.C. in June, after I was told the News of Orange could no longer afford my salary, reducing the total number of full-time writers on staff to a grand total of one. And that person is also the editor.

A week later, I went to Curran Campbell’s graduation party in Hillsborough. Curran, who was headed to Syracuse after leaving Cedar Ridge, greeted me with these encouraging words: “I mean, you could be dead.”

Curran, a word of advice. When you graduate from Syracuse, don’t bother applying for a gig at Hallmark.

Maybe heavy metal/hard rock is my midlife crisis and that’s the reason I’ve gone to so many concerts over the past nine years, but as we’ve all seen on a daily basis, I can think of worse ways to unleash stress.

After leaving a job where I produced the best work of my 20-year career in May, I certainly had a lot to mull over. I also learned that what Rage Against the Machine recorded in 1992 was true.

Anger is a gift.

This year, the Herald-Sun stopped publishing a print edition of its Saturday paper. For anyone who loved high school football during the course of their lives, the Saturday edition was a weekly highlight every fall. I know because I was a part of it for four years.

There would be 6-10 stringers dispatched to schools from Chapel Hill to Henderson who would all flock back to the home office on Pickett Road. Of course, the Northern Knights took center stage because they won the most, and they were the New England Patriots of central North Carolina.

Those offices on Pickett Road now houses self-storage units. In short, those days I grew up with are gone forever.

At least in print.

That’s why you may have noticed more posts this fall on Hillsboroughsports.com. Coverage of high school sports is at an all-time low on newspapers, but not online.

Visionaries like Nick Stevens with highschoolot.com, Kelly Snow with Person County Sports Now and Chris Hughes of Carolina Preps.com are keeping high school sports news alive.

We’re taking the coverage back.

In October, Hillsboroughsports.com had over 16,800 hits. That’s 600 a day, an all-time high. We plan on growing more with middle school coverage, and hopefully video coverage in the future of various games.

On this Thanksgiving, it’s only fair we thank maybe people around the community who leave an impression on this website and on Hillsborough. A town is only as strong as its personalities.

First, I want to thank Kim Berini, Dick Forrest, Greg Carden, Andy Gates, Franklin and Chandler Zirkle and Jimmy Riley for their patronage to the website. I love doing it and your contributions have helped in a huge way.

This list in endless, and I apologize if I left anyone out.

Greg Motley: Thank you for providing the ultimate example of turning the other cheek. You made Orange men’s basketball a winner more than anyone who sat in that coach’s chair for 20 years. You’ll do the same at Southern Durham.

Tim Hackett: A blue chip prospect if there ever was one. Tim is the Cedar Ridge play-by-play man. Chris Edwards, the play-by-play man for Duke women’s basketball and baseball, led me to Tim in August. I can’t imagine someone who works better and harder so quickly out of Northwestern. He’ll be calling game on a much grander scale before too much longer. Thank you for your professionalism.

Andy Simmons: As the athletic director at Cedar Ridge, thank you for being patient with me as the site expanded its coverage. At first, Cedar Ridge was overlooked because I simply didn’t have enough manpower. Now, the Red Wolves are getting the attention they deserve.

Mike McCauley: Thank you for keeping the press box at Auman Stadium open late while I total up stats. I can make a 16-hour day to into a 17-hour day, but you don’t complain.

Shayne Thompson: A brother in arms because we’re constantly working on the weekends. Thanks for being so generous with your time and your video.

Jacques Morin: A professional photographer to the end who does an awful lot for very little. You are a blessing I can’t begin to repay.

Jason Knapp (the Cedar Ridge student): Thank you for your time with football this year. I hope you grow into a great broadcaster.

Jason Knapp (The Orange Baseball coach): Thank you for taking over a very big situation last year. And congratulations on your marriage.

Van Smith: Thanks for always being willing to talk football. There’s nothing better.

Torrean Hinton: Thank you for your patience. I hope the win over Chapel Hill is only the beginning.

Pam Scism: Thanks for being understanding when I misspelled your name early on. And thanks for being so kind wherever I see you.

Anna Seethaler: Thank you for a wonderful year of volleyball and for what’s ahead.

Kelly Young: Thank you for the greatest recreation volleyball team name ever: Spike Tyson.

Derryl Britt: Thank you for always listening to the broadcasts and greeting me with a smile as you gush about the Lakers. Orange men’s basketball is in very good hands.

B.J. Condron: Whether we’re talking about the Orange women’s basketball team or our mutual love of Primus, you’re a lot of fun to talk with and your teams are fun to cover.

Spenser Poteat: Thank you for being an inspiration to so many.

Scott Metcalf: Thank you for introducing a new array of women’s wrestlers to the sport. It’s a pathway to the future.

Curran Campbell: Through countless text conversations at 2 AM, it’s been a fun year as we’ve become friends. Just don’t work at radio stations for very long once you leave Syracuse. And keep listening to Kiss.

Chris Walker: Thank you for getting scores to me and being the biggest Sunderland fan in Hillsborough.

Palmer Bowman: Thanks for calling me “Mr. Hamlin.” But feel free to call me Jeff. Or even “Rod.” I’ll explain later.

Elizabeth Hamlin: Thanks for always being willing to talk after I get finished with whatever game I’m doing on Friday night. My day isn’t complete without it. And thank you, as always for listening.

Thank you to all the athletes. You make it fun, especially being so open to a weirdo carrying an iPad.

“She shall strip her sleeves and show her scars and say these wounds I had. And the good story shall be told from mother to her daughter, for what shall be remembered. We few, we happy few, we sisters. For she who sheds her blood with me today shall be my sister.” –From Henry V by William Shakespeare. (The gender language was changed for the purpose of this story)

Overcoming life’s obstacles is the best the human spirit can offer. It’s something Jaden Hurdle has become all too familiar with in her young life.

On Tuesday night, Hurdle sat down at a table inside the Orange High Library flanked by her mother Angie, whom Jaden calls her “personal cheerleader” and “best friend.” Angie isn’t hard to find in the summer. She’s the one sitting in the bleachers wearing a “proud to be her mother” tank top to her daughter’s games.

To Jaden’s left was her father, Ron, whom she called “her hero” that devoted endless hours of practice in their backyard batting cage.

Surrounding them was dozens of longtime friends, family and supporters from the Caldwell community, and throughout Orange County.

Hurdle formally signed with Patrick Henry Community College to play softball in Martinsville, VA, roughly 90 minutes from her home.

Trips to Virginia is second nature for the Hurdle family. Ron drove Jaden to Danville, twice a week, just so she could practice with her travel team through the last five years.

“Patrick Henry is getting a person of the highest character,” said Orange assistant principal Will Okun. “Jaden is somebody who treats people just how they want to be treated. She represents the best of what Orange High is and we’re excited to see what happens next.”

Some people, including Orange Coach Henry Horn, know Jaden only as “J.J.” It was a name that her aunt, Janice Hall, called her as an adolescent. Not even Janice can remember why she called her that to begin with, but it stuck. 

“I want to thank my mom for being my personal cheerleader and being at every one of my games that she could come to,” Hurdle said. “She always had my favorite sacks at every tournament and made sure we had everything we needed.”

As the laughs blended in with the tears during the ceremony, there was no mistaking how much Jaden has overcome to reach the next phase of her life.

Over the course of four years, she’s tore her ACL twice, undergoing surgery again last summer. Hurdle started as a freshman first baseman for the 2017 state championship team, the only female squad to win a state title in Orange history.

She’s a three-time All-Big 8 Conference performer with a career batting average of .437. At Stanford Middle School, Hurdle was the team MVP twice. She was even the Orange “Ag Queen.” 

Of course, in a perfect world, this wouldn’t have been the first time that Jaden would have been an instrumental part of a college signing ceremony. 

But it isn’t a perfect world. 

Her sister, Kacie, was a pitcher for Orange softball who was tragically killed in December 2012. As a tribute, she wears Kacie’s #14.

“She is the face of what adversity is and what it means to be resilient in life,” said Orange assistant coach Amber Palmer, who tried but failed to hold back tears at the podium. “There is no one more deserving of getting this experience than Jayden Hurdle.” 

Because of her most recent surgery, Hurdle’s chances of playing again at Orange are up in the air. Her classmate, Grace Andrews, may take her spot at first base when the season starts in March.

That doesn’t mean she’s done with Orange softball.

Horn plans to have Hurdle around to help Orange’s younger players. 

“It’s been an honor to coach you,” Horn said. “It’s going to be an honor to have you sit on a ball bucket beside me and prep you for college. We’re still going to let you swing a bat. Not in a game, but we’re going to prepare you for college because we owe that for you. You gave us so much more in return.”

Hurdle has a 3.9 grade point average. She is a member of the Link Crew, which supports freshmen starting out at Orange. She is also a member of the Future Farmers of America. 

At the end of her speech, Hurdle remembered her biggest inspiration. 

“I want to thank the coaches who gave me my opportunity to live my dream of being a college athlete and living the dream that my sister was never able to reach,” Hurdle said. “I played for her every time I stepped on the field and dedicate all my hard work to her.”

Orange’s Jason Franklin started the 2019-20 season with 15 points as the Panthers defeated Research Triangle 80-62 on Monday night at Panther Gymnasium. Franklin and Joey McMullin combined to hit 3-pointers on four straight Panther possessions to push Orange out to a 16-2 lead. Orange went on to a wire-to-wire win. Afterwards, Franklin talked with Hillsboroughsports.com’s Curran Campbell. Franklin is in his third season at the varsity level. To prepare for the rigors of basketball season, he played soccer for Orange coach Palmer Bowman this fall. Next week, Orange will have three games in four days. They entertain Granville Central on Tuesday night in Hillsborough, then host Southern Lee on Thursday, also in Hillsborough. Orange travels to Southern Alamance on Friday. 

Orange softball senior Jaden Hurdle signed with Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA on Tuesday night in a ceremony inside Orange High Library. Hurdle is a three-time All-Big 8 Conference performer with a career batting average of .437. As a freshman, Hurdle started at first base for the 2017 3A State Championship team. In the run to the title, Hurdle belted a two-run homer in game one of the Eastern Regional Championship series against West Brunswick. Hurdle was also a two-time Most Valuable Player for the Stanford Chargers in middle school. Tuesday’s ceremony was attended by many of Jaden!s friends and family, including her mother Angie and her father Ron. Also on hand was Orange assistant principal Will Okun, Orange softball coach Henry Horn and assistants Tonya Daye and Amber Palmer. 

By Tim Hackett

Orange lost the opening tip of the 2019-20 season, allowing Research Triangle a chance at the game’s first points. But the Panthers’ defense forced a quick turnover, and Machai Holt sprung a streaking Joey McMullin with a skip pass for a layup and the opening salvo seconds in. 

And that was just the beginning. Sweltering half-court defense. Countless turnovers. About a dozen three-pointers. One huge second-half run. 38 Joey McMullin points. All that added up to an 80-62 Orange (1-0) victory over the Research Triangle Raptors (3-1) in the Panthers’ season opener – an 18-point margin of victory that rarely seemed that secure. 

In truth, for a few minutes in the first quarter it seemed like the Panthers were primed for a blowout. It was a 3A vs. 1A matchup in this makeshift meeting following the cancellation of Orange’s scheduled opener on Friday, but dismissing Research Triangle as “just a 1A team” would have been rash – this was a Raptors team fresh off a 23-win season, and one that had started 2019 with three more wins, all by an average of nearly 30 points a game. But even still, Orange nearly ran the Raptors off the floor in the first period – McMullin and Jason Franklin combined to hit threes on four straight Panther possessions to balloon the early edge out to 16-2, allowing Derryl Britt the chance to swap out all five of his floor players at once, hockey style, to test out some of his other pieces. The Raptors had barely been able to cross half court against Orange’s starters, and they found more success against the reserves, but the hosts had still built a 25-12 lead after one period. 

Both teams showcased tenacious, unrelenting pressure defense, and, more impressively, maintained that pressure for almost the entire game. Orange worked in a three-quarter-court press most of the evening, and Research Triangle often countered with a half-court press once the second quarter began. That led to countless rushed passes, intercepted passes, and straight up bad passes from both sides, but once a team was able to get down the floor, they were both able to finish with relative ease. Orange kept the visitors at arm’s length, however, and held a 44-27 lead as the teams headed to halftime. 

Orange had controlled the game throughout, but the Raptors had hung around. It seemed that Orange was searching for one more solid run to put them ahead for good – but they couldn’t find it. Instead, the Raptors cranked up the pressure even further, and converted seemingly every Orange turnover into a bucket, and Raptor shots that didn’t fall in the first half started to roll in. Barry Marrow hit shots from inside. Eli Griffith hit shots from out. Elliott Klappenbach dominated both boards en route to a 20-point day. And the Raptors closed the third quarter on a 17-7 run to shrink the Panther lead down to 57-51 with one period left. 

The flashy, frenetic Orange offense was the highlight of the first half, but, at this moment, truly tested in the contest for the first time, the Panther defense locked in, restricting the Raptors to just two field goals for the entire final period – and the second came on a layup as the final buzzer sounded. On the other side, Jacob Thompson hit a pair of threes, Tucker Miller hit a handful of free throws, and McMullin hit just about every shot he attempted as part of a career-high 38-point outburst, and Orange walked away with an 80-62 win. 

It had been 280 days since Orange closed the 2018-19 season with a lopsided loss to Southern. But interestingly for a team with no seniors last year, this year’s Orange team looks quite a bit different. Of course, there’s no more Mekai Collins, who headed back to Cedar Ridge to finish where he started, and Zyon Pettiford was conspicuously absent from the preseason roster. But Orange clearly has some pieces in place to improve on a 10-18 season last year, especially when most baseline stats painted the Panthers as a better-than-average team in spite of that worse-than-average record. Thompson and Franklin showed some poise and some handles as the primary ball carriers. Kendrell Brooks and Jacobi Harris combined for 13 crucial points off the bench in different roles with Holt in foul trouble most of the night. And then, of course, there’s McMullin, who was nearly perfect from the line and beyond the arc in the best performance of his career. For now, the Panthers can be pleased with their offensive performance against a team that looks poised to produce at the 1A level again – but they’ll know that without their defensive performance, Monday night’s result might have looked quite a bit different.