Month: November 2019

We have a new team at the bottom of the football power rankings this week! And if you think that has something to do with the title of this column, you would be right. I’m sure the tens of Duke football fans on the planet will have a tough time reading this one. 

Note: Florida State did not play a conference team this week, therefore there will be no analysis for Florida State.

Pitt

With the Panthers holding on to win in overtime against the always tough Tar Heels, the Coastal crown is very much in play for Pitt. If the Panthers win out, and Virginia Tech wins the commonwealth clash, that would send Pittsburgh to their second straight ACC Championship game. Do I think it happens? Not particularly, but I don’t think it’s a ridiculous proposition either.

Clemson

Clemson continues their quest of beating the ever-living crap of everybody in their path en route to another College Football Playoff appearance. Wake Forest was their most recent victim, and poor South Carolina 2 weeks from now is the next. Don’t expect Dabo to hold back anything in any game the rest of the way for the Tigers.

Syracuse

I FINALLY GET TO PUT MY SCHOOL IN THE WINNERS SECTION OF THIS COLUMN! All my excitement aside, with their dominating win over Duke, bowl hopes are still somewhat alive for the Orange. With defensive coordinator Brian Ward gone, the Orange turned in their best performance of the season. If Ward was the issue, and that’s the true capability of that Orange defense, wins over both Louisville and Wake Forest in their last 2 games seems unlikely, but not nearly as unlikely as it seemed prior to the Duke game.

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech thoroughly dominated Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Like Clemson, Virginia Tech seems to be on a mission to destroy anyone and everyone in their way. Credit to Justin Fuente, the Hokies really got the ship turned around after the drubbing at the hands of Duke, and I think this is a team that could make things interesting, albeit slightly, for Clemson in the ACC Championship if that’s the matchup.

Louisville

Louisville secured bowl eligibility with their win over a dismal NC State team. More than anything else, I want to take the time to give Scott Satterfield a shoutout for how well he’s done in year one at Louisville. He took the team projected to finish dead last in the Atlantic and has made them a bowl eligible team who has been able to compete with everyone (barring Clemson of course.) It’s absolutely ridiculous how quickly Satterfield got this ship turned around, and if he can get recruiting going on the level he’s capable of, this will be a very, very good team in a couple years.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels 4th quarter magic wasn’t enough against Pittsburgh, and they continue to confuse the heck out of me with how well they’re capable of playing in the 4th but can’t do it for a whole game. Ultimately, I think this will end up being a bowl-eligible Carolina team with their next 2 games against Mercer and an NC State team you know that Carolina is really going to be ready for this year. That being said, this could have been so much more of a great season for the Heels. If recruiting is any indicator, I would expect the Heels to be a perennial threat to get 10 wins in a couple years.

Wake Forest

What can I really say about Wake? They got killed by Clemson. Outside of that, the Wake Forest dream of going to an Orange Bowl is likely off the table now due to Virginia Tech being as hot as they are. Seems like a bit of a disappointing season for Wake when you look at it this way, but this program is as healthy as it has been in years. If you’re a Wake fan, you better pray Clawson doesn’t bolt for a job like Florida State, Arkansas, or possibly even Michigan State at the end of this season.

Duke

They’re bad, they’re REAL bad. The fans don’t care about this Duke team, the quarterback is a great guy but not a great quarterback, and their offensive coordinator is completely inept. Mix all these things together, and you have the new worst team in the conference after you get trounced by who I previously thought was the worst in Syracuse.

Georgia Tech

As soon as I thought they were getting better every week, they get killed by Virginia Tech. That being said, Wake got killed by VT too. The Jackets are in a tough spot this year, like I’ve said many times this season, it will be a few years before they even threaten to be bowl eligible, but I do feel like Geoff Collins has them going in the right direction.

NC State

Is Matt McKay still around? He was the only quarterback that wasn’t a complete turnover machine for the Pack. The quarterbacks are bad, the secondary is bad, and the linebackers are really young. Injuries have also been a huge issue for the Wolfpack thus far. This season has been a wash for State for some time now, and their hopes of reaching a 6th straight bowl game seem highly unlikely.

Football Power Rankings

1. Clemson, duh.
2. Virginia Tech
3. Virginia
4. Pitt
5. Miami
6. Wake Forest
7. Louisville
8. North Carolina
9. Florida State
10. Boston College
11. Syracuse
12. NC State
13. Georgia Tech
14. Duke

Football Predictions

NC State at Georgia Tech (-1.5): Georgia Tech, 21-17

Liberty at Virginia (-17): Virginia, 34-20

Boston College at Notre Dame (-20): Notre Dame, 38-14

Mercer at North Carolina (-39): North Carolina, 52-10

Pitt at Virginia Tech (-3.5): Virginia Tech, 24-21

Syracuse at Louisville (-9): Louisville, 28-24

Miami (-18.5) at Florida International: Miami, 35-10

Duke at Wake Forest (-7): Wake Forest, 38-14

Last week’s predictions: 4-2

Season total: 23-17

Basketball Power Rankings

1. North Carolina
2. Duke
3. Virginia
4. Louisville
5. NC State
6. Miami
7. Syracuse
8. Florida State
9. Notre Dame
10. Georgia Tech
11. Pitt
12. Virginia Tech
13. Boston College
14. Clemson
15. Wake Forest

Basketball Predictions

Vermont at Virginia: Virginia, 57-40

Cornell at Syracuse: Syracuse, 75-62

Georgia Tech at Georgia: Georgia, 81-77

Duke vs California (Madison Square Garden, NYC): Duke, 85-74

Wake Forest vs Davidson (Spectrum Center, Charlotte): Davidson, 71-68

DePaul at Boston College: DePaul, 92-78

Last week’s predictions: 6-0

Season total: 11-2

Mekai Collins made his return to Cedar Ridge in a big way on Monday night. Collins, after spending last year at Orange, had a game-high 20 points as the Red Wolves defeated the North Carolina School of Science & Math. 77-48. The Red Wolves never trailed after Chris Tinnen opened the game with a technical free throw after the Unicorns were called for dunking in pregame warmups. Once the game started, Collins’ up-tempo game kicked into high gear as the Red Wolves scored 49 points in the first half. Collins spent his first two seasons at Cedar Ridge. After he left following his sophomore season, the Red Wolves went 1-23 last year. On Wednesday, Cedar Ridge will try to surpass its win total from all of last season when they travel to Carrboro. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting a 6 PM with the women’s game. Tim Hackett & Jason Knapp will have the call. 

There were be new faces about when the Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s basketball teams start their respective seasons this afternoon.

However, one former Red Wolf will mark his return to his old gymnasium after a year away.

Mekai Collins will start his senior season inside a Cedar Ridge uniform, the same way he began his career as a freshman playing varsity.

Collins spent his freshman and sophomore seasons at Cedar Ridge before he transferred to Orange last year. During a 10-15 season in 2018-19, Collins led the Panthers with 15.6 points and 4.2 assists per game.

Collins’ return to Cedar Ridge coincides with Jaison Brooks’ appointment as the new Red Wolves’ head coach. Brooks replaced Clay Jones, who left Cedar Ridge after six seasons last summer.

The Red Wolves went 1-23 last year, beating only Rockingham County in December.

Brooks, who previously served as an assistant coach at Southern Vance, will waste no time in putting the Red Wolves in motion. They will open with three games in four days this week, starting with tonight’s game against the North Carolina School of Science and Math inside Red Wolves Gymnasium. You can hear tonight’s game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 5:30 with the women’s game.

On Wednesday, Cedar Ridge travels to Carrboro, followed by a trip to Chatham Charter the following day.

“It’s a top heavy schedule, but I think we’ll be OK,” Brooks said. “We’ve been building towards this and life is full of lessons. So we’ll learn some good things and good lessons. We’re looking forward to it.”

Brooks steps into a Big 8 Conference that underwent major changes at the top. Hillside, the defending Big 8 Conference regular season and postseason champions, left the league to return to 4A. Southern Durham, the Big 8 runner up in 2018-19, lost head coach David Noel last month to the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA Gatorade League.

Replacing Noel was no other than Greg Motley, the most successful head coach in Orange High history.

There’s also the unknown in Vance County, led by longtime Northern Vance head coach Wilson Baskett. Last season as a 2A team, the Vipers tied Granville Central for the Northern Carolina 1A/2A regular season championship. They reached the quarterfinals of the 2A State Playoffs, where they lost to Farmville Central 85-75.

Brooks said he was encouraged with a scrimmage against Graham on Thursday.

“There was some good ball movement by our guards,” Brooks said. “There were some dunk attempts, which were awesome. They’re buying into the system and they’re buying into what we’re selling.”

After the conclusion of football season on November 8, K.J. Barnes, Zach Holmes and Jaikel Gibbs started practicing with the basketball team. Senior Braxton Mergenthal, a two-year varsity player, elected not to play basketball this year.

“K.J. has a spark on defense that we love,” Brooks said. “Him and Jaikel are strong defensively.”

Brooks won’t have a shortage of guards. In addition to Collins, junior Luke Pagnanelli and sophomore Cameron Harper return from last season.

“We have a bunch of guys who work hard,” Brooks said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that stands out is how everybody gives in practice. We have solid point guards that can help carry us. We have some good shooting guards, like Chris Tinnen, that will be a great role filler.”

On Thursday, Orange senior Brooke Fryar officially signed with Gardner-Webb University, where she will play volleyball in the Big South Conference. This season, Orange had the most wins than any other Lady Panther volleyball team this decade. Fryar led the team with 276 digs in the regular season, including 42 against East Chapel Hill and 33 versus Northern Durham in the final win of her high school career. Fryar was a libero who helped Orange to 16 wins this season and an appearance in the 3A State Playoffs. As a junior, Fryar had 176 digs and received 234 serves. 

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team started its season with two games in two days. On Friday, North Georgia defeated the Hawks 82-67 in the opening game of the UNG Nighthawk Classic at the UNG Convocation Center in Dahlonega, GA. Barnett, who graduated from Orange in June after being named the co-Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in her senior season, played three minutes without scoring. She was 0-for-1 from the field with one steal. On Saturday, Georgia College defeated Chowan 59-54. Against the Bobcats, Barnett played 12 minutes. She went 0-for-2 from the field and grabbed two rebounds. Chowan plays its home opener against Francis Marion in Wednesday in Murfreesboro.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team is off to a 3-2 start. Cates, who also graduated from Orange last June, has started all five games for the Eagles. On Wednesday, Cates scored 12 points in a 67-64 loss to Cape Fear Community College. Cates went 4-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. She also had three rebounds and two assists. Cates also started in a 67-61 win over CCBC Essex last Sunday. Cates led the Eagles with 12 points in a 58-50 loss to USC-Salkehatchie on November 9. In a 117-24 rout of Fayetteville Technical Community College, Cates scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team won its first game of the season with a 74-52 victory over Montclair State at Trinity Tip-Off Tournament at Oosting Gymnasium in Hartford, CT on Saturday. Campbell, now a redshirt sophomore who graduated from Orange in 2017, played eight minutes. She grabbed three rebounds and had one assist. Eastern Connecticut State defeated Trinity 77-67 on Friday. Campbell came off the bench to score two points.

Trenton Gill: Louisville, coached by 1991 Orange High graduate Scott Satterfield, defeated N.C. State 34-20 on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Gill punted twice. He averaged 54 yards per punt. His longest was 58 yards. Gill also had four kickoffs. Two of them went for touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: In FCS action on Saturday, Monmouth defeated Campbell 47-10 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson had a tackle for loss. The Camels are 6-4, 3-2 in the Big South Conference. They conclude its season at Charleston Southern next Saturday.

Adam Chnupa: Maine defeated Elon 31-17 on Senior Day for the Phoenix at Rhodes Stadium. Chnupa played special teams for Elon. The Phoenix are 4-6, 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They will conclude its season next Saturday at Towson.

Rodney Brooks: Johnston C. Smith defeated Livingston 34-6 at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury. Brooks finished the year with four tackles, including one-half tackle for loss. He also had a pass breakup. The Blue Bears end the season 4-6, 1-6 in the CIAA.

Kevin Wright: North Carolina Wesleyan had a successful end to the season on Saturday. The Battling Bishops defeated Maryville 23-0 at the Vernon T. Bradley Complex in Rocky Mount. Wright played safety. Wesleyan finished the year 6-4 overall, 5-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They finished one game behind conference champion Huntingdon.

Jack Schmid: Division III Wheaton College completed an undefeated regular season with a 10-0 record as they routed Elmhurst 58-0 in Naperville, IL. Schmid, a former quarterback at Orange, has played two games for the Thunder this season. Wheaton will host Martin Luther in the opening round of the Division III playoffs next Saturday at McCully Stadium.

Taylor Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team had its season end on Thursday. Mount Olive defeated the Saints 1-0 in the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas tournament. Jean started as the Limestone goalkeeper and made five saves in the loss. This season, Jean started 16 games in net. She finished with a 8-8 record and a 1.37 goals against average and 56 saves.

Going into its third game of the season against Williams on September 13, Orange was 0-2 on the heels of a loss at South Granville.

The good news was they had stumbled upon their new top running back who would go on to become their workhorse for the rest of the season. Sophomore Omarion Lewis was originally penciled in for the junior varsity team this season. After the Panthers had early fumbles against Granville, Lewis was inserted into the game against the Vikings by Coach Van Smith for the 2nd half.

It wasn’t much of a gamble. The junior varsity season hadn’t started yet and if Lewis struggled, he would spend the fall playing mainly on Thursdays instead of Fridays.

Playing only in the second half, Lewis ran for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings.

He didn’t play on Thursdays this year.

Both Williams and Orange went into its game at Auman Stadium with skill position problems. Williams lost its starting quarterback, Kennedy Miles, suffered a torn ACL against Western Alamance. The Bulldogs’ second-string quarterback, freshman Jaelen Brown, also suffered a season-ending injury the previous week against Eastern Alamance.

Orange was without Machai Holt, its most dynamic playmaker as a wingback on offense and as a safety on defense.

The Bulldogs used four different players at quarterback against Orange, including All-Mid Piedmont Conference linebacker Shane Whitter. Williams jumped out to a 13-0 lead after Kendrel Briggs, Williams’ top receiver, threw to Whitter for a 26-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.

Whitter committed to Wake Forest shortly after this game.

After Williams’ Dalton Little picked off a Wyatt Jones pass, William’s Alijah Richmond bolted down the field on an 80-yard touchdown run. But the extra point was wide right and the Bulldogs lead was only 13-0.

Orange was a good takeaway team in 2019. They finished +13 giveaway-takeaway and scored 35% of its points off turnovers. Against the Bulldogs, they scored 14, starting when Orange linebacker Owen Brimmer picked off a pass by Evan Breedlove at the Williams 20-yard line.

The tide of the game turned in a quirky way. It didn’t come on a 80-yard bomb or a pick-six. It came when Orange’s Nigel Slanker tried to kick a field goal, but Williams was whistled for back-to-back offside penalties.

Now faced with a 4th-and-1 from the Williams’ 4-yard line, the Panthers opted to go for it. Fullback Courtney Edwards used his 270-pound frame to barrel behind offensive linemen Dari’us Matkins and Kalen Moore for a touchdown with :47 second remaining in the first half. It was Edwards first touchdown since his Pop Warner days.

Joe Kiger came up with another big interception on Williams’ opening possession of the second half. The Panthers put together a 10-play, 46-yard drive. Quarterback Wyatt Jones hit Elliott Woods for a 19-yard completion on 3rd-and-4. On 4th-and-2 from the Williams 9-yard line, Jones called his own number and ran around left end for five yards. On the next play, Lewis gave Orange the lead for good with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Orange’s defense took over after halftime. They held the Bulldogs to 86 yards and three first downs in the second half.

Jones scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter to put Orange ahead 21-13. The Bulldogs crossed midfield on its final drive of the game when Whitter found Briggs for a 35-yard pass. But that would be William’s final first down as J.J. Torres picked off a pass to secure the win and end Orange’s four-game home losing streak.

In the film “Rounders,” Martin Landau’s character Abe Petrovsky tells Matt Damon “We can’t run from what we are. Our destiny chooses us.”

Whether that’s a corny line depends on your perspective, but what may be deemed schmaltzy doesn’t make it false.

Tori Dalehite’s father, Danny, was a sprawling, dirt-eating right fielder for a PAC-6 Conference Championship team for Orange High in 1992, and later for a modified-pitch recreation softball team in White Cross. Her mother, the former Beth Simmons, graduated the year after Danny and played softball at Orange when the North Carolina High School Athletic Association mandated slow-pitch only.

In fact, Beth still plays co-ed games on summer nights at Oak Grove Church, just on the edge of Mebane.

So maybe it was destiny that chose Tori Dalehite to walk into a gym packed with friends, family and coaches on Friday night at Cedar Ridge High School. 12 years after her softball career started at the age of 6, Tori signed with UNC Greensboro to continue playing at the college level.

As a three-sport athlete at Cedar Ridge, Tori has dished out many assists in her career, whether it was on the diamond, in volleyball or basketball. On Friday, Tori was the one receiving an assist from her mother, who consoled her daughter at the podium as the emotion of the moment caught up to her.

“I am so grateful for to all of my current and former coaches for supporting me on this special day,” Dalehite said as tears streamed down her face. “You’re the ones who helped me become a better player and a better teammate.”

Dalehite committed to UNC Greensboro last winter. She’s played on two Big 8 Conference Championship teams at Cedar Ridge in 2018 and 2019, the first two in school history. In 2018, Dalehite was named the Big 8 Hitter of the Year after she posted a .582 batting average. She led the team with 29 runs, 32 hits, 32 RBIs, and five triples. She added six home runs as the Red Wolves went 17-2 overall, including 14-0 in the Big 8 Conference.

In the state playoffs, Cedar Ridge reached the third round for the first time in school history. In a 10-0 win over West Carteret in the second round, Dalehite went 1-for-3 with an RBI single.

In the third round, Cedar Ridge traveled to West Brunswick, where Dalehite’s power and toughness were on full display. She cracked a three-run homer over the centerfield fence in the third inning. The Trojans came back to tie and forced extra innings.

In the fifth, Dalehite was hit by a pitch that broke her hand. She continued to play 2nd base, but the Trojans won 4-3 in eight innings to end the career of storied Red Wolves pitcher Rivers Andrews. As her teammates gathered for a four-hour bus ride back home, Dalehite stayed behind in Shallotte to have her hand examined at a nearby hospital.

Last spring, the Red Wolves reached the third round of the state playoffs before losing to eventual 3A State Champion Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Cedar Ridge finished 21-3 and again claimed the Big 8 Championship after beating Orange in a one-game tiebreaker to determine the #1 seed for the state playoffs.

In 2019, Dalehite also earned All-Big 8 honors.

Among those on hand on Friday night was Cedar Ridge softball coach Allen Byrd, former women’s basketball coach Felton Page, Athletic Director Andy Simmons and assistant principal Heather Witherspoon.

“Tori is awesome, period,” said Witherspoon. “She is one of the first people I met when I started here at Cedar Ridge. Tori is a hustler. She gave it all she got in volleyball, she gave it all she got in basketball and she gave it all she got in softball. She also does it in the classroom.”

Also on hand was Dalehite’s friend, Jaden Hurdle, an Orange High softball player that Tori competes with twice a year, at least. It’s a tradition that Jaden and Tori gather for a photo following every game they compete against each other.

Dalehite has a 3.8 grade point average. At UNCG, Dalehite plans to major in kinesiology and then master in physical therapy.

Last winter, Cedar Ridge 2nd baseman Tori Dalehite announced her commitment to UNC Greensboro. On Friday night, she officially signed with the Spartans in front of a packed auxiliary gymnasium at Cedar Ridge Gymnasium with family and friends. In 2018, Dalehite was the Big 8 Conference Hitter of the Year. Playing 2nd base, Dalehite hit .582 and led the team with 32 hits, 29 runs scored, 32 hits and five triples. In 2019, Dalehite hit .544 with 43 hits. She was tied for the team lead with 41 RBIs. Tori was joined in Friday night’s ceremony by her father Danny and her mother, Beth. Along the way, Dalehite has maintained a 3.9 GPA and continues to excel in three sports at Cedar Ridge. She is a member of a Cedar Ridge softball team that has claimed back-to-back Big 8 Championships. This fall, she helped the Cedar Ridge volleyball team reach the state playoffs for the first time since 2015. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Dalehite’s former basketball coach, Felton Page. 

While he’s been the starting quarterback for the Orange football team for the past two seasons, Wyatt Jones has had a goal of playing professional lacrosse.

Over the past year, the Premier Lacrosse League has become the latest underground darling among the sport’s faithful who hope it will fully establish lacrosse at the professional level.

While Jones’ professional hopes are still years away from being resolved, on Friday he officially achieved another milestone that will forever be his own.

Jones committed to Mercer University in Macon, GA. At the same time, he became the first Orange lacrosse player to commit to a Division I program.

“Wyatt is a special player,” said Orange Lacrosse Coach Chandler Zirkle, who also coached Jones on the Carolina Hilltoppers travel team. “He’s extremely competitive and works incredibly hard. I expect that he will do very well at the next level.”

Last season, Jones was voted third-team All-State as a midfielder. He helped the Panthers win a game in the state playoffs for the first time since 2015. Wearing his signature #19, Jones led the team with 39 goals. He added 17 assists and was second on the team with 56 points.

In Orange’s 17-13 victory over Northside-Jacksonville in the NCHSAA 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs, Jones scored four goals. It was the second state playoff win in team history.

In his sophomore season, Jones started as a midfielder as the Panthers finished 8-7 in Zirkle’s first year as head coach. Among the highlights that season was a 16-4 win over Riverside at Linny Wrenn Stadium in Durham, a game where Jones finished with four goals.

Jones’ announcement came one week to the day after his last football game, where he threw for two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 30-6 victory over Chapel Hill on Senior Night at Auman Stadium. Jones went 9-of-15 for 154 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers. His final touchdown pass was a 44-yard strike to Elliott Woods, who was Jones’ favorite target this season.

This season, Jones threw for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for three touchdowns for an Orange team that finished 5-6.

Jones started all eleven games for the Panthers this season on the gridiron. In the season opener against R.J. Reynolds, Jones went 9-of-19 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Against Vance County, Jones set a career-high with 13 completions for 141 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Lewis.

He also scored the game-winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak against Walter Williams on September 13. Jones added rushing touchdowns against Southern Durham and East Chapel Hill.

Mercer started a men’s lacrosse team in 2011. It was the first such program in the state of Georgia. The Bears play in the Southern Conference against Jacksonville, Richmond, High Point, Furman, Air Force, Bellarmine, and VMI.

There are seven North Carolina prospects currently on the Mercer roster. The Bears are coached by Kyle Hannan, who will start his eighth season in February.

“Having a kid go on to do great things like that is huge for us in trying to grow a program,” Zirkle said. “It shows younger guys what is possible if they work hard.”