Month: December 2019

At first glance, there may not be much difference between Orange’s men’s basketball team from last year and this year’s.

Are they bigger? To the contrary. With Zyon Pettiford not playing this year, the Panthers are without its starting center from 2018-19. Are they faster? In a word, no. Mekai Collins was Orange’s starting point guard last season, but he returned to Cedar Ridge over the summer.

is Orange tougher? In every sense, the answer is yes.

As Orange forges into its Big 8 Conference slate off a 75-70 win over Carrboro on Thursday night at Jaguars Gymnasium, the Panthers are 5-1, halfway toward its total win total from all of last season.

Joey McMullin, despite fouling out in the final minutes, led the Panthers with 24 points. Machai Holt and Jason Franklin each had 17 points.

Carrboro was led by T.K. Paisant with 31 points. Jared Porter, the Jaguars’ leading scorer, had 18 points.

With the game tied at 54 with 6:00 remaining, Orange held the Jaguars scoreless on four consecutive possessions. The Panthers drained six straight free throws from Franklin, Holt and Jerec Thompson to build a 60-54 lead with 4:12 remaining.

Holt gave Orange a 69-62 lead off a three-point play as he scored off a lay-in while fouled by Carrboro’s Jack Morgan. McMullin fouled out on the subsequent play, but Paisant missed both free throws.

Orange led 71-62 after Jerec Thompson got his only field goal of the second half off a feed from Holt with 1:23 remaining.

Carrboro nearly erased the entire deficit within seconds. It started when Paisant drained a three-pointer on the next possession.Taylor stole the ball back from Franklin with 1:12 remaining, and Paisant rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Porter and scored on a lay-in while fouled by Franklin. Paisant missed the free throw, but Carrboro’s Ethan Stutts got the offensive rebound and found Porter, who nailed a 3-pointer with :46.2 remaining to cut Orange’s lead to 71-70.

J.J. Thompson hit two free throws with :37.2 remaining. Carrboro, with a chance to take the lead, had its chances dashed when Franklin poked the ball away from Paisant at midcoast, then dove on the floor. Paisant was called for a foul, and Franklin hit both free throws.

Orange women 53, Carrboro 49

The Orange women’s basketball team had to deal with adversity as they remained undefeated in a 53-49 win over Carrboro.

Sophomore staring guard Mary Moss Wirt injured her left leg early in the second quarter and didn’t return. Without her fellow guard in the backcourt, sophomore Aaliyah Harris set a career-high with 21 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter.

Harris was the only Lady Panther in double figures as Orange improved to 4-0.

Carrboro, who came into the game on a four-game losing streak, led early in the fourth quarter after a three-pointer from point guard Madison Wieboldt. Briana Campbell led the Jaguars (1-5) with 4 points.

Orange scored the first four points, but without Wirt, the Lady Panthers offense struggled to get into a flow. Carrboro reserve Brooke Fields served as the point of the Jaguars 1-2-2 full court press, which caused plenty of Orange turnovers. Fields finished with 12 points off the bench.

The Orange women will travel to East Chapel Hill for its Big 8 Conference opener on Tuesday. The Panther men’s team will be at home to face East in Hillsborough on Tuesday.

Orange 75, Carrboro 70

ORANGE: J.J. Thompson 6, Jerec Thompson 6, Jason Franklin 17, Joey McMullin 24, Machai Holt 17, Tucker Miller 2, Kendrell Brooks 3.

CARRBORO: Jared Porter 18, T.K. Paisant 31, Ethan Stutts 4, Tim Rogers-Neal 4, Elijah Feaster 2, L.J. Riggsbee 2, Jack Morgan 7, Jackson Taylor 2.

ORANGE (W) 53, Carrboro 49.

ORANGE: Aaliyah Harris 21, Mary Moss Wirt 5, Grace Andrews 5, Jarmil Winkte 4, Erin Jordan-Cornell 2, Jala Rainey 6, Samatha George 4, Brenna Mehl 6.

CARRBORO: Ananya Saravanan 2, Briana Campbell 14, Karis Andrade 4, Riley Croasmun 7, Nichole Noel 2, Madison Wieboldt 6, Brooke Fields 12, Jameeah Purefoy-Thaxton 2.

In a gritty battle on Thursday night, the Orange men’s basketball team defeated the Carrboro Jaguars 75-70 at Jaguars Gymnasium. For the second straight week, the Panthers had to battle in the fourth quarter without its leading scorer, Joey McMullin, who fouled out. Junior Jason Franklin was more than up to the challenge. He finished with 13 points, but Franklin had several huge steals on defense late in the game, including one when Carrboro attempted to tie the game. Franklin knocked the ball away from Carrboro’s T.K. Paisant, dove on the floor and drew a foul. Franklin sank both free throws to seal the win. It was Orange’s final tuneup before its Big 8 Conference opener against East Chapel Hill. The Panthers host the Wildcats on Tuesday night at 7 in Hillsborough.

Natalie Chandler: UNC junior Natalie Chandler was named the winner of the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award for Women’s Soccer during the Tar Heels’ trip to the Final Four last weekend. The Elite 90 Award is given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA championships. Chandler has a 4.0 GPA as a health policy and management major. She is the fourth UNC women’s soccer player honored with the Elite 90 Award. Chandler was a two-time captain of the Orange women’s soccer team. She was named All-State in 2016 and 2017. She was the school valedictorian in 2017, as well as the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year. UNC reached the national championship match, where they fell to Washington State in penalty kicks.

Payton Wilson: During the N.C. State football team’s season-ending banquet last week, Wilson was honored with the Bill Cowher Award, given to the Linebacker of the Year. He was also honored with the Iron Wolf Award, an honor given to a player who returned from injury. As first responded by PackInsider.com, Wilson was the first freshman for N.C. State to lead the Wolfpack in tackles since 1988, and only the second rookie in team history since tackles started being recorded as a statistic in 1977. He finished with 69 tackles and five tackles for loss, despite starting only one game.

Marvin Jones: The North Carolina Central Eagles started its indoor track & field season at the JDL Kickoff Classic in Winston-Salem last Saturday. Jones, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, finished 2nd in the high jump at 2.05 meters, or 6 feet and 8.75 inches. Last spring, Jones captured the high jump championship at the Mt. Olive Final Qualifier. He finished 4th in the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship on May 2. Jones also claimed the championship of the Charlotte 49ers Classic last March. He has also run in the 200 meters for the Eagles.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum wrestling team returned from Thanksgiving break with a 39-9 win over Southern Virginia at Swartz Gym on Tuesday. Homsey, wrestling at 197 pounds, defeated Matt Speelman 6-0. It was the Panthers’ final match before Christmas. Homsey is 10-3 on the season. Ferrum returns to action in the Citrus Invitational Tournament in Orlando on December 29-30.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team returned to action last weekend. The Bantams defeated Stevens Institute of Technology 80-62 at Oosting Gymnasium in Hartford, CT. Campbell came off the bench and had four points and two rebounds in ten minutes of action. Last Thursday, Trinity romped past Connecticut College 60-38 at Luce Fieldhouse in New London, CT. Campbell played 16 minutes. She finished with two points and five rebounds. Trinity has won eight in a row and will travel to Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Monday.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College Eagles’ women’s basketball team returned to action this week. The Eagles defeated Johnson & Wales University 65-59 in Raleigh. Cates scored eleven points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range. A game scheduled for last weekend against Patrick Henry Community College was canceled. Wake Tech is 6-3, 3-2 in Region X. Cates is the 2nd-leading scorer for Wake Tech with 10.7 points per game. She’s shooting 31.7% from 3-point range. Wake Tech travels to Southwest Virginia on Saturday.

The numbers of dynasties can stick in the heads of sports fans.

The Boston Celtics have won 17 World Championships. UCLA men’s basketball captured nine national championships in ten years from 1964-1973. Locally, the Northern Durham football team won 17 straight PAC-6 titles from 1984-2001.

On Wednesday night, to fanfare so meek its doubtful the Panther wrestling team itself knew about it, Orange added another incredible figure to its own dynasty.

Orange finished the decade with an undefeated record in conference action of 62-0, starting in Conference 6 in 2010 and continuing through the formation of the Big 8 Conference in 2013.

Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 57-12 at Red Wolves Gymnasium to improve to 3-0 in the Big 8 Conference. The Panthers, searching for its 17th consecutive conference championship dating back to its days in the 2A Mid State Conference, are now 3-0 in the Big 8, 8-1 overall.

It appears once again the chase for the Big 8 Championship will boil down to Orange and Chapel Hill. The Tigers defeated Northwood 48-36 on Wednesday at Tiger Gymnasium to remain tied with Orange atop the Big 8.

Despite the loss, Cedar Ridge did have one of its youngest stars come up with another strong performance. Freshman Fernando Martinez, who just started wrestling two years ago, pinned Orange’s Dillion Heffernan at 106 pounds in 3:12. Martinez, who finished 4th in the Jim King/Orange Invitational last week, is now 11-3.

Cedar Ridge’s Alex Davis improved to 3-1 by pinning Tayton Alvis in 3:12.

Orange won the other 12 matches, eight of which ended in pins or technical falls. The night opened with a rematch from last week’s JKO, when Daina Pritchard defeated Matthew Smith-Breeden in the 3rd place match at 132 pounds. On Wednesday night, Smith-Breeden was the one who got a win over Pritchard 8-1.

Henry Joubert-Stanzel pinned Charles Jackson in 5:34 to put Orange ahead 9-0. After Davis’ victory, Gasian Drewery made his Orange debut and scored an 5-3 decision over James Rosati-Brown. At 160 pounds, Orange’s Korbin Nevius defeated Wyatt Robinson 12-0.

Nathan Hecht, who finished 4th for Orange in the JKO, held off Ruffin Wyrick 3-1 at 170 pounds. At 182, Brendan Worsham got a 13-1 major decision over Alex Christian.

Xavier Tinne, coming off a 3rd place finish at 195 pounds, scored a pin in 23 seconds. Tyler Larkin (220 pounds) and Juan Navarro (285) also secured pins for Orange to secure the match

Joshua Dunn scored a pin at 113 pounds in 1:10. John-Michael Bourlon got a 16-1 technical fall at 120 pounds, while Kessel Summers earned another win with a 15-0 technical fall.

In middle school wrestling last week, the Stanback Bulldogs opened the Orange-Person Athletic Conference season with a 72-33 win over Smith Middle School in Hillsborough.

At 98 pounds, returning OPAC Champion Pierce Prescod started off with a pin in the 2nd period.

8th grader Zoey Moreno earned a pin in 14 seconds.

At 145 pounds, 8th grader Kaden Tatro, another returning OPAC Champion, notched a pin in the second period.

Heavyweight Kellan McMullen, who won the OPAC Championship as a 7th grader last year, started his season off with a pin.

“We have a good mixture of returning wrestlers and new wrestlers that have picked things up quickly,” said Stanback wrestling coach Trevor Davis. “The other 8 wins on the night were by 1st year wrestlers. We had some 6th graders lose their match but showed some bright spots throughout the match”

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior forward Kendrell Brooks. On Friday night, Brooks came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points as the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 97-74 in Graham. Brooks exploded offensively at a time when the Panthers needed him most. Early in the game, leading scorer Joey McMullin and point guard J.J. Thompson each picked up two fouls. Brooks, who scored two points the previous night in Orange’s win over Southern lee, hit four 3-pointers against the Patriots as Orange improved on its best start to a season since 2006, at least. Last season, Brooks was called up from the junior varsity team just before the Eastern Guilford Holiday Tournament and remained with the varsity team for the rest of the year. Orange will return to action tonight at Carrboro. Airtime on Hillsboroughsports.com will be 6 o’clock for the women’s game, followed by the men’s game.

There aren’t many secrets about the success Cedar Ridge Men’s Basketball has sustained in the early stages of the 2019-20 season: as Mekai Collins goes, so go the Red Wolves. 

Locked in a tight contest between two desperate one-win teams that flashed tenacity and desire throughout and staring down a seventh-straight loss, the Red Wolves needed their star senior to deliver. A season-high 25 points, including a near-flawless day from the foul line, half a dozen assists, a few steals, and some masterful clock wasting later, deliver he did. A year removed from a season where the Red Wolves managed just one win in 24 tries, a 10-0 Cedar Ridge run late in the fourth quarter sealed off the second Red Wolves victory in eight tries this year, as Cedar Ridge (2-6, 0-1 Big 1) fended off a gutsy Durham School of the Arts (1-7) Bulldog team 56-47 on Tuesday night in Hillsborough. 

This was an odd game from the get-go. Both starting fives came out to the floor as usual, and KJ Barnes was ready for the opening tip to come at any moment, but the referees sent both teams back to their huddles because DSA, unbeknownst to anyone, had gotten new jerseys within the last week and failed to update their online rosters – only about a quarter of the Bulldog roster was actually wearing the numbers they had been assigned preseason. Once the confusion was cleared, the Bulldogs came out strong, knocking down a pair of threes and celebrating in front of the Cedar Ridge fans en route to a 14-10 first quarter advantage. But Cedar Ridge flipped the script in the second, limiting the Bulldogs to only five points in the period and establishing a 23-19 halftime edge. 

The previous night, Cedar Ridge kept within striking distance of Chapel Hill for most of the contest but never could complete the comeback against the Tigers’ tough defense. On this night, the Red Wolves became the instigators – DSA’s Justin Glover hit a 3 early in the fourth to get the Bulldogs to within 41-39, but Cedar Ridge locked it down from there for their 56-47 victory. 

A very young DSA team showed plenty of reasons why they could be loads better than last year’s four-win side, but the Bulldogs couldn’t string together enough offensive possessions to come back. Guard Josh Pope kept DSA in the contest almost single-handedly early with nine of his team’s 19 first-half points, but once Glover and DSA standout Isajah Deburgo woke up after halftime the Bulldogs looked loads better. Deburgo and Glover, DSA’s two most reliable scorers this year, combined for 23 points on five made threes, but 16 of those points came after the break, and by then, Collins and Cedar Ridge had built up a lead DSA couldn’t crack. 

Collins was the driving force in the victory for Cedar Ridge, but, like usual, he got some contributions from Cedar Ridge’s deep stable of options. Andrew Altieri and Grayson Ramos each hit critical threes in the second half. Derrick Smith was a force on the offensive glass, cleaning up misses and securing putbacks all evening as part of his ten-point outing. And Barnes, who didn’t record a point and ended up fouling out, still played a huge role by securing a couple of key defensive boards in the fourth to help Cedar Ridge bleed the clock. 

Next up for the Red Wolves is a date with undefeated South Granville, which is fresh off an impressive win over Orange on the other side of Hillsborough on Tuesday. But for now, a year after even one win was far from a sure thing, the Cedar Ridge men can enjoy what was a hard-fought second victory of this year. 

For the Cedar Ridge women, Tuesday’s tilt against DSA represented a prime chance to bounce back from Monday night’s setback against Chapel Hill. The Bulldog women at 4-3 were frankly the most successful of the four teams on display Tuesday – no other team had more than one win on the year – but DSA had been far from convincing even in their wins and were without their best player, Precious Ogboko, a sophomore center averaging 20 points and 11 rebounds per game but didn’t even make the trip to Hillsborough. 

But still without Tori Dalehite and Isabella Flynt, and now without starting center Caitlin Lloyd, Cedar Ridge was playing shorthanded as well. Even still, the Red Wolves started out much better than they did against the Tigers, hitting a couple of foul shots to pull to within 16-10 early in the second. But then Lindsay Suitt got hot. With Ogboko out, the true freshman guard Suitt emerged as the leader of a super young DSA team that sports only one senior, erupting for a career-high 25 points to lead the Bulldogs to what turned into a comfortable 49-33 victory over Cedar Ridge. 

On the other side, Cedar Ridge looked improved offensively, albeit against an inferior defense than Chapel Hill’s, and shot 58% from the line, much better than usual, to keep the score close for much of the contest. Most significantly, Takia Nichols delivered the game of her young Cedar Ridge career. Starting in place of Lloyd, the sophomore center notched 10 points, all in the second half, and secured 11 rebounds, including five on the offensive end, for her first career double-double. The Red Wolves’ losing streak has hit 11, but they’ll have their best chance at their first win this year when a winless South Granville team that just got waxed by Orange comes to town on Thursday.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is wrestler Daina Pritchard. Last week at the Jim King/Orange Invitational, Pritchard finished 3rd in the 132-pound weight class. In the consolation final, Pritchard defeated Orange’s Matthew Smith-Breeden 9-1 to clinch 3rd place. In the consolation semifinal, Pritchard went to overtime against Cardinal Gibbons’ Samuel Freeman. Pritchard scored the final takedown to in 11-9. For the weekend, Pritchard went 4–1. Last month, Pritchard finished 3rd in the Red Wolves Invitational at 132 pounds. He defeated West Johnston’s Chris McHenry 11-0 in the third place match. Pritchard is 12-2 on the season. Also last week, Pritchard defeated Chapel Hill’s Bao Dinh 8-2 in the Red Wolves’ Big 8 Conference dual match opener. Next week, Pritchard will compete in the Tiger Holiday Classic at Chapel Hill High School, starting December 20.