PHOTO BY JACQUES MORIN
Even though his playing days ended long ago, there’s still a competitive fire within Erick Villines.
He played as a defensive tackle at Orange through three different head coaches in three years in the late 1980s. For the past decade, he’s served as a defensive assistant coach for some of the most successful Orange teams in school history.
All of that was a distant memory by late Friday night. As he sat on a bench along the visitor’s side of Culton-Peerman Stadium as the support staff cleaned up around him, Villines just stared at the ground like he was in a trance.
Chapel Hill had just beaten Orange 35-7, its third straight win over the Panthers. No matter what the personnel is, Villines’ competitiveness was a reminder that it’s never fun losing. And it certainly isn’t fun losing to Chapel Hill, a rivalry that dates back to when Orange and Chapel Hill where the only two public high schools in Orange County.
It was the most lopsided win for Chapel Hill over Orange since 2004, when the Tigers shutout the Panthers 48-0 in Issac Marsh’s first game as the Tigers head coach.
For the second week in a row, Orange didn’t score in the second half. Unlike last week, the Panthers looked lethargic offensively, committing six turnovers. Chapel Hill held Orange to 101 yards total offense and four first downs.
“We’ve got to do better in the second half,” said Orange football coach DeVante’ Pettiford. “We did start to get worn out so we’ve got to pick up our conditioning. We’ve got to get in better shape. A lot of our guys are going to start get cramping up. So we’ve got a lot of work to do in that. And I put that on me. We’ve got to do a better job in practice.”
The Panthers played without senior linebacker Jabari Albright, who was injured against South Granville last week. Albright is Orange’s only returning defensive starter.
“It always hurts when you don’t have your leader,” Pettiford said. “He’s the one who communicates and keeps everybody in check. That’s a tough one. Hopefully, he will be back next week.”
At kickoff, the humidity was so stifling that the press box windows grew foggier by the minute, but it sure didn’t prevent the officials from getting flags stuck in their pockets. The two teams combined for 227 yards in penalties. Chapel Hill had two touchdowns called back because of various infractions, including a 67-yard interception return by Maraki Abbo on the final play of the second quarter that would have vaulted the Tigers ahead 14-7 if it wasn’t for a block in the back penalty.
The game was tied 7-7 at halftime and continued the theme of entraining, if strange, games between the two longtime rivals. Late in the second quarter, Chapel Hill’s Isaiah Roberson intercepted a pass and returned It to the Orange 24-yard line. On the next play, Orange’s Hunter Albert picked off a pass at the goal line.
“We did a good job stopping the run early,” Pettiford said. “Then they started opening up and throwing it deeper.”
Earlier in the second quarter, Orange tied the game when quarterback Hank Nunnery threw to Wynston Brown for a 39-yard touchdown pass.
For its final drive of the second half, Chapel Hill junior backup Joshua Kelley was replaced Dylan Jones at quarterback, which proved vital.
Chapel Hill was 5-of-6 on third-down conversions in the second half. In its opening drive of the third quarter, the Tigers faced a 3rd-and-13 from the Orange 15-yard line. Kelly found junior Jeffrey Sims, who was pushed down at the one-yard line. Roberson put Chapel Hill ahead for a trail sweep around right end.
On the next play from scrimmage, Chapel Hill’s James Lunsford punched the ball away from an Orange running back, which was recovered by Dyllan Jones. Kelly converted a 3rd-and-13 when he found Jones for a 24-yard gain. After a 14-yard run by Roberson, Kelly found Dylan Evans for a 19-yard touchdown pass. Owen Korntein’s extra point put Chapel Hill ahead 21-7.
Meanwhile, Orange had four consecutive possessions end in turnovers. Late in the third quarter, Chapel Hill’s Idris Webb returned an interception 28-yards for a touchdown. Sachi Alston received a 13-yard pass from Kelley in the fourth quarter for the final score of the game.
Most of the first quarter was played in Chapel HIll’s end of the field. On its second drive, Orange had a 3rd-and-1 from the Tigers’ 45-yard line, but was called for a false start. Nunnery was pressured into an incompletion on the next play.
“I felt we matched up well,” Pettiford said. “I thought we were playing well. At the end of the game, they threw a lot of blitzes at us. We didn’t handle it very well. It’s growing pains, baby. We have a young team. A lot of sophomores and freshmen are starting. But the future is going to be bright.”
CHAPEL HILL 35, ORANGE 7
CH-0 7 21 7-35
OR-0 7 0 0-7
CH–Dylan Evans 29 pass from Dylan Jones (Owen Kornstein kick)
OR–Wynston Brown 39 pass from Hank Nunnery (Sydney Rogers kick)
CH–Isaiah Roberson 1 run (Kornstein kick)
CH–Evans 19 pass from Joshua Kelley (Kornstein kick)
CH–Idris Webb 28 interception return (Kornstein kick)
CH–Sachi Alston 13 pass from Kelley (Kornstein kick)
RUSHING–ORANGE 32-41 (Ja’Ki McDaniels 4-17, Nathan Sorrells 11-16, Derek Yanko 2-15, Wynston Brown 1-9, Jaylen Starks 1-7, Deandre Brown 3-3, Ty Walker 6-(-9), Nunnery 4-(-17)).
CHAPEL HILL 32-112 TD (Kelley 6-30, Roberson 9-27 TD, Drew Allen 4-27, Cayden Forbes 9-22, Joshua Roberson 1-8, Jones 2-1, team 2-(-3).
PASSING–ORANGE 6-17 62 yds TD 4 INT (Nunnery 5-13, 58 yds, TD, 3 INT, Walker 1-4, 4 yds INT)
CHAPEL HILL–15-24 192 yds 3 TD INT (Kelley 9-15 105 yds 2TD, Jones 6-9 87 yds TD, INT)
RECEIVING–ORANGE (Brown 2-46 TD, Nathan Sorrells 2-15, McDaniels 1-1, Shaun Beasley 1-0)
CHAPEL HILL (Evans 6-77 2 TD, Dyllan Jones 2-42, Jeffrey Simms 2-20, Ben Bollinger 2-14, Tarran Keyes 1-19, Alston 1-13 TD, Forbes 1-7