Month: September 2022

(Editor’s Note: I’ve started and stopped this column twice over the past two years. Today, I turn 49, so now is as good as time as any to finish it).

Why didn’t I go to the McDonald’s when I graduated from Orange High?

That question has stayed with me for 31 years. I graduated from Orange on a Friday night and, for whatever reason, I drove straight from Auman Stadium back home to Caldwell in my Pontiac Fiero and watched the Chicago Bulls play the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. And I stayed in my room listening to my new Compact Disc player (Rush’s “Chronicles” and ZZ Top’s “Recycler” were the first CDs I ever purchased) instead of going ten miles back down Highway 57 one final time as a high school student.

Hillsborough was a different place in the early 1990s. Orange High students would take over downtown on Friday and Saturday nights (occasionally Thursdays, too) with G105 or 102 Jamz blaring from various cars with the best, loudest (or most annoying, depending on your perspective) sound systems. There would be hundreds of cars on a given night for mostly innocent fun, but it wasn’t very amusing for motorists who knew nothing about Orange High and simply wanted to get through to I-85 or I-40.

What did a miss that night? I don’t know, which is precisely what bothers me even now. I suspect I would have seen Tony Penland, whom I had known since 1st grade at Cameron Park Elementary School. We probably would have told countless, harmless lies to one another as we remarked the end of a chapter that I was lucky to see.

That bothers me, too.

That summer started with Poision and Warrant still being a viable force on the radio. By summer’s end, in the span of five weeks, Pearl Jam released “Ten,” Nirvana released “Nevermind,” A Tribe Called Quest dropped “The Low End Theory,” Soundgarden came out with “Badmotorfinger.”

And just like that, the game changed in music.

Life moves fast. It’s a lesson that’s easy to forget.

Now, 31 years later, I can’t reach out to Tony. He left us nearly two years ago during the pandemic at his home in Tennessee. Even now, some nights I drive around Boone Square knowing he won’t be there, years after cruising across Hillsborough became passe. But I still look for him. Which makes me wish I had taken that trip that night to see him.

Sadly, that isn’t the only member of the Boone Square cruising crew we’ve lost over the years. Possibly the most rambunctious was Sonya Barnes Rogers.

Back when the bleachers at Orange basketball games were packed with fans, there would be two student sections inside Panther Gymnasium. One for the home team (nicknamed Brown’s Bleacher Bums by Principal Dr. Stephen Halkiotis in honor of then-men’s basketball coach Andy Brown), the other for the visiting team. It was a big deal back then, and Sonya would scream at the top of her lungs, possibly because her then-boyfriend was the captain of the team.

Of course, age mellows people. But in Sonya’s case—well, no.

Years later, as her daughters Jordan, Logan and Sydney played soccer at Orange, she was still making as much noise as anyone watching from the grandstands of Panther Soccer Field. The 30 years that had passed since she had graduated was just a number. Sadly, Sonya left the community she loved suddenly in January. However, I know she was watching when her daughter, Sydney, became the first female to score a point for the Orange football team when she kicked an extra point against South Granville last month.

Days later, a classmate of mine of 1991 saw the video clip of Sydney’s extra point and texted me to see if that was Sonya’s daughter. He concurred that if someone had told us in 1990 that the first female to score a point in Orange football history would be Sonya Barnes Rogers’ daughter, it would have been no surprise at all.

A few years ago as I covered a college signing for an Orange High athlete, I looked around Orange’s gymnasium and thought to myself “Didn’t I dream of leaving this place when I was 17?”

And I sure did.

After covering three ACC men’s basketball tournaments, two Stanley Cup Playoffs, three FCS National Championship games, a Meineke Car Care Bowl, four Duke men’s basketball seasons, four Duke football seasons under Carl Franks (or, as I like to call it, “Seasons in the Abyss”) and a Stanley Cup Final in my earlier days in radio, I’ve learned that the passion of a high school event can transcend anything that comes afterwards. There’s nothing I would trade to experience Cedar Ridge volleyball in a state championship match at Reynolds Coliseum, or seeing Orange baseball back in a state championship series.

When I graduated from Appalachian State (whose current football team will likely lead to my demise before next September), I dreamed of being the next voice of the Duke Blue Devils or Appalachian State. Now, those jobs are taken by gentlemen I happen to work for at Learfield Sports in Winston-Salem. Both jobs are in much more capable hands than mine.

I’m at the 49-yard line as of today. Just shy of midfield.

So what have I learned since they day when I wondered what I was still doing in Hillsborough? Through this website, I know that the secret of life isn’t having what you want. It’s wanting what you’ve got.

Stories like Sydney Rogers are the ones I was born to tell. And many more like hers. Through images and words, as the progressive heavy metal band Dream Theater titled their second album.

Thanks to gifted photographers like Jacques Morin, Bernard Thomas, Sheril Sheppard, Phil Stapleton and Aidan Jensen, those images are as stark and clear as any high school website in North Carolina.

Best of all, on Sunday night at the Mellow Mushroom in Durham, I will sit down with my mother, my father, and my brother Stephen for dinner. Right now, considering the state of the world over the past two years, I couldn’t ask for anything more.

So, talk to you tonight for Orange-Cedar Ridge football. Look for me in the press box in the Rush “Moving Pictures” t-shirt.

And maybe at Boone Square afterwards.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior tennis player Madelyn Horn. This season, Horn is in her first season as a starter for the Orange women’s tennis team. She has proven to be a valuable presence as Orange has reached the top of the Central Carolina Conference. During the week of September 11-17, Horn won all three of her singles matches. On September 12, she won her match against Northwood 6-2, 6-2 as the Panthers defeated the Chargers 7-2. Two days later, Horn defeated Ryan Foley of Riverside 8-4. The following day, Horn won two matches against Roxboro Community School. At #5 singles, Horn won 8-4. Later in the day, Horn teamed with junior Grace Allred to win at #3 doubles 8-4. This season, Horn has won 21 matches overall. She has a 13-2 record in singles matches. She is 8-2 as a doubles player. Orange is looking for its first automatic trip to the State Dual Team Playoffs since they joined the 3A ranks in the early 2010s. Orange will continue its season later today at Cedar Ridge. The Lady Panthers have won nine in a row. 

The Orange volleyball team has cemented its status for second place in the Central Carolina Conference after sweeping Walter Williams 3-0 at Panthers Gymnasium on Tuesday night. As usual, a blend of seniors and freshman combined to help the Panthers to victory. Freshman Aubrey Jordan had a career-high eleven kills. Another freshman, Katie Silcott, switched between outside hitter and setter. She finished with 21 assists and six kills. Ellia Wimsatt had ten kills. Senior Erin Jordan-Cornell had five kills as the Panthers improved to 13-7, 7-1 in the CCC. Orange also rebounded following a disappointing loss to Jordan in Durham on Monday night, a team that the Panthers had swept last month. Now, Orange will get the rest of the week off. The Panthers were supposed to face Cedar Ridge with first place on the line in the CCC on Thursday night. But the game has been moved to October 12 because of Hurricane Ian. Orange will resume its season at East Chapel Hill on Monday night in a nonconfernce game. They will return home on Tuesday to face Person. 

The Orange men’s soccer team will take its longest winning streak in five years into tonight’s match at Eastern Alamance.

In past years, the Panthers probably would have lost its game against Northwood. But not last Wednesday night.

After the Chargers had erased a two-goal lead in the span of 48 seconds, Ryker Stein chipped in a free kick from Cooper Zinn into the upper-left corner of the net with 9:48 remaining. Stein’s goal, his second of the season, would prove to be the game-winner as Orange defeated Northwood 4-3.

Immediately after scoring, Stein rushed over and slapped hands with the Truck Bed Rowdies, Orange’s home cheering section that backs its pickups to the front of the gates along the north end zone and enjoys the games standing on the beds of their trucks.

The Panthers ended a seven-game losing streak to the Chargers. It was Orange’s first win over Northwood since October 9, 2018.

“I think we’ve grown to be a bit more mentally tough since the start of the year,” said Orange coach Palmer Bowman. “I think they just needed some confidence and a couple of breaks. They’ve had that the last few games and they know what they can do. You never like to give up two goals like that but they definitely showed some resolve.”

Orange’s Tyler Mann put the Panthers ahead 3-1 with a line drive from a pass by Enzo Bruhns with 39:04 remaining in the second half. It was Mann’s second goal of the game after he scored the opener in the first half.

Zinn put Orange ahead 2-1 late in the first half with his first goal of the season.

Northwood stormed back with goals from Rui Aguiar and Gabriel Chirino to even the match 3-3 with 14:53 remaining in regulation.

After Stein’s game-winner, the Panther backline of Darius Corbett and Tucker Gaddy made vital plays down the stretch to keep the Chargers from sending the game into overtime. With 6:28 remaining, the Chargers had consecutive corner kicks, the last of which was headed out of danger by Corbett. Gaddy broke up a shot attempt by Chirino from ten yards away with less than four minutes remaining.

Since the win over Northwood, Orange has continued its hot streak with a pair of road victories.

On Friday night, the Panthers defeated Southern Durham, the leaders of the Northern Lakes Conference, 5-3 at Spartans Stadium. Orange goalkeeper Connor McMurtry had some huge saves down the stretch as the Panthers preserved its lead.

Mann, who had goals in all three of Orange’s games last week, scored two goals for Orange. Zinn added another. Murilo Lopes tallied his first goal of the season. Bryan Membreno added another goal for Orange off an assist from Ivan Guzman Ruiz. Dylan Silverman and Bruhns added assists for Orange.

On Monday night, the Panthers traveled to Graham for the second straight year and defeated the Red Devils 3-0. Travel Bruhns scored the game-winning goal for the Panthers. Zinn added another for his third goal in three games. Membreno added a goal and also assisted on Zinn’s insurance marker. McMurtry earned the win in net. Backup netminder Finn Kelly was inserted into the game with 25:00 remaining and finished out the win.

Orange (6-5, 3-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) is tied with Western Alamance for second place in the CCC. Walter Williams, the #1 ranked team in 3A East, sits atop the league at 4-0. The Bulldogs are 11-0-1 overall.

The Panthers are currently ranked #23 in the MaxPreps 3A East standings. 32 teams make the 3A State Playoffs from the Eastern Region. Orange’s last trip to the 3A State Playoffs came in 2017. Jamar Davis, now a long jumper at N.C. State, led the Panthers in scoring. Orange defeated White Oak 6-2 in overtime (yes, in overtime) to win in the opening round of the state playoffs. In the second round on a rainy Saturday night in Greensboro, Orange led Northern Guilford 2-1 in the second half before the Nighthawks rallied and won 3-2 in overtime.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior cross country runner Roman Morrell. Already this season, Morrell has two first-place finishes. On August 27, Morrell won the Ronald Horton Cross Country Classic at Northwood High School, beating out 19 other competitors. On September 13, Morrell finished first in a twi-meet against Walter Williams and Northwood. It propelled the Red Wolves team to a victory. Morrell are to North Carolina from New Hampshire. Last year, he ran in the 3A State Championships in Kernersville, where he came in 26th. Morrell had a top-10 finish in the 2021 3A Mideast Regionals, where he finished ninth. In addition to cross country, Morrell also competed in the 800, 1,600 and 3,200 meters in outdoor track & field, where he qualified for the Mideast Regionals. Earlier this year, Morrell finished 2nd in the Early Bird Challenge at WakeMed Soccer Park in a field that included 178 other runners. Last Saturday, Morrell finished 2nd in the 38th annual Greensboro Cross Country Invitational at Hagan Stone Park in Pleasant Garden. 

Nearly two months ago, the Orange women’s tennis team started practice under the hot August sun with eight players.

They weren’t big on numbers, but there was plenty of experience.

Now, the Lady Panthers are tied for first place in the Central Carolina Conference after beating the defending league champions.

Erin and Shannon Sollars won the final doubles match to clinch a 5-4 win over previously undefeated Walter Williams at Orange Tennis Courts on Monday night in Hillsborough. The victory tied Orange with the Bulldogs for first place in the loss column in the Central Carolina Conference. Orange (13-2, 8-1 in the CCC) has four conference matches remaining.

Williams played without two of its top six players, but still managed to extend the match to the very end.

“There were some close matches that fell our way,” said Orange women’s tennis coach Justin Webb. “Our girls earned it, but it was very close. It could have gone either way easily.”

In the final match of the night, Erin and Shannon Sollars trailed against Abigail Brown and Jaden Wilson 7-6, then won the last three games to prevail 9-7. In dual team matches, doubles are usually the last matches contested and are often played to eight games instead of the full two sets.

Erin and Shannon Sollars are now 10-2 as a tandem this season and have won its last seven matches.

“Shannon and Erin are playing very well for us,” Webb said. “They’re two very good competitors. I don’t have to teach them how to be competitive. And when you play with your sister, it gives you a lot of confidence.”

The two teams split the six singles matches. Erin Sollars won at #1 singles 6-3, 6-3 over Brown. Junior Makayla Davis, who has won 17 matches overall this year, prevailed over Lauren Tuner at #3 singles 6-1, 6-3. Senior Sydney Rogers, the kicker for the Orange football team, won the longest match of the night against Gracie Hartle. Rogers was extended to a 10-point tiebreaker in the third set before winning 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 10-4.

So far this year, Rogers has been a starter for the Orange women’s soccer team that made the deepest playoff run in team history, reaching the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs after beating Cape Fear in Fayetteville. In August, she became the first female to score a point in an Orange football game when she kicked an extra point against South Granville. She is 11-0 in singles matches this year.

Orange senior Madelyn Horn, who is in her first year as a starter, won at #6 singles 6-1, 6-0.

“Between Erin, Shannon and Makayla Davis, who has played #3 singles for us, they have more experience,” Webb said. “And then Maddie Horn, she’s probably the most experienced player. She fills a good spot for us at #6 singles that we need for us.”

Williams’ sophomore Jaden Wilson defeated Shannon Sollars 6-3, 6-2. Grace Gabrielli defeated Isabel Jones 6-3, 6-3.

Orange won two of the three doubles matches to take the match. In addition to the Sollars’ sisters, Isabel Jones and Katelyn Van Mater defeated Gabrielli and Mary Bryan 8-1.

Orange has now won nine matches in a row.

“We still have a lot more tough matches to go,” Webb said. “It’s nice to get a win over Williams, but we still have a lot more work to do.”

Orange has never won a conference championship in women’s tennis. Last season, they won a match in the 3A State Dual Team Tournament for the first time ever, beating Fike High School in Wilson. Orange will face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Wednesday at Red Wolves Tennis Courts.

Football: The Gravelly Hill Middle School football team won its first game of the season last Wednesday, defeating Culbreth 34-8 in Efland.

Kayden Bradsher rushed for over 150 yards and four touchdowns as the Grizzlies improved to 1-0. Kamaal Smith had a receiving touchdown and a rushing touchdown. Gravelly Hill is scheduled to host Southern Roxboro on Wednesday afternoon in Efland. They will travel to Orange Middle School on October 5.

Boy’s Soccer: Orange Middle 6, Northern Middle 0: Lachlan McPherson scored five goals as the Chargers earned a victory in Roxboro. Nikola Henry added another goal. Eunko Newell earned the clean sheet in net. Orange Middle will return to action at Stanback on Thursday in the Orange-Person Athletic Conference.

To all coaches, parents and students at middle schools, we want to increase our coverage of middle school athletics here on Hillsboroughsports.com. In 2019, our coverage was starting to pick up with consistent response from coaches–then the pandemic hit.

My contact information is hamlin37@hotmail.com.

What we’re looking for is pretty simple.

1. The final score of a game, meet or cross country event.
2. The names of the players who scored touchdowns, rushing yards, receiving yards, goals, points, assists, kills, blocks, etc.
3. Any other performers who stood out in a particular game or meet.

We’re looking for results after games for Orange Middle, Stanback and Gravelly Hill. If coaches, parents or students could reach out to us after games, we can get our coverage back to where it was before COVID-19. That helps everyone because it accomplishes the goal of this website, which is complete coverage of Hillsborough sports across the entire northern Orange County area.

Again, our email is hamlin37@hotmail.com. If we could hear from coaches after every game with the information above, that would meet our goal.

Good to see the local middle schools off to a good start for this academic year. Let’s make Middle School Review a regular thing again.

This week’s Interior Lineman of the Week is junior Andre Hill. Last season, Hill became a starter as an offensive tackle for the Orange football team. This year, in addition to maintaining his status as an offensive lineman, he became one of three new starters on the defensive line. In addition to football, Hill is also a member of the Orange wrestling team. Last season, Hill was a regular starter at 160 and 170  pounds for an Orange wrestling team that reached the 3A Eastern Regional final of the State Dual Team Tournament. Last February, Hill reached the 3A Mideast Regional Final of the 160 pound tournament. He also qualified for the 3A State Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum. Hill has been a constant presence on the Orange offensive line throughout this season and will prepare to face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge this Friday night at Auman Stadium.