Desean Motley: The former quarterback for the Orange football team and guard for the basketball team has been named the new head coach of the Division II Lees-McRae men’s basketball team. Motley has been an assistant coach for the Bobcats since 2017. He has served on the staff of Steve Hardin, who resigned after 14 years earlier this month. Motley is a 2013 graduate of Orange High who was the leading scorer on the men’s basketball team his senior year. He played for his father, Greg Motley, the all-time winningest head coach in Orange men’s basketball history. Desean was also the quarterback at the dawn of the Orange football revival under former head coach Pat Moser. With Motley operating the single-wing offense, the Panthers went 11-3 in 2012, its first 10-win season since 1978. Motley was behind center when Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 14-13 in the 3A State Quarterfinals. His appointment as the head coach at Lees-McRae capped an incredible week for the Motley family. Greg Motley led the Southern Durham men’s basketball team to a win over Swansboro at Lawrence-Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem to capture the Spartans’ first Eastern Regional championship since 1959.
Mia Davidson: The Diablos Rojos del Mexico have advanced to the championship series of the Mexican Softball League. The Diablos defeated Charros de Jalisco three-games-to-one in a best-of-five series. In the fourth and deciding game on Saturday, the Diablos won 7-3. Davidson hit two home runs in game three, which Charros won 17-9.
Takia Nichols: In its first MEAC series of the year, North Carolina Central was swept by Howard at Nationals Youth Park in Washington, D.C. this weekend. Nichols hit her first home run of the season on Saturday, a two-run blast in the third. The Bison came back to win 6-5. On Sunday, Nichols hit a solo home run in the fifth that put the Eagles ahead 5-4. Nichols started the game with a RBI double in the first inning. The Bison scored four runs in the fourth inning to beat the Eagles 8-5. On Wednesday, the Eagles defeated North Carolina A&T 4-3 at Thomas Brooks Park in Cary. Nichols drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning.
Carson Bradsher: The former Orange High softball shortstop was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Player of the Week. Playing for Division III Averett College in the Grand Slam Triangle Classic at Walnut Creek Softball Complex in Raleigh, Bradsher hit .600 over eight games. She scored eight runs and stole six bases in six attempts. In a 2-1 win over #19 Muskingham, Bradsher finished 2-for-3. On March 8, Bradsher went 4-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base in an 8-1 Cougars win. On Saturday, North Carolina Wesleyan swept a doubleheader from Averett in Rocky Mount. Bradsher went 4-for-7 with a run scored in the doubleheader. Averett is 8-8.
Ava Lowry: Starting for N.C. Wesleyan at shortstop, Lowry hit .500 in the Battling Bishops doubleheader sweep of Averett. In a 12-3 nightcap win, Lowry went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, driving in two runs with a single during a six-run 3rd inning. In the opener, Lowry went 1-for-3. N.C. Wesleyan went 4-2 in the Grand Slam Triangle Classic. Lowry hit .467 over the six games. Wesleyan defeated #23 Randolph-Macon 4-2 on March 8, which included Lowry hitting a home run. She finished 2-for-3 in a 15-5 win over Randolph. Lowry is hitting .282 over the first 16 games.
Mary Moss Wirt: The Elon softball team grabbed a series from Hampton at Pirates Softball Field this weekend. Wirt started Saturday’s game as a designated player and drew a bases-loaded walk in Hampton’s 4-3 victory over the Phoenix. Wirt also scored a run as a pinch-runner in Elon’s 13-1 win over the Pirates on Friday. On march 7, Elon defeated Hofstra 9-5. Wirt had a two-run double in the second inning.
Olivia Aitkin: The former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf started both games in centerfield as Division III Amherst started its season with a sweep of Southern Maine and Macalester in Clermont, FL this weekend. Amherst will face the University of Chicago and Endicott College on Monday.
Brianne Foster: The Wake Tech Community College Eagles swept four straight games over Southwest Virginia last week. Foster started at catcher in the Eagles 11-1 win on Saturday.