Jeff Hamlin

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior men’s basketball guard Xandrell Pennix. On Tuesday night, Pennix surpassed 900 career points in Orange’s 76-36 win over Southern Alamance. Last week, Pennix played possibly his greatest half of basketball at Person. With Orange trailing Person 28-9, Pennix scored 14 points in the second half, including three 3-pointers in the third quarter. Pennix scored the game-winning basket on a lay-in with 2:56 remaining as the Panthers won 67-65. Midway through the 2021-22 season, Pennix was called up to the varsity squad as a freshman. He immediately made a difference by scoring 13 points in just his fourth varsity game at Williams. Since then, Pennix has been a vital part of an Orange team that went from eight wins his freshman year to winning the Central Conference regular season and tournament championship in his junior season. This year, Orange is 13-4, it’s best start since the 2016-17 season. Pennix scored 18 points in a win over Northern Durham. Last year, Pennix scored 21 points in a victory over Currituck County in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. Pennix’s incredible shooting ability will remain his legacy after he graduates from Orange in June. His presence over the past four years has led to the Orange men’s basketball program returning to championship form.

Orange Panther of the Week: Xandrell Pennix

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior men’s basketball guard Xandrell Pennix. On Tuesday night, Pennix surpassed 900 career points in Orange’s 76-36 win over Southern Alamance. Last week, Pennix played possibly his greatest half of basketball at Person.

In a pressure situation, two players stepped up for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in its biggest win of the season. Junior Jamee Watson drained two free throws with 54 seconds remaining for the game-winning points as the Red Wolves defeated Chatham Central 36-33 on January 10 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Bears came into the game with an 8-2 record. Sophomore Esther Mwirinzi added six points, including two more free throws after a steal by Kennedi Fearrington with 17 seconds remaining. Watson finished with eight points to lead the Red Wolves. Watson has been on the varsity since her freshman year under head coach Megan Skouby. Mwirinzi is in her second year at the varsity level. To start 2025, Cedar Ridge defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 for its first Central Conference win of the season. Watson scored nine points against the Patriots and also had four steals. Cedar Ridge forced 28 turnovers in the win over the Patriots. Mwirinzi has learned on the job as the starting point guard this season after the transfer of Sarah Utley during the summer. The win over the Bears gave a boost for Cedar Ridge to make the state playoffs for the second year in a row. The Red Wolves will commemorate Senior Night with a home game against Walter Williams on Friday night in Hillsborough.

Cedar Ridge’s Jamee Watson & Esther Mwirinzi discuss win over Chatham Central

In a pressure situation, two players stepped up for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in its biggest win of the season. Junior Jamee Watson drained two free throws with 54 seconds remaining for the game-winning points as the Red Wolves defeated Chatham Central 36-33 on January 10 at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

GRAHAM–It was bound to happen.

Throughout the year, Orange center Jalen Crayton has teased a euphoric, exhilarating slam dunk when set up under the basket. He came close at the end of 2024 against Western Alamance, but the ball ricocheted off the room high in the air.

Not only did Crayton deliver a monster dunk in Orange’s rout of Southern Alamance on Tuesday night, but he delivered several, sending the visitors bench and fan section at Patriots Gymnasium into hysteria each time.

That was the theme of a dominant 76-36 Orange win. Senior Xandrell Pennix surpassed the 900 point mark in his career with 14 points, including the opening 3-pointer of the game in a wire-to-wire Panther win. Junior Kai Wade scored 20 points to lead Orange, who crossed the midway point of the Central Conference season tied with Eastern Alamance for first place. The Panthers improved to 13-4, 5-1 in league play.

The Patriots (3-11, 1-3) entered the game shorthanded with shooting guard Bo Day sidelined with a walking boot. in the first quarter, starting guard Kolby Kronberg’s injured his ankle after getting a lay-up blocked going up against Orange’s Freddy Sneed.

Orange went on a 20-0 run in the first half to take a 39-9 lead late in the first half. Pennix scored ten points in the opening quarter. Wade drove at will against the Patriots guards and scored nine of his 20 points in the second quarter. Orange nearly held Southern Alamance without a point in the second quarter until Micah Stone scored on a lay-in with 43 seconds remaining in the first half.

Crayton had three dunks in the second half to finish with a career-high 12 points. Coming off a game where he had six blocks against Person, Crayon added two blocks.

Orange sophomore Hector Garrido added seven points and Barrett Liner came off the bench to drain a 3-pointer during garbage time.

Orange is the first team in the Central Conference to reach the midway point of the league campaign. They will step out of Central Conference play to face undefeated Reidsville on Saturday afternoon. The Panthers will end a 10-game road swing with a crucial trip to Western Alamance next Tuesday.

Women’s basketball: Orange 56, Western Alamance 13

The Lady Panthers (9-6, 4-2) held Southern Alamance without a field goal for over 20 minutes in an easy win on Tuesday night in Graham.

Orange spread the wealth on offense with eight different players winding up on the score sheet. Addie Atkins opened the game with a 3-pointer as the Lady Panthers never trailed in improving to 9-6 overall, winning its fifth straight.

Atkins, Alexis Stephens and Maura McMurtry each scored nine points. Orange led 12-5 at the end of the first quarter after Southern’s Emory Gilley scored on a lay-in. The Patriots wouldn’t score another field goal until late in the fourth quarter when Jaylin Palmer knocked down a short jumper while getting fouled.

Orange started to pull away after McMurtry drained two 3-pointers in the first quarter. Senior Shannon Murphy scored all eight of her points in the second quarter. Atkins drained two more 3-pointers in the second half to establish a new personal season-high. Senior center Marshea Byrd scored eight points in the first half.

Senior Kyla Mehl added eight more points in the third quarter, including two 3-pointers.

Chloe Caldwell, Payton Borland, Rhiley Crabtree, Chloe Caldwell, Bryce Jones and Annabelle Monteith all played in the fourth quarter. Orange established a running clock after their pushed their lead to over 40 points early in the third quarter.

Sarah Kathryn Maness led Southern Alamance (2-11, 0-4) with four points.

Orange will travel to Reidsville on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Panthers will continue its Central Conference slate against Western Alamance in Elon on Tuesday night.

For the second year in a row, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team is going to the State Dual Team Playoffs.

On Wednesday night in Burlington, the Red Wolves disposed of Walter Williams 68-12 to officially clinch second place in the Central Conference. Cedar Ridge improved to 15-7 overall and finished the conference season at 5-1. Only a 34-32 loss to Person on November 26 in Roxboro kept the Red Wolves from repeating as Central Conference champions.

Person earned its first conference championship since the league was formed in the 2021-2022 academic year.

Senior Pierce Presco, who achieved his 100th career pinfall victory last month, continues to move up the career win list in school history. Prescod defeated Abdiel Gutierrez Moreno via technical fall 19-4 at 120 pounds to improve to 38-6 on the season. Prescod is now at 148 career wins. The school record is 166 wins held by Chandler Collins. Josh Collins on the original Cedar Ridge team in 2001, is 2nd on the all-time list at 151 wins. Prescod could surpass Collins during a dual event at Montgomery Central High in Troy this Saturday.

Cedar Ridge’s Graylon Collins pinned Kyleaf Kosh to push the Red Wolves lead to 47-12 and secure a Red Wolf victory. Collins is now 22-14 on the season after his eighth pin of the year.

The Red Wolves started the night with a pin from Will Meyer at 175 pounds. Meyer pinned Gavin McMahan to improve to 19-14. It was Meyer’s 17th pin.

After Sawyer Marshall earned a pin for Williams, Oscar Narera pinned Porter Faucette at 215 pounds to put the Red Wolves ahead 12-6. Williams’ Christopher Melton evened the match with a pin at heavyweight.

Cedar Ridge’s Juan Esparza Jaramillo (106) and Favio Esparza Jaramillo (113) both earned forfeit wins. Juan Esparza, who won the 106-pound championship at the Eagle Invitational, is now 26-10 this season. Favio Jaramillo improved to 34-7 with eleven pins.

Jordin Blue of Cedar Ridge pinned Justin Powell at 157 pounds. In the only match of the night to go the distance, Cedar Ridge’s Shea Spiller earned a 9-4 decision over Angler Laxson. Spiller is 22-13.

Senior Ryan Rakouska and sophomore Alejandro Briones both earned forfeit wins for the Red Wolves. Rakouskas is now 35-5 this year. Briones improved to 35-6.

With the Central Conference championships one week away, the Cedar Ridge women’s swimming team finished the regular season undefeated in dual meets on Senior Night.

For the second time this year, Cedar Ridge’s relay team of Sophia Stinnett, Margaret Payton, Quinn McCrimmon and Natalie Kunz broke their own school record in the 200 yard medley relay with a time of 2:03.23. In the opening meet of the year on December 9, Stinnett, Payton, McCrimmon and Kunz broke the record at the Orange County Sportsplex.

The Cedar Ridge women finished the regular season 11-0 in the Central Conference, 12-0 overall. The Red Wolves held off Orange 87-79 and defeated Eastern Alamance 130-24.

It was a special night for Stinnett and McCrimmon, two seniors competing in their final regular season meet at the SportsPlex, which is a year-around home for swimmers. Not only do swimmers compete at the SportsPlex, but they practice there, as well.

Stinnett, who who the Central Regional championships in the 100 yard backstroke and the 500 yard freestyle last year at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, won in both events on Tuesday night and again qualified for regionals.

In the men’s dual meets, it was the final regular season meet for Orange senior Luke Roman, who is only the second male swimmer to win a state championship in school history. Roman, the defending champion in the 500 yard freestyle, won the event once again on Tuesday night touching the wall at 4:47.39. He also won the 200 yard freestyle, touching the wall at 1:49.77. Cedar Ridge freshman J.E. Sandor finished 2nd at 1:55.31 while Orange’s Ayden Twiddy came in third at 2:00.59.

Orange held off Cedar Ridge 172-149 in the men’s dual meet, tying the Red Wolves for first place at the end of the regular season with identical 10-1 conference marks. The Panthers also defeated Eastern Alamance 211-45. Cedar Ridge defeated Eastern Alamance 228-44 The Red Wolves men’s team finished the regular season 10-2 overall.

Roman joined Alex Andre, Nick Bazara and Noah Jones to win the 200 yard medley relay at 1:48.54. Cedar Ridge’s team Christopher Seawell, J.E. Sandor, Phillip Cauwels and Jacob Olmstead also qualified for regionals with a time of 1:55.70.

Orange’s 200 yard freestyle relay team of Baczara, Jason Spey, Colin Wuthrich and Twiddy won the 200 yard freestyle relay. Cedar Ridge’s Cauwels, Seawell, Sandor and Zion Green finished second, earning a spot at regionals.

Baczara won the 200 yard individual medley at 2:20.31. Jones claimed the 50 yard freestyle at 24.21. Cauwels, a senior for Cedar Ridge, finished 2nd.

Andre earned a trip to regionals in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.83 seconds.

Cedar Ridge’s Seawell won two events. He claimed the 100 yard freestyle at 51.18 seconds. Twiddy finished second, also earning a spot at regionals, at 53.65.

Seawell also won the 100 yard backstroke at 1:00.92.

Orange’s Andre, on his senior night, won the 100 yard backstroke (1:07.75). Sandor just trailed finishing second at 1:08.64.

In other women’s individual races, Orange’s Piper White claimed two individual events. She won the 50 yard freestyle at 25.95 seconds. White has won three state championships in relay events with Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Katie Belle Sikes (now swimming at the University of Georgia). White also won the 100 yard Butterly.

White teamed with Rasinske, Zoe Jones and Addison Moore to take the 200 yard medley relay at 2:01.77. Cedar Ridge’s relay team of Stinnett, Payton, McCrimmon and Kunz finished second.

Rasinske captured the 200 yard freestyle at 2:15.34. Orange’s Moore finished 2nd at 2:17.97 while Cedar Ridge’s Eden Pollard finished third at 2:18.41. All three earned spots at regionals. Moore also qualified for regionals in the 100 yard backstroke with a runner-up finish (1:09.53).

jones finished first in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:27.44, just beating McCrimmon to the wall by .13 of a second. Payton finished third, also earning a spot in regionals at 2:29.88.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s basketball forward Kennedi Fearrington. To open 2025, Fearrington scored eleven points as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It was Cedar Ridge’s first Central Conference win of the season. Fearrington and fellow freshman Kassidy Tolliver have developed a young core of the Red Wolves women’s basketball team after losing leading scorer Amiyah Ware and starting point guard Sarah Utley from last year’s team. Fearrington and Tolliver have been teammates since their sixth grade season at Gravelly Hill Middle School. Fearrington has played on the varsity since the start of the season. In only her fifth varsity game, Fearrington scored 13 points and grabbed five rebounds in a 55-31 win over the Durham School of the Arts on December 6. Against Eno Rivera Academy, Fearringotn scored ten points as the Red Wolves won its first-ever matchup against the Bobcats 41-25. Fearrington played 13 minutes in the Red Wolves 36-33 win over Chatham Central last week in Hillsborough. Chatham came into the game with an 8-2 record, which gave a boost to Cedar Ridge’s hopes of making the state playoffs for the second straight year. Fearrington figures to be a standout performer in the years ahead for Cedar Ridge women’s basketball.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Kennedi Fearrington

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s basketball forward Kennedi Fearrington. To open 2025, Fearrington scored eleven points as the Red Wolves defeated Southern Alamance 37-29 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It was Cedar Ridge’s first Central Conference win of the season.

The Orange men’s basketball team is in the midst of a 10-game road swing. It started on December 23 when the Panthers defeated the Ivanhoe Knights based out of Australia at Northeast Guilford High. For the past four years, Orange senior Michael Clark has been a quiet, forceful leader. Last week in the Panthers’ thrilling win over Person, Clark scored eight points, including a lay-in with 22 seconds remaining to secure a victory where Orange roared back from 19 points down. Clark had 14 points in Orange’s win over Cedar Ridge last week. Against East Wake, Clark scored 14 points in the South Granville Holiday Invitational Tournament. Just before Christmas, Clark scored 15 point as the Panthers rolled past Western Alamance 73-48 for the Panthers first Central Conference win of the season. Clark has been a vital part of Orange’s 13-4 record, its best start in the seven-year stint of head coach Derryl Britt. Clark broke through the varsity level in the 2020-2021 season along with fellow freshmen Xandrell Pennix and Freddy Sneed. After taking their lumps early, the talent, speed and camaraderie of Clark, Pennix, Sneed and Kai Wade have taken the Panthers to the top of the Central Conference. Clark has been an important part of Orange’s success. After a decisive win at Southern Alamance on Tuesday night, Orange will step out of conference to play at powerful Reidsville on Saturday.

Orange men’s basketball forward Michael Clark discusses 13-4 start to the season

The Orange men’s basketball team is in the midst of a 10-game road swing. It started on December 23 when the Panthers defeated the Ivanhoe Knights based out of Australia at Northeast Guilford High. For the past four years, Orange senior Michael Clark has been a quiet, forceful leader.

The Orange lacrosse team has risen to statewide prominence over the past five years. Last spring, the Panthers won the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship and secured its fourth consecutive conference championship. Last week, two of Orange’s premier defenders signed with Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee. Drew Jouannet, a defender who created 22 turnovers in 2024, officially signed with the Railsplitters. Jouannet will start his third varsity season next month. Last season, Jouaneet had 63 ground balls. Joining Jouannet at Lincoln University will be senior midfielder Aidan Monteith. Last year, Monteith had 25 ground balls across 20 games and played in the 3A/2A/1A State Championship game. Also signing during a ceremony last week was senior Gray Crabtree. Last May in the Eastern Regional championship game, Crabtree scored seven goals in a win over Croatan, the biggest win in Orange lacrosse history. Crabtree signed with Division II Mars Hill University. Crabtree has scored 53 career goals. In his junior season, Crabtree had 40 goals. He finished with 46 points for the most successful Orange lacrosse team in school history. During the past three years, Jouannet, Monteith and Crabtree have helped Orange amass a 59-9 overall record with a 39-0 record against Central Conference opponents in the regular season. Orange will start its new season against Northern Guilford on February 24 at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough.

Orange lax Drew Jouannet & Aidan Monteith sign w/Lincoln Memorial; Gray Crabtree signs w/ Mars Hill

The Orange lacrosse team has risen to statewide prominence over the past five years. Last spring, the Panthers won the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship and secured its fourth consecutive conference championship. Last week, two of Orange’s premier defenders signed with Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tennessee.

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The past two years have been a time of transition for Orange wrestling.

Like Northern Durham football, UNC women’s soccer and Charlotte Independence football, Orange wrestling had a dynasty. They didn’t lose a conference match from 2010-2019. They won 16 consecutive conference championships across three different classifications and five State Championships under legendary head coach Bobby Shriner. It continued under his successor, Spenser Poteat.

And like every sports dynasty, there’s destined to be a drop-off simply because the highest level of achievement can’t sustain itself forever.

That’s where Orange finds itself as its transitions into a new era of high school sports in North Carolina, which isn’t to say there hasn’t been success stories.

Last Wednesday, Orange honored a group of seniors Braden Crawford, Jayden Medley, Adrian Sierra, Max Molinar, Eben Petrides, Andrew Pavalonis. Also honored were the lone senior on the women’s team, Ava Lytle.

Bolstered by pins from Crawford and Conner Harward and a sudden victory decision from Sierra, Orange defeated Southern Alamance 57-18 at Panther Gymnasium last Wednesday. Orange, which had its annual trip to the Havelock Duals canceled because of snow over the weekend, improved to 8-3 overall, 3-2 in the Central Conference.

Medley, who was an all-conference linebacker for Orange last year, won his final home match by forfeit at 215 pounds. Medley is 25-9 this season and is aiming to reach the 3A State Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum next month.

Crawford is no stranger to Greensboro. He has qualified for the state championships his first three years at Orange. The latest member of Orange’s storied 100 wins club, Crawford won his final home match over Aiden Cameron to improve to 25-7 with his 18th pin of the season.

As a freshman, Crawford went 31-5 and finished 4th in the Mideast Regionals at Union Pines High School in 2022. He likely would have been the favorite to win the Central Conference Tournament at 120 pounds, but the event was canceled due to snow in the forecast.

In his sophomore season, Crawford won the Central Conference championship for an Orange team that claimed the league regular season title. He went on to finish 2nd in the Mideast Regionals at Cedar Ridge High School. He won two matches in the consolation bracket at the state championships beating Matthew Mehaffey of Pisgah 7-5 in a sudden victory round, then scoring a major decision over Skyler Oxford of West Carteret 20-7. He finished the year 32-6.

Last year, Crawford won the 126-pound  Central Conference championship at Williams High School in Burlington. He qualified for the state championships after a fourth place finish in a stacked weight division, beating Jazzmen Hall of Fayetteville 71st in the consolation semifinals. Crawford ended his junior season 31-5.

Against the Patriots, Logan Scarantino scored Orange’s first pin of the night over Dawson Pittard to put the Panthers ahead 12-6. Orange’s Brady McAdams earned a forfeit win at 106 to begin the evening. Southern Alamance’s Bennett Teague earned a pin at 113 pounds.

Orange’s Renn Van Hoose improved to 14-11 by pinning Dakota Jones. Sierra defeated Riley Neil 8-3.

At 144 pounds, Orange’s Sebastian Guardia pinned Hamden Wagner. It was Guardia’s third pin of the season. Markus Thomas earned a forfeit win to put the Panthers ahead 36-6.

In the most competitive match of the night, Pavalonis ended regulation against Southern’s William Coletrane tied at 1-1. In the opening sudden victory round, Pavalonis scored the match-winning takedown for a 4-1 victory. It was Pavalonis fifth win of the season.

At 175 pounds, Orange’s Conner Harward pinned Price Ivie. Harward earned his 12th win of the season after his fourth pin.

Orange freshman Jordan Barbee pinned Ashton Seagroves. Barbee scored five wins during Orange’s victory at the Rumble in the Jungle dual meets at Carrboro High School last month.

Lytle finished second at 126 pounds during the Jim King/Orange Invitational in December.