Jeff Hamlin

Photo by Dave Lindaman 

Volleyball season can be a fickle thing.

Students and coaches keep themselves busy during the summer traveling from location to location for various league across the southeast. All along, their waiting for August to roll around so high school season finally starts.

Then it finally arrives in August….for seven intense weeks. And then it comes to a sudden end, starting the cycle all over again.

The Orange volleyball team finished its home slate with a senior night victory over Southern Durham 3-0 on Thursday night at Jim King Gymnasium. Orange wasn’t seriously challenged in any of the sets, winning 25-11, 25-14 and 25-4.

It was the final home match for seniors Faith Foushee (a tri-Captain), Elly Wilson, Bailey Lucas (another Captain), Avery Riley, and tri-Captain Caroline Compton.

Lucas ended her home career with seven kills, five assists, one dig and one ace. Riley recorded five aces, three kills and a dig. Compton had two aces, two kills, eleven assists and three digs. Wilson registered three aces, two kills and seven digs. Foushee had five digs, two aces, one kill and one assist.

Junior Liz LaNier had five kills and five aces for the Panthers. Freshman Chloe Riley came away with four aces on a strong serving night. Sophomore Elizabeth Vosburg had a season-high five aces. Another sophomore, Kaitlyn Werden, finished with seven assists.

The win bolsters Orange’s record to 13-8, which guarantees a winning season. The Panthers are 6-7 in the Big 8 with its regular season finale coming up Tuesday against Northern Durham at Poe Gymtorium.

There are bigger goals for the Orange Boys soccer team aim to tackle before autumn ends, but its 8-0 victory over Hillside at Russell Blount Stadium on Wednesday night did guarantee one thing.

It will be Orange’s first winning season since 2010.

The Panthers improved to 11-3-2 with its eighth straight victory. Bryan Torres and Drew Jagentenfl each scored two goals as the Panthers remain tied for first place in the Big 8 with identical 8-1 records.

R.J. Pherribo opened the scoring for the Panthers with a goal in the 12th minute. In the 23rd minute, senior Jamar Davis added insurance with another marker. With 19:03 remaining, Torres added a goal from the top of the box. Jagentenfl notched his first goal with 13:14 remaining in the first half.

Torres, Jagentenfl and Luke Wiesbaden each scored in the 2nd half.

The blowout over Hillside came two days after arguable the biggest regular season win in Orange history, a 2-1 victory over East Chapel Hill at Orange soccer field. That victory propelled the Panthers into a first-place tie with East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill.

Malcolm Phillips scored the opener off a penalty with 25:11 remaining in the first half. East Chapel HIll got the equalizer from Osvin Ordonez-Gonzalez from ten yards away off a feed from Taylor Greeno.

Moments later, Davis scored the game-winner off a breakaway. Goalkeeper Noah Miller made several key saves down the stretch.

Orange will host Cedar Ridge on Monday night.

For the first time since 2006, at least, the Orange volleyball team has swept a season series from Riverside.

The Panthers defeated the Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday night at Jim King Gymnasium in Hillsborough on scores of 26-24, 25-12 and 25-22.

Senior Avery Riley had seven kills to lead the Panthers, who bolstered its state playoff chances by improving 12-8 overall. Sophomore Emma Clements had six kills and six aces, while senior Caroline Compton added five aces and ten assists. Clements also had eleven digs and six kills.

Kaitlyn Werden added six kills and two digs.

The Orange junior varsity earned a 2-0 win over the Pirates.

On Tuesday night, Chapel Hill swept the Panthers 3-0. In the process, the Tigers clinched at least a tie for the Big 8 Championship by improving to 14-0. Chapel Hill is two games ahead of East Chapel Hill with two conference games remaining.

Sophomore Kaya Merkler had 13 kills for the Tigers, while Courtney Zwikker (daughter of former UNC center Serge Zwikker) had registered seven kills.

For the Panthers, senior Bailey Lucas had six kills, twelve assists and two digs. Emma Clements finished with two aces, six kills and 15 digs.

On Thursday night, Orange will commemorate senior night against Southern Durham. It will be the final home game for seniors Faith Foushee, Avery Riley, Carolina Compton, Elly Wilson, and Baily Lucas.

In a punishing victory over Southern Durham, the Orange senior rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown, made an interception, and recovered a fumble to end the game as the Panthers defeated the Spartans 16-15. Beasley had 168 all-purpose yards, plus made four tackles. Recently, Marvante received his first scholarship offer from Lenoir-Rhyne. Away from the football field, Marvante can be seen at many other Orange events as he’s one of the ardent supporters of the Panthers on the hardwood, the baseball and softball diamond.

Orange Panther of the Week: Marvante Beasley

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On a wild night in Spartan Stadium, Orange kicker Francisco McKinley kicked the game-winning, 26-yard field goal with 1:09 remaining as Orange defeated Southern Durham 16-15 on Friday night. Just minutes before the field goal, McKinley was banged up after Southern blocked a punt and was less than 100% when attempting the field goal. But the junior made it to defeat the Spartans for the 2nd straight time at Southern.

Orange Kicker Francisco McKinley Discusses Game Winning Field Goal vs. Southern Durham

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The crows have come home to roost for Orange soccer.

Last year, Orange lost eleven games. Eight were by two goals or less.

A year later, the Panthers are in the midst of a 6-game winning streak, the longest since 2010. The last four wins have been by, you guessed it, two goals or less.

On Wednesday night, Orange roared out to a 4-0 lead over Northern Durham at James Armstrong Stadium off two goals from senior Luke Wirzba. Northern settled for two late goals, but the Panthers walked away with a 4-2 result to remain tied for first in the Big 8 Conference.

R.J. Pherribo and Rohan Kasthuri also scored for the Panthers. Senior Jamar Davis assisted on three of the goals, while Wirzba assisted on the other.

The win over Northern caps a dramatic series of games for the Panthers, one that started last week when Pherribo scored with three seconds remaining in regulation to defeat Chapel Hill 1-0. On Monday night, Wirzba scored in the 2nd overtime as Orange surged past Southern Durham 1-0.

Life in the new Big 8 Conference means beating one powerhouse and getting ready for another. Orange will host East Chapel Hill on Monday night in Hillsborough. The Wildcats handed Orange its only Big 8 loss thus far, a 2-1 result on September 7.

Our Orange Panther of the Week is Luke Wirzba. This week, Wirzba scored the game-winning goal against Southern Durham in the second overtime for a 1-0 Orange win. On Wednesday night, Wirzba followed it up with two goals as the Panthers won its sixth straight over Northern Durham 4-2.

Orange Panther of the Week: Luke Wirzba

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Orange scored four goals in the first half at James Armstrong Stadium in Durham on Wednesday night as the Panthers earned its sixth straight win by beating Northern Durham 4-2. After the game, seniors Justin Hutchins, Cameron Krogstad, Omar Landeros, Ewan McCallum, Luke Wirzba, Bryan Torres, Thomas Sikes, Jamar Davis, Malcolm Phillips, Noah Miller, Isaiah Dupre and Jesus Chavez lined up to talk about the win.

Orange’s 12 Boys Soccer Seniors (well, some of them) Discuss Win over Northern Durham

Orange scored four goals in the first half at James Armstrong Stadium in Durham on Wednesday night as the Panthers earned its sixth straight win by beating Northern Durham 4-2. After the game, seniors Justin Hutchins, Cameron Krogstad, Omar Landeros, Ewan McCallum, Luke Wirzba, Bryan Torres, Thomas Sikes, Jamar Davis, Malcolm Phillips, Noah Miller, Isaiah Dupre and Jesus Chavez lined up to talk about the win.