Jeff Hamlin

Six turnovers. Six 15-yard penalties. 0 yards passing.

Depsite all that, Orange still found a way to beat Northern Durham for the fourth straight time.

Ryan Puckett scored both of the Panthers touchdowns in the second half as Orange (2-0) defeated Norhern 21-13 at a sultry Durham County Stadium Friday night. The Orange defense held Northern to 91 yards total offense.

Orange has won 16 consecutive nonconference regular season games going into next week’s tilt against Riverside.

After an ugly 35-3 season-opening victory over Person, Orange coach Pat Moser wanted more consistency from his offense against the Knights.

Instead, he got a performance uglier than an Indepdence Day sequel.

The Panthers failed to complete a pass on five attempts. The leading receiver for Orange was Northern cornerback Lederrick Neville, who had two interceptions. He caught two more passes than anyone in an Orange uniform.

Orange’s defense sacked Knights quarterback Luke Fenton ten times, including four by defensive tackle Ryan Sellers. Senior Stone Edwards had three.

The biggest factor that seperated the two teams was the kicking game. Orange had reliable play from place kicker Francisco McKinley and punter Jackson Schmid. Northern’s kicking game led to two of the three Orange touchdowns. The Knights also missed an extra point that could have tied the game in the third quarter.

In the first quarter, Northern started two drives in Orange territory, including Neville’s first interception. Both times, they came away empty. Northern attempted an 27-yard field goal with 3:12 remaining, but it was blocked by sophomore Jeremiah Bailey.

Northern’s kicking woes continued in the second quarter when punter Hunter Malsch fumbled a snap that was recovered by Orange safety Keshawn Thompson. Two plays later, Junior Marvante Beasley scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. McKinley’s extra point put Orange ahea 7-0 with 8:02 remaining in the first half.

The only sign of a Northern passing game came late in the first half after Neville’s second interception. Fenton threw three consecutive completions to wide receiver Daylan Felton for gains of 19, 22 and 19 yards. Senior Jaylan Burton punched in the touchdown to even the game 7-7.

In the opening drive of the second half, Fenton was sacked on consecutive plays. That was followed by a three yard punt by Malsch, which Orange quickly took advantage of. Puckett scored on a 3-yard run and the Panthers never trailed again, in spite of themselves.

Northern flipped the field when Brycen Jackson recovered an Orange fumble on a punt return. After the Knights turned the ball over on downs, the Panthers fumbled yet again on the next play from scrimmage. Knights cornerback Patric Harris scooped up the ball to scored from 8-yard out. The extra point snap was fumbled, keeping Orange ahead 14-13.

Despite getting a chance to take the lead, Northern had -11 yards total offense for the rest of the game. Orange didn’t attempt a pass in the second half as Moser was content keeping the ball in the hands of his running backs.

The Panthers salted the game away on an 11-play, 65-yard drive, it’s only series than spanned over 45 yards in the game.  It ended when Puckett scored on a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

The offensive line of Shea Hoffman, Tyson Wolter, Blake Taylor, Josh Smith-Breeden and Brandon Carden were forced to block 53 running plays.

Orange faces Riverside in the home opener next week at Auman Stadium.

In the JV season opener at Auman Stadium on Thursday night, Orange cruised to a 48-6 victory over Northern Durham. Hunter Pettiford rushed for over 100 yards and scored three touchdowns. Pettiford made his varsity debut last week against Person, and is expected to be one of Orange’s eight-quarter players for the senior team. Pettiford talked about his love of being active after the win.

Orange Sophomore RB Hunter Pettiford Scores 3TDs in Orange JV win over Northern Durham

In the JV opener, the Panthers easily put away Northern Durham 48-6 at Auman Stadium on Thursday night.

Ever notice when you bring up an icon, you just have to say one word to ge the point across?

Madonna. Sinatra. Kanye. Springsteen.

It’s that way in sports, too. With teams and individuals.

There’s Carolina. Duke. Jordan. LeBron. Gretzky. Brady.

And during the 80s and 90s, there was one high school football team that was the ultimate obstacle to climb. The team that everyone gunned for in the Triangle and abroad.

Northern.

Why were there so much anticipation? Because they won. Longer than the dynasties that have followed them at Hillside (locally) and Charlotte Independence (statewide).

Hillside has won six consecutive PAC-6 Championships, a remarkable accomplishment. They’re also still twelve years behind Northern’s record of 18 consecutive conference championships, set between 1984-2001 under head coaches Ken Browning and Gary Merrill.

From 1976-2000, Northern didn’t lose to another team from the city of Durham. In 1990, they lost to Person High at Durham County Stadium. They didn’t lose another conference game until 2000, a span of 69 games.

From 1981 to 2001, Northern didn’t have a losing streak. They went five consecutive seasons (1991-1997) without losing a regular season game, until they fell to Oxford Webb in September 1997 in Granville County.

And it wasn’t just the winning that made the program what it was. When you pulled up to any average school in the 90s, chances are there would be two grandstands. Some of the fans there were  comprised of parents whose attendance was mandatory just to keep conversation active at the dinner table.

Northern played at Durham County Stadium, with rows seemingly stretching up into the lights. It wasn’t a Taj Mahal, but it sure looked like it to a high school student who wouldn’t know any better. Their winning made them more than a high school team. Before Riverside High came along on Rose of Sharon Road, Northern was very much the Bull City’s team.

The stands were backed with 5,000 fans, minimum, even for the most noncompetive games. On the road, no one traveled as well as Knights fans, who wore their trademark navy blue and gold just like a Yankees fan was adorned in pinstripes.

The rest were just challengers to the throne, like a revolving series of Batman villains. Each year there would be a new challenger, wearing different uniforms,  often sporting a different offense. And the result would be the same. The Knights would hold the trophy in the end.

Hillside? Orange? Riverside? Might as well have been the Riddler, the Joker and Catwoman.

Because it was Northern.

But nothing lasts forever. The cracks in the foundation started to show in 2000, when the Knights faced Jordan at Claude Currie Stadium. Of all the challengers, Jordan was certainly the most unlikely to end Northern’s reign. Only a few years earlier, the Falcons had been the 98-pound weakling of the PAC-6 Conference. They had a losing streak that lasted three years. One former Jordan graduate once joked privately in 1999: “I graduated from Jordan and Duke University. And I pull from the Cincinnati Bengals. I come from football purgatory.”

Yet it was Jordan in 2000 who mounted a two touchdown comeback to shock the Knights 20-14 under a backup quarterback on its way to tying Northern for the league crown.

A year later, Riverside and Northern squared off in the penultimate game of the 2001 regular season. With the Knights trailing 20-13 in the final minute, wide receiver Fred Williams caught a touchdown pass Antonio Freeman-style, while laying on his back in the end zone. But the ensuing extra point was blocked. Just like that, Riverside won 20-19. Northern’s 18-year dominance was over.

Northern’s last PAC-6 Championship was in 2004.

Tonight, Orange travels to Northern looking for its first four-game winning streak against the Knights. Two years ago, Orange defeated Northern at Durham County Stadium for the first time ever.

Next year, they’ll be conference rivals again. Northern will jump down to 3-A, along with East Chapel Hill and Hillside in a brand new Big 8.

While Orange may be a slight favorite tonight, Northern head coach R.J. Wilson won’t have to work very hard reminding his team of how close they came to beating Orange last season in Hillsborough.

Bryse Wilson simply carried Orange to the win. First he ran an interception back 67 yards in the first quarter. He made two sacks at linebacker. He stepped in as placekicker on kickoffs because regular kicker Davis Dixon was injured. Then he caught the 67-yard game-winning touchdown with :52 remaining  after starting the drive as the quarterback following an injury to starter Jackson Schmid as Orange won 20-13.

The Northern that fans knew back in the 80s and 90s isn’t the same dynasty. The regular crowds of 5,000 at Durham County Stadium have tapered off because of human nature.  All sports dynasties inevitably fall, whether it’s UNC women’s soccer, UCLA Basketball, the Monteal Canadiens or the New York Yankees.

Northern hasn’t won a nonconference regular season game since 2012, a span of 13 straight losses. Orange has won 15 straight nonconference regular sesaon games.

Even with a win tonight, it will still be special for Orange, even if they are the favorites.

Because it’s Northern.

Victories over Northern Durham don’t come every day for Orange boys soccer. Especially after Northern won the Bull City Cup last September. Not only did the Panthers defeat Northern 5-2 last week, they did it at Northern. And junior striker Jamar Davis notched a hat trick. He followed that up on Wednesday night by scoring 4 goals (or a Texas Hat Trick, in hockey parlance) in a 8-1 win over Bartlett Yancey on Wednesday night. Jamar and fellow junior Malcolm Phillips discussed Orange’s 3-0 start and next week’s vital home game against Riverside after the win over the Buccaneers.

Orange Panther of the Week: Jamar Davis

Davis had a hat trick on Orange boys soccer’s 5-2 win over Northern Durham last week. Davis also wrestles during the winter. He has scored 8 goals in the Panthers’ first three games.

For those who enjoy waking up early on weekend mornings to watch the Premier League broadcasts from England, last week’s opener between traditional powers Liverpool and Arsenal offered an anomaly. A 4-3 victory by Liverpool in a unusually high scoring effort by the Reds against the Gunners.

To open the 2016 season, Orange has taken it to another level. They started with a stunning 5-2 victory at Northern Durham, and have only gotten better. After a 9-1 victory over Graham on Tuesday, the Panthers continued their form with an 8-1 win over Bartlett Yancey on Wednesday night at Orange High Soccer Pitch.

Jamar Davis scored four goals. Junior Malcolm Phillips added a goal and an assist. Casey Barhudt added a goal and an assist, as did junior Bryan Torres. Ewan McCallum scored the final goal with 3:02 remaining.

Alfredo Rodrguez chipped in with two assists. Sophomore Levi Anderson also notched an assist.

Orange is 3-0 with a home game against Riverside next Tuesday.

After claiming its first win of the season, the Orange volleyball team fell to Riverside 3-0 in Durham on Wednesday night.

The Panthers are now 1-3.

It was a shutout in name only as Orange had several set points that went for naught. Riverside captured the sweep on scores of 30-28, 29-27 and 25-20.

Jordan Lloyd had 15 digs, 11 kills and 1 ace. Mileah Shriner chipped in 3 aces, 5 kills, 2 digs and 2 blocks.

The Orange JV squad swept the Pirates 2-0.

Orange travels to Roxboro for a match against Person on Tuesday. The Rockets captured the season-opener against the Panthers last week.

Senior Running Back Shemar Miles is our 1st Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week for the 2016-17 Academic Year. Miles scored three touchdowns against Carrboro on Friday in CRHS’ 60-0 victory to open the season.

Miles had extra motivation. In May, Carrboro ended the season of the Red Wolves in the 3-A/2-A/1-A state lacrosse playoffs in Hillsborough. Miles plays as a midfielder for the lacrosse Wolves, and last spring’s game was very much on his mind on Friday night.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Shemar Miles

Miles scored three touchdowns in the Red Wolves 60-0 Win over Carrboro in the season opener on Friday night.

It’s clear early on who has replaced Chris Walker as the main scorer for the Cedar Ridge Boys Soccer team.

Tasha Hso has scored four goals in the Red Wolves’ first four games, including two in the season opener against 2A power Carrboro in a 2-2 tie. Hso added another tally on Monday night in a 2-2 against Eastern Alamance. Frankie Orellana opened the scoring for the Red Wolves. The Eagles scored the equalized with 3:14 remaining.

Cedar Ridge has opened the season 1-1-2 going into tonight’s game at Durham School of the Arts. The lone win came last Thursday, 2-1 over South Granville. Hso scored the game-winning goal early in the second half. Cameron Koehler had the opener.

In CRHS’ opener against Carrboro, the Red Wolves notched eights shots on goal and four corners.

Cedar Ridge football enters 2016 in a much more orderly fashion than they did in 2015. After a 60-0 win over Carrboro last Friday, the Red Wolves are feeling confident, and are looking for its first winning season since 2010.

They journey to Jordan-Matthews this week.  Coach Scott Loosemoore discussed the victory over the Jaguars and what’s ahead after practice Tuesday night.

Cedar Ridge football coach Scott Loosemoore Talks 60-0 Win over Carrboro

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