Orange Football

Colin Guentensberger: The former Orange High linebacker celebrated his 19th birthday by suiting up for the Appalachian State football team on Saturday. Appalachian defeated UAB 31-17 to win the R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. It was the Mountaineers fifth straight bowl victory since joining the Football Bowl Subdivision officially in 2015. Since becoming eligible to play in bowl games after emerging from the Football Championship Series in 2015, Appalachian is 5-0 in bowl games and has four Sun Belt Conference championships. Guentensberger spent his freshman season in Boone as a walk-on. Though he didn’t play this season, Guentensberger is the first former Orange Panther for a bowl game since Alvis Whitted, who was a kick returner for N.C. State in the 1995 Peach Bowl. The Wolfpack defeated Mississippi State 28-24 at the Georgia Dome.

ASU’s win concluded an whirlwind period for Appalachian players, fans and staff alike. The day after winning the Sun Belt Conference championship over the University of Louisiana, reports circulated that former head coach Eliah Drinkwitz would leave for Missouri. Former Appalachian player Shawn Clark was named the new head coach of the Mountaineers last week. Guentensberger was the 2018 Orange football player of the year. A starting linebacker, he was second on the team in tackles. He also was 2nd on the team in receptions.

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team defeated Converse 64-56 at the Weisiger Center in Spartanburg, S.C. last Thursday. Barnett came off the bench for two minutes of action. The Hawks ended a five-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 in Conference Carolinas. Last Tuesday, Barton hammered the Hawks 79-56 at Wilson Gym in Wilson. Barnett played five minutes and grabbed one rebound. So far in her college career, Barnett has played nine games. She had a season-high 20 minutes against UNC Pembroke on November 30. Barnett scored four points against North Greenville on November 23. Chowan will return to action on January 2 when they host Converse.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech women’s basketball team has won five of its last six. The Eagles defeated Bryant & Stratton College last Wednesday in Raleigh. Cates scored eleven points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field. She was 3-of-6 from 3-point range. Cates also had five rebounds and three assists. On December 14, Wake Tech defeated Southwest Virginia 89-75. Cates scored 13 points on 3-of-7 shooting from the field, all from 3-point range. The Eagles are 8-3 overall, 4-2 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Cates is second on the team in scoring with 10.9 points per game. She’s shooting 40% from 3-point range.

Jamar Davis: The N.C. State indoor track & field team started its season in the Gamecock Opener in Columbia, S.C. on January 17-18. Davis will start his sophomore season in Raleigh. During his freshman campaign, Davis was a second-team All-American in the triple jump for indoor track. In the outdoor season, Davis finished 2nd in the Raleigh Relays in the long jump with a distance of 23’11.75″. He qualified for the NCAA Championships after a 51’5″ leap. Davis finished sixth in the ACC Championships in the triple jump.

Natalie Chandler: UNC junior Natalie Chandler was named the winner of the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award for Women’s Soccer during the Tar Heels’ trip to the Final Four last weekend. The Elite 90 Award is given to the student-athlete with the highest grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA championships. Chandler has a 4.0 GPA as a health policy and management major. She is the fourth UNC women’s soccer player honored with the Elite 90 Award. Chandler was a two-time captain of the Orange women’s soccer team. She was named All-State in 2016 and 2017. She was the school valedictorian in 2017, as well as the Big 8 Conference Player of the Year. UNC reached the national championship match, where they fell to Washington State in penalty kicks.

Payton Wilson: During the N.C. State football team’s season-ending banquet last week, Wilson was honored with the Bill Cowher Award, given to the Linebacker of the Year. He was also honored with the Iron Wolf Award, an honor given to a player who returned from injury. As first responded by PackInsider.com, Wilson was the first freshman for N.C. State to lead the Wolfpack in tackles since 1988, and only the second rookie in team history since tackles started being recorded as a statistic in 1977. He finished with 69 tackles and five tackles for loss, despite starting only one game.

Marvin Jones: The North Carolina Central Eagles started its indoor track & field season at the JDL Kickoff Classic in Winston-Salem last Saturday. Jones, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, finished 2nd in the high jump at 2.05 meters, or 6 feet and 8.75 inches. Last spring, Jones captured the high jump championship at the Mt. Olive Final Qualifier. He finished 4th in the MEAC Outdoor Track & Field Championship on May 2. Jones also claimed the championship of the Charlotte 49ers Classic last March. He has also run in the 200 meters for the Eagles.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum wrestling team returned from Thanksgiving break with a 39-9 win over Southern Virginia at Swartz Gym on Tuesday. Homsey, wrestling at 197 pounds, defeated Matt Speelman 6-0. It was the Panthers’ final match before Christmas. Homsey is 10-3 on the season. Ferrum returns to action in the Citrus Invitational Tournament in Orlando on December 29-30.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team returned to action last weekend. The Bantams defeated Stevens Institute of Technology 80-62 at Oosting Gymnasium in Hartford, CT. Campbell came off the bench and had four points and two rebounds in ten minutes of action. Last Thursday, Trinity romped past Connecticut College 60-38 at Luce Fieldhouse in New London, CT. Campbell played 16 minutes. She finished with two points and five rebounds. Trinity has won eight in a row and will travel to Farleigh Dickinson University-Florham on Monday.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College Eagles’ women’s basketball team returned to action this week. The Eagles defeated Johnson & Wales University 65-59 in Raleigh. Cates scored eleven points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range. A game scheduled for last weekend against Patrick Henry Community College was canceled. Wake Tech is 6-3, 3-2 in Region X. Cates is the 2nd-leading scorer for Wake Tech with 10.7 points per game. She’s shooting 31.7% from 3-point range. Wake Tech travels to Southwest Virginia on Saturday.

Photo courtesy of Card Chronicle

Scott Satterfield: The 1991 Orange High graduate, who grew up miles from the Caldwell community where he watched his father Freddie run street stock race cars at the Orange County Speedway, is the Atlantic Coast Conference Football Coach of the Year. The official announcement came Thursday morning from the ACC office in Greensboro. Among a panel of 46 media members, Satterfield received 23 votes. Virginia’s Bronco Mendenhall finished second with 17. Dabo Sweeney of Clemson received 15 votes.

Satterfield took over the reigns of the Louisville Cardinals last December after leaving Appalachian State, his alma mater. The Cardinals were picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. Louisville went 7-5, 5-3 in the ACC. They became bowl eligible with a victory over N.C. State in Raleigh on November 16. The Cardinals also played three ranked teams in 2019, including its season-opener against #9 Notre Dame on September 1.

On October 13, Louisville defeated #19 Wake Forest at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, its first road win over a ranked team since 2011.

At Appalachian State, Satterfield led the Mountaineers to three consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championships. His final game with the Mountaineers came in the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Championship game, where Appalachian defeated the University of Louisiana 30-19 at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone. Afterwards, Satterfield left for Louisville while assistant Mark Ivey prepared the Mountaineers for the New Orleans Bowl, which they won over Middle Tennessee.

Satterfield played quarterback and safety for the Orange Panthers in 1990. His junior season was cut short in 1989 after he tore his ACL in the season opener against Eastern Alamance in Mebane.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge football and soccer star was named 3rd-team All-ACC punter by a panel of 46 media members and the ACC’s 14 head coaches. Gill received 61 votes. After he didn’t play his freshman year at N.C. State, Gill averaged 47.6 yards per punt in 2019, a school record. He also averaged a net of 41.5 yards per punt. 50% of Gill’s punts were over 50 yards. Of Gill’s 56 punts, 17 were downed inside the 20-yard line. As a placekicker, 50% of Gill’s kickoff were touchbacks. Gill was nominated for the Ray Guy Award, but didn’t made the cut for semifinalists. Gill was an All-Big 8 Conference performer in soccer and football at Cedar Ridge.

Icez Barnett: Belmont Abbey defeated Division II Chowan 83-57 in women’s basketball on Tuesday night. Barnett played six minutes and grabbed one rebound. The Hawks are now 1-6 overall, 1-2 in Conference Carolinas. Chowan returns to action against Erskine on December 14.

Lauren Cates: Spartanburg Methodist defeated the Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team 66-56 in Spartanburg, SC on Monday. Cates started and was the only Eagle to play all 40 minutes. She finished with eight points on 3-of-13 shooting, including 2-of-11 from 3-point range. Cates also had three rebounds and one assist. Wake Tech is 5-3, 3-2 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Cates has started all eight of the Eagles games. She is the second leading scorer on the team with 10.6 points per game. She’s shooting 37% from 3-point range. The Eagles travel to Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA on Saturday.

Payton Wilson: UNC defeated N.C. State 41-10 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Wilson concluded his freshman season with the first interception of his college career, which led to a field goal from Chris Dunn in the 2nd quarter that evened the game 6-6. Wilson also led N.C. State with 14 tackles, including four solo. To conclude his freshman season, Wilson led the team with 69 tackles, one more than sophomore Tanner Ingle. Wilson had 36 unassisted tackles, second on the team. He had five tackles for loss and will likely be included in several year-end awards which will be announced in the subsequent days.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter was busy during the 2nd half of the UNC game. He had six punts for a 48.3 average. His longest punt was 68 yards, his only attempt over 50 yards on the night. Two of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill, who was named to the Ray Guy Watch list last month, was not named a semifinalist. He ends the year with 56 punts for an average of 47.6 yards per attempt. His longest of the year was 75 yards. 24 of the 56 punts were over 50 yards, and 16 of them were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Icez Barnett: Division II Mount Olive defeated Chowan 63-57 on Tuesday inside the Helms Center in Murfreesboro on Wednesday night. Barnett scored two points off 1-of-4 shooting from the field. She played ten minutes. Barnett also grabbed four rebounds and blocked three shots. On Saturday, UNC Pembroke defeated Chowan 55-51 at English E. Jones Center in Pembroke. Barnett played 20 minutes, the most of any of her six games thus far. She went 0-for-5 from the field and finished scoreless, but she did grab two rebounds and dish out an assist. The Hawks are 1-5 overall, 1-1 in Conference Carolinas. Chowan travels to Belmont Abbey on Tuesday.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team routed Sarah Lawrence 68-28 on Monday at Oosting Gymnasium in Hartford, CT. Campbell, a redshirt sophomore, scored seven points off the bench in 15 minutes. She shot 3-of-5 from the field, including 1-of-2 from 3-point range. Campbell also grabbed four rebounds, and was credited with two assists and a steal. The Bantams had a game scheduled against the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Sunday, but it was canceled because of winter weather. Trinity is 6-1, has won six in a row and closed out a stretch of seven games in ten days with the Sarah Lawrence win. They travel to Connecticut College on Thursday.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: The former Orange Panther ended his college soccer career with Division III Dickinson College last month. Johns Hopkins defeated Dickinson 2-0 in the semifinals of the Centennial Conference Tournament at Franklin & Marshall University in Lancaster, PA on November 9. Reid-Shaw started at center back. The Red Devils end the year 10-8. Reid-Shaw ends his career with 67 games played. He scored he only goal of his Dickinson career on his senior night game, a 3-1 victory over Muhlenberg on October 30. This season, Reid-Shaw played in 17 games, starting 13. He had one assist in his sophomore year.

If you’ve never been in a mosh pit at a Mastodon concert four days after getting laid off from your job, I highly recommend it.

There’s nothing like throwing your body around complete strangers to “Blood and Thunder,” even completely sober. That’s where I found myself in Greenville, S.C. in June, after I was told the News of Orange could no longer afford my salary, reducing the total number of full-time writers on staff to a grand total of one. And that person is also the editor.

A week later, I went to Curran Campbell’s graduation party in Hillsborough. Curran, who was headed to Syracuse after leaving Cedar Ridge, greeted me with these encouraging words: “I mean, you could be dead.”

Curran, a word of advice. When you graduate from Syracuse, don’t bother applying for a gig at Hallmark.

Maybe heavy metal/hard rock is my midlife crisis and that’s the reason I’ve gone to so many concerts over the past nine years, but as we’ve all seen on a daily basis, I can think of worse ways to unleash stress.

After leaving a job where I produced the best work of my 20-year career in May, I certainly had a lot to mull over. I also learned that what Rage Against the Machine recorded in 1992 was true.

Anger is a gift.

This year, the Herald-Sun stopped publishing a print edition of its Saturday paper. For anyone who loved high school football during the course of their lives, the Saturday edition was a weekly highlight every fall. I know because I was a part of it for four years.

There would be 6-10 stringers dispatched to schools from Chapel Hill to Henderson who would all flock back to the home office on Pickett Road. Of course, the Northern Knights took center stage because they won the most, and they were the New England Patriots of central North Carolina.

Those offices on Pickett Road now houses self-storage units. In short, those days I grew up with are gone forever.

At least in print.

That’s why you may have noticed more posts this fall on Hillsboroughsports.com. Coverage of high school sports is at an all-time low on newspapers, but not online.

Visionaries like Nick Stevens with highschoolot.com, Kelly Snow with Person County Sports Now and Chris Hughes of Carolina Preps.com are keeping high school sports news alive.

We’re taking the coverage back.

In October, Hillsboroughsports.com had over 16,800 hits. That’s 600 a day, an all-time high. We plan on growing more with middle school coverage, and hopefully video coverage in the future of various games.

On this Thanksgiving, it’s only fair we thank maybe people around the community who leave an impression on this website and on Hillsborough. A town is only as strong as its personalities.

First, I want to thank Kim Berini, Dick Forrest, Greg Carden, Andy Gates, Franklin and Chandler Zirkle and Jimmy Riley for their patronage to the website. I love doing it and your contributions have helped in a huge way.

This list in endless, and I apologize if I left anyone out.

Greg Motley: Thank you for providing the ultimate example of turning the other cheek. You made Orange men’s basketball a winner more than anyone who sat in that coach’s chair for 20 years. You’ll do the same at Southern Durham.

Tim Hackett: A blue chip prospect if there ever was one. Tim is the Cedar Ridge play-by-play man. Chris Edwards, the play-by-play man for Duke women’s basketball and baseball, led me to Tim in August. I can’t imagine someone who works better and harder so quickly out of Northwestern. He’ll be calling game on a much grander scale before too much longer. Thank you for your professionalism.

Andy Simmons: As the athletic director at Cedar Ridge, thank you for being patient with me as the site expanded its coverage. At first, Cedar Ridge was overlooked because I simply didn’t have enough manpower. Now, the Red Wolves are getting the attention they deserve.

Mike McCauley: Thank you for keeping the press box at Auman Stadium open late while I total up stats. I can make a 16-hour day to into a 17-hour day, but you don’t complain.

Shayne Thompson: A brother in arms because we’re constantly working on the weekends. Thanks for being so generous with your time and your video.

Jacques Morin: A professional photographer to the end who does an awful lot for very little. You are a blessing I can’t begin to repay.

Jason Knapp (the Cedar Ridge student): Thank you for your time with football this year. I hope you grow into a great broadcaster.

Jason Knapp (The Orange Baseball coach): Thank you for taking over a very big situation last year. And congratulations on your marriage.

Van Smith: Thanks for always being willing to talk football. There’s nothing better.

Torrean Hinton: Thank you for your patience. I hope the win over Chapel Hill is only the beginning.

Pam Scism: Thanks for being understanding when I misspelled your name early on. And thanks for being so kind wherever I see you.

Anna Seethaler: Thank you for a wonderful year of volleyball and for what’s ahead.

Kelly Young: Thank you for the greatest recreation volleyball team name ever: Spike Tyson.

Derryl Britt: Thank you for always listening to the broadcasts and greeting me with a smile as you gush about the Lakers. Orange men’s basketball is in very good hands.

B.J. Condron: Whether we’re talking about the Orange women’s basketball team or our mutual love of Primus, you’re a lot of fun to talk with and your teams are fun to cover.

Spenser Poteat: Thank you for being an inspiration to so many.

Scott Metcalf: Thank you for introducing a new array of women’s wrestlers to the sport. It’s a pathway to the future.

Curran Campbell: Through countless text conversations at 2 AM, it’s been a fun year as we’ve become friends. Just don’t work at radio stations for very long once you leave Syracuse. And keep listening to Kiss.

Chris Walker: Thank you for getting scores to me and being the biggest Sunderland fan in Hillsborough.

Palmer Bowman: Thanks for calling me “Mr. Hamlin.” But feel free to call me Jeff. Or even “Rod.” I’ll explain later.

Elizabeth Hamlin: Thanks for always being willing to talk after I get finished with whatever game I’m doing on Friday night. My day isn’t complete without it. And thank you, as always for listening.

Thank you to all the athletes. You make it fun, especially being so open to a weirdo carrying an iPad.

Payton Wilson: After he missed the Louisville game on November 16 with an injured shoulder, Wilson returned to the lineup for the N.C. State football team on Thursday night in Atlanta. Georgia Tech defeated the Wolfpack 28-26 in Bobby Dodd Stadium. Wilson finished with seven tackles, including a half-tackle for loss. The loss ended any chance of the Wolfpack making a bowl game. Wilson is second on the Wolfpack with 55 tackles. Only sophomore safety Tanner Ingle has more. He also has five tackles for loss and three pass breakups. N.C. State will face North Carolina next Saturday in Raleigh to end the year.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge kicker had three punts against the Yellow Jackets. He averaged 40 yards per punt with one downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had six kickoff for with two touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell Camels ended the season with a 41-31 loss to Charleston Southern at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, S.C. Thompson had two tackles against the Buccaneers. Thompson concludes the campaign with 24 tackles with one for a loss. After a 6-1 start, the Camels end the year on a four-game losing streak. They went 3-3 in the Big South Conference.

Adam Chnupa: The FCS Elon Phoenix concluded the season in thrilling fashion on Saturday. Skyler Davis kicked a 35-yard field goal with 41 seconds remaining as Elon defeated Towson 25-23 at Unitas Stadium in Towson, MD. Chnupa was credited with a tackle on special teams, the first tackle of his college career. Elon ended the year 5-6, 4-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association.

Icez Barnett: The 2019 Orange High graduate scored her first college points on Saturday. Division II Chowan edged North Greenville 76-75 at the Helms Center in Murfreesboro. It was Chowan’s Conference Carolinas opener. Barnett played nine minutes off the bench, scored four points and grabbed five rebounds, four of them offensive. She also had two steals. The Hawks are 1-3 and will host Mount Olive on Tuesday.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team won two games in the Gordon College Classic at Bennett College in Wenham, MA this weekend. On Friday, the Bantams defeated New England College 68-56. Campbell played seven minutes as a reserve and didn’t score. On Saturday, Trinity defeated Gordon 68-57. Campbell didn’t play in the game. Trinity has won five in a row and will play its seventh game in ten days against Sarah Lawrence College on Saturday.

Lauren Cates: As mentioned in Wednesday’s update, the Wake Technical Community College women’s basketball team defeated Lenoir Community College 88-51 on Wednesday in Kinston. Cates, who graduated in June, finished with 12 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field. She was 2-of-5 from 3-point range and one of four Eagles in double figures. Cates also had five rebounds, four assists and two assists. Through seven games, Cates has started every contest for the Eagles. She’s averaging 11 points per contest and shooting 42.5% from 3-point range. Wake Tech returns to action against Spartanburg Methodist on December 2.

Madison Wardlow: After she played in some of the opening game of the season for Guilford Technical Community College, Wardlow is out right now with a leg injury.

Photo courtesy of WYMT

Scott Satterfield: After finishing winless in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2018, the Louisville Cardinals are bowl-eligible in Scott Satterfield’s first year as head coach. The Cardinals defeated N.C. State at Carter-Finley Stadium for its sixth win of the season on Saturday night. On Wednesday, Satterfield was named one of 22 semifinalists for the George Munger National Coach of the Year Award, announced by the Maxwell Football Club. The winner will be announced December 29. Satterfield, a 1991 Orange High graduate, took over a Louisville team that was picked to finish last in the ACC’s Atlantic Division. He arrived to Louisville after leading his alma mater, Appalachian State, to three consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championships. Satterfield took over for his mentor, Jerry Moore, in 2013 as the head coach of the Mountaineers at they transitioned into the Football Bowl Subdivision. After winning four straight bowl games, Satterfield was named the Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year in 2018. Satterfield, nephew, Jett, was the leading tackler for the 2018 Orange football team.

Braden Homsey: The 2018 3A Mideast Regional Wrestling Champion at 195 pounds, Homsey started his sophomore season at Division III Ferrum College earlier this month. On November 6, the Panthers defeated Greensboro College 30-9 at the GC Student Center. Homsey, competing at 197 pounds, scored a technical fall over Vince Wilson 18-2 in 5:12. In the Cougar Open at Averett University in Danville, VA, Homsey finished third. Hunter Tobassion of Queen University upset Homsey 4-3 in the opening round. Homsey responded with victories in his final three matches. He pinned Kowan Lee of Averett University in 3:55. Homsey finished out with three consecutive technical fall wins, starting against teammate Ethan Fragoso (15-0), then over Loic Tueguo of Garrett College (17-2) and Jonathan Bishop of Averett (15-2) in the consolation final.

On November 16, Ferrum split two dual matches in the VBR Sports Southeast Duals at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA. Ferrum defeated Otterbein, ranked #15 in Division III, 24-12. Homsey defeated Braden Neuberger 9-6. To open the day, Milikin topped Ferrum 34-12. Logan Hagerbaumer defeated Homsey via technical fall 18-1 in 5:00.

On Sunday, Homsey finished third at 197 pounds in the Estes Environmental Star City Classic in Salem, VA. Homsey ended the day 3-1. He won his opening match via technical fall (18-2) over Sean Gillespie of Liberty University. In the quarterfinals, Homsey edged Tyler Phenegar of Elizabethtown 13-11. Ross Sealby of Mount Olive beat pinned Homsey in 2:05 of the semifinals.

In the third place match, Homsey again defeated Ethan Fragoso 6-3.

Kalyen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team defeated Coast Guard 72-62 in New London, CT on Wednesday. Campbell, a member of the 2016-17 Orange team, came off the bench to score 12 points for the Bantams. Campbell shot 5-of-11 from the field, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. She also grabbed six rebounds in 24 minutes. Campbell’s career-high came on November 17, 2018, when she scored 16 points against Eastern Connecticut State.

Lauren Cates: It was supposed to be a matchup of former Hillsborough high school products when Wake Technical Community College faced Guilford Technical Community College on Monday in Jamestown. Madison Wardlow, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June, is on the Guilford roster. But she didn’t play on Monday. Instead, Cates suited up for Wake Tech and dropped 15 points as the Eagles won 73-53. Cates was 5-of-15 from the field, including 3-of-9 from three-point range. On Wednesday night, Wake Tech defeated Lenoir Community College 88-51 in Kinston. Wake Tech is 5-2, 3-2 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team started its season with two games in two days. On Friday, North Georgia defeated the Hawks 82-67 in the opening game of the UNG Nighthawk Classic at the UNG Convocation Center in Dahlonega, GA. Barnett, who graduated from Orange in June after being named the co-Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in her senior season, played three minutes without scoring. She was 0-for-1 from the field with one steal. On Saturday, Georgia College defeated Chowan 59-54. Against the Bobcats, Barnett played 12 minutes. She went 0-for-2 from the field and grabbed two rebounds. Chowan plays its home opener against Francis Marion in Wednesday in Murfreesboro.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team is off to a 3-2 start. Cates, who also graduated from Orange last June, has started all five games for the Eagles. On Wednesday, Cates scored 12 points in a 67-64 loss to Cape Fear Community College. Cates went 4-of-12 from the field, including 4-of-10 from 3-point range. She also had three rebounds and two assists. Cates also started in a 67-61 win over CCBC Essex last Sunday. Cates led the Eagles with 12 points in a 58-50 loss to USC-Salkehatchie on November 9. In a 117-24 rout of Fayetteville Technical Community College, Cates scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-14 shooting.

Kaylen Campbell: The Division III Trinity women’s basketball team won its first game of the season with a 74-52 victory over Montclair State at Trinity Tip-Off Tournament at Oosting Gymnasium in Hartford, CT on Saturday. Campbell, now a redshirt sophomore who graduated from Orange in 2017, played eight minutes. She grabbed three rebounds and had one assist. Eastern Connecticut State defeated Trinity 77-67 on Friday. Campbell came off the bench to score two points.

Trenton Gill: Louisville, coached by 1991 Orange High graduate Scott Satterfield, defeated N.C. State 34-20 on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Gill punted twice. He averaged 54 yards per punt. His longest was 58 yards. Gill also had four kickoffs. Two of them went for touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: In FCS action on Saturday, Monmouth defeated Campbell 47-10 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson had a tackle for loss. The Camels are 6-4, 3-2 in the Big South Conference. They conclude its season at Charleston Southern next Saturday.

Adam Chnupa: Maine defeated Elon 31-17 on Senior Day for the Phoenix at Rhodes Stadium. Chnupa played special teams for Elon. The Phoenix are 4-6, 3-4 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They will conclude its season next Saturday at Towson.

Rodney Brooks: Johnston C. Smith defeated Livingston 34-6 at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury. Brooks finished the year with four tackles, including one-half tackle for loss. He also had a pass breakup. The Blue Bears end the season 4-6, 1-6 in the CIAA.

Kevin Wright: North Carolina Wesleyan had a successful end to the season on Saturday. The Battling Bishops defeated Maryville 23-0 at the Vernon T. Bradley Complex in Rocky Mount. Wright played safety. Wesleyan finished the year 6-4 overall, 5-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They finished one game behind conference champion Huntingdon.

Jack Schmid: Division III Wheaton College completed an undefeated regular season with a 10-0 record as they routed Elmhurst 58-0 in Naperville, IL. Schmid, a former quarterback at Orange, has played two games for the Thunder this season. Wheaton will host Martin Luther in the opening round of the Division III playoffs next Saturday at McCully Stadium.

Taylor Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team had its season end on Thursday. Mount Olive defeated the Saints 1-0 in the semifinals of the Conference Carolinas tournament. Jean started as the Limestone goalkeeper and made five saves in the loss. This season, Jean started 16 games in net. She finished with a 8-8 record and a 1.37 goals against average and 56 saves.

Going into its third game of the season against Williams on September 13, Orange was 0-2 on the heels of a loss at South Granville.

The good news was they had stumbled upon their new top running back who would go on to become their workhorse for the rest of the season. Sophomore Omarion Lewis was originally penciled in for the junior varsity team this season. After the Panthers had early fumbles against Granville, Lewis was inserted into the game against the Vikings by Coach Van Smith for the 2nd half.

It wasn’t much of a gamble. The junior varsity season hadn’t started yet and if Lewis struggled, he would spend the fall playing mainly on Thursdays instead of Fridays.

Playing only in the second half, Lewis ran for 119 yards and a touchdown against the Vikings.

He didn’t play on Thursdays this year.

Both Williams and Orange went into its game at Auman Stadium with skill position problems. Williams lost its starting quarterback, Kennedy Miles, suffered a torn ACL against Western Alamance. The Bulldogs’ second-string quarterback, freshman Jaelen Brown, also suffered a season-ending injury the previous week against Eastern Alamance.

Orange was without Machai Holt, its most dynamic playmaker as a wingback on offense and as a safety on defense.

The Bulldogs used four different players at quarterback against Orange, including All-Mid Piedmont Conference linebacker Shane Whitter. Williams jumped out to a 13-0 lead after Kendrel Briggs, Williams’ top receiver, threw to Whitter for a 26-yard touchdown pass on a trick play.

Whitter committed to Wake Forest shortly after this game.

After Williams’ Dalton Little picked off a Wyatt Jones pass, William’s Alijah Richmond bolted down the field on an 80-yard touchdown run. But the extra point was wide right and the Bulldogs lead was only 13-0.

Orange was a good takeaway team in 2019. They finished +13 giveaway-takeaway and scored 35% of its points off turnovers. Against the Bulldogs, they scored 14, starting when Orange linebacker Owen Brimmer picked off a pass by Evan Breedlove at the Williams 20-yard line.

The tide of the game turned in a quirky way. It didn’t come on a 80-yard bomb or a pick-six. It came when Orange’s Nigel Slanker tried to kick a field goal, but Williams was whistled for back-to-back offside penalties.

Now faced with a 4th-and-1 from the Williams’ 4-yard line, the Panthers opted to go for it. Fullback Courtney Edwards used his 270-pound frame to barrel behind offensive linemen Dari’us Matkins and Kalen Moore for a touchdown with :47 second remaining in the first half. It was Edwards first touchdown since his Pop Warner days.

Joe Kiger came up with another big interception on Williams’ opening possession of the second half. The Panthers put together a 10-play, 46-yard drive. Quarterback Wyatt Jones hit Elliott Woods for a 19-yard completion on 3rd-and-4. On 4th-and-2 from the Williams 9-yard line, Jones called his own number and ran around left end for five yards. On the next play, Lewis gave Orange the lead for good with a 4-yard touchdown run.

Orange’s defense took over after halftime. They held the Bulldogs to 86 yards and three first downs in the second half.

Jones scored his first rushing touchdown of the season on a quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter to put Orange ahead 21-13. The Bulldogs crossed midfield on its final drive of the game when Whitter found Briggs for a 35-yard pass. But that would be William’s final first down as J.J. Torres picked off a pass to secure the win and end Orange’s four-game home losing streak.

While he’s been the starting quarterback for the Orange football team for the past two seasons, Wyatt Jones has had a goal of playing professional lacrosse.

Over the past year, the Premier Lacrosse League has become the latest underground darling among the sport’s faithful who hope it will fully establish lacrosse at the professional level.

While Jones’ professional hopes are still years away from being resolved, on Friday he officially achieved another milestone that will forever be his own.

Jones committed to Mercer University in Macon, GA. At the same time, he became the first Orange lacrosse player to commit to a Division I program.

“Wyatt is a special player,” said Orange Lacrosse Coach Chandler Zirkle, who also coached Jones on the Carolina Hilltoppers travel team. “He’s extremely competitive and works incredibly hard. I expect that he will do very well at the next level.”

Last season, Jones was voted third-team All-State as a midfielder. He helped the Panthers win a game in the state playoffs for the first time since 2015. Wearing his signature #19, Jones led the team with 39 goals. He added 17 assists and was second on the team with 56 points.

In Orange’s 17-13 victory over Northside-Jacksonville in the NCHSAA 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs, Jones scored four goals. It was the second state playoff win in team history.

In his sophomore season, Jones started as a midfielder as the Panthers finished 8-7 in Zirkle’s first year as head coach. Among the highlights that season was a 16-4 win over Riverside at Linny Wrenn Stadium in Durham, a game where Jones finished with four goals.

Jones’ announcement came one week to the day after his last football game, where he threw for two touchdowns in the Panthers’ 30-6 victory over Chapel Hill on Senior Night at Auman Stadium. Jones went 9-of-15 for 154 yards and two touchdowns against the Tigers. His final touchdown pass was a 44-yard strike to Elliott Woods, who was Jones’ favorite target this season.

This season, Jones threw for 1,164 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also ran for three touchdowns for an Orange team that finished 5-6.

Jones started all eleven games for the Panthers this season on the gridiron. In the season opener against R.J. Reynolds, Jones went 9-of-19 for 188 yards and two touchdowns. Against Vance County, Jones set a career-high with 13 completions for 141 yards and a 40-yard touchdown pass to Omarion Lewis.

He also scored the game-winning touchdown on a quarterback sneak against Walter Williams on September 13. Jones added rushing touchdowns against Southern Durham and East Chapel Hill.

Mercer started a men’s lacrosse team in 2011. It was the first such program in the state of Georgia. The Bears play in the Southern Conference against Jacksonville, Richmond, High Point, Furman, Air Force, Bellarmine, and VMI.

There are seven North Carolina prospects currently on the Mercer roster. The Bears are coached by Kyle Hannan, who will start his eighth season in February.

“Having a kid go on to do great things like that is huge for us in trying to grow a program,” Zirkle said. “It shows younger guys what is possible if they work hard.”