Orange Football

Is this all there is?

That’s all I could think after I finished packing up the radio equipment and drove away from Auman Stadium on the night of August 30, 2013. Orange had finally beaten Northern Durham 42-15 in the most anticlimactic fashion possible.

For those who live around Orange County and followed Panther football, this was a night they had waited for their entire lives. Orange hadn’t beaten Northern since 1968.

Of course, the Northern that Orange routed was hardly the same team that won 18 consecutive PAC-6 Championships from 1984-2001. There are about a dozen other incredible statistics that Northern football compiled under the regimes of Ken Browning and Gary Merrill that I’ve written dozens of times before, so I won’t plagiarize myself.

In the late 80s and early 90s, Northern football was the trademark brand, not just because they won. It was everything that surrounded them.

Most high school teams played in stadiums with metal bleachers with capacity of 4,000-5,000 fans. Northern played in Durham County Stadium, capacity 10,000, that also doubled as a home for North Carolina Central and Shaw University at various times during the 1990s. Playing in front of 5,000 fans under those tall lights neighboring Durham Regional Hospital felt like the Roman Coliseum for a wide-eyed 16-year-old.

If you ever watched the NBC television show Friday Night Lights and wondered if a fan following so devoted to the Permian Panthers was realistic in the Triangle, let me tell you, it is.

Or, at least it was back then. Northern’s fans packed the stands, home or away, because they made such a habit of winning. From 1976-2000, the Knights didn’t lose to another team from Durham County.

Why? Partly because they had the lion’s share of talent.

Before 1990, Northern controlled the entire upper-end of Durham County. Hillside, Southern, Durham High (which ended its football program in 1994), and Jordan would have to divide the rest of the county for themselves. Thus, it was easier for Northern to find a Kory Bailey, Andre Williams, Jason Peace, Charles Berry, Jason Jenkins, Dwayne Washington, and Chris Hensler. All of those players went on to Power 5 schools before that term even existed.

For everyone else in the PAC-6 Conference, Northern was the target. From 1990-1992, Orange was one of Northern’s main challengers.

Ironically the man who helped lead Orange football back was a Northern graduate. Greg Gentry took over for Tom Eanes in the winter of 1989.

With now-Louisville coach Scott Satterfield quarterbacking Orange, the Knights and the Panthers faced off in the 1990 regular season finale for the PAC-6 Championship. Earlier in the year, Person upset Northern at Durham County Stadium after the Knights committed five turnovers. They wouldn’t lose another PAC-6 Conference game the rest of the decade.

Northern defeated Orange 21-0 at Auman Stadium. Back then, the NCHSAA dictated before the season how many postseason births a conference would receive. That season, the PAC-6 had two. Orange, Chapel Hill and Vance High tied for 2nd. The school’s three athletic directors met at the old Shoney’s location in Durham to draw a winner, which Vance won. Orange, with a 7-3 record, missed the playoffs.

The most unforgettable Northern-Orange game was in 1992, not only because of the quality of play but of a tragedy the week before. Don Snipes, probably the most popular member of my Orange Class of 1991, died at the age of 19 of an irregular heartbeat while playing basketball in Efland.

I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who could unite people like Don could. He would do a leap frog over an unsuspecting student while on their way to class, just to do it. Don’s smile was so infectious, it was impossible to get mad at him. He once whistled the “Charge” melody while sitting on the bench at a Orange baseball team during a rally (his teammates yelled “CHARGE” in response). He threw parties where blacks and whites gathered together and did what people in their late teens do to rebel. Most importantly (though it didn’t seem that way at the time), they communicated together. His premature death cast an emotional pall across the community, across racial lines and throughout Orange County.

A week later, Northern came to Auman Stadium ranked #2 in the state behind West Charlotte. Orange’s quarterback, Mark Pounds, wore Snipes’ #81 instead of his usual #6 as a tribute.

What unfolded was an incredible defensive battle. Chris Hensler, a kicker who went on to start at N.C. State, kicked a 48-yard field goal early in the second quarter to put Northern ahead 3-0.

That was the only score of the game, but Orange certainly had their chances.

In the third quarter, Panther running back Damon Scott appeared to have a clear path to the end zone, but he fumbled the ball out of the end zone. For years, Damon said no one touched him and he simply dropped the ball. Northern’s coaches countered that a defensive lineman named Steve Carson, who went on to play at Appalachian State, jarred the ball free.

In the waning minutes, Orange drove to the Northern 30-yard line, but Pounds had a pass intercepted on 4th down. With another PAC-6 championship under its belt, the Knights would advance to the 4A State Championship game at Kenan Stadium, where they lost to West Charlotte.

Of course, just as Notre Dame or Florida State or Southern Cal will attest, no dynasty in football lasts forever. Riverside’s presence greatly impacted Northern’s talent pool in the 90s, and the Pirates ended the Northern dynasty by beating them 20-19 in 2002 for the PAC-6 title on a blocked extra point with :30 remaining. Merrill stepped down as head coach when his wife, Janet, was tragically killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer while jogging across Hurdle Mills in 2003. Filling the shoes of legends can be a thankless task. After the Knights captured the 2004 PAC-6 title, they didn’t win another championship for 13 years. There was even a winless season in 2009.

After years of struggle by any standard, Northern is regaining its old form. They tied Orange for the 2017 Big 8 title, and won it outright last year before losing to Hillside in the 2nd round of the state playoffs.

While Orange and Northern have both lost to Southern Durham this season, the two teams have plenty to play for this Friday night. The winner will have the inside track for the second automatic playoff spot from the Big 8 Conference.

Orange will go for its fifth win over Northern in the last six games this Friday night at Auman Stadium. While the 69-game regular season winning streaks and six consecutive undefeated regular seasons that Northern enjoyed during the 1990s are in the distant past, Orange football can gain inspiration from several things this week.

Namely, just as UNC will always be UNC in basketball, Northern will always be Northern in high school football.

Kevin Wright: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate made his season debut for Division III North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday. Wright, a sophomore safety, made five tackles as the Battling Bishops defeated LaGrange 52-35 in LaGrange, GA. It was Wesleyan’s USA South Conference opener. Wesleyan is 2-2. Next week, they face Greensboro College in its first-ever on campus game in Rocky Mount.

Adam Chnupa: For the second week in a row, Chnupa saw action for FCS Elon University. Chnupa, another 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, entered as a reserve as the Phoenix lost to New Hampshire 26-10 at Wildcat Stadium in Durham, NH. Elon falls to 2-4, 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They host Delaware at Rhodes Stadium in Elon next Saturday.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone football team lost to Virginia Union 44-0 at Alumni Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday. Brooks recorded a tackle for the Blue Bears, who suffered its first loss of the season. Livingstone is 4-1, 2-1 in the CIAA. They travel to St. Augustine’s next weekend.

Taylin Jean: Jean recorded her third clean sheet of the season as goalkeeper for the Division II Limestone women’s soccer team on Saturday. The Saints defeated Erskine 2-0 at Huggins Field in Due West, SC on Saturday. Jean, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, made two saves for her fourth win of the season. Limestone is 4-4, 3-2 in Conference Carolinas. The Saints travel to Queens University in Charlotte on Wednesday.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie with Methodist University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Saturday. Daley started her eleventh game of the season at centerback. Greensboro is 8-3-1 overall, 2-0-1 in the USA South Conference. The Pride host Meredith on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: Marymount (VA) University defeated Division III William Peace University 3-0 in Arlington, VA on Saturday. Rogers started her eleventh game of the season for the Pacers at wingback. Peace falls to 4-4-1 overall, 1-1 in the USA South Conference.

Lili Henry: The Division III Methodist volleyball team split two matches in a tri-match at Meredith College at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh on Saturday. The Monarchs ended the day with a sweep of Mary Baldwin. Against the Fighting Squirrels, Henry registered 22 assists and five digs. In the first match of the day, Meredith swept Methodist 3-0. Henry had 18 assists and eleven digs against the Avenging Angels. Methodist is now 3-11, 2-4 in the USA South Conference.

Bailey Lucas: In the aforementioned tri-match at Meredith, Lucas saw action for the Avenging Angels. Meredith won both of its matches against Mary Baldwin and Methodist. In the opening match against the Fighting Squirrels, Lucas played two sets. She had one kill, 14 assists and three digs. Against Methodist, Lucas played one set and had two assists. With the two sweeps, Meredith is 10-6 overall, 4-1 in the USA South.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team started its fall schedule on Friday against East Mississippi Community College in Starkville, MS. Mia Davidson had a two run homer in the second inning, plus a RBI single in the first as the Bulldogs won 7-0. On Saturday, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader. They defeated Meridian 14-1, a game where Davidson had an RBI double. Mississippi State completed the day with a 17-0 win over Meridian. Davidson had a pinch-hit, RBI double in the fourth. Mississippi State is under a new head coach in Samantha Ricketts.

Unlike three years ago, there was no quit in the Southern Durham Spartans this time.

In 2016, when Orange roared out to a 35-7 lead at Spartan Stadium, a disgruntled Southern starting running back threw his shoulder pads down and stormed off to the locker room during the third quarter, never to be seen again. Orange tacked on two touchdowns in his absence in a 49-7 rout, and the Panthers faced little resistance from the rest of the league that year.

On Friday night, with the Big 8 Championship possibly hanging in the balance, the Spartans couldn’t have had a more inept first half offensively. This time, the Spartans responded with a sense of urgency, and now they have a clear path to its first Big 8 Championship since 2015.

Senior Sincere Lecraft scored two touchdowns, including a 70-yard touchdown run on the 2nd play from scrimmage in the third quarter, as Southern defeated Orange 28-14 at Spartan Stadium on Friday night.

It ended Southern’s three-game losing streak to Orange. The Spartans (5-1, 2-0) shut out Northern Durham 13-0 last week and can ensure its first winning season since 2016 with a victory over Vance County on Friday.

Orange jumped out to a 14-0 lead, but the only consistent thing in the game was Southern’s defense. After Wyatt Jones’ touchdown at the end of the first quarter, the Panthers were held to 69 yards and two first downs the rest of the night.

Orange (3-4, 1-1 in the Big 8) finished with a season-low 146 total yards, but it was a night of defense.

“The field position is what changed,” said Orange coach Van Smith. “The whole second quarter, we were punting out of our end zone. We were working inside our 5-yard line, and there’s only so much you can do there. You can’t run outside. You can’t run misdirection or counter stuff because it takes too long. You have to run at them.”

This was one meeting where Southern had the better special teams performance. Orange started its last four drives of the first half inside its own 25-yard line, two inside its own 10.

The Orange defensive line of James McAdoo, Courtney Edwards, Khaleb Smith and Will Torain lived in the Southern backfield during the first half, leading to an incredible contrast between the two halves.

Not only was Southern Durham scoreless at halftime for the first time this season, they had were held without a first down. Despite starting four drives in Orange territory, the Spartans went into intermission with minus-6 yards total offense, including minus-15 yards from its usually potent running game. They also committed three turnovers.

Smith, also Orange’s defensive coordinator, wasn’t surprised in the least.

“I expected that,” Smith said. “That’s what I totally expected us to do coming into this game. We just got worn that and you saw how incredible momentum could be.”

All that Orange worked for in the first two quarters was washed away within the first five minutes of the second half. Lecraft, shaking off a stiff hit at the knees from Machai Holt the play before, roared around right tackle for 70 yards and a touchdown. John Paulino’s extra point cut the Orange lead in half.

Southern’s Deonte Odom picked off a Wyatt Jones’ pass on the next Orange drive, returning it to the Orange five-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Southern benefited from good fortune when the snap went through Smith’s legs, but was picked up by Lecraft, who scampered around right end for the touchdown.

Orange slogged through the rest of the half offensively, only netting one first down and committing three turnovers. Southern took the lead for good when Smith found Xavier Rhodes, who ran out of a tackle attempt for a 42-yard touchdown on a 1st-and-31.

The Panthers’ only decent drive in the second half started when Holt returned the subsequent kickoff 42 yards, and Southern was penalized for a late hit. But the Panthers fumbled at the Spartan 17-yard line, which was recovered by Odom.

Orange started the game with a surprisingly strong 73-yard drive where they dissected the Southern defense with its running game. Running backs Holt, Omarion Lewis and Elliott Woods took turns carrying the ball down the field over the course of eight plays. After Woods gained seven yards to the end of Southern’s pink goal line, Holt scored his fourth touchdown of the season.

Southern committed turnovers on its opening two possessions. Woods recovered a lateral from Smith, who was pressured by Edwards into making a desperation heave. The ensuing Orange drive ended with a missed field goal.

Smith responded by throwing the ball right to Orange’s Caulin Fansler, who returned it inside the 10-yard line. After Holt ran to the 1-yard line, Jones scored on a quarterback sneak. Nigel Slanker’s extra point put Orange ahead 14-0, but the offense spent the rest of the night in a malaise.

SOUTHERN DURHAM 28, ORANGE 14

ORA-Machai Holt 1 run (Nigel Slanker kick)

ORA-Wyatt Jones 1 run (Slanker kick)

SD-Sincere Lecraft 70 run (John Paulino kick)

SD-Lecraft 5 run (Paulino kick)

SD-Xavier Rhodes 42 pass from Omari Smith (Paulino kick)

SD-Smith 10 run (Paulino kick)

RUSHING: ORANGE 43-132 2 TD (Holt 9-58 TD, Omarion Lewis 15-50, Elliott Woods 10-43, Joe Kiger 2-(-3), Jones 5-(-15) TD, team 1(-1).

SOUTHERN DURHAM 25-108 3 TD (Lecraft 10-74 2 TD, Alex Phelps 3-15, Smith 7-10 TD, Jaylen Wright 5-9)

PASSING: ORANGE (Jones 3-7 6 yards 2 INT)

SOUTHERN DURHAM (Smith 4-18 69 TD 2 INT)

RECEIVING: ORANGE (Zyon Pettiford 2-4, Lewsi 1-2)

SOUTHERN DURHAM (Rhodes 1-42 TD, Cincere Clark 1-12, Logan Harper 1-9, Lecraft 1-6)

As the decade draws to a close, anyone who has a passing interest in Big 8 Conference football understands how drastic the changes the sports has seen the past few years.

At the beginning of 2010, Cedar Ridge was in the final four of the 2-AA State Championship tournament. After not fielding a team in 2018, the Red Wolves have opened the year 0-5. Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill also haven’t fielded varsity squads in the past two years, though both programs have varsity and JV teams this year.

It’s a far cry from 2013, where the quarterback play across the league was deep, talented and versatile. There was Garrett Cloer at Orange, who would graduate from Cornell. At Northwood, there were Ti Pinnix. Chapel Hill had Connor Stough, probably the most underrated.

Southern Durham had Kendall Hinton, the best prospect in the area. But he was surrounded by studs. Wide receiver Maurice Trowell (N.C. State), running back Jordon Brown (UNC) and William Brown (originally committed to West Virginia, ended up at N.C. State) all were skill players with Hinton.

Yes. Four Power 5 prospects on the same side of the ball. It’s little wonder why Southern jaunted out of the shadows of Northern Durham to become the power team in the Bull City for the 2010s—as long as they defeated Hillside.

(Ironically, the best prospect turned out to be just west of the Triangle. Jamie Newman was at Graham High and is now the starting quarterback for 5-0 Wake Forest. Hinton is one of his wide receivers.)

After Southern dropped down from 4A to 3A in 2013, they went from 6-5 in 2012 to 15-2 in 2013, the first of two consecutive Big 8 Championships. It also led to their crowning glory at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem, where they won their first 3-AA state championship over Shelby Crest. Hinton, who could flip Southern out of a 4th-and-32 hole with a 34-yard pass with a simple flick of his wrist, led the Spartans back from a 21-0 deficit to beat the Chargers.

Just as Phil Mickelson had to wait and watch Tiger Woods win eight majors before he claimed his first one, who’s to say Orange couldn’t have been a state champion if Southern hadn’t been so deep, so talented?

And had such for a flair for the dramatic?

From 2013-2015, Southern defeated Orange five consecutive times, twice in the playoffs. Orange’s class of 2015, which included Bryse Wilson, Garrett Cloer and Tay Jones, finished with a mark of 35-6 over three seasons. Five of the six losses were to Southern, but they defeated Cardinal Gibbons twice.

In 2014, the two undefeated teams met for the Big 8 Championship at Auman Stadium. Orange led 23-14 with 3 minutes to play, plus Hinton was carted off the field with a leg injury that had some of his teammates visibly shaken.

Yet Hinton somehow returned and led Southern to two touchdowns in the final 2:48 to give Southern a 27-23 win.

The most cruel of all came in 2015 during the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Southern had already won at Orange 34-16 on a night where Jalen Greene, Hinton’s heir apparent, threw touchdown passes to Brown and Myron Frazier. Even worse for Orange, wingback Eryk Brandon-Dean suffered a torn ACL in the first quarter. It not only ended his football career, but it also sidelined him for a promising senior basketball season where he was a starting point guard for then-coach Greg Motley.

The rematch took place two months later at Durham County Stadium. Orange put on a clinic in game tempo, slowing the game to a crawl. The Panthers threw one pass through three quarters. Wilson, playing running back and linebacker, somehow ran for 224 yards even though Southern constantly had eight men in the box.

Trailing 10-0 going into the fourth quarter, Wilson set up two Orange touchdowns in a span of 3:57, with separate runs of 59 and 57 yards. Drew Lemaster gave Orange the lead on a 31-yard carry around left end with 4:10 remaining.

Just as Hinton did before him, Green played the role of Southern hero, nicely. He converted two 3rd-and-10 situations. After Green was sacked by Orange’s Johnny Flynn for a 10-yard loss with 2:16 remaining, Southern coach Darius Robinson stepped in to call a trick play: the double pass.

They had run it twice all season. It worked against Hillside for a 49-yard touchdown to Jordan Mackins. The other time was against Orange, a harmless incompletion.

Orange’s defensive backs had keyed on Brown, holding him to 64 yards. Brown waited until the time was right to find Kaleb Barfield, who hauled it in at the goal line.

The following year was Orange’s breakthrough. The Panthers won 49-7 at Spartan Stadium in a game where Payton Wilson returned a punt for a touchdown, which was followed by a pick-six score from Rodney Brooks. The heartbreaks of years before were eased somewhat by a running clock when the Panthers’ Jackson Schmid scored on a quarterback sneak in the 4th quarter.

A year later, Francisco McKinley kicked a 28-year field goal in the final minute to lead Orange to a 16-15 win, which led to Orange’s third straight conference title.

Southern has struggled to replace Green, but junior Orion Smith has started to find his footing after a injury-plagued sophomore year. After missing the state playoffs in 2017 and 2018, the Spartans established themselves as the team to beat in the Big 8 Conference after beating Northern Durham last week 13-0

They’ll meet Orange on Friday night with a 4-1 record, its best start since their last Big 8 Championship in 2016.

The good news for Orange is they’ll be as healthy as they’ve been all season. For only the second time all year, leading rusher Machai Holt, wide receiver Zyon Pettiford and defensive end James McAdoo are expected to suit up together.

While Orange’s days as a state championship contender are behind them for now, they’re just focused on Southern Durham again in a game that could determine the Big 8 Championship.

Just like the good ol’ days of five years ago.

The old saying in football is 12 plays decide every game. After Orange’s 40-7 victory over East Chapel Hill on Friday night, the Panthers are 2-3, 1-0 in the Big 8 Conference. Courtesy of Shayne Thompson of Thompsonteamfilms.com, here are the 12 plays that led to Orange’s victory in the Big 8 opener.

1. Jake DeFranco’s first catch of the game.

Orange scored on its opening drive for the 2nd straight game. On a 14-play, 60-yard drive, the longest gain came when senior quarterback Wyatt Jones threw to wide receiver Jake DeFranco for 22 yards. This led to Nigel Slanker’s 22-yard field goal that put Orange ahead 3-0. DeFranco led Orange in receiving with four receptions for 74 yards.

2. J.J. Torres converts a 3rd-and-3.

Orange was limited at its skill positions on Friday night, but J.J. Torres got his first carries since the Williams game in the first half. His best gain of the night was this six-yard run on a 3rd-and-3 to continue another punishing drive for Orange.

3. Wyatt Jones scores on a quarterback sneak

Orange scored four touchdowns in the 2nd quarter to pull away from the Wildcats. For the 2nd time this year, Wyatt Jones scored on a quarterback sneak to put Orange ahead 9-0.

4. Omarion Lewis rushes for 24 yards

Sophomore Omarion Lewis had his 2nd 100-yard rushing game in four varsity contests against East Chapel Hill. He started Orange’s 2nd touchdown drive with his longest run of the night, this 24 yard gallop to immediately put the Panthers in business leading 10-0.

5. Joe Kiger catches his first TD pass of the season.

Joe Kiger was tied with Zyon Pettiford for the team-lead in receptions after three games. Kiger focused on defense against Riverside, but he was a factor against Williams. He had three carries for 18 yards as a wingback. Midway through the second quarter, he caught his first touchdown pass from Jones from 14 yards out to put Orange ahead 16-0.

6. James McAdoo with a 10-yard sack.

Over the past three games, defensive lineman James McAdoo has forced three fumbles, all of which led to Orange takeaways. He also had two sacks against the Wildcats. This one immediately led to another Panther touchdown.

7. Joe Kiger rushes to force a botched East Chapel Hill punt

Joe Kiger not only had a strong game on offense, but he had a good night on special teams. As usual, he handled all of Orange’s long snapping duties. However, when East had a punt in the 2nd quarter, Kiger put up a rush that caused a miscue from the Wildcats and led to an immediate touchdown.

8. Omarion Lewis scored on a 13-yard touchdown run

Lewis scored his 3rd touchdown of the season on a 13-yard carry.

9. Wyatt Jones throws to Cameron White for a 46 yard gain

Orange’s longest play from scrimmage came late in the 2nd quarter with a 24-0 lead. On the opening play of their final scoring drive of the 1st half, senior wide receiver Cameron White made a 46-yard catch, his only grab of the night.

10. Elliott Woods scores his first varsity touchdown

Elliott Woods had a strong overall game for Orange. Playing wingback on offense and linebacker on defense, Woods had a career-high 60 yards rushing. He also had three tackles. Woods scored his first varsity touchdown on a five-yard scamper late in the first half.

11. Elliott Woods makes a 17-yard gain on 3rd-and-12.

In addition to his 60 yards rushing, Woods had two receptions for 37 yards. His biggest catch of the night came on Orange’s first drive of the 2nd half for 17 yards on a 3rd-down-and-12.

12. Woods scores his 2nd varsity TD.

Woods second touchdown came on a 4th down. It was the final Orange touchdown of the night.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior defensive end James McAdoo. After missing the first two games of the season, McAdoo’s return has led to the Orange defense having its best outings of the season. McAdoo returned against Walter Williams and had eight tackles, including three for a loss. The following week against Riverside, McAdoo forced two fumbles. The first was recovered by Will Torain, leading to a Panther touchdown. The other was recovered by McAdoo himself. Last Friday against East Chapel Hill, McAdoo had two sacks as the Panthers won 40-7. McAdoo is a second generation Panther. His father, James, graduated from Orange in 1991 where he played for Coach Greg Gentry. 

Last week, the Orange women’s tennis team defeated Cedar Ridge for the first time since 2013. The Cedar Ridge volleyball team maintained its share of first place in the Big 8 with a five-set victory over Vance County, then rolled past Southern Durham on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Orange volleyball team showed its depth. They started the week with a convincing 3-1 disposal of East Chapel Hill, the Wildcats’ first Big 8 Conference loss of the season. Orange, despite missing senior Emma Clements and sophomore Avery Miller, still swept Northern Durham on Thursday for its third win in four days.

Yet Cedar Ridge and Orange will hardly get a chance to enjoy their victories. Both teams have monster road games this week.

Cedar Ridge starts the week tied with Chapel Hill for 1st place in the Big 8. The Red Wolves travel to CHHS on Thursday.

Orange has a rematch against East Chapel Hill, this time at Wildcat Gymnasium on Tuesday.

In football, it’s Orange-Southern Durham week. From 2012-2017, the winner of Orange-Southern dictated the Big 8 Conference Champion. After Southern’s 13-0 shutout of Northern Durham on Friday night, the Spartans appear poised to win its first conference title since 2015, when current Wake Forest wide receiver Kendall Hinton was the quarterback for Southern.

On top of all that, the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team won the women’s invitational race at the Greensboro Cross Country Invitational on Saturday afternoon. Cedar Ridge finished with 55 points, beating East Chapel Hill, who wound up with 63.

And the Orange football team won its Big 8 opener over East Chapel Hill on Friday 40-7.

Think the candidates’ list for the Magnificent 7 was long this week? Well, it was. As always, two of the following seven athletes will be named the Orange Panther of the Week and the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week on Tuesday.

Here is the Magnificent 7 for Week 6 of the Fall Sports season.

1. Anne Morrell: The Cedar Ridge junior was the top finisher at Saturday’s Greensboro Cross Country Invitational at Hagan Stone Park. Among 106 runners, Morrell finished 7th with a time of 20:52.34. Last season, the Cedar Ridge women finished 2nd in the Greensboro Invitational.
2. Emma Vosburg: In the Orange volleyball team’s 3-1 win over East Chapel Hill, Vosburg had eight kills, one ace, nine blocks, three digs and an assist. Orange would go on to defeat Southern Durham and Northern Durham over the subsequent three days.
3. Cameron Lanier: Another one of the power Cedar Ridge volleyball freshmen with Cameron Lloyd and Julie Altieri. Lanier had ten kills, one ace, one block and five digs in the Red Wolves victory over Bartlett Yancey. Cedar Ridge is guaranteed its first winning season since 2015.
4. James McAdoo: The Orange defensive end helped the Panther defense hold East Chapel Hill to 173 yards total offense. McAdoo caused a fumble for the third game in a row. McAdoo had two sacks as the Panthers secured back-to-back home wins for the first time since 2016.
5. Elliott Woods: The junior Orange wingback had a career-high 58 rushing yards and scored the first two touchdowns of his varsity career. Woods also leads the team in tackles at the end of five games. Woods added two receptions for 37 yards.
6. Lindsey Jouannet: The Orange junior tennis player won her match at #5 singles against Cedar Ridge 6-2, 6-1 on Monday. Jouannet teamed with Sydney Allison to win at #3 doubles 8-2 to sew up Orange’s first win over Cedar Ridge in women’s tennis since 2013.
7. Isaiah McCambry: Gave the Cedar Ridge football team its first lead of the season against Northwood by scoring a first quarter touchdown. McCambry also had Cedar Ridge’s first 100-yard rushing game since 2016 against the Chargers. Though Northwood won 24-8, McCambry showed more promise as a running back as the Red Wolves return home to face Northern Durham on Friday night at Red Wolves Stadium.

Payton Wilson: Florida State defeated N.C. State 31-13 at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL on Saturday night. In his fifth college game, Wilson had a career-high with seven tackles, including a sack of Seminoles quarterback Alex Hornibrook. Wilson also had a pass breakup. As Florida State pulled away in the second half, Wilson’s impact wasn’t lost on longtime Raleigh News and Observer sportswriter Joe Giglio.

As a redshirt freshman, Wilson is 3rd on the team with 23 tackles. He has three tackles for losses, tied for third on the Wolfpack.

Trent Gill: The former Cedar Ridge star had six punts for N.C. State against Florida State. Gill averaged 47.5 yards per punt. Two of the punts landed inside the 20-yard line. Two more went over 50 yards. Gill also had four kickoff, three of which went for touchbacks. Gill, who instructs current Orange kicker Nigel Slanker, is averaging 47.2 yards per punt on 20 punts this season. N.C. State is off next weekend. They return to action on October 10 against Syracuse in Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Keyshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell Camels defeated Mercer 34-27 at Five Star Stadium in Macon, GA on Saturday night. Thompson, who was put on scholarship over the summer, played defense put didn’t record a tackle. Campbell is 3-1. They host Presbyterian in its Big South Conference opener next Saturday at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek.

Adam Chnupa: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate made his debut for FCS Elon on Saturday. #2 James Madison defeated the #24 Phoenix 45-10 at Rhodes Stadium at Elon. Chnupa, a redshirt freshman who was an All-Big 8 Conference football and baseball player at Cedar Ridge, entered the game in the fourth quarter. Elon, now 2-3, will travel to New Hampshire next Saturday.

Rodney Brooks: The Livingstone Blue Bears defeated Lincoln University (PA) 35-19 at Lions Stadium in Pennsylvania on Saturday. Brooks registered two tackles. Livingston is 4-0, 1-0 in the CIAA. They host Virginia Union next Saturday in Salisbury.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated UNC Wilmington 3-1 at Rudd Field in Elon in its Colonial Athletic Association opener on Thursday night. Hodges, who was featured on the front of the team’s program that night, assisted on the final Phoenix goal scored by Jessica Carrieri. Hodges, a sophomore, has started all ten of Elon’s games this year. Elon is 7-2-1 going into Sunday’s game against Hofstra in Hempstead, N.Y.

Taylin Jean: Division II Barton College defeated Limestone 2-0 at Bulldogs Athletic Complex in Wilson on Saturday. Jean started in net for Limestone. She made five saves in the loss.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace University women’s soccer team defeated Mary Baldwin 6-2 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener on Saturday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Rogers made her ninth start of the season, this time as a wingback. Peace is 4-4-1 overall, 1-0 in the USA South Conference.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team defeated Salem 2-1 in its USA South Athletic Conference opener at Varsity Field in Winston-Salem on Saturday. Daley started at centerback for the Pride, her tenth start of the year. Greensboro is 7-3.

Lilli Henry: The Methodist volleyball team had a tri-match in USA South Athletic Conference action on Saturday at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. The Monarchs defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-1 to end the day. Averett started the afternoon by beating Methodist 3-1. In the Monarchs’ win over Wesleyan, Henry had 22 assists, seven digs and an ace. In Averett’s victory against Methodist, Henry finished with 12 assists, seven digs and an ace. Methodist is 2-9, 1-2 in the USA South.