Orange Football

The Orange Middle School Chargers football team went into Wednesday’s game against Southern Middle School as a litmus test. In a rugged battle, the Chargers moved to 3-0 with a 16-6 victory over the Panthers at Chargers Field in Hillsborough. Quarterback Brayden Robbins scored a touchdown in the second quarter to put the Chargers ahead early. Amir Johnson added another touchdown in the third quarter for Orange Middle. Kyleed Royster scored on a two-point conversion, while Johnson added another. The offensive line play of tackles Ulises Cruz and Amare Bost, along with guards Damauri Hester and Elliott Fox, plus center Brayden Johnson helped Orange Middle run down the clock and keep Southern at bay. Orange Middle was driving late for another touchdown, but coughed up the ball in the Panthers Red zone. Bost, who is also an inside linebacker on defense, along with linebacker Asher DeVote helped limit Southern to a season-low in points. The Chargers are the defending OPAC Champions and are trying to win the Northern Division championship once again under head coach Jamie Bailey. Orange Middle will take next Wednesday off before they journey across town to face Stanback at Bulldogs Field on October 16, followed by a trip to Roxboro to face Northern Middle on October 23.

Orange Middle’s Johnson, Robbins, Royster, Bost & Stone talk football win over Southern Panthers

The Orange Middle School Chargers football team went into Wednesday’s game against Southern Middle School as a litmus test. In a rugged battle, the Chargers moved to 3-0 with a 16-6 victory over the Panthers at Chargers Field in Hillsborough. Quarterback Brayden Robbins scored a touchdown in the second quarter to put the Chargers ahead early.

Photo from Steelers.com

Payton Wilson: The former Orange linebacker became the first Panther to play in an NFL game since Alvis Whitted in 2006 for the Oakland Raiders last month. On Sunday, Wilson registered six tackles as the Steelers suffered its first loss of the season to the Indianapolis Colts 27-24 at Lucas Oil Stadium. Wilson has played regularly in Pittsburgh’s opening four games. In the Steelers’ season-opener, Wilson had three tackles in an 18-10 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Wilson finished with two tackles. Pittsburgh is 3-1 and will face the Dallas Cowboys at Acrisure Stadium next Sunday night.

Bryse Wilson: As the Milwaukee Brewers started its wildcard series against the New York Mets on Wednesday, Wilson was activated from the injured list on Monday. He had been nursing an oblique injury and had been on the injured list since September 3, two days after his last outing. This season, Wilson is 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 34 appearances. He has started nine games. In 104.2 innings pitched, Wilson has 82 strikeouts. Wilson isn’t on the Brewers’ playoff roster for its series against New York. He may be placed on the roster if Milwaukee advance to the National League Divisional Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter has signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers practice squad. It comes after Gill was released by the Denver Broncos last month, even though Gill had the highest punting average among all players in the NFL preseason.

Darius Satterfield: Fayetteville State University defeated Elizabeth City State University 31-7 at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex to win the Annual Down East Viking Classic on September 21. Satterfield averaged 34 yards over five punts, his longest being 41 yards. He also had one touchback. Satterfield also scored a point after touchdown. Elizabeth City State is 2-2 and will travel to Salisbury to face Livingstone College its CIAA opener on Saturday.

Wynston Brown: The former Orange High quarterback and wide receiver has started his sophomore season at Division III Methodist University in Fayetteville. The Monarchs are 1-3 overall, 1-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Methodist will face North Carolina Wesleyan in Rocky Mount on Saturday.

Aaron Oliveras: The former Cedar Ridge offensive lineman is now at Division III Averett University in Danville, VA. The Cougars are 2-1 and suffered its first loss to Ferrum College 36-10 last week. Averett will face Washington & Lee next Saturday.

Ivy Garner: The Liberty University women’s soccer team suffered its first loss of the season to Florida International at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg, VA last Friday. The Panthers defeated the Flames 3-0. Up to that point, Liberty had gone eleven consecutive matches without a loss, entering the national rankings for the first time as a Division I team. On September 19, Liberty defeated Jacksonville State 4-0 to win in Conference USA opener at the Jacksonville State Sports Complex. Garner assisted on each of the opening two goals from Halle Engle and Avery Paulson. On September 15, the Flames played to a scoreless tie with UNC Greensboro in Greensboro. Garner started and played 64 minutes, firing one shot. Liberty is 9-1-2 overall, 1-1 in Conference USA. They will face UTEP on Thursday night. This season, Garner has started all 12 games and has scored two goals with five assists.

Emerson Talley: Division II Lenoir-Rhyne has risen to #11 in the country and remains undefeated. The Bears are 4-0-3 overall, 2-0-1 in the South Atlantic Conference. On Saturday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Wingate 1-0 at the Moretz-Sport Athletic Complex in Hickory. Talley started as a forward and played all 90 minutes, firing one shot on goal. On September 25, Lenoir-Rhyne played to a 2-2 tie with #4 Columbus State. Talley played all 90 minutes and got off one shot. On September 21, Talley assisted on a goal in a 5-0 win over Emory & Henry. Talley had a helper on a goal from Montana Martin. Lenoir-Rhyne will face Anderson College on Wednesday night in Hickory.

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“I like what you’re doing here. Keep it up.”

The words from Western Alamance head coach Jeff Snuffer to Orange head coach DeVante Pettiford following the postgame handshake served as a boost of confidence. Following a dismal performance on September 23 against Montgomery Central, a 46-6 loss at Wolves Den Stadium in Troy, Pettiford wanted to see more fight from his team in its Central Conference opener at Auman Stadium last Friday.

Orange hasn’t defeated an Alamance County team in league play since the Central Conference formed in 2021. While they’re still waiting for that elusive victory, Pettiford could only walk off the field proud of his team that played without its top two skill players, both of whom were injured against Montgomery Central.

It was the Warriors who had the deeper team, nearly twice as many players as the Panthers. In the end, the Warriors successfully made it a battle of manpower in a 24-7 victory, its third straight over the Panthers. Snuffer continued to run fullback Jordan Hall and H-back Esaiah Slade against a depleted Orange defensive front. While linebackers Deandre Brown and Nahjour Kenion, among others, were limping at the end as the clock drifted away, they refused to go down.

“We have a lot of things to improve on, but I felt like we were the more physical team,” Pettiford said. “I felt like we fought, we kept getting after it. We saw some things go our way on offense, we just have to get out of our own way. Whenever we have a chance to make the big play, that’s when we start to drop the ball. In terms of effort, it was like night and day compared to last week.”

James Newton, a wide receiver who has committed to Gardner-Webb, finished with 61 yard receiving and a touchdown. Warriors sophomore quarterback Ethan Oakley threw for a career-high 15 completions for 230 yards.

Orange did get a glimpse of its future when freshman wide receiver Owen Phillips caught an 81-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kyse Devore, who was making his first career start in place of injured senior Hank Nunnery. The score tied the game at 7-7 with 1:32 remaining in the first quarter.

As has been the case for much of this year, it was 3rd downs that proved to be Orange’s downfall. Western Alamance overcame two holding penalties on its opening scoring drive. On 3rd-and-16 from the Warriors 38-yard line, Oakley found senior Will Clinkscales for a 35-yard gain to the Orange 27-yard line. On 2nd-and-10 from the Panther 13-yard line, Oakley hit Newton in the left corner of the end zone for the opening score.

The Panthers were 0-for-9 on 3rd down conversions. The Warriors were 6-for-12.

“We just have to focus more when it’s time to get off the field,” Pettiford said. “That’s something that we as coaches have to do a better job of communicating. They have a Division I receiver over there (Newton). He’s the real deal.”

Following Phillips touchdown, the game remain tied until there was 1:54 remaining in the first half. Oakley engineered an eight-play, 47-yard drive, where the biggest play came on a 3rd-and-6 when he found Clinkscales again for eight yards. On the next play, running back Collin Moylan took advantage of an extra tug from his left tackle to get around end and run into the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown. Camden Oliveira’s extra point put the Warriors ahead 14-7.

The Warriors exercised the clock perfectly in the final drive of the first half. Oakley hit Colten Hill for 16 yards on 3rd-and-10, leading to a 43-yard field goal from Oliveira that cleared the uprights by plenty.

Western Alamance’s Elijah Slade scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half from four yards out with 8:57 remaining in the third quarter, the game’s final score.

Orange crossed the 50-yard line once in the second half, but the drive stalled when Deandre Brown was thrown for a loss on 4th-and-9 from the Warriors 37-yard line.

WESTERN ALAMANCE 24, ORANGE 7

WA-7   10    7    0-24

OR-7     0     0     0-7

WA–James Newton 13 pass from Ethan Oakley (Nathan Oliveira kick)

OR-Owen Phillips 81 pass from Kyse Devore (Will Cooper kick)

WA–Collin Moyland 11 run (Oliveira kick)

WA–Esaiah Slade 4 run (Oliveria kick)

RUSHING–WESTERN ALAMANCE 34-150 2 TD (Jordan Hall 16-70, Oakley 8-39, Newton 3-12, Moylan 2-11 TD, E. Slade 2-9 TD, Asaiah Slade 2-5, Riley Poteat 1-4)

ORANGE: 20-19 (Deandre Brown 8-35, Kayden Bradsher 2-5, Garrett Sawyer 2-0, team 1-(-9), Devore 7-(-12)

PASSING: WESTERN ALAMANCE (Oakley 15-23 233 TD) ORANGE (Devore 8-19 147, TD INT)

RECEIVING: WESTERN ALAMANCE (Newton 4-61 TD, Hamilton Plunkett 4-52, Will Clinkscales 3-46, Colten Hill 2-56, E. Slade 2-15)

ORANGE: (Phillips 2-92 TD, Brown 2-34, Kingston Purefoy Farrington 2-11, Hunter Albert 1-6, Jayden Medley 1-4)

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior running back Ja’ki McDaniels. And the Defensive Player of the Week is linebacker Jayden Medley. On Labor Day weekend, the Orange football team defeated Chapel Hill 21-13. McDaniels had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, going for 130 yards. He also scored three touchdowns as the Panthers defeated the Tigers for the first time since 2019. McDaniels scored the game-winning touchdown off a short pass from quarterback Hank Nunnery. Coming into this year, there was a hole in the running back position after three-year starter Nate Sorrells graduated to play at Mars Hill College. McDaniels, who had been a linebacker, asked head coach DeVante Pettiford to move to running back. Medley had eight tackles for the Panthers. The most critical defensive play of the night for Orange came when Medley picked off a pass in the first half and returned it 74 yards to the 15-yard line. As Chapel Hill was making a last ditch effort to tie the game, Medley tackled Tigers quarterback Josh Roberson at the 7-yard line on the last play of the game to preserve Orange’s 21-13 win. Medley is also a wrestler for head coach Spenser Poteat during the winter. Orange will travel to Montgomery Central on Friday night.

Orange Panther of the Week: Ja’Ki McDaniels; Defensive Player of the Week Jayden Medley

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior running back Ja’ki McDaniels. And the Defensive Player of the Week is linebacker Jayden Medley. On Labor Day weekend, the Orange football team defeated Chapel Hill 21-13. McDaniels had the first 100-yard rushing game of his career, going for 130 yards.

In a few years, if Orange can maintain its current levels of participation at the junior varsity level, they’ll be better prepared to win a battle of attrition.

It’s the battle that Vance County has dictated against the Panthers over the past two years. At another time, say in 2017, when the varsity roster was at 55 players Orange would have been equipped for the challenge.

On Friday night, with a roster of 29 players (but with a growing junior varsity team), the Vipers gradually worked its way past the Panthers.

Senior Jontavious Nile rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown while Antoine Doyle caught seven passes for 95 yards to lift Vance County over Orange 14-6 at Auman Stadium to ruin the Panthers’ home opener.

The Vipers held Orange to 145 yards total offense and seven first downs, but the Panthers had a chance late because of senior Deandre Brown. A wrecking ball on defense who finished with eleven tackles, Brown also scored Orange’s only touchdown midway through the fourth quarter on a three-yard plunge. Brown jump started the dormant Orange offense and the crowd when he roared up the middle for a 20-yard gain on a 3rd-and-19 from the Vipers 49-yard line. It was Orange’s only 3rd down conversion of the night.

Orange running back Ja’ki McDaniels ran up the gut for 21 yards to break into the Vance County red zone for the first time, leading to Brown’s first touchdown of his senior season.

Before that drive, Orange had been held to 70 yards and four first downs in the opening three quarters simply because the Vance County running game kept Orange’s offense off the field. The Vipers ran 35 plays in the first half. Orange ran 12.

Orange’s Keyshawn Farrington made a stop on Nile on 3rd-and-eight as Vance County went 3-and-out in its opening drive. After Orange couldn’t move the ball on its first series, the Vipers alternated between a spread setup and the old Power-I formation to control the ball on its next drive, a 14-play, 95-yard drive. Quarterback Javion Vines-Holder threw to Andre Perry for 12 yards on a 3rd-and-2, the first of three 3rd-down conversions on the Vipers opening touchdown drive. On a 3rd-and-12 from the Vipers 33-yard line, Vance County went to the perimeter to show off its speed advantage as Vines-Holder tossed a slip screen pass to Perry for 20 yards.

There appeared to be daylight for Orange after brown tackled Nile for one yard on 2nd-and-10. But on 4th-and-7 from the Panther 18-yard line, Nile took a handoff and followed blocks from halfbacks Maurice Jackson and Zion Thornton for an 18-yard touchdown run. Aidan Labra kicked the extra point to put the Vipers ahead 7-0.

The Vipers chewed up the majority of the second quarter clock with a 11-play drive that stalled out at the Orange 5-yard line when Panther linebacker Jayden Medley stopped Symahj Charles for a two-yard gain on 4th-and-3.

After the subsequent Vance County drive died out in Viper territory, punter Ayden Foster fielded the snap while on his knees, giving Orange the ball at the Viper 30-yard line with 38 seconds remaining in the first half. Orange dialed up a double pass that was intercepted by Vines-Holder, who is also a defensive back.

Vance County scored on its opening drive of the second half. Vines-Holder found Doyle on a 3rd-and-17 for 20yards to advance the ball into Orange territory. Vines-Holder hit Doyle again for a 10-yard touchdown pass on a slant.

Following Brown’s touchdown, Orange still had time to get the ball back, but the Vipers successfully ran out the clock with another time-draining drive to improve to 3-0.

Orange (1-2) will make its first-ever trip to Montgomery Central on Friday night. Last year, Orange shut out the Timberwolves 20-0 in Hillsborough.