Orange Men’s Basketball

It was no ordinary season opener.

Then again, it was no ordinary week for Orange men’s basketball leading up to its first game against Hillside on Friday night in Hillsborough. On Monday, Orange’s centerpiece, sophomore Coleman Cloer, suffered a broken left ankle after a fluky incident during practice. He is expected to miss at least two weeks.

Over the summer, Cloer received scholarship offers from N.C. State, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Appalachian State, just to name a few. He wore a walking boot on the Orange bench Friday night.

In Cloer’s absence, there would have to be an unlikely hero to emerge.

Fortunately, Malachi Poole was up to the task.

In a frantic final sequence, Orange point guard Kai Wade tied the game with a pull-up jumper from twelve feet over Suliaman Shackleford with nine seconds remaining.

As Orange set up a full court press with the game tied 66-66, Hillside’s Jayde Braswell threw a soft pass that was deflected by Panthers guard Freddy Sneed, who nearly bumped into an Orange teacher along the sidelines as he raked in the steal. With time drifting away, Sneed threw the ball to Xandrell Pennix, standing left of the lane facing the bleachers. Pennix didn’t see the basket, but he did see Poole standing alone on the wing wide open as the Hornets were caught off guard in the scramble. Pennix threw to Poole, who launched his only shot of the night. It swirled into the net with two seconds remaining to send the Orange student section into a collective roar.

Hillside coach Rashard Lee-Worthy had used all his timeouts and his team was too stunned to inbound the ball as the final moments ticked away. The students rushed the floor to celebrate a win that was a season opener in name only.

“At that point, they were turning us over,” said Orange coach Derryl Britt. “They were giving us trouble bringing the ball up. I knew that Kai was a little fatigued. So we needed to get another ball handler in. So we went to Malachi because he’s a shooter. Malachi has been going through some things. That was a big shot for us as a team, but it was a bigger shot for him, personally. I’m so happy for that guy.”

Orange won 69-66, its first victory over Hillside since December 9, 2009. Wade, a sophomore point guard finished with 18 points. Sneed, who had never scored in double-figures in a varsity game, came away with 16 points, five steals and four rebounds. The Panthers put four players in double-figures, including senior center Ryan Honeycutt, who finished with a double-double of 10 points and 13 rebounds.

Shackelford led Hillside with 24 points. Justin Lewis came off the bench to score 14 points, including four three-pointers.

The irony of Orange scoring the game-winning basket off a steal from full-court pressure was that Hillside rallied from 17 points down the exact same way. The Panthers committed seven turnovers in the fourth quarter, leading to the Hornets taking the lead with 4:12 remaining after a three-pointer from Brandon Watley, who scored all 12 of his points in the second half.

There were five lead changes in the final three minutes. Orange sophomore center Mason Robinson grabbed an offensive rebound and shoveled the ball off to Honeycutt for a lay-in to put the Panthers ahead 62-61 with 2:58 remaining.

Jayde Braswell was fouled by Honeycutt and sank two free throws. After a pass slipped through the hands of Hillside center T.J. Ray, Wade went behind-the-back and drilled a 13-footer. Orange maintained a 64-63 lead until the Hornets forced yet another turnover off its full-court pressure. Shackleford stole the ball from Wade, drove to the basket and scored on a lay-in and was fouled by Robinson. Shackleford’s free throw put the Hornets ahead 66-64.

Orange built a 51-34 lead with 2:39 remaining in the third quarter. Sneed completed a 13-1 Orange run with a steal and drive to the basket while he was fouled by Lewis, who picked up his fourth foul and was never a factor again. Pennix drilled the first of Orange’s two 3-pointers in the second half during the run. Pennix, who has played on the varsity since his freshman year, finished with 12 points.

“We took a gut punch on Monday night when Cole went down,” Britt said. “We realized it was a bit serious. We bent over, collected ourselves. Everybody went home and thought about it. Then on Tuesday afternoon, it was very similar to the St. Louis Rams when they lost Trent Green (in 1999). (The Rams went on to win the Super Bowl with Kurt Warner at quarterback). I told the team we have the players to win and we will play good basketball. Whether we win or lose games? We’ll see. But we will make other teams beat us.”

Even without Cloer, the Panthers shot 49% from the field. The Hornets used 21 offensive rebounds to keep things close. Orange never trailed in the first half, leading by as much as 32-26 after a dunk by Honeycutt from a lob by Robinson. with 3:32 remaining in the second quarter. Lewis scored 14 points in the first half to reduce Orange’s lead to 33-31 with 1:05 remaining, Robinson and Pennix scored the final field goals of the half to put the Panthers ahead 38-31 at halftime.

ORANGE 69, HILLSIDE 66

HIL–15   16   15    20–66

ORA–19  19   15   16–69

HILLSIDE–Brandon Watley 12, Justin Morgan 2, Suliaman Shackleford 24, Jayde Braswell 12, Justin Lewis 14, Quinton Cozart 2.

ORANGE–Xandrell Pennix 12, Freddy Sneed 16, Kai Wade 18, Ryan Moss 2, Ryan Honeycutt 10, Malaykhi Justice 2, Mason Robinson 4, Malachi Poole 3, Hector Garrido 2.

3-Point baskets: Hillside 9 (Watley 3, Lewis 4, Shackleford 2). Orange 3 (Pennix 2, Poole)

Rebounds: Hillside 34 (Shackleford 7) Orange 45 (Honeycutt 13)

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore point guard Kai Wade of the men’s basketball team. Last year, Wade was one of three freshmen to regularly start for the Panthers. He was named All-Central Carolina Conference following a successful season which saw Orange reach the state playoffs for the first time since 2016-2017. The Panthers finished third in the CCC and Wade was the starting point guard for 25 games. He was second on the team with 11.5 points per game. He also led the team with 2.8 assists per game and 1.8 steals per game. For much of the spring and summer, Kai has traveled throughout the country playing summer basketball. His presence in Orange’s backcourt led Orange to its first winning season in six years. Wade will be among the young faces in the lineup next year as Orange aims to reach the top of the new CCC, where Northwood is out of the league and Southern Alamance is in. It was announced earlier this summer that Orange will play in the John Wall Invitational at Broughton High School in Raleigh this summer, one of the most prestigious holiday tournaments in the state.

Orange Panther of the Week: Kai Wade

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For some, it may have been a surprise to see the Orange men’s basketball team win ten games before Christmas last season. Especially since they won just ten games for the entire 2018-2019 and 2017-2018 seasons.

But for anyone who saw the Orange Summer Heat Tournament last June, it wasn’t surprising in the least. Cole Cloer and Kai Wade had just graduated from middle school less than a week beforehand, but suited up for Orange in the Black Session of the Tournament. The Panthers advanced to the championship game against Chapel Hill, where they rallied from a late six-point deficit with just over 1:00 to play to win the championship.

It was the foundation of where the expectations of the 2022-2023 season were built. From that point forward, Orange coach Derryl Britt craved opening night against East Chapel Hill, where three freshmen (Cloer, Wade and Mason Robinson) started.

On Tuesday, the second Orange Summer Heat Tournament will take place inside Panther Gymnasium. This year, the event will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday, games will start at 3PM and last until 9:00.

On Wednesday and Thursday, the action starts at 2:00 PM and continues until 9:00 PM.

Admission is $10. Children ten years old and younger will get in free. The event is a fundraiser for the Orange Basketball program.

The other teams in the event will include Southern Lee, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, Providence Grove and Lee County.

The event will be noteworthy for several reasons. In addition to Orange’s participation, the event will mark the unofficial debut of new East Chapel Hill coach Kennard Winchester, only the second head coach in the 27-year history of the school. Ray Hartsfield stepped down in March. Hartsfield took the Wildcats to the 1997 3A State Championship.

Cloer and Wade will both suit up for Orange in the event. The two have played travel basketball throughout the spring. Cloer has gone viral with an array of dunks, blocks and other highlights. Two weeks ago, he earned his first Division I college offer from High Point University.

Since the season ended in February, Wade has played throughout the country on weekends and during holidays, including in Atlanta and Dallas. Last season, Wade averaged 2.8 assists per game. He was second on the team with 11.5 points per game.

Cloer was the leading scorer for the Panthers with 20.1 points per game. He also led the team with 3.1 assists per game.

Next season, Orange will compete in a Central Carolina Conference that will be dramatically different solely from the departure of Northwood, who won 34 consecutive CCC games and reached the 3A State Championship in February. The Chargers are moving down to 2A and will be replaced in the CCC by Southern Alamance, who is moving down from 4A.

Southern Alamance competed in the DAC-VII Conference the past two years.

Northwood won three of the last four conference championships and claimed the 3A Eastern Regional Championship in 2021 and 2023.

The tournament will be a breeding ground for younger players who will attempt to provide depth next season. The Panthers are losing five seniors. Darius Corbett, Kaleb Barnhardt, Thomas Loch, Isaiah Seymour and Caleb Barreto all graduated on Friday night at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill.

Last year was the first time since 2017 that Orange reached the 3A State Playoffs, where they took West Carteret to the wire in Morehead City in the opening round.

Orange finished the season 17-10, but it could have easily been a 20-win season. The Panthers had last-second losses to South Granville and Sanderson in the South Granville Holiday Tournament on consecutive days. Against West Carteret, senior Worth Stack tapped in a missed shot with 22 seconds remaining to give the Patriots a 65-64 lead. They went on to win 66-64 when Malachi Poole’s desperation heave from midcoast rimmed out.

It’s taken five years, but Derryl Britt has made in imprint on the Orange men’s basketball program.

For starters, his younger players have developer an impression of him. Over the course of 27 games this past season which saw the Panthers journey from Franklinton to Morehead City, sophomore Freddy Sneed created a impersonation of Britt whenever the Panthers turn the ball over that ends with him yelling stomping down the sidelines and yelling “Come on, killer!”

This winter was the one that Britt had waited four years for his team to achieve. The best news, from an Orange perspective, is that the best may still be ahead.

While Britt waits for the academic year to end and summer workouts to start, he has received the highest honor from his peers.

Britt was named the Central Carolina Coach of the Year in a poll by the league’s coaches last month.

This year, Orange went from a 8-17 season in 2021-2022 to a 17-10 season, its first winning campaign since 2016-2017, when the Panthers reached the quarterfinals of the 3A State Playoffs.

That squad six years ago was led by seniors Connor Crabtree and Logan Vosburg. This year’s team was diametrically the opposite in terms of experience.

In the first game of the season against East Chapel Hill, Britt started three freshmen: Coleman Cloer, Kai Wade and Mason Robinson. Sophomore guard Xandrell Pennix and junior center Ryan Honeycutt rounded out the starting five. None of those players were on the varsity roster for the start of the 21-22 season.

Right away, Orange served notice that this season would be different with a win over East Chapel Hill. On November 29, Cloer knocked down two free throws with :7.2 remaining to push Orange past Franklinton 67-66. The Panthers were the only team in the first half of the season to beat the Rams, who went on to a 25-5 record.

Orange scored 103 points against the North Carolina School of Science and Math on December 1, the most points for a Panther team since Britt became head coach. Later that week, the Panthers defeated Riverside for the first time since 2013.

Orange defeated East Wake in the opening round of the South Granville Holiday Invitational on December 28. The Warriors would go on to win the Quad County Conference Championship. The tournament in South Granville was two shots away from being extra special for the Panthers. Orange led South Granville 64-58 with 1:33 remaining before the Vikings roared back with K.J. Green scoring on a lay-up at the buzzer to give the Vikings the win to advance to the championship game.

The next day against Sanderson was even more heartbreaking. The Panthers mounted a comeback before the Spartans hit another shot at the buzzer to beat the Panthers 55-54.

Orange swept the season series from Walter Williams, including its first win in Burlington since the 1980s. Orange reached the state playoffs, where they mounted another comeback that ended with senior Thomas Loch draining a 3-pointer, following by a steal by Wade to give Orange a one-point lead with 28 seconds remaining. The Patriots’ Worth Stack scored on a tip-in for the game-winning basket.

Britt is already making plans for another summertime tournament at Orange in June. While there weren’t many people around to see it, Britt learned last summer that the 2022-23 team would be different. Cloer, Wade and Malachi Poole, among others, played for an Orange team that won the Black Session championship.

As he prepares for his sixth season next November, Britt suddenly finds himself among the longest tenured coaches at Orange. After B.J. Condron’s resignation last month as Orange women’s basketball coach to become the new Athletic Director at Southeast Alamance High School, the only coaches who have been at Orange continuously since Britt’s arrival in 2018 are men’s soccer coach Palmer Bowman, baseball coach Jason Knapp, men’s tennis coach Justin Webb and wrestling coach Spenser Poteat, who replaced Bobby Shriner in 2017.

Editor’s Note: Britt is a color analyst for Orange football broadcasts on Hillsboroughsports.com. 

Compared from last year to this year, it was a night-and-day difference for Orange men’s basketball. The Panthers had its most successful campaign in six years and the freshman that spearheaded the revival was awarded by the North Carolina High School Basketball Coaches Association.

Freshman Coleman Cloer was named first-team All-District 6 by the NCHSBCA. District 6 is comprised of all public schools in Orange, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Person, Rockingham, Vance, Warren and Caswell Counties. It’s a quirky wrinkle for Orange and Person since the other two counties represented in the Central Carolina Conference, Alamance and Chatham, aren’t included in District 6.

From the time Orange coach Derryl Britt started his summer tournament last June, it was clear the Orange freshmen would be the focus of the 2022-2023 season. Cloer and Kai Wade started all three of the games in the Black Session of the summer tournament, which Orange won after beating Chapel Hill.

By the time the regular season started against East Chapel Hill on November 18, Orange’s starting lineup consisted of Cloer, Wade and another freshman in Mason Robinson, along with Ryan Honeycutt and sophomore Xandrell Pennix. Cloer led Orange with 17 points in his first varsity game, which started a pattern that spanned the whole season.

For much of his five-year stint at Orange, Britt has lacked a post player. He has had several guards with considerable shooting range, the most recent being Jerec Thompson, who graduated in 2022 with over 1,000 points. In Cloer, Britt got the best of both worlds: a 6-6 forward that could fire in 3-pointers from 30-feet regularly.

Cloer also got used to clutch situations early. On November 29, Cloer sank two free throws with :7.2 seconds remaining for the game-winning points as Orange won at Franklinton 67-66. Cloer finished with 22 points against the Rams, who would go on to reach the state quarterfinals against Northwood.

Cloer had 14 games where he scored 20 points or more this season. His only game where he was held below double-figures came against Northwood on December 14, when he was held to nine.

Cloer’s season-high was 35 points against Person on January 6. He had eight double-doubles on the year. His first came against Franklinton, when he amassed 22 points and eleven rebounds. He had 13 points and ten rebounds against Riverside on December 2, which was Orange’s first win over the Pirates in ten years.

Against Walter Williams on December 16 in Burlington, Cloer had 27 points and ten rebounds. He scored 28 points against Eastern Alamance on January 11 in Mebane.

Cloer assisted on Orange’s final 3-pointer of the season, knocked down by Thomas Loch, against West Carterret in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs on February 21 in Morehead City. It was Orange’s first playoff game since 2017, when they faced Northern Guilford in the 3A State Quarterfinals.

Cloer played in all 27 of Orange’s games and totaled 542 points, which is believed to be a school record for a freshman. It was the most wins by an Orange team since the 2016-17 season, when Orange was led by former Richmond Spider Connor Crabtree.

Cloer is the younger brother of Garrett Cloer, the quarterback for some of the most successful Orange football teams in history from 2012-2015. Garrett Cloer went on to help Orange reach the state playoffs several times with wide receivers Patrick Pettiford and Bryse Wilson, along with running back Tay Jones. Garrett Cloer was also a basketball and baseball player for Orange.

This season, Orange finished third in the Central Carolina Conference behind only Northwood, who won the 3A Eastern Regional Championship, and Person. If Orange’s unit can remain intact for next year, the Panthers could be the favorite to win the CCC. Cloer, Wade, Pennix, Honeycutt, Robinson, Malachi Holt, Freddy Sneed, Jackson Barreto and Ryan Moss are all slated to return.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team captured the Region X Championship on Sunday. The Flyers defeated Oxford College of Emory University 98-84 at Central Carolina Community College in Sanford. McMullin scored 15 points in 20 minutes off 7-of-13 shooting from the field. He also grabbed six rebounds and dished out four assists. It’s the second straight year that the Flyers have won the Region X title. Sandhills will face Butler Community College of Pennsylvania for the Mid-Atlantic District Championship on Saturday.

Braden Homsey: Homsey became the all-time wins leader in the history of Ferrum College wrestling last weekend during the Southeast Regionals in York, PA. Homsey finished 2nd in the 197-pound tournament, qualifying him for a spot in the NCAA Division III National Championships. In the championship match, Camden Farrow of York defeated Homsey 9-4. Homsey reached the final after beating Cameron Butka of Wilkes 7-5. In the opening round, Homsey scored a tech fall victory over Jaden Markus 16-0. Homsey followed with an 11-5 decision over Brendon Loder of Gettysburg. In the quarterfinals, Homsey scored a major decision over Gable Crebs of Lycoming 10-2.

Jamar Davis: Competing for N.C. State, Davis finished 3rd in the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships at the Norton Healthcare Sports and Learning Center in Louisville, KY on February 25.  Davis’ best leap was 7.56 meters. Jeremiah Davis of Florida State won the championship at 8.02 meters. Davis also finished 7th in the triple jump. His best leap was at 15.14 meters. Jeremiah Davis of Florida State won the title at 16.36 meters.

Mary Moss Wirt: Wirt has opened the season playing regularly for the Elon softball team. On February 10, Wirt faced her former Cedar Ridge counterpart, Takia Nichols, when Elon faced North Carolina Central during the Elon Softball Classic at Hunt Softball Park. Elon edged the Eagles 8-7. Wirt played at catcher and went 0-for-2. On February 25, Wirt went 2-for-4 with two RBIs as the Phoenix defeated Northern Illinois 8-7 in eight innings at Liberty University Softball Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Wirt drove in the game-tying run in the seventh inning when she singled in Payton Swart. Elon rallied from a 7-0 deficit to beat the Huskies. In the sixth inning, Wirt singled in Mauri Murray to trip the Huskies’ deficit to 7-3. Elon is 5-10 and will host East Carolina on Wednesday.

Takia Nichols: Nichols, the all-time home run leader in Cedar Ridge softball history, hit her first college home run for North Carolina Central on February 25. Nichols launched a solo blast in the seventh inning against Long Island University. Nichols has started five games for the Eagles. She started at first base for Central on Sunday in a 5-4 loss to Harvard at Winthrop Softball Field in Rock Hill, S.C. on Sunday.

Tori Dalehite: Starting her junior season at UNC Greensboro, Dalehite has appeared in six games this season for the Spartans, mainly as a pinch-runner. She scored a run against Morehead State on February 19. UNCG is 9-7 on the season.

Lauren Jackson: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne softball team defeated Lock Haven in the final game of the Bear Bash event in Hickory on Sunday. Jackson, the designate player, went 2-for-3 with an RBI double for the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne won all three games in the tournament. Lenior-Rhyne is 15-1. They swept a doubleheader from Belmont-Abbey on February 22. In the nightcap, Jackson went 2-for-2 with a run scored as the Bears won 10-0 in five innings. In the opener, Jackson went 2-for-3 with two RBIs in a 10-2 win for the Bears. Through 13 games, Jackson is fourth on the team with a .441 batting average. She has ten RBIs, which is also fourth on the team.

Jaden Hurdle: The Division II Catawba College softball team is 10-6 on the season. Hurdle appeared in a game against Barton College on February 11. It is Hurdle’s first season with the Indians after two years with Patrick & Henry Community College.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team has won eleven in a row. The Red Hawks won four games during the Fast Pitch Dreams round-robin event at the North Myrtle Beach Sports Complex last weekend. Andrews, who is starting at catcher this year, went 0-for-2 with two runs scored in a 12-3 win over Howard Community College on February 25. She walked twice. Against USC Sumter, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. This season, Andrews is hitting .174 with eight RBIs.

The furthest east any 3A sports team can go for the 3A State Playoffs is to Morehead City to face West Carteret.

It’s longitude is 76.786, about 13 miles east of Havelock, which has a longitude of 76.893.

While it’s a long drive that the Orange men’s basketball team will make to return to the state basketball playoffs on Tuesday night, it’s one they’re still willing to take.

On Saturday night, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released its field of 64 for the 3A State Men’s Basketball playoffs. The Panthers received a #19 seed and will face #14 West Carteret in the opening round on Tuesday night. The winner will face either Northern Nash or Croatan in the second round.

Orange (17-9) will make its first playoff appearance since 2017, when they reached the state quarterfinals. The Panthers’ last postseason win came against Trition on February 25, 2017, a night of mixed blessings. Orange roared out to a 28-2 lead behind a superhuman effort from senior point forward Connor Crabtree. With Orange leading 40-17, Crabtree tore a ligament in his right ankle late in the first quarter after he came down wrong on a rebound. It ended his high school career like a star that burned brightest before it disappeared. Orange lost to Northern Guilford three days later.

West Carteret (17-7) finished 2nd in the Costal Conference behind White Oak. In 2022, the Patriots reached the 3A Eastern Regional championship game, beating Northwood in the state quarterfinals in Morehead City. Fayetteville 71st edged the Patriots 74-70 to advance to the state championship game.

The Patriots lost two starters from last year’s team, but still returned Dylan McBride and Worth Stack to a team that has a wealth of experience. West Carteret has six players who have entered 20 games this Eason. Overall, they have ten seniors on the roster.

That serves as the polar opposite of an Orange team that has been revitalized by youth. Freshman Coleman Cloer has had twelve 20-point games and is already at 518 points, which may very well be a school record for a freshman. Kai Wade, a freshman point guard, has started in 25 of Orange’s 26 games. Junior center Ryan Honeycutt is in his first season as a varsity player, while freshman Mason Robinson is also a regular contributor for a Panther team that just ended a string of five consecutive losing seasons.

The Panthers were eliminated in the semifinals of the Central Carolina Conference Tournament last Wednesday by Person in Roxboro. West Carteret was eliminated in the Coastal Conference semifinals by Swansboro, who eventually defeated White Oak to win the conference tournament.

Swansboro and West Carteret tied for 2nd in the Coastal Conference with identical 7-3 marks.

Overall, four teams from the CCC made the state playoffs, most of whom got tough draws based on various conference tournament championship games across the region jumbling up the RPI rankings at the last minute. Only Northwood, who defeated Person to win the CCC Tournament, will get a home game in the opening round. The Chargers, seeded #1, will host West Johnston on Tuesday.

Person, who appeared set to host a home game in the opening round for weeks, fell victim to an upset in the Big Carolina Conference Tournament Championship. Basically, South Central stole the Rockets’ home game when they surprised Jacksonville on Friday night. Instead, the Rockets will travel to Fayetteville to face Westover.

Walter Williams was the fourth CCC team to make the playoffs. The Bulldogs will travel to Rocky Mount, who received the #12 seed out of the Big East Conference.

Eastern Alamance was the last team out of the field of 64.

On Friday night, Cloer was named to the Central Carolina Conference All-Tournament team in Pittsboro. He was joined by Northwood’s Drake Powell, Max Frazier and Jake Leighton, Person’s Julian Crawley and Lance Clarke.