Orange Women’s Basketball

Orange junior point guard Aaliyah Harris started her junior season much later than normal, but she make up for lost time. Harris registered 17 points, 6 rebounds and five assists as the Lady Panthers defeated Southern Durham 61-39 in Hillsborough on Friday night. Harris has played regularly on the varsity level since her freshman year. Last season as a starter, Orange made the state playoffs for the second straight year. This year, Orange will play a maximum of 14 games, but Harris is determined to make the most of it. She’s surrounded by teammates Jarmil Wingate, Samantha George, Jala Rainey and Erin Jordan-Cornell, who have been on the varsity level for several years. Orange, 1-1, will travel to Northern Durham on Tuesday night.

In its home opener, the orange women’s basketball team defeated Southern Durham 61-39 on Friday night. Sophomore center Erin Jordan-Cornell finished with 18 points and 16 rebounds as the Lady Panthers earned its first win of the season. Jordan-Cornell was an outside hitter on the Orange volleyball team in November, so she’s had time to get in shape. Though it was only Orange’s second game of the season, Jordan-Cornell played like an experienced veteran against the Spartans, making 9-of-10 free throws. She also found teammate Samantha George on a transition basket in the third quarter to help the Lady Panthers pull away. Orange travels to Northern Durham on Tuesday night looking to go to 2-1.

“I bet it’s going to come to me, knowing my luck.”

That was running through Grace Andrews’ head as she stared at a crowded grandstand at N.C. State’s Doak Field.

She wanted to be wrong because there was a state championship riding in the balance.

She wasn’t.

Andrews was a freshman playing 2nd base, which wasn’t even her standard position through her young career. The Orange softball team led Piedmont 4-1 in game two of the 3A State Softball Championships on June 3, 2017. The Lady Panthers were one out away from becoming the first women’s team in school history to win a state championship.

It was already so hot that Orange pitcher Christina Givens got lightheaded in the middle innings. She had to receive carbonated drinks and breath mints from Orange trainer Emily Gaddy in the dugout to finish the game.

Sure enough, the final out rolled Andrews way, and when she calmly touched second base, it set off a raucous celebration.

“It was so hot,” Andrews said. “But it worked out. I think about that team a lot. It was the most talented team I’ve been on. I wish I could have played with them longer and so many of them didn’t graduate right after that.”

Four years after that climatic finish, Andrews is winding down her high school career in the meekest way imaginable. With the hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, her senior season has likely ended after only four games.

After starting for four years on the softball team, a ceremony to celebrate Andrews signing with a college team is richly deserved and standard. Of course, these are not standard times. School has been closed across Orange County since March 16.

Instead of a lunchtime gathering inside Orange High Gymnasium with hundreds of her schoolmates, coaches and teachers on hand, Andrews held a quaint ceremony to sign with Hickory’s Catawba Valley Community College at her family’s home last week. On hand was her father, Chris, her mother, Jeanne Stroud and her husband, Hal, along with grandfather Dennis and Orange assistant coaches Tonya Daye and Jennifer Batts.

It was an adjustment to benefit the greater good, something that has become customary for Andrews.

As a middle schooler on Barnes’ summer travel team, Andrews played catcher and first base. When she moved up to Orange in 2016, Panthers Coach Eddie Davidson wanted her in the starting lineup immediately, even if it meant rearranging his infield.

Andrews’ fellow freshman, Jaden Hurdle, was already penciled in at 1st base. Knowing that Andrews would be comfortable on the right side of the infield, Davidson asked senior 2nd baseman Abby Hamlett to move to shortstop so Andrews could be a regular starter.

Hamlett agreed.

“It made me really nervous,” Andrews said. “I didn’t know if I was going to do good. I did my best and worked hard. I had some good games and Coach Davidson was excited that I did well.”

It led to Orange winning the 3A State Championship. Andrews played 28 games for a squad that finished 26-3.

Andrews was also the last member of that championship team healthy enough to suit up this season. On March 10, she scored two runs as Orange rallied from a 7-1 deficit to defeat East Chapel Hill 10-8 in its Big 8 Conference opener.

Two days later, Coach Henry Horn informed the team that the season had been suspended after practice. It wasn’t supposed to feel final at the time, but it still did.

“I was upset,’ Andrews said. “We all were, but nobody showed it. I don’t think anybody wanted to think it was the end.”

Aside from her parents, Andrews’ biggest fan was her grandmother, who also played softball when slow-pitch was the main style for recreation and high school. Andrews called her “Maw Maw” and started her career at catcher, just as her grandmother did.

Andrews’ mother, Jeanne, played alongside Grace in a recreation co-ed league in Efland at Oak Grove Church.

When Maw Maw passed away in 2013, Andrews asked to move to 1st base on her travel team.

“Her Maw Maw also played softball and I think that was a big thing for Grace,” said Chris Andrews, her father. “She studies the game, she loves the game and is very competitive.”

While the short-term future for Andrews is unclear, the long-term future is more certain. Wearing a Catawba Valley jersey, she will compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

It also means she will compete in the same conference against Hurdle, her longtime teammate who signed with Patrick Henry Community College in November.

Andrews also played three seasons for the Orange women’s basketball team, where she was a regular rotation player on two squads that reached the state playoffs.

“When I think about Grace, I think about her toughness,” said Orange women’s coach B.J. Condron. “This year, she hit the floor hard in a game against Vance County. I went out to check on her and there was blood all over the floor. She chipper her front tooth. She goes to the bench to get some treatment from Mrs. Gaddy. I’m thinking she’s done for the game. Next thing I now, she’s ready to play. Grace is a ball player.”

Orange won 60-45. Andrews finished with nine points.

Grace also has a father and a grandfather who regularly officiate high school games in various sports. Dennis and Chris have officiated football, basketball, baseball and softball games. It’s not a path that Grace plans to follow.

“I thought about it, but I don’t think that’s for me,” Grace said.

“She is very quiet and shy,” Chris said. “I can see her as a coach one day after she’s done playing. She’s looking forward to transferring to a 4-year school after her time at CVCC.”

After winning it all as a freshman, Andrews is spending her final months of high school in her backyard, fielding grounders hit by her younger brother, Wyatt. It’s hardly the way Grace wanted to spend her senior season. Last season, Orange tied Cedar Ridge for the Big 8 Conference Championship, reached the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs and took D.H. Conley to extra innings before being eliminated 2-1.

At a time when the entire world is having to adjust to make things better for their fellow man, Grace Andrews is ending her time at Orange High the same way.

Except for her, it’s second nature by now.

Landon Riley: Liberty Baseball ended its year with a 10-7 record. The Flames defeated Kent State 7-2 on March 9 in Lynchburg, VA. Riley earned his second win of the season. He came out of the bullpen to throw two-and-two-thirds innings of shutout baseball. Riley faced eleven batters and scattered two hits and struck out two. It was a short but solid season for Riley. In seven appearances, he had a 2-0 record with four saves and a 1.46 ERA. In 12.1 innings, Riley had 15 strikeouts, allowed only three walks, six hits and two earned runs.

Bowen Collins: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team ended the year ranked #5 in the country. On March 10, the Bears defeated Assumption 17-12 at Moretz Stadium in Hickory. Collins scored a goal with 12:00 remaining in the game. Lenoir-Rhyne also defeated #1 Limestone 18-16 in the Crown Lacrosse Challenge at Hough High School in Cornelius on March 8. Collins scored two goals for the Bears, including a man-up goal in the second quarter to put the Bears ahead 7-4. He scored again with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Collins ends the year with seven goals and six assists in seven games. Since he is a senior, Collins can take advantage of another year of eligibility that was extended by the NCAA on Friday after the rest of the season was canceled because of the Coronavirus.

Zach Wright: Wright had a goal for Division II Mars Hill in a loss to 19-8 loss to North Greenville on March 11 at Meares Stadium in Mars Hill. Wright scored an unassisted goal with 1:15 remaining in the third quarter. This season, Wright had four goals and two assists in eight games. He is also a senior.

Jaylin Jones: Jones assisted on a goal for Pfeiffer in a 16-8 loss to Guilford at Afmfield Athletic Center in Greensboro. Jones set up Quinn Becraft on a goal that reduced the Falcons’ deficit to 10-5 with 8:55 remaining in the third quarter. Jones, a junior, played in five games this year for Pfeiffer.

Luke Hernandez: The former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf also played for Pfeiffer against Guilford. Hernandez, a sophomore, saw action in Pfeiffer’s last three games, including a 23-6 win over Averett on March 7. Pfeiffer went 2-4 this season.

Tyson Wolter: The former Orange High lacrosse goalkeeper is now at Division III Guilford after transferring from Pfeiffer. On March 11, Wolter faced Pfeiffer after he replaced starter Jack Rogers. Wolter plays 6:36 and made four saves. A freshman, Wolter played in two other games this season for the Quakers.

Aidan Poole: The Division III Greensboro men’s lacrosse team defeated Hampton 15-11 at Pride Field in Greensboro on March 11. Poole, who was an All-Big 8 Conference player at Cedar Ridge, started on defense for the Pride. He assisted on a goal scored by Austin Abourjilie in the third quarter. He also had a ground ball and created a turnover. Greensboro was 4-3.

Kate Burgess: The UNC rowing team finished 3rd in the Clemson Carolina Cup on March 7 at Lake Hartwell in Clemson, SC. Burgess, a freshman who made the rowing team last fall, was on the Varsity 8 team that finished fourth in a five-team race at a time of 7:38.63. Kate Pierce paced the boat that Burgess was rowing, along with Charlotte Melgard, Gabrielle Labrazzi, Juliana Micchia, Hannah Davis, Zoe Sang, Nicole Van Liew and Neeva Wernsman Young. This was the first, and only, race of the spring for UNC’s rowing team.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech women’s basketball team won the Region X Tournament Championship over Louisburg College 86-59 at Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville, VA on Saturday. It is the first championship in program history. Wake Tech, who entered the tournament as the #3 seed, won three games in three days. They opened with a victory over USC-Salkehatchie 88-65 on Thursday. The Eagles knocked off 2nd-seeded Cape Fear Community College 76-57. Cates, a freshman who graduated from Orange in June, will accompany the Eagles to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Tournament starting March 17 at SC4 Fieldhouse in Port Huron, MI.

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team had its season end in the opening round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament. On Tuesday, Belmont Abbey defeated the Hawks 87-37 in Belmont. Barnett started for Chowan and played eight minutes. In her freshman season, Barnett played 19 games with four starts. She averaged 9.4 minutes per game and scored 39 points. Barnett averaged 2.4 rebounds per game. Chowan finished 6-21 overall, 6-16 in Conference Carolinas.

Marvin Jones: At the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Landover, MD, Jones earned the bronze medal in the high jump for North Carolina Central. Jones cleared 2.05 meters. North Carolina Central’s men’s team finished eighth with 23 points, its best showing since 2013. Jones concluded the indoor season with three individual championships.

Jamar Davis: At the ACC Indoor Track & Field Championships at Notre Dame’s Loftus Sports Center, Davis finished seventh in the long jump at 7.37 meters. Davis, a sophomore, finished 20th in the triple jump at 13. 39 meters.

Jonathan Hall: At the Southern Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships in Lexington, VA, former Cedar Ridge star Jonathan Hall had a new personal best in the 60-meter hurdles. Competing for Wofford, Hall finished 7th at 8.51 seconds. Hall earned two points for the Terriers’ team standings.

Bowen Collins: The Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse team, ranked #17 in Division II, defeated #3 Adelphi 17-16 at Moretz Stadium in Hickory on March 1. It was the second-highest opponent the Bears have ever defeated. Collins assisted on a goal scored by LR’s Toron Eccleston that tied the game 11-11 in the third quarter. The Bears are 4-1.

Zach Wright: The Division II Mars Hill men’s lacrosse team is 3-4. On February 29, Lander defeated the Lions 23-10 inside Van Tyler Stadium in Greenwood, S.C. Wright, a senior who graduated from Orange, scored a goal and had an assist. He finished with three shots, two on goal. On Saturday, Catawba defeated Mars Hill 13-4 in Salisbury.

Aidan Poole: A sophomore for the Division III Greensboro College men’s lacrosse team, the Pride defeated Randolph College 16-5 on Saturday. Poole started on defense for Greensboro and had two ground balls and created one turnover. On Thursday, Greensboro defeated Chatham University 12-5. Once again, Poole started and scored his second goal of the season in the first period off an assist from Patrick Bell. Poole finished with two shots, three ground balls and created one turnover. Greensboro is 4-3 and will host Hampton on Wednesday afternoon at 2.

Luke Hernandez: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team scored 13 goals in the first half to blast Averett University 23-6 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Saturday. It was the Falcons USA South Athletic Conference opener. Hernandez, who graduated from Cedar Ridge last summer, created two turnovers and scooped up two ground balls for Pfeiffer.

Jaylin Jones: Jones, who graduated from Orange in 2018, is also a member of the Pfeiffer lacrosse team as a midfielder. He had a ground ball in the win over Averett. On Wednesday, Southern Virginia defeated Pfeiffer 23-14. Against the Knights, Jones had two ground balls and created one turnover. The Falcons are 2-3 overall.

Brandon Homsey: As a sophomore, Homsey has qualified for the NCAA Division III Wrestling Tournament. Competing for Ferrum College, Homsey finished third in the NCAA Southeast Regional at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, PA over the weekend. On Friday, Homsey lost his opening match to Washington & Jefferson’s Alex Donahue 3-1 in overtime. That left Homsey needing to win four matches to qualify for the national championships. He started Saturday by pinning Waynesboro University’s Adam Rigney. Homsey earned a 3-0 decision over Jack Bauer of Wilkes University, then rolled past Michael Reinhart of York University 7-1. Homsey received a medical forfeit against McDaniel College’s Anthony Wuest, then won a rematch over Donahue with a 10-0 decision in the third-place match. Homsey is 33-10 with four pins this season.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team combined for its first no-hitter in 20 years when they defeated Marist 6-4 at Worthington Field on Saturday afternoon. Three pitchers participated in the no-no and Riley earned his first victory of the season in relief as the Flames won its fifth straight game. In two innings, Riley faced six batters and struck out three of them. Marist scored four runs on eight walks, three hit batters and an error, but no hits. On Friday, Riley earned his third save as the Flames defeated the Red Foxes 4-3. Riley retired four batters, striking out two and walked one. Liberty has won six in a row. They’re scheduled to host Elon on Tuesday in Lynchburg, VA.

Brad Debo: The #8 N.C. State baseball team swept all three games in the CambriaCollegeClassic at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis over the weekend. On Saturday, the Wolfpack defeated Purdue 6-0. Debo went 1-for-2 with a run scored. It was his only action of the weekend. N.C. State is 11-0.

Phillip Berger: Berger suffered his first loss at William Peace University against Greensboro College on Saturday. The Pride defeated the Pacers 11-8 at Ted Leonard Park in Greensboro. Berger threw two-and-two-thirds innings. He surrendered eight runs on six hits. He walked three and struck out three. Peace falls to 9-3, 1-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference after dropping two of three against the Pride.

Montana Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won the Alex Wilson Memorial Tournament over the weekend, finishing 5-0 against UAB, Alcorn State, and UT Martin. On Sunday, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader, beating Alcorn State 9-1 and UT Martin 6-1. Montana went 3-for-5 on the day, including going 2-for-3 against the Skyhawks. It was her second multi-hit game of the year. She tied her career high with four assists against the Braves. She went 1-for-3 with a run scored against UAB in a 16=6 win over the Blazers on Friday.

Mia Davidson: Mia made her first start of the season at third base during Mississippi State’s win over Alcorn State on Saturday. She eventually moved across the diamond to first base for the first time in her college career. Mia went 1-for-4 in Saturday’s game against the Braves, which extended her hitting streak to eight, the longest by any Bulldog this season. The streak was snapped the following day in Sunday’s win over the Braves when Mia went 0-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. On Friday, Mia went 1-for-4 with a double in the win over UAB. Mississippi State is 18-3 . They will host UT Martin on Monday afternoon.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team surprised Louisburg College 87-73 in its regular season finale on Saturday at the Taylor Center in Louisburg. Lauren Cates, a freshman for the Eagles, returned to the starting lineup and scored 16 points off 5-of-9 shooting from the field. Cates was 4-of-6 from three-point range. She also had eight rebounds and three assists as Wake Tech avenged a 14-point loss from January. Wake Tech completed the regular season 18-7. They will travel to the Region 10 Tournament in Martinsville, VA, where they will open against USC Salkehatchie on Thursday night at 6 PM.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team rallied past Central Arkansas 6-3 at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS on Wednesday. UCA led 2-0 at the end of three innings, but Davidson sparked a rally with a triple in the bottom of the fourth. She scored off a groundout by Carter Spexarth. In the 5th, Davidson laced a single to left field to score Candace Denis. It was Davidson’s fourth multi-hit game of the year. Mississippi State improves to 13-3. This weekend, the Bulldogs will host the Alex Wilcox memorial Tournament, which will include UAB, Alcorn State and UT Martin.

Brad Debo: The #8 N.C. State baseball team defeated UNC Wilmington 11-0 in Raleigh on Tuesday night. Debo replaced catcher Patrick Bailey in the ninth inning. He didn’t make a plate appearance.

Icez Barnett: The Division II Chowan women’s basketball team ended the regular season on Tuesday night. Limestone defeated the Hawks 78-72 at the Helms Center in Murfreesboro. After starting the previous three games, Barnett came off the bench and played four minutes. Barnett played 18 games in the regular season. She averaged 9.4 minutes per game. She scored 39 points and grabbed 44 rebounds. Chowan will travel to Belmont Abbey, ranked #10 in Division II, in the opening round of the Conference Carolinas Tournament on Monday.

Kaylen Campbell: The season of the Division III Trinity Bantams ended in the quarterfinals of the New England Small Conference Athletic Conference on Saturday. Williams College defeated Trinity 65-56 in Williamstown, MA. Campbell played three minutes to end her sophomore season. This season, Campbell played 20 games. She averaged 10.9 minutes per game and 2.6 points per game. Trinity ends the year 16-9.

Lauren Cates: The Wake Tech Community College women’s basketball team played its final home game of the season by rolling past South Carolina Faith A&M 107-33 on Monday night in Raleigh. Cates came off the bench to score four points, grab four rebounds and dish out two assists. The Eagles, who are now 17-7, will travel to Louisburg College on Thursday night to finish the regular season.

Bowen Collins: Belmont Abbey men’s lacrosse team, ranked #6 in Division II, defeated the #16 Lenoir Rhyne Bears 12-7 on Friday at Alumni Field in Belmont. Collins assisted on Lenoir Rhyne’s first goal of the game, which was scored by Eric Dickinson. With that goal, Dickinson became the all-time leading goal scorer in South Atlantic Conference history. Collins had five shots, two on net, and one ground ball. The Bears fall to 2-1.

Zach Wright: The Division II Mars Hill men’s lacrosse team defeated Shorter 8-6 at Meares Stadium in Mars Hill on Wednesday night. Wright, a senior who played at Orange, had two shots. On Saturday, the Lions defeated Emmanuel 15-13. Wright scored a goal for the Lions and had two ground balls. Mars Hill is 3-2.

Aidan Poole: The former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf has started the last three games for the Division III Greensboro College Pride. On Wednesday night, Poole started as a defenseman as Greensboro defeated Ferrum 14-11 in Virgina. Poole also started in Greensboro’s 16-3 win over Oglethorpe University at Pride Field on Saturday. Poole scored his second college goal on February 19 in Guilford’s 16-9 win over the Pride. Last season, Poole played in eleven games for the Pride, but didn’t start in any of them.

These are golden times for Eastern Alamance athletics.

Last spring, the softball team captured the 3A State Championship on the strength of freshman pitcher Kenna Rae Dark. On a 20-player roster, they had only four seniors.

Last fall, the football team rolled through the 3A/2A Mid-State Conference undefeated and advanced to the 3A Eastern Regional Championship, where they lost to Southern Nash 32-29 in Mebane. They finished 14-1.

This winter, the Eagles’ women’s basketball team served notice that they will be a force to be dealt with for years to come, if not sooner.

As in the next two weeks.

Starting four sophomores, the Eagles eliminated Orange from the NCHSAA 3A State Playoffs 58-33 on Tuesday night inside Tal Jobe Gymnasium in Mebane. Laila Anderson led the Eagles with 20 points, while classmate Amiyah Evans added 17.

The Eagles, who won the Mid-State Conference Tournament last week and earned a four-seed, will host Jacksonville White Oak on Thursday night in the second round.

Orange, which ended the year 11-13, trailed 13-7 at the end of the first quarter. Samatha George and Grace Andrews hit 3-pointers in the second quarter to cut Orange’s deficit to 17-13, but the Eagles went on a 13-2 run to finish the first half and led 30-15 at the half.

Orange went scoreless for the first 4:15 of the second half. Eastern rolled off a 10-0 run to open the third quarter and put the game away.

“(Coach) Tim (Krotish) does a great job over here,” said Orange Coach B.J. Condron. “They played solid man-to-man defense on us the whole game. We turned the ball over several times. I knew one of the keys to the game was us not turning the ball over. And we turned the ball over.”

It was the second year in a row that the Eagles defeated the Lady Panthers in the opening round of the state playoffs.

Sophomore guard Aaliyah Harris was the only Orange player in double figures with eleven points, which was a fitting way for the season to end. Harris was forced to take an increased scoring role after sophomore Mary Moss Wirt injured her knee against Carrboro on December 12. Despite her best efforts, Wirt missed Orange’s last 20 games.

Nonetheless, Orange made the state playoffs for the fourth time in five years despite numerous injuries.

Collectively, Orange starters missed 30 games due to injuries or other commitments in a 24-game season. That’s after losing four senior starters from last year.

It was also a young team. On Tuesday, Orange started three sophomores, a freshman and junior forward Jala Rainey. The only seniors were Grace Andrews and Brenna Mehl.

Nonetheless, the Lady Panthers carried Big 8 Champion Northwood to overtime on February 5 in Hillsborough, defeated Vance County 60-45 to start 2020 and had three competitive games with Chapel Hill.

The Tigers won its opening round state playoff game at Southern Wayne on Tuesday.

“I’ll remember this team’s resiliency,” Condron said. “They could have had a number of excuses to give up this season. But they didn’t. They battled. They didn’t give up. They made some games close that probably shouldn’t have been close and won some games that they probably shouldn’t have.”

Andrews still has softball season ahead. She claimed a state championship her freshman year as a starting 2nd baseman for the Lady Panthers.

While Mehl’s athletic career at Orange is over, her future is blindingly bright. With a 4.6 grade point average, she plans to attend UNC or N.C. State to study biomedical engineering.

EASTERN ALAMANCE 58, ORANGE 33

ORANGE: Aaliyah Harris 11, Samantha George 3, Jala Rainey 7, Erin Jordan-Cornell 5, Grace Andrews 7.

EASTERN ALAMANCE: Laila Anderson 20, Kara Jones 7, Hali Watkins 6, Amiyah Evans 17, MaKenzy Tucker 4, Tashawna Garner 2, Ginia Lawson 2.

The Orange women’s basketball team had its season come to an end on Wednesday night in the 3A State Playoffs. For the second year in a row, Eastern Alamance eliminated the Lady Panthers in the opening round. Laila Anderson scored 20 points to lead the Eagles. It was the final game for Orange seniors Grace Andrews and Brenna Mehl. Andrews started playing on the varsity in her sophomore season. She was a regular rotation player for last year’s Orange team that won 19 games and finished 2nd in the Big 8 Conference. Andrews claimed a state championship early in her career. She was a second baseman for the 2017 Orange softball team that won the 3A State Championship at Dail Field in Raleigh over Piedmont. In fact, Andrews recorded the putout that clinched the title. Now that her basketball career has ended, she’ll start practicing for softball season on Wednesday. The Orange softball teams starts its season against Holly Springs on Wednesday in Hillsborough.