Orange High School

In most sports, there is an offseason.

It’s something that Gabriel Schmid is unfamiliar with.

Just after winning his second NCHSAA 3A State Championship last month in Kernersville, he concluded the day by going out for another run.

Just three weeks later, Schmid ran in the South Regional Cross Country Championships at McAlpline Greenway in Charlotte. He was the top runner from North Carolina, crossing the finish line in 7th place at 14:57.90 in a field of 210 runners.

On Saturday, Schmid ran his final high school cross country race when he competed in the Foot Locker National Championships at Balboa Park in San Diego. He came in 16th in the country at 15:41.60, just three seconds behind Patrick Noon of Tallahassee, Florida, who finished first in the South Regionals last month.

Drew Griffith of Butler, Pennsylvania came in first at 15:06.90.

While Schmid will continue his cross country career in college, his final high school race marks the end of an era for Orange cross country. With Schmid as its leader, the Panthers won two Mideast Regional and three Central Conference championships since 2021.

Last year, Schmid became just the second runner in Orange High history to win a state championship in cross country and the first at the 3A level. Bradsher Wilkins was Orange’s first cross country champion in 1997 at the 4A level. Wilkins won again in 1998.

Schmid has been a competitor throughout the course of his life.

As a 5th grader living in Longmont, Colorado, Schmid went to the Junior World Cross Cross Country Championships in Minneapolis and New Mexico. He competed in American Ninja Warrior competitions.

Schmid was born in Phoenix, Arizona and eventually moved to Portland, Oregon. Schmid’s father works for Topcon Healthcare, which provides medical software to eye doctors. With a chance to leave the Pacific Northwest, Schmid’s father eschewed a move to New Jersey and chose to live in Efland instead.

As a sophomore, Schmid played two fall sports. He was a regular performer for the Orange men’s soccer team, but opted to go into cross country full time after he broke 16 minutes under head coach Brian Schneidewind. Schmid is quick to point out he broke 16:00 before his teammate Spencer Hampton, who graduated in 2022. That’s when he decided to leave soccer behind and focus on one sport in the fall.

Like Schmid, Hampton went on to become an All-State runner who won a regional championship in the 3,200 meters in 2022 at Southern Lee High School in Sanford.

Schmid, who was also named the Central Conference Male Runner of the Year for the second straight year last month, will continue with his track and field career in March. Last May, Schmid won the 3A State Championship in the 3,200 meters at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro. He finished with a time of 9:14.94, become the first Orange athlete to win a state championship in track and field since Jamar Davis in 2018.

Schmid won two Mideast Regional cross country championship in 2022 and 2023. In addition, he won two regional Mideast Regional championships in outdoor track and field in the 1,600 and 3,200 meters in Franklinton. He finished second in the state championships in the 1,600 meters last May.

With the state championship in track and field, Schmid joined an impressive list of names from Orange’s past. The first-ever Panther to win a state title in track and field was Alvis Whitted, who was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the 1993 4A championships in Chapel Hill. Whitted would go on to play football at N.C. State and is still the only Orange Panther to play in a Super Bowl. Whitted was deployed on special teams for the Oakland Raiders in Super Bowl XXXVII in San Diego against Tampa Bay. Whitted is now the wide receivers coach with the Utah Utes after stints with the Wisconsin Badgers, the Colorado State Rams and one year with the Green Bay Packers.

Davis competed for N.C. State for five years and participated in the Penn Relays in 2018.

It was a full day at Orange High School with five lacrosse players signing with colleges from Hickory to Pennsylvania. Senior midfielder Connor Kruse and defenseman Sascha Van Praag formally signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory. Kruse, the son of Travis and Lauren Kruse, is the all-time leading scorer in Orange history. In his sophomore year, Kruse broke the single-season school record with 70 goals. Last season, Kruse broke another school record with 81 assists. He broke the career record with 330 points. He also amassed the single-season record with 150 points. Van Praag, the son of Bart and Berger Van Praag, has been a valuable defenseman alongside goalkeeper Katie Wollter and fellow defenders Alden Cathey, Nick Cardone and Josiah Tisdale, among others. In his sophomore season, Van Praag created 20 turnovers and had 59 ground balls. During an abbreviated junior season, Van Praag had 20 ground balls over nine games. He also created nine turnovers. Kruse and Van Praag will join a Lenoir-Rhyne team that is led by head coach Greg Paradine, who was named the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division II National Coach of the Year this week for the third time. Paradine is the only coach in Lenoir-Rhyne’s history. He guided the Bears to the Division II National Championship last spring.

Orange lacrosse’s Connor Kruse & Sascha Van Praag discuss signing with Lenoir-Rhyne men’s lacrosse

It was a full day at Orange High School with five lacrosse players signing with colleges from Hickory to Pennsylvania. Senior midfielder Connor Kruse and defenseman Sascha Van Praag formerly signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne in Hickory. Kruse, the son of Travis and Lauren Kruse, is the all-time leading scorer in Orange history.

Orange’s second regional championship in volleyball has led to a sweep of the Central Conference awards for 2023.

Senior Ella Wimsatt has been named the Central Conference Player of the Year. First-year head coach Hope Heverly is the Central Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Panthers to its first conference championship since 2005.

Orange finished 27-5 this season and won the 3A Eastern Regional championship. The Lady Panthers advanced to the 3A State Championship match for the first time since 2004, where they extended Kings Mountain to five sets at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Kings Mountain won the state title in five sets, the only time all year that the Mountaineers were taken to a fifth set all season.

Wimsatt, who announced her college commitment to Lenoir-Rhyne earlier this week, led Orange with 456 kills this season. She also was second on the team with 19 digs, second only to senior libero Sadye Porter.

It was a breakthrough season for Wimsatt, who had waited since her freshman year to play on a conference champion after neighboring Cedar Ridge won the previous three league titles. The Lady Panthers romped through the Central Conference this fall, dropping only one set during an undefeated run to the conference crown.

Wimsatt had 20 or more kills three times this season. Against Falls Lake on August 24 in Creedmoor, Wimsatt had a season-high 24 kills in a 3-1 Orange win. In a rematch in Hillsborough on September 20, Wimsatt would finished wit 20 kills, 19 digs and two aces against the Firebirds in another 3-1 Lady Panther victory. Falls Lake would go on to win the 1A Eastern Regional championship.

Orange went into the 3A State Playoffs as a #2 seed, but hosted five state playoff matches, including the Eastern Regional championship match against Carrboro. It was in her final matches at home where Wimsatt played her most inspired sets.

In the state quarterfinals, Orange faced J.H. Rose, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions. Wimsatt delivered 20 kills against the Rampants, along with 28 digs, a season-high. Orange would defeated Rose 3-2 to advance to the Final Four.

Against Carrboro, Wimsatt delivered 19 kills, 19 digs and two aces as Orange defeated the Jaguars in a thrilling five-set match. Orange avenged an earlier loss to the Jaguars from August 16.

Wimsatt concluded her Orange career with 575 kills. In addition to being the top player for Orange in its deepest run in state playoff history, Wimsatt was also a member of the 2022 women’s soccer team, which reached the third round of the state playoffs. That was the deepest playoff run for the Orange women’s soccer program since its inception in 1989. Orange defeated Cape Fear in the second round before losing to conference rival Walter Williams in the third round in Burlington.

Heverly returned to her alma mater this season after nine years away from high school coaching. While she maintained her place in the game with the D.O.V.E Club program in Durham, she hadn’t coached high school since 2014 when she concluded a three-year stint at Person.

Heverly was a member of Orange’s 2004 team that reached the state championship match. She returned this season and took a squad that included sophomore outside hitter Aubrey Jordan, sophomore middle blocker Ava Wilkerson and freshman outside hitter Sawyer White and molded it into the most successful Orange volleyball team ever.

Heverly also had the return of Porter, who proved to be a valuable defender. Porter, who didn’t play in 2022, led Orange with a team-high 521 digs. Porter also had 47 aces, which was third on the team.

The Lady Panthers lose Wimsatt, Porter, Josie Crawford and Blessiny Deronette, who will all graduate in June. Orange will return four starters next year, including Jordan, Wilkerson, White and sophomore middle blocker Mariah Poole. They will also have sophomore setter Katie Silcott, who may have set a single-season school record with 1,037 assists in 2023.

Orange 42, East Chapel Hill 33: It didn’t set records for shooting accuracy, but Orange’s defense and late field goals from Addie Atkins paced the Lady Panthers past East Chapel Hill on Tuesday night.

Atkins finished with 17 points and six rebounds while the Orange defense forced 33 turnovers in a victory over the Wildcats. Evelyn George added 13 points, eight rebounds and 10 steals as Orange improved to 3-1.

The Lady Panthers won despite shooting just 20% from the field. East Chapel Hill played without its leading scorer Abigail Stone. Lauren Steiner led the Wildcats with 16 points. Wildcats center Zariah Freeman finished with 13 points and ten rebounds.

Orange trailed for most of the game as they were unable to get things going from 3-point range, shooting just 2-of-25. East Chapel Hill 25-16 with 3:10 remaining in the third quarter after a free throw from Steiner. George started a 15-2 run with a field goal late in the second quarter while getting fouled by Steiner. Orange’s Maura McMurtry scored on a lay-in to reduce Orange’s deficit to 25-21 going into the fourth quarter.

McMurtry fed George for a 18-footer to open the fourth quarter. After Freeman scored on a lay-in off a pass from Steiner, Atkins scored four consecutive points to put Orange into tie the game. Atkins sank two free throws, then scored after she stole an inbounds pass for an easy lay-in while getting fouled by Carrie Allred. Atkins hit the free throw and Orange never trailed again. George forced a steal on the Wildcat end and got free for a lay-up and was fouled by Eleanor Schwartz. George completed the three-point play to increase Orange’s lead to 31-27.

Consecutive field goals by Freeman and Steiner put the Wildcats within a point at 32-31 with 2:12 remaining, but McMurtry and Shannon Murphy spaced out Orange’s lead with two more field goals.

Orange will travel to Chapel Hill on Friday night.

Cedar Ridge 59, Northern Durham 27: 

Cedar Ridge jumped out to a 19-2 run and dominated Northern Durham on Monday night at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves are 2-3, its best start since the 2017-2018 season.

Amiyah Ware led the Red Wolves with 15 points and seven rebounds. Freshman Sarah Utley added eleven points, six assists and five steals.

It was a sizable disparity between the last meeting between the two teams. Last year, without Ware, the Knights defeated the Red Wolves by 29 points. Cedar Ridge coach Megan Skouby won her first game as the Red Wolves head coach against Northern Durham on December 6, 2021 when Phoenix Smith scored off a short jumper on a pass from Julie Altieri with two seconds remaining to win 45-44.

There was no such drama on Monday night. From the time Addie Reid knocked scored on a stickback basket with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter, the Red Wolves easily earned its first home win of the season. The Red Wolves scored the first seven points of the game, capped by a three-pointer from Ware off a pass from Utley. After Northern’s Ky Walker scored the Knights only basket of the first quarter with 4:50 remaining, the Red Wolves went on a 16-0 run to put the game away. It started when Utley drained a three-pointer off a pass from Ware, followed by two free throws from James Watson. Watson ended the first quarter with a lay-in assisted by Koryn Shearin.

Ware opened the second quarter with a three-pointer assisted by Utley. The Red Wolves led 34-8 at halftime. They limited Northern to just nine field goals and 25% shooting from the field.

Watson finished with eight points. Seniors Cameron Copeland and Cyani Jacobs each scored six points.

Cedar Ridge defeated Chatham Central for its first win of the season on November 21 in Bear Creek. The Red Wolves will face Northern Durham again tonight, this time in Northern’s new gymnasium.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is men’s soccer midfielder Emmanuel Mil Cruz. For the first time ever this season, Orange reached the state playoffs in back-to-back years. Mil Cruz, one of eight seniors on the team, was tied for the team lead with five goals. Mil Cruz scored Orange’s a goal in his senior night game against Eastern Alamance, a 1-1 tie on October 19. Mil Cruz also had a goal in Orange’s 3-2 win at Southern Alamance on September 20. In the season opener at Durham School of the Arts on August 17, Mil Cruz notched the game-winning goal on a header in the second half as the Panthers won 2-1. Mil Cruz spent two years at the varsity level for the Orange men’s soccer team. He had four goals in his junior season, including a tally in Orange’s memorable 3-2 upset over Chapel Hill on October 13, 2022. He also had an assist in the Panthers 3-2 win over Northwood, which was the last time the Chargers and the Panthers played as conference opponents. Mil Cruz ended his Orange career with nine goals and 22 points. He will graduate in June.

Orange Panther of the Week: Emmanuel Mil Cruz

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is men’s soccer midfielder Emmanuel Mil Cruz. For the first time ever this season, Orange reached the state playoffs in back-to-back years. Mil Cruz, one of eight seniors on the team, was tied for the team lead with five goals.

The Jim King/Orange Invitational is a staple during the opening weekend of December at Orange High School.

During a time of transition for the Orange wrestling team, the Panthers still crowned two individual champions on Saturday. At 126 pounds, junior Braden Crawford captured his first JKO championship.

In the most competitive championship match of a lengthy day, Orange senior Andre Hill earned his first JKO title at 170 pounds.

Crawford, whose sister Josie recently won a regional championship in volleyball for Orange, pinned Tiaj Thao of Davie County in the 126 pound championship match. Thao, the top-seed with a 11-0 record going into the final, shot in for the opening takedown. Crawford eluded Thao and gained his side, then pushed off his legs to put Thao on his back. Crawford scored the pin in 1:00.

Crawford, who is now 8-0 on the season, pinned East Chapel Hill’s Jackie Crozier of East Chapel Hill in 3:16 in the second round. In the quarterfinals, Crawford defeated Connor Herbert of Hough 7-2. Following a scoreless first period, Crawford gained three back points on a near fall to take a 6-2 lead midway through the third period. In the semifinals, Crawford held off Tremayne McNeely of Eastern Guilford 5-1. Crawford scored a takedown with 14 seconds remaining in the first period and never trailed again.

Hill, an offensive lineman for the Orange football team, had a hotly contested final against Giancarlo Evans of Hough. Evans led 2-1 at the end of the first period. On the coin toss to start the second period, Evans elected to start from the bottom. Hill struggled the entire period to gain the escape point to tie the match. Hill broke free, but Evans wrapped his arm around his leg to maintain contact. At first, the officials ruled Hill had not escaped, but changed course at the end of the period.

With things all square at 2-2 to begin the third, Evans got an escape. Hill gained Evans back with 1:04 remaining to take the lead, then held on for all he was worth to keep Evans from escaping. Hill’s grip was strong enough to gain the win 4-3. Hill, who was seeded #3, is 10-0.

In a tight team race, Eastern Guilford won the team title on the penultimate match of a long second day. In the 215 pound championship match, Xavier Wilson pinned Jiwaun Flemming of Pine Forest in 2:47 to earn the Wildcats six points.

Davie County could have tied the Wildcats in the final championship match of the day. At heavyweight, the War Eagles’ Ryder Strickland defeated Eastern Guilford’s Christopher Riley 3-1 in sudden victory, while only gave Davie County three points. Eastern Guilford won the team title with 264 points, while the War Eagles finished with 261.

Orange senior Jared Hutchins, who qualified for the state championships last year, finished 2nd at 138 pounds. Hutchins defeated Andrew Davis of Davie County 16-7, Jackson Rowling of Hough took a big lead early in the championship match, then held on to defeat Hutchins 6-4.

Hutchins pinned Cedell Alexander of Northern Durham in 2;50 of the second round. Hutchins scored a major decision over Andrew Matters of Cary 11-1 in the quarterfinals.

At 106 pounds, Orange senior Chris Winstead finished fifth, the only other Panther to place. Facing Tyron Grant of Pine Forest in the fifth place match, Winstead blocked a shot in the second period. He pinned Grant at 1:14.

The JKO also had a women’s event this year. Ava Lytle of Orange finished highest in the female tournament. She came in 2nd at 126 pounds. Alfa Dominguez of Cary won the final over Lytle 3-1 in the championship. At 165 pounds, Kode Phillips of Orange finished in fifth place. Millbrook was the women’s team championship with 137 points, barely holding off Wake County rival Cary, who had 134 points.