Orange High School

The Orange women’s basketball team will play for the championship of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers held on to defeat Walter Williams 53-47 in Gibsonville. It was the second game between the Lady Dawgs and the Lady Panthers In eleven days. On December 16, Williams defeated Orange 50-45, but the Lady Panthers were without senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell. On Tuesday, Jordan-Cornell immediately made her presence felt and finished with a team-high 14 points. Sophomore Evelyn George also scored 14 points as the Lady Panthers reached a tournament final for the first time since 2018. The Lady Panthers led by as many as 14 in the second half. Senior Nikayla Whitted and Sophomore Addie Atkins both drained crucial 3-pointers in the final three minutes as Orange ended a four-game losing streak to the Bulldogs. Orange will go for its first tournament championship since 2017 on Wednesday night. They will face Northeast Guilford at 7 PM at Eastern Guilford High. Last year, Orange defeated the Rams 52-27. It was head coach B.J.  Condron’s 100th win as head coach of the Lady Panthers.

Orange’s Erin Jordan-Cornell & Evelyn George discuss win over Walter Williams

The Orange women’s basketball team will play for the championship of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers held on to defeat Walter Williams 53-47 in Gibsonville. It was the second game between the Lady Dawgs and the Lady Panthers In eleven days.

The Orange men’s basketball program will start action today in the South Granville Holiday Invitational Tournament playing the program’s best basketball in years.

The last time the Panthers went into holiday break with a winning record, it was 2019. The Panthers were 7-1, fresh off a whopping 50-point win over East Chapel Hill in its conference opener. They followed with a victory over Walter Williams, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions.

It appeared Orange would be the favorite to win in Creedmoor. Instead, the worst-case scenario unfolded over the course of three days.

Orange shockingly lost to Sanderson, Franklinton and Green Hope. The Panthers, who went into the event ranked in the MaxPreps top ten among 3A Eastern Regional teams, lost a key player for the season days later, never recovered and finished 10-15.

Needless to say, it’s not an experience that Panthers head coach Derryl Britt wants to endure again.

Orange will face East Wake in the opening game of the Columbia Bracket tonight at 7 PM at South Granville High School. The winner will face South Granville or Cary in the semifinals on Thursday.

Wake Forest, Northern Durham, Green Level and Sanderson complete the eight-team field.

Orange hasn’t been to the final of a holiday tournament since 2016, when they defeated Eastern Guilford to win the Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational on the Wildcats’ own floor in Gibsonville.

Last year, the Panthers finished third in the Navy Bracket at South Granville. After falling to Cary in the semifinals, the Panthers defeated Granville Central in the 3rd place game. Orange senior guard Jerec Thompson was named MVP of the Navy Bracket.

Of all of Britt’s teams that he’s taken into a Christmas event, this is easily the most unique. For Orange’s top four scorers, this will be their first taste of holiday tournament basketball.

Coleman Cloer (17.7 points per game) and Kai Wade (10 ppg) are freshmen. Sophomore Xandrell Pennix (10.8 points per game) wasn’t called up to the varsity level until Orange’s game against Person in January. Junior center Ryan Honeycutt (9 points per game) is in the midst of his first varsity season. Mason Robinson, who had seven blocks in Orange’s win over Walter Williams on December 16, is also a freshman.

Most of Orange’s veterans with tournament experience have come off the bench this year. Last week, junior Ryan Moss played his first game of the season after undergoing surgery for a torn meniscus in September.He scored nine points, all off 3-pointers, in a win over Southern Alamance.

“I commend all five of my seniors,” Britt said. “They are the captains of this team. They really do lead the team. The fact that they don’t play as much as the younger guys, they don’t let it bother them. They knew it was going to be that way coming into this season. The fact that they accepted those roles and I can’t say enough about them.”

The youth movement has led to results. Orange (9-3) has already surpassed its win total from last season. The Panthers won at Walter Williams for the first time in over 35 years earlier this month and are still the only team to have defeated Franklinton, who are 8-1.

“We haven’t had a team this formidable going to South Granville,” Britt said. “Last year, we went over there and finished 2-1, which is what you want to do in a quality tournament like that. Our goal this year is to reach the championship game.”

The Columbia Bracket is full of familiar faces for Orange. Cary defeated Orange 69-64 in the semifinals last year. Wake Forest ran past Orange 65-47 on December 3. If the Cougars and the Panthers have a rematch, it would be in the championship game.

Northern Durham is a former Big 8 Conference rival that moved up to 4A at the end of the 2021 academic year.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior wrestler Dillon Heffernan. On December 17, Heffernan captured the 145-pound championship in the Eastern Alamance Eagle Invitational in Mebane. Heffernan’s victory helped the Orange wrestling team finish first in the event. Last week, Heffernan came in fifth at the Tiger Holiday Classic in Chapel Hill, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the region. Heffernan reached the semifinals after opening the tournament with wins over Will McRae of William Hough High and Noah Ramirez of Jack Britt. Heffernan is 18-3 with eight pins so far this season. He is undefeated in dual matches. Heffernan finished 2nd in the Jim King/Orange Invitational earlier this month. Last season, Heffernan went 26-9 and qualified for the 3A State Championships in the 126-pound division. Heffernan finished 2nd in the Mideast Regional in 2021. As a sophomore, Heffernan qualified for the 3A State Championships during the pandemic and finished his sophomore year with a record of 18-4. He has been a member of two conference championship teams with Orange. He was a starter on an Orange team that advanced to the 3A Eastern Regional Championship match in the State Dual Team Championships last February. This Saturday, the Panthers will compete in the West Stanly Duals to finish out 2022.

Orange Panther of the Week: Dillon Heffernan

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior wrestler Dillon Heffernan. On December 17, Heffernan captured the 145-pound championship in the Eastern Alamance Eagle Invitational in Mebane. Heffernan’s victory helped the Orange wrestling team finish first in the event.

Over the course of one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the southeast last week, Orange sophomore Daisy Lopez made history. Lopez became the first female wrestler to win a tournament match for Orange. In the consolation bracket of the 126-pound division of the Chapel Hill Women’s Classic, Lopez pinned Mirabelle Chi of East Chapel Hill in 2:24. After Chi scored the opening takedown of the match, Lopez notched her first win of the season with a reversal and guided Chi’s shoulders to the mat. She went on to finish fourth, becoming the first Orange female wrestler to place in a tournament. Lopez is believed to be the second female wrestler in Orange history. She started in wrestling last year when a friend suggested trying it out. Despite some apprehension from those close to her, Lopez continues to progress with one of the most storied and successful programs in the state. Last year, Lopez won a match via forfeit. She will continue to work during the intense training designed by Orange wrestling coach Spenser Poteat as the Panthers search for another conference championship. With women’s wrestling gaining traction across North Carolina high schools annually, Lopez’s win at Chapel Hill last week will become an important benchmark in Orange wrestling history.

Lopez becomes first Orange female wrestler to win a tournament match

Over the course of one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the southeast last week, Orange sophomore Daisy Lopez made history. Lopez became the first female wrestler to win a tournament match for Orange. In the consolation bracket of the 126-pound division of the Chapel Hill Women’s Classic, Lopez pinned Mirabelle Chi of East Chapel Hill in 2:24.

Through the first half of the season, it’s been a tall task for the Orange women’s basketball team to get healthy. With one key reserve out for the year with a knee injury, they probably never will be.

For the first time in two weeks, the Lady Panthers did have its senior starting front line available for the start of the Eastern Guilford Holiday Basketball Tournament, which led to the end of its four-game losing streak.

Behind senior center Erin Jordan-Cornell, who finished with eleven points, eight rebounds and six assists, the Lady Panthers survived a late rally to defeat The Burlington School 54-44 in the opening round of the eight-team tournament on Monday morning in Gibsonville.

Orange (5-8) advances to face Central Carolina Conference rival Walter Williams in the semifinals on Tuesday afternoon. Williams defeated Reidsville 75-50 in the opening round.

The victory marked Orange’s fourth straight win in the Eastern Guilford Tournament. Last year, the event was simply comprised of three games as opposed to a full-fledged tournament. In 2021, Orange defeated Reidsville, Eastern Guilford and Northeast Guilford, the last of which was coach B.J. Condron’s 100th career win.

Jordan-Cornell’s 6-foot-1 frame was able to pass over the smaller Spartans and frequently found sophomore Evelyn George for the game’s biggest baskets. George, who finished with eight points and 14 rebounds, opened the game with a lay-in off a feed from Jordan-Cornell. George canned Orange’s only 3-pointer of the first half off a pass from senior Jada Reed to put the Lady Panthers ahead 7-0 with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter.

Jordan-Cornell connected on consecutive field goals in the second quarter, the latter off a pass from Reed to give Orange its largest lead at 22-8.

The Burlington School coach Porsha Graves started pressing in the second half, which drew the Spartans closer.  Guard Xiomara Moser banked in a 3-pointer to start a 9-2 run. Kiya Shavers, who finished with 21 points, hit back-to-back field goals to draw the Spartans to 37-33 with 7:27 remaining.

Afer Kamilah Moore hit a free throw, George beat the Spartans full-court press and passed to Jordan-Cornell, who scored on a lay-in. Reed followed with a steal as she picked the ball away from Aaliyah Coley and laid it in to extend Orange’s lead to 41-37. Following another 3-pointer from Shavers, Nikayla Whitted hit Jordan-Cornell for another lay-up.

A minute later, Jordan-Cornell would return the favor with a permitter dish to Whitted for a three-pointer. Sophomore Maura McMurtry, in her first varsity season, drained a shot from downtown to return the Lady Panther lead to double-digits at 50-39 with 3:49 remaining.

Orange had 19 field goals on 14 assists.

Whitted and Jordan-Cornell each had eleven points to lead Orange. Reed added ten points. Atkins, another first-year varsity player, finished with seven points and six rebounds.

With the win, Orange set up a rematch against Williams. On December 16, the Bulldogs outlasted Orange 50-45 at Bulldogs Gymnasium in what may have been the Lady Panthers’ best game of the year. Orange played without Jordan-Cornell and guard Shannon Murphy, but was still tied with the Bulldogs 32-32 at the end of three quarters.

Most of Orange’s production came outside the arc. They shot 8-of-21 from 3-point range. Atkins had a career-high 12 points, including 4-of-6 shooting from deep. Reed finished with 13 points, but the Bulldogs Bri Scott proved to be the key factor with 16 points as the Bulldogs defeated Orange for the fourth straight time.

The winner of the Orange-Williams game will play in the championship game on Wednesday night at 7PM. Orange’s last holiday tournament championship came in 2016, the most successful Lady Panthers women’s team in school history. Orange captured the Eastern Alamance Holiday Hoops championship with wins over Southern Alamance, Cardinal Gibbons and Bartlett Yancey in Mebane. The win over the Buccaneers came on December 31, 2016, which the team posting for a championship photo just hours before they rang in the new year.

A year after he qualified for five different events in the 3A State Swimming championships, Luke Roman has already printed his name in the record book to start his sophomore season.

In the opening dual match of the season, Roman set the Orange High record in the 200 yard freestyle at the Orange County Sportsplex in Hillsborough. Competing against Northwood and Eastern Alamance, Roman established a new school mark of 1:51.69, instantly qualifying him for the Mideast Regionals.

Roman also qualified for regionals in three other events to open the season. In the 100 yard freestyle, Roman beat out Eastern Alamance’s Jesse Sikes for first place. Roman’s time of 51.51 seconds was well ahead of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association standard of 54.99. Sikes also automatically qualified.

The quartet of Roman, Alex Andre, Evan Phillips and Nick Baczara qualified for regionals in two different events. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, they captured first place with a time of 3:39.64. In the 200 yard medley, Andre, Roman, Phillips and Baczara finished first at 1:48.65, the only team among four who automatically qualified for regionals.

Last year, Roman, Andre, Phillips and Baczara finished ninth in the 3A State Championships in the 400 yard freestyle relay.

In those same state championships, Roman finished 8th in the 200 yard freestyle. In all, Roman qualified for the state championships in four relay races, as well as the 200 yard freestyle individually.

In the 200 yard medley relay last year, Roman, Phillips, Andre and Ian Moore (now graduated) finished 8th in the state championships.

In all, five Orange men’s swimmers qualified for regionals in individual events. Andre, a sophomore, captured the 50 yard freestyle at 23.84 seconds, edging Sikes. In the 100 yard butterfly, Andre swam a qualifying time of 58.70 seconds, finishing second behind Eastern Alamance’s Owen Sawyer, who touched the wall at 55.84 seconds.

Baczara also earned a spot in regionals in the 100 yard butterfly, finishing third at 59.52 seconds.

Phillips earned a spot in regionals in two different events. Phillips won the 100 yard breaststroke at 1:05.07. He finished second in the 200 yard individual medley at 2:08.20. Northwood’s Wiley Sikes took first place. Orange senior Andrew Weeks finished third, but also earned a spot in regional in the 200 medley at 2:24.70.

Weeks also got a bid to regionals in the 100 yard backstroke, winning the 100 yard backstroke at 1:03.00.

In the women’s events, Orange’s Katie Belle Sikes, the defending 3A State Champion in the 50 meter freestyle, immediately qualified for regionals in her top event. Sikes, who committed to the University of Georgia during the fall, cruised to victory with a time of 23.48 seconds. Last February, Sikes became the first female swimmer from Orange to win a state championship at 23.24 seconds, which earned her consideration as an All-American.

Sikes also qualified for the 100 yard freestyle with a victorious time of 52.73 seconds.

The relay team of Sikes, junior Riley White, freshman Piper White and freshman Ainsley Rasinske qualified for regionals in two different events. They won the 200 yard medley relay with a time of 2:00.96. They also won the 400 yard freestyle relay (4:03.31).

Piper White, in her first varsity race, qualified for the 200 yard freestyle with a winning time of 2:04.73.

Junior Riley White won the 100 yard backstroke at 1:04.51. She also captured the 100 yard butterfly at 1:03.36.

Rasinske qualified in the 500 yard freestyle. She finished second with a time of 6:31.36 in her first varsity race. Northwood’s Bianca Perez came in first place at 5:56.59.

On the night, the Orange men’s team won both of its dual matches. The Panthers outscored Northwood 209-97. Orange also defeated Eastern Alamance 225-81.

in the women’s dual matches, Orange won 110-43 over Northwood. The Lady Panthers defeated Eastern Alamance 113-41.

The 3A Central Regionals will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 2.

Though Santa’s sleigh is still parked in the North Pole for the next 24 hours, there were some arrivals for the Orange men’s basketball team that showed up just in time to celebrate the Yuletide and a win over Southern Alamance.

There was the return of junior Ryan Moss, who missed the first eleven games of the season after he underwent surgery for a torn meniscus in September. That meant the Panthers got another weapon on offense and an expanded 12-man rotation, which coach Derryl Britt utilized to wear down the Patriots in an 80-63 victory on Wednesday night, Orange’s final game before Christmas.

On a night where 3-pointers flew through the air like snow flurries in winter, Panthers’ Sophomore Xandrell Pennix paced all scorers with 19 points. Freshman Coleman Cloer, despite sitting out most of the fourth quarter, finished with 14. Cloer has finished in double figures in eleven of Orange’s 12 games.

The Panthers (9-3) have already surpassed its win total from last year.

Southern Alamance (4-5), whose first six field goals were 3-pointers, were led by Jordan Moore with 18 points.

“They shot 3-pointers off the backboard, from the corner,” Britt said. “I thought they were auditioning for the Globetrotters. Ryan was shooting the ball well in practice. We ran a transition drill and Ryan was the guy in the corner knocking the 3-pointer down. I told him one day “Moss, if you don’t shot it that well when you come back, we’re going to have some problems.’ He said ‘I will, coach.’ Tonight, he did.”

The Patriots led the entire first quarter starting when Moore banked in a 3-pointer on the game’s opening possession. Southern Alamance’s Gage Martin, who finished with 14 points, added two more 3-pointers in the first quarter. A free throw by Nathan Teague built the Patriot lead to 14-8 with 2:39 remaining in the first quarter.

Orange finished the quarter on a 12-6 run that started with a three-point play by senior Darius Corbett, who tied his career-high with 13 points.

Late in the first quarter, Cloer put the Panthers in the lead after he grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and drew a foul against Southern’s Evan Jacobson. Cloer missed the subsequent free throw, but fellow freshman Mason Robinson got the offense rebound for a stickback basket and was fouled, as well, to give Orange its first lead.

Orange outscored the Patriots 24-8 in the second quarter to take control of the game. Pennix scored seven of his 18 points in the second quarter. Moss drained the first of his three 3-pointers to put Orange ahead 31-20. Moss set a new career-high with nine points.

The Panthers will gear up for the South Granville Holiday Invitational in Creedmoor. Orange will play in the Columbia Bracket and face East Wake on Wednesday night at 7 PM. The winner will face either Cary or South Granville in the semifinals.

Women’s game: Southern Alamance 47, Orange 44

Orange fought back from a 14-point deficit and had a chance to tie late against Southern Alamance, but the Patriots held off the Panthers to win 47-44. Madison Brouillard sank two big free throws late to secure the Patriots seventh win of the season.

Orange played without center Erin Jordan-Cornell and forward Katelyn Van Mater. Senior Jada Reed and Nikayla Whitted paced the Panther comeback. Reed finished with 13 points, while Whitted had 12.

Sophomore Evelyn George scored seven points, including five in the fourth quarter. The Panthers had a possession in the final 20 seconds to tie the game, but Southern Alamance’s Shaniya Paylor stripped the ball away and came up with a steal.

Despite not scoring in the opening five minutes, Southern Alamance led 8-4 at the end of the first quarter. MeiLani Patterson paced the Patriots with 13 points. Center Clara LaChapelle scored 12 for Southern.

Orange will open play in the Eastern Guilford Holiday Invitational on Monday morning. They will open the event against the Burlington School at 10 AM.

The Orange men’s basketball team danced underneath the Mosstle Toe and relied on Isaiah Sleighmour to secure its ninth victory of the season. In its final game before Christmas, the Panthers cruised past Southern Alamance 80-63 at Panthers Gymnasium on Wednesday night. It was the return of junior Ryan Moss,who missed the first eleven games of the season after undergoing surgery on a torn meniscus. In his first game back, Moss scored a career-high nine points, all off of 3-pointers. Senior center Isaiah Seymour provided a punch down low for the Panthers will three rebounds in the opening three minutes. He finished with three points. Orange has already surpassed its win total for all of last season. Sophomore Xandrell Pennix led the Panthers with 19 points. Freshman Coleman Cloer had 14 points, while senior Darius Corbett added 13 points, tying his career-high. The Panthers will now focus on the South Granville Holiday Invitational, where they will play in the Columbia Bracket. The Panthers will start play against East Wake on Wednesday night at 7 PM at South Granville High School. The winner will face either South Granville or Cary in the semifinals. Northern Durham, Wake Forest, Sanderson and Green Level are also included in the eight-team tournament. The Panthers are 9-3.

Orange’s Isaiah Seymour & Ryan Moss discuss men’s basketball win over Southern Alamance

The Orange men’s basketball team danced underneath the Mosstle Toe and relied on Isaiah Sleighmour to secure its ninth victory of the season. In its final game before Christmas, the Panthers cruised past Southern Alamance 80-63 at Panthers Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Flyers Community College men’s basketball team ended 2022 with four consecutive wins. The Flyers defeated Lenoir Community College 107-80 in Kinston. McMullin scored nine points in 15 minutes off 4-of-11 shooting from the field. On December 10, the Flyers routed Thomas Nelson Community College 73-47 in Pinehurst. McMullin scored eight points over 21 minutes. He also grabbed three rebounds and dished out two assists. On December 13, Sandhills defeated Shooting 4 Greatness 101-76 in Pinehurst. McMullin scored 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the field. He also had two rebounds and two assists. On December 15, the Flyers nipped Pitt Community College 89-87 in Greenville. McMullin scored eleven points on 4-of-10 shooting from the field. Sandhills led by as many as 17 points before holding on to win. Through 14 games, McMullin leads the team averaging 14.1 points per game. He had a season-high of 22 points in another win over Pitt Community College on November 16. The Flyers will have several games streamed on ESPN+ in 2023. The Flyers are 12-2 overall, 1-0 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Connor Crabtree: Crabtree has started his senior season with the Richmond men’s basketball team. After missing the opening six games, Crabtree made his debut in a 90-67 loss to Toledo at John Savage Arena in Ohio on November 30. Crabtree played one minute. Crabtree scored three points in four minutes in Richmond’s 82-52 win over Drake at the Robins Center on December 10. In a 77-48 win over Fairleigh Dickinson on December 13, Crabtree had three rebounds over nine minutes. He also had an assist. In a 85-67 loss to Clemson in Greenville, S.C. last Saturday, Crabtree scored two points in eight minutes off 1-of-3 shooting from the field. Richmond is 5-6 and will play its Atlantic 10 opener on December 31 at George Mason.

Joshua Jackson: During the summer, Jackson joined the Division III Brevard men’s basketball program. He has not played in an official game as of yet. The Tornadoes are 3-6 overall and will start play in the USA South Athletic Conference against Mary Baldwin College on January 4 in Staunton, VA.

Aaliyah Harris: The Division III Randolph-Macon women’s basketball team earned several victories as the calendar turned to December. The Yellow Jackets have On December 7, Randolph defeated Randolph-Macon 50-43 at Giles Gymnasium in Lynchburg, VA. Harris, a freshman, played 14 minutes and had three points and three rebounds. Randolph-Macon has won three in a row, including a victory in the opening round of the Daytona Beach Shootout over Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The Yellow Jackets will face St. Robert in the semifinals on Wednesday.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum College wrestling team competed in several dual matches as the autumn wound to a close. On November 30, the Panthers defeated Greensboro College 35-11 at Royce Reynolds Family Student Life Center Gym in Greensboro. It was Ferrum’s first-ever match as a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Homsey didn’t compete against the Pride. On December 7, William & Lee defeated Ferrum 27-7 at Duchossois Athletic and Recreation Center in Lexington, VA. Competing at 197 pounds, John Ryan Sedovy defeated Homsey 6-4 in the first sudden victory round. Homsey, now a senior, is 4-3 on the season. The Panthers will compete in the Citrus Invitational at the Broward County Convention Center in Ft. Lauderdale, FL starting December 29.

Kate Burgess: During the fall, Burgess was named a co-Captain for the North Carolina rowing team. Burgess, who was a basketball center and cross country runner for Orange, is a senior with the Tar Heels. As a junior, Burgess competed in nine races for UNC. She finished first agains UCF and second against Tennessee in the First Varsity 4+ boat at the UVA Invitational. Burgess notched a second place finish against Boston College last April in the First Varsity 4+ boat. UNC will start its next rowing season in the spring.