The Orange lacrosse team may have lost the highest scorer in school history, but their expectations aren’t any lower for this season. After winning the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship, the Panthers have opened this season 2-0 with dominant victories over Southeast Alamance and Northern Guilford. On Tuesday, Owen Wimstt had a hat trick while Dylan Herndon scored two goals as the Orange dominated the Stallions in Haw River in the season-opener. Luke Nevius and Luke Stitz each recorded three points while Jackson Eakes added two goals. Overall, 13 different Panthers scored goals. Eakes handled duties as the faceoff circle, winning eight draws. Ryder Fesperman also had eight faceoff wins. In Orange’s home opener on Wednesday night, the Panthers defeated Northern Guilford 11-3. Jay Parker scored four goals while Brett Clark added three goals. Orange lost plenty on the defensive end with the graduations of Sascha Van Praag and Alden Cathey. Andrew Jouannet came up big on the defensive end against the Nighthawks. Holden Ray forced a takeaway and Aidan Monteith also had takeaways. Goalkeeper Jackson Runkle had seven saves. Orange has won four consecutive conference championships under head coach Chandler Zirkle. Next week, the Panthers will open conference play against Walter Williams at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough.

Orange lacrosse’s Holden Ray, Aidan Monteith & Drew Jouannet discuss 2-0 start to season

The Orange lacrosse team may have lost the highest scorer in school history, but their expectations aren’t any lower for this season. After winning the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship, the Panthers have opened this season 2-0 with dominant victories over Southeast Alamance and Northern Guilford.

The Orange men’s basketball team looked the end of its season right in the eye on Tuesday night and didn’t blink. Trailing 63-61 with 35 seconds remaining, Michael Clark hit a 3-point play with :31.7 remaining to lift the Panthers past C.B. Aycock 69-66 in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs. It was senior guard Xandrell Pennix who started the rally when he deflected an inbounds pass thrown by Aycock’s Jarvis Williams, who caught the ball while standing out of bounds. Clark got an offensive rebound and scored while getting fouled, leading to the game-winning free throw. Sophomore Kamaal Smith had several big plays in the final 30 seconds, including two free throws to put Orange ahead 67-63. The Golden Falcons had a chance to tie with :2.5 remaining, but Smith stole the inbounds pass and ran out the clock. Pennix led Orange with 23 points, his third straight game with over 20 points. Senior Freddy Sneed, in possibly the final home game of his career, had five steals and four assists. Orange has won state playoff games in back-to-back years for the first time since 2016-2017. Up next will be a familiar face: the Person Rockets. It will be the fourth matchup between the Panthers and the Rockets this year. Tipoff in the 2nd round of the state playoffs will be at 7PM on Friday night in Roxboro.

Orange men’s basketball’s Xandrell Pennix, Freddy Sneed & Kamaal Smith discuss win over C.B. Aycock

The Orange men’s basketball team looked the end of its season right in the eye on Tuesday night and didn’t blink. Trailing 63-61 with 35 seconds remaining, Michael Clark hit a 3-point play with :31.7 remaining to lift the Panthers past C.B. Aycock 69-66 in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Some teams would shrink from the adversity of losing its experienced point guard with its season on the brink in the state playoffs.

On Tuesday night, Orange fed off of it. And they advanced.

Michael Clark, a senior co-Captain, scored off an offensive rebound while drawing a blocking foul with :32.7 remaining against C.B. Aycock. Clark’s subsequent free throw would put the Panthers ahead for good as Orange rallied to defeat the Golden Falcons 69-66 in Hillsborough on Tuesday night.

Orange (19-8) advances to face Person in the second round on Friday night. It will be the fourth matchup between the Rockets and the Panthers this season.

The final minute of the game had parallels to crushing Orange losses over the past two weeks that cost them the Central Conference regular season and tournament championships. Point guard Kai Wade fouled out with 1:24 remaining in regulation, just as he did when the Panthers lost to Eastern Alamance in the final regular season game, which the Eagles pulled out to win a share of the regular season title.

The Falcons took a 63-61 lead after Zimere Mcclarin scored off an offensive rebound with 1;24 remaining. Moments later, Wade was called for using his off arm to ward off Jaiden Williams, an offensive foul. Instead of Orange’s offence crumbling, their defense created opportunities.

Orange senior Xandrell Pennix slapped the subsequent midcoast inbounds pass back at Aycock guard Jarvis Williams, who caught the ball off the deflection while still standing out of bounds, leading to a Falcon turnover.

Pennix attempted a 3-pointer from the corner but missed. Clark captured the rebound, took a single dribble and forced up a shot from the middle of the paint against Aycock center Janeson Steele. The shot was good and, after a bit of a delay, Steele was called for a blocking foul.

After Clark’s free throw put Orange ahead 64-63, Panther guard Kamaal Smith nearly stole the inbounds pass. After a scramble on the floor, it was picked up by the Falcons’ Dominick Jones, who sprinted down the floor, floated between Clark and center Jalen Crayton but missed a chipee at the rim. Steele tapped the offensive rebound but came up short. Smith got the board, was fouled and sank two free throws with :22.1 remaining, putting the Panthers ahead 66-63.

Aycock’s Jarvis Williams beat the Orange full-court pressure down the floor on a breakaway, but missed a layup, leading to another Smith rebound and free throw. Aycock had a chance to tie with :2.7 remaining, but Smith stole the inbounds pass from three-quarters court and dribbled out the clock.

Aycock, who finished 2nd behind East Wake in the Quad County Conference, used its length and size to throw Orange’s offense into a tizzy early. The Panthers didn’t score in the opening 6:13. Pennix, who led the Panthers with 23 points, ended the drought with a drive to the basket with 1:47 remaining. Yet the Falcons couldn’t take advantage of it, shooting only 2-of-10 in the opening stanza. Remarkably, the Panthers scored 15 points in the final two minutes of the first quarter, keyed by 3-pointers from Wade and Pennix to take a 15-6 lead.

Aycock shot 7-of-9 in the second quarter, including three 3-pointers, outscoring Orange 22-8 to take a 28-23 halftime lead.

After Steele made two free throws to put the Falcons ahead 29-24 in the third quarter, Clark went on a personal 5-0 run to tie the game, capped with a 3-pointer assisted by Hector Garrido. Jaiden Williams, who led Aycock with 25 points, tied the game with two free throws. Orange scored on its next seven possessions, starting when Garrido took a pass from Pennix and earned an old school 3-point play while getting fouled by Jarvis Williams. Pennix and Wade made 3-pointers to extend the Panther lead to 42-37.

Crayton scored on a stickback with 2:53 remaining in regulation to put the Panthers ahead 61-55, but the Falcons went on a 10-0 run to take the lead down he stretch. Jaiden Williams was responsible for six consecutive points, including a lay-in assisted by Jarvis Williams to tie it up at 61-61 with 1:46 remaining.

It’s the first time that Orange has won state playoff games in back-to-back years since 2016-2017. Last year, the Panthers defeated Currituck County in the opening round.

Regardless of the sport, there’s nothing certain when the state playoffs roll around.

It’s unclear if Tuesday night’s win by the Orange women’s basketball team was the final home game for its six seniors. But if it was, they went out playing some of their best basketball.

Facing a Swansboro team whose only two losses since Christmas came against Coastal Conference champion Croatan, Orange put together a wire-to-wire win in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs.

The 16th-seeded Orange Lady Panthers defeated #17 Swansboro 50-33 in Hillsborough to advance to the second round of the 3A State Playoffs. The Lady Panthers will face #1 seeded Terry Sanford in Fayetteville on Friday night. Terry Sanford rolled past West Johnson 60-13 in the opening round to improve to 24-3.

After being eliminated in the opening round of the state playoffs each of the past four years, Orange won a state playoff game for the first time since 2017, when they defeated Havelock in Hillsborough.

Orange improved to 18-9. It’s the most wins in a season for Orange since 2018-2019, a squad led by Icez Barnett and Lauren Cates that went 19-7. They were the last Lady Panther team to host a game in the state playoffs, falling to Eastern Alamance in the opening round.

Orange point guard Maura McMurtry led the Lady Panthers with 16 points. McMurtry shot 5-of-8 from 3-point range despite picking up her third foul with 4:36 remaining in the second quarter.

After amassing 24 double-doubles in her career , Evelyn George fell just short of #25. But she did flirt with a triple-double, coming away with a stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds, eight steals and five assists in what was likely her final home game. George surpassed 1,000 points against Cedar Ridge last month. She now has 739 career rebounds.

Swansboro (14-7) was led by Addison King, who finished with eleven points and nine rebounds.

The Pirates committed 30 turnovers, the most forced by Orange this season. The Lady Panthers had 19 steals, including five by senior center Marshea Byrd.

It was the first state playoff win for first-year Orange head coach Josh Underwood. On his staff is assistant Kaylen Campbell, who was a senior guard who scored 21 points in the Lady Panthers previous playoff win against Havelock eight years ago.

Orange opened the game on a 8-2 run with Byrd scoring a stickback shot from point-blank range, followed by a 3-pointer from George assist by classmate Shannon Murphy. McMurtry sank back-to-back 3-pointers, both assisted by George, to push the Lady Panther lead to 11-4. After a theft by George of a pass thrown by King, McMurtry dropped in a perfect pass to George between a double team. George scored on a lay-in from the right block while getting fouled by King for a 3-point play, pushing the Lady Panther lead to 14-4.

Swansboro’s Gianna Fandino shot the Pirates back into the game with consecutive 3-pointers, the final one assisted by Kendall Hackworth to cut the Orange advantage to 17-13 at the end of the first quarter.

Hackworth drained a 3-pointer to open the second quarter to cut the Orange lead to 18-16, which was the closest the Pirates would get to tying the game. Orange steadily pulled away, not only another Swansboro field goal for 3:33. Byrd scored on a 3-point play, taking an entry pass from George and scored from under the basket as she was hacked by Brooke Brady.

In the second half, King hit a running one-hander to reduce Orange’s lead to 29-24, but Alexis Stephens captured a pass from Addie Atkins for a lay-in while getting fouled. Stephens 3-point play put Orange head 35-24 with 4:37 remaining in the third quarter. George’s 3-pointer with 2:04 remaining in the frame kept the lead in double digits for the remainder of the game.

Orange senior Bryce Jones hit two free throws late in the fourth quarter in likely her final home game.

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There will be one final basketball doubleheader at Orange High this winter.

A difficult non-conference schedule led to the Orange men’s basketball team hosting a state playoff game for the second straight year.

The Orange women’s basketball team will host a state playoff game for the first time since 2019.

On Sunday, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association released the seeding for the state men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Orange, which finished in third place in the Central Conference, received a #13 seed. The Panthers will host #20 C.B. Aycock in Hillsborough on Tuesday night in the opening round of the 3A State Tournament.

The Orange women, which reached the Central Conference Tournament championship game, received a #16 seed. The Lady Panthers will face Swansboro, the #17 seed from the Costal Conference in the opening round.

The Orange men’s team jumped ahead of Eastern Alamance in the final regular season RPI rankings released by the NCHSAA on Sunday morning. The Panthers played six games against teams that won their respective regular season conference championships. They defeated Voyager Academy, who finished 12-0 in the 1A Triangle North Athletic Conference, in the season-opener. They also won at Chapel Hill, which finished 3rd in the DAC Conference, and was one of only two teams to defeat Central Conference champion Person.

Though Eastern Alamance swept the regular season series from Orange to tie Person for a share of the conference regular season title, the Eagles also lost to Chapel Hill (65-37), Mt. Zion Christian Academy, whom the Panthers defeated 60-56 on November 22. The Eagles also dropped a game to Western Alamance, a squad the Panthers handily swept.

Most intriguing of all for Orange is the potential second-round matchup. The winner of Orange-C.B. Aycock will face either Person or Currituck County. The Panthers have played Person three times, with the total margin of victory being five points. On January 9, Person led 28-9 in Roxboro, but Orange roared back with its best outside shooting game of the season in a stunning 67-65 win in Roxboro.

On February 4, Person defeated Orange 53-52 in Hillsborough. Last Tuesday, Person’s Tyler Wilson scored on a stickback bucket at the buzzer to lift the Rockets over the Panthers 55-53.

Person (25-2), seeded #4, had both of its regular season losses come in a span of five days during January. They have avenged losses to Orange and Eastern Alamance this month and defeated both teams to win the Central Conference Tournament last week.

C.B. Aycock and Orange have one common opponent this season. East Wake, the champions of the Quad County Conference, defeated Orange 57-54 on December 27 in the South Granville Holiday Invitational when Jamal Tayborn hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer in Creedmoor.

C.B. Aycock split the season series with East Wake. The Golden Falcons defeated East Wake 79-67 on December 20, just before the Warriors game against Orange. East Wake won the rematch 61-57 in Wendell.

C.B. Aycock is undefeated in February and takes an eight-game winning streak into the state playoffs. They haven’t lost since January 29.

Most likely, Tuesday will be the final home game for Orange seniors Xandrell Pennix, Freddy Sneed, Michael Clark, Ethan Ellis, Conrad Graham, Jamari McDaniel, Barrett Liner and Ian Wilson.

The Orange women’s basketball team surpassed Eastern Alamance in the final two weeks of the season to earn a home date in the state playoffs. Senior Shannon Murphy hit two free throws with one second remaining to push the Lady Panthers past Eastern Alamance 64-63 on February 18 in Hillsborough. Last week, the Panthers routed the Eagles 54-36 at Western Alamance to reach the title game of a conference tournament for the first time since 2017.

The winner of Orange-Swansboro will face either top-seeded Terry Sanford or #32 West Johnston.

Swansboro finished the regular season with five straight wins, including two victories over West Carteret in a span of eleven days to wind up in second place in the Coastal Conference. The Pirates (14-6) finished behind Croatan.

Orange (17-9) had a season-best six-game winning streak come to an end against Western Alamance in the Central Conference Tournament championship game in Hillsborough on Saturday. In all likelihood, it will be the final home game for Orange seniors Evelyn George, Marshea Byrd, Shannon Murphy, Chloe Caldwell, Bryce Jones and Rhiley Crabtree.

The last time the Orange women’s team hosted a state playoff game, it was 2019. Eastern Alamance upset Orange 57-52 in Hillsborough. The Lady Panthers last state playoff win came in 2017 when they defeated Havelock in the 2nd round behind 20 points from Kaylen Campbell, now a Lady Panthers assistant coach.

Appeals from Orange High Principal Jason Johnson and athletic director Jason Knapp apparently didn’t sway the North Carolina High School Athletic Association realignment committee.

On February 14, the committee released its third draft of conferences that will go into effect in August, based on the new, expanded eight classification model by the NCHSAA, which is shifting away from the traditional four classifications.

The latest draft keeps Cedar Ridge and Orange as 5A teams. They would be in a conference with Durham School of the Arts, Seaforth, South Granville, J.F. Webb and Carrboro.

The only change from the prior two drafts is the inclusion of Carrboro, which is currently classified as a 4A team. The other six teams would be 5A. It would make the new conference, which is yet to be finalized or named, a split 5A-4A league. In previous drafts, Carrboro was penciled in for a league with Southwestern Randolph, Jordan-Matthews, Uwharrie Charter, Eastern Randolph, North Moore and Northwood.

Since 2021, Cedar Ridge and Orange have competed in the Central Conference with teams primarily based in Alamance County. It started with Western Alamance, Eastern Alamance, Walter Williams, Person, Northwood and the two Hillsborough schools. In 2023, Southern Alamance replaced Northwood, which dropped down to 2A.

If Johnson and Knapp had their way, Orange would be in a league that maintains rivalries with Alamance and Person County schools. On February 4, Johnson and Knapp made their appeals heard in front of the realignment committee in Chapel Hill.

“In a nutshell, our students are going to have to be out of class longer,” Knapp said. “That schedule keeps our students in class longer and it’s more beneficial to us as an athletic department.”

Currently, the longest distance for a conference game for Orange High is the trek to Western Alamance. 28 miles separates Orange from Western Alamance. Cedar Ridge’s longest road trip is Person, which is 29 miles, or about 45-50 minutes via bus.

On top of that, Alamance County Schools have traditional media outlets. While the Burlington Times-News scaled back its sports division in 2019, they still have consistent sports coverage. Bob Sutton, the longtime Sports Editor of the Times-News, is now a writer for the weekly Alamance News.

The presence has helped Alamance County Schools retain a strong fan base amid a growing district. Over the weekend, there were solid turnouts at Orange High School as the Western Alamance women’s basketball team and the Eastern Alamance men’s basketball team competed during the Central Conference Tournament in Hillsborough.

“Alamance County schools travel well,” Knapp said. “The proximity isn’t very far. You have Eastern Alamance 20 minutes away. Southeast Alamance 20 minutes away. Southern (Alamance) and (Walter) Williams are probably 30 minutes.”

Under the proposed new conference, Orange would have a 47-mile trip for conference games at Webb High School in Oxboro. The Panthers would travel 36 miles for conference games against Seaforth in Chatham County.

Cedar Ridge would travel 48 miles to Oxford and 30 miles to Seaforth. Both the Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s basketball teams had road trips to Seaforth and DSA this season.

Among Knapp’s major concerns is not just varsity sports.

“All the schools over there (Alamance County) have very good JV and varsity programs,” Knapp said. “To go along with that, we’re not really sure if that would be available in the new conference if that’s going to be available as far as junior varsity programs.”

Durham School of the Arts is the current incarnation of Durham High School, which traces it roots all the way back to 1906. Once a rival to Orange High, Durham High became a magnet school in 1995 after winning a football title the old Crescent Conference. Since it was rebranded Durham School of the Arts, the institution has never fielded a football team.

As Orange and Cedar Ridge wait for the final decision from the realignment committee, football scheduling for 2025 has been delayed. With potentially only six teams fielding football teams in the new league, local athletic directors have been unclear about how many non-conference games will be required for next year.

“That concerns us, as well,” Knapp said. “We feel like we need to do what’s best for Orange High School. Our student-athletes are our biggest concern.”

Katie Belle Sikes: The University of Georgia women’s swimming team finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference championships at Bauerle Pool at Gabrielsen Natatorium in Athens, GA last week. Sikes accomplished a personal best in the 100 yard freestyle, finishing 26th with a B-cut of 48.94 seconds. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Sikes, Helena Jones, Slaone Reinstein and Ieva Maluka came in sixth with an A-cut time of 3:13.37. It was the first time that the Georgia women’s swimming team finished in the top four since 2022. Next week, Sikes will compete in the Bulldog Invitational Last Chance meet.

Carson Bradsher: After transferring to Division III Averett University away from South Carolina Upstate, Bradsher finally got to make her debut with the Cougars softball team this weekend. Averett split a doubleheader with Methodist University at Price Field in Fayetteville. Bradsher hit leadoff in both games. In the nightcap, which was a 14-5 win over Methodist in six innings, Bradsher went 2-for-3 with two stolen bases. Bradsher scored the game-winning run off a double by Mackenzie Newcomb in the fourth inning as the Cougars came back from a 5-1 deficit to win. In the first game, Bradsher went 1-for-3 with two runs scored. The Cougars came back from a 7-1 deficit to tie the game, but the Monarchs won 8-7 with a walkout run in the seventh.

Takia Nichols: The North Carolina Central softball team lost to North Carolina A&T 14-6 in six innings at Aggies Softball Complex in Greensboro on Wednesday. Nichols drove in the first run of the game with an RBI groundout. Nichols, who started at first base, went 1-for-3. Over the weekend, Longwood swept a doubleheader from the Eagles on scores of 10-0 and 8-0. Central is 1-8 and will travel to East Carolina on Wednesday.

Mary Moss Wirt: Wire played in the Elon softball team’s win over Villanova on Saturday. The Phoenix defeated the Wildcats 4-3 at McWhorter Stadium at Clemson University. Elon went 2-2 in the event, including two wins over Villanova and a 4-3 loss to Clemson.

Ava Lowry: Division III North Carolina Wesleyan started its season by splitting a doubleheader against Bridgewater at Edge Field in Rocky Mount on Sunday. In the opening game, Bridgewater defeated the Battling Bishops 1-0 Lowry started both games at shortstop. Wesleyan won the second game 3-2, scoring the go-ahead run in the fifth inning. Lowry finished 1-for-2. The Battling Bishops will travel to Virginia Wesleyan on Wednesday.

Brianne Foster: The Wake Tech Community College softball team started its season against USC Sumter in South Carolina on Saturday. Sumter swept a doubleheader. In the opener, which Sumter won 1-0, Foster started as catcher. Foster, a former catcher at Orange, entered the second game as a reserve. On Wednesday, Wake Tech will travel to Pitt Community College in Winterville.

Coltin Hedrick: The Wake Tech baseball team took a series from Guilford Technical Community College over the weekend. Hedrick made his first appearance for Wake Tech in the opening game of a doubleheader on Sunday. Hedrick came out of the bullpen and threw a shutout inning, striking out two batters in one-and-one-third inning. Guilford Tech won that game 10-8. The Eagles would go on to take the nightcap 9-8. Coltin’s brother, Wyatt, is also pitching for the Eagles. Wake Tech is 6-7 overall and will travel to Gaston College in Gastonia on Tuesday. Former Orange pitcher Cross Clayton is on the roster at Gaston. 2

Cy Horner: The Methodist men’s lacrosse team defeated Virginia Wesleyan 10-9 at Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville on Saturday. Horner scored two goals, including a man-up goal in the fourth quarter to put the Monarchs ahead 9-6. In the opening four games of the year, Horner has scored four goals. Methodist is now 2-2 and will face State University of New York Delhi on Wednesday at Monarch Stadium.

Nick Cardone: The Catawba College men’s lacrosse team rolled past Barton 13-2 at Shuford Stadium in Salisbury. Cardone, a former Orange High defensemen, played in his second game of the year. Catawba is 4-0 and will travel to Tusculum next Saturday.

It was the requiem for the Central Conference basketball tournament.

It was likely the final time that rivals from Alamance, Orange and Person Counties would converge inside one gymnasium for local basketball supremacy.

When the Central Conference started in 2021-2022, the Western Alamance women’s basketball team was knocking on the door of being the queens of the conference. Before 2023 was over, they kicked the door in when they ended Northwood’s dynasty in the 3rd round of the state playoffs.

On Saturday, they likely ended their run in the league as the undisputed champions as a threat to win the 3A State Championship.

Allie Sykes scored 28 points as Western Alamance claimed its second consecutive Central Conference championship with a wire-to-wire 76-38 win over Orange at Panther Gymnasium in Hillsborough. It was the Warriors (22-4) 26th consecutive win against a conference opponent. The latest Warrior win came on the same floor where they last lost a conference game. The Lady Panthers upset Western 45-42 on January 3, 2024.

Since then, the Lady Warriors have won five straight over Orange. The level of domination was nothing unusual for Western Alamance and neither was the way they went about it. The Lady Warriors forced 18 turnovers in the first half. They out rebounded Orange 45-31, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds. Sykes shot 8-of-15 from 3-point range.

Seniors Tina Bowers and Cayden White each added ten points for the Warriors. Bowers also contained Orange’s leading scorer Evelyn George, who was held to four points, just one above her season-low.

Orange (17-9) tried to slow the game down, which worked to an extent early. Senior center Marshea Byrd scored on a lay-in off an entry pass from Addie Atkins to even the game at 4-4 midway through the first quarter. Then the Warriors started forcing turnovers off its full court press. Sykes’ first 3-pointer put the Warriors ahead for good. Western closed out the first quarter with a 10-5 run, capped by a shot from downtown by Ziomara Moser.

Central Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Final: Person 67, Eastern Alamance 65: 

With big stakes on the line, Person overcame the loss of leading scorer Lance Clarke to defeat the Eagles and claim one of the top-ten seeds in the 3A State Tournament.

Clarke led the Rockets with 21 points, but fouled out with 1:56 remaining in regulation. The Rockets also lost starting forward DaeJon Hodge in a game that was truly last man standing by sundown.

Eastern Alamance lost sophomore shooting guard Hunter Eichman with a lower-body injury in the second quarter and didn’t return.

Eastern Alamance’s leading scorer, Ja’vier Tinnin, fouled out in the waning minutes, as well.

Eagles freshman Mason Murphy sank two free throws to tie the game at 53-53 with 5:48 remaining in regulation. Clarke dropped off a pass to Quante Bowman, who sank a 3-poiner from the wing. It vaulted the Rockets ahead for good.

The Eagles went 4:27 without a field goal in the fourth quarter. Person guard Tyler Wilson found Clarke in transition for a lay-in, which sent the Rockets off and running in their full-throttle transition game. After a miss by Tinnin, Wilson found Clarke again for a bucket to give the Rockets at 60-54 lead.

Person overcame a slow start as the Eagles came out of the gates with an 18-6 lead. Eichman hit two 3-pointers early, followed by another from Ryan Tate.

Person reserve Kyan Lunsford started a Person rally with the final three-pointer of the first quarter, reducing the Eagle lead to 21-11.

In the second quarter, Eastern Alamance led 27-19. Then Person went on a 14-4 run, capped by a lay-in by Lunsford off a pass from Wilson, giving the Rockets its first lead of the game at 33-31.

Person (25-2) truly had plenty to lose. The Rockets have been ranked among the top-five teams in the East Region RPI all season. If they had lost, the best seed they could have received for next week’s 3A State Tournament would have been a #11 seed. Most likely, the Rockets will receive the #4 seed in the East Region.

Eastern Alamance finishes the regular season with a share of the Central Conference regular season title and a 16-9 overall record.