The relationship between Xandrell Pennix and Derryl Britt is more than just player and coach.

It’s personal.

Pennix scored his 1,000th point in the Orange men’s basketball team’s win over Southern Alamance in the Central Conference Tournament quarterfinals at Panther Gymnasium on Monday night. Pennix eclipsed the plateau with a 15-foot jumper along the right wing, where it touched nothing but nylon. As the game was momentarily stopped, Pennix exchanged chest bumps with teammates Freddy Sneed and Kai Wade.

Pennix and Sneed were called up from the junior varsity team in 2021, a period of transition for Orange basketball. Two years later, they would help take Orange to the top of the Central Conference.

In a postgame chat, when he is asked how much Pennix helped him establish his footprint within the Orange program, Britt gets a distant look in his eyes.

It takes him a full 15 seconds to find the right words.

Because Pennix reminds Britt of the son he lost in 2008.

Just five days after reporting to boot camp at Fort Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, Derryl Lamont Britt Jr. died of an aneurysm at the age of 20.

“I’ve been a coach since I was 16 years old,” Britt said. “Of all the players I’ve ever had in my coaching career, Xandrell reminds me of my son the most. He’s quiet. He listens. He’s tenacious on defense. He can put the ball in the bucket with the best of them.”

Orange public address announcer David Gaddy introduces Pennix as the Silent Assassin. When Pennix does talk, his teammates know it’s something urgent.

Britt hails from the Commonwealth of Virginia, where Allen Iverson is an icon.

“That smaller frame guy who plays really, really tough was my son,” Britt said. “Xandrell plays that way and he’s not from there. He’s not afraid of any moment.”

Last season when Wade and Coleman Cloer were out with injuries, Britt was left searching for a point guard against Forsyth Country Day and East Chapel Hill. Pennix approached him and asked for the assignment, knowing he would face one ball hawk after another.

“He’s fearless and tough as nails,” Britt said.

Pennix finished with a season-high 21 points as the Panthers advanced to the conference tournament semifinals to face Person on Tuesday night. Orange will host the Rockets at 7:30 at Panther Gymnasium.

Pennix opened aggressively as the Patriots stood toe-to-toe with the Panthers early. Southern Alamance center Riley Warren scored eight points in the opening quarter. It appeared that Orange’s defense was still in recovery mode after a difficult loss to Eastern Alamance to finish the regular season on Friday. Early in the second quarter, the Patriots tied the score at 18-18 following a 3-pointer from Bo Day.

Pennix drained two 3-pointers in the second quarter as Orange pulled away. Wade and Hector Garrido added 3-poiners as the Panthers pushed its advantage to 42-21 at halftime. Pennix’s 1000th point was the first basket of the second half. Wade finished with 14 points.

The game marked the varsity debuts of Logan Edwards and L.J. Graves, who were called up from the junior varsity team for the postseason.

For the third year in a row, Orange and Person will square off in the Central Conference Tournament. Each matchup between the Rockets and the Panthers has been memorable this season.

On January 9th, Person led 28-9 early in the second quarter. The Panthers roared back to win in Roxboro despite Wade fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Two weeks ago, Person held off Orange 53-52 in Hillsborough. The Rockets are 23-2. Both of its losses came within five days last month, to Orange and Eastern Alamance.

Person defeated Cedar Ridge 63-54 in Roxboro on Monday night.

The Orange-Person game will be one of two games at Orange High on Tuesday night. In the opening game of the Central Conference semifinals, top-seeded Eastern Alamance will face Walter Williams. The Bulldogs edged Western Alamance 51-49 on Monday night in Burlington. The Eagles, the top-seed in the tournament, received a bye into the semifinals.

hamlin37 is on Mixlr

hamlin37 is on Mixlr

Scott Metcalf has had to spend more on printing banners in recent years.

Inside the Cedar Ridge wrestling room, there’s a big sign listing the career win leaders in school history. Between 2001-and-2021, four Cedar Ridge wrestlers won 100 career matches.

That number has doubled over the past four years. And one more could join the group next weekend.

“This senior class is a special class,” Metcalf said.

Just to the right of that banner is a list of state qualifiers, which will also need to be refreshed.

On Saturday, Ryan Rakouskas won the 150-pound Mideast Regional championship at Cedar Ridge High School. Rakouskas, who qualified for the state championships for the second time in his career, made quick work of Royce Ezpinoza of Triton, needing just 22 seconds to score the pin in the championship match. It was Rakouskas’ final match in his own gymnasium.

Rakouskas, who was the #4 seed, became the first Cedar Ridge wrestler to win a regional championship since Fernando Martinez won at 113-pounds in 2022 at Union Pines High School. As fate would have it, Rakouskas surpassed Martinez on the school career wins list when he upset top-seeded Kolby Gryder of Eastern Guilford in the semifinals on Saturday. Rakouskas delivered a legal slam in the second period to take a 7-5 lead. Gryder was injured and couldn’t continue after being checked by medical staff.

Rakouskas now has 145 career wins, fifth in school history.

“I’m very surprised,” Rakouskas said. “I wasn’t expecting to make states, honestly. I had a tough weight class. I thought I had a 50-50 shot, but I wasn’t expecting to win it at all. So I was pleasantly surprised.”

On Friday, Rakouksas opened by scoring a technical fall over Issac Cisneros of Harnett Central 22-1. In the quarterfinals, Rakouskas pinned Ben Rich of Western Harnett, who has a record of 45-8, in 2:58.

It continues a year of milestones for Rakouskas. In November, he won his 100th career match. Last month, he scored his 100th career pin.

“Ryan is one of those kids who really likes throws,” Metcalf said. “When you can throw somebody, you have a chance to win against anyone you face on the mat. He’s been a joy to coach.”

It was also a day that Cedar Ridge senior Pierce Prescod had waited three years for. He finally qualified for the state championships at 120 pounds in a situation that was downright eerie.

Two years ago, when the regionals were also held at Cedar Ridge, Prescod was disqualified in the consolation semifinals when his opponent couldn’t continue after what was ruled an illegal slam. Prescod, who won 44 matches as a sophomore, fell one win shy of the state championships.

In the consolation semifinals on Saturday, on the exact same mat where he was disqualified two years ago, Prescod slammed Connor Dean of Westover at the end of the first period.

Dean stayed down. Images of 2023 flashed through Prescod’s mind as he waited and waited to see if Dean could continue. The officials ruled it was a legal slam since Prescod had his knee down on the mat upon initiating the throw. Dean couldn’t finish. Prescod, who was leading 6-1 at the time, would advance to the consolation final, ensuring his first trip to the state championships.

“I was worried,” Prescod said. “I waited about two minutes and I wasn’t sure if the slam was legal. I was pacing and thinking ‘This can’t be happening.’ Then coach (Metcalf) came over and told me we were good. I was relieved.”

For added measure, Prescod dominated Chris Schroth of Union Pines, winning a tech fall 20-4 to finish in third place.

Last year at regionals, another wrestler from Union Pines denied Prescod’s opportunity to go to the state championships. In the consolation semifinals, Keaton Crawford defeated Prescod 11-9 in a sudden death round. Prescod won 45 matches in his junior year, but again fell one win short of Greensboro.

Prescod now has 160 career wins, third all-time in school history. He is one victory shy of tying Kaden Tatro, who graduated last summer, for second place. The all-time school record is held by Chandler Collins, who amassed 166 wins from 2003-2007.

Cedar Ridge junior Favio Jaramillo Esparza will go to the state championships at 113 pounds for the first time. Esparza pinned Union Pines Caiden McDermott to reach the semifinals. Esparza pinned Joshua Sasser of Harnett Central in 43 seconds to reach the 3rd place match. Esparza, who won the Eagle Invitational in Mebane in December, earned his 97th career win.

Orange will not have a representative in the state championships. Senior Jayden Medley reached the consolation semifinals. Union Pines’ Dantrell Williams defeated Medley 5-1. Medley ends the season 31-10.

Panthers freshman Jordan Barbee also reached the consolation semifinals. Greensboro Dudley’s Devin Cotton defeated Barbee via tech fall.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior swimmer Luke Roman. Last week, Roman cemented his place as the greatest male swimmer in school history when he was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 2025 3A State Championships. Roman won two individual state championships. He also swam the anchor leg to win the 400 yard freestyle relay with Alexander Andre, Noah Jones and Ayden Twiddy. They became the first men’s relay swim team to win a state championship in Orange High history. For the second year in a row, Roman won the 500 yard freestyle state championship, finishing with a time of 4:40.20. Roman also won the state championship in the 200 yard freestyle for the first time in his career, finishing at 1:41.55. Before he started at Orange, only one male swimmer had ever won a state championship. In his career, Roman won the 500 yard freestyle in the Central Conference championships four consecutive years. He was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer in the Central Conference in 2024 and 2025. Orange has won the Central Conference Championship every year that Roman has completed. As he moves on to graduation, Roman’s place in Orange athletic history has been established and he will be the standard all future male swimmers in Hillsborough are compared with.

Orange Panther of the Week: Luke Roman

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior swimmer Luke Roman. Last week, Roman cemented his place as the greatest male swimmer in school history when he was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 2025 3A State Championships. Roman won two individual state championships.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman swimmer J.E. Sandor. From the start of the season in November, Sandor broke school records. In his first high school meet at the Orange County Sportsplex, Sandor broke the school record in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.03 seconds on December 9. Sandor broke his own record repeatedly throughout his freshman year as the Cedar Ridge men’s swimming team finished second in the Central Conference. In January, Sandor won the Central Conference championship in the 100 yard breastroke at 1:07.91. He took the silver medal in the 100 yard butterfly at 57.03. At his first Central Regional Championship meet at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 1, Sandor broke his own school record in the butterfly at 55.41 seconds. Sandor finished second in the regional and advanced to the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary. He also finished 4th in the 100 yard breaststroke as he touched the wall at 1:06.22, just .05 seconds away from getting the bronze. On February 7, Sandor completed his freshman season with an eleventh place finish at 55.30 seconds in the butterfly. With many underclassmen, the future is bright for the Cedar Ridge swimming team. Sandor will spend the spring and summer with his traveling team.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: J.E. Sandor

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is freshman swimmer J.E. Sandor. From the start of the season in November, Sandor broke school records. In his first high school meet at the Orange County Sportsplex, Sandor broke the school record in the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 57.03 seconds on December 9.

It was the dream scenario many kids growing up envisioning in their backyard baskets. Shooting the free throws in the big game against a nearby rival with practically no time left. On Friday night in Hillsborough, it played out in real time for Shannon Murphy–on her senior night. Murphy got fouled with one second left and drained two free throws to lift Orange to a 64-63 win over Eastern Alamance. Murphy scored the final eight points for Orange in the game. She finished with 15 points, including ten in the fourth quarter. Orange senior Evelyn George paced the Panthers with 19 points, while junior point guard Maura McMurtry added 13 points. Orange finished the regular season 15-8, 8-4 in the Central Conference. It was Orange’s first win over Eastern Alamance in a conference game since February 10, 2023. The Lady Panthers will enter the Central Conference Tournament as the #3 seed. Orange will open against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Monday night at 6PM in Hillsborough. Between games of Friday night’s doubleheader, Orange’s seniors were honored. George, Murphy, Marshea Byrd, Chloe Caldwell, Bryce Jones and Rhiley Crabtree were all honored by head coach Josh Underwood. The winner of the Orange-Cedar Ridge game will advance to face either Eastern Alamance or Southern Alamance on Tuesday night at Western Alamance.

Orange women’s basketball’s Murphy, George, Byrd & McMurtry discuss win vs. Eastern Alamance

It was the dream scenario many kids growing up envisioning in their backyard baskets. Shooting the free throws in the big game against a nearby rival with practically no time left. On Friday night in Hillsborough, it played out in real time for Shannon Murphy–on her senior night.

With a share of the conference championship on the line on Senior Night, everyone in attendance for the latest–and possibly last–conference battle between Orange and Eastern Alamance expected the game to be everything, everywhere all at once.

On an utterly berzerk night, the game managed to hit every branch as it fell down the emotion tree.

Joy. Animosity. Anger. Exhilaration.

And, in the end for Orange, pain.

A fan was ejected. A mother walked onto the floor to check on her injured son carrying a shoe, possibly as a weapon. The scoreboard along opposite walls repeatedly went out in the fourth quarter as the game boiled down to a frantic finish because of a short inside the power plug along the visitors bleachers, which rocked up and down with Eagles fans as their team came back. The clock had to be reset several times.

Eastern Alamance, which finished in fifth place in the Central Conference just two years ago, came away from the madness with a share of the Central Conference championship.

Freshman Jonathan Williams sank two free throws with 33 seconds remaining and the Eagles came up with several defensive stops to beat Orange 61-57 in Hillsborough. The Eagles swept the season series from Orange and won in Hillsborough for the first time since the two schools became conference rivals again in 2021.

The Eagles ended the regular season tied with Person for the regular season crown with identical 10-2 records. After splitting with Person in the regular season, the Eagles earned the tiebreaker by sweeping third-place Orange. Person lost to the Panthers on January 9 in Roxboro.

Orange was looking to repeat as regular season champions. It would have been the first time in over 60 years that the Panthers had won consecutive regular season crowns. Instead, the Panthers will go into the Central Central Conference Tournament as the #3 seed. They will face Southern Alamance on Monday night at 7:30 in Hillsborough.

On his senior night, Michael Clark led Orange (17-7, 9-3) with 16 points.

Orange built a 43-31 lead with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter after two free throws from Kamaal Smith. Eastern freshman Mason Murphy started the rally when he scored on a drive to the basket while drawing a blocking foul on Ethan Ellis. The Eagles managed to get Orange point guard Kai Wade and forward Michael Clark in foul trouble as they chipped away at the Panther lead, which was reduced to 47-40 by the end of the third quarter.

Orange didn’t score in the opening 4:50 of the fourth quarter. The Panther offense got tentative after Wade picked up his fourth foul on a technical foul. The Eagles got 33 bench points, led by Ryan Tate, who had scored 22 points the entire season. On Friday night, he had a career-high 15 points. Sophomore Kobie Hester, who averaged 4.7 points per game, came off the bench to add 13 points, including a 3-point play that tied the game 47-47 with 6:28 remaining in regulation.

The Eagles completed a 12-0 run when Hester scored while getting fouled by Freddy Sneed, then Williams scored on a lay-in to put Eastern ahead 51-47. Wade fouled out for only the second time all year when he gambled and went for a steal with 3:37 remaining.

Ellis ended Orange’s long drought with a 3-pointer from the corner. Smith stole the subsequent inbounds pass, which led to Orange senior Xandrell Pennix getting fouled and sinking two free throws to give Orange the lead back.

Sneed created another steal and scored on a lay-in to extend Orange’s lead to 54-51. Hester made two free throws. Pennix was knocked to the floor after rebounding a miss by Hector Garrido, but was called for traveling. Tate found Williams for a lay-in to vault the Eagles back ahead 55-54.

Michael Clark briefly gave the Panthers the lead back when he stormed down the floor and scored while getting fouled by Williams with 39 seconds remaining. Clark’s subsequent free throw put the Panthers back ahead 56-55. Tate got free off on the wing, took a pass from Hester and scored on a jumper.

After a timeout, the Panthers threw the ball away on the inbounds pass, which left Orange coach Derryl Britt so broken, he wrapped his arms around assistant Lemont Jones in remorse.

Williams drove down the floor and was hacked by Clark with 15 seconds remaining. It was Clark’s fifth foul.

The Panthers missed two free throws with two seconds remaining.

Eastern Alamance will receive a bye into the semifinals of the conference tournament and face either Walter Williams or Western Alamance on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.

Things came around in Hillsbrough on Senior Night.

It started going around back on December 13 in Mebane, where the Eastern Alamance women’s basketball team led Orange 37-34 at Tal Jobe Gymnasium. Orange’s Evelyn George took a last-second pass and attempted a 3-pointer. She appeared to be hit on the arm, but there was no call. Instead of the Lady Panthers’ best free-throw shooter going to the line with three tosses to potentially tie the game, the Eagles defeated the Lady Panthers for the third straight time.

On Friday night, it looked like fortune would favor the Eagles again. With Orange leading 62-61 and trying to run out the clock, Eastern’s Aliya Trollinger stole a pass and rocketed down the floor, getting fouled by Maura McMurtry with :10.7 remaining. Trollinger, who led all scorers with 23 points, missed both free throws. But she got the offensive rebound and found a wide-open Marion Scott on the left block for a lay-in to put the Eagles ahead 63-62 with seven seconds remaining.

That’s when the swing around started.

On her senior night, Orange’s Shannon Murphy took off up the floor after throwing the inbounds pass to McMurtry. Murphy took the ball back along the near sideline, stopped 20 feet from the basket in front of the Orange bench.

Just as Murphy let the shot go, Eastern’s M’Khylah Zapata-Jones hit her across the arm.

It wasn’t called two months ago.

It was on Friday night–with one second remaining.

Several Eastern Alamance players rushed off the bench to the floor thinking they had secured its fourth straight win over Orange. Instead, Murphy was awarded three free throws and the scoreboard went out amidst the confusion.

“I just wanted to knock them down for the team,” Murphy said. “I wasn’t really nervous.”

Murphy practically grabbed the ball from the official and barely took a dribble before she attempted her first free throw. Nothing but net to tie the game.

Her second attempt rimmed out.

Murphy took a little more time on the attempt that would decide the game. It drew a slight bit of rim but dropped through the net.

The last, and winning, point on senior night was scored by an Orange senior.

“Shannon never makes those in practice,” McMurtry joked afterwards.

Orange reserves Natalie Roberson and Rhiley Crabtree rushed onto the floor, but there was one problem–there was still one second left.

Fortunately for Orange, they weren’t called for a technical. Eastern couldn’t get a shot off on the subsequent inbounds and the Lady Panthers defeated their crosstown rival 64-63. It was Orange’s first conference win over the Eagles since February 10, 2023. The Lady Panthers did beat Eastern in the Southeast Alamance Holiday Hoopla Tournament in December 2023, a nonconference matchup.

Orange ended the regular season 15-8, 8-4 in the Central Conference, tied for 2nd with the Eagles. The Lady Panthers will be the #3 seed in next week’s Central Conference Tournament and will face Cedar Ridge in the quarterfinals at Panther Gymnasium on Monday night at 6.

Trollinger led the Eagles (12-11, 8-4) with 23 points.

Senior Evelyn George paced the Lady Panthers with 19 points.

The final few minutes of regulation was practically a duel between Murphy and Trollinger, just without the pistols after 50 paces.

Murphy scored on a reverse lay-up with a light kiss off the window to go ahead 52-46 with 5:32 remaining in regulation. Trollinger drained a free throw, then scored off a steal and score to cut the Panther lead to 52-49.

Trollinger put the Eagles within a point at 56-55, concluding a four-point possession after she grabbed an offensive rebound following missed free throw from Makayla Scott, who had scored on a drive down the lane and got fouled by Orange center Marshea Byrd.

On the next possession, Murphy went behind-the-back on the dribble and tossed in a 3-pointer, one that will go on her senior night highlight reel, putting Orange back ahead 59-55.

Trollinger charged right back and scored while getting fouled by Kylee Allen with 2:49 remaining. Zapata-Jones tied the game off a steal of an inbounds pass and scored on a lay-in to tie the game at 59-59. Makayla Scott scored off a midland jumper to put the Eagles ahead 61-59.

Then Murphy delivered another huge shot, taking the ball off a pass from McMurtry and fired in a 3-pointer to put the Lady Panthers ahead, setting up the wild final minute.

Eastern Alamance will face Southern Alamance in the quarterfinals of the Central Conference Tournament on Monday. The semifinals will take place at Western Alamance on Tuesday.