There was a defensive flavor among the Orange football honorees for All-Central Carolina Conference this year.

Senior nose tackle Kameron Harshaw, linebacker Jackson Wood, defensive end Connor Ray and sophomore offensive tackle Andre Hill were named first-team All-Central Carolina Conference. The official all-conference team was released by CCC Commissioner Michael Pennington on Monday.

Orange was also honored with the Sportsmanship Award based on a vote by the league’s coaches.

Harshaw led Orange with 27 tackles for loss this season. That included four sacks. In his second year on the varsity level, Harshaw started the season with ten tackles, five for a loss, against South Granville on August 20 in Creedmoor. In Orange’s 47-0 win over Granville Central on September 10, Harshaw had six tackles and two sacks. He amassed a season-high eleven tackles against Northwood on October 15.

Wood started every game at linebacker for the Panthers. He also occasionally played fullback. Wood had 59 tackles. That included 13 tackles for loss, which was tied with junior Jabari Albright for second-most on the team. He also rushed for 55 yards on 16 carries. Wood had ten tackles against South Granville. In Orange’s 26-14 victory over Person on October 7, Wood had a season-high four tackles for loss and ten tackles overall. He also recovered a fumble against Williams when he swiped a pitchout in the Bulldogs’ backfield in the fourth quarter. Last spring, during Orange’s 3-3 season shortened because of the pandemic, Wood had 36 tackles. He also scored two touchdowns, including one in the Panthers’ thrilling season-finale against Chapel Hill.

Ray, a senior, led the team with five sacks, two of them against Western Alamance on September 17 in Elon. Ray had 55 tackles, ten of them for a loss. He totaled nine tackles against Northwood, which was his season-high. The following week against Williams, Ray had eight tackles. He had two tackles for a loss in the victory over Granville Central. This was Ray’s third season as a varsity player. Last spring, Ray had 13 tackles in five games. He also saw time as a wingback in Orange’s double wing offense.

Hill, a sophomore, was the only member of the Orange offense to be named All-Conference. He was also the only Panther underclassman honored. As Orange’s offensive line constantly changed almost on a game-by-game basis, Hill became a fixture at left tackle as the season progressed. Behind Hill, Orange’s offense had its three best games of the season against Chapel Hill, Person and Granville Central. Against the Tigers on August 27, Orange totaled 242 rushing yards.

Orange had its season-high of 314 rushing yards against Granville Central and finished with 412 yards total offense. In the win over Person, the Panthers got dual 100-yard rushing games from Ronald Cooper and Nate Sorrells and finished with 267 rushing yards overall.

Eastern Alamance quarterback Hunter Douglas was named the Central Carolina Conference Offensive Player of the Year. Douglas, a senior quarterback, threw for 2,252 yards and 14 touchdowns as the Eagles won the Central Carolina Conference and reached the quarterfinals in the 3A State Quarterfinals.

Eastern Alamance’s John Kirby was named the Central Carolina Conference Coach of the Year. After a season-opening loss to Eastern Randolph, the Eagles won ten straight games to finish the regular season. The Eagles defeated Havelock in the 2nd round of the state playoffs. Jacksonville knocked off Eastern Alamance in the regional semifinals in overtime last Friday.

Walter Williams junior linebacker Will Rhodes was named the Central Carolina Conference Defensive Player of the Year. Rhodes led the Bulldogs with 167 tackles and four sacks. Williams, under first-year head coach Patrick Stokes, finished 7-5, its first winning season since 2013.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior cross country runner Zoe Wade. In October, Wade made the All-Central Carolina Conference team in women’s cross country after finishing 4th at the Central Carolina Conference championships at Northwood High School in PIttsboro. Wade also qualified for the 3A State Championships following a top-20 finish at the Mideast Regionals. Wade has been a varsity cross country runner since her freshman year at Cedar Ridge. In 2018, the Red Wolves women’s squad qualified as a team for the 3A State Championships. Wade is also very active outside of running at Cedar Ridge. She is part of the International Baccalaureate Program. Along with other athletes at Cedar Ridge, she travels to other elementary schools around Hillsborough to train younger athletes in various activities. Wade is currently preparing for the upcoming indoor track & field season. (We apologize for the poor video quality in this interview and we thank Zoe for her patience).

The Orange women’s basketball team earned its first win of the season on Tuesday night. The Lady Panthers traveled to East Chapel Hill and defeated the Wildcats 39-29 at Wildcats Gymnasium. The top three scorers for the Lady Panthers were all seniors, led by Samantha George, who finished with ten points. Guard Aaliyah Harris had seven points, while Jarmil Wingate added eight. George also finished with seven rebounds as the Lady Panthers defeated East Chapel Hill for the third straight in its last four visits to Wildcats Gymnasium. Harris has had a busy summer. A four-year varsity player, Harris has visited schools like Brevard College, Lees-McRae and Roanoke College to potentially play at the next level. Orange will continue a busy week on Thursday night with a trip to Durham to face the North Carolina School an Math. On Saturday, they will travel to Pittsboro to take on Northwood in its Central Carolina Conference opener.

Losing seven regular rotation players from the year before has the tendency to create uncertainty at the beginning of a new basketball season.

Yet even after losing five of his top six scorers from last season, Cedar Ridge men’s basketball coach Jaison Brooks didn’t have to worry about putting points on the board when it mattered most against Durham School of the Arts on Monday night.

The Red Wolves broke open a tight game by scoring 28 points in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game and defeat the Bulldogs 61-40 at Red Wolves Arena on Monday night. In his first varsity game, junior guard Colton Taylor finished with a game-high 15 points, nine of which came in the final 8:01.

Junior Něco Clark added ten points as the Red Wolves won its season opener over the Bulldogs for the second time in three years.

Caleb Hawkins led DSA (1-4) with 12 points, most of which were 3-pointers in garbage time.

After Cedar Ridge pushed its lead to 27-18 midway through the third quarter, the Bulldogs rallied for consecutive field goals from guard Josh Dorsette and Bryce Lawson to reduce the Red Wolves lead. In the waning second of the third quarter, Taylor caught a 3-pointer that fell short of the rim and laid it in just before the buzzer, which triggered at 12-0 run and put the game away.

“That’s pretty much how he’s played since he’s been part of our program,” Brooks said. “We were excited to have him move up from the junior varsity squad. That’s what we expect from him. He works hard.”

After losing A.J. Richmond, Grady Ray, Luke Pagnanelli, Ian Johnson, Samuel Garbee and James Ragland to graduation, and rising junior Johntez Raspberry transferred to Walter Williams, it would have only been natural to wonder about Cedar Ridge’s depth. Instead, all eleven Red Wolves that dressed out played, and ten of them scored.

“We are happy with the group that we have,” Brooks said. “They all have their strengths that contribute to what we’re trying to do. So we are ecstatic that they’re potential is starting to show. It’s also the things that we see behind closed doors be brought to light so others can see it.”

Cedar Ridge’s Rawlins Taylor scored four points early for the Red Wolves as the game was nip-and-tuck early. The Red Wolves led 10-8 at the end of the first quarter. Colton Taylor added two field goals in the second quarter as the Red Wolves took a 20-15 into the locker room.

The game kicked off a busy week for the Red Wolves. They will return to action tonight (Tuesday) against Voyager Academy at 7:15 at Cedar Ridge. On Friday night, the Red Wolves will host East Chapel Hill.

WOMEN’S GAME: DSA 60, Cedar Ridge 19

The best way to examine the growth of the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team in its season opener compared to last winter was by looking at the bench.

Last year, the Red Wolves often only had five players available. They played several games without simply being able to substitute.

On Monday night, the Red Wolves had 15 players suited up under new head coach Megan Skouby. And that was without several starters from last year.

Nonetheless, DSA easily prevailed 60-19 after the Bulldogs jumped out to a 14-0 lead early. Cedar Ridge’s Julie Altieri, coming off a 3A State Championship in volleyball, was the Red Wolves leading scorer in her first high school game with six points. Kathryn Romska, in her varsity debut, scored four points.

Skouby, who served as an assistant volleyball coach for Cedar Ridge this season, is a former head coach at South Iredell. The Red Wolves will host Voyager Academy tonight at 6 at Red Wolves Arena.

Nylah Daniels led the Bulldogs (3-1) with 16 points, while Christina Burton and Precious Ogboko each had 14.

After winning the 3A Central Regional championship earlier this year, Orange’s Katie Belle Sikes has already qualified to defend her title in the 50 yard freestyle.

The only difference is this time she got to do it in a bona fide swimming meet.

Last week at the Orange County SportsPlex, Sikes qualified for the 3A Central Regionals in four different events during a meet that included Cedar Ridge and Eastern Alamance.

Last February, Sikes finished 2nd in the 50 yard freestyle at the 3A State Championships in Raleigh. She won the Central Regional championship in the same event. However, during the pandemic, Sikes didn’t get to experience a standard meet with other competitors beside her because of the pandemic. She competed only against the clock while adjacent lanes remained empty. Often she was the only person in the pool.

In the meet on November 22, Orange women’s swimming team defeated Cedar Ridge 83-60. The Eastern Alamance women’s team defeated Orange 85-72.

Sikes won the 50 yard freestyle in 23.60 seconds. Cedar Ridge freshman Sophia Stinnett finished second and also qualified for regionals at 26.06.

Stinnett won the 100 yard backstroke, qualifying for regionals at 1:07.66

Sikes also won the 100 yard freestyle at 52.82, easily ahead of the regional qualifying time of 1:00.99.

Orange senior Melissa Campbell qualified for regionals in four separate events, as well. Campbell teamed with Sikes, Sandra McCouch and junior Ellie Wileman to win the 200 yard medley relay at 1:59.67. Individually, Campbell won the 200 yard freestyle with a time of 2:17.48. Campbell also capture the 100 yard butterfly at 1:07.26, beating the qualifying time by two full seconds.

In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Campbell teamed with Sikes, McCouch and Wileman to automatically qualify at 4:08.69. Cedar Ridge’s team of Stinnett, Quinn McCrimmon, Claire Kimball and Abbygale Pearce finished third and also earned a spot in regionals.

In the men’s meets, Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 96-65, and also topped Cedar Ridge 89-63.

Cedar Ridge freshman Matthew Czar qualified for the regionals in the 200 yard freestyle, along with two other events. In his first high school race, Czar finished first as he touched the wall at 2:01.40, narrowly beating Orange’s Nick Baczara by two-tenths of-a-second.

Another Cedar Ridge freshman, Alexander Hill, earned a bid for regionals in four different events. In the 200 yard intermediate, Hill finished first at 2:08.02. Also in the 200 yard, Orange’s Roman finished second at 2:10.83, while Phillips came in third. Roman and Phillips also qualified for regionals.

Hill also won the 500 yard freestyle at 5:09.28. Roman also qualified for regionals with a second place finish, touching the wall at 5:11.90.

Cedar Ridge’s 200 yard freestyle relay team of Hill, Czar, Nikhil Agans and Jason Pattison came in first at 1:41.56. The automatic regional qualifying time was 1:43.49.

Orange’s 200 yard medley relay team of senior Ian Moore, junior Evan Phillips, freshman Alexander Andre and freshman Luke Roman won the event at 1:48.08, also earning a trip to Greensboro for regionals. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Roman, Phillips, Nick Bazara and Andre also finished first at 3:38.21, ahead of the qualifying time. Cedar Ridge’s Hill, Czar, Pattison and Agans finished second at 3:47.61.

Phillips also qualified for regionals in the 100 yard breastroke at 1:08.85.

While falling short of an automatic regional qualifying time, Orange’s Sandra McCouch won the 100 yard breaststroke at 1:18.64.

In the men’s 100 yard backstroke, Orange’s Moore finished 1st at 1:02.56, while the Panthers’ Andrew Weeks came in second with a time of 1:09.20.

Cedar Ridge’s Pattison won the 100 yard freestyle at 1:03.55. The Red Wolves’ Agans, a sophomore, won the 50 yard freestyle.

After losing seven players from last year’s team, the Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team had plenty of players making their varsity debut against Durham School of the Arts on Monday night. The Red Wolves didn’t let that stop them in a 61-40 victory over the Bulldogs in the season opener at Red Wolves Arena. In his first varsity game, junior guard Colton Taylor scored 15 points leading all scorers. The Red Wolves led 33-25, but scored 28 points in the final quarter to pull away. Taylor started the run with a lay-in off an errant shot at the third quarter buzzer, then opened the fourth quarter with consecutive field goals to keep Cedar Ridge’s lead in double-digits for good. Neco Clark, a junior, added ten points. All eleven Red Wolves played and ten of them scores as Cedar Ridge won its season opener for the second time in three years. It’s the start of a busy opening week for Cedar Ridge. The Red Wolves will host Voyager Academy on Tuesday night at Cedar Ridge. The women’s game starts at 6, while the men will start afterwards. On Friday night, Cedar Ridge will host East Chapel Hill.