The cliche “wrestle like it’s your last match” isn’t a cliche for several Orange and Cedar Ridge wrestlers this weekend.

For most of them, these are their final days as a wrestler. For several seniors, their goal of winning a state championship is still intact after the first day of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 3A State Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum.

On Thursday night, Orange senior Levi Anderson pinned Kristian Jones of Greensboro Dudley in 32 seconds to advance to the state quarterfinals at 145 pounds. It was another match where Anderson didn’t go the distance. Last weekend, Anderson won the 3A Mideast Regional Championship by winning four matches. Three of the victories were by pinfall and the other was by injury default. On Friday, Anderson faces sophomore Yoel Del Rio of North Brunswick in the quarterfinals. Del Rio, the #2 seed from the East Region, is a sophomore who defeated Stephen Baynard of West Henderson 7-1 on Thursday.

Also advancing to the quarterfinals is Cedar Ridge’s Darius McLeod, who claimed his 98th career victory on Thursday night. McLeod, in a thriller, won a sudden victory over Zach Winterstein of Clayton 7-5 to advance to the quarterfinals of the 132 pound division. McLeod battled through three overtimes with Winterstein without a winner being declared. McLeod scored the takedown in the fourth period to advance. On Friday, he will face Heath Gonyer of Northern Guilford. McLeod is now 34-10 on the season.

Orange’s Avery Jenkins won convincingly in his opening match of the 170 pound tournament. Jenkins defeated Midwest Regional Champion Sam Voncannon 11-2, earning a major decision to advance to the state quarterfinals. Voncannon came into the match 49-3. On Friday, Jenkins will face Easton Griffin of West Caldwell. Two of the four regional champions in the 170 pound bracket lost in the opening round.

Orange senior Gavin Wiggins won his opening round match, as well. Wiggins defeated Jacob Yim of Marvin Ridge 8-5 to move on to the state quarterfinals. On Friday, Wiggins will take on a familiar face in Piedmont’s Bailey Wicker. Last year, Wiggins faced Wicker when Orange faced Piedmont in the 3A Dual Team State Championship match.

Two other Orange wrestlers lost in their opening round matches on Thursday. At 113 pounds, Orange’s Kessell Summers dropped an 11-9 decision to West Carteret’s Sam Johnson. Summers will start action in the consolation round on Friday against Tanner Glock of Sun Valley.

At 182 pounds, Chandler Harward lost to North Brunswick’s Bryan Arago 13-1. Harward, a senior who didn’t break into the starting lineup until this season, faces Jack Wilton of Sun Valley in the consolation round on Friday.

On February 6th, Orange guard Lauren Cates became the first Lady Panther since 2011 to score 1,000 points in her career. Cates scored 19 points as Orange defeated Northern Durham at Poe Gymtorium. On Friday night, Cates will play her final regular season home game against Northern Durham. Before the contest, she will be honored by Bria Berry Holly, the last Orange player to score 1,000 points. Orange will also be searching for its 19th win of the season. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers sewed up 2nd place in the Big 8 Conference by defeating Southern Durham. Orange also guaranteed themselves a spot in the 3A state playoffs. The Lady Panthers will start play in the Big 8 Conference tournament at home against East Chapel Hill on Monday night. Tipoff will be at 6.

It will be a special night for the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team on Friday night. It will be the final home game for the greatest Cedar Ridge women’s player in history: Madison Wardlow. Currently, Wardlow has 973 career points, the most in school history. Wardlow is on the verge of becoming the first Cedar Ridge player to score 1,000 points. It will also be the final home game for Natalia Garay, who has been a starter since her sophomore year. Garay helped Cedar Ridge make the state playoffs the past two years. In 2017, Cedar Ridge reached the 2nd round of the state playoffs. Amy Stutzer, a three-sport star at Cedar Ridge who also plays softball and golf, will also be honored on senior night as the Red Wolves face Southern Durham. The women’s game starts at 6, while the men’s game will follow immediately afterwards.

The Orange men’s basketball team will face Northern Durham on Friday night for senior night. However, Orange doesn’t have any seniors on its roster. They have juniors like Machai Holt, Mekai Collins and Joey Mcmullin. Last week, Orange had a dramatic double overtime victory over Chapel Hill in a game where the Panthers suited up only ten players. On Friday, Orange will look for its 11th win of the season. They will also look to avenge a loss to Northern Durham on February 6th in overtime at Poe Gymtorium. Orange will likely travel to Southern Durham for the opening round of the Big 8 Conference Tournament on Monday night. This interview was conducted after Orange’s victory over East Chapel Hill on January 29.

For the fifth time this season, Orange senior Levi Anderson has won an individual wrestling championship. On Saturday at Southeast Guilford High School in Greensboro, Anderson pinned Northern Durham’s Reuben Dunbar in 1:19. Anderson won all four of his matches at the Regionals by pinball or injury default. He clinched a spot in the 3A State Championship at 145 pounds by defeating Eastern Alamance’s Andrew Dawson by injury in 3:29. Last season, Anderson finished 4th in the regionals. He is the fourth Orange wrestler in the last two years to win a regional championship. Anderson will enter the 145 pound championship as the #1 seed from the Mideast with a 46-3 record this season. The state championships start Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum. 

Cedar Ridge senior Darius McLeod qualified for the 3A State Wrestling championships. On Saturday, McLeod defeated Lydell Canada of Westover 8-6 in the semifinals. However, it could have easily turned into a loss. In the third period, McLeod suffered an inadvertent head. Tut to his bottom lip. The final 90 seconds of the match had plenty of stoppages so McLeod and Coach Scott Metcalf could contain the bleeding. McLeod ultimately would finish the match for his 97th career win, then rose to Moses Cone Hospital for treatment. He forfeited the championship match as the cut required ten stitches. McLeod will go to the 3A State Championships next Friday at the Greensboro Coliseum with 97 career wins. 

On Friday night, Orange freshman Jerec Thompson came up huge in the Panthers’ double overtime victory over Chapel Hill. Thompson hit seven 3-pointers to score a career-high 21 points. He also hit the game-winning shot with :14 left in the second overtime as Orange won at Chapel Hill for the first time in three years. It was a gritty win for an Orange team that dressed out only nine players, three of whom started the season on the junior varsity team. Thompson was called up to the varsity during the Eastern Guilford Holiday Christmas Tournament on December 27. Orange travels to Southern Durham on Tuesday. 

For a freshman, Mary Moss Wirt sure has a flair for the dramatic. On Friday night, Chapel Hill led Orange 41-39 with :12 remaining. The Tigers missed the front end of an one-and-one free throw, which was rebounded by Orange senior Icez Barnett. With time running out, Barnett flipped to freshman Aaliyah Harris. Instead of cutting to the basket, Harris flipped the ball behind her to Moss Wirt, who was standing by herself with her feet planted behind the three point line and ready to fire. Moss Wirt calmly sank a 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds remaining as Orange held to beat the Tigers 42-41. Moss Wirt tied with Lauren Cates for team-high honors with 11 points. Orange is now 17-5 and has sole possession of 2nd place in the Big 8 Conference going into Tuesday’s road trip to Southern Durham.