Orange’s Eryk Mercado, Jett Satterfield, Colin Guentensberger & Jeremiah Bailey Talk Southern Win

Before Friday night, the Orange Panthers hadn’t defeated the Southern Durham Spartans in Hillsborough since 1985. However, Orange ended that dry spell with a 27-17 victory over the Spartans at Auman Stadium. Hunter Pettiford rushed for 196 yards on 27 carries. Linebackers Colin Guentensberger and Jett Satterfield and nose tackle Jeremiah Bailey all made huge defensive plays throughout the game. Senior co-captain Eryk Mercado helped limit the Southern passing attack, as well as making a huge catch on a 2nd-and-23 for 24 yards in the third quarter, leading to Pettiford’s 2nd touchdown. After an 0-3 start, Orange is now 2-0 in the Big 8 Conference.

 

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Orange Varsity Football Schedules Randleman for November 2nd; Cedar Ridge JVs Reschedules Northern Durham Game

Midway through the 2018 season, it appears the Orange football team has its final schedule set. At least, until the next rainout.

On Thursday night, Orange announced that the Panthers will travel to Randleman on November 2 at 7PM. Randleman replaces Chapel Hill on Orange’s schedule. On August 13, four days before the season opener, Chapel Hill announced it would not field a varsity football team because of a lack of participation.

Randleman is a 2A team that plays in the PAC 7 Conference. They’re currently 5-0 overall, 1-0 in conference play. In 2016, the Tigers won the PAC 7 Conference Championship with a perfect 6-0 record. They finished 11-2 after advancing to the 3rd round of the 2AA State playoffs, where they lost to East Duplin 21-13. Randleman was held under 30 points just twice all of last season, finishing the season with seven consecutive wins by a cumulative total of 328-48.

So far this season, Randleman has defeated Asheboro, Southwestern Randolph, Ledford (who handed Randleman its only regular season last season), and Union Pines. Last week, the Tigers won its PAC 7 Conference opener over Wheatmore 28-14 in Trinity.

Through the course of this week, Orange has gone from nine scheduled games for the 2018 season to eleven. On Monday morning, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association extended the regular season to November 9, citing the number of schools in Coastal and Sandhills Counties that have yet to resume classes because of Hurricane Florence. Within hours of that announcement, Orange rescheduled the Riverside game that was postponed on September 14 because of Florence. The Riverside-Orange game will be the regular season finale for the Panthers.

Because of Cedar Ridge and CHHS not fielding varsity teams and Hurricane Florence, this Orange team will have the unusual distinction of finishing the season with three straight nonconference opponents. On October 26, Eastern Guilford will visit Orange. The Wildcats replaced Cedar Ridge on the schedule the day after the Red Wolves canceled the varsity football season in June.

It was important for the Panthers to get an eleventh game scheduled for playoff purposes. Currently, Orange is 1-3 going into Friday’s night contest against Southern Durham, who have dropped two straight to the Panthers, both at Spartan Stadium.

Orange isn’t the only team playing football schedule gymnastics. On Thursday afternoon, the Cedar Ridge junior varsity team announced that its game against Northern Durham, which was suspended by lightning on Wednesday night, will resume on November 5 at Cedar Ridge Stadium. The Red Wolves and the Knights completed the first quarter tied 6-6 before lightning stopped the proceedings.

There’s no word yet on if Cedar Ridge’s game against Northwood, which was supposed to take place last week, will be rescheduled. The contest was slated for Pittsboro but was postponed because of unplayable grounds at Northwood High.

Despite being the final week of September, Cedar Ridge has only completed three games this season, sporting a 1-2 record. The Red Wolves defeated Rocky Mount Preparatory on September 6 for its first win on the gridiron in over a year.

All Orange varsity and Cedar Ridge junior varsity games can be heard on Hillsboroughsports.com.

 

Cedar Ridge Football Coach Antonio King Discusses Rain-Shortened JV Game vs. Northern Durham

Cedar Ridge was set to take the field for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday night, but they only got one quarter in. Cedar Ridge’s game against Northern Durham was stopped because of rain at the end of the first quarter with the game tied at 6-6. Hillsboroughsports.com’s Curran Campbell spoke with Cedar Ridge Football Coach Antonio King about the game and what he’s thought of his team so far.

Cedar Ridge Football Coach Antonio King Discusses the rain-shortened game against Northern DUrham

Cedar Ridge was set to take the field for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday night, but they only got one quarter in. Cedar Ridge’s game against Northern Durham was stopped because of rain at the end of the first quarter with the game tied at 7-7.

Alumni Update: Rogers Scores 1st College Goal for William Peace; Henry Assists Methodist Volleyball to Win in Return

Jordan Rogers: Division III William Peace defeated Hollins University 6-0 on Tuesday night in Roanoke, VA. Peace freshman Jordan Rogers, who graduated from Orange in June, scored her first college goal in the 26th minute when she picked up a loose ball and chipped it over the head of Hollins goalkeeper Kendra Rich. In the 57th minute, Rogers picked up her 2nd assist of the season on a goal scored by Alyssa Gasperini. Rogers fired three shots. She has started all six games for the Pacers this season, accumulating 321 minutes. She is credited with 12 shots, four of them on net. William Peace is 1-3-1 with a match set for Thursday against Methodist in the USA South Athletic Conference. During her career at Orange, Rogers was named All-Big 8 Conference all four of her varsity seasons. She was also a BETA Club student.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: The former Orange High star started for Dickinson College in a 2-0 loss to #10 Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday night in Carlisle, PA. The loss ended the Red Devils’ four-game winning streak. They’re now 5-3-1. Reid-Shaw has started all nine of Dickinson’s games. Dickinson is now 2-1 in the Centennial Conference. Reid-Shaw, a junior, played in his 40th game on Tuesday night. In his Dickinson career, Reid-Shaw has started 22 games and has one assist, 12 shots, and four shots on goal. On Saturday, Dickinson will travel to Collegeville, PA to face Ursinus College in another Centennial Conference game. The Red Devils return home on Tuesday to face Misericordia.

Lili Henry: After Hurricane Florence forced the Methodist volleyball team to cancel or postpone six matches, the Division III Monarchs returned to action on Tuesday night. Methodist, after 17 days off, defeated Pfeiffer 3-1 in their USA South Athletic Conference opener. Lili Henry, a 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate, had 40 assists, two aces, and nine digs. Methodist improved to 6-2 overall. Henry currently leads the Monarchs with 219 assists and 16 aces. She has played in all eight of Methodist’s matches, starting six of them. She also has nine kills. The Monarchs return to action on Friday night when they take on Eastern Mennonite in Harrisonburg, VA. There’s no word on when Methodist will make up four matches that were postponed, three of which are USA South Conference matches against Salem, Averett and North Carolina Wesleyan. On Saturday, Methodist returns to USA South Conference play in a tri-match in Staunton, VA. The Monarchs will start the day against Mary Baldwin at noon, then face Meredith, which includes former Orange star Bailey Lucas.

Morgan Sellers: Sellers is a freshman for the Fayetteville State volleyball team. Like Methodist and other areas hit hard by Hurricane Florence, the Broncos have been in a holding pattern waiting for the flooding to relent before starting back with volleyball again. Fayetteville State is slated to return to action on Thursday night against St. Augustine’s at Felton Capel Arena in Fayetteville. The Broncos will enter the match 1-7, 1-2 in the CIAA. So far this season, Sellers, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June, has played in two matches. She has two kills.

 

 

NCHSAA Extends Football Season; Orange Reschedules Riverside Game for November 9; Cedar Ridge JVs host Northern Durham Wednesday

Through teams cancelling varsity football seasons and natural disasters, completing a 10-game football schedule has been a minor miracle for the Orange football team.

After its final nonconference game against Riverside, set for September 14, was washed away because of Hurricane Florence there was some doubt within Orange circles whether the game would be rescheduled. Orange and Riverside have each Friday until the end of the season tied up.

On Monday morning, however, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association did Orange, and largely everyone else with state football playoff hopes, a favor by extending the regular season to November 9. The state playoffs are set to start on November 16. Immediately after the NCHSAA issued its statement, Orange announced that its game against Riverside would be played on November 9 at Auman Stadium.

The move means Orange will take the unusual step of concluding its season with two nonconference games. Orange is slated to host Eastern Guilford on October 26. The Wildcats replaced Cedar Ridge on Orange’s slate after CRHS opted not to field a varsity team this season.

There’s no word on whether Cedar Ridge would reschedule its junior varsity game against Granville Central that was also postponed two weeks ago.

The move by the NCHSAA came amidst more uncertainty from schools along the North Carolina coast and Sandhills. On Monday morning, Brunswick County Schools announced they wouldn’t resume classes until October 5. New Hanover and Pender County Schools haven’t held classes since September 11. Florence also destroyed the gym floor at Wilmington Christian Academy. The situation at Purnell Swett High School in Lumberton was so urgent last Tuesday, Principal Clyde Leviner sent out a tweet urging students to contact the football coaching staff because some of the players weren’t accounted for.

Orange faced a similar situation in 2016 during Hurricane Matthew. Coming off a stunning 49-7 blowout of archrival Southern Durham, the Panthers’ home game against Northwood was postponed to the following Monday because of rain. Orange defeated the Chargers 19-3…and then along came Matthew.

The hurricane forced Orange’s (final) trip to Northern Vance to be moved up to a Thursday night, leaving Orange to play two games in four days. Yet again, the Orange defense pitched a shutout, blanking the Vikings 14-0 in what turned out to be the final game ever between the two teams. It was one of five shutouts posted by the Orange defense, which included future N.C. State linebacker Payton Wilson, future Vanderbilt defensive end Stone Edwards and Ryan Sellers, now a walk-on at East Carolina. That Orange defense, arguably the best in school history, set the tone for the Panthers’ first undefeated regular season since 1978 and its second consecutive Big 8 Conference Championship.

Many schools across Cumberland County are scrambling to finish all ten (or eleven, as the case may be) games by the November 9 deadline. Several schools will play two games in five days this week. On Tuesday night, Grey’s Creek, Pine Forest, E.E. Smith and Douglas Byrd all played, and they all have contests scheduled again this Friday. Cape Fear and Overhills will play Wednesday night, then again on Monday.

Cedar Ridge Tennis Defeats Orange; Cedar Ridge Soccer Wins 2nd Straight, Orange Soccer Shuts Out Southern

Another fall has arrived and the Cedar Ridge girls tennis team still has never lost to Orange in Big 8 Conference play.

On Monday afternoon, the Red Wolves defeated the Lady Panthers for the 8th straight time 8-1 at Orange High Tennis Courts. Cedar Ridge won all six of the singles matches. Junior Olivia Ward, senior Alana Lutz, junior Brianna Cellini, senior Rachel Quade and freshmen Mary Hunter Millet & Hannah Shinnick all claimed victories.

Orange’s only victory was also the most competitive match of the afternoon as the doubles team of Sydney Allison & Lindsey Jouannet defeated Cedar Ridge’s #3 doubles squad of Millet and Shinnick 9-7. Cedar Ridge won the other two doubles matches, with Lutz/Ward teaming to defeat Jera Hargrove & Morgan Gwinn 8-1. In the #2 doubles match, Cellini/Quade defeated Orange’s tandem of Natalie Marochak & Emma Williamson 8-6.

Cedar Ridge, now 4-8 overall and 4-6 in the Big 8 Conference, hosts Northern Durham on Wednesday.

Boys Soccer: Coming off of its first win over Orange in two years, Cedar Ridge continued the momentum on Monday night by shutting out Hillside 5-0 at Cedar Ridge Stadium. With eight matches remaining in the season, Cedar Ridge has already equaled its win total from all of last season with a mark of 5-5-1. They host Southern Durham on Thursday night.

Also on Monday night, Orange bounced back with a 3-0 victory at Southern Durham in a match played at Twin Lakes Park. Orange goalkeeper Francisco McKinley earned the clean sheet for the Panthers. Levi Anderson scored the opener on an assist from Logan Myers. RJ Pherribo notched Orange’s 2nd goal off an assist from McKinley. Junior Jerry Velasquez added an insurance goal off a cross from Pherribo, who has five points over the past two games.

Orange is now tied with Northwood and Cedar Ridge for fourth place in the Big 8 Conference with 2-2 league records. The Panthers are also 5-5-1 going into its match on Wednesday afternoon against Northern Durham at Orange High Soccer Park.

Volleyball: Cedar Ridge completed a season sweep of Bartlett Yancey on Monday night. In a road trip to Caswell County, the Red Wolves defeated the Buccaneers 3-0 on scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-13.

It was another strong game for senior Sarah McCuiston, coming off her 21-kill effort in the Orange game. Against the Buccaneers, McCuiston finished with 17 kills and now has a team-high 147 for the season. McCuiston also had three blocks, three digs and an ace. Junior Tori Dalehite registered eight kills, three aces, and six digs. Senior Juliann De Jesus had six kills. Senior Macy Henry had 35 assists.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves lost to Northern Durham 3-0 at Cedar Ridge Gymnasium. The scores were 25-7, 27-25 and 25-14. Once again, McCuiston led the Red Wolves with 12 kills. De Jesus finished with seven kills and one block. Henry had three aces, five digs and a team-high 21 assists. Senior Rachel Tucker led Cedar Ridge with 13 digs.

The Red Wolves are now 5-12 overall, 2-8 in the Big 8 Conference. On Thursday night, they will wrap up the month of September by traveling over to East Chapel Hill. Next week, the Red Wolves host Northwood, Hillside and Southern Durham to wrap up the season.