Just three starts into his stint in Triple-A baseball and Bryse Wilson is already setting records.

On Wednesday night, Wilson broke a nearly decade-old Gwinnett Stripers franchise record with 13 strikeouts as Gwinnett defeated the Louisville Bats 4-3 to complete a three-game sweep. Wilson’s broke the old record set by Charlie Moton on April 12, 2009. That game was the fourth in Gwinnett history after the franchise relocated from Richmond, VA.

Wilson struck out seven of the first ten batters he faced. Since being called up from Double-A Mississippi of the Southern League, Wilson has gone 3-0 with a 4.50 ERA for the Stripers.

Wilson has three wins in three starts with the Stripers. In his first AAA outing, he gave up ten hits and seven runs in a 10-7 victory over Norfolk, striking out eight. Last Thursday against Buffalo, Wilson tossed six-and-two-thirds innings, allowing seven hits and four runs in a 9-5 Stripers’ victory.

After spending all of 2017 with the Macon Braves of the South Atlantic League, it’s been a summer of promotions for Wilson. He started the season with the Florida Fire Frogs of the Florida State League. In five starts, Wilson went 2-0 with a 0.34 ERA. He only yielded four runs in the FSL, and only one of those was earned. He struck out 26 with no walks.

On May 7, Wilson was promoted to Mississippi, where his early outings were his toughest of the season.  At one point, Wilson lost five straight starts with a 6.24 ERA through 44 2/3 innings. In each of his five losses, Mississippi scored three runs or less. Things turned around last month.

In the month of July, Wilson led all of minor league baseball with 42 strikeouts, despite being the youngest player in the Southern League at 20 years old. He finished July with a 2-0 record, throwing 32 1/3 innings, allowing three runs, seven walks and a 0.84 ERA.

Wilson is currently the youngest pitcher in AAA baseball by eight months. In his final AA start on July 30th against Birmingham, Wilson had eight strikeouts over five innings. In all five starts in the month of July, Wilson struck out more batters than he pitched innings. Wilson’s longest start in Mississippi came on July 19^th in a 2-0 victory over the Montgomery Biscuts, striking out nine over seven innings. He yielded only three hits and a walk in a no decision.

Wilson spent all of 2017 with the Macon Braves of the South Atlantic League, where he went 10-7 with a 2.50 ERA in 26 starts. He struck out 139 while walking 37.

Wilson, the son of Chad and Tracey Wilson of Hillsborough, is a 2016 graduate of Orange. He was selected in the 4^th round by Atlanta in the 2016 Major League Baseball draft. As a four-year starter on the baseball team, Wilson went 33-4 with a 0.90 ERA in leading the Panthers to four Big 8 Conference Championships. His win total likely would have been higher if it wasn’t for a shoulder injury during his sophomore season, which limited him to four starts on the mound.

Wilson’s father, Chad, is a 1990 graduate of Orange High. Bryse’s brother, Payton, was an All-State linebacker at Orange and will redshirt the upcoming season at N.C. State.

After losing 12 seniors for 2017, it figured to be a rebuilding season for the Orange boys soccer team.

After making the 2nd round of the 3A state playoffs for the first time since 2009, the Panthers lost leading scorer Jamar Davis, All-State wingback Omar Landeros, goalkeeper Noah Miller and midfielder Luke Wirzba.

In the opening week of the 2018 season, Orange dropped both of its opening matches. On Monday night, Orange fell to Carrboro 2-1 in Hillsborough. The Jaguars, who went undefeated in the 2-A Mid-State Conference last season and finished 20-3-2 overall, scored the game-winning goal midway through the 2nd half. Levi Anderson notched Orange’s first goal of the season off a corner kick from Cameron Michalski.

On Wednesday night, Walter Williams defeated the Panthers 4-2. Michalski and Drew Jagentenfl each scored goals for Orange. Williams’ Jorge Alfaro notched two goals, while Chris Gutierrez and Dallin Vandre also scored for the Bulldogs. Junior Romeo Vera tallied three assists. Matthew Morrison made six saves as Williams captured its season-opener. In 2017, the Bulldogs captured a share of the 3A Mid Piedmont Conference and finished 19-3-1.

Orange will make back-to-back road trips next week, starting Tuesday at Eastern Alamance. On Wednesday, the Panthers face Person in Roxboro.

Cedar Ridge started its season on Monday night with a 6-2 loss to Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Sophomore Gustavo Salas scored a hat trick for the Eagles. Cedar Ridge received goals from Reese Weaver on an assist from Dean Allen. Frank Orellana notched an unassisted goal for the Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge will play at Durham School of the Arts on Thursday night, then travel to Carrboro on Monday night. Cedar Ridge opens its home schedule on Wednesday against Graham.

Elsewhere in girls tennis, both Orange and Cedar Ridge opened the season with young teams. Going into the season, Cedar Ridge Coach Lennie Corbett figured to have the services of Ivy Garner, a rising sophomore who finished runner-up in the 3A Mideast Regionals last season. However, Garner transferred to Eno River Academy last week to focus on her main sport, soccer.

Cedar Ridge was also shorthanded when they fell to Bartlett Yancey 8-1 in Monday’s opener as two starters were on vacation. Olivia Ward, who started during the Red Wolves 2016 Big 8 Championship run, won in #1 singles. On Tuesday, Eastern Alamance defeated the Red Wolves 7-2.

The Orange girls tennis team started the season with a 9-0 loss to Eastern Alamance on Monday. On Wednesday, the Lady Panthers fell to Person 5-4.

Against the Rockets, freshman Jera Hargrove won at #1 singles. Junior Sydney Allison earned her first win of the season at #5 singles.  In doubles action, the team of Lindsey Jouannet and Morgan Gwynn won at #2, while Allison teamed with junior Gaylaw Eh for a victory at #3.

Next week, Orange will host Eastern Alamance on Monday. Then comes the Big 8 opener against defending conference champion East Chapel Hill on Wednesday.

As for Cedar Ridge, they travel to Eastern Alamance on Monday, then head north to face Bartlett Yancey on Wednesday. They host Roxboro Community School on Thursday, its only home match of the week.

On Friday night, Zyon Pettiford will make his varsity debut when Orange faces Northern Nash at Auman Stadium. Pettiford had an impressive, though unofficial, start to his varsity career last Friday in a scrimmage against Eastern Alamance in Mebane. Pettiford made six receptions for 107 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles. Pettiford is also likely to be a starter this winter for the Orange basketball team under new head coach Derryl Britt. 

Orange WR Zyon Pettiford Discusses Eastern Alamance Scrimmage, Friday’s Opener vs. Northern Nash

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The Orange volleyball team won its home opener on Tuesday night, defeated 2A power South Granville 3-1. Liz LaNier had a strong overall game for the Panthers, who captured the last two sets. Orange is 2-0 under new head coach Kelly Young. They have a rematch set for Thursday night against the Vikings in Creedmoor.

Orange Senior Middle Hitter Liz LaNier Discusses the Lady Panthers Win over South Granville

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During her first week of practice as the new Orange volleyball coach, Kelly Young made no secret of her goals.

“I want to be Chapel Hill,” said Young.

It’s a lofty goal. The Tigers have won consecutive 3A Eastern Regional Championships since the arrival of Ross Fields as head coach in 2016.

Orange isn’t ready to compete for state championships two games into 2018, but Tuesday night certainly was a promising sign.

The Panthers defeated perennial 2A power South Granville 3-1 at Jim King Gymnasium on scores of 25-15, 22-25, 25-17 and 25-16. The Lady Panthers (2-0) were 24 hours removed from a road victory over Eastern Alamance in Mebane.

The Vikings (0-1) have a 102-20 record since 2014. During the past four years, they have won three Northern Carolina Conference Championships, two 2A Eastern Regional Championships and the 2015 2A State Championship.

Despite that, Young says she wasn’t surprised by the result.

“I had a good feeling,” said Young. “I knew that they (South Granville) was strong, so I was excited about playing them. I know we play them again at their place on Thursday, so I know they’ll be out for blood. So we’ve got to play even better than we did tonight.”

The two teams split the opening sets. In the third, South Granville bolted out to a 6-1 lead. Orange went on a 11-6 run, which included a block from Libby Jones and consecutive kills from junior Emma Clements. With the set tied 10-10, Clements spiked a ball off an assist from Kaitlyn Werden to take the lead. Gracie Ducharme’s kill off a pass from Elizabeth Vosburg wrapped up the set and gave Orange a 2-1 lead.

In the fourth set, Orange never trailed. They started on a 4-1 run, which included an ace from Werden. In the final set, Clements had four kills and one ace as Orange pushed its lead to 20-12 at one point. Vosburg, which her older brother Logan watching from the stands, had a key block that pushed the Lady Panthers’ advantage to 19-12.

On Monday night, Orange defeated Eastern Alamance in Mebane for Young’s first win as the Lady Panthers’ coach. Orange took the first two sets 25-8 and 25-17.

Liz LaNier had 21 kills against the Eagles, while Clementrrs added 16 kills and Jones had 10. Werden led Orange with three aces, while Clements added two. LaNier also had eight blocks. Senior Meg Gattis finished with 45 digs. Werden also had eleven assists, while Ducharme had six.

Orange travels to South Granville on Thursday. They return home on Monday night for a rematch against Eastern Alamance.

Last season, Orange cornerback Eryk Mercado tied for the team lead in interceptions and led the team in pass breakups. Now, as a senior, Mercado is a co-captain, inheriting a role that Payton Wilson held last year. Mercado will lead a younger Orange defense that held Eastern Alamance to one touchdown in Friday’s scrimmage in Mebane. On Friday, the Panthers open the season at home against Northern Nash. 

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Last season, Orange cornerback Eryk Mercado tied for the team lead in interceptions and led the team in pass breakups. Now, as a senior, Mercado is a co-captain, inheriting a role that Payton Wilson held last year. Mercado will lead a younger Orange defense that held Eastern Alamance to one touchdown in Friday’s scrimmage in Mebane.

The Cedar Ridge volleyball team’s first win under new head coach Anna Seethaler was a dramatic one. The Red Wolves trailed 2-0 against the Buccaneers. But Cedar Ridge rallied to take the final three sets and take a 3-2 win on Monday night on scores of 21-25, 16-25, 25-20, 25-22 and 15-12. Senior co-Captain Rachel Tucker had 19 digs and five assists. The Red Wolves will try to go to 2-0 on Wednesday night when they host Durham School of the Arts at 6:30.

Cedar Ridge Senior Rachel Tucker Discusses Win Over Bartlett Yancey

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The Orange Volleyball team opens its season tonight at Eastern Alamance under the direction of new head coach Kelly Young. The Panthers return senior middle blocker Liz LaNier and junior outside hitter Emma Clements, who led the team with 202 kills last season. Orange returns home on Tuesday for a match against powerful South Granville. They travel to South Granville on Thursday. 

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The Cedar Ridge volleyball team opens a new era on Monday night. They face Bartlett Yancey at 6:45, the first of three home games during the opening week of the season. It’s also the first game for new head coach Anna Seethaler, a native of Utah. It’s also the start of the season season for Sarah McCuiston, who led Cedar Ridge with 123 kills last season. Cedar Ridge will also face Durham School of the Arts on Wednesday, then faces Eastern Alamance on Thursday in a busy opening week of the season. 

Cedar Ridge Senior Volleyball Outside Hitter Sarah McCuiston Discusses Season Opener vs. Bartlett Y

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Scott Loosemore finally has a full-time teaching job. It just won’t be in Hillsborough.

Loosemore, who has coached the Cedar Ridge varsity football team since 2014, told his team on Tuesday night he is leaving to become a running backs/tight ends coach at Scotland County.

Loosemore, who accepted the job last Tuesday, held off the announcement until the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s dead period ended on Sunday.

“This has been one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” said Loosemore. “It was very hard to do. The kids were fine. I’ve got a lot of emails from parents and the majority of them understand what I did.”

The announcement came exactly three weeks after the Orange County School System announced that Cedar Ridge wouldn’t field a varsity football team this fall due to a lack of players and concerns about player safety.

It is expected that former Carrboro head coach Melvin Griffin, who served as Loosemore’s defensive coordinator last season, will be the head coach for Cedar Ridge’s junior varsity squad, which will begin play next month.

Loosemore will move to Laurinburg to teach social studies in two weeks with his wife, Karen. As far as football participation goes, Loosemore will go from one extreme to another. Last season, Scotland County went 12-2 and played for the 4A State Championship, where they lost to Charlotte Harding 30-22 at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem. The Fighting Scots captured the Eastern Regional Championship by beating Wilmington Hoggard 47-46 in overtime.

The move ends an emotional roller coaster ride for Loosemore, who has worked to attract players to the Cedar Ridge program while he hoped to get a full-time job, dealt with the system’s decision to not field a varsity team, and worked to overcome the death of his father last spring.

“I would consider this one of the top five jobs in the state, if not one of the top two jobs,” said Loosemore about Scotland County. “I’ve been down there a couple of times in the last two weeks. To be honest, it’s kind of like going to Friday Night Lights. The town down there eats and breaths football. For me, it’s a great opportunity to rejuvenate myself and rebuild my resume.”

Loosemore will find plenty of talent waiting for him as a running backs coach. Scotland lost Zamir White, who committed to Georgia after rushing for 2,086 yards and 34 touchdowns in 2017. His expected replacement, rising senior Syheim McQueen, already has college offers from South Carolina and N.C. State.

Loosemore told Principal Heather Blackmon and Athletic Director Andy Simmons that he was leaving last week. He has been commuting from Holly Springs while serving as an teaching assistant to Pam Schism. Loosemore had been looking for a permanent teaching position for several years. It became a hot topic among many Cedar Ridge parents, who wanted to keep Loosemore in Hillsborough.

Loosemore learned about the Scotland County position from N.C. State Director of High School Relations Henry Trevathan, who was an assistant with Loosemore at Elon University. Two weeks ago, Trevathan told Scotland head coach Richard Bailey that Loosemore was looking for a full-time job while they were at a camp in Raleigh. Bailey, from the practice field, called Loosemore to inquire. By the end of June, Bailey extended a job offer.

The announcement of Cedar Ridge not fielding a varsity team on June 19th led to a town hall meeting the following Monday, which included Blackmon, Loosemore, Simmons and Orange County School District Athletic Director Bob Hill. To quell concerns, Blackmon immediately announced at the beginning of the session that Loosemore would be the team’s football coach for next academic year, which received the most positive reaction of the night. When pressed by parents about Loosemore getting a full-time teaching job, Blackmon was non-committal.

A half-hour after the town hall started at Cedar Ridge, the Orange County School Board began a meeting at Gravelly Hills Middle School in Efland, which kept Cedar Ridge boosters from formally speaking to the board. Nonetheless, several parents drove over to the meeting, waited until it ended and confronted several members about the state of the football program and Loosemore’s employment status. There were several animated discussions.

“The parents have been a tremendous support system,” said Loosemore. “There’s a couple of things that I really feel bad about that made this decision as hard as it was was the parents’ support. The parents have been very supportive. The kids, even the few that we have, have really worked hard. They’ve really brought into what I’ve tried to coach them to do. Leaving the kids and those parents who have had my back is going to be extremely hard.”

Loosemore leaves a job he was never supposed to have to begin with. He came over to Cedar Ridge in 2014 as the offensive coordinator. Former Burlington Cummings head coach Steve Johnson was supposed to be the new head coach to replace Clay Jones, but Johnson suffered a thoracic aortic aneurysm just days before training camp was supposed to start. Loosemore inherited the interim head coach role while many players spent half the season wondering if Johnson would ever be back.

He never did come back. Loosemore became head coach permanently in 2015 and spent the next three years having more ups-and-downs than an Empire State Building elevator. He led Cedar Ridge to a 6-5 record in 2016, its first winning season in six years, but it was bittersweet. The Red Wolves were barred from going to the state playoffs after a sideline fight on the final play of a game against Riverside in September. Loosemore appealed the decision by the NCHSAA, but the school cameraman shut down the camera before the fight erupted. All Loosemore had as evidence was a still photo. The appeal was denied.

Competing against crosstown rival Orange, Loosemore worked hard to recruit players from nearby middle schools. He held two signing ceremonies inside the Cedar Ridge cafeteria, the most recent in April. There were Saturday workouts with potential Red Wolves. Loosemore was also a mainstay at most Cedar Ridge athletic events, where he tried to encourage players to try out for football, and it worked to a degree. Numerous Red Wolves baseball players made the varsity team last season, even allowing Cedar Ridge to field a junior varsity squad for the first time in Loosemore’s tenure.