After the inclusion of East Chapel Hill to the Big 8 Conference, the goings figured to be tougher for Cedar Ridge and Orange in many sports, none more so than tennis.

Indeed, East Chapel Hill, coached by Caldwell-native Nick Walker, won the Big 8 Championship. Chapel Hill finished 2nd, which left Cedar Ridge hoping for a wildcard spot that didn’t come to fruition.

A 13-6 record with season sweeps against Eastern Alamance, Orange, Northern Durham and Southern Durham wasn’t enough for the Red Wolves to reach the field of 32 in the 3A state playoffs. After winning the 2016 Big 8 Championship for the first time in school history, the Red Wolves reached the state quarterfinals before falling to Terry Sanford.

Now, Cedar Ridge will prepare four players for the 3A Mideast Regionals on Saturday at the Burlington Tennis Center.

Sophomore Olivia Ward will compete in singles after advancing to the Big 8 semifnals last week at East Chapel Hill’s Lindsay Linker Tennis Complex. Ward both of her matches 10-1.

Freshman Ivy Garner will also compete in the regionals. Garner, who is a star soccer player, didn’t play in the regionals.

The doubles team of Kate Milner and Brianna Cellini also advanced to the regionals. Cellini and Milner captured its first two matches at last week’s conference tournament before the rest of the tournament was rained out.

Friday the 13th was the fitting date for Orange to end Hillside’s 48-game conference winning streak, which stretched back to 2009.

And luck had nothing to do with it. Rather, it all comes back to false finishes.

A false finish. You’ve seen it in most horror films from the 80s and 90s. It’s where the indestructible villain gets shocked by a power line that falls into a puddle, or stabbed in the eye with a coat hanger. Each time, they’re seemingly left for dead, and each time they pop up 5 minutes later, nary a scratch with a machete in their hands with hell to pay.

That’s Orange football right now.

In its third game, they lost starting quaterback Rodney Brooks for the season against Riverside with a blown left knee. They’ve had five different centers, including Jake McBroom, a sophomore who was slated to start the season on the JV until an injury to right tackle Daylen Alston in the Eastern Alamance scrimmage.

Orange has yet to start to the same offensive line twice. Their best offensive lineman, Noah Rogers, was lost with a concussion for its opening conference games. They’ve played five of its seven games on the road.

Despite all that, two-thirds of the way into the regular season, Orange is 6-1, 3-0 in the Big 8 Conference with only Northwood standing in its way of a third consecutive league championship.

In Friday’s win, Orange never trailed against a Hillside team that has won seven consecutive PAC-6 championships.

Once again, Payton Wilson had to play the role of the ultimate utility man. After running back Marvante Beasley was stretchered off the field after suffering a stinger (finishing with 105, his 7th consecutive 100-yard game), Wilson played the entire game at quaterback. But he was essentially a running back in a single wing offense, carrying the ball 21 times for 112 yards and two touchdowns.

Wilson scored the opening touchdown after Hillside fumbled on an attempted punt with 10:22 remaining in the first quarter. After Beasley’s 12-yard carry put the ball in the Hornets red zone, Wilson scampered eight yards up the middle.

Wilson is now responsible for 12 touchdowns this season (2 throwing, seven rushing, two receiving and an interception return).

Beasley scored his only touchdown on a 20-yard scamper with 8:14 remaining in the second quarter to complete a six-play, 46-yard drive. Prior to Beasley’s run, Wilson converted a 3rd-and-5 with an eight-yard run around left end.

Hillside starting quarterback Randy Trice was momentarily knocked out of the game after a hard hit by Beasley. Backup Damian Harris, usually a wide receiver, stepped in to throw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Deshaun Mitchell to knife the Orange lead in half to 14-7 with 5:31 remaining in the second quarter.

The Panthers responded with a six-play, 63-yard Drive where Beasley went over 100 yards on the night with a 26-yard run. Wilson scored on an eight-yard dash up the middle to extend Orange’s lead to 21-7.

Trice returned on th next drive for a gorgeous 51-yard touchdown pass to Harris with 2:31 remaining in the first half. Orange went into the locker room with a 21-14 lead, and that was as close as the Hornets would get.

Orange’s defense held Hillside to 192 yards, a season-low. Wilson led the Panthers with 11 tackles, four tackles for loss and two sacks. Senior defensive end Ryan Sellers registered three sacks. Sophomore Khaleb Smith added another sack.

Hillside has struggled to put together a solid running game since the loss of Jamal Elliott, who has committed to Oregon. Elliott hasn’t played since the Pinecrest game because of a sports hernia.

Senior linebacker Milton Purcell finished putting the hey in the barn after he picked off a pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown.

As of early Sunday morning, a Go Fund Me Page for Orange junior varsity football player Tyce Oldenburg has raised $5,395 toward a goal of $100,000.

Oldenburg suffered a serious head injury in Thursday night’s junior varsity game against Hillside and was taken to Duke Hospital. He remains in a coma as of Sunday night and is listted in critical but stable condition.

A link to the Go Fund Me Page for Oldenburg can be found here. 

Less than 24 hours after suffering the injury, Oldenburg underwent three emergency surgeries to reduce swelling on his brain, as well as bleeding on the brain. On Saturday night, his fever broke, which was a major step in his recovery.

In a message on his Go Fund Me Page, the family said the next 48 hours will be the most urgent in Oldenburg’s recovery because there will be a greater risk of swelling and bleeding on the brain.

Several hundred people, including Orange Principal Eric Yarbrough, Football Coach Van Smith and many player and classmates came out for a candlelight vigil at OHS on Sunday night.

Orange varsity running back Marvante Beasley was released from Duke Hospital on Saturday morning after being stretchered off the field during the Hillside game in Durham on Friday night. The belief is Beasley suffered a stinger, but he was carted off as a precautionary measure.

Beasley tweeted on Saturday morning that he’s already been cleared to play next Friday against Northwood, which will likely determine the Big 8 Championship. On Friday night, Smith said Beasley was telling EMS personnel that he didn’t need to be taken to a hospital and actually lobbied to return to the game.

On an emotionally wrenching night, the Orange junior varsity football team remained undefeated by shutting out Hillside 35-0. Safety Joe Kiger had an interception return for a touchdown. Defensive lineman James McAdoo had two sacks and a fumble recovery. Offensive lineman Owen Aquino had among his best blocking games of the year. Elliott Woods had another interception and missed scoring by three feet. Kicker Nigel Slanker booted a 25-yard field goal and appeared in the game late as quarterback. The players had a special message for injured teammate Tyse Oldenburg.

Orange’s McAdoo, Woods, Aquino, Kiger and Slanker Talk JV Victory, Playing Varsity and Louis Spicol

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The Orange football team handed Hillside its first conference loss since 2009 on Friday night. In the process, the Panthers captured its 21st consecutive regular season road victory, completed a sweep of all four of its opponents from Durham and remain tied for first in the Big 8 conference.

Yet for those who were in Russell Blunt Stadium, they wasn’t the lasted memory as Homecoming night faded into Saturday.

Make no mistake, there was animosity between the two teams going into Friday night. even though the two teams hadn’t played in over 20 years. Tensions in the preceding JV game Thursday night started brewing before kickoff when almost all Hillside players took a knee during the national anthem, leading to a predictable backlash afterwards from some on social media.

Then a near tragedy struck when Orange’s Thys Oldenburg suffered a head injury and head to be taken to Duke Hospital in an ambulance. Oldenburg incurred bleeding on his brain and remains at Duke Hospital as of Saturday morning.

The game concluded with a fight between four players during an extra point in a 35-0 Orange victory, leading to four ejections.

This served as a lead-in for the first Orange-Hillside game since Hillside moved into its new school in 1995 on Fayetteville Street. First place was on the line in the Big 8 Conference, as was Hillside’s 48-game conference winning streak (mainly from its days in the 4A PAC-6 Conference) and likely its six consecutive conference championships.

All of that took a backseat when Orange running back Marvante Beasley carried the ball on the first play of the second half. Beasley cut between right guard Jeremiah Bailey and tackle Daylan Alston when he slammed into Hornets linebacker Brendon Edgerton.

It appeared Beasley and Edgerton each lowered their heads and they slammed into each other near midfield. Edgerton got up immediately, but Beasley remained motionless.

Orange Coach Van Smith had just watched this exact scene 24 hours earlier with Oldenburg. Now, he was seeing it again with a senior running back determined to not only surpass his 1,000 yards rushing from last season, but earn a college scholarship. Last weekend, Beasley visited Appalachian State.

An ambulance was called, but Hillside Coach Ray Harrison thought the moment needed something more. He told his players to go over and join the Orange players in a prayer for Beasley.

As the Hillside players walked over, the Orange fans rose to applaud them.

“We felt like we needed to instill certain characteristics that we want to see them develop as young men, “said Harrison. “We’re all brothers in football, regardless of whether it’s Orange or Hillside. We’re still brothers.”

“We get caught up in this game and we think we’re coaching football,” said Orange Coach Van Smith. “But we’re coaching kids. And it’s all about these young men, teaching them life lessons and keeping them safe.”

True to his gregarious nature, Beasley rose his arms as he road away on the stretcher into the ambulance to applause from both teams.

“It meant the world for me to come over to us and pray like that,” said Smith.

Beasley had tingling throughout his legs. Medical personnel assured Beasley he was being placed on the board for precautionary reasons.

“He was arguing with them that the tingling felt normal,” said Smith. “He said that he felt fine and wanted to get up. Obviously, that wasn’t going to happen.”

In its first game inside Hillside’s Russell Blunt Stadium, Orange gained the inside track on the Big 8 Championship with a 34-17 victory. Linebacker Milton Purcell ran in for an interception return for a touchdown. Over the past three games, Burrell has had two blocked field goals, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions.

Orange Linebacker Milton Purcell on Scoring a Pick-6 vs. Hillside

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The Orange football team has struggled to maintain continuity along the offensive line this season. The Panthers have started the same five players along the offensive line in consecutive games all year. However, junior Jeremiah Bailey has stepped in as a guard and defensive tackle. On Friday night, he helped pave the way for Orange to amass 248 rushing yards in a victory over Hillside.

Orange Guard/DT Jeremiah Bailey Talks Life at the Varsity Level

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Without Marvante Beasley in the 2nd half, the offensive load fell harder onto the broad shoulders of Orange quarterback Payton Wilson on Friday night. Wilson rushed for 118 yards on 20 punishing carries and two touchdowns as Orange ended Hillside 48-game conference winning streak.

Orange QB Payton Wilson Discusses Running for 118 Yards, 2 TDs vs. Hillside

Without Marvante Beasley in the 2nd half, the offensive load fell harder onto the broad shoulders of Orange quarterback Payton Wilson on Friday night. Wilson rushed for 118 yards on 20 punishing carries and two touchdowns as Orange ended Hillside 48-game conference winning streak.

Over the past four games, the Orange defense has forced 13 takeaways. Eryk Mercado has had three interceptions in that span. Eryk continued his solid defensive play on Friday night, helping limit Hillside to 221 yards total offense, a season-low for the Hornets.

Orange Cornerback Eryk Mercado on the Orange Defense vs. Hillside

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Orange handed Hillside its first conference loss since September 25, 2009 on Friday night, a convincing 34-17 victory at Russell Blunt Stadium. Unfortunately, star running back Marvante Beasley was stretchered off the field at the beginning of the third quarter after a 3-yard run. Smith discusses how the team stayed focused in winning its 21st consecutive regular season road game.

Orange Coach Van Smith Discusses 34-17 Victory Over Hillside

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