For a team that was two sets away from playing for the 3A state championship last season, 2016 hasn’t started the way Cedar Ridge expected.

After going 24-4, the Red Wolves had a rough summer. Coach Charlie Oakley resigned after getting married. Seniors Asha Barnes and Courtney Eckmann graduated. There were other vital parts to last year’s team that were expected back, but opted not to play this season.

That led to a predictable difficult start against the rigorous competition in Orange County, namely 2A state title contender Carrboro, who has demolished everything in its path so far, even periennial power Cardinal Gibbons.

After an 1-6 start, the Red Wolves needed something big in its conference opener. And they got it from a senior co-captain against their arch rival on Thursday night.

Kayla Robinette served on five consecutive points, notching two aces and a block during that span as the Red Wolves defeated Orange 3-1 on Thursday night on scores of 25-21, 24-26, 25-17 and 25-21.

Sophomore Juliann De Jesus killed match point to send the crowded gym into a frenzy as the Red Wolves defeated their crosstown rival for the 7th consecutive time.

De Jesus finished with nine kills. Sophomore Macy Henry finished with 17 assists, including match point. Alexis Dumain had 15 assists while Sarah McCluston had three solo blocks.

The victory was the 2nd for Laura Fortner as the Red Wolves’ head coach.

The Panthers fall to 1-5.

Orange captured a back-and-forth 2nd set. They jumped out 9-2 behind seven consecutive points, all of which came on the service of Macy Hughes, who had two aces during the run. CRHS jumped back to tie at 14 following a kill by Robinette off an assist by Henry.

Orange jumped back to force three set points after a Jordan Lloyd kill made the score 24-21, yet Cedar Ridge scored three consecutive points to tie. The Panthers Mileah Shriner scored set point to even the match.

Cedar Ridge won the final two sets. In the third, the Red Wolves jumped out to a 6-1 lead and never led by less than four points from that point forward. They pushed the advantage out to 23-14 before Robinette scored an ace to win the set.

Cedar Ridge travels to Northern Vance next Tuesday and hosts Southern Durham on Thursday. Orange has two home games next week. They face Graham on Tuesday, followed by Northern Vance on Thursday.

Cedar Ridge volleyball got its 1st win of the season on Thursday night, beating Orange 3-1 at Cedar Ridge Gymnasium. Senior co-captain Kalya Robinette and Macy Henry talked about the win and what’s ahead for the Red Wolves.

Cedar Ridge’s Kayla Robinette and Macy Henry Talk the Win Over Orange

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Orange volleyball hoped for something new against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Thursday night. Instead, the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 3-1. Panthers coach Christina Carinci discussed the loss and what’s ahead.

Orange’s Christina Carinci Discusses the Panthers’ loss to Cedar Ridge

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Orange soccer’s week didn’t start as well as they had wished, but it ended in a manner that they’ve grown used to so far this season…with a victory and a goal by junior Jamar Davis.

On Wednesday, the Panthers improved to 4-1 with a 3-1 victory over at Wake Forest. Bryan Torres scored the game-winning goal. Davis added insurance in the 2nd half, his ninth goal of the season. Only a junior, Davis opened the season with a hat trick in the opener at Northern Durham, then scored four goals against Bartlett Yancey last week. He also scored a goal in 9-1 rout of Graham.

Jesus Chavez notched the opener for the Panthers on an assist from Casey Barhydt.

On Monday, Orange looked for a defining victory over Riverside in Hillsborough. But the Pirates won a tight defensive battle 1-0. Anthony Argeuta chipped in the only goal on an assist from Eddie Gomez to hand Orange its first loss of the season.

Riverside’s Matt Schultz stopped six shots for the clean sheet.

Orange has its Big 8 Conference Opener on Wednesday at Cedar Ridge.

The first week of the school year features Orange and Cedar Ridge starting conference play in volleyball, a major home game for Orange boys soccer and the first homes dates of the season for Orange and Cedar Ridge football.

Tonight, Orange boys soccer looks for its first 4-0 start in school history when they face Riverside at 6:45. Orange’s Jamar Davis has eight goals in victories over Northern Durham, Graham and Bartlett Yancey. Also later today, Cedar Ridge girls tennis, off to a 5-1 start after beating Orange last week, looks to improve its Big 8 record to 2-0 when they travel to Northern Vance.

On Thursday, the highly-anticipated volleyball rivalry between Orange and Cedar Ridge resumes at CRHS gym. The Red Wolves enter the week 0-3 after a tough 5-set loss to East Chapel Hill last week.

As always, we’ll have coverage of Orange football on Friday night here on HillsboroughSports.com, starting at 6:45.

Monday: 

Boys Soccer: Riverside at Orange 6:30 (V) 4:45 (JV)

Volleyball: Carrboro at Cedar Ridge 6:30 (V) 5:00 (JV)

Girls Tennis: Cedar Ridge at Northern Vance 4:30

Tuesday: 

Volleyball: Orange at Person 6:30 (V) 5:00 (JV)

Girls Tennis: Orange at Person 4:30

Girls Golf: Cedar Ridge hosts Big 8 Conference match at Occoneechee Golf Course

Wednesday: 

Boys Soccer: Orange at Wake Forest

Girls Tennis: Northern Vance at Orange 4:30

Thursday: 

Football: Orange JV at Riverside 6:30

Volleyball: Orange at Cedar Ridge 6:30 (V) 5:00 (JV)

Girls Tennis: Riverside at Cedar Ridge 4:30

Friday: 

Football: Riverside at Orange 7:00; East Chapel Hill at Cedar Ridge 7:30.

Saturday: 

Cross Country: Cedar Ridge Boys and Girls at Jungle Run at South View High School 4:00

Six turnovers. Six 15-yard penalties. 0 yards passing.

Depsite all that, Orange still found a way to beat Northern Durham for the fourth straight time.

Ryan Puckett scored both of the Panthers touchdowns in the second half as Orange (2-0) defeated Norhern 21-13 at a sultry Durham County Stadium Friday night. The Orange defense held Northern to 91 yards total offense.

Orange has won 16 consecutive nonconference regular season games going into next week’s tilt against Riverside.

After an ugly 35-3 season-opening victory over Person, Orange coach Pat Moser wanted more consistency from his offense against the Knights.

Instead, he got a performance uglier than an Indepdence Day sequel.

The Panthers failed to complete a pass on five attempts. The leading receiver for Orange was Northern cornerback Lederrick Neville, who had two interceptions. He caught two more passes than anyone in an Orange uniform.

Orange’s defense sacked Knights quarterback Luke Fenton ten times, including four by defensive tackle Ryan Sellers. Senior Stone Edwards had three.

The biggest factor that seperated the two teams was the kicking game. Orange had reliable play from place kicker Francisco McKinley and punter Jackson Schmid. Northern’s kicking game led to two of the three Orange touchdowns. The Knights also missed an extra point that could have tied the game in the third quarter.

In the first quarter, Northern started two drives in Orange territory, including Neville’s first interception. Both times, they came away empty. Northern attempted an 27-yard field goal with 3:12 remaining, but it was blocked by sophomore Jeremiah Bailey.

Northern’s kicking woes continued in the second quarter when punter Hunter Malsch fumbled a snap that was recovered by Orange safety Keshawn Thompson. Two plays later, Junior Marvante Beasley scored on an 11-yard touchdown run. McKinley’s extra point put Orange ahea 7-0 with 8:02 remaining in the first half.

The only sign of a Northern passing game came late in the first half after Neville’s second interception. Fenton threw three consecutive completions to wide receiver Daylan Felton for gains of 19, 22 and 19 yards. Senior Jaylan Burton punched in the touchdown to even the game 7-7.

In the opening drive of the second half, Fenton was sacked on consecutive plays. That was followed by a three yard punt by Malsch, which Orange quickly took advantage of. Puckett scored on a 3-yard run and the Panthers never trailed again, in spite of themselves.

Northern flipped the field when Brycen Jackson recovered an Orange fumble on a punt return. After the Knights turned the ball over on downs, the Panthers fumbled yet again on the next play from scrimmage. Knights cornerback Patric Harris scooped up the ball to scored from 8-yard out. The extra point snap was fumbled, keeping Orange ahead 14-13.

Despite getting a chance to take the lead, Northern had -11 yards total offense for the rest of the game. Orange didn’t attempt a pass in the second half as Moser was content keeping the ball in the hands of his running backs.

The Panthers salted the game away on an 11-play, 65-yard drive, it’s only series than spanned over 45 yards in the game.  It ended when Puckett scored on a 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

The offensive line of Shea Hoffman, Tyson Wolter, Blake Taylor, Josh Smith-Breeden and Brandon Carden were forced to block 53 running plays.

Orange faces Riverside in the home opener next week at Auman Stadium.

In the JV season opener at Auman Stadium on Thursday night, Orange cruised to a 48-6 victory over Northern Durham. Hunter Pettiford rushed for over 100 yards and scored three touchdowns. Pettiford made his varsity debut last week against Person, and is expected to be one of Orange’s eight-quarter players for the senior team. Pettiford talked about his love of being active after the win.

Orange Sophomore RB Hunter Pettiford Scores 3TDs in Orange JV win over Northern Durham

In the JV opener, the Panthers easily put away Northern Durham 48-6 at Auman Stadium on Thursday night.

Ever notice when you bring up an icon, you just have to say one word to ge the point across?

Madonna. Sinatra. Kanye. Springsteen.

It’s that way in sports, too. With teams and individuals.

There’s Carolina. Duke. Jordan. LeBron. Gretzky. Brady.

And during the 80s and 90s, there was one high school football team that was the ultimate obstacle to climb. The team that everyone gunned for in the Triangle and abroad.

Northern.

Why were there so much anticipation? Because they won. Longer than the dynasties that have followed them at Hillside (locally) and Charlotte Independence (statewide).

Hillside has won six consecutive PAC-6 Championships, a remarkable accomplishment. They’re also still twelve years behind Northern’s record of 18 consecutive conference championships, set between 1984-2001 under head coaches Ken Browning and Gary Merrill.

From 1976-2000, Northern didn’t lose to another team from the city of Durham. In 1990, they lost to Person High at Durham County Stadium. They didn’t lose another conference game until 2000, a span of 69 games.

From 1981 to 2001, Northern didn’t have a losing streak. They went five consecutive seasons (1991-1997) without losing a regular season game, until they fell to Oxford Webb in September 1997 in Granville County.

And it wasn’t just the winning that made the program what it was. When you pulled up to any average school in the 90s, chances are there would be two grandstands. Some of the fans there were  comprised of parents whose attendance was mandatory just to keep conversation active at the dinner table.

Northern played at Durham County Stadium, with rows seemingly stretching up into the lights. It wasn’t a Taj Mahal, but it sure looked like it to a high school student who wouldn’t know any better. Their winning made them more than a high school team. Before Riverside High came along on Rose of Sharon Road, Northern was very much the Bull City’s team.

The stands were backed with 5,000 fans, minimum, even for the most noncompetive games. On the road, no one traveled as well as Knights fans, who wore their trademark navy blue and gold just like a Yankees fan was adorned in pinstripes.

The rest were just challengers to the throne, like a revolving series of Batman villains. Each year there would be a new challenger, wearing different uniforms,  often sporting a different offense. And the result would be the same. The Knights would hold the trophy in the end.

Hillside? Orange? Riverside? Might as well have been the Riddler, the Joker and Catwoman.

Because it was Northern.

But nothing lasts forever. The cracks in the foundation started to show in 2000, when the Knights faced Jordan at Claude Currie Stadium. Of all the challengers, Jordan was certainly the most unlikely to end Northern’s reign. Only a few years earlier, the Falcons had been the 98-pound weakling of the PAC-6 Conference. They had a losing streak that lasted three years. One former Jordan graduate once joked privately in 1999: “I graduated from Jordan and Duke University. And I pull from the Cincinnati Bengals. I come from football purgatory.”

Yet it was Jordan in 2000 who mounted a two touchdown comeback to shock the Knights 20-14 under a backup quarterback on its way to tying Northern for the league crown.

A year later, Riverside and Northern squared off in the penultimate game of the 2001 regular season. With the Knights trailing 20-13 in the final minute, wide receiver Fred Williams caught a touchdown pass Antonio Freeman-style, while laying on his back in the end zone. But the ensuing extra point was blocked. Just like that, Riverside won 20-19. Northern’s 18-year dominance was over.

Northern’s last PAC-6 Championship was in 2004.

Tonight, Orange travels to Northern looking for its first four-game winning streak against the Knights. Two years ago, Orange defeated Northern at Durham County Stadium for the first time ever.

Next year, they’ll be conference rivals again. Northern will jump down to 3-A, along with East Chapel Hill and Hillside in a brand new Big 8.

While Orange may be a slight favorite tonight, Northern head coach R.J. Wilson won’t have to work very hard reminding his team of how close they came to beating Orange last season in Hillsborough.

Bryse Wilson simply carried Orange to the win. First he ran an interception back 67 yards in the first quarter. He made two sacks at linebacker. He stepped in as placekicker on kickoffs because regular kicker Davis Dixon was injured. Then he caught the 67-yard game-winning touchdown with :52 remaining  after starting the drive as the quarterback following an injury to starter Jackson Schmid as Orange won 20-13.

The Northern that fans knew back in the 80s and 90s isn’t the same dynasty. The regular crowds of 5,000 at Durham County Stadium have tapered off because of human nature.  All sports dynasties inevitably fall, whether it’s UNC women’s soccer, UCLA Basketball, the Monteal Canadiens or the New York Yankees.

Northern hasn’t won a nonconference regular season game since 2012, a span of 13 straight losses. Orange has won 15 straight nonconference regular sesaon games.

Even with a win tonight, it will still be special for Orange, even if they are the favorites.

Because it’s Northern.