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This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior quarterback Mason Cates. Mason is known for several sports at Cedar Ridge, namely for baseball. This season, he was the quarterback and linebacker for the Red Wolves under first-year head coach Brent Bailey. He was one of many players who helped keep the Friday night lights on at Cedar Ridge after the Red Wolves didn’t field a football team in 2018 and 2021, helping the students receive the full high school experience with Homecoming, Senior Nights and rivalry games. Last month, Mason signed to play baseball with Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory. Cates was an All-Central Conference selection for the Red Wolves last season. He was a pitcher. 1st baseman and outfielder for a Cedar Ridge team that reached the state playoffs for the second straight year. Among the highlights of Cates season came against Walter Williams on March 7, when he had a two-run single in the second inning to help the Red Wolves beat the Bulldogs 6-2. In February, Cates will start his fourth season on the varsity baseball team under head coach Bryson Massey. He will be one of several experienced pitchers back for Cedar Ridge, who will look to challenge for the Central Conference championship.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Mason Cates

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is senior quarterback Mason Cates. Mason is known for several sports at Cedar Ridge, namely for baseball. This season, he was the quarterback and linebacker for the Red Wolves under first-year head coach Brent Bailey.

JV Boys Basketball: Orange 75, Rockingham County 54: Riding a 28-10 in the final six minutes of the third quarter, the Orange junior varsity team won the Rockingham County Holiday Tournament championship game in Reidsville on Friday night.

Jamari McDaniel led all scorers with 22 points as the Panthers defeated the Cougars in the championship game. McDaniel shot 10-of-13 from three-point range and added six rebounds, five assists and five steals. Ethan Ellis chipped in 14 points for the Panthers, including 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc.

McDaniel and Ellis were named to the All-Tournament team.

Orange jumped out to a 15-5 lead behind the play of McDaniel and Ellis. Freshman Graham Coleman, who appeared in some varsity games in the absence of Coleman Cloer and Kai Wade earlier this month, fed Ellis for a three-pointer to put Orange ahead 15-3 with 4:22 remaining in the opening quarter.

The Cougars fought back and actually tied the game at 33-33 with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter. Then John Gray and Coleman hit consecutive 3-pointers for Orange to trigger a run that put the Panthers ahead for good.

Coleman fed Ellis for a 20-footer, which led to McDaniel forcing a steal and finding Jalen Crayton for a lay-in to put Orange ahead 49-40.

In the opening round of the four-team tournament, the Panthers defeated Morehead High 82-48.

Women’s basketball: Western Alamance 62, Cedar Ridge 38: In its Central Conference opener, the Cedar Ridge women’s basketball team lost star guard Amiyah Ware on the opening play of the second quarter.

Ware went up for a block and came down on her right knee, which she tore before the start of the 2022-2023 season. After a lengthy period of time in the locker room, Ware eventually came out to watch the final minutes on the bench, but she didn’t return to action.

Ware opened the game on fire, scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field, including two 3-pointers. Cedar Ridge led 22-13 at the end of the first quarter, but they crumbled without their All-Conference guard. Western Alamance, who finished second in the Central Conference last year, had a huge game from Tina Bowers, who finished with 14 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and seven steals. Cayden White added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Without Ware, Cedar Ridge committed 31 turnovers. Junior Sarah Utley finished with eight points and four assists. The game was tied 31-31 at halftime, but the Red Wolves were held to only seven points in the second half. The Warriors outscored Cedar Ridge 22-4 in the third quarter.

Western Alamance improved to 4-2 after winning its conference opener.

Clover Garden School 43, Cedar Ridge 33: In the opening round of the Don Amos Basketball Classic at Graham High School, Clover Garden School received a big game from Kennedy Harrelson to defeat the Red Wolves. Harrelson finished with 13 points for the Grizzles, while Arissa Duff added ten points, eleven rebounds, six assists and six steals at Clover Garden improved to 8-4.

Playing without Ware, Cedar Ridge got off to a strong start from the field. The Red Wolves got a three-pointer from Jamee Watson and a field goal from Cameron Copeland to jump out to a 6-0 lead. Ultey scored on a jumper to increase the Red Wolf lead to 10-2.

Cedar Ridge senior Cierra Copeland scored an old school three-point play to lengthen the Red Wolf lead to 13-6 with 3:01 remaining in the opening quarter, but the Grizzles got consecutive field goals from Harrelson. Cedar ridge went on a 7-0 run to end the quarter with Utley ending the frame on a three-point shot to take a 19-12 lead.

Clover Garden scored nine straight points in the second quarter to take a 23-19 lead. Duff scored on a lay-in assisted by Makayla Quimby to assume its first lead at 21-19 with 4:20 to go in the second quarter.

Cedar Ridge (4-5, 0-1 in the Central Conference) will return to action against Person on January 2 in Hillsborough. That will be a varsity doubleheader with the women’s game tipping off a 6PM.

GREENSBORO–Taking a step away from Central Conference meets, Orange High swimmers Katie Belle Sikes and Luke Roman set school records during one of the largest regular season competitions just before Christmas.

Sikes set two school records at the event inside the Greensboro Aquatic Center that included 547 other swimmers from 25 schools, most of which were private schools and 4A institutions. Sikes won the championship of the 200 yard individual medley, setting the new event record of 2:06.43. Sikes also shattered the school record, which had been on the books since 2011.

Sikes shattered the meet record by a full three seconds. It was previously held by Mckenzie Campbell of Greensboro Page, who completed the event in 2:09.76. Campbell would go on to swim at Georgia Tech, where she qualified for the NCAA Championships twice in the 200 butterfly, along with the 200 individual medley and the 400 individual medley.

Sikes also set the school record for the 500 yard freestyle, an event she only occasionally competes in during the regular season. She finished at 5:11.02, breaking her own mark set last year at the Orange County Sportsplex. Overall, Sikes finished second behind Clarke Neace of Charlotte Providence Day, which competes in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association. Neace touched the wall at 5:02.06. Like Sikes, Neace has committed to swim with the Georgia Bulldogs starting next August.

In the men’s ranks, junior Luke Roman established a new school record in the 500 yard freestyle. Roman won the event at 4:47.39. Vaughn Muir of Southwest Guilford finished second at 4:51.52. Roman has qualified for the 3A state championships in each of his first two years. Last February, Roman finished 7th in the 500 at the 3A State Championships. Roman also finished 4th in the NCHSAA Championships in the 200 yard freestyle.

Roman automatically qualified for the Central Regionals in the 500 freestyle, which will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center on February 3. In addition, Orange junior Alex Andre also qualified for regionals in the 500 freestyle with a time of 5:08.49. The benchmark for the 500 yard freestyle by the NCHSAA is 6:15.99. Last year, Andre finished 3rd in the state in the 500 at 5:05.20.

Orange freshman Jason Spey also earned a trip to regionals at 5:45.47.

Roman also earned a trip to regionals in the 200 individual medley at 2:05.21, a personal best. Bence Burton of Ronald Reagan High School won the event at 1:52.42. Nick Baczara of Orange qualified for regionals at 2:16.42.

Baczara earned a trip to regionals in the 100 yard butterfly at 1:00.54.

Andre also qualified for regionals in the 200 yard freestyle when he touched the wall at 1:54.54, good enough for seventh place. Muir finished first at 1:46.73.

Once again, the Orange women’s swimming 200 yard freestyle relay team of Sikes, Riley White, Piper White and Ainsley Rasinske qualified for the regional championships. They finished at 1:44.63, good enough for second place. Grimsley’s Gracie Hunt, Maeren McGonigal, Anna Davidson and Ellie Hunt finished first for the event at 1:42.76.

Last year, Sikes, White Rasinske and White won the 3A 200 freestyle state championship. They became the first Orange swimming relay team to ever win a state crown.

Piper White and Riley White each qualified individually for the 200 freestyle. Riley finished 5th (2:03.01) while Piper came in 17th (2:13.00).

Riley White also earned a trip to regionals in the 100 butterfly with a new personal best of 1:02.69, good enough for fifth overall. Brooke Bourn of Northern Guilford came in first.

Piper White qualified in the 500 yard freestyle at 6:01.82, 14th overall. It was a new personal best.

In the 100 freestyle, Rasinske earned a trip to regionals with a time of 1:02.41. It’s the first time that Rasinske has qualified for regionals in the event.

In addition to Sikes, Orange junior Zoe Jones also earned a spot in regionals in the 200 individual medley. She established a new personal best of 2:34.82.

The Orange men’s 400 yard freestyle relay team of Roman, Andre, Baczara and Ayden Twiddy qualified for regionals with a time of 3:46.59, finishing 13th.

In the overall men’s team standings, Orange finished 13th overall, which was highest among any other 3A school. Reagan High won the men’s team championship.

The Orange women’s team finished 10th overall at 169 points. Grimsley finished first with 407 points.

Payton Wilson: On Sunday, Wilson officially announced he will not play in the Pop-Tart Bowl for #19 N.C. State against Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando on Thursday. In a statement, Wilson said he would be in attendance for the contest but will rest to prepare for the NFL Draft combine in February. Wilson’s announcement concludes five years at N.C. State which started when he enrolled in January 2018, three months after his last football game at Orange High against Cedar Ridge. In his freshman season in 2019, Wilson led N.C. State in tackles even though he came off the bench in all but one game. He had 14 tackles against North Carolina, which tied the team-high for the season. During the pandemic season of 2020, Wilson was a first-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer. He became the first N.C. State player to lead the ACC in tackles per game since 2000, averaging 10.8. He ranked fourth in FBS in overall tackles. He also led N.C. State with eleven tackles for loss per game. After Wilson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury against Mississippi State in 2021, Wilson ranked 15th in the ACC in tackles per game. This year may have been the greatest season by any N.C. State defensive player ever. Wilson won the Chuck Bednarik Award for the Best Defensive Player in the country as well as the Dick Butkus Award for the best linebacker. Wilson was also the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He ranked fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision with 138 tackles and led the ACC with 17.5 tackles for loss. He also notched six sacks, ten pass break-ups, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter helped the Chicago Bears defeat the Arizona Cardinals 27-16 on Christmas Eve at Solider Field. Gill had five punts for an average of 52 yards. His longest was a whopping 76 yards. Two were downed inside the 20-yard line. One went for a touchback. Gill is 24th in the NFL averaging 45.9 yards per punt. He has had 16 punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The Bears are 6-9 and will face the Atlanta Falcons in its final home game of the season on New Year’s Eve.

Grace Young: Young has announced that she is transferring from UNC Asheville after one season with the Bulldogs. As a freshman at UNCA, Young played in 22 matches and 46 sets. She had 52 digs and five aces. Young was the libero for the Cedar Ridge Red Wolves for three seasons. As a junior, she was the defensive specialist for the 2021 3A State Championship team that defeated North Iredell 3-1 at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh. Young has three years of eligibility remaining.

Joey McMullin: After four games with Division III Methodist, McMullin announced he was retiring from basketball. McMullin, who is the last player from Orange High to score 1,000 career points, started two games for the Monarchs. In two seasons with Sandhills Community College, McMullin helped the Flyers to the NJCAAA Division III Tournament twice. In 2021-2022, McMullin was named the Region 10 Player of the Year. He was a two-time All-Region X Player. McMullin started his college career with Division III Bryn Athyn College in Philadelphia, where he left after the 2020-2021 season.

Emerson Talley: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Division II Tournament. In an incredible comeback, the Bears roared back from four goals down to tie Florida Tech at Rick Stottler Field in Melbourne, FL on December 3rd. But the Panthers scored the game-winning goal with three minutes left in regulation to win 5-4 in the national quarterfinal. Talley started and played 25 minutes. This season, Talley started in all 23 matches for the Bears. She played 1,433 minutes and had three assists. She had eight shots on goal. Last week, it was announced that Lenior-Rhyne head coach Dean Ward had resigned in order to become the new head coach at Xavier. Ward had been the head coach with the Bears for two seasons.

Braden Homsey: After a successful wrestling career with the Division III Ferrum Panthers, Homsey has started as an assistant coach with Ferrum. Currently, Ferrum is 3-2 after wins over Waynesburg, Emory & Henry and Fairmont State.

It doesn’t do enough justice to Katie Belle Sikes career to say she is the greatest swimmer in the history of Orange High School. She has accomplished many things that swimmers from neighboring schools with deeper pedigrees never reached individually. She is the only swimmer in school history to win a state swimming championship. In fact, she has won three individual state titles and a relay state championship with Riley White, Ainsley Rasinske and Piper White. Last year, she was named the Most Outstanding Swimmer of the 3A State Championships. In her freshman year, Sikes immediately served notice that she would be a force at the high school level when she won the Central Regional championship in the 50 yard freestyle. She finished second in the state. As a sophomore, she claimed her first state championship in the 50. Last year, she won the state championship in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle and earned automatic All-American status. In Orange’s first meet this season against Southern Alamance and Southeast Alamance, Sikes qualified for regionals in four different events. Last month, Sikes formally signed her letter of intent to swim at the University of Georgia, which has won seven NCAA Championships in women’s swimming. Sikes will continue her senior season at Orange in the Robert Sawyer Invitational  on Thursday at the Greensboro Aquatic Center, where she won her first regional title.

Orange state champion swimmer Katie Belle Sikes discusses signing with Georgia Bulldogs

It doesn’t do enough justice to Katie Belle Sikes career to say she is the greatest swimmer in the history of Orange High School. She has accomplished many things that swimmers from neighboring schools with deeper pedigrees never reached individually. She is the only swimmer in school history to win a state swimming championship.

It’s not even Christmas yet, but the Cedar Ridge wrestling team already has its New Year’s Resolution set.

Win the Central Conference championship.

When 2024 begins, the Red Wolves will be just two wins away from its first-ever undefeated conference season as a 3A team, and just its second regular season conference championship ever.

Last week, the Red Wolves earned bonus points in six consecutive matches to defeat Eastern Alamance Eagles 58-18 at the Tal Jobe Court in Mebane. The Red Wolves improved to 10-7 overall, 5-0 in the Central Conference.

The Eagles (6-5, 2-2) got pinfall victories from Braxton Ballard (126 pounds), Chasen Phillips (138) and Elijah Watson (113).

Cedar Ridge junior Pierce Prescod started the night by pinning Jayden Batten in just 28 seconds at 120 pounds. Prescod, who won the Central Conference championship at 120 pounds last year, improved to 21-2 after his 15th pin of the season.

Ballard’s pin at 126 evened the match, but Cedar Ridge’s Graylon Collins put the Red Wolves ahead when he pinned Lucas Dodson in 32 seconds. Phillips pinned Jordin Blue in 2:37 to even the dual match at 12-12, but Cedar Ridge won the next nine individual battles for sew up the win.

Alejandro Briones earned his first technical fall win of the season at 144 pounds, beating Carson Gardner 17-1 in 3:07. Angus Pritchard earned a 10-8 decision over Mason Tanner a 150 pounds to put the Red Wolves ahead 20-12.

Ryan Rakouskas, who won the Red Wolf Invitational at 157 pounds last month, chalked up his 14th pin of the season with a victory over Aidan Clark in 33 seconds.

Shea Spiller, at 165 pounds, pinned Wyatt Facuette in 2:36.

At 175 pounds, senior Kaden Tatro notched his tenth victory via technical fall this year when he defeated Christopher Solomon 20-3 in 2:03. Tatro improved to 21-0.

James Este-Wittinger and Joe O’Melia picked up forfeit victories while heavyweight Aaron Olivares pinned Jett Giovani in 2:30.

At 106 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Colton Jones earned his sixth win of the year with a 10-8 decision over Christopher Hamm.

Cedar Ridge will need to defeat Western Alamance and Walter Williams next month in order to secure an undefeated conference season. The Red Wolves opened the dual season with a 75-6 win over Williams in a non conference tilt on November 15 in Hillsborough.

It’s already been a milestone season for Cedar Ridge, which defeated crosstown rival Orange for the first time ever during a quad meet in Red Wolves Gymnasium December 6.

Last weekend, the Red Wolves split dual matches against two teams from Greensboro. The Red Wolves defeated the Page Pirates 66-15. The Dudley Panthers knocked off Cedar Ridge 49-23.

Tatro maintained his undefeated record with two wins on the day. He scored another tech fall over Cameron Perryman of Dudley, winning 17-2. Tatro earned a victory via injury stoppage against Taylor Parrish of Page. Tatro is 24-0 with 12 pins and eleven tech falls.

Prichard pins both of his opponents. He defeated Deion Marshall of Dudley at 150 pounds. Pritchard also pinned Jax Harrison of Page to improve to 9-2 on the season with four pins.

At 132 pounds, Collins earned a 14-7 decision over Jamarr Parker of Dudley. Later, he pinned Page’s Culley Beavers for his seventh fall of 2023.

Prescod pinned Page’s Lorenzo Kimber for his 16th fall of the year. Dudley’s Jazion Humphrey defeated Prescod 10-8. Prescod is 22-3.

Rakouskas pinned Trystin Andrews of Page to improve to 18-5 with 15 pins on the year. Rakouskas 65% pin percentage is the highest on the team.

On Thursday, Cedar Ridge will make its return to the Tiger Holiday Classic, one of the biggest annual wrestling events in the southeast. Held annually at Chapel Hill High School, the Red Wolves will be one of 41 teams in the event, which will include three teams from Virginia.

There will also be a women’s event, which will include members of Cedar Ridge’s female squad like Zoey Moreno, Julie Hancock, Chloe Pankratz and Mariana Duqum.

He won a state championship in the last match that Bobby Shriner ever coached for Orange wrestling.

He was a midfielder for Orange men’s lacrosse, mainly focusing on face-offs.

Most of all, Payton Wilson did a little bit of everything for Orange High’s football team from the moment he made his debut in the 2014 3A State Playoffs against Corinth-Holders in Wendell. Wilson spent that year on the junior varsity. He got the call up to the varsity for the state playoffs, where he would play alongside his brother, Bryse, on defense.

He instantly made an impact.

Now, Wilson has become the most decorated college football player to ever come out of Hillsborough.

After a season where he led the Atlantic Coast Conference in tackles and tackles for loss with the N.C. State Wolfpack, Wilson has become just the fourth unanimous first-team All-American in Wolfpack history. Last week, Wilson was named a first-team All-American by the Associated Press, the only ACC player honored.

Two weeks ago at halftime of the N.C. State men’s basketball team’s win over Maryland-Eastern Shore at Reynolds Coliseum, Wilson was surprised by head coach Dave Doeren as the winner of the Dick Butkus Award for the nation’s top linebacker. Wilson was honored at halftime of the game for being nominated for the Butkus Award, unaware that he had actually already earned the honor until Doeren show up with the trophy moments later.

On December 8, Wilson won the Chuck Bednarik Award during ESPN’s College Football Awards Show at the Maxwell Football Club. The Bednarik Award is awarded annually to the nation’s best top defensive player.

He is the first player in N.C. State history to earn the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award.

The ACC Defensive Player of the Year, Wilson led the ACC with 138 tackles in 2023, fifth in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He averaged 11.5 tackles per game for a Wolfpack team that finished 9-3, winning its final five games including victories over Clemson, Miami and North Carolina.

Wilson led the ACC with 17.5 tackles for loss. He also had six sacks, broke up ten passes, and pulled down three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

Wilson has likely played his final game for the Wolfpack. N.C. State, ranked #19 by the Associated Press, is slated to face Kansas State in the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Miami on December 28. However, Wilson is expected to opt out to focus on staying healthy for the NFL Draft in April.

Wilson won three straight conference championships during his stint at Orange in 2015, 2016 and 2017. As a junior in 2016, he got to focus primarily on defense under head coach Pat Moser and defensive coordinator Van Smith. It was arguably the greatest Orange football team in school history with the Wilsons sharing time at linebacker, along with defensive end Stone Edwards, who would go on to play at Vanderbilt before an ankle injury cut his career in Nashville short.

The Panthers became the first team since 1978 to finish undefeated in the regular season, roaring through its six Big 8 Conference games allowing just 13 points and one touchdown. Orange thumped Southern Durham 49-7 inside Spartans Stadium on September 23, 2017, a game where Wilson returned a punt for a touchdown. It ended a run of five straight wins by the Spartans over the Panthers, including two tight games in the state playoffs in a rivalry that defined that generation locally on the gridiron.

Southern Durham’s Kendall Hinton, who would go on to play at Wake Forest and with the Denver Broncos, was the Spartans’ starting quarterback.

In his senior year, Wilson was the starting linebacker, returned punts, was the placekicker, punter and eventually became the starting quarterback at midseason. He led Orange to its third straight Big 8 Conference title. Among the highlights of that year was the Panthers beating Hillside at Russell Blunt Stadium in Durham, which ended the Hornets 48-game conference winning streak. Wilson rushed for two touchdowns in the Panthers 31-20 victory.

Women’s basketball: Orange 34, Southern Alamance 31 In a new world within the Central Conference with Northwood now in the 2A ranks, Orange relied on one of its leaders for a last-minute rally against Southern Alamance.

Junior Evelyn George put Orange ahead after two free throws with :15 remaining to lead the Lady Panthers past the Patriots 34-31 in Hillsborugh on Thursday night. Southern Alamance led 31-28 with 1:48 remaining, but Orange scored the final six points in a game that was statistically incredible.

Orange sophomore Maura McMurtry scored 16 points to lead all scorers. George finished with 14 points, eight steals and four rebounds.  Morgan Isley paced Southern Alamance with 14 points.

Things looked good for the Patriots when Isley scored on a transition lay-in off a pass from Madison Brouillard with 1:46 remaining to increase Southern Alamance’s lead to 31-28. Following an Orange timeout, McMurtry took a pass from George and drained a strightaway three-pointer to tie the game. The Patriots missed two free throws on its subsequent possession. As George got the rebound under her own basket, she was fouled.

After George converted the free throws that proved to be the margin of victory, she stole the Patriots inbounds pass and added an insurance point from the line with seven seconds remaining.

The game had ten lead changes. Neither team led by more than five points.

The Lady Panthers won despite making just one two-point field goal the entire game. George scored on a stickback basket with 7:36 remaining in the second quarter. Orange shot 1-for-15 from 2-point range and just 19% from the field. Yet they finished 7-of-26 from 3-point range and 11-of-20 from the foul line, which was the game’s biggest difference.

The Patriots shot 5-of-17 from the stripe, 2-of-10 in the fourth quarter.

The Lady Panthers, under new head coach Lemont Jones, are 5-2 and have won four of its last five. They will play Northwest Guilford for its holiday tournament starting December 28.

Wrestling: Orange 42, Person 30: 

The Orange wrestling team scored six pins to defeat Person in Hillsborough on Wednesday night for its second Central Conference win of the season.

After dropping the opening 150-pound match, Orange scored four straight victories, including three pins. At 157 pounds, Andrew Pavalonis scored a 11-7 decision over Addison Carey for his second victory of the season. Then Conner Harward pinned Mason Grace at 165 pounds.

Orange’s Andre Hill defeated Davis Garrett to improve to 15-1 on the year. It was Hill’s 12th pin this year. He has individual tournament wins at the Jim King/Orange Invitational and at the Joe Via Memorial at South Stokes High School in Walnut Cove

Jayden Medley, in his first year as a starter, pinned Malakai Newman to put Orange ahead 21-6. Person’s Gavin Jones and all-conference selection Trevquan Gary each scored pins for Person at 215 and 285, respectively, narrowing Orange’s lead to 21-18.

That’s as close as Person would get. At 106 pounds, Chris Winstead improved to 12-5 by pinning Ryan Wilson in 4:16. Winstead has scored pins in six of his last nine matches going into the Eagle Invitational in Mebane.

Logan Scarantino held off Aydon Dymes of Person 12-10 at 113 pounds, putting Orange ahead 30-18. After Person’s Tavern Moss earned an 11-6 decision over Adrain Sierra, Orange junior Braeden Crawford pinned Gavin Campbell at 126 pounds. Crawford, who won his first JKO Invitational title earlier this month, improved to 14-1 with his eighth pin of the year.

Jamee Farmer kept Person’s faint hopes alive with a pin over Jackson Runkle at 138 pounds. But Orange’s Jared Hutchins ensured the Panthers win its a pin over Emanuel Garcia. Hutchins improved to 14-3 with eleven pins this season.

In dual matches, Orange is 3-6, 2-2 in the Central Conference. They will return to action with its traditional pre-Christmas Trip to the Tiger Holiday Classic at Chapel Hill High School on Friday. The tournament will conclude on Saturday.

GRAHAM–When Orange sophomore Coleman Cloer suffered an injured ankle in practice four days before the season-opener on November 13, the prevalent thinking was the Panthers’ pumpkin would turn into a stagecoach upon his return, just like in Cinderella.

Cloer returned just in time for the Central Carolina opener against Southern Alamance on Thursday night, but the stagecoach had a flat tire in the first half.

That didn’t keep some Christmas magic from being spread around for Orange in the clutch.

Orange (3-7, 1-0 in the Central Conference), which never led in regulation, erased a 60-55 deficit in the final 28 seconds to force overtime. The Panthers didn’t trail in the extra session and stunned the Patriots 72-68 in overtime to end a seven-game losing streak.

Cloer, who received Division I scholarship offers from N.C. State, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Iowa and Appalachian State in the offseason, scored 29 points and grabbed eleven rebounds in his season debut. Orange point guard Kai Wade added 17.

Chris Epps paced Southern Alamance (1-4) with 16 points.

It appeared Orange would go into Christmas break with another disappointing loss when Cloer missed two free throws with :30.8 left. Southern’s Tyler Moore got the rebound but fell down and was called for traveling. Cloer drained two free throws after being fouled by Moore with :23.5 remaining. Moore became the third Patriot in regulation to foul out.

No Orange comeback would be complete without Wade stealing the ball on an inbounds pass. Sure enough, Wade picked the dribble away from Southern’s Jordan Moore and banked it in with :19.3 left to cut the Southern lead to 60-59.

Southern’s Evan Jacobson was fouled with :10.2 on the clock. He split a pair to make it 61-59. Cloer took the inbounds pass and roared to the basket like a teenager going for Taylor Swift tickets, drawing a blocking foul on Jordan Moore. Cloer made the two free throws with :5.8 left to even the game at 61-61, the first tie of the game.

Incredibly, Orange had a chance to win in regulation when Wade forced a held ball on Jacobson, but Epps stole the inbounds pass from three-quarters court as the buzzer sounded.

Orange center Ryan Honeycutt drained two free throws to open overtime after being fouled by Myles Darroch, giving the Panthers its first lead of the game with 3:42 remaining in overtime. After Moore missed for Southern, Cloer fed Wade, who drained a three-pointer from near the Burlington city limits, which left nearly everyone in Orange visiting standing in awe.

Orange guard Xandrell Pennix sank two free throws to increase Orange’s lead to 70-63 with 1:124 left, but the Patriots had some comeback moxie of its own. Reserve forward Myles Darrouch, who played only seven minutes, scored on a lay-in. With the score 71-66 with 48 seconds left, Moore streaked down the floor for a lay-in. Jacobson tied up Wade for a held-ball at midcoast. But Epps three-pointer to tie was short. Wade knocked down a free throw to finish it off.

Much of the night was frustrating for Orange. They shot just 3-of-22 from 3-point range, only 37% from the field overall. Just five Panthers scored. With 2:15 remaining in the second quarter, Southern led 31-17. A smaller Patriots team out rebounded Orange 24-14 in the first half, including 13 offensive boards.

Southern led 32-22 at halftime. The Panthers struggled to cut into the lead in the third quarter. It remained a 10-point deficit after Tyler Moore drilled a 3-pointer on a field from Jacobsen with 1:03 remaining in the frame, but Xandrell Pennix finished the quarter with four straight points to make it 47-41.

Even some of Orange’s highlight reel plays were swiftly answered by Southern. Wade hit Cloer on an ally-oop, which started after a steal by Freddy Sneed. Undeterred, Tyler Moore looped a pass to Epps, who scored on a sweeping lay-in to increase the Patriots lead to 56-50 with 4:18 left in regulation.

Orange will face Northwood to start the John Wall Invitational at Broughton High School in Raleigh on December 28. Tipoff will be at 3:30.

ORANGE 72, SOUTHERN ALAMANCE 68 OT

ORA–7     15    19   20   11-72

SAL–19    13    15    14    7-68

ORANGE: Xandrell Pennix 10, Kai Wade 17, Coleman Cloer 29, Ryan Honeycutt 8, Freddy Sneed 8.

SOUTHERN ALAMANCE: Liam Forrester 7, Jordan Moore 13, Evan Jacobson 5, Josiah Aiken 7, Tyler Moore 12, Myles Darroch 4, Chris Epps 16, Cooper Dodson 3, Kolby Kronbergs 1.

3-point goals: Orange 3 (Cloer 2, Wade), Southern Alamance 5 (J. Moore, Jacobson, T. Moore 2, Dodson)

Fouled Out: Orange (Sneed), Southern Alamance (Forrester, Aiken, T. Moore)

Rebounds: Orange 50 (Cloer 11), Southern Alamance 40 (Forrester 8).