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This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore setter Katie Silcott. The Orange volleyball team is one win away from its first outright conference championship in 18 years. Silcott has started all 20 matches for the Panthers this season. On Wednesday night, Orange swept Person 3-0 in Roxboro. Silcott added 41 assists and 16 digs as Orange captured its 16th consecutive win. In 2022, Silcott shared time with Kaitlyn Carden as setter. This year, she has compiled 635 assists. She also leads the team with 40 aces. Silcott has a wide array of weapons to supply the ball down during Orange attacks. Senior Ella Wimsatt, sophomore outside hitter Aubrey Jordan and middle blocker Ava Wilkerson have all benefited from Silcott’s steady passing, regardless where she is on the floor. Silcott also has a smooth presence defensively. She is third on the team with 164 digs and even finds herself at the net at times attempting blocks against opposing attacks. Silcott is second on the team with 13 blocks. On Thursday night, Orange will host Southern Alamance. If the Lady Panthers win, they will clinch its first conference championship since 2005 and clinch the #1 seed for the upcoming Central Carolina Conference Tournament. Orange has already clinched the top seed from the CCC for the 3A State Playoffs and are guaranteed to host an opening round game, for starters.

Orange Panther of the Week: Katie Silcott

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is sophomore setter Katie Silcott. The Orange volleyball team is one win away from its first outright conference championship in 18 years. Silcott has started all 20 matches for the Panthers this season. On Wednesday night, Orange swept Person 3-0 in Roxboro.

In one month, cross country teams from across the state will descend on the Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville for the state championships.

On Saturday, the Orange men’s cross country team raced only 28 miles away at Hagan State Park in Pleasant Garden. They turned in a performance strong enough that they hope to replicate in November just a little further west.

The Panthers won the 39th annual Greensboro Cross Country Invitational on Saturday. Senior Gabriel Schmid, the defending 3A State Individual champion, came in first place against a field of 146 runners. Schmid led the pack with a time of 15:15.64, beating the runner-up, Tate Shore of Ronald Reagan, by 19 seconds.

Schmid has now won all four races where he has competed this season. Orange, which has won two consecutive Central Carolina Conference championships and the 2021 Mideast Regional title, has also won all four of its meets they’ve competed in as a team this year.

On Saturday, Orange had five runners finish in the top 25, which propelled them to the team championship. Sophomore Myles Jermyn came in eighth with a time of 16:13.9. Peter Musser finished 20th (16:46.33), while sophomore Lucas Van Mater crossed the finish line 22nd (16:48.3) and Alden Cathey came in 23rd (16:51.26).

Orange finished with 57 points, finishing on top in a field of 19 teams. Chapel Hill was in second with 83 points, while Grimsley finished 3rd at 106 points.

Of the top ten finishers, Orange was the only one that wasn’t a 4A squad from North Carolina. Cave Spring High, based out of Roanoke, VA, finished eighth.

Nolan Hufner (45th at 17:11.33), Cyrus Neal (66th at 17:44.64), Aiden Viola (86th at 18:19.25) also finished in the top 90 for Orange.

It was the second time in two weeks that Orange finished ahead of its former conference rivals from Chapel Hill. On September 20, Orange won the Orange County Championships, a meet that features Orange, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill and Cedar Ridge, the four senior institutions in Orange County. The Panthers had four of the top five finishers, led once again by Schmid, who crossed the finish line first at 10:18.60. Chapel Hill’s Declan Harden came in second at 10:31.20.

After that, Orange runners took the 3rd-through-5th spots, which led to the team championship. Musser finished third at 10:43.80, while Jermyn came in fourth (10:44.70), and Cathey finished fifth (10:45.60). Van Mater had a crucial tenth place finish (10:57.90), which helped Orange to the team title. Neal crossed the finish line 16th (11:27.60), while Nolan Hufner came in 17th (11:30). Viola added a 20th place finish (11:34.80).

Orange finished with 23 points. Chapel Hill came in second with 32 points. East Chapel Hill finished third with 90 points. Cedar Ridge registered 103 points.

Cedar Ridge junior Edgar Ibarra, who also competes in outdoor track and field, was the top finisher for the Red Wolves. He finished 21st at 11:40.80. Red Wolf sophomore Ryan Matthews finished 22nd at 11:41.20, while sophomore Henry Alexander came in 23rd (11:41.70).

In the women’s race at the Orange County Championships, Cedar Ridge finished third, led by junior Naomi Dyreng. In a field of 38 runners, Dyreng finished fifth at 13:17.60. Cedar Ridge’s Abigail Klaitman came in seventh at 13;38.20. Cia Biddix finished 17th for the Red Wolves (14:48.70).

Orange senior Grace Pell was the top placer for the Lady Panthers in 27th place (15:28.10). Senior Channing Mahaney came in 28th (15;32.70).

East Chapel Hill won the women’s team competition with 29 points. Chapel Hill was second with 37 points, while Cedar Ridge was third with 65 points. Orange had 114 pints. 

Chapel Hill had the individual champion in the form of junior Chloe Solum, who paced the field with a time of 12:50.30. East Chapel Hill had the second, third and fourth finishers. Yara Sinnott was the highest finisher for the Wildcats, coming in second at 13:00.50. 

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior women’s tennis player Ella Caltabiano. This season, Caltabiano has been the #2 singles player for head coach Steve Mayhew. She has collected a total of eleven victories for a Cedar Ridge team that currently is in 2nd place in the Central Carolina Conference. On September 11, Caltabiano won a three-set match over Western Alamance’s Reagan Williams en route to a Red Wolf victory. Caltabiano has been a member of Cedar Ridge’s varsity team since her freshman year, where she was also honored as Red Wolves of the Week after helping Cedar Ridge beat Northwood. Caltabiano has also teamed with Catherine Ballenger at #2 doubles, which has given the Red Wolves the upper-hand in many conference matches. Last week Caltabiano and Ballenger won at #2 doubles in Cedar Ridge’s 6-3 win over Orange, which swept the regular season series from the Lady Panthers. Caltabiano has helped the Red Wolves get in position to reach the 3A State Dual Team Playoffs for the first time since 2016. Caltabiano and the rest of the Red Wolves return to action later today (Monday) against Eastern Alamance at Red Wolves tennis courts. It’s the first of three matches this week for Cedar Ridge.

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Ella Caltabiano

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior women’s tennis player Ella Caltabiano. This season, Caltabiano has been the #2 singles player for head coach Steve Mayhew. She has collected a total of eleven victories for a Cedar Ridge team that currently is in 2nd place in the Central Carolina Conference.

Since the formation of the Central Carolina Conference in 2021, it’s no secret that the Alamance County schools have formed the nucleus of football power.

It’s only gotten stronger this year with the addition of Southern Alamance, who dropped down from 4A to 3A over the summer. It’s like having Georgia (Eastern Alamance), Ole Miss (Southern Alamance), Tennessee (Walter Williams) and Western Alamance (Missouri) in your league with dozens of players who grew up playing football in Alamance County’s Pop Warner leagues.

That would make it easier for Cedar Ridge High School not to field a football team.

But they haven’t quit. Every weekday morning, head coach Brent Bailey holds practice for the Red Wolves behind the softball field and tennis courts. When they’re done at 8AM, the teams walks uphill to class, which could be a metaphor for Cedar Ridge football.

Each week in conference play, and most games overall, the Red Wolves know their opponent will outnumber them. They will have more skill because they grew up with football, starting to play while they’re in 6th grade, if not earlier.

Cedar Ridge is winless. But that’s not the worst thing that can happen to a program.

The most desolate, dispiriting and emotionless thing is having the lights off at Red Wolves Stadium on Friday nights because there isn’t a varsity team at all. And Red Wolves fans and parents should know. It happened in 2018 and 2021.

So if you see a Cedar Ridge football player around class, around Hillsborough or anyplace else for the rest of this year, be sure to thank them. They’re keeping Friday Night Lights alive at Cedar Ridge, the way it should be. Any future success that the Red Wolves program enjoys will be because of them.

With that said, time for the Magnificent 7. The seven best performances during the week of September 18-22, in no particular order.

1. Malykhai Justice, Orange, Sr. On September 22, against a Walter Williams team that upset Eastern Alamance last week, Justice had three sacks. Justice finished the game with five tackles overall as the Panthers shut out the Bulldogs in the second half. Williams won 28-0. This season, Justice has eight sacks this season for a formidable Orange defense.
2. Graylinn Serge, Cedar Ridge, Sr.: Had a career-high 24 kills in Cedar Ridge volleyball’s win over Person on September 21. Serge had a double-double against the Rockets with ten digs. She also led the team with four aces. Serge is tied for the team lead with 194 kills. Cedar Ridge appears set to host a game in the state playoffs for the fourth consecutive season.
3. Salomon Hernandez, Cedar Ridge, Sr.: Responsible for the game-winning goal in the biggest win for Cedar Ridge men’s soccer over the past decade. Hernandez scored on a header off an assist from Iilah Babchenko with just over four minutes remaining as the Red Wolves defeated Western Alamance 1-0 on September 19. The win put Cedar Ridge in first place of the CCC, where they remain.
4. Ella Wimsatt, Orange, Sr.: The Orange volleyball team won three home matches over the span of three days from September 18-20. Wimsatt, who leads the team in kills, had 16 kills and 13 digs against Western Alamance. A day earlier against Falls Lake, Wimsatt had 21 kills and 19 digs in a 3-1 Lady Panthers win. It was the second time this year that Orange defeated a Falls Lake team that was ranked #1 in the 1A East RPI standings.
5. Emmanuel Mil Cruz, Orange, Sr.: The Orange men’s soccer team won its first conference game of the season over Person on September 18. Mil Cruz notched a goal against the Rockets. Two days later, Orange defeated Southern Alamance 4-3 in Graham. Mil Cruz earned a goal and also assisted on another goal scored by Daniel Romero.
6. Erinn Sollars, Orange, Sr.: Sollars won both of her singles matches in the Orange women’s tennis team’s 7-2 victory over Western Alamance on September 21. Sollars defeated Amelia Weaver in the #1 singles match. Sollars teamed with her sister Shannon to win the #1 doubles match. Erinn also won her top singles match in Orange’s 9-0 win over Eastern Alamance on September 18.
7. Catherine Ballenger, Cedar Ridge, Sr.: Ballenger won both of her matches for the Cedar Ridge women’s tennis team on September 20. Ballenger won her singles match 6-0, 6-0, then teamed with Lily Golden to win at #1 doubles. The Cedar Ridge women are on track to make the 3A State Dual Team Tournament for the first time since 2016.

Braden Homsey: After four years as a competitor for the Ferrum College wrestling team in Virginia, Homsey has now joined the staff of the Ferrum Panthers. Homesey qualified twice for the NCAA Division III Tournament at Ferrum, in 2020 and 2023. In February, Homsey won the 197-pound championship of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. At the Southeast Regional, Homsey finished 2nd, beating Cameron Butka of Wilkes College in the semifinals via a 7-5 decision. Overall in his senior season, Homsey placed in four tournaments. During his career at Ferrum, Homsey wrestled for five different teams.

Trenton Gill: The Chicago Bears fell to 0-4 on the season when they lost to the Denver Broncos 31-28 at Solider Field on Sunday. The Bears led 28-14 going into the fourth quarter. Gill only had two punts on the day. He averaged 45 yards per punt. His longest punt was 56 yards. One of them was downed inside the 20-yard line. The Bears will travel to Washington next Sunday.

Payton Wilson: Wilson was the leading tackler once again for the N.C. State football team in its 13-10 loss to Louisville at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson finished with ten tackles. He had two tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup. Also, Wilson carried the ball on a fake punt, rushing for three yards to convert a 4th-down. The Wolfpack are 3-2, 1-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. They will host Marshall in Raleigh on Saturday.

Darius Satterfield: The Elizabeth City State Vikings suffered a disappointing Homecoming loss to Johnson C. Smith 21-20 at Roebuck Stadium in Elizabeth City State on Saturday. The Vikings led 20-7 going into the fourth quarter before the Bulls scored 14 unanswered points. Satterfield averaged 39.2 yards on four punts. He had a 57-yard punt, his longest of the day. Two of the punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Elizabeth City State 1-4, 0-3 in the CIAA. The Vikings will host Virginia Union next Saturday.

Braxton Mergenthal: The Division III Hampden-Sydney football team lost a heartbreaker to Bridgewater College 39-38 at Everett Stadium in Hampden Sydney, VA on Saturday. The Eagles scored the game-winning touchdown with  23 seconds remaining. Mergenthal had three tackles for the Tigers. Hampden-Sydney is 2-2 overall, 0-1 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. They will host Ferrum next Saturday.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson concluded his first regular season with the Milwaukee Brewers, who clinched the National League Central division championship. On Friday, Wilson recorded his fifth hold of the season as the Brewers defeated the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Friday at American Family Field. He threw one shutout inning with one hit allowed and one strikeout. For the regular season, Wilson made 76.2 innings. He finished with three saves, five holds, a 2.58 ERA and 61 strikeouts with 22 walks. The Brewers will start play in the National League Wildcard series, a best-of-three set, against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday. Game one will be at American Family Field.

Ivy Garner: The Liberty women’s soccer team suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday. New Mexico State defeated Liberty 2-0 at Osborne Stadium in Lynchburg, VA on Saturday. It was also the Flames first Conference USA loss ever. Garner started and played 63 minutes at midfield. She fired two shots. Liberty is now 11-1 overall, 2-1 in Conference USA. They will face Florida International in Miami on Saturday.

Emerson Talley: The Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team remains undefeated in the South Atlantic Conference. On Saturday, the Bears defeated Wingate 2-0 at WU Soccer Complex. Talley played the full 90 minutes at midfield. The Bears are now 7-0-3 overall, 5-0 in the SAC. On Wednesday, they will travel to Emory & Henry.

Will Berger: The Wofford men’s cross country team competed in the Adidas Invitational at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC on Saturday. In a seven-team meet, the Terriers finished fourth. Berger finished 55th among 77 runners with a time of 30:38.4. Wofford will return to action on October 14 with a meet at South Carolina-Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C.

It has been 18 years since the Orange volleyball team has won a conference championship.

Now, it’s only a matter of time before the Lady Panthers finally raise the trophy that has eluded them for so long.

While that long drought isn’t quite over yet, Orange did end one streak on Thursday night. They ended a four-game losing streak to Cedar Ridge inside Panther Gymnasium.

In anticlimactic fashion, Orange swept Cedar Ridge 3-0 on scores of 25-19, 25-19 and 25-11. It was the first time Orange clinched a home win over the Red Wolves since 2018.

More importantly, Orange (17-3, 8-0 in the Central Carolina Conference) has all but locked up the conference title. They now lead Cedar Ridge by two games in the CCC, plus the head-to-head tiebreaker. With wins next week over Person and Southern Alamance, Orange will clinch first place.

“We were confident,” said Orange coach Hope Heverly. “But it was a confidence that came from working hard and putting in a lot of extra work on the outside. We made some adjustments yesterday during practice to be ready for today. We worked on the mental aspect of the game and not just the X’s and O’s and just can see the players are thinking about the mental part and pushing through.”

The trappings of a big rivalry match were impossible to ignore as anticipation built on Thursday night. It was the largest crowd of the year at Panther Gymnasium. The Orange student section was packed from the front row to the rafters. Cedar Ridge’s student section, never afraid to be the minority in an opposing gym, lined up to the left end of the floor, parallel to their squad’s bench.

Orange sophomore setter Katie Silcott finished with 29 assists and five aces. Sophomore outside hitter Aubrey Jordan registered ten kills, while middle blocker Ava Wilkerson had eight kills, one block and one assist.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Claire Hargett had seven kills and 13 digs for the Red Wolves (10-6, 6-2), who suffered only its second conference loss since the 2020 season. Senior Addie Reid had four kills and four blocks.

The opening set included three lead changes and five ties, but it was the only competitive frame of the night. Orange steadily began to pull away following a 4-0 run where Wimsatt racked up consecutive kills, all assisted by Silcott. A kill by Reid drew the Red Wolves to within 10-9, but that was as close as they would get. Orange responded with a 7-1 run, which included back-to-back spikes by Wilkerson and an ace from Silcott, which led to the first Cedar Ridge timeout. An ace by Josie Crawford put the Lady Panthers ahead 23-17. Wimsatt would close out the opening set with a kill suppled by Silcott.

Orange didn’t trail again the rest of the night. Jordan had six kills in the second set, where Orange started with an 11-2 run. It included an ace by Silcott and two kills by Jordan. The Red Wolves chipped away at its deficit with a 6-2 run where Ellamarie Perel scored a kid, along with Hargett. Orange bounced back with four straight points where Wimsatt, Jordan, and Wilkerson all spiked home points. Jordan scored set point to vault Orange ahead two sets.

Orange started the third set with an 8-2 run, included a block by Wilkerson and two kills by Jordan. The Lady Panthers went on a 5-0 run to take a 13-5 lead after a kill by Wimsatt. Silcott added another ace late.

Orange has won all 24 of its sets thus far in conference play, a run that Cedar Ridge can relate to from year’s past. The Red Wolves are the three-time defending conference champions. Going into Thursday, they’re still ranked #6 in the 3A East RPI rankings.

But Orange has been waiting for four years to surpass the Red Wolves for local volleyball supremacy. After plenty of frustration and losses in the postseason to their neighbors to the west, Orange volleyball’s time has finally come.

Where, and when, it ends is anyone’s guess.

The long wait for the Orange volleyball team to defeat its crosstown rival inside Panther Gymnasium is over. On Thursday night, Orange remained undefeated in the Central Carolina Conference with a 3-0 victory over the Red Wolves. It was the first time that Orange defeated Cedar Ridge at home since 2018. Once again, Ella Wimsatt was huge for the Lady Panthers. The senior had ten kills and 18 digs. Senior Abby Silinski had eight digs for the Panthers. Orange is now one step closer to its first conference championship in volleyball since 2005. The Lady Panthers lead Cedar Ridge by two games in the Central Carolina Conference with four games remaining. Orange also controls the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Red Wolves, which means the Lady Panthers need just two wins to clinch the outright championship. Sophomore Aubrey Jordan had ten kills for Orange, while sophomore setter Katie Silcott finished with 29 assists and five aces. Orange hasn’t lost a set against a Central Carolina Conference opponent yet this season. The Lady Panthers will travel to Person on Tuesday night. They will venture home to face Southern Alamance on Thursday in Hillsborough.

Orange volleyball’s Ella Wimsatt and Abby Silinski discuss win over Cedar Ridge

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