MEBANE–There are wins that leaves a team, and its coach, happy.
Orange left Mebane with a win on Monday night, but they were merely content.
For a program with ten seniors back from the most successful squad in school history, Orange coach Palmer Bowman has high standards. A 4-0 win over Eastern Alamance at the Fred Brady Athletic Complex didn’t meet the expectations for what he has in mind for this team.
“I’m thinking about the things we have to work on,” Bowman said afterwards. “It’s a good, strong group. We’re just expecting more from them. We have to bring it every day and that’s on me. I gotta make sure that they’re bringing it every day.”
Senior Demetrius Holmes earned the 2nd two-goal game of his career, notching consecutive markers as the Panthers earned its first win of the season. Orange has gone undefeated in its last five meetings with the Eagles, winning four of them.
Eastern Alamance, a former Central Conference rival to the Panthers, dropped its season-opener.
It was the first clean sheet of the season for Orange junior goalkeeper Hector Garrido. He had plenty of help from junior centerback John Williams, who broke up several attempts during Eagle counters early in the second half as Orange clung to a 1-0 lead.
Just two minutes after halftime, Williams ran down Eastern striker Kaiden Oliver, who was within leg’s reach of a gorgeous through pass from Logan Grimshaw.
“He has a nonstop motor,” Bowman said. “We appreciate having John out here and all the dirty work he does. That’s the type of stuff we’re going to need from him as a group.
With 31:17 remaining in the game, Orange right back Jay Parker halted a shot from the Eagles’ Carter Malone from the right edge of the penalty area. Garrido captured the subsequent corner.
Two minutes later, Williams sprinted back to halt another long pass that Grimshaw nearly had possession of for a breakaway, leading to another thwarted corner.
Holmes first goal came with 14:13 remaining in regulation. Ajali Carter sent a lengthy ball that Holmes caught up with just outside of the box. Holmes first attempt was blocked by Eastern Alamance goalkeeper Marvin Soto, but Holmes was in perfect position to capture the rebound and tap it into the net from point-blank range to put the Panthers ahead 3-0.
“We moved the ball a little bit better. We created some chances but we didn’t finish the chances, but we created more chances,” Bowman said.
Holmes’ second goal came when he chased down a pass from senior Dallas Johnson and fired it into the left side of the net with 14:13 remaining. Holmes only other career 2-goal game came against Cedar Ridge last year.
Orange led 1-0 at halftime after being the beneficiary of an own goal.
The Panthers bounced back after a disappointing 6-1 loss at Chapel Hill last week. On Wednesday, they will make the trek to Burlington to face Walter Williams, another former conference rival. Last year, the Panthers swept the Bulldogs for the first time as a conference rival, something the natives in Burlington likely remember.
“We better step it up several levels for Wednesday night,” Bowman said.
Northern Durham 4, Cedar Ridge 1
Cedar Ridge couldn’t capitalize coming off a season-opening win against Southern Alamance last Tuesday in Hillsborough. Northern Durham improved to 2-0 with a victory at Ken Browning Stadium in Durham on Monday night.
The only tally of the night for Cedar Ridge came from junior Niko James, his first goal of the season.
The Red Wolves (1-1) will travel to Southern Alamance next Monday. Also next week, the Red Wolves will face Southeast Alamance, led by former Cedar Ridge head coach Chauncey Brummell
