This week’s Orange football Defensive Player of the Week is sophomore linebacker Jakai Torain. Against Carrboro on October 17, Torain led the Panthers with 12 tackles as Orange won its first game of the season at Jaguars Stadium. The Panther defense held the Jaguars to 198 yards total offense as the Panthers defeated Carrboro 38-12 for its first win of the season. Torain is one of 25 sophomores on head coach Fritz Hessenthaler’s first Orange team. He started this season as a two-way player, seeing regular action at running back. Since becoming a full-time linebacker, Torain has registered three double-digit tackle games. His first was against Eastern Guilford, where he amassed 13 tackles in Hillsborough. In a 16-8 win over South Granville on October 24 in Hillsborough, Torain registered 12 tackles, once again leading the team. He also had his first sack of the season. During his time as a running back, Torain ran for 65 yards over five games. Torain’s leadership has helped Orange win three consecutive games for the first time since the 2019 season. Torain finished the regular season in style with another strong defensive performance as Orange shutout Cedar Ridge 50-0 on Halloween night. As Hessenthaler continues to make his mark on Orange football, Torain is sure to be one of the prominent pieces in the rebuilding project.
