HAW RIVER–At the very end of Fritz Hessenthaler’s first season at Orange, he saw something that made his return to coaching worth it.
There were tears in the eyes of some of the 25 sophomores, commiserating over the fact they would never get to play alongside three seniors ever again.
“You can’t really put a time on exactly when people start loving each other and buying in,” Hessenthaler said. “It happens little by little with different kids at different times. Right now, I really feel like we’re more brought in than we ever have been since I started.”
19 kids came out for Hessenthaler’s first summer workouts at Orange in the middle of June. By the time the season ended on Friday night in the opening round of the state playoffs, the Panthers had roughly twice that number, some of whom competed during a junior varsity campaign that launched after participation grew once the academic year started.
It’s why Hessenthaler, who led Southern Alamance to the 2023 Central Conference championship, called this season the most successful of his career.
Southeast Alamance, a model for building a program in a hotbed for high school football, dominated Orange 42-0 in the opening round of the 5A State Playoffs on Friday night. Stallions senior running back Aiden Pak, who had never rushed for more than 34 yards in a game, ran for a career-high 114 yards and two touchdowns.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Jackson went 13-for-21 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He surpassed 2,000 passing yards for the season, breaking the record for the three-year-old school.
Just 26 months after playing its first high school game against Orange on August 22, 2023, Southeast Alamance now has an overall record of 27-9 with four state playoff wins. The Stallions will travel to Bailey to face Southern Nash in the round of 32 this Friday.
Orange ends the season 3-9.
For the third time in four games, Panther sophomore running back Markus Thomas rushed for 100 yards. He finished with 105 yards on 19 carries.
Orange’s offense, playing in the loudest atmosphere they’ve faced this season, committed seven false start penalties and never got inside the Stallions 27-yard line.
The ingredients to pull off an upset were there for Orange early. Owen Phillips picked off a pass to shut down the Stallions opening drive. Orange ended the first quarter scoreless after they forced Jackson into an incompletion on 4th-and-4 from the Orange 47-yard line.
Southeast got off the blocks in the second quarter when Jackson threw a bomb to Jett Gibbs for a 54-yard touchdown with 9:37 remaining in the first half. The Stallions forced turnovers on the next two Orange drives, both of which led to points.
Following an interception by Jace Evans, Pak ran untouched up the gut from 36-yards out for his third touchdown of the season. Aiden Hayes extra point put the Stallions ahead 14-0.
Orange quarterback Jackson Moody was crushed by Stallions linebacker Josh Gant, who jarred the ball free. Rodney Pringle recovered the fumble and raced 22 yards for a touchdown.
On the final drive of the first half, Jackson turned loose a gorgeous ball to Antonio Williamson, who made a catch amid double coverage in the back of the end zone with :7.9 seconds remaining in the first half.
The Stallions forced a running clock with 7:32 remaining in the third quarter when Pak broke free for a 29-yard touchdown run. The Panthers had its longest drive of the game late in the third, getting two first downs. But Kayden Bradsher was held to one yard on 4th-and-4.
Backup Southeast quarterback Brayden Robbins, who was a member of Orange Middle School’s OPAC Championship team last year, entered the game in the fourth quarter. He went 2-for-2 for 31 yards, leading to a touchdown run by senior Nick Saunders.
