GIBSONVILLE–For its final game of summer, the Orange football team attempted to earn its first win west of the Alamance County line since 2016.
Instead, a catastrophic end of the first half put the Panthers in a tailspin that they couldn’t recover from on Friday night.
Eastern Guilford quarterback Jaykin Jerman scored on a five-yard touchdown run with :1.2 remaining in the first half to put the Wildcats ahead for good. Eastern Guilford defeated Orange 34-22 at Tommy Grayson Field.
The Wildcats (1-3) avoided its first 0-4 start since 2010. In the process, Orange suffered its 17th straight loss playing in either Alamance or Guilford County. The Panthers’ last win west of Mebane came on September 9, 2016, when they routed Cummings in Burlington.
Orange running back Markus Thomas finished with 154 yards rushing on 28 carries, his fourth straight 100-yard game. He added two touchdowns.
With :30 remaining in the first half, Orange led 14-12 and was on the verge of augmenting its lead. Fullback Mason Stubbs rumbled for 18 yards to the Wildcat 16-yard line. On the next play, Orange was called for holding. On 1st-and-20, Orange quarterback Jackson Moody rolled out under pressure as the ball fluttered out of his hands. Eastern Guilford linebacker Abram Holland picked up the fumble and returned it 50 yards. Thomas raced across the field to make a touchdown-saving tackle with nine seconds remaining.
With the Wildcats out of timeouts, Jerman took a risk and scrambled to the goal line, where he scored with :1.2 left. Jerman added the 2-point conversion to give the Wildcats at 20-14 lead.
It was a half bookended by big plays for the Wildcats. Dakota Riley returned the opening kickoff 72yards for a touchdown just 12 seconds into the game.
Though Orange had halftime to recover after the sudden change in momentum, they never did. Getting the ball first to open the second half, Orange had its only three-and-out of the night. Jerman had a 14-yard run to reach the Orange 8-yard line. On 3rd-and-goal, Jerman streaked six yards into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the night with 6:58 remaining in the third quarter.
On the next play from scrimmage, Eastern Guilford’s Joseph Williamson recovered an Orange fumble at the Panther 43-yard line. Jerman got two yards to convert a 4th-and-1, then found Kam’ren Mitchell for 17 -yard ahead to invade the Panther red zone again. Jorden McGriff scored on a 5-yard touchdown run to put the Wildcats ahead 34-14.
After Riley’s touchdown to start the game, Orange remained poised. Its initial series was a 9-play, 68-yard drive where Thomas dominated on the ground. Alternating between wing-T and wishbone formations, Thomas broke free for 25 yards to the Wildcat 22-yard line. After senior Kayden Bradsher ran for six and eight yards, Thomas scored on an eight-yard touchdown with 7:28 remaining in the first quarter, then added the two-point conversion to put Orange ahead 8-6.
On its opening offensive series, Eastern Guilford faced a 4th-and-2 from its own 43-yard line, where Jerman gained three yards, which started a pattern. The Wildcats went 5-of-8 on 3rd down conversions and didn’t punt once.
The Wildcats shook off a holding penalty after getting into the Orange red zone. Jerman hit Sam Haith along the near sidelines on 3rd-and-12 from the Orange 19-yard line. Haith broke three tackles to get into the end zone to put the Wildcats ahead 12-8.
Orange had two takeaways in the second quarter. With 10:35 remaining in the first half, Elijah Starnes picked off a pass on a deep toss by Jerman. Mason Stubs rumbled 44 yards on a quick hitter to advance to the Wildcat 12-yard line. Two plays later, Thomas scored on an 11-yard run for his second touchdown of the night.
The Wildcats drove to the Orange 29-yard line when Jerman threw a pass that was picked off by Kamari Ford, who got a foot down in the right corner of the end zone.
Bradsher scored Orange’s final touchdown on a 6-yard carry in the fourth quarter.
EASTERN GUILFORD 34, ORANGE 22
ORA–8 6 0 8-22
EGU–12 8 14 0-34
EGU–Dakota Riley 72 kickoff return (run failed)
ORA–Markus Thomas 8 run (Thomas run)
EGU–Sam Haith 19 pass from Jaykin Jerman (pass failed)
ORA–Thomas 11 run (run failed)
EGU–Jerman 5 run (Jerman run)
EGU–Jerman 6 run (run failed)
EGU–Jorden McGriff 5 run (Jerman run)
ORA–Kayden Bradsher 6 run (Thomas run)
RUSHING: ORANGE 44-305 (Thomas 26-150 2 TD, Bradsher 11-80 TD, Mason Stubbs 5-74, Jackson Moody 2-1)
EASTERN GUILFORD: 35-166 (McGriff 12-88 TD, Jerman 14-66 2 TD, JaSon Turner 2-8, Jaden Lewis 4-6, Kam’ren Mitchell 1-3, Haith 1-1, team 1-(-5))
PASSING: ORANGE (Moody 1-3 1 yard, INT)
EASTERN GUILFORD (Jerman 12-18, 103 yds, TD, 2 INT)
RECEIVING: ORANGE (Stubbs 1-1)
EASTERN GUILFORD (Chance Patton 4-11, Noah Jordan 3-35, Mitchell 3-33, Haith 2-24 TD)
