Month: February 2017

Six different sports teams from Cedar Ridge and Orange High will begin the Spring Sports season on Monday.

We’ll have in-depth previews of each team as the spring goes on, but here are some of the standout questions as spring arrives.

#1 Will Mia Davidson break the NCHSAA career home run record this week? If there’s one thing to be certain of going into the spring, it’s this: Mia Davidson will break the state record for career home runs. The question is when? Davidson enters her senior season with 41. The state record is 42. Orange plays at Cardinal Gibbons on Thursday, then hosts East Chapel Hill on Friday. Just between me and you, the single-season record is 19, which Davidson nearly tied last year (18). Might want to file that one away.

#2 How determined will Cedar Ridge Boys Lacrosse Be? Probably, the answer will be: a lot. Cedar Ridge was knocked out of the 3A/2A/1A state quarterfinals in about as bitter as fashion as possible. The Red Wolves, which had won 13 in a row, led Carrboro 8-2 at halftime. Then midfielder Jack Widman was ejected following a skirmish with Carrboro’s Chase Bolesky. Without Widman’s presence, the Jaguars went from firing 13 shots in the first half to 27 in the second. The Red Wolves scored only one goal in the second half and Carrboro won 10-9. Cedar Ridge coach Patrick Cavanaugh made no secret about what he felt was the turning point of the game, and he’s had nine months to think about it. Cedar Ridge. Widman returns, as does Sean Tobin, who scored the game-winning goal in overtime at Orange last year. The Red Wolves open its season against Jordan on Tuesday.

#3. How will Orange Baseball adjust to life without Bryse Wilson and Brad Debo? 

If you know, call Dean Dease immediately, because he’d love to find out. Orange will start the season on Wednesday at home against Riverside without Wilson, who was drafted in the 4th round by the Atlanta Braves last June. Wilson was a four-year starter who won 33 games with a 0.99 ERA. Debo is now a catcher at N.C. State, where is already has started three games and hitting .375. And then there’s the other seven position players who played regularly for the Panthers last season that graduated. Second-day starter Derek Lindaman returns, along with third baseman Ryan Puckett and centerfielder Jaydin Poteat, who didn’t start the last ten games in 2016 after suffering a broken hand sliding into home plate at Northwood.

Here’s the schedule for the first week of the season:

Monday: 

Girls Soccer: Eastern Alamance at Cedar Ridge, 6:30 (5:00 JV); Orange at Northern Guilford, 7:00 (5:30 JV)

Boys Tennis: Eastern Alamance at Cedar Ridge, 4:30; Southern Alamance at Orange, 4:30

Tuesday:

Baseball: Cedar Ridge at Hillside, 6:00

Softball: Cedar Ridge at Eastern Guilford, 6:00 (only varsity)

Boys Lacrosse: Jordan at Cedar Ridge 7:00 (5:00 JV); Orange at Eastern Alamance 6:45 (5:00 JV).

Wednesday: 

Baseball: Riverside at Orange, 5:00

Girls Soccer: Durham School of the Arts at Cedar Ridge, 6:00 (only varsity); Orange at Northern Durham 6:30 (4:45 JV)

Thursday: 

Baseball: Roxboro Community at Cedar Ridge, 6:30.

Softball: Roxboro Community at Cedar Ridge 6:00 (Varsity only); Orange at Cardinal Gibbons 5:00 (only varsity)

Boys Lacrosse: Southern Alamance at Orange 5:00 (varsity only)

Boys and Girls Track: Orange at Eastern Guilford 4:30.

Boys Tennis: Cedar Ridge at Durham School of the Arts, 4:30; Orange at Walter Williams 4:30

Friday: 

Baseball: Orange at Jordan, 5:00 (only varsity)

Softball: East Chapel Hill at Orange 6:00 (only varsity)

Boys Lacrosse: Cedar Ridge at J.F. Webb, 6:00 (only varsity)

Girls Soccer: Walter Williams at Orange 7:00 (5:30 JV)

Boys and Girls Track & Field: Cedar Ridge at Friday Night Lights at Mt. Tabor, 4:45

Boys Tennis: Eastern Alamance at Orange 4:30

In an Instagram post on Sunday morning, Orange guard Connor Crabtree confirmed his high school career is over.

Crabtree tore a ligament in his right ankle while going for a defensive rebound late in the first quarter in the Panthers’ win over Triton in the 3rd round of the state 3A playoffs. After being helped off the floor by training staff and head coach Greg Motley, Crabtree emerged from the trainer’s room on crutches and watched the rest of the game resting his right leg against a chair at the end of the bench.

The old saying that a star shines brightest before it fades was never more appropriate on Saturday night. Crabtree spearheaded a run in the game’s first six minutes that included a tomahawk dunk and a follow-up stuff off a intentionally-missed layup by Mitch Portman, who created a steal. Orange roared out to a 28-2 lead.

Triton looked overwhelmed immediately. It was the type of start for a potential state champion—provided they had their star player.

“They were so focused at shootaround this morning,” said Motley. “We felt like they were going to come out and be ready to go.”

Any hopes that Crabtree’s injury would be minor were dashed simply by looking at the body language of the entire Orange team at halftime. The Panthers led 40-17. Their first trip to the Round of 8 in the 3A State Tournament was ensured. Yet Motley glared at the floor, not even looking up as his players warmed up in front of him. He didn’t panic, but the disappointment was obvious. Likewise, the Orange players had long faces. It took the prodding of Crabtree’s classmate, Logan Vosburg, to keep their heads in the game to avoid blowing a 28-point lead.

“If I had panicked, then they would have panicked,” said Motley. “I tried to keep my mind on the game and just focus on the game. Connor is one captain, Logan is the other. If one guy goes down, then the other has to carry the load.”

Orange (23-6) won 67-47, but it was the epitome of a bittersweet victory.

Now, Motley is faced with the task of preparing for Northern Guilford on Tuesday night in Hillsborough without arguably the greatest player in school history.

“I don’t know anything about Northern Guilford right now,” said Motley immediately after Saturday night’s win. “So I have to do a lot of work to do.”

What changes with Crabtree out of the equation? For starters, the entire offensive setup.

Crabtree was Orange’s tallest player and their best ballhandler. He was a point guard and a post-up threat. Now, junior Mitch Portman will become the Panthers’ point guard, while Marquis Phelps likely takes Crabtree’s spot in the starting lineup.

HillsboroughSports.com will have live coverage of Orange-Northern Guilford on Tuesday night at 7.

If a coach’s job is to maintain calm through adversity, then Orange’s Greg Motley passed a test on Saturday night. Playing without all-state candidate Connor Crabtree in the final three quarters, the Panthers defeated Triton 67-47 to advance to the 3-A State Quarterfinals. Whether Crabtree is available for Tuesday’s game at Northern Guilford is very much in the air.

Orange center Logan Vosburg will play one final game at Jim King Gymnasium. It will be in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Northern Guilford. Now, time will tell if classmate Connor Crabtree will join him. Crabtree was injured at the end of the first quarter on Saturday night with an injury to his right foot. He came back on crutches and watched the rest of the game from the bench with tears in his eyes. Vosburg scored 23 points as Orange won 67-47.

After winning the first conference championship for the first time since 1999, the season of the Orange Lady Panthers basketball team is over. Rockingham County defeated Orange 56-39 in the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs on Saturday at Jim King Gymnasium. The Panthers end the season 26-2. It was the final game for seniors Kaylen Campbell, Jazlyn Watson, Mia Davidson, Adalyn Fleming, MaryBeth Dobbins, Enzyah Holt, and Bethlyn Early.

The Orange Girls Basketball team is headed to the Round of 16 in the 3-A State Basketball tournament after beating Havelock 81-77 on Thursday night at Jim King Gymnasium. After falling behind 14-2 early, Icez Barnett came off the bench to score eight first quarter points. Barnett, Jazlyn Watson and Janea Myers were nice enough to wait after the boys game for, well, among the best interviews we’ve ever had on the website.