(Editor’s note: This Orange Panther of the Week is meant for the opening week of winter sports for the week ending November 17. Another Orange Panther of the Week, for events from the week ending December 1st, will be posted on Saturday)
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is 195-pound wrestler Donald Hicks. In the opening week of wrestling season, Hicks scored four wins in the Orange Duals at Orange High Gymnasium. In his first match starting at 195, Hicks pinned an opponent from North Davidson in 35 seconds. His most important victory of the day came against South Stokes. At the time, Stokes led the dual match 27-23, but Hicks held on to defeat Cooper Ross 5-4 following a takedown in the second period. Orange went on to win the dual match Sauras 50-27. Hicks pinned Sanderson’s Ethan King in 2:12 to conclude his day. Over the weekend in the Jim King/Orange Invitational, Hicks finished 3rd in the 195-pound weight class. He pinned Cardinal Gibbons’ Gabe Jensen in 2:35 in the consolation final.