The numbers of dynasties can stick in the heads of sports fans.
The Boston Celtics have won 17 World Championships. UCLA men’s basketball captured nine national championships in ten years from 1964-1973. Locally, the Northern Durham football team won 17 straight PAC-6 titles from 1984-2001.
On Wednesday night, to fanfare so meek its doubtful the Panther wrestling team itself knew about it, Orange added another incredible figure to its own dynasty.
Orange finished the decade with an undefeated record in conference action of 62-0, starting in Conference 6 in 2010 and continuing through the formation of the Big 8 Conference in 2013.
Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 57-12 at Red Wolves Gymnasium to improve to 3-0 in the Big 8 Conference. The Panthers, searching for its 17th consecutive conference championship dating back to its days in the 2A Mid State Conference, are now 3-0 in the Big 8, 8-1 overall.
It appears once again the chase for the Big 8 Championship will boil down to Orange and Chapel Hill. The Tigers defeated Northwood 48-36 on Wednesday at Tiger Gymnasium to remain tied with Orange atop the Big 8.
Despite the loss, Cedar Ridge did have one of its youngest stars come up with another strong performance. Freshman Fernando Martinez, who just started wrestling two years ago, pinned Orange’s Dillion Heffernan at 106 pounds in 3:12. Martinez, who finished 4th in the Jim King/Orange Invitational last week, is now 11-3.
Cedar Ridge’s Alex Davis improved to 3-1 by pinning Tayton Alvis in 3:12.
Orange won the other 12 matches, eight of which ended in pins or technical falls. The night opened with a rematch from last week’s JKO, when Daina Pritchard defeated Matthew Smith-Breeden in the 3rd place match at 132 pounds. On Wednesday night, Smith-Breeden was the one who got a win over Pritchard 8-1.
Henry Joubert-Stanzel pinned Charles Jackson in 5:34 to put Orange ahead 9-0. After Davis’ victory, Gasian Drewery made his Orange debut and scored an 5-3 decision over James Rosati-Brown. At 160 pounds, Orange’s Korbin Nevius defeated Wyatt Robinson 12-0.
Nathan Hecht, who finished 4th for Orange in the JKO, held off Ruffin Wyrick 3-1 at 170 pounds. At 182, Brendan Worsham got a 13-1 major decision over Alex Christian.
Xavier Tinne, coming off a 3rd place finish at 195 pounds, scored a pin in 23 seconds. Tyler Larkin (220 pounds) and Juan Navarro (285) also secured pins for Orange to secure the match
Joshua Dunn scored a pin at 113 pounds in 1:10. John-Michael Bourlon got a 16-1 technical fall at 120 pounds, while Kessel Summers earned another win with a 15-0 technical fall.
In middle school wrestling last week, the Stanback Bulldogs opened the Orange-Person Athletic Conference season with a 72-33 win over Smith Middle School in Hillsborough.
At 98 pounds, returning OPAC Champion Pierce Prescod started off with a pin in the 2nd period.
8th grader Zoey Moreno earned a pin in 14 seconds.
At 145 pounds, 8th grader Kaden Tatro, another returning OPAC Champion, notched a pin in the second period.
Heavyweight Kellan McMullen, who won the OPAC Championship as a 7th grader last year, started his season off with a pin.
“We have a good mixture of returning wrestlers and new wrestlers that have picked things up quickly,” said Stanback wrestling coach Trevor Davis. “The other 8 wins on the night were by 1st year wrestlers. We had some 6th graders lose their match but showed some bright spots throughout the match”