Month: September 2021

Just last week, Riverside defeated the Orange men’s soccer team 3-0 at Linny Wrenn Stadium in Durham. On Thursday night, Orange turned the tables by beating the Pirates 3-0 at Orange Soccer Park. Senior co-Captain Jasper Tyll scored a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Junior Bryan Membreno added an insurance goal. Sophomore Enzo Bruhns, who was called up from the junior varsity squad this week by head coach Palmer Bowman, scored the first varsity goal of the season. Goalkeeper Connor McMurtry earned the clean sheet. It was the first home win of the year for Orange after victories over Henderson Collegiate at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, along with a 4-1 win at Graham last week. Orange is now 3-5. They will go for its first win in the Central Carolina Conference next week when they face Williams at home on Monday. Then Orange will travel to Cedar Ridge for the opening leg of the Hillsborough Derby next Wednesday.

As a former North Carolina Central wide receiver, Torrean Hinton watched with pride as his Eagles pulled a mild surprise in beating Alcorn State in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on August 28.

He was probably envious of Central coach Trei Oliver’s ability to not only beat the Bulldogs, but to deftly sidestep the Gatorade shower from his own players once victory was secured.

Last Thursday night, Hinton wasn’t quite as swift as Oliver along the sidelines. But he was just as victorious.

After a difficult summer where Cedar Ridge announced it would not field a varsity football team, the Red Wolves defeated Bartlett-Yancey 21-18 in Yanceyville. In the waning seconds, Hinton tasted the same Gatorade bath as the last time Cedar Ridge won a varsity football game. That was in 2019 when the Red Wolves defeated Chapel Hill at Red Wolves Stadium.

Cedar Ridge running back Tyler Field scored two touchdowns and also had two interceptions for Cedar Ridge, who improved to 1-1. Quarterback Tom Crawford started the scoring with a touchdown pass to Luke Orstad to open the scoring. After Field scored a rushing touchdown, Field threw to Gavin Sher on the 2-point conversion to put the Red Wolves ahead 14-6. After the Buccaneers narrowed its deficit to 14-12, Cedar Ridge scored early in the fourth quarter off another touchdown from Field.

Brian Mazariegos added the extra point.

Mason Cates, Matt Turner, Mazariegos and Fields all had solid games for the Red Wolves.

Cedar Ridge opened the season on August 19 against Northwood inside Red Wolves Stadium.

Northwood, running a Power-I formation, held off the Red Wolves 20-6.

Cedar Ridge’s only touchdown came early in the second quarter when sophomore quarterback Tom Crawford threw to wide receiver Hayden Kirk for a 15-yard strikes down the left corner of the end zone. It concluded a 7-play, 56-yard drive which started with freshman Michael Charway running for eight yards. Cedar Ridge’s 2-point attempt failed and Northwood maintained an 8-6 lead.

Northwood, coming off a loss to Lee County, earned a touchdown on the next drive to go ahead 14-6.

“They did what they do,” said Hinton. “For my team not having a lot of scrimmages and a lot of bodies to go full 11-on-11, this was our first competition. The good thing about it was we got a lot of film. We’re going to learn from this. Northwood played its first game last week, but that’s what happens in football. The most important week is week 2. They had a chance to come out and execute their game plan.”

After going to Orange on September 30, the Red Wolves will finally return home to face Eastern Alamance on October 7.

“A lot of the plays we called, we haven’t done in live contact,” Hinton said. “Because we just didn’t have bodies. So a lot of stuff we called we just called to get it on film. So we treated it like a scrimmage, in some sense. The players lined up and played their hearts out.”

Angus Pritchard, Mason Cates and Rayshawn Page had strong games for the Red Wolves defensively against the Chargers.

Bryse Wilson: On Monday night, the former Orange High pitcher had possibly his best outing since he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in June. In six innings against the Detroit Tigers, Wilson conceded three runs off six hits. He struck out four and walked two. Wilson threw five shutout innings, but gave him all three of his runs in the sixth. Detroit’s Niko Goodrum had a two-run double to right to tie the game. Pittsburgh would eventually win with four runs in the seventh inning. Wilson earned a no decision. Of Wilson’s 83 pitches, 57 were strikes. Wilson is slated to start again this weekend when the Pirates face the Washington Nationals at PNC Park in Pittsburgh.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team fought tooth-and-nail against N.C. State at Dail Soccer Field in Raleigh on Sunday. The Wolfpack squeezed out a 1-0 victory over the Phoenix. The Wolfpack’s Jenna Butler scored the game’s only goal in the 59th minute. Hodges started for Elon and played all 90 minutes. Elon falls to 2-3. They will host Gardner-Webb at Rudd Field in Elon tonight.

Taylin Jean: Jean, the 2019 Big 8 Goalkeeper of the Year at Cedar Ridge, made her season debut for the Division II Limestone women’s soccer team on Sunday. Limestone defeated Francis Marion 5-0 at Hartzler Field in Florence, SC. Jean entered the game as a replacement goalkeeper for starter Katie Maher. In 26 minutes of action, Jean made one save. Jean is a junior who is majoring in Athletic Training at Limestone. The Saints are 2-0. They travel to Chowan on Thursday night.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team got back on the winning track with a 2-0 victory over Ferrum in Ferrum, VA on Tuesday. Daley, a former All-Big 8 Conference center back at Cedar Ridge, started in her 55th career game for the Pride. She helped goalkeepers Lindsay Fox and Hannah Rice earned the Pride’s first clean sheet of the season. Greensboro is 2-1 and will travel to Atlanta on Saturday to face Emory University. Last spring, Daley earned USA South All-Academic honors by earning a 3.9 GPA. In 2020, Daley played every minute in all eight games.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith volleyball team welcomed fans back to Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh on Tuesday night. Randolph-Macon defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 25-19, 14-25, 25-19 and 25-22. Lucas, a former Orange High All-Big 8 Conference performer, started her fifth match of the season for Meredith. She tallied 19 assists and six digs. Meredith will be back at home this Friday night against Christopher Newport University. The Avenging Angels are 3-2.

Scott Satterfield: Satterfield, a 1991 Orange High graduate who went on to play quarterback and went on to become the head coach at Appalachian State, started his third season as head coach at Louisville on Monday night. Ole Miss routed the Cardinals 43-24 at Mercedez-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Cardinals were held scoreless in the first half against the Rebels, just the second time the Cardinals have not scored in the first half under Satterfield. Louisville will try to rebound when they host Eastern Kentucky at Cardinal Stadium on Saturday.

Alvis Whitted: Whitted, a 1993 Orange High graduate, started his second season as wide receivers coach with the Wisconsin Badgers on Saturday. Wisconsin, who is now ranked #18 in the country, fell to #11 Penn State 16-10 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WS. Whitted formally served as an assistant coach with the Green Bay Packers and Colorado State. He started his coaching career as an assistant at Orange. Wisconsin will host Eastern Michigan on Saturday.

Antonio King: King, who was the head coach of the Cedar Ridge football program in 2018, is now the running backs coach for North Carolina Central. The Eagles stunned Alcorn State 23-14 in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on August 28. The Eagles will travel to Marshall on Saturday at Edwards Stadium in Huntington, WV.

It’s been three weeks since the start of the season and the Cedar Ridge volleyball team still hasn’t lost a set.

Through the course of an 8-0 start, the Red Wolves have shown a propensity to win the pressure points in tight sets. Against Orange on Tuesday night, the second and third sets were filled with such crucial moments that define winners and losers.

Cedar Ridge swept Orange 3-0 on scores of 25-15, 28-26 and 27-25 at a crowded Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves (8-0, 3-0 in the Central Carolina Conference) swept their crosstown rivals for the first time since September 29, 2015.

Cedar Ridge has now won 24 consecutive sets to open the season. They have sole possession of first place in the Central Carolina Conference.

Led by a boisterous Wolf Pack student section decked out in black, the bleachers were packed with fans representing both schools. The overflow crowd spilled out into the end zones and would have easily filled the few empty seats along the wooden rows in the bleachers.

“It’s our rival,” said Cedar Ridge junior Cameron Lloyd, who was honored before the game for reaching 500 career kills last week in a win over Person. “It’s crazy. It’s fun. Sometimes during the game, it’s like ‘Oh my God, I’m going to vomit.’ It just feels so amazing, whether you win or lose.”

Orange (3-1, 1-1), who has played the entire season without Big 8 Player of the Year Lottie Scully and junior All-Conference Erin Jordan-Cornell, had four set points to win the third. After Kinzy Rowney scored a kill on an assist from Caitlin Carden, Orange served for the frame leading 24-20. It led to the longest and wildest point of the match, where Red Wolves sophomore Graylinn Serge made three separate digs on attacks from Orange’s Avery Miller and Ella Van Tiem. Finally, Cedar Ridge’s Cameron Lanier finished the struggle with a spike off an assist from Julie Altieri.

Lloyd sent a changeup over the net and over the outstretched hands of two Lady Panthers for another point. Serge made another dig off an Orange spike, which Altieri quickly passed over the net into a vacant spot on the floor to cut Orange’s lead to 24-23. Junior Melissa Benkowitz notched an ace that bounced off the right corner of the court to even the set.

With the scored tied 25-25, Lanier scored off a block, and Lloyd earned match point on another kill.

It was the Red Wolves’ third win over Orange in their last four meetings.

The second set featured twelve ties and four lead changes. The Red Wolves bolted out to a 6-2 lead behind three early kills from Lloyd and an ace from Altieri. Orange rallied to tie with four consecutive points off back-to-back kills from sophomore Ella Wimsatt. After Rowney earned a kill off an assist from Carden, Orange took a 20-18 lead. The Red Wolves responded with five consecutive points, including a block from Lloyd, followed by a kill from Lloyd. The Panthers responded with three straight points, capped by an ace from libero Sadye Porter to even the set 23-23.

The Red Wolves had four set points in the second. The first of which was nullified after junior Allie Wilkerson tipped the ball over the net. With the set tied 26-26, Lloyd registered another block. Serge scored set point with an ace that bounced on the back line.

“They’re a good team,” said Orange coach Kelly Young. “I told my girls that these are the teams you want to play because they make you a better team. So we see exactly what we need to work on. We only get better from it.”

Orange will return home to face Person on Thursday. It will be the first conference game, in any sport, between the Rockets and the Panthers in over 20 years.

Cedar Ridge will travel to Eastern Alamance on Thursday. The Red Wolves will look to improve to 9-0, which would be the best start in school history.

To understand how Cameron Lloyd advanced so far, so quickly in her volleyball career, you have to understand that competitiveness runs through her family.

Her father, Joel, played basketball at Orange. After graduation, while he was still dating his soon-to-be-wife Sherry, he could be seen on sweltering summer nights in White Cross playing right centerfield in modified pitch softball. In the winter, there would be recreation basketball just behind the softball field. It was a league so rough and tumble, you had to present your x-rays to get a free throw.

Cameron’s sister, Jordan, wasn’t the tallest volleyball player. She wasn’t the hardest hitter. But she probably led the Big 8 Conference in floor burns diving for digs. Her focus and intensity helped lead Orange to the 3A State Playoffs. Jordan played two years with Brevard College.

As Cameron arrived at Cedar Ridge, the Red Wolves program had fallen from its peak. In 2015, Cedar Ridge won the Big 8 Conference Championship and went 24-3. They reached the Eastern Regional Championship match, where they fell to Asheboro in four sets.

Following the season, Charlie Oakley stepped down as coach. The Red Wolves went through three consecutive losing seasons. Cameron reached the varsity as a freshman with classmates Julie Altieri and Cameron Lanier.

Since then, Cedar Ridge has gone 35-7, claimed the 2020 Big 8 Championship, beaten nearby powerhouse Chapel Hill twice and has won 13 consecutive conference games.

On Tuesday night before an emotional contest against crosstown rival Orange, Lloyd was honored for her 500th career kill. Joel and Sherry Lloyd were joined in a pregame ceremony by volleyball coach Fiona Cunningham, Cedar Ridge Athletic Director Andy Simmons and Principal Dr. Carlos Ramirez.

“Cameron is always someone we can depend on,” said Cedar Ridge volleyball coach Fiona Cunningham, now in her second season. “She’s great in all six rotations on the court. What really makes or breaks the team when sets get tight is who takes the swings. Cameron is the best arm on the team.”

Cameron surpassed 500 career kills early in a win over Person on August 31. It is a school record.

Earlier in the day, Lloyd, Lanier, Julie Altieri and sophomore Graylinn Serge were all named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Phenom watchlist. The list is designated for the top underclassmen who have received significant recognition for their outstanding volleyball play.

Last season, Lloyd led Cedar Ridge with 111 kills through an undefeated (limited to eight games due to the pandemic) regular season. In each of her first two years at Cedar Ridge, she has been named the team’s Most Valuable Player and to the All-Big 8 Conference team.

At Orange Middle School (formerly known as Stanford Middle School), Lloyd won an Orange-Person Athletic Conference championship as an 8th grader in 2017.

During her freshman year at Cedar Ridge, under then-head coach Anna Seethaler, Lloyd led Cedar Ridge with 346 kills. Altieri had 586 assists serving up finish after finish to Lloyd and Lanier, who finished with 193 kills as a 9th grader. The freshman triumvirate paced Cedar Ridge to a stunning victory over defending 3A State Champion Chapel Hill to open the Big 8 Conference season. The Red Wolves finished 2019 with its first winning record in four years and an appearance in the 3A State Playoffs.

Lloyd is a member of the Chapel Hill Volleyball Club. During the summer, she has traveled throughout the country for travel ball tournaments, as well as beach volleyball. She is a 12-time medal winner in the AVP/ESPL beach tournament. In 2019, Lloyd was the MVP of the Carolina Regional Tournament. She also earned the All-Star award at the AAU Junior Nationals.

Fittingly, Lloyd had the final kill on match point as Cedar Ridge defeated Orange in three sets on Tuesday night.

For more photos from Jacques Morin, go to www.jacquesonthesidelines.com

Cedar Ridge not only maintained its undefeated record by beating its crosstown rival on Tuesday night, but they extended its sets streak. The Red Wolves defeated Orange 3-0 on scores of 25-16, 28-26 and 27-25. Cedar Ridge has won 24 straight sets to begin the season. Before Tuesday’s match, Cedar Ridge’s Cameron Lloyd was honored for her 500th kill, a school-record that was set during last week’s win over Person. Fittingly, it was Lloyd who got the final kill on match point. Orange was on the verge of capturing the 3rd set. They led 24-20 before the Red Wolves rallied for five straight points. Sophomore Graylinn Serge had three huge digs during a set point that ended with Cameron Lanier scoring a kill off an assist from Julie Altieri. Serge finished with 14 digs. The Red Wolves are alone atop the Central Carolina Conference at 3-0. Cedar Ridge will continue its pursuit of a second straight conference title when they travel to Mebane and face Eastern Alamance on Thursday.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith Avenging Angels volleyball team opened its season with four matches in four days. Meredith started with a 3-1 win over Roanoke at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Meredith won on scores of 16-25, 25-10, 25-16, 26-24. Lucas started and played all four sets. She had 17 assists, an ace and four digs. On Friday, the Avenging Angels swept Geneva on tallies of 25-15, 25-23 and 25-6 to start play at the Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach, VA at TowneBank Arena. Lucas led the team with 14 assists in the win over the Golden Tornadoes. She also had two digs. On Saturday, Virginia Wesleyan defeated Meredith 3-0. Lucas had nine assists and five digs. To end the weekend, the Avenging Angels defeated Mary Washington 3-1. Once again, Lucas led the team with 20 assists. She also registered six digs.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson returned from the injured list for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The White Sox defeated the Pirates 4-2. Wilson suffered the loss after he threw five innings. He surrendered four runs off six hits. Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer off Wilson in the second inning. Jose Abreu lauded a solo homer off Wilson in the third. This season, Wilson is 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges scored her second goal of the series for Elon in a 3-0 win over UNC Asheville on Thursday at Greenwood Field in Asheville. Hodges scored the game’s second goal off an assist from Abby Fusca in the 24th minute. She fired two shots against the Bulldogs. On August 26, Virginia Tech defeated Elon 7-1 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, VA. Hodges started as a defensive midfielder. Elon is 2-2 and will travel to N.C. State later today (Sunday).

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team suffered a loss to Roanoke 2-0 in its season opener on Wednesday. Daley, a former Cedar Ridge All-Conference selection, started her 37th game with Greensboro as a center back. It was her 40th game. On Saturday, Greensboro rebounded with a 2-1 win over Johnson & Wales University at Pride Field. Daley started for the Pride once again.

Jordan Rogers: Rogers started her senior season for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team. On Wednesday, Guilford College defeated Peace 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. On Saturday, Randolph College shut out the Pacers 2-0. Rogers started both games as a wingback.

Keshawn Thompson: The former Orange defensive back led Campbell in tackles in its loss to Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Thompson had a career-high 13 tackles for the Camels, who lost to the Flames 48-7 to open the 2021 season. This was Campbell’s first game since last fall. Unlike many FCS schools, the Camels didn’t play last spring. Next week, Campbell will host Elon.

Payton Wilson: To open his third season with the Wolfpack, Wilson had two tackles as the Wolfpack routed South Florida 45-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson had one-half tackle for loss as he was in and out of the lineup throughout the night. The Wolfpack will travel to Mississippi State on Saturday.

Trent Gill: N.C. State only punted three times against the Bulls. Gill, a former Cedar Ridge football and soccer player, had two of the punts for a 45-yard average. Gill’s longest punt was 45 yards. Both of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had eight kickoffs, four of which were touchbacks. His average kickoff was 64.6 yards.

Adam Chnupa: Former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa started his redshirt sophomore season at Elon with a tremendous game against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium. The Terriers defeated the Phoenix 24-22 on Saturday. Chnupa made one tackle as the Phoenix dropped its opener.

Colin Guentensberger: Guentensberger, who led the 2018 Orange football team in tackles, suffered a torn ACL and MCL during practice with Appalachian State’s football team. Guentensberger is a junior walk-on with the Mountaineers.

For more shots from Jacques Morin, go to jacquesonthesidelines.com

In the midst of its most lopsided regular season loss in recent memory, the Orange football team (0-3) harkened back to its glory days to bring some amount of hope to a tenuous situation.

Cummings quarterback Tylek Oliver had put on a clinic against the Panthers in the first half at Cavaliers Stadium. He engineered five touchdowns in five drives against an Orange defense lacking in speed and size. Oliver’s only mistake came on the final play of the first half when he was sandwiched between an Orange defender and the ground.

The first half clock expired and Oliver’s teammates started to go to the locker room content with a 40-6 lead. Oliver didn’t get up. His only movement came from his legs and remained face down.

He remained that way for roughly 35 minutes.

The scene was reminiscent of a sequence across two nights of Van Smith’s first year as Orange head coach in October 2017. In a junior varsity game against Hillside, Thys Oldenburg suffered a brain injury. Oldenburg remained in a hospital for two months before he returned home just in time for the holidays.

The following night at Russel Blount Stadium in Durham, Orange running back Marvante Beasley was knocked unconscious following a run up the middle. As Beasley remained motionless on the ground for several minutes, Hillside coach Ray Harrison told his team to kneel in prayer for the Orange running back, an act of goodwill that scoured a noticeable amount of tension that had quickly built between the two teams.

With Oliver on the ground Friday night, Smith followed Harrison’s example four years later. The entire Orange team kneeled in prayer for Oliver just a few yards away from where he was treated before he was finally removed from the field on a stretcher. Oliver was carried off in an ambulance, around 20 minutes after halftime had expired.

“That run through my mind,” Smith said of the scenes from four years ago. “We’ve been there and knew what it was like. Our thought and prayers are with him and everyone else at Cummings.”

The game itself was the polar opposite of Orange’s last trip to Cummings in 2016, when the Panthers romped past the Cavaliers 48-0 behind touchdowns from Beasley, Payton Wilson and Ryan Puckett.

Five years later, the Cavaliers were the ones with the decided talent edge. Before he was carried off the field, Oliver threw four touchdown passes to wide receiver Dylan James. Cummings (2-0) defeated Orange 54-12, even with Oliver absent from the second half.

Oliver finished 13-of-19 for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

From the first play from scrimmage, when Oliver found James for a 39-yard pass to break into the Orange red zone, the Cavaliers left no doubt that it would be a long night for Orange. Cummings scored three touchdowns in the first quarter and didn’t even face a third down on any of the series.

“I think were were surprised by their speed early,” Smith said. “We froze like a deer in the headlights and it just snowballed from there. Just trying to find a ray of light. I think the kickoff return team got better because they got a lot of reps.”

Oliver’s first touchdown pass to James came on a slant from one-yard out with 9:33 remaining in the first quarter. Oliver’s most potent weapon was sophomore running back Jonathan Paylor, who has garnered plenty of attention on the recruiting trail. After Oliver hooked up with James o a 15-yard touchdown pass with 5:43 remaining in the first quarter, Paylor ran in the 2-point play to put the Cavaliers ahed 16-0 and they were just getting going.

Orange’s only offensive touchdown came midway through the second quarter. Senior running back Omarion Lewis concluded an 8-play, 55-yard drive with an 11-yard touchdown run, his second of the year.

Without Oliver in the second half, Cummings’ stagecoach of an offense turned into a pumpkin. Oliver constantly fielded low shotgun snaps and had enough poise and skill to make big plays. Without a magician like Oliver, the Cavaliers basically turned the offense to Paylor, who simply fielded shotgun snaps seven yards from center and ran sweeps for much of the second half.

One errant snap was recovered in the end zone by Orange linebacker Jabari Albright for the Panthers’ last touchdown.

At one point, another poor snap turned into a scene straight from a 1992 Super Tecmo Bowl game with your best friend as a troll playing with the Los Angeles Raiders. Paylor had the ball go over his head. Doing his Bo Jackson impression, Paylor ran backwards 25 yards to get the ball, then ran forward to convert a 2nd-and-14. He ultimately scored a touchdown to finish the drive. Paylor ended the night with 137 yards rushing.

Orange hosts Granville Central next Friday in Hillsborough.

CUMMINGS 54, ORANGE 12

ORA—0 6 6 0-12

CGS–24 16 8 6-54

CGS–Dylantae James 1 pass from Tylek Oliver (Oliver run)

CGS–James 15 pass from Oliver (Jonathan Paylor run)

CGS–James 35 pass from Oliver (Paylor run)

CGS–James 10 pass from Oliver (Oliver run)

ORA–Omarion Lewis 11 run (kick blocked)

CGS–Paylor 69 run (Oliver to Zion Crawley)

ORA–Jabari Albright fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed)

CGS–Crawley 85 kickoff return (Paylor run)

CGS–Paylor 14 run (run failed)

RUSHING

ORANGE 43-113 –Lewis (18-51 TD, Nate Sorrells 9-36, Jackson Wood 3-22, Nate Hecht 3-13, Elijah Hanley 1-7, Darius Satterfield 1-5, Wynston Brown 4-2, team 4-(-21).

CUMMINGS 24-138 (Paylor 10-137 TD, Oliver 3-19, Marione Enoch 4-13, Johnniyus Sharpe 2-9, Devin Graves 1-0, team 4-(-50).

PASSING ORANGE 2-4 13 INT (Brown 2-3 13 INT, Ty Walker 0-1)

CUMMINGS: 15-23 224 yards 4 TD (Oliver 13-19 231 yards 4 TD, Enoch 2-2 (-7 yards), Paylor 0-1, team 0-1)

RECEIVING: ORANGE (Sorrells 1-11, Lewis 1-2)

CUMMINGS (James 6-124 4 TD, Paylor 4-51, Crawley 2-40, Enoch 2-8, Elijah Collins 1-1)