Month: March 2023

Braden Homsey: Homsey ended his senior season at Division III Ferrum College as the all-time wins leader in school history. Competing at the Division III National Championships at the Berglund Center in Roanoke, VA, Homsey lost his opening match in the 197-pound championship to Dylan Wellbaum of Adrian College. Homsey advanced in the consolation bracket by forfeit over Gage Linahon of Central College. Josh Harkless of Rochester Institute of Technology pinned Homsey in an elimination match. Last month, Homsey defeated Gable Crebs of Lycoming 10-2 to become the Panthers’ all-time wins leader with 110 victories.

Joey McMullin: McMullin ended a two-year stint with the Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team when the Flyers reached the National Junior Community College Division III National Championship game against Brookdale Community College on March 18. It was the third time the Flyers reached the national title game. Brookdale defeated Sandhills 90-82 in Herkimer, NY. McMullin scored six points in 12 minutes in his final game for the Flyers. He shot 3-of-8 from the field and also had two rebounds. On March 4, Sandhills won the Mid-Atlantic District championship when they defeated Butler County Community College 114-91. McMullin came off the bench to score 22 points in 21 minutes. He shot 10-of-14 from the field and grabbed six rebounds. In the opening round of the Division III National Tournament, Sandhills defeated Mohawk Valley Community College 92-85. McMullin had eight points and three rebounds. In the semifinals, Sandhills defeated Northampton Community College 88-78. McMullin had eleven points, one of four Flyers in double-figures. This season, McMullin was the second-leading scorer on the team with 14 points per game. He also averaged 3.8 rebounds per game. Sandhills ends the year 30-4 and the Region X Champions of the NJCAA.

Ashley Cowan: Cowan, who graduated from Orange in 2021, is in her freshman year as a gymnast at LSU. She made her college debut on February 10 against #5 Auburn. She registered an 9.775 on the uneven bars. Auburn was the dual meet 197.750 to 197.500. On March 10, Cowan registered a career-best 9.990 on the uneven bars as the Tigers defeated West Virginia 198.025-196.450 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rogue, LA. On March 3, during the Podium Challenge, Cowan scored a 9.850 against George Washington. The Tigers, ranked #6 in the country, finished 3rd at the Southeastern Conference championships in Duluth, GA over the weekend.

Bryse Wilson: As the regular season creeps closer for Major League Baseball, Wilson has appeared in six Spring Training games for the Milwaukee Brewers. On February 27, Wilson threw a scoreless relief inning against Kansas City. He surrendered one hit. Against Cleveland on March 3, Wilson started and threw two innings. He struck out four and allowed one hit. On March 13 against Cincinnati, Wilson threw three-and-two-thirds innings and allowed one hit. He had two walks and two strikeouts. In six games, Wilson threw 13.2 innings and had a 6.59 ERA with strikeouts and three walks. Milwaukee starts the season against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday.

Joey Berini: Berini is starting regularly for the #8 East Carolina baseball team this season. On Tuesday, UNC Wilmington defeated the Pirates 9-3 at Clark-LeClaire Stadium in Greenville. Berini finished 0-for-2. Over the weekend, the Pirates swept a three-game series from George Mason. Berini went 1-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt as ECU defeated George Mason 11-3 on Friday. Berini went 1-for-2 in the Pirates’ 8-1 win over the Colonials on Saturday. Berini hit his first home run of the season on Sunday as the Pirates rolled to an 8-0 win in eight innings on Sunday. This season, Berini is hitting .318 over 23 games, 22 of which he has started. He has two home runs with nine RBIs. After he spent much of 2022 at second base, Berini is starting at shortstop, the position he played at Orange.

Dante DeFranco: DeFracno has played 19 games this season for the Charlotte 49ers, who are in their final season in Conference USA. He is hitting .269 with eight RBIs. On March 18, DeFranco went 5-for-5 as the 49ers defeated Louisiana Tech 14-6 at JC Love Field in Ruston, LA. DeFranco had three RBIs and a double. On Sunday, DeFranco went 1-for-4 with two RBIs in the 49ers 8-1 win over Dallas Baptist at Hayes Stadium in Charlotte. The 49ers are 11-13, 3-3 in CUSA.

Phillip Berger: The all-time winningest pitcher in Cedar Ridge history, Berger has started his junior season at Division III William Peace University in Raleigh. Berger is 5-1 with a 3.41 ERA. On Sunday, Berger earned the win as the Pacers defeated Mary Baldwin 15-3 at Moxie Stadium in Staunton, VA. Berger threw five innings and allowed three runs off six hits. He struck out four with three walks. On March 18, Berger took the win as the Pacers defeated #17 Methodist 9-7 at the USA Baseball Complex in Cary. Berger surrendered only one run off four hits with three strikeouts. William Peace is 11-11, 4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State Pirates of the National Junior College Athletic Association are 26-7 overall. Porter has appeared in eleven games for the Pirate and is hitting .154 with one RBI.

Will Walker: In 21 games this season for the Pitt Community College baseball team, Walker is hitting .344 with two home runs with 19 RBIs. On Saturday, Walker hit a home run and finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs as the Bulldogs defeated Bryant & Stratton College 14-3 at Minges-Overton Complex in Greenville. On March 22, Walker went 2-for-5 as Pitt edged Louisburg College 11-10 in eleven innings. Walker drew a bases-loaded walk in the eighth inning to bring in the game-tying run.

Davis Horton: The 2021 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year, Horton continues to catch regularly for the Rockingham Community College baseball team. In 26 games, Horton is hitting .293 with 20 RBIs. He has a team-high 92 at-bats. On Sunday, in Rockingham’s 4-3 win over Surry Community College, Horton went 2-for-4 with an RBI double. He started at first base. In the opening game of Saturday’s doubleheader against Surry, Horton went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI as the Eagles won 9-8.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is sophomore catcher Reagan Simmons. Through nine games this season, Simmons is second on the team with a .545 batting average. She leads the team with 14 runs and is second on the squad with 12 hits. She also leads the team with two home runs. Simmons started as a freshman last year and also played basketball. Playing extensively in 2022, she learned alongside seniors Takia Nichols, Ava Lowry and Olivia Aitkin, all of whom provided a valuable lesson in leadership. Among the highlights this season for Simmons is going 3-for-3 with an RBI single in a 9-7 win over Cardinal Gibbons in Hillsborough; going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in a 14-4 win over Northern Durham; and going 2-for-4 while scoring three runs against Seaforth in a 23-1 Red Wolves victory. Simmons has played youth softball since she was an adolescent. With Kimber Shambley and Charlotte Lowry, Simmons provides a youthful front that aims to propel Cedar Ridge back to the top of the Central Carolina Conference. Cedar RIdge travels to Eastern Alamance, the defending 3A State Champions, tonight in Mebane for its final game before spring break. First pitch is at 6PM.

A long battle for the Orange women’s soccer team against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge ended with a goal in the second overtime for the Lady Panthers. Caroline Cathey fired a shot inside the six-yard box that went off a player’s leg and into the net in the 94th minute for the game’s only goal as Orange defeated the Red Wolves 1-0. Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Addie Reid turned back shot after shot against the Lady Panthers and nearly earned the draw for the Red Wolves. At the opposite goal, Orange senior Abby Monteith earned her fourth clean sheets of the season. It’s been a gratifying week for Monteith. On Monday night, Orange returned to the Burlington for the first time since the 2022 3A State Playoffs last May. Orange defeated Williams 3-2. Last May in the state playoffs against Williams, Monteith suffered a torn ACL in the second half. Since then, Monteith went through a grueling period of rehabilitation to get back in game shape for her senior year. Last year, the Orange women’s soccer team became the first team in school history to reach the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. Orange will play at Durham School of the Arts tonight in its final game before spring break.

It’s Thursday, but it’s already been a long week for the Orange softball team. On Monday night, the Lady Panthers played into the tenth inning against Western Alamance. With temperatures dipping into the upper-30s as the game crept past the three-hour mark, the Warriors came up with four runs in the tenth inning to win 6-2. Orange had the game-winning run only 60 feet away in the seventh inning after Carson Bradsher stole second base, then took third base off a throwing error. Less than 24 hours after the Western Alamance game, Orange turned right back around and defeated Cedar Ridge 14-3 at Red Wolves Softball Field. Junior second baseman Delaney Shaffer went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Freshman Katie Carden, who has become a regular at third base in her young career, finished 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Carden laced a triple to left field with two out in the second inning and scored off a passed ball. Orange is 5-2, 2-2 in the Central Carolina Conference as they prepare for a crucial matchup just before spring break. On Friday, they travel to Roxboro to face Person, who the Lady Panthers defeated last year.

Not only did the Orange baseball team defeat the defending Big East Conference champions last Saturday night. They also ended the Wilson Curse. After disappointing performances in 2019 and 2022, the Panthers defeated South Central 8-7 on Saturday night at Historic Fleming Stadium. Senior Cameron Guentensberger earned his first save after his threw two perfect innings against the Falcons. Guentensberger also went 2-for-4, including a single during a four-run second inning. Junior Elijah Santos drove in a run with an RBI single to score Cross Clayton in the fourth. Santos was moved to 2nd in the batting order and went 2-for-4 with a double. The Panthers defeated a South Central team that advanced to the 3A East Regional finals series last season. After a win over Leesville Road on Wednesday night, the Panthers are 8-2 on the year. They will host Walter Williams on Friday night at 7 PM in Hillsborough in a critical Central Carolina Conference matchup.

Before the season even started, Orange lacrosse coach Chandler Zirkle knew the lineup he had returning for this spring would be, to put it mildly, formidable.

Only five seniors graduated from last year’s squad that reached the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional championship game for the first time in program history. Leading scorer Connor Kruse, face-off ace Jake Wimsatt, midfielder Joe Cady, goalkeeper Katie Wolter and defensive standouts Sascha Van Praag, Nick Cardone, Josiah Tisdale and Braden Hunt would all be back.

But what would be the best style to improve on a 17-3 record, the best in school history?

The answer is whatever can work on a given night. It’s really the difference between having a good team and having a good program.

On Monday night against their top conference rival, Northwood, Orange was a defensive juggernaut.

The defensive corps of Tisdale, Cardone, and Hunt held the Chargers to just three goals in the final 17:51 while Kruse scored all four of his goals in the second half as Orange defeated Northwood 11-8 at Auman Stadium. The Panthers are now in sole possession of first place in the Mid-Carolina Conference at 7-0. Orange is the two-time defending conference champion.

Senior Tigh Metheny scored two goals in the second half and finished with three points.

It’s Orange’s 24th straight win against a Mid-Carolina Conference opponent.

“I wanted this to be a defensive game,” Zirkle said after a celebratory postgame meeting in the Orange Fieldhouse. “We have the talent to do it.”

As much as Orange returns this season, the most pleasant surprise has been the freshmen who have filled in amid player absences. Freshman Matthew Macneir stepped in for Wimsatt and dominated the face-off circle. Macneir won all but two draws in the second quarter, which helped keep the Chargers scoreless for the final 12:57 of the first half.

Zirkle also used freshman Brett Clark, sophomore Kale Womble and senior Seth Hall on defense for another wave of players that the thinner Chargers had to reckon with.

Northwood (5-1, 3-1) got a hat trick from senior Taylor Laberge in the first quarter. Laberge scored off three bounce shots, the final one coming off a man-up goal with :57 remaining in the first quarter after Hunt was penalized for slashing. The Chargers led 3-2 at the end of the first quarter.

Orange responded with all three goals of the second stanza. Metheny scored off a feed from freshman Brandon Williams to even the game. After Laberge was penalized for an offside penalty, Orange notched its own man-up marker when Nevius dumped it in off an assist from Josh Cowan. With 7:47 remaining in the first half, oophomore Luke Nevius unleashed a rocket from 17 yards away that beat Northwood freshman goalkeeper James Flanagan to put Orange ahead 5-3 at halftime.

Despite the halftime lead, Northwood longstick defenseman William Johnson did a stellar job defending Kruse, who was held to one assist in the first half.

Northwood’s defense opened the second half by keeping the Orange defense off of its rhythm. The Panthers were held without a goal for 16:13. The Chargers’ Will Smith and Carson Fortunes each scored unassisted markers to even the game.

Williams came back with his first goal off an assist from Cady. Kruse got on track when a pass from Cady was knocked down in front of the net. Cruse won the ground ball and dunked it in to push Orange’s lead to 7-5.

Metheny opened the second half when he found Kruse on the doorstep for his second goal of the game. After Smith added his second goal off a gorgeous feed from defenseman Gianmarc Byers, Cady drew a double-team and dumped it off to a wide-open Kruse to put the Panthers ahead 9-6. Cady and Kruse would add two more goals in the final three minutes.

Orange will travel to Carrboro on Wednesday before heading to Wilmington and facing Laney on Friday.