Photo by Jacques Morin
HAW RIVER–The Orange football team has known the Southeast Alamance Stallions from the very beginning.
Back in 2023, Southeast Alamance played the very first game of its existence in Hillsborough. Back then, they were geldings.
Now, with 21 seniors on the roster, they’re truly Stallions.
Though Orange didn’t have the depth or speed to keep Southeast from beating them for the fourth straight time on Friday night, it was clear that the Panthers have a thoroughbred of their own.
Junior running back Markus Thomas rushed for 204 yards and a touchdown on a whopping 35 carries. It was the most yards rushing by an Orange running back since Hunter Pettiford rushed for 203 yards in a win over Southern Durham in Hillsborough on September 28, 2018.
Once again, Southeast quarterback Tyler Jackson and his wide array of weapons put on a dazzling offensive display against Orange. In their third meeting in 12 months, the Stallions defeated the Panthers 41-12 at Stallions Stadium. Jackson, the son of North Carolina baseball first base coach Scott Jackson, went 17-of-21 for 272 yards and five touchdowns.
Five different receivers caught touchdowns for the Stallions. Major Hubbard made four receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Orange coach Fritz Hessenthaler’s ball control wing-T offense, designed to milk the clock, frustrate the opposing defense and keep Jackson watching on the sidelines, accomplished all three of its objectives early. Orange hogged the ball for over eleven minutes on the opening possession. Thomas converted two third downs and two fourth downs into the Stallions red zone. On a 3rd-and-2 with 1:52 remaining in the quarter, Orange was called for a false start. It was Orange’s first penalty of the game and a costly one. Owen Phillips was wrestled down on a 4th-and-4 for only one yard.
“It could have easily been a tie game at halftime,” Hessenthaler said. “With our style of football, we could have been up, if you know very much about wing-T football. I’m real proud of my kids. They showed a lot of mental toughness. They played hard and prepared hard.”
With 8:27 remaining in the first half, Jackson threw to Logan Luang-Sy for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Aiden Hayes added the extra point to put the Stallions ahead 7-0.
Orange’s second drive went nowhere and a botched punt led to the Stallions started its second series on the Orange 22-yard line. Jackson hit Drew Easter in the back of the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.
Thomas busted out for a 49-yard run on the next play from scrimmage. Three plays later, he converted a 4th-and-1 to bust inside the Southeast red zone. On 1st-and-goal from the Stallions 3-yard line, Orange was called for a chop block. The Panthers would have to be content with Nalin Reddy’s 28-yard field goal, a career-best, on the final play of the first half for its first score of the season.
Jackson cut through the Orange defense on the opening Southeast drive of the second half, going 64 yards on six-plays. On 3rd-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Jackson threw a fade to Joseph Gibbs into the left corner of the end zone for his third touchdown pass in as many drives.
The Panthers followed with an efficient drive dominated by Thomas. He carried nine times for 44 yards, converting two third downs. On 1st-and-goal from the 3-yard line, Stallions safety Jace Evans recovered a fumble.
Orange’s Kayden Bradsher picked off a pass from Jackson at the Stallions 16-yard line. Thomas scored his first touchdown of the season on a nine-yard scamper. He added the 2-point conversion to reduce the Southeast lead to 21-11.
Hubbard returned the subsequent kickoff 34 yards. On the very next play, Jackson hit Hubbard with a 40-yard touchdown pass.
Orange’s Jaxon Crawford had his first career interception in the fourth quarter. Jackson hit Jatayvion McMillian for a 12-yard touchdown pass. Later, Southeastern running back Isaiah Tumey scored his first varsity touchdown on a 8-yard run with 1:27 remaining.
“The scoreboard doesn’t indicate how hard they played,” Hessenthaler said. “It doesn’t indicate how well they played at times. We stopped ourselves more than they stopped us. We could look out there and look at their lineman and tell they weren’t real happy out there playing tonight. That’s what our offense needs to bring to the table.”
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE 42, ORANGE 11
ORANGE— 0 3 8 0-11
SE ALAM–0 14 14 14-42
SEA—Logan Luang-Sy 9 pass from Tyler Jackson (Aiden Hayes kick)
SEA—Drew Easter 23 pass from Jackson (Hayes kick)
ORA—Nalin Reddy 28 FG
SEA–Joseph Gibbs 11 pass from Jackson (Hayes kick)
ORA–Markus Thomas 9 run (Thomas run)
SEA–Major Hubbard 40 pass from Jackson (Hayes kick)
SEA–Jatayvion McMillian 12 pass from Jackson (Hayes kick)
SEA–Isaiah Tumey 8 run (Hayes kick)
RUSHING–ORANGE 54-237 TD (Thomas 35-204 TD, Kayden Bradsher 11-22, Mason Stubbs 5-17, Owen Phillips 1-1, Jackson Moody 1-(-7)
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE 10-84 TD (Tumey 6-65 TD, Joseph Gibbs 1-10, Jace Evans 1-9, D.J. Callie 2-0)
PASSING: ORANGE (Moody 1-2 8 yards)
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE (Jackson 17-of-21, 272 yards 5 TDs, 2INT)
RECEIVINGL Orange (Bradsher 1-8)
SOUTHEAST ALAMANCE: (Hubbard 4-87 TD, Gibbs 4-64 TD, Easter 3-55 TD, Luang-Sy 3-39 TD, McMillian 2-28 TD, Deray Fairley 1-(-2)
