Jeff Hamlin

Photo by Troy Miller

On Saturday, Jamar Davis will do something he’s never done before.

He’ll play a high school soccer game. And he’s responsible for that, as are his 11 classmates responsible for Orange’s first state playoff win since 2009.

The Panthers, trailing 2-0 to White Oak just eight minutes into the game at Vikings Stadium, stormed back to stun the Vikings 6-2 in extra time on Wednesday night in Jacksonville. Davis finished with his third hat trick of the season, including the equalizer late in the first half.

Luke Wirzba score the game-winning goal in the opening ten-minute overtime session. Davis, Wirzba and R.J. Pherribo all scored in the 2nd overtime.

Orange (14-6-2) eliminated a White Oak team that finished runner-up in the Coastal Conference, but came into the state playoffs with a victory over crosstown rival Jacksonville, who won the Coastal crown.

On the other hand, Orange had lost three of its last four, including a 3-1 loss on senior night to Northern Durham.

In the end, Orange Coach Palmer Bowman believes the new Big 8 Conference, including powerhouses Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill, prepared his team well for the field of 64.

“Every night in our league is a battle,” said Bowman. “The Northern game got us focusing on going back to basics. We had a strong week of practice and we worked on our crosses. We stayed patient tonight and found the right passing lanes.”

”We have the hardest 3A Conference in the state,” said Wirzba. “Our conference prepares us well for the playoff schedule. Any team we play in the playoffs, we’ve played a team just as good, if not better.”

Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill both won its opening round games on Wednesday.

Davis also assisted on the game-winning goal by Wirzba and the overtime insurance by Pherribo. Ewan McCallum assisted on Wirzba’s equalizer.

Orange goalkeeper Noah Miller finished with eleven saves to keep the Vikings scoreless in the final 90 minutes after yielding two goals in the opening ten minutes.

“Our coaches say 2-0 is always the worst lead to have,” said Davis. “It’s just enough to let you get confident. It allowed us to capitalize. I think they let down their guard a little bit. Once we got a goal, a couple followed.”

Davis says despite the 2-0 deficit at the half, there was no panic inside the Orange locker room. There was focus.

“The entirety of the second half was us pounding on them,” said Davis. “Everything was going forward for us.”

On Saturday, Orange travels to Northern Guilford in the 2nd round of the 3A state playoffs. The Nighthawks, who went 14-0 in the Mid-State Conference, are 18-3-2 overall.  Game time will be 6.

The winner advances to the round of 16 to face either Topsail or Southern Lee.

Once Orange started scoring in the 3A State Playoffs against White Oak in Jacksonville on Wednesday night, they couldn’t stop. It just took the Panthers 65 minutes to get going. After that, the Panthers scored a whopping six goals in the final 35 minutes to defeat the Vikings 6-2. It was Orange’s 1st playoff victory since 2009. Orange will face Northern Guilford in Greensboro on Saturday night at 6 in the 2nd round of the 3A state playoffs.

The first winning season for the Orange boys soccer team in seven years has led to an opening round matchup in Jacksonville.

The Panthers will face the White Oak Vikings on Wednesday night. It’s Orange’s first playoff appearance since 2014, when they fell to Cleveland in Wendell 3-1.

White Oak earned the second automatic playoff spot from the Coastal Conference, finishing 7-3 in the league and 13-8-1 overall. The Vikings head into the playoffs with momentum after upsetting Coastal Conference champion 3-2 at Jacksonville on Thursday.

Orange settled for the top wildcard spot in the Big 8 after being tied for first place entering the final five games of the regular season. The Panthers stumbled against Northwood on October 11 in Hillsborough, and enter the playoffs having lost three of its last four.

The Panthers thrust themselves in position to win the Big 8 by winning nine straight, including results over conference champion Chapel Hill (1-0 on September 20) and runner-up East Chapel Hill 2-1 on October 2.

Orange enters the playoffs 13-6-2, its best regular season mark in seven years, with a 10-4 Big 8 mark.

A playoff victory has proven difficult for Orange. The last time the school has won a postseason game was in 2009. At that point, Orange played in the Carolina 7 Conference and upset Gray’s Creek 1-0 in Hope Mills.

In 2013, Terry Sanford blasted the Panthers 5-0 in Fayetteville.

On paper, the best Orange team in modern history was in 2010, when they finished 15-5 in the regular season. Playing as the third seed out of the Big 8, Orange lost to Western Alamance 1-0 in Elon.

Last season, White Oak defeated Burlington Williams 3-1 in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to Chapel Hill 4-0.

Payton Wilson and Marvante Beasley have played their final football games at Orange High.

Wilson was diagnosed with a torn ACL on his right knee after an MRI Monday morning at Triangle Orthapedic. Wilson suffered the injury on the opening kickoff of Friday’s night game against Cedar Ridge, where he stepped across the field to make a tackle. Wilson wasn’t touched as he collapsed. After being helped off the field, Wilson emerged from the locker room on crutches. He faces a six-month recuperation.

Beasley was carried off the field on a stretcher in the 3rd quarter against Hillside on the open carry of the 2nd half. He was carried off the field on an ambulance and taken to Duke University Hospital. Beasley was diagnosed with a bruise on his spinal column on Monday morning. Though he was released from the hospital the day after the HIllside game and announced he had been cleared to play for the following week against Northwood, Beasley was unable to receive a second opinion about his injury until Monday, forcing him to miss the past two games.

Beasley rushed for over 100 yards in each of his first six games and was only 23 yards away from his 2nd consecutive 1,000 yard season. Last season, Beasley rushed for 1,040 yards and eleven touchdowns. Beasley, who received a scholarship offer from Division II Lenior-Rhyne and recently visited Appalachian State, started playing linebacker on the varsity level as a sophomore. He ends his Orange career having rushed for 2,017 yards and 22 overall touchdowns.

Beasley and WIlson were the offensive cornerstones to the 2016 Orange team that went 13-1, leading the Panthers to its second consecutive Big 8 Championship and its first undefeated regular season since 1978.

Wilson’s injury ends arguably the most accomplished athletic career in Orange High history, possibly rivaled only by his brother Bryse. In 2014, Wilson made his varsity debut as a freshman in a 2nd round playoff game against Corinth-Holders, registering double-digit tackles despite having just been called up from junior varsity. Orange won 42-13, a season-low for a Pirates team what won the Two Rivers Conference Championship.

His sophomore year started with disaster as he broke his right ankle running hills on the first day of practice. He missed Orange’s first eight games.

Wilson was such an accomplished athlete, he played linebacker, running back, punter and punt returner as a junior. In the third game of the season against Riverside, then-coach Pat Moser inserted Wilson into the game as a punt returner. On his first return, Wilson scored a touchdown, the first of five punt return touchdowns for the season. He scored 16 touchdowns and immediately jumped on the national recruiting radar, receiving offers from Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Penn State, among countless others. He was named the Big 8 Defensive Player of the Year.

This season, he was the starting quarterback in four games while also playing linebacker and punt returner. But the grind soon became apparent after he carried the ball a combined 41 times against Southern Durham and Hillside. Following the victory over the Hornets, Wilson walked off the field with his right arm in a sling.

Wilson also has the designation of being the final state champion coached by Orange’s Bobby Shriner, who retired in May. Wilson defeated Dan Louba of Hickory Ridge 4-3 in a crazy finish at the Greensboro Coliseum. With seconds remaining in the third period, Louba shot in and appeared to have scored a 2-point takedown in the final second. Louba celebrated like he had won the championship, and many in the crowd thought the same. When the referees talked with a mat maid, they ruled the takedown occurred after the final buzzer.

In 2016, Wilson won the 3A Eastern Regional Championship as a sophomore, but fell to North Gaston’s Latham Bumgarner 10-4 in the championship.

WIlson also was an all-conference midfielder for the Orange lacrosse team, who had a school-record 11 wins last spring.

Remarkably, Wilson and Beasley end their careers having never lost a regular season road game. Orange’s win over Cedar Ridge was the Panthers 24th consecutive regular season road win.

Wilson is the 2nd quarterback lost for the season for the Panthers. Rodney Brooks suffered a torn ACL in the 1st quarter against Riverside on September 15th. Senior Brendan Huss threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns against Cedar Ridge on Friday in a 42-0 victory.

Orange faces Chapel Hill on Senior Night Friday. If the Panthers win, they will clinch a share of its 3rd consecutive Big 8 Championship.

Orange freshman Sascha Godfrey sure picked the right time to run her best race of the season.

On Saturday, Godfrey finished 9th in the 3A Mideast Regionals at Northwood High School. Godfrey completed the 5,000 meter course in 20:58.58, the highest among runners who didn’t hail from Chapel Hill.

Oddly, Godfrey’s regional race wasn’t her personal best for the season. Last week, Godfrey finished 18th at the Big 8 Conference Championships at Chapel Hill High with a time of 20:51.50.

With a 5th place finish, the Cedar Ridge Girls Team qualified for the state championships next weekend at Ivey Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville.

Cedar Ridge sophomore Ella Nissler, who finished 13th at the Big 8 Championships, finished 21st with a time of 21:43.85, the highest among the Red Wolves. Right behind her was teammate Anne Morrell, a freshman who completed the course in 21:47.75.

Orange sophomore Ava Heffernan came in 24th. Cedar Ridge sophomore Allison Musty finished 25th with a time of 22:00.

Orange finished 9th as a team. The top five girls team advanced to the state championships.

The girls race was a complete Chapel Hill High domination. The Tigers, led by individual Regional Champion Katherine Dokholyan, won the regional championship by having runners finish 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 8th. East Chapel Hill’s Annika Narbut finished 7th. Eastern Alamance’s Courtney Keeler was the only non-Big8 runner to finish in the top ten, coming in tenth.

In the boys meet, Orange finished fourth to advance to Kernersville next weekend. The Panthers were led by junior Kyle Van Tubbergh, who came in 15th with a time of 17:53.50. Orange junior Sam Rasinske finished 32nd, while senior Mitchell Askew came in 35th.

Alistar Stewart was the top finisher for the Red Wolves in the boys’ race, coming in 52nd. Junior Zach Crane came in 55th.

The brightest days for Ivy Garner are still ahead in women’s tennis, to say nothing of the sport she truly excels in.

On Friday at the Burlington Tennis Center, Garner became the first Cedar Ridge women’s tennis player ever to compete in an individual state championship tournament. And she did it as a freshman.

Garner lost to Madison Cullipher of D.H. Conley 6-3, 6-1 in the opening round.  Rose Kenny of Charlotte Catholic captured the 3A state championship on Saturday with a victory over Weddington’s Sarah Merrill 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Garner, who was one of only two freshmen to play in the 3A state tournament (Hannah Jiang of Cox Mill was the other), earned her way to the 32-player state tournament by finishing runner-up in the 3A Mideast Regionals last weekend, also at the Burlington Tennis Center.

In the opening round of the regionals, Garner defeated April Harrington of Gray’s Creek 6-1, 6-0. In the 2nd round, she defeated Emma Hilburn of Northern Guilford 6-1, 6-0. In the semifinals, Garner ensured a birth to the state tournament with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Northern Guilford’s Emily Callahan.

Garner is also a star soccer player who will suit up for the Red Wolves in the spring.

It was another successful day for East Chapel Hill at the state championships. The Wildcats’ double team of Savannah Bright and Stela Jokimovic captured the 3A state championship, defeating Natalie Lutz and Madelynn Frye 6-3, 6-3.

There was adversity for Orange football before kickoff against its crosstown rival on Friday night.

Then they lost their best player.

Payton Wilson, an All-State linebacker who has played five different positions this season, suffered a right knee injury on the opening kickoff against Cedar Ridge. He emerged from the Cedar Ridge field house on crutches before the end of the first quarter.

The Panthers were already without leading rusher Marvante Beasley, who is still awaiting an MRI after being carried off the field on a stretcher two weeks ago against Hillside.

Wilson and Beasley are scheduled for MRIs on Monday.

With Orange coming off a loss to Northwood that ended its 16-game Big 8 Conference winning streak, the Red Wolves had a glimmer of hope to beat Orange for the first time since 2011.

Instead, several Panthers who lurked in the shadows most of this season had career performances.

Quarterback Brendan Huss, Orange’s third starting quarterback this season, came on in place of Wilson and went 14-of-19 for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Kendall Whitted, who had 107 receiving yards through eight games, had 104 yards and two touchdowns in the first quarter.

The Panthers (7-2, 4-1) defeated the Red Wolves 49-0 at Red Wolves Stadium. Orange retained the victory bell with its fifth consecutive win over Cedar Ridge. Since losing to Cedar Ridge 49-43 in 2011, the Panthers have outscored the Red Wolves 266-29 in its five victories.

In Orange’s most lopsided win of the year, the Panthers piled up a season-high 465 yards total offense.

The Red Wolves (1-9, 0-5) received 69 yards rushing from junior quarterback Freddie Francis, who made his sixth straight start after regular starter Phil Berger was lost for the season after suffering a concussion against Cardinal Gibbons on September 15.

With 4:12 remaining in the first quarter, Huss hooked up with Whitted for a screen pass which turned into a 47-yard catch-and-run after a strong block from left tackle Brandon Carden.

Huss and Whitted would connect again on the subsequent drive. Whitted caught a 57-yard touchdown pass against a Cedar Ridge secondary missing its best defender, Kevin Wright, who missed the game because of a knee injury. Morgan Paschall 2-point Run bottled Orange ahead 14-0.

Milton Purcell picked off a Harvey pass and was knocked out of bounds before going into the end zone. Junior Hunter Pettiford punched in the touchdown from 2-yards out as Orange lead 21-0 at the half.

It took Orange only two plays and 46 seconds to romp 77 yards for a touchdown to open the second half. After Paschall streaked around left end for 24 yards, Huss tossed a gorgeous pass to Noah Robinson for a 49-yard touchdown. It was the first varsity touchdown for Robinson, who came into the game with four catches on the season.

Huss hit Sebastian Flores and Jeremiah Rawley on consecutive completions to set up a 24-yard touchdown pass to Colin Guentensberger to extend Orange’s lead to 35-0

In the fourth quarter, Tre Richardson rumbled 66 yards before being hauled down to turf at the 1-yard line. Richardson scored his first touchdown of the season on the next play.

Cedar Ridge’s Jake DeFranco had 20 carries for 57 yards. The Red Wolves will wrap up the season next week at Hillside. Orange hosts Chapel Hill on Senior Night at Auman Stadium.

ORANGE 42, CEDAR RIDGE 0

ORANGE—�14  7    14    7-42

CEDAR RIDGE-0    0    0   0-0

O-Kendall Whitted 47 pass from Brendan Huss (kick failed)

O-Whitted 57 pass from Huss (Morgan Paschal run)

O-Hunter Pettiford 2 run (Francisco McKinley kick)

O-Noah Robinson 49 pass from Huss (McKinley kick)

O-Colin Guentensberger 24 pass from Huss (McKinley kick)

O-Tre Richardson 1 run (Tucker Krogstad kick)

RUSHING: ORANGE (Richardson 4-72 TD, Paschall 8-69, Pettiford 7-52 TD, Travis Ray 1-20, Milton Purcell 1-12, Guentensberger 1-12, Huss 4-3). CEDAR RIDGE (Freddie Francis 13-84, Jake DeFranco 21-64, Dante DeFranco 2-10)

PASSING: ORANGE (Huss 14-19 277 4 TD, Tanner Long 0-2) CEDAR RIDGE (Harvey 3-18 8  INT)

RECEIVING: ORANGE (Jonathan Rawles 3-28, Purcell 3-26, Sebastian Flores 3-26, Whitted 2-104 2TD, Robinson 1-49 TD, Guentensberger 1-24 TD, Joe Kiger 1-19) CEDAR RIDGE (J. DeFranco 2-13, D. DeFranco 1-(-5)

Brendan Huss wasn’t even supposed to start at quarterback against Cedar Ridge on Friday night. But after Payton Wilson was injured on the opening kickoff, Huss had the biggest night of his career, going 14-of-19 for 275 yards and four touchdowns as Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 42-0.

It was a long time coming, but Orange senior wide receiver Kendall Whitted had his first 100-yard receiving game on Friday night. In fact, he did it in the 1st quarter against Cedar Ridge, amassing 104 yards on two receptions, both for touchdowns as Orange defeated the Red Wolves 42-0.