Orange Football

Photo by Averett University

Braden Homsey: Braden Homsey captured the 197-pound championship for Division III Ferrum College during the Averett Cougar Open at the Grant Center in Danville, VA on Saturday. Homsey defeated Jackson Shumate 16-1 in the 2nd round. In the quarterfinals, Homsey grabbed a major decision over Austin Suess of Southwest Virginia 11-2. In the semifinals, Homsey pinned William Headley of Liberty in 2:12. Homsey scored another technical fall in the championship match over William Baldwin of Averett 21-4. In a field of 20 teams, the Panthers finished third with 127 points.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team defeated Hosanna Bible College 99-76 at The Hangar in Pinehurst last Monday. McMullin, who scored over 1,000 points in his Orange High career, scored a career-high 27 points for the Flyers. He shot 12-of-15 from the field, including two 3-pointers. On Wednesday, the Flyers defeated Guilford Technical Community College 106-99 in Greensboro. McMullin, who started, had 17 points and six rebounds. On Saturday, Wake Technical Community College defeated Sandhills 126-109 in Pinehurst. McMullin, who started and played 16 minutes, scored six points. He also added two rebounds and an assist. The Flyers are 4-2, 0-2 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. They will play the Methodist University junior varsity squad in Fayetteville on Tuesday.

Connor Crabtree: The Richmond Spiders started its men’s basketball season with a a 70-60 victory over North Carolina Central in the Robins Center on Tuesday. Crabtree came off the bench and scored two points, grabbed one rebound and dished out two assists. On Friday, Utah State defeated Richmond 85-74 in the opening game of the Veterans Classic at Alumni Hall in Annapolis, MD. Crabtree had a stickleback basket to put Richmond in the lead 65-63 with 5:38 remaining, but the Aggies went on a 18-3 run to take control of the game. Crabtree scored six points and four rebounds in 14 minutes. Richmond hosts Georgia State on Tuesday night.

Trenton Gill: Former Cedar Ridge All-Conference punter Trenton Gill was named a co-Captain for #21 N.C. State’s game against #13 Wake Forest at Truist Field in Winston-Salem. In the highest-scoring game in 115 all-time matchups, the Demon Deacons defeated the Wolfpack 45-42. Gill had six punts for an average of 45 yards. Two punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest was 52 yards, one of two punts over 50-yards. Gill also had seven kickoffs, six of which were touchbacks. The Wolfpack, who are now ranked #25 by the Associated Press, will host Syracuse at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday.

Keshawn Thompson: For the fifth time this year, Thompson led the Campbell football team in tackles. Thompson had ten tackles in the Camels’ 28-21 loss to Hampton at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek on Saturday. It was Thompson’s senior day. Campbell has lost five in a row and is now 3-7 overall, 2-4 in the Big South Conference. They will wrap up the season at Robert Morris on Saturday.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team defeated Towson 37-14 at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, MD on Saturday. It was the Phoenix’s fourth road win of the season. Chnupa played special teams and defense for the Phoenix, who improved to 5-5, 4-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Phoenix will wrap up the regular season against #25 Rhode Island at Rhodes Stadium in Elon on Saturday.

Emerson Talley: The Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team received an at-large birth for the Division II NCAA Tournament. The Bears, which includes former Cedar Ridge forward Emerson Talley, will face Catawba in the opening round in Salisbury on Saturday at 6PM. Last week, the Bears lost to Queens 1-0 in double overtime in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament in Matthews. The Bears will enter the NCAA Tournament 11-5-2 overall.

Kate Burgess: The UNC rowing team finished its first official race of the season at the Rivanna Romp in Charlottesville, VA on Sunday afternoon. Burgess was aboard the 2V8+ boat, which finished 21st at 15:02.00. In the Varsity Four race, Burgess was aboard the 4V4+, which finished 24th at 17:21.8.

Bailey Lucas: Bailey Lucas’ career with the Meredith volleyball team has come to an end. The Avenging Angels were snubbed from the NCAA Division III volleyball tournament despite a 23-8 record and reaching the championship match of the USA South Athletic Conference tournament. This season, Lucas was 2nd on the team with 506 assists. She had 24 aces.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges was named to the first team All-Colonial Athletic Association for the Elon women’s soccer team last week. Hodges, a junior, played in all 17 games and compiled 1,561 minutes for the Phoenix, who finished the season 9-6-2 overall, 4-3-2 in the CAA. Hodges, playing along the backline, helped Elon to six shutouts, second in the CAA. She was tied for the team lead with three goals. One of them came against rival UNC Wilmington to tie the game in the 84th minute.

Emerson Talley: Talley returned to action for Division II Lenoir-Rhyne women’s soccer team against Carson-Newman on Wednesday. The Bears took the win over the Eagles 3-2. Talley checked in late in the game at Mortez Complex in Hickory.

Taylin Jean: Jean earned the victory as goalkeeper for the final win of the season for the Limestone women’s soccer team last Wednesday. Jean posted a clean sheet against Lincoln Memorial in a 2-0 Saints win. She made three saves as Limestone held the Railsplitters to four shots. On Saturday, Limestone played the aforementioned Lenoir-Rhyne Bears in the quarterfinals of the South Atlantic Conference tournament at Mortez Sports Complex in Hickory. Jean started as goalkeeper. On paper, at least, it pitted two former Cedar Ridge teammates against each other, though Talley didn’t play for the Bears. Lenoir-Rhyne won 2-0. Jean played all 90 minutes and made four saves. Limestone ends the year 10-5-1 with a sixth-place finish in the SAC.

Trenton Gill: Gill was named a co-Captain for the Wolfpack in its 28-14 win over Florida State on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, FL. Gill had eight punts and averaged 45.2 yards per boot. His longest was 60 yards. He had another punt that went 53 yards. There were five punts downed inside the 20-yard line. The Wolfpack, ranked #21 in the Associated Press, will face Wake Forest in a huge matchup on Saturday at Truist Field in Winston-Salem.

“Field position is a great friend to a defense,” said N.C. State coach Dave Doeren. “Ninety-yard fields, when you’re a defensive coordinator, are nice to call the game in. Trent’s a weapon. He’s really, really kicking the football well on kickoffs, too. This isn’t a one-time thing. This has been multiple games this year. He’s flipping the field, too. He had a bomb on one of those punts. We’re very fortunate to have the specialist crew that we do right now.”

Keshawn Thompson: James Madison throttled Campbell 51-14 at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday. Thompson had nine tackles for the Camels, who have lost four straight. Campbell will host Hampton for Senior Day on Saturday.

Adam Chnupa: #10 Villanova routed Elon 35-0 at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday. Chnupa entered the game as a defensive reserve for the Phoenix. Elon falls to 4-5, 3-3 in the CAA. They will travel to Towson on Saturday.

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith College volleyball team reached the championship game of the USA South Conference Tournament. On Saturday, Southern Virginia defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 for the championship at Knight Arena in Buena Vista, VA. Lucas, in what may have been her final game, led Meredith with 21 assists. She also had ten digs and two aces. In the semifinals on Friday, Meredith defeated Maryville 3-2. Lucas started and again led the Avenging Angels with 24 assists. She also had seven digs and one block. In the quarterfinals, Meredith swept William Peace. Lucas had 18 assists (a team-high) with four digs and two aces. Lucas, a setter for the Meredith College volleyball team, was named to the USA South Athletic Conference All-Sportsmanship team. Meredith will now wait and see if they receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament. The field will be announced later today.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team opened its regular season with a 95-84 victory over Lenoir Community College in Kinston last Wednesday. McMullin started his first official game with the Flyers and scored ten points off 5-of-12 shooting from the field. He also had five rebounds. On Friday, Anne Arundel Community College defeated Sandhills 82-75 in the Flyers’ home opener. McMullin led the Flyers with 20 points off 10-of-19 shooting.

On Saturday, Sandhills defeated Shooting For Greatness Academy 96-72 in Pinehurst. McMullin had 18 points, seven rebounds and two steals.

Braden Homsey: The Division III Ferrum wrestling team started its dual season with a loss to Washington & Lee 35-7 last week. Homsey won the first match of his senior season with a 10-3 decision over Matt Majoy at 197 pounds. On Sunday, Homsey competed in the Southeast Open at Roanoke College in Salem, VA. Homsey dropped both of his matches.

Brittany Daley: As her women’s soccer career winds down at Division III Greensboro College, former Cedar Ridge centerback Brittany Daley was honored by the USA South Conference. Daley was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. In her final game at Greensboro College’s Pride Field, Greensboro defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 1-0 on Sunday. Daley had a chance to score her first career goal for the Pride as she lined up for a penalty, but the kick was knocked away by Battling Bishops’ goalkeeper Alicia Jacobs in the 80th minute. Daley had a career-high three shots in the match. On Tuesday, Mary Baldwin University defeated Greensboro 2-0 in the opening round of the USA South Conference Tournament in Staunton, VA. In her final game, Daley played all 90 minutes. The Pride ends the year 5-10-3 overall, 3-4-2 in the USA South. Daley concludes her Greensboro College career with 55 career games and 52 starts. She was a starter for the Pride when they won the USA South East Division championship last spring.

Kayla Hodges: The former Orange High midfielder was honored on Senior Day by the Elon women’s soccer team last Sunday before its game against Towson at Rudd Field. The Tigers defeated the Phoenix 1-0. Hodges had a shot on goal and finished with two shots. Elon is 6-5-1 overall, 1-2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Elon will conclude the regular season with a trip to Drexel on Sunday.

Taylin Jean: On Saturday, the Carson-Newman women’s soccer team defeated Limestone 1-0 at McCown Field in Jefferson City, TN. Jean replaced starting Limestone goalkeeper Katie Maher in the the 40th minute. Jean played the final 50 minutes and made one save. Limestone falls to 9-4-1 overall, 5-4-1 in the South Athletic Conference.

Jordan Rogers: Like Daley, Rogers was named to the All-USA South Sportsmanship team for William Peace University. The Pacers ended its season last weekend after a double overtime loss to Salem College. Peace concluded the season 4-7-3 overall, 2-5-2 in the USA South.

Trenton Gill: The N.C. State football team became bowl eligible after beating Louisville 28-13 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Gill, the Wolfpack’s punter, was busy on a night where the defenses largely dominated. He had six punts for an average of 45.4 yards. His longest was 53 yards, one of two punts over 50 yards. Five of his six punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had five kickoffs with three touchbacks. The Cardinals were coached by former Orange High quarterback Scott Satterfield.

Keshawn Thompson: Charleston Southern defeated Campbell University 27-14 at Buccaneer Field in Charleston, S.C. on Saturday afternoon. Thompson, coming off 12-tackle game against Kennesaw State, finished with six tackles for the Camels. Campbell is now 3-5 overall, 2-3 in the Big South Conference.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team suffered a disappointing 45-21 loss to #5 James Madison at Bridgeforth Stadium in Harrisonburg, VA on Saturday. Adam Chnupa played special teams and defeated for the Phoenix. Elon drops to 4-4 overall, 3-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They will host Villanova next Saturday at Rhodes Stadium

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith volleyball team build a ten-game winning streak before it was snapped during a quad-match on Saturday afternoon. To start the day, the Avenging Angels defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-1 at the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Lucas started and finished with 16 assists, one kill and four digs. The winning streak ended when Averett defeated Meredith on scores of 25-14, 25-15, 19-25 and 25-20. Lucas had 16 assists and 12 digs. Meredith concluded the regular season 21-7 overall, 15-3 in the USA South Conference. On Tuesday, Meredith defeated crosstown rival William Peace 3-1 at the Hermann Athletic Center in Raleigh. Lucas led Meredith with 29 assists and six digs. Meredith will start play in the USA South Tournament on Tuesday with another match against Peace.

Six years ago, a regular season matchup between Orange and Eastern Alamance would have led to an overflow crowd at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough.

Somehow, two schools separated by 13 miles never could find the time to play a regular season game when the talent levels were comparable. The best they could muster were annual August scrimmages the week before the season started, and even those drew strong gates in Hillsborough and Mebane.

On Friday night, things were different. In terms of talent level, Orange and Eastern Alamance shared the same league in name only, and the Panthers knew it. Eastern Alamance (8-1) went into the game with a share of the Central Carolina Conference championship already in the bag. Orange was 2-7 and had been held below 150 yards total offense seven times through a difficult season.

Knowing the steep odds his team faced, Orange coach Van Smith decided to make the theme of Senior Night fun.

There were no less than five onside kick attempts. Orange played in the the Emory & Henry formation, where seven offensive lineman gather on the right hashmark while the quarterback, a long snapper and a running back, gathered on the other side of the field.

And they did this for a full quarter.

Of course, Orange could run more gimmick plays than an uber annoying Madden ’21 player and still not change the end result. Eastern Alamance convincingly won 48-27 in front of a huge crowd at Auman Stadium. The Eagles officially clinched the Central Carolina Conference outright with its eighth straight victory. They will likely be the #1 seed in the 3A Eastern region when the state playoff brackets are unveiled today.

Eagles senior quarterback Hunter Douglas, who left the game late in the second quarter to avoid any injury risk, factored in on five touchdowns. He threw for four and ran for another.

Yet the game couldn’t have started any better for Orange (2-8, 1-4 in the CCC). Junior Wynston Brown bobbled the opening kickoff, then sprinted up field for an 88-yard return for a touchdown. It was Orange’s only special teams touchdown of the year.

If that wasn’t enough, junior linebacker Jake Wimsatt picked off a Douglas pass on the Eagles opening possession. Orange caught Eastern off balance in its unorthodox formation, which allowed quarterback Jared Weaver to throw a 59-yard pass to sophomore Nate Sorrells. Weaver found Wimsatt in the end zone on the next play. In the opening three minutes, Orange had nearly doubled its scoring output (13) from the previous two games combined (7).

“That was a fun of a first quarter as we’ve had in a long, long time,” Smith said. “I just thoroughly enjoyed it. But the end of the first quarter, we were behind. But we were just having fun.

It was the first time that an opposing team had scored on Eastern Alamance in nine quarters.

“In most games we played, we were outgunned and outmatched,” Smith said. “But they never had any quit in them. We had some wrinkles that we threw at them tonight. I figured ‘What the heck? What do we have to lose?’ We created some fun and had some energy at practice this week.”

The energy that Orange built was palpable early, but it also disappeared faster than Space Jam 2. Orange didn’t get another first down on its final nine series of the first half. Eastern proceeded to reel off 42 consecutive points. It started when Douglas found Antoine Pugh on a 47-yard gain for the first of many Eastern trips to the Orange red zone. Triston Keck caught the opening Eagle touchdown pass from Douglas. It was Keck’s third touchdown of the year.

The Eagles took the lead for good on its next drive when Douglas hit Ce’Darian Williams for a 56-yard touchdown pass on a one-play drive. Karsyn Johnson’s extra point put the Eagles ahead 14-13.

The Emory and Henry well had run dry for Orange by this point, and Eastern started its next drive at the Panther 38-yard line. After the Panthers were called for pass interference, Eastern’s leading rusher Joshua Murray had a 13-yard run, which was his final play of the night. Douglas scored on a 4-yard keeper up the middle, his third rushing touchdown of the year.

Late in a first quarter that took 47 minutes to play, Eastern linebacker Joey Teixeira recovered an Orange fumble. Freshman Tyrek Samuel, in his varsity debut, replaced Murray and scored on a two-yard run to give the Eagles a 20-13 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Douglas opened the second quarter with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Devin Clark. Eastern blocked an Orange punt on the next possession, which led to Samuel’s second touchdown of the game, on a ten yard run. On his final drive of the night, Douglas hit Samuel again for a 3-yard touchdown pass to put Eastern ahead 42-13.

There’s something to be said after going down swinging, which was exactly how each of the 17 Orange seniors played their last game. There was nose guard Kameron Harshaw, who entered the game with a team-high 26 tackles for loss. Harshaw left the game twice after injuries to his left leg, but came back each time and recorded several more tackles for losses in the second half.

Senior quarterback Jared Weaver had his best half of the season in the second half. He had career-highs for completions, attempts passing yardage, total offense and touchdowns. He finished 17-of-25 for 218 yards and three touchdowns.

After Samuel scored the opening touchdown of the second half, Weaver hit sophomore Nate Sorrells for a 38-yard touchdown pass.

Orange’s final touchdown of the season came off a sustained 13-play, 81-yard drive. Weaver hooked up with Sorrells fora 27-yard gain to push the ball into the red zone, then targeted Sorrells again for a 23-yard touchdown.

On the subsequent two-point conversion, fullback Jackson Wood appeared he was going to be stopped short. But Wood, a diehard Virginia Tech fan, showed enough fight and grit that would have made Frank Beamer proud to just get over the goal line and reduce Orange’s deficit to 48-27.

And that was the theme of Orange’s first season in the Central Carolina Conference. On Monday morning, Smith will start with the daunting process of replacing nine starting seniors on defense, as well as his starting quarterback and a leading rusher who left the team at midseason.

“Weight room. Weight room. Weight room,” Smith responded when asked how he would start the offseason. “I sure am going to miss this group. We had every reason to not show any emotion after the game against Williams last week. Instead, they played with energy. I’m proud of these seniors.”

EASTERN ALAMANCE 48, ORANGE 27

EAL–20 22 6 0–48

ORA–13 0 6 8–27

ORA–Wynston Brown 88 kickoff return (Darius Satterfield kick)

ORA–Jake Wimsatt 4 pass from Jared Weaver (kick failed)

EAL–Triston Keck 5 pass from Hunter Douglas (Karsyn Johnson kick)

EAL–Ce’Darian Williams 56 pass from Douglas (Johnson kick)

EAL–Douglas 3 run (kick failed)

EAL–Tyrek Samuel 2 run (Johnson kick)

EAL–Devin Clark 4 pass from Douglas (Douglas to Keck)

EAL–Samuel 10 run (Johnson kick)

EAL–Samuel 3 pass from Douglas (Johnson kick)

EAL–Samuel 4 run (kick blocked)

ORA–Nate Sorrells 38 pass from Weaver (run failed)

ORA–Sorrells 23 pass from Weaver (Jackson Wood run)

RUSHING: EASTERN ALAMANCE 30-168 3 TD (Samuel 12-110 2 TD, Jason Ball 5-31, Joshua Murray 6-23, Zephaniah Gattis 5-8, Douglas 1-3 TD, team 1-(-7).

ORANGE 24-17 (Weaver 11-18, Sorrells 5-5, Ronald Cooper 3-4, A’Mare Morgan 5-(-10)

PASSING: EASTERN ALAMANCE 10-22 173 yards 4 TDs 2 INTs (Douglas 9-16 165 yds 4TD, INT, Ball 1-6 INT 8 yds)

ORANGE 16:27 218 3 TD (Weaver 17-25 218 yards 3 TD, Brown 0-2)

RECEIVING: EASTERN ALAMANCE (Samuel 3-18 TD, Murray 2-16, Williams 1-56 TD, Antoine Pugh 1-47, Clark 1-16 TD, Hunter Westbrooks 1-15, Keck 1-9 TD)

ORANGE: (Sorrells 9-153 2 TD, Brown 3-34, Morgan 2-22, Elijah Danley 2-8, Wimsatt 1-4 TD,

Cedar Ridge looked every bit the #1 seed in the Eastern Region in its volleyball playoff opener on Saturday. The Red Wolves defeated #32 South Brunswick 3-0 on scores of 25-8, 25-8 and 25-12 on Saturday afternoon at Red Wolves Gymnasium. Cedar Ridge scored the opening five points of the first set, then started the second set on a 6-0 run. Junior libero Grace Young led the Red Wolves with 15 digs. Melissa Benkowitz had five kills, eight digs and two aces as the Red Wolves improved to 26-2 on the season. It was Cedar Ridge’s second state playoff win in nine months. Last January, Cedar Ridge defeated Union Pines in an 32-team state playoff. This year, with pandemic precautions relaxed, the Red Wolves are in a 64-team tournament. Cedar Ridge has advanced to the round of 32 and will face South Johnston on Tuesday at Red Wolves Gymnasium.

Photo by Marc Reidel:

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team honored senior and former Orange star Bailey Lucas during a tri-match at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Saturday. The Avenging Angels won both matches to extend its winning streak to nine, a season-long. Meredith defeated Pfeiffer 3-0 on scores of 25-16, 25-20 and 25-15. Lucas started and had a game-high 17 assists along with two digs and one ace. Meredith also swept Greensboro 3-0 on scores of 25-21, 25-17 and 25-21. Lucas had 19 assists with seven digs and an ace. Meredith also won two matches over Salem last week. On Tuesday, Meredith defeated the Spirits 3-0 on scores of 25-13, 25-18 and 25-16 at Varsity Gym in Winston-Salem. Lucas led the Angels with 17 assists, one ace and six digs. On Thursday, Meredith swept Salem again in Raleigh. Lucas finished with eleven assists and seven digs. The Angels are 18-6 overall, 12-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Joey McMullin: The Sandhills Community College men’s basketball team was named the preseason #1 team in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association media poll. The Flyers continued to prepare for the upcoming season with a 105-64 win over Blue Light College in a scrimmage in Pinehurst on Wednesday. McMullin lead the Flyers with 14 points. He also tied for the team lead with nine rebounds. Sandhills will start the regular season against Lenoir Community College in Kinston on November 3.

Trenton Gill: Miami defeated #18 N.C. State 31-30 at Hard Rock Stadium in Coral Gables, FL on Saturday night. Gill had six punts for an average of 49.2 yards per boot for the Wolfpack. His longest was 59 yards, one of three punts that went over 50 yards. Three punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Of Gill’s seven kickoffs, six were touchbacks.

Keshawn Thompson: For the third time this year, former Orange High linebacker Keshawn Thompson led Campbell in tackles in a game. Thompson registered 12 tackles, but #11 Kennesaw State routed the Camels 30-7 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson leads Campbell in tackles with 41 on the season. The Camels are 3-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big South Conference. They will travel to Charleston Southern next Saturday. Thompson has started all seven Campbell games.

Adam Chnupa: The Elon football team defeated New Hampshire 24-10 at Rhodes Stadium on Saturday. Chnupa entered the game as a reserve defensive back and assisted on a tackle. Elon has now won three in a row and is 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. The Phoenix will travel to James Madison next Saturday.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges made two more starts for the Elon women’s soccer team in a couple of marathon games last week. On Sunday, Elon defeated Northeastern 2-1 in overtime at Parson Field in Brookline, MA. Hodges played all 93 minutes before Kenney Jones scored the golden goal in overtime. On Thursday, the Phoenix played to a scoreless tie against William & Mary at Albert-Daly Field in Williamsburg, VA. Hodges fired one shot and played all 110 minutes. Elon is 7-5-2, 2-2-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Elon will host #23 Hofstra on Sunday at Rudd Field.

Emerson Talley: Talley started Lenoir-Rhyne’s game against Newberry at the Smith Road Complex on Saturday. Newberry came away with a 1-0 win in double overtime. Talley played 36 minutes. Last Sunday, Lenoir-Rhyne defeated Tusculum 5-0 at Pioneer Field in Greenville, TN. Talley came off the bench and played 13 minutes. The Bears, in the Division II South Atlantic Conference, are 9-3-2, 7-2-1 in the SAC.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team shut out Tusculum 4-0 at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday. Former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper Taylin Jean entered the game in the second half and preserved the clean sheet for the Saints, making one save. Limestone is 9-3-1, 5-3-1 in the SAC.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie against Mary Baldwin University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Wednesday. Daley played all 110 minutes for the Pride. Greensboro is 4-9-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Daley will be honored on Senior Day on Sunday when Greensboro hosts North Carolina Wesleyan.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team lost in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday. Salem College scored in the final minute of the second overtime to defeat the Pacers 3-2 at Varsity Field in Winston-Salem. Rogers, a former Orange Panthers, started for the Pacers and played all 110 minutes. She fired one shot. On Wednesday, Peace played Pfeiffer to a 1-1 tie in Misenheimer. Once again, Rogers started and played all 110 minutes. Peace is now 4-6-3 overall, 2-4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

BURLINGTON–The only good news for Orange football coming out of Friday night is that they’ll never have to face Alijah Richmond again.

Richmond scored four touchdowns against Orange as Walter Williams defeated Orange 43-7 at Kernodle Field on Friday night in the second matchup between the two teams in 2021. Williams (5-4) will face Person next week in Roxboro. If the Bulldogs win, they will clinch its first winning season since 2013.

Williams is now assured of the 2nd automatic spot in the Central Carolina Conference for the upcoming 3A State Playoffs. On Friday night, Eastern Alamance defeated Northwood 38-0 in Mebane, which took the Chargers out of contention for surpassing the Bulldogs.

Richmond has scored eight touchdowns against the Panthers this year. On September 24, he scored four touchdowns in a 28-0 Bulldogs win at Auman Stadium in Hillsborough. On Friday, he finished with 150 yards rushing, just two short of his season-high of 152 set last week in a double overtime win over Western Alamance.

Friday night’s game, which counts as a nonconference game, was scheduled by Orange (2-7) in August to replace a spot vacated by Cedar Ridge, which didn’t field a varsity team this season.

It was another anemic offensive night for Orange, which was limited to 37 yards total offense. The Panthers almost went the entire game without picking up a first down on its own accord (there were four first downs via Williams’ penalties). Orange’s only bright spot offensively came after linebacker Jackson Wood somehow swiped a pitchout from Williams’ backup quarterback Dan Mahan to running back Kylel Richmond and rumbled all the way to the Williams 30-yard line.

Backup quarterback Ty Walker threw to Wynston Brown for a 30-yard touchdown with 2:01 remaining. That was Orange’s only first down of the night.

It was the sixth time this year that Orange was held under 150 yards total offense. Last week, the Panthers could only muster 90 yards and two first downs at Northwood.

“We’re playing against one of the best defenses in the county,” said Orange coach Van Smith. “They’re big and strong up front. They handled us on both sides of the ball really. Their offense has so many weapons all over the place. They can spread you out and still run it between the tackles.”

Four weeks ago, Williams mainly kept the ball on the ground to wear Orange down in Hillsborough. On Friday, quarterback Jaelen Brown threw for 153 yards and was more eager to run out of the backfield.

Williams’ scored touchdowns on its opening two drives. The Bulldogs went 57 yards on just four plays on its first series. Brown scrambled up the middle for a 12-yard touchdown, his first rushing score of the year, to start the rout.

After Orange went three-and-out on its first possession, Williams didn’t even face a 2nd down leading to its second touchdown. Brown hit leading receiver Isayah Ramsey for gains of 13 and 12 yards, leading to Richmond’s first touchdown run from one yard out.

Orange made a goal line stand at the end of the first quarter. Williams had a 4th-and-goal at the Orange 1-yard line, but Richmond was held out of the end zone by Wood and linebacker Ronald Cooper.

The second quarter scoring was dictated by, of all people, Williams’ defensive tackle Sam Rhodes. As Orange punted out of its own end zone to start the second quarter, the ball went off the foot of the punter straight up in the air. Rhodes won a scramble for the loose ball like he was Anthony Davis positioning for a errant jump shot, then staggered two yards into the end zone for a touchdown.

On the subsequent Orange drive, Rhodes sacked Panthers quarterback Jared Weaver for a safety to put Williams ahead 22-0.

Richmond scored the rest of the Williams’ touchdowns on runs of 26, five and five yards.

Orange will conclude its season against Eastern Alamance next Friday in Hillsborough. The Eagles have won six in a row.

“We’re going to go out and enjoy the last time we’ll get together as a team,” Smith said. “It will be the last time we get to come out under those Friday night lights and hear the roar of the crowd.”

WILLIAMS 43, ORANGE 7

ORA—0 0 0 7-7

WIL—14 15 14 0-43

WIL–Jaelean Brown 12 run (Brick Bowen kick)

WIL–Alijah Richmond 1 run (Bowen kick)

WIL–Sam Rhodes 2 punt return (kick failed)

WIL–safety, Orange quarterback tackled in end zone

WIL–Richmond 26 run (Bowen kick)

WIL–Richmond 5 run (Bowen kick)

WIL–Rihcmond 5 run (Bowen kick)

ORA–Wynston Brown 30 pass from Ty Walker (Darius Satterfield kick)

RUSHING

ORANGE: 20-(-6)(Ronald Cooper 2-8, Nate Sorrells 5-0, Jackson Wood 1-0, Jared Weaver 7-(-1), Amare Morgan 5-(-13)

WILLIAMS: 34-222 5 TD(Alijah Richmond 18-150 4 TD, Brown 8-63 TD, Kylel Richmond 6-19, team 1-(-4), Dan Mahan 1-(-6))

PASSING: ORANGE (Weaver 4-11 13 yards INT, Ty Walker 1-1 30 TD)

WILLIAMS: (Brown 13-19 153, Mahan 1-1 17)

RECEIVING: ORANGE (Sorrells 4-13, Brown 1-30 TD)

WILLIAMS: (Isayah Ramsey 4-44, Clifton Davis 3-47, Grayson Loy 2-26, Dejuan Shoffner 2-22, Cam’Ron Jones 1-13, Demari Allen 1-15, Coleman Mahan 1-11)