Orange senior defensive end Khaleb Smith played his final game at Auman Stadium on Friday night. He had a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter as the Panthers defeated Chapel Hill 30-6 to finish the season on a three-game winning streak. Smith was second on the team in tackles this season with 57. Entering Friday’s game, he was tied with classmate James McAdoo with 20 tackles for loss. On October 25, Smith made a huge interception to thwart a Northwood drive with the Chargers driving for a touchdown ahead 17-0. The Panthers would go on to win 31-30 in overtime. Smith played offense and defense the past two years. A big influence was Orange defensive line coach Eric Villines, who joined Khaleb on this interview. In a related note, Villines will become a grandfather next week, which will likely impact his ability to watch his beloved Dallas Cowboys.
The Orange football team ended its regular season with a 30-6 win over Chapel Hill at Auman Stadium on Friday night. Senior wide receiver Zyon Pettiford tied his season-high of three receptions for 49 yards. In his final regular season game, Pettiford also had his first career interception. Orange’s Machai Holt ended his season with 55 rushing yards on ten carries. Holt had 337 rushing yards for eight touchdowns in the regular season. He also had 168 receiving yards for two touchdowns. Among the most memorable moments of Holt’s career will be the interception he had against Northwood two weeks ago, which led to him scoring the game-tying touchdown pass. Holt also scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Pettiford and Holt hope to play one more game together when the state playoff brackets are unveiled on Saturday morning.
Leading into last Friday’s game against Cedar Ridge, Orange had struggled to get off to a good start in its last three games. They trailed Northern Durham 17-0 in Hillsborough. At Vance County, they trailed 20-0 midway through the second quarter. Against Northwood, the Chargers led 17-0 and were 21 yards away from going ahead 23-0 before Khaleb Smith came up with an interception that sparked an Orange comeback.
Last Friday, Orange didn’t have that problem against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge. The Panthers scored touchdowns on four of its five possessions. The only exception came with a failed fourth-down conversion deep inside the Red Wolves red zone.
Orange had its best offensive game of the season. compiling 299 rushing yards. They finished with 418 yards total offense, eclipsing its previous high of 407 yards against East Chapel Hill.
Going through this edition of the Dire Dozen, you’ll notice how great an all-around game junior linebacker Elliott Woods played. He had the most important defensive play of the game for the second week in a row, plus he finished with a career-high 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On top of that, sophomore Omarion Lewis also had a career-high with 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Here are the twelve plays that decided Orange’s win over Cedar Ridge. We have video of ten of them.
Orange’s opening possession, 3rd-and-7 from the Orange 43-yard line, Wyatt Jones hits Zyon Pettiford with a 57-yard touchdown pass.
Pettiford opened the season with eight receptions for 117 yards in the opening five games. This was his longest reception of the year and his third touchdown. On opening night against R.J. Reynolds, he scored on a 56-yard touchdown from Jones. It was also Jones’ longest touchdown pass of 2019.
2. Cedar Ridge leads 8-7. Orange ball, 3rd-and-9 from its own eleven yard line, Jones throws to Joe Kiger for 19 yards.
After Pettiford’s touchdown catch, Cedar Ridge had a long strike of its own when William Berger threw to Desi Raspberry for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Berger threw to Zach Holmes on the two-point conversion to give Cedar Ridge an 8-7 lead. Orange faces a 3rd-and-9, but they stood up to a blitz. Good blocking by Orange left guard Dari’us Matkins gave Jones a steady pocket to find Joe Kiger, who finished with a career-high five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.
3. Orange ball, 3rd and 4 from the Orange 36-yard line, Elliott Woods with a 31-yard gain.
A strong block from pulling guard Juan Navarro helped spring Woods for his longest run of the game. After being thrown back to its own 11-yard line following a 9-yard tackle for loss by defensive tackle Braxton Mergenthal, Orange crossed midfield with this run.
4. Orange ball, 2nd-and-3 from the Cedar Ridge 4-yard line. Woods scores on a four-yard touchdown run.
Since the Northern Durham game, Orange has used a full-house formation on goal line situations with Courtney Edwards and Owen Brimmer as halfbacks. On his first touchdown of the game, Woods followed his halfbacks behind Matkins for the touchdown that put Orange back in the lead.
5. 2nd quarter, Orange ball, 1st-and-10 from the Cedar Ridge 10-yard line, Woods scores on a 10-yard touchdown run
In its final possession of the first quarter, Cedar Ridge marched right back down the field on Orange. After Mergenthal took the ball to the 1-yard line, Berger scored on a quarterback sneak. Orange methodically went down the field on the opening drive of the second quarter on a 9-play, 65-yard drive. Woods scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to put Orange ahead 22-14.
6. Cedar Ridge ball, 2nd-and-12 from the Red Wolf 28-yard line, Woods sacks Berger.
Woods had perfect timing on this blitz up the middle. He leads Orange in tackles. Woods is third on the team with eight tackles for loss.
7. Cedar Ridge ball, 4th-and-22 from the Red Wolf 18-yard line, Orange’s Caulin Fansler blocks a punt.
Against Southern Durham, Fansler had an interception that led to an Orange touchdown to bolt the Panthers to a 14-0 lead. This block was set up by a bad snap. Jackson Phillips rushed over to recover the loose ball, setting up another Orange touchdown. For those wondering, a blocked punt doesn’t count as a turnover. This was the first game all season where Orange didn’t score a point off a turnover.
8. Orange ball, 4th-and-12 from the Cedar Ridge 19-yard line, Jones hits Joe Kiger for a 19-yard touchdown.
A days worth of rain made a 36-yard field goal too much of an undertaking for junior kicker Nigel Slanker. Instead, Coach Van Smith and offensive coordinator Marty Scotten relied on Jones once again, who chucked a gorgeous pass to Kiger. It was Kiger’s 2nd touchdown catch of the season.
9. 3rd quarter, Orange ball, Omarion Lewis scores on a 12-yard touchdown run.
Lewis rushed for 119 yards in his first game agains South Granville on September 6. in Creedmoor. This was his 2nd 100-yard game. This five-yard run was Orange’s only touchdown in the 3rd quarter.
10. Orange ball, 1st-and-10 from the Orange 18-yard line, Lewis runs for 59 yards.
This was Lewis’ longest run of the season. It was the final play of the 3rd quarter.
11. 1st-and-10 from the Cedar Ridge 23-yard line, Lewis runs for eleven yards.
Lewis followed the blocks of Matkins and Kalen Moore around guard to push the ball into the red zone. Video not available.
12. 1st-and-goal from the Cedar Ridge 2-yard line, Lewis scores his 2nd touchdown of the game.
Lewis now leads the team with eleven touchdowns after Orange pushed one in here.
The fall sports season will officially end in Hillsborough on Saturday—unless Orange football can make the state playoffs.
The possibility of that appears remote, at best, as of Wednesday night. Orange’s current MaxPreps ranking is #69. Assuming that Orange beats Chapel Hill on Friday night, three of Orange’s five wins will have come against teams ranked in the bottom ten of 3A football, according to MaxPreps.
The Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team narrowly missed the state playoffs. The field of 64 was announced on Monday morning. Cedar Ridge was on the bubble, but missed out after losing to Southern Durham in the season finale.
Cedar Ridge ended the season 7-12-1, 5-9 in the Big 8 Conference.
The Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team has a good showing in the 3A Mideast Regionals at Northwood High School in Pittsboro. While Cedar Ridge didn’t qualify for the state championships as a team, like last year, there are several individual Red Wolves who will participate in the states on Saturday at Ivey Redmon Park in Kernersville.
Here is this week’s Magnificent 7, which will be the next-to-last edition for the fall sports season. We’ll begin focusing on winter sports next week.
Anne Morrell: Finished 12th at the 3A Mideast Regional Cross Country Championships at Northwood High. Morrell, a junior, qualified for the state championships for the third year in a row with a time of 20:16.4.
Zoe Wade: Finished 24th at the Mideast Regional Championships. Crossed the finish line at 21:05.84. Wade also qualified for the 3A State Championships. A sophomore, Wade will have participated in the state championships each of her first two years at Cedar Ridge.
Desi Raspberry: Cedar Ridge junior wide receiver had three receptions for 69 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown pass from William Berger against crosstown rival Orange on Friday night. Raspberry had the most yards from scrimmage for the Red Wolves.
Elliott Woods: Had 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Orange in a victory over Cedar Ridge at Red Wolves Stadium. Woods also had two tackles. Coming into the game, Woods led Orange in receptions and tackles. He was named this week’s Orange Panther of the Week.
Omarion Lewis: A sophomore, Lewis had a career-high 173 yards rushing against Cedar Ridge. Lewis added two touchdowns. He now leads the team in rushing yards and touchdowns this season, even though he missed the season-opener against R.J. Reynolds because it appeared he would spend this season on the junior varsity team.
Joseph Kiger: Led Orange in receiving with a career-high five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Kiger led the team with six tackles. He also had ten rushing yards. Kiger also was the long snapper on extra points for kicker Nigel Slanker. He will play his final game in Hillsborough against Chapel Hill on Friday.
Bennett Fleming: The top finisher for the Orange men’s cross country team last week at the Mideast Regionals. Fleming came in 32nd with a time of 18:08.88. At the Big 8 Cross Country Championships at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, Fleming was also the top finisher for Orange.
Win or lose on Friday night’s season-finale at Auman Stadium, Chapel Hill’s players will probably walk off the field in a double-file formation.
That’s Issac Marsh’s way. He doesn’t stop coaching his players once the game ends. As a special needs teacher at CHHS, he knows proper tutelage is needed throughout a young person’s life.
When Chapel Hill didn’t field a varsity football team in 2018, it was heartbreaking for many longtime high school football fans. Just four years prior, Chapel Hill had played in the 3-AA Eastern Regional Championship game, losing to Northern Guilford.
Then again, perhaps the cancellation of a season was the only logical extension for Marsh. He’s has seen just about everything else in his 15 years at Chapel Hill. He’s the most successful football coach in school history. In 2007, he led the Tigers to its first state playoff win since the mid-1960s, when the school was still on Franklin Street.
He even led Chapel Hill to a 2008 PAC-6 Championship in the Tigers final season as a 4A school.
When the National Football League commemorated the 50th Super Bowl in 2015, they sent gold footballs to all high schools that had a player participate in any of the previous 49 NFL Championship games.
Chapel Hill received one. Orange didn’t, but they should have.
In the early 1990s, when high school football received more coverage because newspapers were still a primary influence (the Durham Herald-Sun doesn’t even print a Saturday edition anymore), Chapel Hill-Orange was the biggest rivalry in Orange County by default. It was the only rivalry in Orange County since they were the only two high schools.
Nonetheless, the vast majority of coverage was focused on Northern Durham since the Knights had several state championship contenders at that time. What slipped through the cracks was that Orange and Chapel Hill often played excellent games featuring players who would go on to long, distinguished careers.
In 1990, Orange defeated Chapel Hill at Auman Stadium in Jermaine Lattie returned a fumble for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. On the field that night for Chapel Hill was Bernardo Harris, who would go on to play at UNC in the glory years of Mack Brown. Despite going undrafted, Harris would spend nine seasons in the NFL and play in Super Bowl 31 for the Green Bay Packers, who defeated New England 35-21 for Brett Farve’s only world championship.
On top of that, no less than three players who would go on to become instrumental parts of Appalachian State’s 1995 Southern Conference Championship team were on the field. At safety for Chapel Hill was Matt Stevens, a native of Michigan. After graduating from Boone, Stevens went on to eight-year NFL career that included a stop in New England in 2001. That year ended with a quarterback named Tom Brady leading the Patriots to its first World Championship over St. Louis.
Of course, for Orange there was quarterback/safety Scott Satterfield, who would start a long association with Appalachian the following year as the quarterback on head coach Jerry Moore’s scout team. 22 years later, he would become the Mountaineers’ head coach.
Tailback Damon Scott shared the backfield with Satterfield, both in Hillsborough and in Boone. Scott would become an FCS (then it was I-AA) All-American at Appalachian and graduate in 1997.
Two years later, Orange’s Alvis Whitted would have a memorable moment of his own against Chapel Hill–no matter how hard he tries to forget. On a rainy Monday night where the field was a quagmire of mud, Chapel Hill kicked off after a touchdown. Whitted, with his cleats digging in the mud, took the ball on a reverse and had the entire side of the field to himself. But the mud stopped him and Whitted slipped and fell at the Chapel Hill 1-yard line. On the next snap, quarterback Mark Pounds fumbled and Chapel Hill recovered, won the game and went on to the state playoffs in Bill Hodgin’s final year.
Whitted went on to play for the Oakland Raiders and played special teams in Super Bowl 37 against Tampa Bay. Yet Orange never got its gold football from Roger Goodell’s office four years ago. Perhaps the commissioner is a reader of the website and can correct this wrong.
On Friday night, the Orange Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge in a spirited contest between the two rivals. Elliott Woods had two rushing touchdowns. Zyon Pettiford scored on a 57-yard touchdown reception, his longest gain of the year. Desi Raspberry had an early touchdown for the Red Wolves, while William Berger added a rushing touchdown in the first quarter. Enjoy highlights from the game from Thompson Team Films.com. Shayne Thompson can help your athlete get recruited by spreading videos across college circles. Go to Thompsonteamfilms.com to learn more!
This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior wingback/linebacker Elliott Woods. On Friday night, the Orange football team defeated crosstown rival Cedar Ridge. Entering the game, Woods led Orange with 15 receptions for 280 yards. Against the Red Wolves, Woods had two rushing touchdowns and a season high 87 rushing yards. Woods also leads Orange with 83 tackles, including eight for a loss. Woods had a key interception against Northwood that triggered the Panthers to a come-from-behind victory after trailing 24-6 midway through the third quarter. Woods has only played football for four years, but has learned quickly to have a solid season. He will conclude the 2019 season against Chapel Hill on Friday night. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 6:45 with the C&R Ski Outdoor pregame show.
It isn’t really news that Cedar Ridge High has the lowest enrollment in the Big 8 Conference, according to the latest Average Daily Membership figures released by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association on Monday afternoon.
However, enrollment is up at Cedar Ridge compared to last year, while Orange High’s ADM had a minor drop.
Cedar Ridge’s ADM is 1076 for the 2019-2020 academic year. Last year, it was 1025. Both figures were easily the lowest in the Big 8 Conference.
On the other side of Hillsborough, Orange’s ADM was 1,306. That’s down slightly from last academic year, when it was 1,326.
In the 2017-18 academic year, Cedar Ridge’s ADM was 1,145. Orange was at 1,324.
Of the 109 3A schools in the state of North Carolina, only eleven have a lower ADM total than Cedar Ridge. Those schools are Eastern Wayne (891), Hunter Huss (1,046), Monroe (1,006), White Oak (1,057), Montgomery Central (a new school that is the only 3A member of the 3A/2A Rocky River Conference with 1,060), South Brunswick (1,033), Havelock (1,036), East Rowan (939), Tuscola (948), Southwest Randolph (1,026), and Stuart Cramer (1,032).
Among Big 8 Conference schools, Northern Durham has the highest ADM (1,707). Southern Durham was second with 1,575. Chapel Hill finished with 1,536, followed closely by crosstown rival East Chapel Hill (1528), and Northwood (1,306). Vance County, which consolidated Northern and Southern Vance in 2018, had 1,245.
The ADM numbers are released just in time for the state football playoffs. The brackets will be released on Saturday.
The Orange football team finishes its season against Chapel Hill on Friday night. The Panthers currently have a MaxPreps ranking of #69, placing them on the bubble to make the state playoffs. Chances are, if the Panthers do make the postseason, it will be in the 3A State Tournament, as opposed to the 3AA.
These figures will also be used by the NCHSAA Board of Directors when discussions continue regarding realignment this winter.
In May, NCHSAA President Que Tucker announced that the association would delay the realignment process by one year to pursue a fifth class. A proposal to allow the NCHSAA to add a 5A class is expected sometime next spring. Tucker was quoted as saying that if a fifth class is added, it would end the practice of awarding eight state champions in football. Instead, the NCHSAA would crown five state champions.
The new realignment plan would take effect in August 2021.
The subdivision of the four classifications started in 2002 in North Carolina.
Some Cedar Ridge parents and graduates want the Red Wolves to return to the 2A classification. The Red Wolves were members of the 2A/1A Carolina 10 Conference until the end of the 2012-13 academic year. In 2010, the Cedar Ridge football team reached the 2AA Eastern Regional Championship game, where they lost to traditional power Elizabeth City Northeastern.
For comparison’s sake, there are other neighboring schools that have an ADM in the same ballpark as Cedar Ridge. That includes Orange’s former PAC-6 Conference rival Person, which had 1,095. Rockingham County, who competes against Cedar Ridge in several sports, had an ADM of 1082. Southern Guilford, West Rowan, West Carteret (who Cedar Ridge has defeated each of the last two years in the state softball playoffs), Forestview, North Gaston and North Henderson all had ADMs of under 1,100.
The largest 3A school was Clayton with 1,951. Eastern Wayne was the smallest.
The largest 2A school was Atkins at 1,138. The smallest 4A school was West Mecklenburg at 1,262. Myers Park has the largest public school enrollment in the state at 3,688.
Payton Wilson: It was another long day for the N.C. State football team on Saturday. #23 Wake Forest handled the Wolfpack 44-10 at BB&T Field in Winston-Salem. For the first time in his college career, Wilson led the Wolfpack with eleven tackles, including one for a loss. Wilson also had a pass breakup. A redshirt freshman, Wilson is now third on the team with 46 tackles. He’s also tied for third with 4.5 tackles for loss. N.C. State will face #4 Clemson next Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
Trenton Gill: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate was busy for N.C. State on Saturday. Gill had eight punts averaging 46 yards per boot. Three of the punts went over 50 yards and two were downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt was 61 yards. Gill also had three kickoffs, two of which were touchbacks.
Adam Chnupa: Many people know Virginia Tech and UNC played the first college football game ever that ended with dueling two-point conversions in the fifth and sixth overtimes two weeks ago. On Saturday, Adam Chnupa played in the second for the FCS Elon Phoenix. William & Mary defeated Elon 31-29 in five overtimes at Rhode Stadium on the Phoenix’s Homecoming. Chnupa played special teams for Elon. The Phoenix are now 4-5, 3-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They host Maine next week.
Keshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell Camels loss in heartbreaking fashion at North Alabama 25-24 at Braly Stadium in Florence, AL on Saturday. The Lions’ Joe Gurley kicked a 20-yard field goal as time expired. Thompson played the game on special teams for the Camels, whose six-game winning streak was snapped. Campbell is still undefeated in the Big South Conference (North Alabama will officially join the Big South in 2020. They’re a provisional FCS program this season after jumping up from Division II). Campbell hosts Kennesaw State next Saturday.
Rodney Brooks: Division II Fayetteville State defeated Livingstone 32-0 at Alumni Memorial Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday. Brooks made three tackles for the Blue Bears, including one for a loss. Livingston falls to 4-5, 1-5 in the CIAA. They end the season next week against Johnston C. Smith for Senior Day.
Kevin Wright: Division III North Carolina Wesleyan defeated Methodist 48-24 at Monarch Stadium in Fayetteville. Wright, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, had two tackles for the Battling Bishops. Wesleyan is 4-4, 3-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They travel to Huntingdon next Saturday.
Taylin Jean: Mount Olive defeated Division II Limestone 2-1 at Saints Field in Gaffney, S.C. on Saturday in a showdown for first place in Conference Carolinas. Jean started as goalkeeper for the Saints once again and made two saves. Limestone is 8-8, 7-3 in Conference Carolinas . The Trojans wrapped up the Centennial Conference regular season championship with the victory.
Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team advanced to the USA South Conference Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The Pride defeated Huntingdon 2-0 at Pride Field in Greensboro. Daley started her 18th game of the season at center back. Greensboro will face Covenant in the semifinals at Maryville College in Tennessee on Friday.
Lili Henry: The Division III Methodist volleyball team ended its regular season on Saturday in a tri-match at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. William Peace defeated the Monarchs 3-0 on scores of 25-20, 25-20, and 25-15. Henry had 13 assists, five digs and one ace against the Pacers. Earlier in the day, Greensboro College edged the Monarchs 3-2 on scores of 16-25, 25-22, 11-25, 25-16 and 12-15. Henry led the team with 29 assists, eleven digs and one ace. Methodist concludes the regular season 6-19, 5-11 in the USA South Conference. The Monarchs still play in the USA South Conference tournament with a road trip to William Peace on Tuesday.
