Orange Women’s Soccer

Alumni Update: Lucas starts senior season for Meredith volleyball

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith Avenging Angels volleyball team opened its season with four matches in four days. Meredith started with a 3-1 win over Roanoke at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Meredith won on scores of 16-25, 25-10, 25-16, 26-24. Lucas started and played all four sets. She had 17 assists, an ace and four digs. On Friday, the Avenging Angels swept Geneva on tallies of 25-15, 25-23 and 25-6 to start play at the Marlin Invitational in Virginia Beach, VA at TowneBank Arena. Lucas led the team with 14 assists in the win over the Golden Tornadoes. She also had two digs. On Saturday, Virginia Wesleyan defeated Meredith 3-0. Lucas had nine assists and five digs. To end the weekend, the Avenging Angels defeated Mary Washington 3-1. Once again, Lucas led the team with 20 assists. She also registered six digs.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson returned from the injured list for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a start against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The White Sox defeated the Pirates 4-2. Wilson suffered the loss after he threw five innings. He surrendered four runs off six hits. Yasmani Grandal hit a solo homer off Wilson in the second inning. Jose Abreu lauded a solo homer off Wilson in the third. This season, Wilson is 2-6 with a 4.61 ERA.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges scored her second goal of the series for Elon in a 3-0 win over UNC Asheville on Thursday at Greenwood Field in Asheville. Hodges scored the game’s second goal off an assist from Abby Fusca in the 24th minute. She fired two shots against the Bulldogs. On August 26, Virginia Tech defeated Elon 7-1 at Thompson Field in Blacksburg, VA. Hodges started as a defensive midfielder. Elon is 2-2 and will travel to N.C. State later today (Sunday).

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team suffered a loss to Roanoke 2-0 in its season opener on Wednesday. Daley, a former Cedar Ridge All-Conference selection, started her 37th game with Greensboro as a center back. It was her 40th game. On Saturday, Greensboro rebounded with a 2-1 win over Johnson & Wales University at Pride Field. Daley started for the Pride once again.

Jordan Rogers: Rogers started her senior season for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team. On Wednesday, Guilford College defeated Peace 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. On Saturday, Randolph College shut out the Pacers 2-0. Rogers started both games as a wingback.

Keshawn Thompson: The former Orange defensive back led Campbell in tackles in its loss to Liberty at Williams Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Thompson had a career-high 13 tackles for the Camels, who lost to the Flames 48-7 to open the 2021 season. This was Campbell’s first game since last fall. Unlike many FCS schools, the Camels didn’t play last spring. Next week, Campbell will host Elon.

Payton Wilson: To open his third season with the Wolfpack, Wilson had two tackles as the Wolfpack routed South Florida 45-0 at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh. Wilson had one-half tackle for loss as he was in and out of the lineup throughout the night. The Wolfpack will travel to Mississippi State on Saturday.

Trent Gill: N.C. State only punted three times against the Bulls. Gill, a former Cedar Ridge football and soccer player, had two of the punts for a 45-yard average. Gill’s longest punt was 45 yards. Both of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had eight kickoffs, four of which were touchbacks. His average kickoff was 64.6 yards.

Adam Chnupa: Former Cedar Ridge linebacker Adam Chnupa started his redshirt sophomore season at Elon with a tremendous game against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium. The Terriers defeated the Phoenix 24-22 on Saturday. Chnupa made one tackle as the Phoenix dropped its opener.

Colin Guentensberger: Guentensberger, who led the 2018 Orange football team in tackles, suffered a torn ACL and MCL during practice with Appalachian State’s football team. Guentensberger is a junior walk-on with the Mountaineers.

Alumni Update: Hodges scores goal for Elon women’s soccer in season opener; fall sports preview

Kayla Hodges: After being a regular starter for the Elon women’s soccer team’s first Colonial Athletic Association tournament championship team last spring, Kayla Hodges scored her first college goal in the Phoenix’s season-opener against George Washington. In the 55th minute, Hodges scored off a corner kick when she chipped one in the net off an assist from Lily Harkes. Hodges, who started as a defensive midfielder, played 84 minutes as the Phoenix won 2-0 at Rudd Field in Elon. On Sunday, UNC Greensboro defeated Elon 1-0 at Rudd Field. Hodges earned another start and fired one shot. She played all 90 minutes. The Phoenix are 1-1 and will travel to Virginia Tech on Thursday. Hodges, a junior, started all ten games last year.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was placed on the Injured List by the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 16. Pirates General Manager Ben Cherington says the move is mostly about rest from fatigue. At the time he was placed on the Injured List, Wilson had just started against the Milwaukee Brewers in a no decision. Counting his time with the Atlanta Braves, Wilson has thrown 48 and 2/3rds innings and has an 5.55 ERA.

The fall sports season is underway for women’s soccer. It will officially start for football, volleyball and men’s soccer next week. Here are some Cedar Ridge and Orange graduates who will be competing in colleges throughout the country this fall.

Payton Wilson: A second-team All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State last season, Wilson returns for his redshirt sophomore season after undergoing surgery on both shoulders. It kept him sidelines for spring practice. Wilson ranks third among returning ACC players in career tackles. He’s been named to the Butkus Award watch list for the nation’s best linebacker.

Trenton Gill: The former Cedar Ridge punter and soccer player is now a redshirt junior at N.C. State. Gill is N.C. State’s career leader in punt average with 46.3 yards–which is tied for the second-best mark among returning ACC punters. Gill’s has 4.997 career punting yards, which is 12 in school history. In 2020, Gill averaged 44.7 yards per punt, the fifth-best single-season mark in school history.

Keshawn Thompson: Thompson is now a graduate student with the FCS Campbell football team. Last year, Campbell played only four games in the fall and sat out the spring. Thompson totaled nine tackles. He started the season opener at Georgia Southern, a game where the Camels lost 28-27 when a two-point attempt in the waning seconds ended with an incomplete pass.

Adam Chnupa: The former Cedar Ridge linebacker returns to Elon’s football team as a redshirt sophomore. The Phoenix played last spring. Chnupa appeared in all six games and finished with six tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Elon will open against Wofford at Rhodes Stadium on September 4. It will mark the 20th anniversary of Rhodes Stadium.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone Bears of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association didn’t play in 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. Brooks will return as a senior with the Bears. The 2018 Orange graduate had 16 tackles for Livingstone in 2019.

Trey Grizzle: The former Orange linebacker, who graduated in June, has enrolled at Division III Averett University. Averett will face Ferrum College in Virginia on September 4.

Taylin Jean: The 2018 Big 8 Goalkeeper of the Year at Cedar Ridge, Jean starts her junior year at Division II Limestone College. Last season, Jean earned a spot on the South Atlantic Conference Commissioners Honor Roll. She appeared in four games for the Saints between the pipes.

Brittany Daley: A former All-Conference player with the Cedar Ridge women’s soccer team, Daley enters her fourth season with the Division III Greensboro College’s women’s soccer team. Last season, Daley earned USA South All-Academic honors with a 3.9 GPA. Daley has played 45 games in her Greensboro career. Last year, she helped the Pride win the USA South East Division Championship, which was the only tournament the Pride was allowed to play in due to the pandemic.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace University women’s soccer team will open against Guilford College on September 1. Rogers, a former Orange star who is now a senior, has started all 37 games she’s played in for the Pacers in her career.

Bailey Lucas: Lucas enters her senior season with the Division III Meredith College volleyball team. Last season, Lucas appeared in 14 matches and had 108 digs. She led the team with 298 assists. The Avenging Angels open the season at Roanoke on September 1.

After UNC career, Chandler continues her ascension in Scotland

It may surprise some that the success of the UNC women’s soccer program is comprised almost as much by Calvin & Hobbes as it was by Mia Hamm and Crystal Dunn.

During her four years with the Tar Heels, 2017 Orange High graduate Natalie Chandler joined her teammates in memorizing quotes and reading books assigned by head coach Anson Dorrance. Her favorite came from a Calvin & Hobbes strip.

“Live your life in a never-ending ascension.”

From the time she moved with her family to Hillsborough from Bedford, New Hampshire, Chandler has had a relentless drive to explore and achieve. Last spring, she ended her UNC soccer career with a third straight trip to the Final Four. She had a 4.0 grade point average every semester. At Orange, Chandler led the most successful teams in the 33-year history of the program.

The Big 8 Conference Player of the Year in 2017, Chandler spearheaded Orange to consecutive appearances in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs in her junior and senior seasons. She was named All-State and All-Region. As a sophomore, Chandler was part of the only team in Orange history to sweep a regular season series from Chapel Hill in 2015.

She was even a state champion gymnast.

Chandler graduated from Orange as the valedictorian, then stepped off the stage at the Smith Center and walked onto the UNC women’s soccer team. It was a natural transition. Her sister, Madison, graduated from UNC in 2017 and recently completed her Ph.D at Michigan State. Chandler’s father, Brian, played baseball at UNC and embarked on a brief minor league career that took him to the San Jose Bees of the old California League.

So how did she accomplish all of that in such a short amount of time without approaching sleep as the enemy?

It started with a good foundation. Her mother, Sandra, and her father didn’t pressure her to learn. Instead, they created an environment conducive for learning.

“Madison enjoyed reading and we would go to museums together,” Natalie said. “I have a perfectionist gene in me. The pressure I put on myself wasn’t coming from outside forces. It was me wanting to do the best I could do.”

Her father, a business developer, moved his family from New England to Hillsborough because he loved the area from his college years.

Through the mists of time, Chandler will forever be linked to a group of athletes that will be remembered as Orange’s golden age. In her class was Mia Davidson, the all-time leading home run hitter in North Carolina softball history who led Orange to the 2017 3A State Softball Championship. Davidson has set school records at Mississippi State.

The underclassmen at that time included Bryse Wilson, now a pitcher with the Pittsburgh Pirates; Jamar Davis, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference track and field jumper with N.C. State; Connor Crabtree, possibly the best men’s basketball player in school history; and Payton Wilson, currently an All-ACC linebacker with N.C. State.

Chandler carved out her own legacy. She started her sophomore season by beating Chapel Hill in penalty kicks. The following month, the Lady Panthers edged Chapel Hill 3-2 on the road. Chandler assisted on the game-winning goal, scored by Rachel Shinnick.

“I played travel in Chapel Hill, so I knew most of their players,” Chandler said. “That definitely felt good. I was very proud of that team because Orange hasn’t had a great history in women’s soccer. That team got along so well.”

The 2015 Orange team was the most successful squad in school history with a record of 15-4-2. Chandler scored a goal in Orange 4-0 win over Cleveland in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs in Hillsborough.

Somehow in the midst of soccer and finishing at the top of her class, Chandler also found time to became a state champion gymnast. Training at Bull City Gymnastics, she excelled in the floor exercise.

“I had a lot of energy as a kid,” Chandler said. “My mother put me in gymnastics when I was a child. I always had fun doing it. It’s a challenging sport but I always had a blast. I love soccer, but gymnastics may be my favorite sport to watch.”

Her favorite part of gymnastics was the vault. Part of the reason why?

“Because it feels like you’re flying.”

Which largely sums up Chandler’s approach of ascending and never standing still.

On a fifth grade field trip to Washington, D.C., Chandler saw Dorothy’s ruby red slippers from “The Wizard of Oz” at the Smithsonian Museum. Though she remains unfamiliar with the classic film, Chandler seems to fit the tone of its title song, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.”

In 2015, Chandler went to India as a Goals for Girls ambassador. She ventured into the heart of India in Nagpur before spending a week in a very crowded New Delhi.

“Driving in the middle of the day was insane,” Chandler said. “There were no traffic lights and people were blaring their horns everywhere. There were people everywhere, riding their mopeds. Just walking in the middle of the road. Cars driving right at you. They have their own rhythm, but it’s very different from what it is here.”

Last week, Chandler embarked on another journey–St. Andrews, Scotland. She will play with the university’s soccer team while taking a one-year Master’s program in Sustainable Development. Heather O’Reilly, a Tar Heel assistant coach who led UNC to two national championships before a 16-year professional career, connected Chandler with the program.

“I’ve always wanted to study abroad,” said Chandler, who will play in BUCS 1A, the top college league in Scotland. “I’ve love studying different cultures.”

Chandler walked on to UNC’s program, where they won two ACC Championships and three regional titles. In 2019, they reached the national championship game, losing to Stanford 5-4 in penalties at Avaya Stadium in San Diego. The team not only practiced and played together, but often read books together.

They ranged from “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor Frankl, chronicling his imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps during World War II to “When No One was Watching” by Carli Lloyd, a member of the United States’ 2015 World Cup championship team.

“Coach Dorrance wants you to be a good soccer player,” Chandler said. “But he wants you to be a good person above all else. That stuck with me. There’s always room to get better and room to grow. That’s an exciting way to think about life.”

A Public Health major, Chandler envisions a career in environmental sustainability. Last month, when Orange County received a Code Orange ozone alert from the wildfires along the west coast, it left Chandler concerned. But not surprised.

“It sound hokey, but I want to leave the world in a better place than I found it,” Chandler said. “I want to help save the world from climate change. In the past year, there have been lots of natural disasters with wildfires in Australia and California. We’ve had the most extreme weather in various part of the world. It’s real and it’s happening. I get some backlash for that. I think it’s natural to make it less important than it actually is because you don’t want to think about it.”

Orange soccer’s Logan, Sydney Rogers named All-Region; Cedar Ridge’s Talley named All-Big 8

After its best overall season in six years, there were two Orange women’s soccer players honored by the North Carolina Soccer Coaches Association as All-Region 6.

In fact, they came from the same family.

Logan and Sydney Rogers were named to the NCSCA Region 6 3A team. Region 6 includes all the teams from the Big 8 Conference as well as the six teams from the Greater Neuse Conference.

In addition, Logan and Sydney Rogers were named to the All-Big 8 Conference team. Joining them on the All-Big 8 team from Orange were junior Bella Brown and sophomore goalkeeper Abby Monteith.

Cedar Ridge senior striker Emerson Talley and midfielder Nicol Anderson were also named All-Big 8 Conference. It was the third time (out of three possible years) that Talley made All-Big 8.

Logan Rogers scored a career-high nine goals this season for an Orange team that finished 9-5, its best record since going 15-4-2 in the 2015 season. In a non-pandemic year, the Lady Panthers’ record would have been good enough to make the 3A State Playoffs for the first time since 2017. Due to the pandemic, the field was limited to 32 teams, instead of the usual 64, by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association.

During a two-week period in March, Logan had a three-game goal scoring streak. That included the only tally in a 1-0 victory over Northwood in Hillsborough on March 24. She also scored in a 5-1 win against Cedar Ridge on March 22, the first time the Lady Panthers defeated its crosstown rivals since April 28, 2017. In the rematch on April 14, Rogers notched a season-high two goals. In her final game at Orange, Rogers registered a goal and an assist as the Lady Panthers defeated Northern Durham 4-1 at James Armstrong Stadium.

Sydney Rogers played on Stanford Middle School’s 2019 Orange-Person Athletic Conference Championship team, which stunned Phillips 2-1 in the OPAC title game. It was Stanford’s first-ever tournament title. She has continued that success across the campus at Orange, where she is a defender along Orange’s back line. In Orange’s eight wins that were contested (there was a forfeit against Southern Durham), Orange held all of its opponents to one goal or less.

Logan and Sydney’s older sister, Jordan, is a starter for the Division III William Peace women’s soccer team in Raleigh.

Last summer, Brown transferred to Orange from Alamance Christian School. Her impact was felt immediately as a striker. She scored 12 goals to lead the team. In Orange’s first win of the year, a 9-0 decision over Vance County, Brown scored a hat trick. It was the first of three hat tricks for Brown. She also had three goals against Cedar Ridge on April 14 at Red Wolves Stadium, and added another three goals at Vance County on April 12. In the first matchup against the Red Wolves, Brown scored twice. She finished with a team-high 34 points.

After starting one game as a freshman in 2020, Monteith earned eleven starts in net for the Lady Panthers in 2021. Playing against Eastern Regional Champion Chapel Hill and an East Chapel Hill team that advanced to the 3rd round of the state playoffs (and eliminated by Chapel Hill in penalty kicks), Monteith still finished 7-1-1 for her first appearance on the All-Big 8 Conference team. She opened the season with 12 saves in a 3-0 loss to East Chapel Hill at Orange Soccer Stadium.

For Cedar Ridge, Talley finished her career as the all-time leading goal scorer in school history. In her final game, she notched three goals as the Red Wolves rolled past Vance County 9-0 in Henderson. Talley finished with 87 career goals, and that was after her junior season was limited to four games. Her senior year included four hat tricks, including six goals against Northern Durham in a wild 7-6 Red Wolves victory at Cedar Ridge Stadium.

Talley signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne last month to continue her soccer career. She is the fourth member of the 2018 Cedar Ridge team that will play college soccer.

Anderson was a senior co-captain for the Red Wolves. She had a career-high 13 goals in her fourth varsity season. In her final game, she scored two goals against Vance County. Anderson also played on Cedar Ridge’s team, in her freshman year, that was over West Carteret in the 3A State Playoffs in Morehead City.

Among the honorable mention selections was Orange’s Katelyn Van Mater and Madison Orange. Van Mater, a sophomore who is a regular rotation player for the Orange women’s basketball team, scored three goals in her first full varsity season.

Orange, in ten games, had the game-winning goal in the season-finale against Northern Durham. She had two goals against the Knights.

Cedar Ridge’s Ianna Pfeifer and Lily Dyslin, both sophomores, were also named honorable mention. Pfeifer scored five goals in her first varsity season. Dyslin had two goals and four assists.

Alumni Update: Pfeiffer lax’s Jones named All-Conference, wins division title

Jaylin Jones: Jones was named to the Division III USA South Athletic Conference first-team as a short-stick defensive midfielder over the weekend. Jones, who played lacrosse and football at Orange, also was named to the USA South All-East Division first-team. On Saturday, Pfeiffer captured the USA South East Division championship with a 13-11 win over Greensboro College at Lefko Field in Misenheimer. It was Pfeiffer’s tenth consecutive victory, a school record. Jones had two ground balls and created two turnovers. Next weekend, Pfeiffer will face Piedmont College for the USA South Conference championship at Lefko Field. The winner advances to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Montana Davidson: On Friday, the former Orange High shortstop hit two home runs for the Mississippi State softball team in an 8-7 loss to South Carolina at Carolina Softball Stadium in Columbia, S.C. In the second inning, Montana drilled a two-run homer to centerfield. In the fourth, Davidson hit a solo blast to left field. Montana finished 2-for-4 with 4 RBIs. Mississippi State bounced back with wins on Saturday and Sunday to take the series. On Saturday, Montana had an RBI off a fielder’s choice to wrap up a 6-run 1st inning as the Bulldogs won 6-2. Davidson went 2-for-3 with an RBI double as Mississippi State won 7-1. For the weekend, Montana hit .400 with a team-high 6 RBIs.

Mia Davidson: Mia tied a Mississippi State record with her 67th career home run in Sunday’s win over the Gamecocks. Davidson hit a solo home run in the fifth inning to tie Rafael Palmeiro for the most home runs in Mississippi State history, baseball or softball. Mia is now in 3rd place in Southeastern Conference softball history for career home runs behind Florida’s Lauren Haeger (71) and Georgia’s Alyssa DiCarlo (69). Davidson also drew a walk with the bases loaded against the Gamecocks in the sixth inning. On Saturday, Mia drove in the Bulldogs’ opening run with another bases loaded walk. She finished 1-for-3. On Friday, she went 0-for-3. Mississippi State is now 27-22, 3-15 in the SEC.

Tori Dalehite: On Saturday, Mercer defeated UNC Greensboro softball 2-1 in the opening game of a doubleheader at Sikes Field in Macon, GA. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner. The Spartans rebounded to win the final two games of the series and are now 28-15 overall, 11-4 in the Southern Conference.

Jaden Hurdle: On the weekend she celebrated her 19th birthday, Hurdle had several strong performances for the Patrick Henry Community College softball team. On Sunday, Patrick Henry swept a doubleheader from Surry Community College in Martinsville, VA. In the opening 4-3 win, Hurdle earned the save as she threw the final two-thirds of an inning. She surrendered one hit. At the plate, Hurdle went 0-for-3. The Patriots won the nightcap 4-0. Hurdle hit her ninth home run of the season. She also had an RBI double and finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored. On Friday, Florence-Darlington Technical College swept a doubleheader from Patrick Henry by identical 5-2 scores. In the opener, Hurdle went 1-for-3 with a double. Patrick Henry finished the regular season 19-17 overall, 13-7 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association. The Patriots finished 3rd in the Region X West Division, only one game behind first-place Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute. In 34 games, Hurdle hit .356 with nine home runs and 27 RBIs. On May 14, Patrick Henry will be in the Region 10 Tournament at Springwood Park in Burlington.

Grace Andrews: The Catawba Valley Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory on Saturday. Catawba Valley took the opener 9-2. Andrews, starting a shortstop, went 1-for-4 with a two-run single in the first inning. Andrews later scored off a double by Lillie Pennington. CCTI took the second game 14-7. Andrews went 2-for-4 with a two-run double in the 3rd inning. Catawba Valley finished the regular season 23-11, 12- 8 in Region X. Andrews played in all of the Red Hawks’ games and was second on the team with a .461 batting average (10th in Region X). She led the team with 53 hits (4th in Region X) and 41 RBIs (tied for 4th in Region X). Andrews also scored 35 runs (3rd on the team), hit eleven doubles (2nd on the team), and eight home runs (2nd). She goes into the Region X Tournament on a 7-game hitting streak.

Landon Riley: Riley earned his second win of the season for the Liberty baseball team in a 9-8 victory over Bellarmine on Sunday. In one-third of an inning, Riley surrendered three runs off three hits. It was only the second game this year where Riley surrendered a run. The Flames earned the walkoff win in the bottom of the ninth inning when Logan Mathieu hit a two-run homer. The Flames are now 30-11, 14-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Bryse Wilson: Wilson was optioned by the Atlanta Braves to the team’s alternate training site after he started Thursday’s game against the Chicago Cubs. In three innings, Wilson surrendered seven runs off four hits with two walks and one strikeout. The Cubs won 9-3 and Wilson fell to 1-2 on the year.

Natalie Chandler: The #2 UNC women’s soccer team has started play in the NCAA Tournament. The Tar Heels defeated Denver 2-0 in Matthews on Friday. Chandler, who was the captain of the Orange women’s soccer team in her junior and senior seasons, is a senior for the Tar Heels. UNC will face Washington at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday.

Odds and Sods: Talley scores a hat trick in her final game at Cedar Ridge; wrestling, tennis news

Women’s Soccer: The standard for goal scoring at Cedar Ridge for years, and possibly decades, to come will be 87 goals.

That’s what Cedar Ridge senior forward Emerson Talley ended her storied high school career with after the Red Wolves defeated Vance County 9-0 in Henderson on Monday. It was Talley’s 14th career hat trick and the fourth of the abbreviated 2021 season.

The Red Wolves ended the season 5-9 after Southern Durham forfeited the final game of the season, which was slated for Wednesday night. Talley, who vowed to former Cedar Ridge head coach P.J. Michaelson that she would score 100 goals in her career, likely would have exceeded that total in her junior season if it wasn’t for the pandemic.

Last week, Talley formally signed with Division II Lenoir-Rhyne.

As Talley’s career ended with a hat trick, a Red Wolf freshman had her first three-goal game. Rachel Alverson had a hat trick for Cedar Ridge, as well. In her final game, Cedar Ridge’s Nicol Anderson had a brace.

ORANGE 4, NORTHERN DURHAM 1

The Orange women’s soccer team concluded its most successful season since 2015 with a 4-1 victory over Northern Durham at James Armstrong Stadium on Wednesday night.

Sophomore Madison Orange scored two goals for the Lady Panthers, who finished the season 11-5. In her final game, senior co-Captain Logan Rogers notched a goal and dished out an assist. Sophomore Isabel Jones also scored a goal for Orange. Freshman Ella Wimsatt had two assists. Junior Bella Brown, who transferred from Alamance Christian School last summer, also assisted on a goal.

Brown ended the year as Orange’s leading scorer with 15 goals and four assists, as well as four hat tricks.

In terms of record, Orange had its best season since they went 15-4-2 in 2015.

WRESTLING: ORANGE 78, NORTHERN DURHAM 0; ORANGE 60, EAST CHAPEL HILL 18

For the first time this century, the Orange wrestling team started as challengers to the Big 8 Conference title as opposed to the defending champions. Things started promising as the Panthers defeated East Chapel Hill 60-18 on Tuesday night inside Panther Gymnasium.

On Thursday, Orange rolled past Northern Durham 78-0 in Hillsborough. Only four matches were contested as the Panthers claimed the other nine bouts via forfeit.

Matthew Smith-Breeden pinned Wyatt Gardner at 152 pounds. At 220 pounds, Hugo Vazquez scored his second pin of the week. Tyler Larkin earned a pin at heavyweight over John Neiman. Samuel Crawford scored his own pin at 145 pounds. Dillon Heffernan, Talan Pearley, Joshua Dunn, Kessel Summers, Avery Clark, Chase Harward, Nate Hecht, Brendon Worsham, and Korbin Nevius all earned forfeit wins.

Against East Chapel Hill, Orange scored nine pinfalls. Summers, a junior who has committed to wrestle at Bluefield College (NAIA) in Virginia, earned a pinfall victory. Joshua Dunn (126), Jose Grimaldo (145), Smith-Breeden (152), Hecht (170), Worsham (182), Nevius (195), Vasquez (220), and Larkin also scored pins for Orange.

CEDAR RIDGE 52, SOUTHERN DURHAM 24

On Thursday night, the Cedar Ridge wrestling team earned its first win of the young season with a 52-24 victory over Southern Durham. The Red Wolves got pins from Fernando Martinez at 120 pounds and veteran James Rosati-Brown at 152 pounds.

Daina Pritchard, fresh off of wrestling season ending, scored a major decision over Thomas Johnson 14-5 at 145 pounds. Mac McGhee, Gavin Mintz, Kaden Tatro, C.J. Jackson, Wyatt Robinson, and Aiden Kearns all claimed forfeit wins.

On Tuesday, Cedar Ridge participated in a tri-match against Northwood and Providence Grove. The Chargers edged the Red Wolves 40-36. Martinez scored a pin at 1:16 in his match. Pritchard, Rosati-Brown and Tatro all earned pinfall victories, as well. At 195 pounds, Wyatt Robinson pinned Northwood’s Jason Schroeder in 1:59.

Providence Grove defeated the Red Wolves 60-21. Martinez earned another pin over Logan Armfield in 1:18. Pritchard pinned Derrick Isley in 1:43. Rosati-Brown pinned Nathan Hutcherson in 3:03. Robinson grinded out a 5-2 decision over Gavin Hardister at 195.

MEN’S TENNIS:

CEDAR RIDGE 9, SOUTHERN DURHAM 0

Will Ballenger and Colby Alford ended their senior seasons successfully for the Cedar Ridge men’s tennis team on Wednesday afternoon. The Red Wolves rolled past Southern Durham to conclude the regular season 9-4. It was Cedar RIdge’s most successful dual season since 2017, when the Red Wolves finished 10-3.

Ballenger started at #1 singles and captured a 6-1, 6-1 win. Alford started at #2 singles and won 6-0, 6-2. Junior Derrick Stephens, Bowen Woods and Leo Filley also picked up singles wins for the Red Wolves.

In doubles, Ballenger and Alford teamed for a win at #1. Walker Richards-Baker and Jason Pattison won at #2 doubles. Woods and Filley completed the sweep at #3 doubles.

Cedar Ridge will start play in the Big 8 Conference Men’s Tennis Championships inside Lindsey Linker Tennis Courts at East Chapel Hill High School on Friday afternoon.

ORANGE 6, SOUTHERN DURHAM 0

The Orange men’s tennis team completed its fourth straight winning season with a 6-0 victory at Southern Durham on Tuesday.

Colin O’Hagerty, Joseph Clark, Finn Kelly, Tristan Plummer, Brandon Kessler and Jackson Panning took singles wins for the Panthers.

Alumni Update: Elon’s Hodges starts in NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament

Photo by Abbey Lipcsik

Kayla Hodges: The Elon Women’s Soccer team made its second-ever appearance in the NCAA Division I women’s soccer tournament on Wednesday at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. Milwaukee defeated the Phoenix 1-0 in the opening round. Hodges, who starred at Orange, fired one of the Phoenix’s six shots in the game. Elon concludes the year 6-4, 3-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association, as well as the first CAA Tournament Championship in team history. Hodges was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Women’s Team of the Week after her performances against Hofstra and UNC Wilmington in the CAA Tournament. Hodges was a vital factor defensively as the Phoenix defeated Hofstra for the first time in program history.

Landon Riley: Riley closed for the Liberty baseball team in its 6-5 loss to Virginia on Tuesday at Disharoon Park in Charlottesville, VA. In two-thirds of an inning, Riley retired both batters that he faced. He struck out one. Virginia avenged an earlier loss to the Flames. Liberty is 27-11 and will face Bellarmine in a weekend series starting Friday at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA starting Friday.

Tori Dalehite: The UNC Greensboro softball team won its eighth straight game with a decisive 10-2 victory over the Charlotte 49ers at Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium in Charlotte on Wednesday. Dalehite entered the game as a pinch runner and scored off a single by Melanie Darges in the 5th inning. UNCG will travel to Macon, GA for a weekend series with Mercer starting this Friday. The Spartans are 26-14, 9-3 in the Southern Conference, one game in the loss column behind Western Carolina for first place.

Grace Andrews: After having five games canceled last week, the Catawba Valley Community College softball team returned to action on Tuesday. They started by sweeping a doubleheader over Southeastern Community College in Whiteville. In the Red Hawks’ opening 13-0 win, Andrews hit her eight home run of the season. She finished 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, two runs scored. The Red Hawks captured the nightcap 4-1. Andrews went 1-for-3.

On Wednesday, Catawba Valley swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College at Highland Recreation Center in Hickory. In the opening game, which Catawba Valley won 11-2 in six innings, Andrews went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. In the 1st inning, Andrews hit a sacrifice fly to score Alleigh Himes.

Catawba Valley won the nightcap 12-5 Andrews went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the sixth. Andrews, who started at shortstop, has hit safely in seven of Catawba Valley’s last nine games. She’s hitting. 467, second on the team. Andrews leads the Red Hawks with 37 RBIs and 50 hits.

Jaden Hurdle: Patrick Henry Community College swept a doubleheader from Cleveland Community College on Monday in Martinsville, VA. In the opening game, Hurdle hit her seventh home run of the year as the Patriots won 8-0 in five innings. Hurdle finished 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI. In the second game, PHCC won 10-0. Hurdle went 1-for-2 with a run scored.

Patrick Henry has won eight of its last nine and is tied in the loss column with Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute for 1st place in Region X’s Division II West Division. Caldwell is 13-5, while the Patriots are 11-5. Patrick Henry will conclude the regular season with a doubleheader against Florence-Darlington Technical College on Friday, then another doubleheader against Surry Community College on Monday.

Hurdle is hitting .375. She is tied for the team lead with seven home runs and is second on the squad with 24 RBIs. She also has 33 hits, good enough for third on the team.

Kate Burgess: The UNC rowing team competed in the finals of the Lake Wheeler Invitational in Raleigh on Saturday. Burgess rowed in the 2V4 A Final against Duke, Clemson and UCF. UNC finished fourth in the race with a time of 7:47.74. Duke came in first, while Clemson finished second. UNC will gear up for the Atlantic Coast Conference Championships on May 14 in Clemson, S.C.

Retro Orange Panther of the Week: Bella Brown

Our retro Orange Panther of the Week takes us back to the week of March 21. Lady Panther soccer forward Bella Brown scored two goals as Orange defeated Cedar Ridge 5-1 at Orange Soccer Park. It was Orange’s first win over the Red Wolves since 2017. Brown started her soccer career at Alamance Christian School. Last summer, she formally transferred to Orange. This year, Brown is the leading scorer for an Orange team that has had its best season since 2017. She scored a hat trick against Vance County on March 17. The Lady Panthers will conclude its season against Northern Durham on Wednesday night at James Armstrong Stadium. Orange had a scoreless tie against Northern on April 6. Brown will be a vital part of the Orange women’s soccer team next season. The Lady Panthers lose only three seniors to graduation this year.

Orange Panther of the Week: Logan Rogers

This week Orange Panther of the Week is senior co-captain of the Orange women’s soccer team, Logan Rogers. This season, Rogers has led the Lady Panthers to its most successful season since 2017. Rogers is the daughter of Sonya Barnes Rogers, a member of the original Orange women’s soccer team. This season, Rogers has scored two goals in a victory over Cedar Ridge. Her older sister, Jordon, is a regular starter at William Peace University in Raleigh. Tonight, Rogers will commemorate her senior night at Orange when the Lady Panthers host defending Big 8 Champions Chapel Hill at Orange Soccer Park. After she graduates from Orange, Rogers plans to play club soccer at UNC-Charlotte this fall. Congratulations to Logan Rogers, this week’s Orange Panther of the Week.