Orange High School

After the 2021 North Carolina School Athletic Association Dual Team Wrestling Tournament wasn’t contested, the Orange wrestling team will host a portion of the event’s return.

The NCHSAA released the bracket for the 32-team 3A State Dual Team Tournament on Friday afternoon. Orange, the champions of the Central Carolina Conference, received a #2 seed and will face CCC rival Northwood in the opening round.

The first and second rounds will be contested on Monday night. Joining Orange and Northwood in the quadrant will be Wilson Fike, the champions of the Quad County Conference. On Monday night on the adjacent mat from the Orange/Northwood match, the Demons will face Southern Nash, the lone 3A representative from the 3A/2A Big East Conference.

The winner of Orange/Northwood will face the winner of Fike/Southern Nash immediately after the first round ends on Monday night.

The winner of that match advances to the regional semifinals, which will be held on Wednesday night at a location to be determined.

This will be the second meeting between Orange and Northwood this year. On January 10, the Panthers defeated the Chargers 43-24 in Pittsboro. At the time, both teams were undefeated in CCC action. Orange jumped out to a 24-0 lead behind four consecutive pins from Kale Womble (at 113 pounds), Braden Crawford (120), Dillon Heffernan (126), and Jared Hutchings (132).

Northwood fought back to even the match with five straight wins, including pins from Ian Morrison (152) and Ethan Kuball. Orange’s strength this season has been in the heavier weight classes and it was no different against Northwood. The Panthers ended the night with four straight wins, starting with senior Brendon Worsham scoring a 10-1 major decision at 182 pounds. Last June, Worsham qualified for the 3A State Championships after finishing 2nd in the Mideast Regionals.

At 195 pounds, Acoya Isley scored a pin to put Orange ahead 34-24. Elijah Acosta, who leads the team in wins and pins this season, sewed up the match and essentially the conference championship with a 7-3 decision over Jake Dunning. Heavyweight Hugo Vazquez ended the night with a pinfall win in 29 seconds.

This year marks Orange’s 18th conference championship in 19 years. However, by program standards, it has been a lengthy wait for a victory in the state tournament. Orange won the final Big 8 Conference Championship last year, but the NCHSAA canceled the dual tournament due to the pandemic. In 2020, Chapel Hill stunned Orange on the final night of the regular season to win the Big 8 Championship, ending the Panthers’ run of 16 consecutive conference championships. Orange still qualified for the 3A State Dual Tournament, but lost to Union Pines in the opening round.

Orange, which won the 2017 and 2018 Eastern Regional Championship, last won a match in the state dual tournament when they defeated Morehead in 2019 in the opening round in Hillsborough. The Panthers lost to Cape Fear in the second round.

The team that emerges from the Orange quadrant will advance to the state quarterfinals. The top seed on the 3A East Region is Union Pines, who defeated Orange on November 23 in the Orange Thanksgiving Duals.

The Panthers, coached by Orange graduate Spenser Poteat, won the conference championship despite eight new starters in 14 weight classes. In addition to a perfect 5-0 record in the CCC, Orange won the Jim King/Orange Invitational in December and the Quentin Crosby Invitational earlier this month.

Fike wrapped up the Quad County Championship after beating Hunt 54-18 on January 19. Fike’s Deshaun Avent won the Quad County Tournament 220-pound division after beating Dallas Bailey of C.B. Avcock 5-2. Fike’s Justin Bullock claimed the tournament’s 195-pound title after pinning Buster Williams of Hunt in 2:54.

After winning the 3A Central Regional Championship as a freshman and finishing 2nd in the state, Orange sophomore Katie Belle Sikes had high expectations for her sophomore season. On Thursday night, she came away with two gold medals in the Central Carolina Conference Swimming Championships at the Orange County SportsPlex. In the 50 yard freestyle, Sikes finished first with a time of 24.77 seconds. In the 100 yard freestyle, Sikes claimed the conference title by touching the wall at 53.97 seconds. In addition, Sikes has qualified for the 3A Central Regionals in two relay events. She teamed with Sandra McCouch, Melissa Campbell and Ellie Wileman to finish second in the 200 yard medley relay. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Sikes, McCouch, Campbell and Wileman finished 3rd at 4:09.01. Sikes will compete in the 3A Central Regionals at the Greensboro Aquatic Center next Saturday. If she finishes high enough in any of the four events she has qualified for, she will advance to the 3A State Championships in Cary.

An Orange men’s swimming team filled with underclassmen up and down its roster has already proven what endless hours in the pools at the Orange County SportsPlex can turn into if they work hard enough.

It leads to an undefeated season and a conference title.

On Thursday night, the Panthers claimed the Central Carolina Conference men’s swimming championship at the Orange County SportsPlex. Orange, behind seven first-place finishes in eleven events, came away with 571 points. Eastern Alamance finished second at 396 points.

Cedar Ridge freshman Matthew Czar won two individual gold medals, which pushed the Red Wolves into a 3rd place team finish with 294 points.

Of Orange’s five individual conference champions, only one was from a senior. Two came from freshman Luke Roman, who nearly lapped the field in causing to the 500 yard freestyle with a time of 5:19.54, a full 32 seconds ahead of runner-up and teammate Greyson Brummer.

“I would say the 500 freestyle and the 200 freestyle are my best events,” Roman said. “I was pretty nervous and I think you always go into that when you have something in the first try. I just was able to put in the hard work and get all the medals.”

Roman, who has qualified for two individual events for next weekend’s 3A Central Regionals, narrowly held off Cedar Ridge’s Alexander Hill to win the 200 yard freestyle. Roman touched the wall at 1:52.29, while Hill finished at 1:52.83.

Roman also earned two goal medals in relay races. In the 200 yard medley relay, Roman teamed with Ian Moore, freshman Alex Andre and Evan Phillips to finish first at 1:49.80, which qualified the team for the Central Regionals next Saturday. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, Roman, Nick Baczara, Andre and Phillips finished first at 3:49.95, again automatically qualifying for regionals.

Czar, who grew up swimming at the SportsPlex with the Hillsborough Aquatic Club, finished first in the 50 yard freestyle at 24:15. Cedar Ridge’s Nikhil Agans narrowly came in second at 24.23 seconds, while Orange’s Andrew Weeks finished third. Czar and Agans both automatically qualified for regionals.

Czar also claimed the 100 yard freestyle at 56.60 seconds, a new personal best. Tigue Hipps of Walter Williams finished a distance second at 59.99. Cedar RIdge’s Jason Pattison came in third at 1:00.31.

“I came in with a very strong mindset,” Czar said. “I was determined to get the three gold medals and it worked for me. I surpassed my expectations for this year. I was going in as a freshman not even sure if I would even place. I was thinking I’d finish second or third.”

Orange’s Ian Moore not only qualified for regionals, but he captured the conference championship in the 100 yard backstroke at 1:00.59. Weeks earned the bronze medal at 1:05.16.

Orange junior Evan Phillips breezed to the championship of the 100 yard breaststroke at a time of 1:06.85. It was a full seven seconds ahead of Eastern Alamance’s Ethan Brouwer. Orange’s Baczara finished third.

It is Orange’s first conference championship in men’s swimming in at least nine years, and likely longer. They never claimed the Big 8 Championship, where the Panthers called home from 2012-2021.

Orange junior Evan Phillips won the 200 yard individual medley at 2:10.39, holding off freshman teammate Alex Andre, who touched the wall at 2:12.40.

It’s the third conference championship this year for Orange in the Central Carolina Conference. The men’s cross country team claimed the conference title at Northwood High in October, while the wrestling team officially clinched the league title on Tuesday after a win over Eastern Alamance in Hillsborough.

The Central Regional Championships will be held at the Greensboro Aquatic Center next Saturday.

For the first time since December 17, the Orange women’s basketball team played on its home floor on Thursday night. The Lady Panthers roared out to a 12-0 lead and defeated Person 74-61 in the first conference game between the two teams in 21 years. In just her 7th game of the season, center Erin Jordan-Cornell came away with a season-high 19 points. Jordan-Cornell has dealt with injuries throughout her junior year that kept her out of seven games during December. Now, Orange has its entire paint presence back with two weeks remaining in the regular season with Jordan-Cornell and Katelyn Van Mater back in the lineup. On the final play of the game, Jordan-Cornell threw to Katie Perkins, who scored the first basket of her varsity career on a layup. Perkins is one of six Orange seniors who will be honored next week, along with Aaliyah Harris, Jarmil Wingate, Samantha George, Haley Reynolds and Aisha Caron. Orange will wrap up the week on Friday, facing Cedar Ridge at 4:30 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It will be Orange’s third game in four days.

In a string of domination that stretches back to the early 1990s, the Orange wrestling team has won championships in the PAC-6 Conference, the Five County Conference, the Mid-State Conference, the Carolina 6 Conference and the Big 8 Conference.

Now, the Panthers have added the Central Carolina Conference championship to its collection.

Orange, which had already clinched a playoff spot in the 3A State Dual Team wrestling championships, completed an undefeated run through the Central Carolina Conference with a 64-18 victory over Eastern Alamance at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Orange finished 6-0 in the CCC and is 15-3 overall this season.

It is Orange’s 18th conference championship in the last 19 years.

The Panthers will be the #1 seed for the 3A State Dual Team Wrestling championships, which will start on Monday at a location to be determined. The official playoff bracket will be released on Friday. Northwood will take the second automatic playoff spot from the Central Carolina Conference.

The match was also senior night for Brendon Worsham, Nathan Hecht, Avery Clark, Jaylyn Roberson, Miles Adams and Chase Howard. Worsham, who won the 182-pound championship at the Quentin Crosby championship earlier this month, was a starting linebacker and punt returner for the Orange football team. Hecht, a three-year starter in wrestling, was also a defensive end and fullback in football.

Since the season started in November, the strength of Orange’s team has been the heavier weight classes, which is exactly where Tuesday’s match started. Hecht opened the night by pinning Eastern Alamance’s Wyatt Facuette in 38 seconds at 170 pounds. Hecht improved to 15-7 with nine pins this season. As a sophomore, Hecht won 30 matches and very well could have had 100 for his career if his junior season had not been limited by the pandemic.

Worsham, at 182 pounds, pinned Jackson Fulcher in 22 seconds to increase Orange’s lead to 12-0. Worsham is 24-5 with 16 pins this year. In June, he qualified for the 3A State Championships after a runner-up finish in the Mideast Regionals.

At 195 pounds, junior Acoya Isley pinned Hakim Thompson is 24 seconds. Isley, who is in his first year as a starter, upped his record to 19-4 with 14 pins. He has already captured the Jim King/Orange Invitational and Quentin Crosby Championships this season.

Elijah Acosta scored another Orange pin at 220 pounds, finishing off Jett Giovani in 36 seconds. Acosta, whose father Mike was a member of a PAC-6 Conference championship team under legendary head coach Bobby Shriner, leads Orange with 25 wins and 17 pins this season. His overall record is 25-2.

With Orange leading 24-0, the Panthers increased its lead after Adrian Sierra claimed a forfeit victory, his tenth of the season. At 113 pounds, Kale Womble pinned Kaitlyn Watson in 44 seconds. Womble, who won two Orange Person Athletic Conference championships at Orange Middle School (back when it was known as Stanford Middle School), is 15-8 with ten pins this season. Womble’s pin ensured the dual match victory for the Panthers.

At 120 pounds, Braden Crawford earned a major decision over Willfen Lopez 12-4 to put Orange ahead 40-0.

Junior Dillon Heffernan, at 126 pounds, notched another pin with a victory over Mason Tanner in 4:37. Heffernan improved to 23-6 with 13 pins.

Jared Hutchins pinned Carson Gardner at 132 pounds in 1:31. Hutchins is now 22-6 with 17 pins this season.

In what will likely be his final match at Orange, senior Avery Clark pinned the Eagles’ Jahzion Patterson in 22 seconds. Clark earned his 18th win this season and his 12th pin.

Eastern Alamance’s Ivan Benitez earned a pin at 138 pounds. Damien Beaver (152) and Julian Rodriguez (160) also had pins for the Eagles.

In the extra matches, Orange’s Daisy Lopez Sanchez competed. On December 30, during the West Stanly Duals in Oakboro, Sanchez earned a forfeit victory at 113 pounds as Orange defeated West Stanly 64-18. Sanchez became the first female wrestler at Orange to win a varsity match.

BURLINGTON–The Orange women’s basketball team found itself in a strange place on Tuesday night.

In game action.

Orange last played on December 28 during the Eastern Guilford Holiday Showcase in Gibsonville, where they defeated Northeast Guilford 52-27 for Coach B.J. Condron’s 100th career win. The Lady Panthers were supposed to play again on January 4 against Cedar Ridge, but there’s no such thing as a iron clad schedule with COVID-19 in the air.

Because of COVID and winter weather, the Orange women waited a full 29 days until its next game. On Tuesday night, Orange finally returned to the floor looking like a different team that had lost to Walter Williams 74-50 on December 17 in Hillsborough.

Orange just didn’t find the baskets when they needed them in the end.

In a tight game where neither team led by more than six points, Williams (10-3, 3-1 in the Central Carolina Conference) held off Orange 44-41 at Bulldog Gymnasium.

After senior guard Aaliyah Harris tied the game with two free throws with 4:00 remaining, Williams’ Kameryn Russell scored on a lay-in as she rumbled down the lane to put the Bulldogs ahead. After a miss by Orange, Williams’ Taniya Hunter-Smith had a lay-in rim out. The Lady Panthers had three chances to tie on the subsequent possession, but Orange was called for traveling.

Williams, leading 39-37 with 1:30 remaining, nearly had a five-second violation when guard Jainasia Bailey picked up her dribble with Harris defending her, but Bulldogs’ coach Jason Cheek called timeout. Bulldogs center Taniya Hunter-Smith drained two free throws.

Orange was called for stepping out of bounds on the next possession. After Williams’ Bri Scott missed a free throw, Harris knocked down a one-hand runner with 37 seconds remaining to cut the Orange deficit to 41-39. Orange fouled Russell, who missed the front end of a one-and-one. After Orange’s Erin Jordan-Cornell got the rebound, the Panthers went for a 3-pointer, which was no good. Bailey sank two free throws with :19 remaining to put the game out of reach.

George led Orange with 13 points. Erin Jordan-Cornell finished with a season-high 12 points.

Hunter-Smith paced the Bulldogs with 15 points.

The game starts a grueling stretch for the Panthers where they will play four games in a stretch of five days. The Lady Panthers host Person at 6 on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Orange will travel to face crosstown rival Cedar Ridge on Friday night. On Saturday, Orange travels to face Western Alamance at noon in Elon.

Men’s basketball: Williams 69, Orange 53

A month of dominating Orange in Hillsborough, the Williams Bulldogs rushed out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed in a 69-50 win over the Panthers.

The Bulldogs placed three players in double figures. Kenan King led Williams with 18 points, while Grayson McCadden had 17.

After Williams pushed its lead to 26 points early in the third quarter, Orange coach Derryl Britt benched his seniors for the final 13 minutes of regulation and played a lineup that included three freshmen. Xandrell Pinnix, in just his third varsity game, led Orange with 13 points.

Jerec Thompson, who missed the opening game of the season against Williams, was held to four points, his lowest output of the season. It was the first time this year that Thompson didn’t hit a 3-pointer in a game. Williams’ forward Alijah Richmond, who scored eight touchdowns in two games against Orange this year, defending Thompson for most of the game.

Orange trailed 21-10 at the end of the first quarter and the Bulldogs were never seriously threatened again.

The Panthers (4-12, 0-5 in the Central Carolina Conference) will return to action against Cedar Ridge on Friday night. The Red Wolves have beaten the Panthers four straight times.

Williams has won three in a row.

WOMEN’S GAME:

WILLIAMS 44, ORANGE 41

ORANGE: Aaliyah Harris 6, Samantha George 13, Erin Jordan-Cornell 12, Jada Reed 3, Jarmil Wingate 4, Evelyn George 3.

WILLIAMS: Jamera Shaw 4, Taniya Hunter-Smith 15, Kamryn Russell 9, Bri Scott 6, Jainasia Bailey 10

MEN’S GAME:

WILLIAMS 69, ORANGE 50

ORANGE: Jerec Thompson 4, Amare Morgan 6, Joshua Jackson 6, Ryan Moss 2, Kaleb Barhhardt 4, Darius Corbett 2, Thomas Loch 3, Xandrell Pinnix 13, Michael Clark 4, Freddy Sneed 6.

WILLIAMS: Kenan King 18, Avery Miles 2, Cam’ron Jones 15, Alijah Richmond 2, Grayson McCadden 17, Milton Turner 6, Willie Turner 6, Corey Reaves 2, Isaiah Ramsey 1.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior 195-pound wrestler Acoya Isley. On December 4, competing in his first major varsity tournament, Isley won the 195-pound championship at the Jim King/Orange Invitational at Orange High School. In the championship math, Isley defeated pinned Bartlett-Yancey’s Dylan Wall, the top seed, in 4:36. Isley pinned Walter Williams Chandler Baysdon in the quarterfinals. At the end of December, Isley finished runner-up in the Tiger Holiday Classic at Chapel Hill High School at 195-pounds. In a 32-team event, Isley scored three pins leading up to the championship match. He pinned Dantrell Williams of Union Pines in the opening round in 5:15. In the quarterfinals, Isley finished off Joseph Poole of Granville Central in 1:16. In the semifinals, Isley pinned Maynor Ramos of South View in 1:50. In the championship match, Isley narrowly lost 2-1 to West Carteret’s Joshua Krepe, the top-seed. Isley won the Quentin Crosby Invitational at Dudley High School earlier this month. On Tuesday night, Isley will join his teammates in going for its 18th conference championship in 19 years as Orange faces Eastern Alamance at Orange High. It will be Senior Night for Orange’s Brendon Worsham, Nate Hecht, Avery Clark and Jaylyn Roberson. Isley’s goal for this year is to qualify for the 3A State Championships at the Greensboro Coliseum.