Orange High School

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior Alex Andre. On Friday night, Andre became a member of the first Orange men’s swimming relay team in school history to win a state championship. In the 400 yard freestyle relay, the final race of the 3A State Championships at the Triangle Aquatic Center in Cary, Andre completed the opening 100 yard in 49.22, putting Orange in the lead and they would eventually take the championship. This season, Andre helped Orange win the Central Conference championship. He captured the 200 yard individual medley conference title for the second year in a row. Last week, Andre captured the 200 IM Regional Championship at the Greensboro Aquatic Center. It greatly helped Orange win the Central Regional championship for the first time in school. history. On Friday night, Andre finished 2nd in the 500 yard freestyle in the state championships. He finished third in the 200 yard individual medley in the state championships, finishing at 1:57.92. Over the past four years, Andre has been an invaluable part of the longest sustained success in Orange men’s swimming history. The daily morning workouts at the Orange County SportsPlex proved to be worth it in the end as Andre helped Orange finish 3rd in the team standings at the state championships. Andre’s name will live on for years to come in the record books.

(Editor’s note: the attached interview was recorded in 2024.)

Orange Panther of the Week: Alex Andre

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior Alex Andre. On Friday night, Andre became a member of the first Orange men’s swimming relay team in school history to win a state championship.

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Orange women’s basketball team is trying to finish in second place in the Central Conference. Last Friday, the Lady Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge 35-29. Evelyn George scored eleven points to lead Orange. Shannon Murphy had a crucial 3-pointer as Orange pulled away in the final minutes. Addie Atkins also knocked down a three-pointer as the Lady Panthers swept the season series from the Red Wolves. George was honored before the game against Walter Williams last month for scoring over 1,000 points. Last year, she grabbed her 500th rebound. Recently, she committed to play at Division III Guilford College. Next Friday, George, Murphy, Marshea Byrd, Bryce Jones, and  Rhiley Crabtree will be honored during Orange’s senior night ceremony. Orange is 14-8 after its win over Southern Alamance on Friday night. In that game, George earned her 24th career double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds, along with six steals. Murphy added 13 points, including 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. If Orange can win against Eastern Alamance, it will improve their chances of earning the #2 seed for the Central Conference Tournament. Orange will host the semifinals and championship games in the men’s and women’s tournaments. Western Alamance has claimed the regular season conference championship and will be the #1 seed.

Orange women’s basketball’s Evelyn George, Shannon Murphy & Addie Atkins discuss win vs. Cedar Ridge

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Orange women’s basketball team is trying to finish in second place in the Central Conference. Last Friday, the Lady Panthers defeated Cedar Ridge 35-29. Evelyn George scored eleven points to lead Orange. Shannon Murphy had a crucial 3-pointer as Orange pulled away in the final minutes.

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Finally, Orange men’s basketball came home on Tuesday night.

For Freddy Sneed, it wasn’t just another home game. Along with his classmates Xandrell Pennix, Michael Clark and Ethan Ellis, it’s the start of a stretch run that started when they were freshmen, where times were hardly glamorous.

Following ten consecutive games on the road, Sneed scored a career-high 21 points as Orange defeated Walter Williams 72-54 at Panther Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Junior point guard Kai Wade added 21 points as the Panthers maintained its share of first place in the Central Conference, still tied in the loss column with Eastern Alamance.

Sneed played regularly with Pennix as freshmen in 2021-2022 on an Orange team that finished 8-17. Now, they’re gunning for a second straight Central Conference regular season championship.

It was Orange’s fourth wire-to-wire win in five games. As usual, the Panthers offense jump started its defense. The Panthers started the game on a 7-0 run, triggered by a 3-pointer from Wade. On the subsequent possession, Pennix poked the ball away from Williams’ Colby Elliott, then dumped the ball to Sneed for a breakaway lay-in.

Orange would increase the lead to 43-29 after two free throws by Wade in the second half, but the Bulldogs made a charge in the third quarter. Elliott drained three consecutive 3-pointers, followed by another shot from downtown by point guard Cavion Stokes. That reduced Orange’s lead to 47-41 with 1:11 remaining in the third quarter.

That would be the final 3-pointer for the Bulldogs. Wade made four free throws, followed by a 3-pointer from Clark from 26-feet, which he claimed was the deepest shot of his career. Orange would push its lead to 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Elliott led the Bulldogs with 28 points, the only Williams player in double figures.

BURLINGTON–Methodically, Orange senior Braden Crawford ended a period of dominance at his final Central Conference Tournament championship meet.

Crawford won his 3rd tournament championship at 138-pounds, pinning Jameer Farmer of Person in the championship match in 1:20. It was more than a championship final for Crawford. In his four years at Orange, he has never lost a conference match.

Crawford likely would have very likely had four tournament championships on his resume. In 2022, the Central Tournament, slated for Eastern Alamance High, was canceled because of winter weather. He won all five of his conference matches he competed in during the 2021-2022 season.

Crawford, who won the championship of the Eagle Invitational in Mebane on December 21, will go into the Mideast Regionals with an overall record of 27-7 on the season. He has 124 career wins. Crawford won his 100th career match during the Wolverine Challenge at Wakefield High School in November. He has qualified for the state championships three times. As a sophomore, he finished 2nd in the Mideast Regionals at 126 pounds.

“I feel, great, excited and happy,” Crawford said as he held the completed tournament bracket in his hands following the awards ceremony last Saturday.

Overall, Orange had its best showing as a team in the Central Conference Tournament since 2023. Bolstered by four individual championships, the Panthers finished 2nd in the team standings with 178 points. Person, which completed the regular season 17-0 under the direction of former Orange High wrestler Chase Kernodle, captured the team championship with 211 points. It’s the first time since 1976 that Person won a regular season and conference tournament championship in the same season.

Senior Jayden Medley captured his first tournament championship at 215 pounds. Medley earned a technical fall over Alfonzo Gonzalez of Eastern Alamance 15-0 in the semifinals, then pinned Western Alamance’s Esaiah Slade in 4:56 to earn the title. Medley, who is 27-8 this season, earned his second individual title of the year. He also won the Eagle Invitational in December. Medley earned All-Conference honors in football, finishing with 104 tackles, second on the team.

Freshman Jordan Barbee continued a strong season by winning the 190 pound tournament. Barbee scored a major decision over Sawyer Marshall of Walter Williams 17-8 in the championship match. Barbee, who was the top seed, pinned Christian Burwell of Person in 2:25 in the semifinals. Barbee improved to 22-9. In December, Barbee won all five of his matches at the Rumble in the Jungle event at Carrboro High School.

The surprise of the day came at 175 pounds. Sophomore Connor Harward captured the championship for the Panthers, his first individual title. The top-seed, Gage Latta of Person, came into the tournament with a 34-7 record. Walter Williams’ Gavin McMahon pinned Latta in the semifinals in 3:57. Harward, who was the sixth-seed, trailed Cedar Ridge’s Will Meyer 6-2 going into the final period of the second semifinal match.  Harward scored four near fall points in the final period and wound up with a 8-7 victory. Harward held on to defeat McMahon 8-5 in the championship match, outscoring McMahon 7-2 in the second period on the strength of four nearfall points.

In the women’s tournaments, Orange senior Ava Lytle and junior Rose Brady both finished second in their respective weight divisions. Lytle pinned Laura Blanchard of Walter Williams in 1:05. Toriana Murphy of Western Alamance defeated Lytle 7-0 to win the 126-pound championship.

At 235 pounds, Brady pinned Cedar Ridge’s Caroline DonJuan in 2:54. Eastern Alamance’s Jazmine Smith took the 235-pound title in the first women’s tournament in conference history.

On January 24, Orange defeated Eastern Alamance 60-20 at Tal Jobe Gymnasium in Mebane in its final dual match of the season. The Panthers scored seven pins to finish the regular season 10-3 overall, 4-2 in the Central Conference. Harward, Medley, Barbee, Logan Scarantino, Adrian Sierra, Markus Thomas and Renn Van Hoose all earned pins for the Panthers. Crabtree and Sebastian Guardia picked up forfeit victories.

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior forward Michael Clark. This season, the Orange Panthers are off to the best start since Derryl Britt became the head coach in 2018 even though they lost Coleman Cloer, the top-ranked junior in North Carolina, last season. Clark has delivered with leadership from the very beginning of the season, when he scored a career-high 23 points against Voyager Academy in the season-opener. Clark has been a varsity performer since his freshman season, when he scored 13 points against Southern Alamance in his first varsity game. Later on in his freshman year, he scored 17 points against Northwood. As Cloer and Mason Robinson left the team last summer, Clark has filled in every conceivable role possible. He had a double-double of 13 points and ten rebounds against Eastern Alamance on December 13 in Mebane. On January 7, Clark had 14 points in a victory over Cedar Ridge.Against Wakefield, Clark scored 18 points in a 64-59 win in the Southern Alamance Holiday Invitational Tournament. Orange is in contention for its second straight Central Conference regular season championship and Clark has been an invaluable commodity over the past four seasons. He scored a lay-up that sealed Orange’s win over Person in Roxboro on January 9, a game where the Panthers roared back from a 28-9 deficit to win. He will continue his senior season when the Panthers face Person in a crucial game on Tuesday night in Hillsborough.

Orange Panther of the Week: Michael Clark

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior forward Michael Clark. This season, the Orange Panthers are off to the best start since Derryl Britt became the head coach in 2018 even though they lost Coleman Cloer, the top-ranked junior in North Carolina, last season.

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