Orange High School

When his senior season started in August, certainly Cam Thompson had a lot more planned than one play in a lacrosse game. He was thinking about leading Orange to a conference championship. But Thompson suffered a traumatic brain injury on September 14 following a severe long boarding accident. He had five skull fractures, two concussions and brain contusions. On Thursday night, Thompson suited up for the Orange lacrosse team for the opening faceoff against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge, along with classmate Jeremy Carter, who is also out for the season due to repeated concussions. Thompson and Carter concluded their high school careers for good, leaving the field side-by-side following the opening faceoff. Orange would go on to defeat Cedar Ridge 12-10. 

Orange senior Jamar Davis has been the leading scorer for the Orange men’s soccer team, who advanced to the 3rd round of the 3A state playoffs in October He was a starter on a wrestling team that won the Eastern Regional Championship in 2017. In February, Davis won two state championships at the NCHSAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. Davis won the state title in the long jump with a distance of 22 feet, 2.50 inches. Davis claimed the state championship in the triple jump with a distance of 46 feet, 2.50 inches. Now, Davis is preparing for the Penn Relays, the oldest track and field competition in the United States. It’s been held annually at the University of Pennsylvania at Franklin Field in Philadelphia since 1895. 

Two years of being a quality utility player has paid off for Orange senior Caige Clayton, who signed with Division II Barton College last week. This season, Clayton leads Orange with 18 RBIs. He’s second on the team with a .361 average. In addition to playing 3rd base, Clayton is also a relief pitcher for the Panthers. He earned the first save of his career last week in Orange’s 4-3 win over defending Big 8 Champion Northwood. In 2017, Clayton joined the varsity team and hit .224 with two homes runs, 17 RBIs and five doubles. Clayton was a starter on an Orange team that went to the 3rd round of the 3A state playoffs.

A starter at 2nd base since his sophomore year, Orange’s Jason Slaughter signed with Division II Belmont Abbey last week. Slaughter hit .292 in his sophomore season with 19 hits and 12 RBI. Also in his sophomore season, Slaughter went 2-for-3 against South Johnston in the 3rd round of the state playoffs. Slaughter will play for the Crusaders, which won 27 of its last 32 games in 2017 and plays in Conference Carolinas.

From not competing in his freshman season to wrestling for the 3A state championship at 195 pounds as a senior, Braden Homsey’s rise through the wrestling ranks for fast, but not without obstacles. Homsey won the 3A Mideast Regional Championship at 195 pounds. He finished 2nd in the state championship meet. Homsey led Orange with 41 victories this season with his only loss coming in the state championship match at the Greensboro Coliseum. On Friday, Homsey officially signed with Ferrum College, where his roommate will be his teammate, fellow Orange wrestler Bailey Hawkins.

After 135 wins over a 4-year career at Orange, Bailey Hawkins signed with Division III Ferrum College on Friday. Hawkins finished 4th in the 3A state tournament at 132 pounds in the Greensboro Coliseum in February. In his senior season, Hawkins went 135-45 with 75 pins in four full seasons as a starter, beginning his freshman season when he wrestled at 113 pounds. He finished in fourth place in the 3A Mideast Regionals at Chapel Hill High and was a member of two regional championship teams and four Big 8 Conference title squads that didn’t lose a regular season dual match in 2016 and 2017. 

In a rivalry game, usually the more desperate team wins.

On Friday, the Northwood Chargers were coming off a 4-3 loss to Orange that put them in sixth place in the Big 8 Conference at 3-4, ahead of only Southern Durham and Hillside. Only the top four finishers in the Big 8 are assured spots in the state playoffs.

It’s a long fall for a Northwood team that returned six starters, including its top pitcher, from a squad that won the Big 8 Championship and advanced to the 3A state quarterfinals in 2017.

Needless to say, Northwood was the more desperate team Friday night. And they won despite being held to four hits and just one run batted in.

The Chargers defeated Orange 5-2 at Ronald Horton Baseball Complex in Pittsboro. Northwood starter Tyler Johnson, who threw the final two-and-two-thirds innings on Tuesday night against Orange, earned the win going four-and-two-third innings, allowing one earned runs and four hits.

Orange (7-9 overall) falls into a tie for third place in the Big 8 with Cedar Ridge at 5-3. East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill remain tied for first at 7–1 after sweeping Hillside and Southern Durham, respectively, this week.

Since losing to Cedar Ridge on March 19, the Tigers have won nine in a row. They host Orange on Tuesday night to start a huge two-game set next week.

The Panthers lack of hits with runners in scoring position was again a problem on Friday night. After going 0-for-9 with RISP last Friday against First Colonial in a 2-0 loss, Orange as 2-for-9 against the Chargers.

Yet Northwood was only 1-of-10 in the same category. But the Chargers scored four runs in the third inning off an assortment of Orange miscues.

Shortstop Bryce Davis, batting ninth, and Max Hundley drew walks to open the inning against Orange starter Dalton Brown. Catcher Jake McNeil sent a 1-2 grounder to shortstop Joey Berini that appeared to be a double play ball. After Hundley was retired at second, the relay throw got past first baseman Drew Clayton and went up the steep hill behind first base, allowing Davis to score and sending McNeil to third. Third baseman Trey Romel reached on an infield hit to second, pushing Northwood’s lead to 2-0 as McNeil scored.

Romel moved to second following a walk to left fielder Duece Powell, advanced to third on a fielder choice’s grounder by 1st baseman Davis Palermo, then scored on a wild pitch, sending Palermo to third. Palermo scored the final run of the inning off a balk by Brown.

Orange got on the board in the 5h inning after right fielder Colin Guentensberger opened with a walk. Guentensberger stole second and scored off an RBI single to right by Jason Slaughter. Johnson was replaced by Johnny Mazurek, but Orange sent the tying run to the plate after Caige Clayton and Cooper Porter loaded the bases. Mazurek got a strikeout to end the inning.

Orange left 12 men on base in the game.

In the 7th, Slaughter scored off a sacrifice fly to center by Mark Willms.

Orange had a chance to score first in the top of the 2nd inning. Porter doubled down the left field line in the 2nd, which was followed by Brown singling to right, sending Naz Powell (running for Porter) to third with one out. Johnson got out of the inning with a strikeout and a groundout to 2nd baseman Michael Posse.

Orange head coach Dean Dease is now at 498 career varsity victories.

There’s a small percentage of high school athletes who move on to play sports in college. Some make a mission from the time they leave elementary school. Bailey Lucas had no idea she could be a volleyball player in high school, much less one a college caliber player. Her friend and former Orange teammate Jordan Lloyd talked Lucas into playing at Stanford. Four years later, Lucas led Orange with 278 assists during her senior year. On Wednesday, she formally signed to play volleyball at Meredith College in Raleigh.