Orange High School

In just his 2nd varsity game, sophomore guard Machai Holt provided a spark against Northern Guilford on Tuesday night at Jim King Gymnasium. Holt came off the bench to lead the Panthers with 20 points, and helped the Panthers on a 13-2 spurt in the third quarter that carried them to the lead. Northern Guilford wound up winning 57-52, but Holt gave the Panthers some hope for the future. And he delivered a postgame interview admits a ton of run-ins.

“We’re trying to figure out who can do what.”

Orange Coach Greg Motley uttered that phrase three times in four minutes in the postgame of Orange’s 57-52 loss to Northern Guilford on Tuesday night. It was a rematch of the state quarterfinals from last March, when Orange had just lost superstar senior Connor Crabtree because of a broken ankle suffered three days earlier against Triton, derailing the Panthers’ very serious hopes of winning the state championship.

The two teams that faced off at Jim King Gymnasium on Tuesday night were very different from the ones from last season. Orange was playing its second game and, well, they’re trying to figure out who can do what.

Their tallest player, Eli Haithcock, is on crutches after suffering an injury to his right foot. That leaves five other seniors, the only one of which who has starting experience is Mitch Portman.

Still, sophomore Machi Holt nearly took Orange to victory. Trailing 38-31 early in the third quarter, Holt entered the game and sent the Panthers on a 13-2 run, pushing them to a 41-36 lead going into the fourth quarter.

“Mekai changed things a lot,” said Motley. “He’s actually very aggressive. He’s a good ball handler, so he actually gives us a different look. Right now, we’re trying to figure out which guys can do it.”

The Nighthawks’ (3-1) Andy Pack wouldn’t let his team lose, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter. Pack scored the game-winning layup with :53 remaining. Arba Allen hit six of seven free throws down the  stretch.

Orange trailed 57-54 when Pack missed a free throw with :2.3 remaining, but no one boxed out Pack on the subsequent rebound, leading Pack to score on a layup at the buzzer.

“It was a good fight for us,” said Motley. “We didn’t know what to expect because this was only our second game and they lost some players from last year.”

The final play highlighted what’s will likely be a prime concern for the Panthers: trying to find a low post presence until Haithock is set to return. After having the 6-7 Crabtree and 6-6 center Logan Vosburg the past three years, Orange hasn’t had to worry about a low post presence in a long time.

Now, it’s a prime concern.

“All of our guys are kind of lanky,” said Motley. “So no one is really a true post player.”

Joey McMullin, coming off a 37 point game against the North Carolina School of Science and Match, scored eleven points in the first half, but was held without a bucket the rest of the game.

“Right now, we have to get up and down the floor to score,” said Motley. “So we have to push it while we can. We’re trying to execute the way we need to. We’re struggling with that right now.”

”We have to do a better job in getting him open,” said Motley. “He’s a very good shooter.”

Orange (1-1) is scheduled to have two games the rest of the week. They travel to Union Pines tonight, followed by another road trip to Lee County on Friday night, weather permitting.

NORTHERN GUILFORD 57, ORANGE 52

NG-15  10  11   21-57

OR-9     14  18   11-52

Northern Guilford: Dakari Mitchell 2, Holden Lewis 3, Andy Pack 21, Kellen Nodge 4, Chris Herian 8, Lee Maynard 7, Rashawn Pleasant 7, Arbra Allen 5.

Orange: Mitch Portman 13, Morgan Paschall 4, Joey McMullin 11, Jason Franklin 4, Machai Holt 20.

After being led by the same head coach for 29 years, one would think a change in command would bring a change in philosophies or atmosphere.

Spenser Poteat is now the head coach of the Orange wrestling team, replacing his longtime mentor Bobby Shriner, who retired in May. Yet ask any Orange wrestler if there’s a difference in attitude around the famed Panther Wrestling room, and they’ll say the same thing: no.

So far, certainly the success hasn’t changed.

For the 3rd year in a row, Orange captured the Jim King Invitational Wrestling Tournament on Saturday at Jim King Gymnasium. The Panthers captured 259 points to win the two-day event for the eighth time in its 37-year history Cary, who has won the JKO 22 times, finished second with 239 points. Leesville Road finsihed third with 144 points. Northern Durham, which figures to be Orange’s biggest challenger in the Big 8 Conference, came in fourth with 138 points.

Cedar Ridge, behind a strong 4th place finish by Darius McLeod at 126 pounds, came in 18th with 39 points.

Four Panthers won individual championships. Senior Bailey Hawkins captured his first JKO Championship with a 4-0 decision over Cary’s Cymek Shaw. Hawkins, who finished 2nd in the JKO at 132 last year, scored two pins in route to the semifinals, where he defeated McKray Monday of Southern Alamance.

After coming in third last year, Orange senior heavyweight (and Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion) Daylan Alston scored four pins to win his first JKO Championship. In the first of what will likely be several meetings this year, Alston pinned Northern Durham’s Tyric Swennie in 5:33 for the championship. That was the only match where Alston was stretched beyond the first period. On Friday, he pinned Burlington Williams Bryce Stewart in 1:49, then finished off Bartlett Yancey’s Josh Stewart in :19. On Saturday morning. Alston pinned Person’s Noah Harris in :34 to advance to the finals.

Alston is 9-0 so far this season.

One week after capturing his 100th career victory, Josiah Ramirez won his 2nd consecutive JKO Championship, this time at 182 (last year, Ramirez wrestled at 170). Ramirez scored a major decision over Cary’s Nick Straight 14-4 in the finals. In the semifinals, Ramirez grinded out a 3-1 decision over Cedar Ridge’s Colin Davis. Ramirez started the tournament with consecutive pins over Northwood’s William Lake (in :15) and Corinth Holders Cameron Carroll (:27).

Cedar Ridge’s Davis advanced to the semifinals by pinning Middle Creek’s Jaxson Chopp in :31. He started by pinning Southern Durham’s Jamar Blank in 2:24. Davis finished 6th at 182.

Braden Homsey won his first JKO Championship at 195. Homsey, who lost in the opening round last year to Northwood’s Hunter Queen, scored a technical fall on Millbrook’s Ben Williard 20-5 in the finals. Homsey was dominant throughout the tournament, getting a major decision in the semifnals over Cary’s Dontay Turner 12-2. Homsey pinned Northwood’s Hsernay Day in :46 and opened the tournament with a pin of Person’s Zakery Lieske in :30.

Two other Panther grapplers finished 2nd. At 113, Mitchell Askew lost in the championship match to Cary’s Kobe Early 13-2. Askes, who also had a runner-up finish at 106 in 2016, defeated Bartlett Yancey’s Jacob Wright 8-6 in the semifinals.

In the 160 Championship match, Donald Cates of Northern Durham defeated Orange’s Avery Jenkins 10-3.

Gavin Wiggins finished 3rd for Orange at 126 with a 7-2 victory over McLeod. Orange’s Trey Jones came in 3rd at 170 with a pinfall of Person’s Genuine Morris in :55.

At 220, Jake McBrook came in 5th after a 4-2 decision over Southern Durham’s Xavier McGhee. Orange’s Luke Riley, in his first JKO, placed sixth at 132.

After becoming the first freshman to qualify for the state tournament, Cedar Ridge freshman Ivy Garner has been named to the All-Big 8 team for girls tennis.

Garner was the number one singles player for a Cedar Ridge team that finished third in the Big 8 Conference. In a stacked Big 8 conference which featured 3A Eastern Regional Champion East Chapel Hill and perennial power Chapel Hill, Garner provided a steady presence for the Red Wolves, who finished 13-6, 11-4 in the Big 8. Garner was at her best during the 3A Mideast Regionals, where she advanced to the championship match.

Garner won her opening singles match over April Harrington of Grays Creek 6-1, 6-0. In the quarterfinals, Garner knocked off Emma Hilburn of Northern Guilford 6-1, 6-0. In the semfinals, Garner won a the only three-set match of the championship round, beating Northern Guilford’s Emily Callahan 7-5, 2-6, 6-4.

In the 3A state tournament, Garner was the #2 seed from the Big 8. Garner was also a member of Cedar Ridge’s top doubles team with Olivia Ward.

Joining Garner on the All-Big 8 team from Cedar Ridge was senior Kate Milner, who was the #3 singles player. Milner was also a force in doubles with partner Brianna Celine. Milner and Celine qualified for the 3A Mideast Regionals. This is the 2nd time that Milner has made all-conference. As a junior, Milner helped Cedar Ridge win its first Big 8 Championship in school history and advanced to the 3rd round of the 3A State Dual Team playoffs.

Cedar Ridge senior Maddie Warner and sophomore Olivia Ward were named as Honorable Mention performers.

The Orange Panthers had two players make the All-Big 8 team. Senior Caroline Branan spent the season as the #1 singles player for the Panthers. Emma Williamson was the #2 singles player.

Orange’s Payton Clayton was named Honorable Mention.

After advancing the Big 8 Championship and advancing to the state championship match, East Chapel Hill swept the individual awards. The Wildcats’ Savannah Bright was named Big 8 Player of the Year. Wildcats coach Nick Walker, a native of Caldwell who previously coached at Orange and Stanford Middle School, was named Big 8 Coach of the Year.

You would think that a team that loses 57% of its scoring from last season would struggle come out of the gates.

And, for at least one night, you would be wrong.

Sophomore Joey McMullin struck for a career-high 37 points as Orange easily put away the North Carolina School of Science and Math 85-70 in the season-opener at Jim King Gymnasium on Monday night.

McMullin wasted no time is letting everyone know what type of night it would be when he scored 18 points in the first quarter, including four 3-pointers as Orange jumped out to a 26-16 lead.

Senior Mitch Portman added twelve. Morgan Paschall, trying to regain his basketball legs 17 days after football season ended, finished with ten, including 7-of-9 shooting from the foul line in the fourth quarter alone.

Orange had to replace arguably the greatest player in school history in Connor Crabtree, who initially signed with UNC Asheville but is now playing at Hargrove Military Institute. Paired with Logan Vosburg, the 2016-17 Panthers won the first conference regular sesaon championship in 16 years and advanced to the fourth round of the 3A state playoffs before Crabtree broke his right ankle against Triton.

That wasn’t a problem against the Unicorns, who fell to 2-3.

Orange Coach Greg Motley scheduled his team’s first game several weeks later than other teams around the state. The reasoning behind that decision was Orange has made deep football playoff runs in recent years. Last season, while Orange made the 2nd round of the state playoffs, Motley had ten players available for the season opener against Leesville Road, and four of those were JV callups.

This year, Orange football was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Motley played no less than six players who were 17 days removed from the gridiron.

Orange hosts Lee County in Hillsborough on Thursday night at 7:30.

NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATH: Caleb Pigues 26, Robert Landry 12, Andrew Rust 5, Moeshe Ikechukwu 6, William Leary 11, Geoffrey Fylak 5, Lucas Embry 6.

ORANGE: Machai Holt 7, Mitch Portman 12, Eli Haithcock 2, Morgan Paschall 12, Joey McMullin 35, Jason Franklin 2, Matt Atherton 3, Kendall Whitted 8, Zyon Pettiford 1, Ryan Sellers 1.

Last season, the Orange women’s basketball team opened 21-0 en route to the Big 8 Regular Season championship, followed by the Big 8 Tournament championship.

With the loss of seven seniors who are scattered everywhere from Starkville, Mississippi to Raleigh to Hartford, Connecticut, it’s too early to say if a similar fate awaits the 2017-18 edition of the Lady Panthers. All that’s certain right now is Orange is 1-0 and junior Lauren Cates is a big reason why.

Cates scored 17 points as the Panthers defeated the North Carolina School of Science and Math 55–44 in the season opener at Jim King Gymnasium in Hillsborough on Tuesday night. Janea Myers added 13 while Icez Barnett scored twelve.

Orange outrebounded the Unicorns 19-10 and created 13 turnovers. Junior point guard Grave Dively and Namron Chapman each corralled four rebounds.

The Panthers roared out to a 20-11 lead and led 41-20 at the half. Shannon Hunter led the Unicorns with 16 points.

Despite workouts throughout the summer to prepare for the loses of top scorer Kaylen Campbell (now at Trinity College in Hartford), leading rebounder Mia Davidson (now a catcher at Mississippi State) and center Bethlyn Early, plus the leadership of Adalyn Fleming, Jazlyn Watson and Mary Beth Dobbins, there was only so much practices could do to prepare Orange for an actual game.

“We definitely played with some nervousness early,” said Orange Coach B.J. Condron. “We got into a little foul trouble, but some reserves stepped up and gave us some valuable minutes. We got to see a lot that we need to work on moving forward.”

Orange hosts Lee County Thursday night at 6.

NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND MATH—Faith Merrit 3, Kaylah Davis 3, Aneesha Manocha 10, Christina Alperi 3, Laila Barnes 6, Shannon Hunter 16.

ORANGE—Janea Myers 13, Icez Barnett 12, Lauren Cates 17, Grace Dively 9, Nashyra Wilkins 8, Jala Rainey 1, Grace Andrews 6.

After making the state playoffs for the third straight years, two Orange Panthers have been named to the 2017 All-Big 8 volleyball team.

In addition, Cedar Ridge’s Sarah McCuiston was named to the All-Big 8 squad.

For Orange, senior Bailey Lucas and sophomore Emma Clements were named to the 14-person squad. Lucas had 141 kills, 42 aces, ten blocks, 110 digs, and placed 2nd on the team with 278 digs. Lucas had a 40% kill percentage, the highest among players with at least 60 kills on the season.

Clements led Orange in two categories: kills with 202, aces with 61. Her kill percentage was 38.3%. She was second on the team with 256 digs. Clements also had six total blocks. Orange finished 13-11, 6-8 in the Big 8 Conference. In the opening round of the state playoffs, Orange lost to eventual Eastern Regional champions Chapel Hill.

McCuiston, a junior, led Cedar Ridge with 123 kills, tops on the team. She also had a team-leading 36 blocks.

Even though Chapel Hill was one set away from winning the 3A state championship, Northwood swept the conference awards. Northwood’s Cera Powell was named the Big 8 Player of the Year while Steve Thomas took Coach of the Year honors.

Chapel Hill finished 14-0 in the conference, 17-6 overall and lost to North Iredell 3-2 for the state championship.

In regards to Honorable Mentions, Orange senior Faith Foushee was honored. So was senior co-captain Caroline Compton. For Cedar Ridge, juniors Juliann De Jesus and Rachel Tucker was also on the Honorable Mention list.

Last Tuesday, Orange 182-pound wrestler Josiah Ramirez became the 42nd Panther to record 100 wins in his career. Ramirez clinched the milestone by pinning Riverside’s Chuma Ubezonu in 1:13. Last season, Ramirez made it all the way to the 3A individual state championship match at 170 pounds, where he fell short of the title. For his senior year, Ramirez wants to earn state championships on several levels as he gears up for this week’s Jim King Invitational at Orange starting Friday.

Orange senior Gavin Wiggins has plenty to aim for in his final season wrestling for the Panthers. He wants to win a championship at the Jim King Invitational next Saturday. He hasn’t forgotten about the Panthers crushing loss to Piedmont in the 3A State Dual Championship last season in Murphy, something he would like the entire team to atone for this year. Wiggins has opened the season 3-1, including a pin of Sanderson’s Eli Kays in 1:02 in the season-opening dual match, a 76-6 Orange victory.

During Orange’s Thanksgiving Duals last Tuesday, Orange heavyweight Daylan Alston received a stiff challenge from Southeast Guilford’s Jonathan King. Alston prevailed in double overtime 8-6 to improve to 5-0 on the season. Alston also pinned Northwood’s Abraham Pena in :17 and received a forfeit victory against Riverside. Alston is gearing up for the Jim King Invitational starting Friday at Orange.