Orange High School

For the third time in four weeks, Caige Clayton came in from third base and pitched the final outs of a big Orange win. Clayton struck out the final two Jacksonville batters, with two men on base, to preserve Orange’s 6-2 win over the Cardinals. Clayton drove in the first run of the game with a double off the left field wall, scoring Jaydin Poteat. To prepare for a three-hour bus ride to Jacksonville, Clayton had a steady breakfast which included diligent attention to making his cereal, as he discusses in this interview. 

Orange 3rd Baseman and Closer Caige Clayton Discusses Getting Save vs. Jacksonville and the Finer P

For the third time in four weeks, Caige Clayton came in from third base and pitched the final outs of a big Orange win. Clayton struck out the final two Jacksonville batters, with two men on base, to preserve Orange’s 6-2 win over the Cardinals.

En route to winning its first softball state championship last year, it’s easy to forget that Orange nearly lost in the second round.

Last May, Topsail had a 2-1 lead against the Lady Panthers in the 8th inning in Hillsborough. In the bottom of the inning, Abby Hamlett, Jaden Hurdle and Hayley Funk all reached, loaded the bases for All-State catcher Mia Davidson.

What followed has lived on through word of mouth across Hillsborough ever since. Topsail Coach Eric Phillips opted to walk Davidson with the bases loaded, surrendering the Pirates’ lead with the season on the line. Pitcher Christina Givens promptly lined to center to score the winning run.  Two weeks later, the Lady Panthers were celebrating a state title at N.C. State.

There will be no celebration this year. Topsail made sure of that.

The Pirates defeated the Panthers 16-7 in Hampstead in the first round of the 3A State Playoffs on Wednesday night. Orange scored three runs in the top of the second inning to take a 3-1 lead, but the Pirates reeled off five consecutive runs to advance to the 2nd round.

Orange ends the season 11-8.

With one out In the top of the second, Rachel Tilley reached on an error and Olivia Ruff walked. Sophomore Gracie Ducharme, pinch-hitting for Jala Rainey, singled to center to load the bases. Grace Andrews drew a bases-loaded walk to tie the game. Pitcher Jaden Hurdle lined a single to left to score Ducharme and Tilley.

After that, the Pirates had its way, totaling 15 hits. Topsail scored twice runs in the second inning. Lauren Labelle, running for Annalee Hart, scored on a wild pitch. Tanesha Williams laced an RBI single to bring in Tyesha Williams, tying the game 3-3.

Topsail added three more in the fourth. Tanesha Williams lined a single to centerfield to score Tyesha Williams once again to give the Pirates the lead. Sydney Hartgrove stroked a single to center to bring in Williams and Aneshia Jordan.

With Orange trailing 11-4 in the 5th, Hurdle drilled a single to right to score Ruff. With the bases loaded, Funk was hit by a pitch, plating Alisha Pettiford. Allyson Lloyd, in her final game at Orange, hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Andrews to touch home and narrow the Topsail lead to 11-7.

Topsail responded with five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth.

Hurdle finished 2-for-5 with 3 RBI. Andrews was 1-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Ruff went 1-for-3.

Hurdle, a sophomore pitcher who started at first last season, ended the season as the team’s leading hitter with a .483 batting average. She also led the team in hits (18), home runs (3), and RBIs (24). Lloyd had seven doubles to pace the squad.

Hurdle also led the team with 68.2 innings pitched, going 7-7 with a 4.28 ERA.

Along with Lloyd, it was the final game for Orange seniors Olivia Latta-Harshaw, Alyssa Hellman and Kaitlyn Torain.

The most successful coach in Orange Men’s Basketball history is leaving.

On Monday, Greg Motley completed an agreement to become the post-graduate head coach at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham. He will depart Orange at the end of the academic year.

“It’s been a great place,” said Motley via text message on Monday night. “I will miss coaching there but excited about the new opportunity, as well. So there are mixed emotions.”

Orange won three conference championships during Motley’s run. In 2016, behind Connor Crabtree, the Panthers captured the Big 8 Tournament Championship, beating Southern Durham 68-65 in an emotional title game at Chapel Hill High. It was Orange’s first tournament conference championship since 1998.

The 2016-17 season was Motley’s best Orange team. They finished 23-7, winning the Big 8 regular season championship. Along the way, they won the Eastern Guilford Holiday Hoops Championship, beating Eastern Guilford 74-60 for the title in its own gym.

In the 3A state playoffs, Orange cruised past Gray’s Creek and Southern Guilford. In the third round against Triton, Orange looked like a team of destiny. Behind Crabtree and Logan Vosburg, Orange surged to a 28-2 lead just six minutes into the game. Late in the first quarter, Crabtree tore a ligament in his right ankle while going for a defensive rebound. He never played for Orange again. While the Panthers would defeat Triton 67-47, they fell to Northern Guilford in the state quarterfinals 56-48 three nights later. The same Eastern Guilford team that Orange defeated in December wound up playing for the 3A state championship.

Motley replaced Frank Meadows at Orange in 1997. He took over a dormant program that failed to have a winning season since the early 1980s. His first season, Orange won the PAC-6 Tournament and defeated Lee County in the 4A state playoffs during an emotional time for the school. Longtime assistant coach Bob Lewis had been diagnosed with cancer. At the time, it was thought to be terminal. 20 years later, Lewis is still living.

Suddenly, Orange had a winning basketball team. The student section was rebranded “Motley’s Crew.”

Many things changed during Motley’s tenure in Hillsborough. Orange went from 4A to 2A to 3A. He started when East Chapel Hill High School had just opened as Orange County’s third high school. Now, there are five.

As successful as 2016-17 was for Motley, this past season was tumultuous on and off the floor. They finished 9-16. Motley’s final game was a 74-29 loss to Hillside in the Big 8 Tournament.

In the end, Motley demanded loyalty from his players. More often than not, he received it.

The night after Motley’s final game at Orange, he received a text message from a player. It read, in part: “Thanks for the opportunity. I would probably be in trouble or in jail. You brought me through so many tough times with my problems and the passing of my grandma. I will always have your back.”

Having the most wins of any coach in Orange history will be a point of pride for Motley to live on the rest of his life.

But those types of texts are his legacy.

Bryse Wilson: Five starts with the Florida Fire Frogs was enough for the brass in the Atlanta Braves organization to see Bryse Wilson should be promoted. On Saturday, Wilson was called up to the Mississippi Braves of the AA Southern League. The transaction came after Wilson threw six-and-two-thirds shutout innings for the Fire Frogs against the Bradenton Marauders on Wednesday. Wilson departs Kissimmee, Florida with a 2-0 record and a 0.34 ERA. In four of Wilson’s five starts, he didn’t give up an earned run. He struck out 26 and walked seven. He’s expected to make his Southern League debut next week.

Mia Davidson: In Sunday’s 6-1 loss to #7 Tennessee, former Orange High catcher Mia Davidson set the Mississippi State softball record for most home runs in a season by a freshman. She launched her 18th home run in the 3rd inning. On Saturday in Mississippi State’s 10-3 win over the Volunteers, Davidson tied the record with her 17th homer. Mississippi State, ranked #24 in the country, concluded the regular season 35-20 overall, 7-17 in the SEC. Davidson concluded the regular season leading the team in batting average (.385), hits (66), doubles (13), home runs (18), RBI (46), total bases (133), slugging percentage (.733), and on-base percentage.

Mackenzie Cates: The Efland native was named the Lenoir-Rhyne Female Athlete of the Year on Wednesday during the first-ever Bears Choice Awards. Cates was named to the 2019 All-South Atlantic Conference First Team last week. She leads the Lenoir-Rhyne softball team in home runs (12) and RBI (42). Lenoir-Rhyne was upset by Carson-Newman in the first round of the SAC Softball Quarterfinals 6-0 on April 27. Nonetheless, the Bears are expected to receive a high-seed when the NCAA Division II Softball Tournament brackets are unveiled this week.

Brandon Andrews: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher earned his first college win as Nicholls defeated Stephen F. Austin 22-10 on Saturday in Nacogdoches, Texas. Andrews, a freshman with the Colonels, threw three shutout innings, giving up one hit, striking out one. He retired ten of the eleven batters he faced. Andrews also pitched on May 2 in Nicholls 17-8 win over Prairie View in Prairie View, TX. Against the Panthers, Andrews threw two shutout innings, striking out two. Nicholls is 21-27, 10-13 in the Southland Conference going into Sunday’s series-finale against Stephen F. Austin.

Jordan Toney: The former Orange pitcher started for UNC Pembroke against Georgia Southwestern on April 28. He gave up 12 hits and seven runs in four-and-two-thirds innings as the Braves defeated the Hurricanes 13-7. Toney also started against Flagler on April 21st, also getting a no-decision. Toney threw six-and-a-third innings, giving up six hits, three runs, striking out three. This season, Toney is 3-0 with a 6.04 ERA in eight starts. He’s made 13 appearances on the mound.

Brad Debo: Debo made pinch-hitting appearances on Friday and Saturday against William & Mary. Debo got a base hit in the Wolfpack’s 4-0 win over the Tribe on Friday. In a 5-4 loss to Campbell on Wednesday, Debo had a pinch-hit RBI single. Debo is hitting .276 and has started 22 of the Wolfpack’s 46 games. N.C. State is 33-12.

Bowen Collins: The former Orange midfielder played in Lenoir-Rhyne’s win over Queens in the South Atlantic Conference men’s lacrosse tournament. The Bears lost the championship game to Wingate 12-9 on April 29.

Jaydin Poteat is far too young to know who Vanessa Williams is, but he certainly is taking the theme from her signature song, released in 1991.

He’s saving the best for last.

Poteat, an Orange senior who has started in centerfield the past three years, led off the final regular season game of his 73-game career against Northern by lining a 1-0 fastball over the left field wall.

It was the first home run of Poteat’s high school career, extending his hitting streak to a team-best seven games.

Poteat finished 4-for-5, Dalton Brown threw five innings for his third win and Orange scored nine unanswered runs to beat the Knights 10-2 in the regular season finale at Knights Field.

Orange (12-10, 10-4 in the big 8) sewed up third place in the Big 8, ensuring a spot in the 3A state playoffs. The Panthers will be on the road to open the playoffs on Tuesday. The 64-team field will be released on Sunday.

Poteat was mobbed by his teammates at the plate, which appeared to be an emotional release for a team that needed it. Earlier on Thursday, the news broke that starting pitcher Will White suffered a broken bone in his right foot, likely sidelining him for the rest of the season. White suffered the injury in the first inning of Tuesday’s game against Northern when a liner went off his right leg. Though he refused to come out of the game at first, it was clear White was hampered. Northern tagged White for four runs in the second inning before he was replaced by Kaymin Matsko.

On Thursday with the game tied 1-1 in the top of the fifth,  Orange scored nine unanswered runs to take its fifth straight win. Moments after Northern’s Cole Singsank tied the game off a wild pitch, Nas Powell led off the fifth by reaching on an error. Poteat and Joey Berini walked to load the bases. Jason Slaughter drew a bases-loaded walk against new Knights pitcher Jordan Snow. Catcher Cooper Porter was called out on a controversial infield fly, which appeared to be more of a looper to third base instead of a pop up, but Poteat tagged up and scored anyway even though the ball barely reached the outfield grass.

Berini and Slaughter scored off an error off a grounder to second hit by Mark Willms to push the Orange lead to 5-1.

Orange put across three more in the sixth, all with two out. Poteat singled but was thrown out on a fielder’s choice grounder hit by Berini. Slaughter reached on an error, sending Berini to third. With Caige Clayton at the plate, Berini scored on a wild pitch, and Slaughter moved to third on an error by the catcher. Orange would make it 8-1 after Clayton doubled to right to bring in Slaughter.

Clayton and Slaughter tied for the team lead with 20 RBI to conclude the regular season. Poteat scored in the 7th inning off a Berini double for his 24th run of the season, tops on the team. First baseman Trey Clayton singled in the 7th, and scored off of Poteat’s single to right.

Brown threw five innings for his third win  of the season, allowing three hits and one earned run.

Orange pitcher Dalton Brown earned his third win of the sesaon on Thursday in a 10-2 victory at Northern Durham in the regular season finale. In his ninth start of the season, Brown surrendered only one earned run on three hits to improve to 3-3. The win bolstered Orange’s record to 12-10 and ensured a winning season for the sixth straight year. Orange officially finished 3rd in the Big 8 playoffs, sewing up a spot in the state playoffs for the 16th year in a row. The Panthers start play in the 3A state playoffs on Tuesday.

Orange Pitcher Dalton Brown Discusses Beating Northern Durham in the Regular Season Finale

Orange pitcher Dalton Brown earned his third win of the sesaon on Thursday in a 10-2 victory at Northern Durham in the regular season finale. In his ninth start of the season, Brown surrendered only one earned run on three hits to improve to 3-3.

Just three days removed from competing in the oldest Track & Field event in the United States, Orange’s Jamar Davis began to get healthy.

The back heel that plagued him during the Penn Relays on Saturday began to get better by the time the Big 8 Track and Field Championships started on Tuesday.

And. It showed.

Davis captured the Big 8 Long Jump and Triple Jump Championships for the second consecutive year at Southern Durham High School. Davis won the Long Jump championship with a leap of 22-feet-four inches, two inches longer than runner-up Terry Green of Chapel Hill.

In the triple jump, Davis beat the field by a full six feet with a jump of 49-feet, six inches. Jordan Purvis was the next closet at 43-feet, four inches.

Last season, Davis also won the long jump and triple jump championships, along with being a member of the 4×400 meter relay team that won a conference championship.

Davis advanced to the 3A Mideast Regionals on May 12th at Southern Guilford in Greensboro in three events. Davis finished 2nd in the 300 meter hurdles, just behind Dominick Green of Southern Durham.

Davis was the only conference champion from the Hillsborough schools,  but several others qualified for regionals. In the 400 meter dash, Cameron Michalski of Orange finished 3rd with a time of 52.06. Cedar Ridge junior Eli Tilley came in fourth with a time of 52.64.

Cedar Ridge senior Brian Finch qualified for two events. He finished 4th in the 800 meters at 2:04.03. In the 1,600 meters, Finch finished 5th at 4:48.28.

Keyshawn Crisp of Cedar Ridge qualified for the regionals in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 16.40 seconds.

The Cedar Ridge boys team had three relay teams qualify for regionals. The 4×100 team had a photo finish, finishing 2nd to Hillside by .06 of a second.

Cedar Ridge’s sophomore finished 2nd in the boys pole vault at 12-feet.

Orange freshman Cory McKoy finished 5th in the discus with a distance of 102-feet, 11 inches.

In the 3,200 meters, Orange’s Kyle Van Tubbergh came in fifth with a time of 10:26.81.

In the women’s events, Orange freshman Sasha Godfrey came in 2nd  in the 800 meters, running at 2:25.60, coming in just three-tenths-of-a-second behind Chapel Hill senior Anna Stouffer for 1st place. Cedar Ridge sophomore Allison Musty finished sixth.

Godfrey also qualified for regionals in the 1,600 meters by finishing 3rd at 5:25.94.

In the 3,200 meters, Cedar Ridge freshman Anne Morrell crossed the finish line 3rd at 12:10.75 to advance to Greensboro.

In the 300 meter hurdles, Orange’s Kate Burgess came in third at 48.89 seconds.

Orange’s 4×200 meter relay team finished 3rd with a time of 1:49.06.

In the high jump, Orange freshman Erin Mink had a runner-up finish with a leap of 5-feet, actually tying her with Hillside’s Gabrielle Ryan.

The Orange Women’s Soccer team ended its season on Wednesday. Night with a 3-1 loss to Northern Durham at OHS Soccer Pitch. Jordan Rogers assisted on the only goal of the night. Rogers was one of seven seniors on the Orange squad this year. She was named the Prom Queen on Saturday night, and discussed her surprise at winning the honor. 

Orange Senior Striker Jordan Rogers Discusses her Final Game at OHS

The Orange Women’s Soccer team ended its season on Wednesday. Night with a 3-1 loss to Northern Durham at OHS Soccer Pitch. Jordan Rogers assisted on the only goal of the night. Rogers was one of seven seniors on the Orange squad this year.