The old adage is to avoid criticism, do nothing, say nothing, be nothing.

Orange Coach Chandler Zirkle wasn’t afraid to speak up in a haywire final five minutes against Northwood at Auman Stadium, and it helped put the Panthers in the 3A/2A/1A State Quarterfinals for the first time in the 13-year history of the program.

Just nine days removed from Northwood thrashing Orange 17-6 in Pittsboro, the Panthers edged out a 10-9 victory over the Chargers in a fever-pitched atmosphere at Auman Stadium on Wednesday night. Orange’s Ryan Merrill finished with three goals and two assists. Merrill’s classmate, Caleb Davis, also had a hat trick and two assists as Orange improved to 8-3.

The Panthers will host East Chapel Hill, where Zirkle once played, in Hillsborough on Monday night.

Freshman Connor Kruse, who played at Stanford Middle School at this time last year, notched the game-winning goal when he fired the ball between the legs of Northwood’s goalkeeper with 5:27 remaining. Cy Horner assisted on Kruse’s only goal of the game.

But there was plenty that happened afterwards.

On two separate occasions, Northwood had potential game-tying goals waved off. The most noteworthy came with 4:50 remaining when Chargers midfielder Will Smith was deep in Northwood’s offensive zone and had the ball knocked away by defenseman Griffin Metheny. Smith ran out of his offensive end to scoop the ground ball and appeared to carry the ball over the midfield line, which would have resulted in an over-and-back call (similar to basketball). The officials let the play continue and Smith tallied the game-tying goal with 4:03 left.

Or so it appeared.

The referees, two of whom were college officials, gathered together and decided it was a correctable error, ruling that Smith had committed the over-and-back violation. The goal was nullified and 47 seconds was placed back on the clock. In the midst of the discussion, Northwood coach Randy Cox was called for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“They established themselves in the box,” Zirkle said. “The officials caught it and let the players play on, which is the right thing to do. They went down and scored, but the officials caught the mistake.”

Northwood got the ball back with 2:03 remaining and again appeared to tie the game when Ben Rogers fired the ball into the right corner of the net. Zirkle challenged that Rogers had an illegal stick. The officials put a ball in Rogers stick and it failed to come out while the head of the stick was parallel. Again, the game-tying goal was nullified and Rogers was penalized for two minutes, sending several furious Charger fans rushing towards the front gate of the visitor’s section to scream at the officials. Orange ran out the clock for the most important win in school history.

The game turned on an illegal stick penalty against Northwood midway through the fourth quarter. Northwood scored consecutive goals from Smith and Terry Moore to take a 9-8 lead, then called timeout. Once Orange went on the man-up, sophomore Jake Wimsatt whistled home the game-tying goal within seconds off a pass from Merrill. Kruse later scored the game-winner.

After losing by eleven goals to Northwood the week before, Zirkle didn’t have to work hard to coach amnesia for such a huge game.

“It was our worst game of the year,” Zirkle said. “By no means did we do everything we wanted to do tonight. We brought into our game plan and we’re getting as good as we can at this time.”

Merrill scored just 26 seconds into the game off an assist from Davis to spark a first quarter that featured four ties and two lead changes. Northwood’s Jake Mann, who has signed to play football at Oklahoma, scored all four of the Chargers’ goals in the first quarter, including one off an assist from Taylor Leverage to even the game 4-4 going into the second quarter.

Mann finished with five goals in his final lacrosse game with the Chargers.

Orange’s defense kept Northwood scoreless for the first 7:12 of the second quarter. Panther sophomore Joe Cady posted two goals to vault Orange into a 6-4 lead. Cady’s first was assisted by Merrill, the second by Davis. Laberge scored for Northwood with 4:48 remaining to cut Orange’s lead to 6-5 at halftime.

Davis registered his third goal off an assist from Jake Wimsatt to open the second half and push Orange ahead 7-5. Northwood’s Ben Rogers and Mann scored to even the game, but Merrill whipped a shot past Northwood goalkeeper Hunter Klingel to put Orange back into the lead going into the fourth quarter.

Orange goalkeeper Chase Hawkins, who made several vital saves during the second half, emerged to become an unlikely hero. After playing in net as a sophomore for Orange’s playoff win over Northside-Jacksonville in 2019, Hawkins appeared to have hung up his lacrosse jersey after the 2020 season was abandoned because of the pandemic. However, the Panthers have spent this season playing without its top two goalkeepers, who are both with the football team. Hawkins, who has been known to drive a tractor to school, was summoned out of retirement by Zirkle earlier this month and started only his second game of the year on Wednesday night.

He wound up earning the win on a night no Orange fan will soon forget.

For the first time in the 13-year history of the program, the Orange men’s lacrosse team is going to the state quarterfinals. In a wild finish in front of an emotional crowd at Auman Stadium on Wednesday night, the Panthers defeated Northwood 10-9. Orange senior Caleb Davis finished with three goals and two assists. Davis’ classmate, Ryan Merrill, also had three goals and two assists. Just nine days prior to Wednesday’s game, Northwood walloped Orange 17-6 in Pittsboro. Chase Hawkins, the Orange goalkeeper, earned the win in net. It was only his second start of the season. Hawkins had seemingly hung up his lacrosse jersey to focus on his post-Orange professional life, but was talked into playing the postseason by Orange Coach Chandler Zirkle. Hawkins earned his second career postseason win. Orange will host East Chapel Hill in the 3A/2A/1A quarterfinals on Monday night at Auman Stadium.

Joey McMullin: On Tuesday night, former Orange guard Joey McMullin announced he was transferring from Division III Bryn Athyn College in Philadelphia. McMullin had played in one game for the Lions. In nine minutes, Mcmullin scored four points in a loss to Lancaster Bible on March 6. Originally, McMullin committed to play at Division III Pfeiffer before changing plans. McMullin was the last Orange player to reach 1,000 points for his career and was a starter on Orange’s 2017 Big 8 Conference Regular Season Championship team.

Landon Riley: Liberty closer Landon Riley earned his fourth save as he shut down #14 North Carolina again in a 8-4 win at at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA on Tuesday night. Riley entered the game with two out in the top of the eighth inning with the Flames ahead 6-4. He faced the minimum of four batters and struck out two of them. It was Riley’s second save against the Tar Heels in a week. Liberty tied a program record with its ninth straight win. In that span, the Flames bullpen has only allowed four earned runs over 35 and two-thirds innings. Liberty is 11-5 overall, 3-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team fell to UNC Wilmington 3-1 in its Colonial Athletic Association opener at Rudd Field on Saturday. Hodges had a shot on net for the Phoenix, who fall to 1-1 overall, 0-1 in the CAA.

Brittany Daley: Division III Methodist defeated William Peace 4-2 at Monarch Soccer Stadium in Fayetteville on Saturday. Daley, a former Cedar Ridge All-Conference performer, started at center back for the Pride. Greensboro is 3-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team defeated Pfeiffer 2-1 in overtime at WakeMed Soccer Park on Saturday. Rogers started at wingback for the Pacers, who improved to 3-4 overall, 2-3 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team defeated Greensboro College 16-12 at Pride Field on Friday. Jones, a defenseman for the Falcons, collected a ground ball as Pfeiffer improved to 3-1. It was their USA South Athletic Conference opener. Pfeiffer travels to William Peace tonight, then hosts Methodist on Sunday.

Bailey Lucas: Former Orange High outside hitter Bailey Lucas continues to start for the Division III Meredith volleyball team. On Saturday, William Peace swept a doubleheader from the Avenging Angels. The Pacers swept the opening match 3-0 on scores of 30-28, 25-21, and 25-20. Lucas started for Meredith and finished with 32 assists, four kills and nine digs.

Peace won the second match in five sets on scores of 20-25, 25-17, 25-18, 21-25 and 15-6. Lucas played all five sets and came away with one kill, 21 assists, and 13 digs.

Last Wednesday, Meredith defeated Pfeiffer 3-0 on scores of 25-11, 25-18 and 25-18. Lucas started once again and finished with one kill, 26 assists and four digs. Meredith is 2-3, 1-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Olivia Ward: Ward, a former All-Big 8 Conference performer at Cedar Ridge, has started her tennis career at Methodist. She has participated in six matches for the Monarchs. Methodist has an overall record of 4-7, 1-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

“The worst softball field there is is one with nobody on it.”

That’s what Cedar Ridge coach Allen Byrd said last March, a week after the North Carolina High School Athletic Association suspended the spring sports season.

The thing about a baseball or a softball coach is that they never stop being coaches. Even during a pandemic.

Last spring, in the weeks after Cedar Ridge’s season suddenly stopped after just four games, Byrd would travel down the empty roads through Hillsborough to Red Wolves Softball Stadium several times a week. He knew there would be no games or practices. With the outside world sparsely populated, Byrd kept himself busy with his side job. The outfield grass needed a trim every few days. The infield had to be dragged. Byrd and his assistant, Brian Rhew, even put up a new scoreboard in left field. It was just as well, since third baseman Takia Nichols hit a home run off the old scoreboard in a game against West Johnston just before the season abruptly ended. (Nichols was intentionally walked in her subsequent three plate appearances that night).

While every senior class at every school felt like something was robbed from them last spring, the Cedar Ridge Class of 2020 wasn’t just another group. They were responsible for the most successful softball run in school history.

Just after Orange won the 2017 3A State Championship, Cedar Ridge started a run of dominance in the Big 8 Conference. In 2018, behind pitcher Rivers Andrews, Dalehite, catcher Kymberlie Thacker and 1st baseman Kara Wagoner, the Red Wolves romped their way to the first softball conference title in school history with a 17-1 overall record. They finished a perfect 14-0 in the Big 8, outscoring opposition 163-7. The Red Wolves advanced to the 3rd round of the state playoffs, where they lost a 9-inning heartbreaker to West Brunswick in Shallotte. Byrd was so uncertain the wrong team won, he reported to his job the following morning at the Mebane Police Department bleary eyed after a sleepless night.

Cedar Ridge and Orange tied for the Big 8 title in 2019, but Cedar Ridge won a tiebreaker against the Lady Panthers to take the top overall seed in the Big 8. Again, Cedar Ridge reached the third round of the state playoffs, only to lose to eventual state champion Eastern Alamance in Mebane.

A year later, the day after the North Carolina High School Athletic Association decided to suspend the spring sports season (initially until April 6, 2020, ultimately canceled outright), Cedar Ridge lost to West Johnston. The following night, the Red Wolves were supposed to face Chapel Hill in a doubleheader, but it was canceled.

“It was uncharted waters for everyone involved,” said Byrd.

Five Cedar Ridge seniors never played together again. Going into the year, the biggest part of Cedar Ridge’s senior class was already lost for the season. Tori Dalehite, the 2018 Big 8 Hitter of the Year, suffered a torn ACL in a basketball game just weeks before the softball practice started. The rest of the 2020 Class of Rachel Serre, Emma Roby, Alyssa Serre, and Cailyn Thornton still wanted a chance to win a third straight Big 8 championship.

Dalehite is still on the diamond as a freshman at UNC Greensboro, but the rest of her classmates had their softball careers come to a sudden end.

For a group that help build Cedar Ridge softball into a local power, they deserved better.

“None of those girls were going to the next level to play,” Byrd said. “From a softball standpoint, the pandemic was the end of the road for them. Our goal was to win the conference again, then make a run in the playoffs. They didn’t get a chance to experience that. Several of them would have been All-Conference. They wanted to play Orange and go against kids they had grown up playing against. It was all taken away from them.”

The good news for Cedar Ridge is, starting tonight, there will be players on the field again. They’ll start the Big 8 Conference season against Northwood in Pittsboro.

As was the case with volleyball and basketball, the Big 8 Athletic Directors have voted to count only the initial meetings between conference rivals into the conference standings. That makes tonight’s game extra important.

Nichols returns for her junior season. A freshman sensation from the first game, Nichols hit eight home runs as a rookie. In only four games in 2020, she still hit five home runs. If Nichols had a full sophomore season, its possible she could have approached the North Carolina career home run record held by former Orange catcher Mia Davidson, now at Mississippi State.

Also returning is junior Olivia Aitkin, who started several games at pitcher. Another option inside the circle is senior Alexandria Matthews. Junior Ava Lowry will return and could play first base.

The Red Wolves open with Northwood, then face Chapel Hill on Friday. Next week, they travel to Orange for a huge early season matchup.

Competition will come hot and heavy early for Cedar Ridge, but part of the allure for Byrd will be that the fields will no longer be empty.

Chandler Zirkle is a man of his word.

Last season, Zirkle vowed to his seniors that if they reached the state playoffs, he would dye his hair blond. Since there was no finish to the 2020 season, that vow went resolved.

Until Monday night. Orange completed a perfect conference season with a win at Vance Charter in Henderson.

So as he led Orange out on the field for its state playoff game against Terry Sanford on Monday night, Zirkle’s red roots had given way to a bright yellow.

“The hair stays under the hat for a majority of the game,” Zirkle said. “A lot of this year has been building off a lot of the success of last year. And a lot of success that these senior have had. So I just went ahead and did it.”

On Sunday night, Zirkle used Splat hair dye over a 25-minute process to turn his hair a shade of bright yellow that would make Ric Flair proud.

“I recommend Splat,” Zirkle said.

After holding up his end of the bargain, his team held up theirs.

Orange scored ten goals in the opening quarter and went on to defeat Terry Sanford 17-1 in the opening round of the 3A/2A/1A North Carolina High School Athletic Association State Playoffs at Auman Stadium on Monday night. The Panthers advanced to the second round, where they will face Northwood on Wednesday in Hillsborough.

Senior Ryan Merrill, Orange’s leading scorer, finished with four goals and an assist, all in the first quarter. Sophomore Joe Cady registered three goals and two assists, while freshman Connor Kruse had a goal and an assist.

Since lacrosse was established as a sport at Orange in 2008, it’s the first time ever than Orange won a home playoff game. The Panthers’ previous postseason wins came at South Brunswick in 2015 and Northside-Jacksonville in 2019.

It was also Orange’s first state playoff win in any sport since May 2019, when the softball team edged Jacksonville in the opening round of the 3A State Playoffs.

Of course, that’s a misleading statistic since spring sports across North Carolina didn’t have any playoffs because of the pandemic. If there had been, chances are the lacrosse team would have had a postseason win after storming out to a 6-0 start with victories over J.H. Rose, Heritage, Carrboro and Eastern Alamance.

Terry Sanford (2-9), seeded #15 and coached by Casey Holbrook, completed its first season as a team. They started 2020 with three matches before the pandemic shut down everything.

Orange scored eight goals in the opening ten minutes to quickly end any hopes of a Bulldog upset. Merrill scored the first goal off a bounce shot just 92 seconds into the game. Merrill assisted on the next goal scored by Tigh Metheney. Freshman Connor Kruse got free for a goal with 8:38 remaining in the first quarter.

Cady’s first goal was assisted by fellow sophomore Jake Wimsatt. Senior Cy Horner got his only goal with 3:16 left in the first quarter off an assist from Leif Mahaney. Duncan Grant tallied his first goal unassisted to put Orange ahead 8-0.

In the second quarter, Wimsatt opened the scoring to put Orange ahead 11-0. Junior Brantly Porterfield notched consecutive goals, each assisted by Cady.

Josh Cowan scored his first varsity goal in the third quarter off an assist from Tigh Metheny. Sophomore Andrew Harris and Josh Crabtree got the final Orange goals.

In the fourth quarter, Terry Sanford freshman Logan Constandse scored the first playoff goal in school history. Constandse led Terry Sanford with 20 goals on the year.

Orange will now aim to reach the third round of the state playoffs for the first time in program history. To do it, they’ll have to beat a Northwood team that romped past the Panthers 17-6 only eight days ago, Orange’s most lopsided loss of the year.

Across Orange County on Monday night, East Chapel Hill defeated Cedar Ridge 19-9 at Dave Thaden Stadium. The Wildcats, champions of Conference 10, charged out to a 7-2 lead against the Red Wolves in the first meeting of the year between the two teams.

It was the final game in the Cedar Ridge careers of Matt Miller, Grayson Oliver, Ty Corbin, Toby Holmes, Dov Bearmann, and goalkeeper Aiden Kehoe. The Red Wolves, who finished second in Conference 10, end the year 5-4. It’s Cedar Ridge’s best mark to conclude a year since 2017, when they won the 3A/2A/1A Eastern Regional Championship and faced Weddington for the State Championship at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.

The Orange lacrosse team won in the opening round of the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs on Monday night, defeating Terry Sanford 17-1. It was a big night for sophomores Joe Cady and Jake Wimsatt. Cady came away with five points, including a hat trick. Cady’s goal in the third period put Orange ahead 15-0. He also assisted on two goals by Brantly Porterfield in the second period. Wimsatt won every face off that he took in the game and scored a goal to open the second quarter. Wimsatt also assisted on Cady’s opening goal in the first quarter. Next up for Orange will be Northwood, who defeated the Panthers 17-6 on March 8. Wednesday’s game will be at Auman Stadium and will be the first time that Orange has ever hosted a second round playoff game.

Late in Monday’s win, a player wearing #40 for Orange found his way into the game. On the broadcast, Hillsboroughsports.com play-by-play man Jeff Hamlin didn’t have a #40 in his roster, so the player was dubbed “The Midnight Rider” on the broadcast. This was based off an angle from 1987 NWA Wrestling featuring Dusty Rhodes. In the aftermath of Monday’s game, the identity of the Midnight Rider was unveiled as Bryce Graham, who joined us for this interview. The revelation of the Midnight Rider in 2021 was much more sensical than the 1987 version.