Aenean feugiat purus vitae sollicitudin laoreet. Duis fringilla ligula vel velit lacinia, in mattis felis consectetur. Sed at pretium orci. Ut tempus libero odio, sit amet consequat neque pretium ut. Integer hendrerit mauris nec odio auctor suscipit. Proin porttitor turpis vitae ligula dictum, a sollicitudin purus congue. Nulla viverra nisi ex, ut ornare tellus cursus quis. Nulla posuere tincidunt leo at condimentum. Sed egestas tortor a nisi fringilla, id cursus odio rhoncus.

A wonderful serenity has taken possession of my entire soul, like these sweet mornings of spring which I enjoy with my whole heart. I am alone, and feel the charm of existence in this spot, which was created for the bliss of souls like mine. I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw

myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image, and the breath of that universal love which bears and sustains us, as it floats around us in an eternity of bliss; and then, my friend, when darkness overspreads my eyes, and heaven and earth seem to dwell in my soul and absorb its power, like the form of a beloved mistress, then I often think with longing, Oh, would I could describe these conceptions, could impress upon paper all that is living so full and warm within me, that it might be the mirror of my soul, as my soul is the mirror of the infinite God!

Aenean feugiat purus vitae sollicitudin laoreet. Duis fringilla ligula vel velit lacinia, in mattis felis consectetur. Sed at pretium orci. Ut tempus libero odio, sit amet consequat neque pretium ut. Integer hendrerit mauris nec odio auctor suscipit. Proin porttitor turpis vitae ligula dictum, a sollicitudin purus congue. Nulla viverra nisi ex, ut ornare tellus cursus quis. Nulla posuere tincidunt leo at condimentum. Sed egestas tortor a nisi fringilla, id cursus odio rhoncus.

In many instances, basketball can be a true team sport. Collapse defense, tic-tac-toe passing, alley-oops – none of those elements are possible without effort, communication and teamwork. In many instances, strong teams where everyone contributes can win games, and even championships. 

But on many other occasions, the sport of basketball can create a star, a player who, nearly single-handedly at times, is the difference between victory and defeat. Other players can deliver good or even great games, sure, but that one (or two in today’s NBA) star is the player the fans, coaches, and other players expect to always deliver. And the brightest stars nearly always do. Picture someone like Jimmer Fredette at BYU, Brittney Griner at Baylor, LeBron James when he went back to the Cavaliers – superstar players who nearly always help their team overcome whatever opposition they face.

Friday night in Hillsborough, the fans inside Red Wolves Gym got to see two more players that fit that kind of bill – Maya Hood and Mekai Collins. Hood dominated after halftime to help Northern Durham overcome one of Cedar Ridge’s best team performances of the season in the women’s game, while Collins dominated throughout to lead Cedar Ridge to its second-straight conference win in the men’s. 

It was always meant to be Mekai Collins’ night. He was celebrated pregame for joining the rare group of Red Wolves to have reached 1,000 points in his career earlier in the week, but it had been an up-and-down week for him: the night after he dropped a season-high 29 points against his old friends at Orange, he finished with only four in a loss at Granville Central, a season-low. The question on Friday was a clear one: which form of Mekai Collins (and Cedar Ridge) would come to play? The answer became clear quickly: the former. 

A solid Northern Durham team played well in the second quarter, cutting an early Cedar Ridge edge down to 22-20 with strong efforts from football veterans Javion Hart and Anthony Freeman, returning to Hillsborough after wreaking havoc on the gridiron there just a few months prior. But Cedar Ridge scored eight of the final ten points of the second quarter and the first 22 points of the third, and the Red Wolves (4-8, 2-2 Big 8) cruised to a 76-51 victory over the Knights (4-11, 2-4). It was the Red Wolves’ second-largest margin of victory and second-highest point total of the season, after they routed the School of Science and Math in their season opener to match their win total from a year ago. 

Collins was his usual dynamic self from the jump, causing turnovers, snagging rebounds, setting up clean looks with no-look passes, and, of course, scoring: still playing deep into the fourth quarter with his team up big, he hit back-to-back threes to give him a career-best 32 points and salt the game away. He hit 12 field goals, including a trio of deep balls, in another stellar all-around outing. 

But while Cedar Ridge had the star performer, he wasn’t the only guy on the stage Friday. Freeman delivered 15 points in a strong game for the Knights. Derrick Smith had a nine in a typically solid all-around outing. Ian Johnson turned in one of his best performances of the season with four points and a handful of steals and assists. And had it not been for Collins’ new personal best, Sam Garbee would have stolen the show in the fourth quarter – he hit three field goals for a career-high six points of his own, and his teammates’ reaction to each one epitomized the bond this Cedar Ridge team has. The Red Wolves have now won two Big 8 games in a row, and while they won’t be in contention for the conference’s top spots, a place somewhere in the middle is now there for the taking – if they want to take it. 

In a battle of two teams still searching for the first Big 8 Conference win of the season, the Cedar Ridge women’s team turned in perhaps its best overall defensive performance of the season, but Knight star Maya Hood erupted for 14 of her match-high 22 points in the fourth quarter and Phoenix Smith saw her buzzer-beater for the tie swirl around the rim and out, and Northern Durham (5-8, 1-5 Big 8) held on for a 46-43 victory over Cedar Ridge (1-12, 0-4), snapping a six-game Knight losing streak and sending Cedar Ridge to its fourth straight defeat. 

It was an end-to-end affair in which neither team led by more than five. Phoenix Smith and Nadia Oswald were both excellent on defense, forcing a few Knight turnovers with their full-court press. Both Oswald and Jacori Walton chipped in ten points, while Catherine Coyle’s seven and Caitlin Lloyd’s six were both career bests. But just like Mekai Collins was in the men’s game, Maya Hood was the difference-maker in the women’s. She only had one field goal in the first three quarters, but she delivered five more in the fourth, including the one that put the visitors up 45-43. Nia Boney hit one of two free throws to provide the three-point edge, and Cedar Ridge tried to draw up a shot for Oswald to tie, but she missed what would have been a long-range two. Coyle dug out the rebound and it fell to Smith in the left wing, but her stepback three to tie clanged off the back rim and went wayward – it was just Smith’s second three-point attempt of the season. 

It was a bittersweet end to a great effort from a Cedar Ridge team that has rarely looked hapless in the face of a one-win season. But their best chance at a conference win fell just centimeters short, and, because of how strong throughout this Big 8 conference seems this year, the Red Wolves might not get another chance this good until they play Northern again next month. This time, they were close. Next time, they better be ready.

With the Big 8 Conference Championship race boiling down to one match next week, the Orange wrestling team had a successful, if nerve wracking, trip down east.

On Saturday, the Panthers swept all four matches in the Havelock Duals at Havelock High School. Orange captured the final match of the day against Havelock 36-35, with the final match based on criteria. Havelock’s Derek Waiaau pinned Tyler Larkin at 220 pounds to even the match at 35-35, but Orange earned the overall victory after winning eight individual matches to Havelock’s six.

The Panthers improved to 22-2 as they go into a crucial match on Wednesday against Chapel Hill that will likely determine the Big 8 Conference Champion. Orange will go for its 17th consecutive conference championship spanning three classifications.

The Tigers have already defeated Northwood, Cedar Ridge, and Southern Durham.

In Havelock, Orange defeated J.H. Rose 60-21; they romped past Northside-Jacksonville 62-16 and polished off West Craven 66-10.

Brendon Worsham scored four victories on the day, including pinfall victories against Nic Roberts of West Craven in 41 seconds and Zachariah Gallardo-Chism of Northside-Jacksonville in 47 seconds. Biggest of all was a 8-0 major decision over Tate Cringan of Havelock, the third from last match of the day. The extra point from the major decision (worth four points instead of the usual three points for a standard decision) led to Orange winning the Havelock match.

Worsham is now 20-10.

Havelock opened the dual match with a pin by heavyweight Isaiah Verspoor. Dillon Heffernan earned an 11-5 decision at 106. In the tightest bout of the match, Orange’s Joshua Dunn defeated Trey Henke 9-7 in overtime to win at 113.

Havelock took a 12-6 lead when Cody Rutherford scored a pin at 120 pounds. Orange’s Kessel Summer narrowed the Rams’ lead to 12-10 with a major decision victory over Nate Lucio 14-5.

Matthew Smith-Breeden, who won all four of his matches on the day, scored a pin over Jaylen Jarman in 47 seconds. It was the first of four straight Orange wins.

At 138, Orange’s Henry Joubert-Stanzel pinned Collin Jasset in 1:07. Tayton Alvis pinned Havelock’s Austin Dennis in 15 seconds at 145. Noah Davis decisioned Xavier McCullough 13-10.

Havelock’s Gordon Whitfield earned a tech fall at 160, and the Rams’ Gabe Godette pinned Hayden Horne at 170 to cut Orange’s lead to 31-23 going into Worsham’s match at 182.

Switching between 132 & 138 pounds, Smith-Breeden earned a forfeit victory against Rose, defeated Northside-Jacksonville’s Dakar Pearson 11-3 and pinned West Craven’s Tristan Moore in 3:32. Smith-Breeden is now 23-8 with eight pins this season.

Heavyweight Juan Navarro earned three pins on the day. He defeated Daniel Olarte of Rose in 1:48. Navarro finished off Josh Smith of Northside in 1:09. Against West Craven, he pinned Malachi Williams in :47. Navarro is 22-6 with 14 pins.

At 138 pounds, Joubet-Stanzel narrowly defeated West Craven’s Jeremiah Cannon 13-12. Earlier, Joubert-Stanzel compete at 145 pounds and pinned William Denison in 2:14. Joubert-Stanzil is 20-7 with nine pins.

Last Wednesday, Orange defeated Northwood 55-12 in Pittsboro. Nathan Hecht pinned Hue Jacobs in 1:32 to sew up Orange’s first Big 8 Conference win of the 2020s with a pin of the Chargers’ Hue Jacobs in 1:32. It was one of seven pinfall victories for the Panthers. Worsham defeated William Lake in 1:47. Tyler Larkin won at 220 pounds, pinning Chandler Stubbs in 2:57. Tayton Alvis was victorious at 145 pounds over Nathan Davis after a pin at 2:34.

Orange’s Joey McMullin joined elite company on Wednesday night. He scored his 1,000th point against Northern Durham late in the 3rd quarter on a stick back basket. After the game, McMullin was joined by current Orange coach Derryl Britt and former head coach Greg Motley during a ceremony commemorating his 1,000th point. He became the first Panther to score 1,000 points since Connor Crabtree in 2017. McMullin has started since his freshman year, when he scored ten points in his first varsity game in a loss to Lewisville Road during a Thanksgiving tournament at Millbrook High School in Raleigh. Since then, he has been a member of a Big 8 Regular Season Championship team which won three games in the state playoffs. McMullin opened this season by scoring 38 points against Research Triangle. McMullin will continue his senior season on Tuesday night when the Panthers travel to Chapel Hill. You can hear that game on Hillsboroughsports.com starting at 7:30.

Losses by the Stanford Chargers middle school team can be measured in Cicada Cycles. According to sciencetlinks.com, Cicadas spend years underground and come out like clockwork every 13-to-17 years.

It’s been about 13 years since Stanford wrestling last lost a dual match in the Orange-Person Athletic Conference. After Friday’s 47-46 dual match victory over Stanback at Bulldog Gymnasium, two things are for sure. 1. The day Stanford finally loses, a lot of people want to be the ones to say they were there for it.

2. The once-wide gap between the Chargers and the Bulldogs is narrowing.

Stanford improved to 6-0 with Friday’s win, while also handing the Bulldogs its first loss of the season.

A jam-packed grandstand greeted both teams with nary an empty seat to be found, which led to a heated gym that only increased the intensity. The Bulldogs fans showed up excited, and the buzz around the gym built into a frenzy went 6th grader Mason Pierce immediately scored a takedown on Stanford’s Luke Stitz in the first period in the opening 78-pound match. Pierce gained near fall points in the second and third period for a 13-2 major decision to put Stanback ahead 4-0.

“We weren’t expecting that,” said Stanback coach Grant Gibson. “Mason came to wrestle. We’re really proud of him.”

The lead didn’t last long. At 85 pounds, Stanford’s Wyatt Hendrick scored a pin in 31 seconds and the Chargers took a 6-4 lead.

The Chargers’ Vincent Stevens earned a technical fall at 4:09 with a 15-0 win at 92 pounds.

“He’s a fiery wrestler,” said Stanford wrestling coach Aaron Carr. “He’s one of those guys who can get some momentum going. I’m really proud of him and the work he’s doing.”

Stanback’s Pierce Prescod sent the gym into hysteria with a pin at 100-pounds. Prescod led 8-3 going into the third period. Facing Stanford’s Aidan Cain, Prescod escaped from the bottom position and charged after him like a bull trying to maim a matador—twice. Prescod earned the pin at 4:02 to reduce Stanford’s lead to 11-10.

The Chargers responded with three straight wins. Jared Hutchins, who won the 2019 OPAC Championship at 83 pounds, quickly secured a single-lead takedown to put away his opponent in 1:59 at 108 pounds.

Stanford’s Josh Cowan defeated the Bulldogs’ Lee Oguntoyinbo 6-1. Cowan got a quick go-behind within seconds in the opening period and never trailed.

At 122, Stanford’s Luke Nevius pinned his opponent at 4:10 to build the Charger led to 26-10.

“That was clutch for us,” Carr said. “The guy he was wrestling was fighting hard. We didn’t have any momentum going at that point. If we don’t get a pin there, I don’t know if we can get our guys rolling like we should.”

Stanback’s Kaden Tatro pinned Stanford’s Andre Hill in 1:54, but after the Chargers’ Laurencio Grimaldo got a forfeit victory, Stanford had a 35-19 advantage.

Stanford’s Sasha Van Praag scored a pin at 1:16.

With the match getting out of reach, Stanback’s Marcos Esparza won the most back-and-forth match of the afternoon against Stanford’s Josh Merrill. In the second period, Merrill led 4-1 after a reversal, but Esparza got a reversal just before going out of the circle. Esparza scored an escape point to open the final period, then scored a double-leg takedown to take an 8-5 lead. He wound up winning 8-6.

“It’s never easy here,” Carr said. “

Stanford’s Vincent Joubert-Stanzel got a pin at 172 to officially put the math out of reach at 41-22.

Stanback’s Joe O’Meila earned the final Bulldog pin of the day, and the Chargers forfeited the final two matches.

“I’m proud of our guys,” Gibson said despite the loss. “I’m proud of how we fought all day.”

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is junior swimmer Matthew Geib. On Tuesday in a dual meet against Chapel Hill and Northern Durham, Geib won the 100 yard butterfly with a time of 52.82. That mark automatically qualified Geib for the 3A Mideast Regionals on January 31 and was nearly three full seconds ahead of the runner-up. Geib finished 2nd in the 100 yard backstroke to his teammate , Noah Jamison. In 2019, Geib set the school record for the 100 meter backstroke at :56.98. Last season, Orange had its best-ever finish in the Big 8 Conference, coming in 2nd behind state powerhouse Chapel Hill. In addition to swimming, Geib is an aspiring pilot. He has already taken flight for various journeys across the area. Orange will return to action next Friday against Riverside and Northern Durham in the Bull City. The Big 8 Championship meet will be held on January 22 at Duke University.

The Cedar Ridge Red Wolves men’s basketball team has gone from 24 consecutive Big 8 Conference losses to back-to-back Big 8 wins. On Friday night, Cedar Ridge put away Northern Durham 76-51 at Red Wolves Gymnasium. It came three nights after Cedar Ridge defeated Orange for its first win at Panther Gymnasium since 2015. Sophomore Derrick Smith had ten points for the Red Wolves. After spending his freshman season on a 1-win team, Smith has been a crucial element in the Red Wolves reaching four wins at mid season. Cedar Ridge is 2-2 in the Big 8 Conference going into Tuesday trip to East Chapel Hill. You can hear that game starting at 7:30 on Tuesday night on Hillsboroughsports.com.

The Cedar Ridge men’s basketball team defeated Northern Durham on Friday night. Mekai Collins was honored before the game for scoring 1,000 points. Listen back to the broadcast here with Tim Hackett!