On Friday, the Orange men’s basketball team had the official start of basketball season with the Season Tip-Off Celebration at Panther Gymnasium. It included a slam dunk competition, which was won by senior Joey McMullin. Interestingly, there were more converted dunks during the men’s 15-minute scrimmage than there was during the actual slam dunk contest. The event also featured a three-point shootout. The men’s contest was captured by Jerec Thompson, who drained 16 3-pointers in a 1-minute span. The women’s basketball 3-point shootout was won by Aaliyah Harris. The Orange men and women will start their respective seasons on Friday, November 21 at Northern Guilford. The women will start at 6 against the Nighthawks.  The men’s game will follow 15 minutes afterward. The Orange men and women will have its home opener on Tuesday, December 3 against Granville Central. Once again, the women will start at 6 and the men’s game will follow. 

by Tim Hackett

Everything had led to this. All the hard work, the long hours, the grueling drills, the tough losses, they all built up to one more moment: Friday’s regular season finale, which meant one more chance for the Cedar Ridge players to go out and compete after a year without football. One more chance to strap ‘em up with your teammates and play together. One more chance to play spoiler and uproot a conference rival’s strong season. One more chance to prove to others – and themselves – that they belong. 

Instead, Vance County quickly proved why they might be a legitimate force in the 3A playoffs in just the second year of this version of the school. A Viper team that averaged close to 33 points and just shy of 400 yards of offense in the first ten games of the 2019 season easily surpassed both of those lofty marks in their regular season finale, as Vance County (9-2, 5-2 Big 8) dominated its first-ever meeting with Cedar Ridge (1-10, 1-6) 65-6 on Friday night in Henderson. 

The Red Wolves picked up one first down and then punted on their first possession, and once the Vipers got the ball, they swiftly showcased that elite offense that’s helped them dominate nearly every team they’ve played this season save for the two Big 8 teams from Durham. Against this team from Hillsborough, Vance County scored eight touchdowns on eight offensive possessions before taking knees on their final one, and even scored once on a defensive possession, and barely allowed Cedar Ridge to cross midfield until the waning minutes of the game. Quarterback Samein Burwell, who averages more total yards of offense per game individually than Cedar Ridge does as a team, authored one more chapter in the story of his electrifying senior season, throwing for three touchdowns in the first half and eclipsing the 3000 total yard mark with another standout all-around performance.

Noah Terry, one of the conference’s best two-way players, scored four total touchdowns, two on the ground and two through the air. Davonte Evans rushed for two scores. Top wideout Phadol Jordan found the end zone on both sides of the ball, including a 60-yard fumble recovery for six in the first quarter. Burwell hit Jordan for two two-point conversions and hit William Hawkins IV for two more. Even backup quarterback Saimir Best got in on the action, scoring a 32-yard touchdown and a two-point conversion for his first trip to the end zone since Vance County’s fourth game of the season. 

The Vipers players and fans who braved the sub-40-degree temperatures got to see plenty of great plays, but they were never louder than they were late in the first quarter. Phadol Jordan had just put the game beyond any doubt with his fumble recovery to make it 28-0 in the first period, but Vance County kicker Stephanie Melgar added in some history by knocking through the PAT. Vance County’s first made kick of the season was made by the conference’s only regular female player, and the Senior Night crowd gave the soccer veteran some much-deserved appreciation. 

It was always going to be a difficult task for a Cedar Ridge team once again playing without a few regulars to contain a truly elite offense, but the Vipers, also working without a few key players, still showcased a solid defense and didn’t have to worry about poor special teams play on this night. Those latter two phases could be problematic for Vance County once they hit the playoffs, but if the Viper offense plays as close to as well as it played Friday, it’s tough to imagine many teams slowing them down.  

But even in the worst, most lopsided loss in a season full of them, the Cedar Ridge players once again showcased their resolve, tenacity, heart and desire to compete. It’s not easy to look back and say that Vance County was simply a far better team than Cedar Ridge and played like it. It would have been easy for Cedar Ridge, knowing that fact, to just give up or not even try. But try they did. Sure, the Vipers still executed, but that’s a testament to Vance County’s skill level. The manner in which the Cedar Ridge players comported themselves, in this tough game and all throughout this tough season, is a testament to their coaches, their families, and to their own characters. 

And the Red Wolves got to put up a few highlights of their own on the field as well. Zach Holmes completed another fake punt pass. His brother Toby Holmes handled the punting duties in the second half and looked pretty solid. KJ Barnes was Cedar Ridge’s best player in his final football game, turning multiple catches along the line of scrimmage into double-digit gains. Braedon Thompson, like usual, made a bunch of stops, even in the fourth quarter. And once the Red Wolves finally got into the red zone with the running clock winding down, Braxton Mergenthal got to add one final moment to his stellar senior season, running the ball in around right tackle from three yards out for his first career touchdown. One of the guys who helped to lay the foundation for Cedar Ridge’s return to football relevance got one more moment to remember, and on a cold night a long way from home, Cedar Ridge finally had cause to celebrate.

While it’s impossible for a whole season to be played in one night, Orange’s Senior night game against Chapel Hill sure felt like you could.

In an interminable two hours and 57 minutes, the Panthers defeated the Tigers 30-6 at a frigid Auman Stadium in Hillsborough. The Panthers (5-6, 3-3 in the Big 8 Conference) ended the regular season on a three-game winning streak on a bizarre night.

In terms of completion percentage, Orange senior Wyatt Jones had the best night of his career in his final home game. Jones used early tap passes to classmates Zyon Pettiford and Cam White to score on the opening possession. He finished 9-of-15 for 154 yards and two touchdowns.

“We add little wrinkles as the season goes along,” said Orange Coach Van Smith. “(Offensive coordinator) Coach (Marty) Scotten has added it in lately. It was something that worked early and it opened up some other things, too.”

Junior Elliott Woods added 80 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Now Orange will sit back and wait for Saturday when the North Carolina High School Athletic Association releases the brackets for the eight state championship tournaments. Going into Friday night, Orange had a #68 ranking from MaxPreps among 3A teams.

Orange finished the decade 9-0 against Chapel Hill, and its unlikely the two schools will be on each other’s Christmas card lists next month. In an heated battle marred by four separate instances of offsetting unsportsmanlike conduct penalties, the two teams combined for an ungodly 253 yards in penalties and one ejection (that’s not counting the personal foul penalties which offset). That led to a game that proceeded with glacial deliberation, one that nearly stretched past 10 p.m. in front of fans, cheerleaders and band members already bundled up with temperatures barely above freezing.

Fortunately, the Orange students in the “O Zone” were dressed for the occasion since it was deemed “camouflage night,” where the stands looked more appropriate for the Outdoor Channel than the NFL Channel.

That included an aiding the runner penalty in the first quarter when a Chapel Hill lineman yanked running back Tyler Woody up just as he was about to fall to the ground. In the second quarter, Orange’s chain crew got ejected over something someone said to the line judge. Orange Athletic Director Mike McCauley and baseball coach Jason Knapp had to brave the cold to handle the chains the rest of the night.

Orange scored on its first three possessions, then was stymied by Chapel Hill’s defense during the second and third quarters. After White scored his first touchdown of the season on a tap pass from Jones from 17 yards, Orange led 7-0.

Jones hit senior Joe Kiger with a 26-yard pass on a 4th-and-14 to break into the Tiger red zone. Junior Elliott Woods scored a six-yard touchdown on the following play.

After Chapel Hill had a misguided snap during a punt on its next possession, Nigel Slanker kicked his seventh field goal of the season, a 28-yarder to put Orange ahead 17-0 with 10:53 remaining in the second quarter.

Chapel Hill invaded the Orange red zone each of its next three possessions and failed to score. The Tigers were down to the Orange 3-yard line after sophomore Caleb Kelly threw to Kyhili Jones. On the next play, the snap went over Kelly’s head and was recovered by Orange’s Caulin Fansler.

Slanker was forced to punt after consecutive holding penalties against Orange. The Tigers took over from the Panther 38-yard line and drove 34 yards. Then Chapel Hill was hit with a delay of game and a false start. Kelly’s pass on fourth-and-goal from the 5-yard line sailed over Jones’ head.

Late in the first half, the Tigers got another chance when Kelly threw to Cameron Walker, who fumbled at the Orange 8-yard line. It was recovered by senior linebacker Owen Brimmer.

The Tigers had five turnovers. Seniors Zyon Pettiford, Machai Holt and Wyatt Jones all had interceptions in the second half. Another senior, Khaleb Smith, recovered a fumble on Chapel Hill’s final possession.

Tyler Woody scored the Tigers’ only touchdown on a six-yard run late in the third quarter.

Orange put the game away when Woods scored on a two-yard run on the first possession of the fourth quarter.

Jones later hooked up with Woods for a 44-yard touchdown pass. Woods finished the regular season with a team-high 18 receptions.

ORANGE 30, CHAPEL HILL 6

CHP–0 0 6 0-6

ORA–14 3 0 13-30

ORA—Cam White 17 pass from Wyatt Jones (Nigel Slanker kick)

ORA–Elliott Woods 6 run (Slanker kick)

ORA–Slanker 28 FG

CHP–Tyler Woody 6 run (kick failed)

ORA–Woods 2 run (Slanker kick)

ORA—Woods 44 pass from Jones (kick failed)

RUSHING: CHAPEL HILL 24-79 TD (Elijah Ayankoya 5-35, Caleb Kelley 7-21, #20 3-21, Khalil Jones 1-13, Woody 7-7 TD, Luke Roeber 1-(minus 18).

ORANGE—48-234 2 TD (Woods 14-80 2 TD, Omarion Lewis 17-74, Machai Holt 10-55, Joe Kiger 4-16, Courtney Edwards 1-5, Wyatt Jones 2-4)

PASSING: CHAPEL HILL 13-31 136 4 INT (Kelley 13-30 136 3 INT, Ayankoya 0-1 INT)

ORANGE: (Jones 9-15 154 2 TD INT)

RECEIVING: CHAPEL HILL (Jones 6-60, Cameron Kelly 4-34, Milad Aghaiepour 2-13, Roeber 1-11, Cameron Clegg 1-(minus 2))

ORANGE: (Woods 3-56 TD, Pettiford 3-49, White 2-23 TD, Kiger 1-26)

Orange senior defensive end Khaleb Smith played his final game at Auman Stadium on Friday night. He had a fumble recovery in the fourth quarter as the Panthers defeated Chapel Hill 30-6 to finish the season on a three-game winning streak. Smith was second on the team in tackles this season with 57. Entering Friday’s game, he was tied with classmate James McAdoo with 20 tackles for loss. On October 25, Smith made a huge interception to thwart a Northwood drive with the Chargers driving for a touchdown ahead 17-0. The Panthers would go on to win 31-30 in overtime. Smith played offense and defense the past two years. A big influence was Orange defensive line coach Eric Villines, who joined Khaleb on this interview. In a related note, Villines will become a grandfather next week, which will likely impact his ability to watch his beloved Dallas Cowboys. 

The Orange football team ended its regular season with a 30-6 win over Chapel Hill at Auman Stadium on Friday night. Senior wide receiver Zyon Pettiford tied his season-high of three receptions for 49 yards. In his final regular season game, Pettiford also had his first career interception. Orange’s Machai Holt ended his season with 55 rushing yards on ten carries. Holt had 337 rushing yards for eight touchdowns in the regular season. He also had 168 receiving yards for two touchdowns. Among the most memorable moments of Holt’s career will be the interception he had against Northwood two weeks ago, which led to him scoring the game-tying touchdown pass. Holt also scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime. Pettiford and Holt hope to play one more game together when the state playoff brackets are unveiled on Saturday morning. 

Friday night will be the end of the chapter of the lives of Braedon Thompson and Braxton Mergenthal. It will be their last football game as Cedar Ridge Red Wolves when they face Vance County in Henderson. Thompson and Mergenthal have been teammates on the gridiron for over a decade of their young lives. Aside from one year when Mergenthal moved to Germany, they’ve been teammates more often than not. While Cedar Ridge is 1-9 this season, the key role for Thompson, Mergenthal and the rest of the Cedar Ridge seniors wasn’t simply about winning. It was keeping the program alive. Cedar Ridge didn’t field a varsity team in 2018. Instead of transferring, Thompson, Mergenthal and the rest of the seniors stayed at Cedar Ridge and played junior varsity football last year. Whatever success the Red Wolves have in the future will be directly because of the sacrifice that the Red Wolves seniors made this year. Hillsboroughsports.com will broadcast Cedar Ridge at Vance County tonight at 6:55 with Tim Hackett on the play-by-play. Kickoff will be at 7.

Leading into last Friday’s game against Cedar Ridge, Orange had struggled to get off to a good start in its last three games. They trailed Northern Durham 17-0 in Hillsborough. At Vance County, they trailed 20-0 midway through the second quarter. Against Northwood, the Chargers led 17-0 and were 21 yards away from going ahead 23-0 before Khaleb Smith came up with an interception that sparked an Orange comeback.

Last Friday, Orange didn’t have that problem against crosstown rival Cedar Ridge. The Panthers scored touchdowns on four of its five possessions. The only exception came with a failed fourth-down conversion deep inside the Red Wolves red zone.

Orange had its best offensive game of the season. compiling 299 rushing yards. They finished with 418 yards total offense, eclipsing its previous high of 407 yards against East Chapel Hill.

Going through this edition of the Dire Dozen, you’ll notice how great an all-around game junior linebacker Elliott Woods played. He had the most important defensive play of the game for the second week in a row, plus he finished with a career-high 87 rushing yards and two touchdowns. On top of that, sophomore Omarion Lewis also had a career-high with 170 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Here are the twelve plays that decided Orange’s win over Cedar Ridge. We have video of ten of them.

1. Orange’s opening possession, 3rd-and-7 from the Orange 43-yard line, Wyatt Jones hits Zyon Pettiford with a 57-yard touchdown pass.

Pettiford opened the season with eight receptions for 117 yards in the opening five games. This was his longest reception of the year and his third touchdown. On opening night against R.J. Reynolds, he scored on a 56-yard touchdown from Jones. It was also Jones’ longest touchdown pass of 2019.

2. Cedar Ridge leads 8-7. Orange ball, 3rd-and-9 from its own eleven yard line, Jones throws to Joe Kiger for 19 yards.

After Pettiford’s touchdown catch, Cedar Ridge had a long strike of its own when William Berger threw to Desi Raspberry for a 55-yard touchdown pass. Berger threw to Zach Holmes on the two-point conversion to give Cedar Ridge an 8-7 lead. Orange faces a 3rd-and-9, but they stood up to a blitz. Good blocking by Orange left guard Dari’us Matkins gave Jones a steady pocket to find Joe Kiger, who finished with a career-high five receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown.

3. Orange ball, 3rd and 4 from the Orange 36-yard line, Elliott Woods with a 31-yard gain.

A strong block from pulling guard Juan Navarro helped spring Woods for his longest run of the game. After being thrown back to its own 11-yard line following a 9-yard tackle for loss by defensive tackle Braxton Mergenthal, Orange crossed midfield with this run.

4. Orange ball, 2nd-and-3 from the Cedar Ridge 4-yard line. Woods scores on a four-yard touchdown run.

Since the Northern Durham game, Orange has used a full-house formation on goal line situations with Courtney Edwards and Owen Brimmer as halfbacks. On his first touchdown of the game, Woods followed his halfbacks behind Matkins for the touchdown that put Orange back in the lead.

5. 2nd quarter, Orange ball, 1st-and-10 from the Cedar Ridge 10-yard line, Woods scores on a 10-yard touchdown run

In its final possession of the first quarter, Cedar Ridge marched right back down the field on Orange. After Mergenthal took the ball to the 1-yard line, Berger scored on a quarterback sneak. Orange methodically went down the field on the opening drive of the second quarter on a 9-play, 65-yard drive. Woods scored on a 10-yard touchdown run to put Orange ahead 22-14.

6. Cedar Ridge ball, 2nd-and-12 from the Red Wolf 28-yard line, Woods sacks Berger.

Woods had perfect timing on this blitz up the middle. He leads Orange in tackles. Woods is third on the team with eight tackles for loss.

7. Cedar Ridge ball, 4th-and-22 from the Red Wolf 18-yard line, Orange’s Caulin Fansler blocks a punt.

Against Southern Durham, Fansler had an interception that led to an Orange touchdown to bolt the Panthers to a 14-0 lead. This block was set up by a bad snap. Jackson Phillips rushed over to recover the loose ball, setting up another Orange touchdown. For those wondering, a blocked punt doesn’t count as a turnover. This was the first game all season where Orange didn’t score a point off a turnover.

8. Orange ball, 4th-and-12 from the Cedar Ridge 19-yard line, Jones hits Joe Kiger for a 19-yard touchdown.

A days worth of rain made a 36-yard field goal too much of an undertaking for junior kicker Nigel Slanker. Instead, Coach Van Smith and offensive coordinator Marty Scotten relied on Jones once again, who chucked a gorgeous pass to Kiger. It was Kiger’s 2nd touchdown catch of the season.

9. 3rd quarter, Orange ball, Omarion Lewis scores on a 12-yard touchdown run.

Lewis rushed for 119 yards in his first game agains South Granville on September 6. in Creedmoor. This was his 2nd 100-yard game. This five-yard run was Orange’s only touchdown in the 3rd quarter.

10. Orange ball, 1st-and-10 from the Orange 18-yard line, Lewis runs for 59 yards.

This was Lewis’ longest run of the season. It was the final play of the 3rd quarter.

11. 1st-and-10 from the Cedar Ridge 23-yard line, Lewis runs for eleven yards.

Lewis followed the blocks of Matkins and Kalen Moore around guard to push the ball into the red zone. Video not available.

12. 1st-and-goal from the Cedar Ridge 2-yard line, Lewis scores his 2nd touchdown of the game.

Lewis now leads the team with eleven touchdowns after Orange pushed one in here.

With basketball season only two weeks away, the Orange men’s and women’s basketball teams won’t wait until the season-opener against Northern Guilford to ring in the new year.

Instead, they’re starting things in grand fashion on Friday afternoon.

The first-ever Panther Hoops Tip-Off Celebration is scheduled for Friday afternoon at 4:15 inside Orange High Gymnasium. The brainchild of Orange men’s basketball coach Derryl Britt, the event will include a grand introduction for the men’s and women’s players that will start the season at Northern Guilford on November 22 in Greensboro.

The event will include a 3-point shooting challenge, a dunk exhibition, and an Orange-White intersquad scrimmage. Each of the players for the 2019-20 season will be introduced with music and fanfare. Cost for the event is $3 for students and $5 for non-students.

The tipoff will take place just before the Orange football team’s Senior Night game against Chapel Hill at nearby Auman Stadium.

The Tip-Off Celebration will also include a cheerleading and dance presentation at 4:30. There will also be a drumlins presentation. The women’s team will be introduced at 4:45.

The Orange High women, which finished 2nd in the Big 8 Conference last season, are coached by B.J. Condron. They will look to replace co-Big 8 Player of the Year Icez Barnett, who now plays at Division II Chowan University. Orange also lost guard Lauren Cates, who led the team in scoring last season. Cates now plays at Wake Tech.

“It’s Coach Britt’s idea,” Condron said. “He’s been very persistent about it. He’s worked very hard to get it going and I think it will be a great way to introduce our team to the community this season. I’m looking forward to it.”

The men’s team will be introduced at 4:50. Britt, now in his second season, returns senior Joey McMullin, who started on Orange’s 2015-16 Big 8 Conference regular season championship team that reached the state quarterfinals. Jason Franklin, now on his third year on the varsity team, provides valuable backcourt scoring for the Panthers after being a regular starter last season.

Among the other events at the Tip-Off Celebration will be a relay race at 5:00. There will be a women’s 3-point shootout at 5:15, following by a men’s 3-point shootout at 5:30.

The women’s team will have a scrimmage starting at 6, following by a men’s scrimmage at 6:20. The event will wrap-up at 6:40 to give fans and students plenty of time to walk over to the football stadium to watch the final home football game of the season.

After starting the season against Northern Guilford, the Orange men and women will have its home opener against Granville Central on December 3. Granville Central is coached by Mike McDaniel, a former All-PAC-6 Conference linebacker at Orange who also was once a defensive coordinator for the Panther football team. It will be a rematch of an emotional Orange win over GCHS in front of a packed and heated gymnasium.

The Orange men will have an endowment game against Southern Lee on December 5, which will not include a women’s game. The Orange women will travel to Southern Alamance on December 6.