Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie with Drexel at Rudd Field in Elon on Sunday. The Phoenix remain undefeated at home. Hodges, a 2018 Orange graduate, scored Elon’s only goal in the 15th minute off a header from six yards out. Hannah Doherty assisted on the goal. Hodges now had three goals for the Phoenix this season. Elon is 8-3-2 overall, 2-1-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They travel to Maryland to play Towson on Sunday.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team fell to Queen’s College 2-1 at Dickson Field in Charlotte on Wednesday night. Jean, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, made seven saves starting as the Saints’ goalkeeper. After not playing in her freshman year, Jean has started nine games this season. She has made 36 saves. Limestone is 4-5, 3-2 in Conference Carolians. They host Converse College at Saints Field in Gaffney, S.C. on Saturday.

Brittany Daley: Division III Greensboro College defeated Meredith College 1-0 at Pride Field on Wednesday night. Daley started her 13th game of the season at center back. Greensboro improved to 9-3-1 overall, 3-0-1 in the USA South Conference. They host Mary Baldwin University on Tuesday.

Jordan Rogers: For the first time in women’s soccer, Division III William Peace defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 2-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Wednesday night. Rogers made her 13th start of the season at wingback. Peace improved to 6-6-1 overall, 2-1 in the USA South Conference. They face Methodist in Fayetteville on Saturday.

Alfredo Rodriguez: The 2017 Orange High graduate is now a forward for NAIA Montreat men’s soccer team in Black Mountain. Rodriguez has yet to play varsity this season and has shuttled between varsity and junior varsity with the Cavaliers. Montreat has won five in a row and has an overall record of 9-3-1.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: Reid-Shaw was back in the lineup for Division III Dickinson men’s soccer on Tuesday night. It was another down-to-the-wire win for the Red Devils, who defeated Misericordia 3-2 in overtime at Mangelsdorf Field in Dallas, PA. Dickinson’s Kevin Gilbert scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute. Reid-Shaw has stared seven games this season for Dickinson. The Red Devils improved to 7-5 overall.

Lili Henry: The Division III Pfeiffer volleyball team defeated Methodist in a sweep at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville on Tuesday night. Henry had 15 assists, six digs and two aces for the Monarchs. She played all three sets. Methodist falls to 3-11, 2-4 in the USA South Conference. The Monarchs will travel to Greensboro on Saturday for a tri-match-match against Greensboro College and William Peace at Hanes Gymnasium.

Lauren Cates: The leading scorer from Orange’s women’s basketball team unofficially started her college career last weekend. The Wake Tech women’s basketball team had an exhibition during the Southeast JUCO Jamboree in Albany, GA. The Eagles will officially starts its season against Meredith at Wake Tech on October 22.

This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is junior cross country runner Anne Morrell. Last week at the Wendy’s Invitational in Charlotte, the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team finished 1st in the Open Division race, beating out 24 other teams from across the state. Morrell was the top finisher for the Red Wolves at 20:09.90. Last month, Cedar Ridge also finished 1st in the 36th Greensboro Invitational in Pleasant Garden. Morrell finished 7th overall. The Red Wolves Cross Country team finished 2nd in the 3A Mideast Regionals last year, qualifying for the state championships. Morrell has experienced plenty of success in cross country and track & field so far in her Cedar Ridge stint. She continued her strong 2019 form on Tuesday when Cedar Ridge won a dual match against Orange, a race where Morrell finished 1st. 

This week’s Orange Panther of the Week is senior soccer wingback Sebastian Rios. Last week, Rios assisted on the game-winning goal of Orange’s 3-1 win over Southern Durham in extra time. Rios is one of 12 seniors on the Orange men’s soccer team. On August 28, he scored in Orange’s 5-3 win over Eastern Alamance. He has an interest in social work once he leaves college. Rios’ brother attends Duke University. On Wednesday night, Rios started as Orange defeated Vance County 9-0 in Henderson. On Monday, Orange hosts Cedar Ridge in a rematch from a thrilling game earlier this year that the Red Wolves won in penalty kicks after coming back from a 3-1 deficit. Orange is 6-0, 3-6 in the Big 8 Conference. 

Story by Tim Hackett

It was a matchup between two teams that are among the top 20 seeds in HighSchoolOT’s first 3A volleyball playoff projections. It was a matchup between two teams that are among the top 20 teams in MaxPreps’ adjusted rankings. It was a matchup between two rival schools that have practically split the head-to-head series over the last dozen years. It was a matchup in front of a packed house of fans sporting the colors of their chosen side, with a little extra added for the sake of the rivalry – black shirts with “Beat Orange” on one side of the gym, white shirts with “Beat The Ridge” on the other. And the second installment of Orange vs. Cedar Ridge 2019, volleyball edition, lived up to the billing on Tuesday night in Hillsborough. 

“With a rival team there’s usually high emotion. There’s a bigger fan group, and so there’s more noise and you can kind of become nervy,” Cedar Ridge head coach Anna Seethaler said. “The mentality of this game was just ‘This ball. Next ball. Let’s get this ball. How about this ball?’ So just a one point at a time mentality rather than ‘Let’s win in five.’” 

The Red Wolves would need a serious comeback to even have a chance to win in five on this day, but their bounce-back efforts fell short: after splitting four tight sets with their cross-town rival, Orange (12-6, 7-3 Big 8) dominated in the fifth, fending off Cedar Ridge (15-4, 7-3) in a five-set affair. After Cedar Ridge took the first meeting between the two in five sets at Orange a month ago, Tuesday’s win brings Orange even with Cedar Ridge at third place in the strong Big 8 Conference, and adds another high-quality win to the Panthers’ ledger.

“Once we got into a rhythm we really showed up together and…well, it sucks to lose,” Seethaler said with an honest chuckle. “I mean, they’re a good team, and they showed up tonight.” 

The gameplan that has proved successful for Kelly Young’s Panthers all season was evident again in the first two sets Tuesday: serve and pass well, cycle setters and set up offense from the middle and the right side. Seethaler says it isn’t necessarily harder to coach or defend a team that attacks from the right side as much as Orange does – “it’s the same as an outside, just on the opposite side of the court,” she quipped – but that didn’t help Cedar Ridge slow down Lottie Scully, who was strong in the second set especially in leading Orange to identical 25-21 victories in the first two frames.

Defensively, Orange did well to limit top Cedar Ridge outside Cameron Lloyd, but she can only be contained for so long – as the tight third set wore on, she finally broke out, delivering three kills over four points to vault the Red Wolves into a 23-22 edge. With Orange on match point just moments later, Cameron Lanier delivered a middle kill and Julie Altieri dropped in back-to-back service aces to give the home team the 26-24 win. Altieri sent the first serve of the fourth set long, but that was the only time Cedar Ridge trailed – a Scully ace brought Orange to within 19-17, but solid serving from Haley Cothran and Lanier helped Cedar Ridge to a comprehensive 25-19 victory. 

Orange had played well in the first two sets, but Cedar Ridge had fully flipped the momentum – and the atmosphere – in the gym. But not for long. The Panthers’ level of play increased at the same rate as the “This is our house!” chants from their fans on the left side of the gym increased – Orange won the first four points of the fifth set and won nine of the first ten overall before Lloyd finally got the Red Wolves settled with a kill. But by then, it was too late: Seethaler had to burn both of her timeouts, and the Panthers’ lead in the first-to-15 sprint was much too great for the Red Wolves to overcome. Avery Miller provided a rare left side kill to put Orange up match point, but Cedar Ridge persisted through a Lloyd kill and a Lanier ace. But then, with the chants from the white-clad visiting contingent loud as ever, chaos struck: Lanier served at Orange libero Brooke Fryar, a common strategy despite her solid passing, again. Fryar’s return went back over the net but the only person who could make a play was Lanier, hustling in from the service line – her diving bump pass attempt sailed out of play, and Orange had sealed a five-set upset win over their longtime rivals with a 15-9 victory in set five. 

It’s looking likely that both of these teams will make an appearance in the 3A volleyball playoffs in 2019, but there aren’t many more chances for either side to prove it deserves a higher seed than they are currently projected to hold. Cedar Ridge only has four regular season matches left, including one at home next week against a strong East Chapel Hill side, while Orange still has the two-time conference champ Chapel Hill among its final five contests. A loss almost certainly wouldn’t knock either Hillsborough team out of the postseason, but those games might serve as the final chance for them to turn some heads – if nothing else, Tuesday’s match proved both schools belong in the conversation for best in the conference, even though the 2019 season split won’t help to prove which school is the best in the city.

It wasn’t just another rivalry game for Orange senior Emma Clements against Cedar Ridge on Tuesday night. It was, in all likelihood, her last game against Cedar Ridge. Orange started with a purpose, winning the first two sets against the Red Wolves. After Cedar Ridge rallied back to force a fifth set, Orange prevailed in the end to earn a season split with the Red Wolves. Clements, a senior co-captain, returned to action after missing several games because of an injury.  After Tuesday’s win, Cedar Ridge and Orange are tied for 3rd in the Big 8 Conference. Orange will travel to Northwood on Thursday night. 

The Orange volleyball team was four points away from sweeping Cedar Ridge on Wednesday night. But a sweep would have just been too dull the way these two teams have played this year. Instead, Orange won in five sets to split the season series with their crosstown rival. Avery Miller is one of many underclassmen in Hillsborough who have had a strong season. Last week, Miller had eleven kills in a sweep of Vance County. Last Tuesday, she also had eleven kills in a four set loss to East Chapel Hill. Orange is 12-6, 7-3 in the Big 8 Conference. They’re now tied for 3rd with Cedar Ridge heading into Thursday’s trip to Northwood. 

Orange sophomore outside hitter Avery Miller talks win over Cedar Ridge

The Orange volleyball team was four points away from sweeping Cedar Ridge on Wednesday night. But a sweep would have just been too dull the way these two teams have played this year. Instead, Orange won in five sets to split the season series with their crosstown rival.

Is this all there is?

That’s all I could think after I finished packing up the radio equipment and drove away from Auman Stadium on the night of August 30, 2013. Orange had finally beaten Northern Durham 42-15 in the most anticlimactic fashion possible.

For those who live around Orange County and followed Panther football, this was a night they had waited for their entire lives. Orange hadn’t beaten Northern since 1968.

Of course, the Northern that Orange routed was hardly the same team that won 18 consecutive PAC-6 Championships from 1984-2001. There are about a dozen other incredible statistics that Northern football compiled under the regimes of Ken Browning and Gary Merrill that I’ve written dozens of times before, so I won’t plagiarize myself.

In the late 80s and early 90s, Northern football was the trademark brand, not just because they won. It was everything that surrounded them.

Most high school teams played in stadiums with metal bleachers with capacity of 4,000-5,000 fans. Northern played in Durham County Stadium, capacity 10,000, that also doubled as a home for North Carolina Central and Shaw University at various times during the 1990s. Playing in front of 5,000 fans under those tall lights neighboring Durham Regional Hospital felt like the Roman Coliseum for a wide-eyed 16-year-old.

If you ever watched the NBC television show Friday Night Lights and wondered if a fan following so devoted to the Permian Panthers was realistic in the Triangle, let me tell you, it is.

Or, at least it was back then. Northern’s fans packed the stands, home or away, because they made such a habit of winning. From 1976-2000, the Knights didn’t lose to another team from Durham County.

Why? Partly because they had the lion’s share of talent.

Before 1990, Northern controlled the entire upper-end of Durham County. Hillside, Southern, Durham High (which ended its football program in 1994), and Jordan would have to divide the rest of the county for themselves. Thus, it was easier for Northern to find a Kory Bailey, Andre Williams, Jason Peace, Charles Berry, Jason Jenkins, Dwayne Washington, and Chris Hensler. All of those players went on to Power 5 schools before that term even existed.

For everyone else in the PAC-6 Conference, Northern was the target. From 1990-1992, Orange was one of Northern’s main challengers.

Ironically the man who helped lead Orange football back was a Northern graduate. Greg Gentry took over for Tom Eanes in the winter of 1989.

With now-Louisville coach Scott Satterfield quarterbacking Orange, the Knights and the Panthers faced off in the 1990 regular season finale for the PAC-6 Championship. Earlier in the year, Person upset Northern at Durham County Stadium after the Knights committed five turnovers. They wouldn’t lose another PAC-6 Conference game the rest of the decade.

Northern defeated Orange 21-0 at Auman Stadium. Back then, the NCHSAA dictated before the season how many postseason births a conference would receive. That season, the PAC-6 had two. Orange, Chapel Hill and Vance High tied for 2nd. The school’s three athletic directors met at the old Shoney’s location in Durham to draw a winner, which Vance won. Orange, with a 7-3 record, missed the playoffs.

The most unforgettable Northern-Orange game was in 1992, not only because of the quality of play but of a tragedy the week before. Don Snipes, probably the most popular member of my Orange Class of 1991, died at the age of 19 of an irregular heartbeat while playing basketball in Efland.

I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone who could unite people like Don could. He would do a leap frog over an unsuspecting student while on their way to class, just to do it. Don’s smile was so infectious, it was impossible to get mad at him. He once whistled the “Charge” melody while sitting on the bench at a Orange baseball team during a rally (his teammates yelled “CHARGE” in response). He threw parties where blacks and whites gathered together and did what people in their late teens do to rebel. Most importantly (though it didn’t seem that way at the time), they communicated together. His premature death cast an emotional pall across the community, across racial lines and throughout Orange County.

A week later, Northern came to Auman Stadium ranked #2 in the state behind West Charlotte. Orange’s quarterback, Mark Pounds, wore Snipes’ #81 instead of his usual #6 as a tribute.

What unfolded was an incredible defensive battle. Chris Hensler, a kicker who went on to start at N.C. State, kicked a 48-yard field goal early in the second quarter to put Northern ahead 3-0.

That was the only score of the game, but Orange certainly had their chances.

In the third quarter, Panther running back Damon Scott appeared to have a clear path to the end zone, but he fumbled the ball out of the end zone. For years, Damon said no one touched him and he simply dropped the ball. Northern’s coaches countered that a defensive lineman named Steve Carson, who went on to play at Appalachian State, jarred the ball free.

In the waning minutes, Orange drove to the Northern 30-yard line, but Pounds had a pass intercepted on 4th down. With another PAC-6 championship under its belt, the Knights would advance to the 4A State Championship game at Kenan Stadium, where they lost to West Charlotte.

Of course, just as Notre Dame or Florida State or Southern Cal will attest, no dynasty in football lasts forever. Riverside’s presence greatly impacted Northern’s talent pool in the 90s, and the Pirates ended the Northern dynasty by beating them 20-19 in 2002 for the PAC-6 title on a blocked extra point with :30 remaining. Merrill stepped down as head coach when his wife, Janet, was tragically killed after being struck by a tractor-trailer while jogging across Hurdle Mills in 2003. Filling the shoes of legends can be a thankless task. After the Knights captured the 2004 PAC-6 title, they didn’t win another championship for 13 years. There was even a winless season in 2009.

After years of struggle by any standard, Northern is regaining its old form. They tied Orange for the 2017 Big 8 title, and won it outright last year before losing to Hillside in the 2nd round of the state playoffs.

While Orange and Northern have both lost to Southern Durham this season, the two teams have plenty to play for this Friday night. The winner will have the inside track for the second automatic playoff spot from the Big 8 Conference.

Orange will go for its fifth win over Northern in the last six games this Friday night at Auman Stadium. While the 69-game regular season winning streaks and six consecutive undefeated regular seasons that Northern enjoyed during the 1990s are in the distant past, Orange football can gain inspiration from several things this week.

Namely, just as UNC will always be UNC in basketball, Northern will always be Northern in high school football.

This was the week that was: This is the first time all year that Cedar Ridge volleyball starts the week outside of first place in the Big 8 Conference. After losses to East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill, the Red Wolves enter Tuesday’s match against Orange still battling for an automatic spot in the playoffs.

For those unfamiliar with how the current playoff structure works in North Carolina, the teams that finish in the top two of their conference automatically make the playoffs. The remaining teams are determined by MaxPreps rankings. As of Sunday night, Cedar Ridge and East Chapel Hill are tied for 2nd with 7-2 conference marks. Orange is 6-3, which makes Tuesday’s match between the Red Wolves and the Lady Panthers all the more important. A second place finish guarantees a home state playoff match for whoever captures it.

However, Orange and Cedar Ridge are shoo-ins for the state playoffs. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #15. East Chapel Hill is #18. Orange is #24. Neither Cedar Ridge or Orange are on the bubble to make the playoffs, but they sure would love to host a match in the state playoffs. That’s much more questionable in the final two weeks of the regular season.

However, the Cedar Ridge and Orange men’s soccer teams are on the bubble. Cedar Ridge has a critical match against Northwood on Monday night. The Red Wolves swept Southern Durham and Vance County last week. Orange defeated Southern Durham but fell to Northern Durham. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #65, while Orange is #71.

In women’s tennis, Orange and Cedar Ridge will compete in the Big 8 Conference Tournament on the Lindsay Linker Tennis Courts at East Chapel Hill on Wednesday afternoon. Orange guaranteed itself a winning season on Thursday by beating Roxboro Community School, it’s first winning campaign in at least eight years.

Here’s the Magnificent 7 from an interesting Week 7. As always, two of the following athletes will be named the Orange Panther of the Week and the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week sometime in the days ahead.

The Magnificent 7:

Reese Weaver: Scored the opening goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Southern Durham at Spartan Stadium. On Monday night, Weaver scored two goals as the Red Wolves defeated Vance County 6-1 in Henderson. Weaver, a senior, now has eight goals this season.

Zoe Wade: After her teammate Anne Morrell was honored last week when the Red Wolves women’s cross country team won the Greensboro Invitational, Wade is inducted into the Hall of Awesome this week after coming in 10th at the Wendy’s Invitational at McAlpine Park. Wade crossed the finish line at 20:31.50. Morrell finished 7th as the Red Wolves won its second open race in two weeks. Cedar Ridge finish 1st out of 25 teams.

Brianna Cellini: Won her singles and doubles match as Cedar Ridge defeated Vance County in Henderson 9-0. It was Cellini’s final dual match as a member of the Red Wolves. In her career, Cellini helped the Red Wolves win the 2016 Big 8 Championship. Now, she will focus on the Big 8 Tournament on Wednesday in an attempt to qualify for regionals.

Cameron Lanier: Finished with eleven kills, a block, an ace and a dig in the Cedar Ridge volleyball team’s 3-2 win over Vance County on Monday. On Wednesday, she had the final two kills in Cedar Ridge’s sweep of N.C. School of Science and Math. Cedar Ridge is 14-3 headed into Monday’s road trip to Bartlett Yancey.

Sydney Allison: The Orange women’s tennis team won its final home match of the season against J.F. Webb on Wednesday. Allison was selected by head coach Justin Webb as the player of the match. She won her match at #2 singles 8-6. Later on in doubles, Allison teamed with Gaylaw Eh to win 8-1. On Friday, Allison teamed with Elsa Landeros to win at #3 doubles as the Lady Panthers clinched a winning season.

Tyler Werden: Werden scored the game-winning goal in the first period of extra time as the Orange men’s soccer team defeated Southern Durham 3-1 on Monday night. On September 27, Werden scored two goals in a loss to Carrboro. He also scored in a loss to Northern Durham on Thursday.

Avery Miller: The sophomore stepped up with seniors Emma Clements and Elizabeth Vosburg out of the lineup against East Chapel Hill last Tuesday. Miller had eleven kills in a tight 3-1 loss to the Wildcats. On Thursday in Orange’s 3-0 win over Vance County, Miller led Orange with eleven kills. She also had eight digs and an ace as Orange improve to 11-6.

There were high expectations for the Cedar Ridge women’s cross country team entering this year, and so far they’ve delivered. On Saturday, Cedar Ridge finished 1st in the Wendy’s Invitational at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. Junior Anne Morrell was the top Red Wolf finished in 7th place, and her teammates weren’t far behind. Sophomore Zoe Wade finished tenth, while junior Ruby Lapham came in 19th. Right behind Lapham was junior classmate Jill Myler in 20th. On September 28, Cedar Ridge came in first in the Greensboro Cross Country Invitational. Now, Cedar Ridge is preparing for Orange later this week with a chance to continue momentum for the Big 8 Championships later this month at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. 

Kevin Wright: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate made his season debut for Division III North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday. Wright, a sophomore safety, made five tackles as the Battling Bishops defeated LaGrange 52-35 in LaGrange, GA. It was Wesleyan’s USA South Conference opener. Wesleyan is 2-2. Next week, they face Greensboro College in its first-ever on campus game in Rocky Mount.

Adam Chnupa: For the second week in a row, Chnupa saw action for FCS Elon University. Chnupa, another 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, entered as a reserve as the Phoenix lost to New Hampshire 26-10 at Wildcat Stadium in Durham, NH. Elon falls to 2-4, 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They host Delaware at Rhodes Stadium in Elon next Saturday.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone football team lost to Virginia Union 44-0 at Alumni Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday. Brooks recorded a tackle for the Blue Bears, who suffered its first loss of the season. Livingstone is 4-1, 2-1 in the CIAA. They travel to St. Augustine’s next weekend.

Taylin Jean: Jean recorded her third clean sheet of the season as goalkeeper for the Division II Limestone women’s soccer team on Saturday. The Saints defeated Erskine 2-0 at Huggins Field in Due West, SC on Saturday. Jean, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, made two saves for her fourth win of the season. Limestone is 4-4, 3-2 in Conference Carolinas. The Saints travel to Queens University in Charlotte on Wednesday.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie with Methodist University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Saturday. Daley started her eleventh game of the season at centerback. Greensboro is 8-3-1 overall, 2-0-1 in the USA South Conference. The Pride host Meredith on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: Marymount (VA) University defeated Division III William Peace University 3-0 in Arlington, VA on Saturday. Rogers started her eleventh game of the season for the Pacers at wingback. Peace falls to 4-4-1 overall, 1-1 in the USA South Conference.

Lili Henry: The Division III Methodist volleyball team split two matches in a tri-match at Meredith College at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh on Saturday. The Monarchs ended the day with a sweep of Mary Baldwin. Against the Fighting Squirrels, Henry registered 22 assists and five digs. In the first match of the day, Meredith swept Methodist 3-0. Henry had 18 assists and eleven digs against the Avenging Angels. Methodist is now 3-11, 2-4 in the USA South Conference.

Bailey Lucas: In the aforementioned tri-match at Meredith, Lucas saw action for the Avenging Angels. Meredith won both of its matches against Mary Baldwin and Methodist. In the opening match against the Fighting Squirrels, Lucas played two sets. She had one kill, 14 assists and three digs. Against Methodist, Lucas played one set and had two assists. With the two sweeps, Meredith is 10-6 overall, 4-1 in the USA South.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team started its fall schedule on Friday against East Mississippi Community College in Starkville, MS. Mia Davidson had a two run homer in the second inning, plus a RBI single in the first as the Bulldogs won 7-0. On Saturday, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader. They defeated Meridian 14-1, a game where Davidson had an RBI double. Mississippi State completed the day with a 17-0 win over Meridian. Davidson had a pinch-hit, RBI double in the fourth. Mississippi State is under a new head coach in Samantha Ricketts.