EDITOR'S CHOICE
Alumni Update: Schmid Makes Debut for Wheaton; Lloyd Leads Brevard Volleyball to 1st Win
Jack Schmid: The former Orange High quarterback made his season-debut for Division III Wheaton on Saturday. Schmid, who plays safety for the Thunder, entered the game as a reserve and was credited with a tackle. Washington University of St. Louis defeated Wheaton 17-10. The Thunder, who came into the game #12 according to D3football.com, are now 4-2.
Stone Edwards: In a fierce, fiery game at Vanderbilt Stadium which featured a near brawl during the second quarter, 2017 Orange graduate Stone Edwards recorded his first college sack for Vanderbilt. Edwards had a career-high four tackles. #14 Florida, which trailed 21-3 in the second quarter, came back to defeat the Commodores 37-27 in Nashville, TN.
Jordan Lloyd: The Division III Brevard Volleyball team earned its first two win of the season on Saturday, sweeping Berea 3-0 (25-21, 25-13, 25-20) at Boshamer Gymnasium in Brevard (25-21, 25-13, 25-20). Former Orange star Jordan Lloyd had ten kills, three aces, and 14 digs. Earlier in the day, Huntingdon defeated Brevard 3-1 (25-22, 25-22, 22-25 and 25-18). Lloyd had eleven kills, one ace and a team-high 22 digs. On Wednesday, Piedmont defeated Brevard 3-0. Lloyd had three kills, one ace and 12 digs in the loss to Lions.
Lili Henry: The 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate started for Division III Methodist volleyball team in a tri-match at Averett University in Danville, VA on Saturday. Methodist opened the day with a 3-1 win over N.C. Wesleyan (26-24, 21-25, 25-19 & 25-12). Henry had a career-best 48 assists, two kills, one ace and seven digs. It was the sixth time that Henry has set a personal best for assists this season. Later in the day, Averett defeated Methodist 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-21). Against the Cougars, Henry registered 19 assists, one ace and 13 digs. On Wednesday, Methodist swept Salem 3-0 (25-18, 25-20 & 25-19) at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. Henry finished with 29 assists, nine digs and one kill.
Caroline Compton & Lindsay Thompson: The Cape Fear Community College volleyball team had a dramatic 3-2 victory (18-25, 16-25, 25-21, 25-20, & 15-13) over Pitt Community College in Winterville on Wednesday. Former Orange star Caroline Compton started for the Sea Devils and finished with 46 assists, one kill and five digs. 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate Lindsay Thompson finished with one ace and 17 digs. Because of Hurricane Michael, Cape Fear’s tri-match scheduled for Fayetteville Tech Community College on Thursday was postponed.
Bailey Lucas: The 2018 Orange graduate came off the bench as the Meredith volleyball team defeated Greensboro College 3-0 in a tri-match on Saturday at Hanes Gymnasium. Meredith has now won eleven straight matches and is now 16-3.
Chandler Compton: The 2016 Orange graduate came off the bench for the Wofford men’s soccer team on Tuesday as the Terriers defeated UNC Greensboro 2-1 in double overtime at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, S.C. On Saturday, Mercer defeated Wofford 5-2 in Macon, GA. Wofford
Rachel Shinnick: On Friday, the Mercer women’s soccer team defeated Wofford 3-0 in Snyder Field. Shinnick, who graduated from Orange in 2015, made her ninth start of the season. She has appeared in 15 games this season for the Terriers, who are 3-11-1 overall, 1-6 in the Southern Conference.
Kayla Hodges: The Elon freshman fired a shot on goal in the Phoenix’s 2-0 loss to Northeastern at Parsons Field in Brookline, MA last Sunday. Hodges has played in four games this season. Elon is 3-7-2 going into Sunday’s game against Hofstra.
Lionel Reid-Shaw: The Division III Dickinson Red Devils are now tied for first in the Centennial Conference. On Saturday, the Red Devils defeated Gettysburg 2-0 at Miller Memorial Field in Carlisle, PA. Reid-Shaw made his 14th start of the season. Dickinson is now 9-3-2 overall, 4-1-1 in the Centennial Conference.
Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team is still undefeated after beating Salem College 3-1 on Saturday at Pride Field in Greensboro. Daley, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June, made another start at centerback. On Tuesday, Greensboro edged N.C. Wesleyan 2-1, another match that Daley started. Greensboro is 13-0, 5-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Daley has started eleven of the Pride’s 13 matches.
Jordan Rogers: On Saturday, N.C. Wesleyan defeated the William Peace University women’s soccer team 2-0 at Scalf Field in Rocky Mount. Rogers, who graduated from Orange in June, fired the Pacers’ only shot of the game. On Wednesday, Meredith defeated William Peace 3-0 at Meredith Athletic Field in Raleigh. Rogers fired a shot on goal in the loss to the Avenging Angels. This season, Rogers has started all eleven of Peace’s matches, registering one goal and two assists.
Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Sarah McCuiston
Last week, Sarah McCuiston played the final home volleyball match of her three-year varsity career at Cedar Ridge. She finished with 13 kills, four digs, one ace and one block as the Red Wolves swept Southern Durham 3-0. Over her three years at Cedar Ridge, McCuiston has 397 kills. So far this season, she has a career-high 176 kills. Her best effort of the season came on September 20 at Orange, where she had 19 kills against the Lady Panthers. McCuiston has been the leader of the Red Wolves the past two seasons on and off the court. On Tuesday night, Cedar Ridge travels to Northwood in the opening round of the Big 8 Volleyball Tournament. Even if McCuiston’s Cedar Ridge career comes to an end on Tuesday, she’s still pursuing playing at the next level.
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Uploaded by Hillsborough Sports on 2018-10-09.
Orange Panther of the Week: Francisco McKinley
Since he was a freshman, Francisco McKinley has played varsity sports at Orange. He has won three conference championships as a member of the football team, where he’s been the punter since his freshman year. This season, he’s also playing goalkeeper for the Orange men’s soccer team. Last week, he posted a clean sheet in the Panthers’ win over Hillside. On Monday night, he got another shutout against Cedar Ridge in the 2nd leg of the Hillsborough Derby as the Panthers defeated the Red Wolves 2-0. Francisco is also a wrestler and will embark on his final season as an Orange grappler next month under Panther wrestling coach Spenser Poteat.
Orange Panther of the Week: Francisco McKinley
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Cedar Ridge Men’s Cross Country Runner Connor Blankfard on #samanthastrong
Cedar Ridge junior cross country runner Connor Blankfard finished 4th in the Red Wolves’ first home meet of the season on September 25. It was an emotional day for the Red Wolves men’s and women’s cross country teams. The meet came three days after the death of Union Pines cross country runner Samantha Davis, who collapsed during a race in Charlotte. As a tribute, Blankfard and the rest of his teammates wore light blue and white armbands & headbands, the colors of Union Pines High. Blankfard followed his solid performance at Cedar Ridge with a top ten finish last week at Orange. Now, Cedar Ridge looks forward to its next home meet on Wednesday, which will feature Chapel Hill and Northwood.
Cedar Ridge Cross Country Junior Connor Blankfard Talks #samanthastrong
Cedar Ridge Men’s Cross Country Runner Connor Blankfard finished fourth in the Red Wolves’ first home meet of the season on September 25, which also featured Northwood, East Chapel Hill & Hillside. It was also an emotional day. The meet came just days after the death of Union Pines cross country runner Samantha Davis, who collapsed during a race in Charlotte.
Cedar Ridge Set to Name New Baseball Coach Monday; Big 8 Volleyball, Tennis Tournaments Coming This Week
As the fall sports regular season begins to wind down across Hillsborough, there will be important events coming up on and off the field.
On Monday night, the Orange County School Board will vote on a new baseball coach at Cedar Ridge High School. Cedar Ridge Athletic Director Andy Simmons says a name has been submitted to the board. The new coach will replace Jamie Athas, who departed Cedar Ridge in July to become the new head coach at Burlington Williams. Athas, a former recruiting coordinator for UNC-Greensboro who played at Wake Forest, went 35-13 in his final two years at Cedar Ridge. Under his direction, the Red Wolves hosted state playoff games in 2017 & 2018. He went 55-39 at Cedar Ridge over four seasons. Athas’ replacement will be the fourth new baseball coach hired in the Big 8 Conference since the season ended in June.
Also on Monday night, the Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team will host Orange in the second leg of the Hillsborough Derby. On September 21, the Red Wolves defeated the Panthers 3-2 at Orange Soccer Park behind a game-winning goal from Calvin Navaez. It was his first varsity goal. Jose Luna opened the scoring for the Red Wolves. Cedar Ridge, Orange and Northwood are in a race for a state playoff spot in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge is in third place in the Big 8 with a 4-3 record, while Northwood is 4-4. Orange is 3-4. Chapel Hill defeated the Tigers 5-1 on Thursday night at Culton-Peerman Stadium. Luna scored Cedar Ridge’s only goal. Also on Thursday, Orange defeated Hillside 4-0 in Hillsborough. RJ Pherribo and Drew Jagentenfl each had two goals and two assists. Panther goalkeeper Francisco McKinley had a clean sheet.
Also on Monday, the Orange volleyball team will host senior night against Jordan. It will be the final regular season home match for seniors Liz LaNier, Libby Jones and Meg Gattis. Win or lose against the Falcons, Orange will start play in the Big 8 Conference Tournament on Tuesday night at Northern Durham. The Knights defeated the Lady Panthers 3-1 last week in Hillsborough to complete a regular season sweep. Orange is 10-10 and is still hoping for a wildcard birth for the 3A state playoffs, which starts next week.
Also on Tuesday night, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team will travel to face Northwood in Pittsboro. The Red Wolves concluded the regular season on Thursday with a 3-0 victory over Southern Durham. Senior Sarah McCuiston, in her final match at Cedar Ridge, had 13 kills. Rachel Tucker, another senior, had six kills. Tucker’s classmate, Colby Rabalais, finished with nine aces.
On Wednesday, the Big 8 Conference women’s tennis tournament takes place at East Chapel Hill High School. Participants who reach the semifinals in the singles and doubles tournaments will automatically qualify for the 3A Mideast Regionals.
As for football, Orange will try to rebound from Friday’s 33-0 loss to Northern Durham. They host Hillside at Auman Stadium. Last year, the Panthers defeated the Hornets 31-20, Hillside’s first conference loss since 2009.
The Cedar Ridge junior varsity has the week off. They were slated to face East Chapel Hill, but the Wildcats aren’t fielding a junior varsity team.
Alumni Update: Edwards Sees Action Against Georgia; Brandon-Dean Scores Touchdown for Guilford
Stone Edwards: After missing Vanderbilt’s games against South Carolina and Tennessee State, Edwards returned to action on Saturday night as the Commodores lost to Georgia 41-13. Edwards was credited with an assisted tackle against the Bulldogs. Vanderbilt is now 3-3, 0-2 in the Southeastern Conference. Edwards has played in four games as a defensive end.
Eryk Brandon-Dean: Randolph-Macon defeated Division III Guilford 63-34 in Ashland, VA on Saturday. Former Orange High running back Eryk Brandon-Dean scored a touchdown for the Quakers on a three-yard run with 34 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Brandon-Dean set a college career-high with 70 yards on seven carries. Guilford is now 1-3. They host Ferrum on Thursday night.
Chandler Compton: The 2016 Orange High graduate started as the Wofford men’s soccer team lost to East Tennessee State 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at Snyder Field in Spartanburg, S.C. Compton has played in six matches for Wofford this season, starting three of them.
Rachel Shinnick: Shinnick started for the Wofford women’s soccer team on Friday night. She was credited with a shot on goal as the Terriers defeated VMI 3-1 at Patchin Field in Lexington, VA. It was Wofford’s first Southern Conference win of the season. Shinnick, a senior who graduated from Orange in 2015, has played in 13 matches this season, starting seven of them. She has eight shots in 675 minutes.
Lionel Reid-Shaw: On Saturday night, the Division III Dickinson College men’s soccer team tied Washington College 1-1 at Roy Kirby Jr. Stadium in Chestertown, MD. Former Orange High star Lionel Reid-Shaw started his 12th match of the season for the Red Devils. Reid-Shaw, a junior, has played in 43 matches in his Dickinson career. The Red Devils are now 7-3-2 overall, 3-1-1 in the Centennial Conference.
Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team remains undefeated. On Saturday, the Pride defeated Methodist 4-2 at the Monarch Soccerplex in Fayetteville. Brittany Daley, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June, made her ninth start of the season. She has played in all eleven of Greensboro’s matches. The Pride is now 11-0, 3-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference.
Lili Henry: The Division III Methodist Volleyball team, displaced because of Hurricane Florence, made their home debut on Saturday with a tri-match against two USA South Athletic Conference foes in the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. Lili Henry, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, had 27 assists as the Monarchs defeated Greensboro College 3-0 (25-17, 25-18, 25-18) in the opening match of the day. William Peace defeated Methodist 3-1 (19-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-20) in the Monarchs’ final match of the day. In the loss to the Pacers, Henry finished with one kill, 33 assists, 12 digs and two aces. Methodist is 9-5, 2-3 in the USAS.
Jordan Lloyd: The Division III Brevard College Tornadoes lost to Covenant on Saturday in Boshamer Gymnasium 3-1. (25-12, 19-25, 25-13, 28-26). Jordan Lloyd, who graduated from Orange in 2017, tied for the team lead with 21 digs. She also had seven kills. Lloyd has played in all 16 of Brevard’s matches this season.
Lindsay Thompson & Caroline Compton: After missing nearly a month because of Hurricane Florence, the Cape Fear Community College volleyball team finally returned to action last week. On Wednesday, Wake Tech defeated the Sea Devils 3-1. Lindsay Thompson, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, finished with 22 digs. Caroline Compton, who graduated from Orange last summer, had a team-high 46 assists, along with 13 digs. This weekend, Cape Fear took part in a quad match at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory. On Friday, South Florida State College swept the Sea Devils 3-0. Later that day, Lansing Community College swept CFCC. On Saturday, Wallace State Community College-Hanceville defeated the Sea Devils. Spartanburg Methodist also swept CFCC. Cape Fear is now 1-6. On Wednesday, Cape Fear travels to Winterville to face Pitt Community College.
Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Jill Myler
This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s cross country runner Jill Myler. On September 25, Myler finished 3rd in a cross country meet that also included Northwood, East Chapel Hill and Hillside. It was the first home cross country meet at Cedar Ridge this season. It was also an emotional day at Cedar Ridge and for cross country runners everywhere. The race happened three days after the death of Union Pines cross country runner Samantha Davis, who collapsed during the Hare & Hounds Invitational at McAlpine Park in Charlotte. To pay tribute to Davis, every Cedar Ridge cross country runner wore a blue or white headband/armband, which are the colors of Union Pines. Cedar Ridge won the women’s meet on September 25, then followed with a victory on October 3 at Orange.
(Editor’s note: This Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week Award is retroactive to the week ending September 15, which was the week of Hurricane Florence. Since school wasn’t in session the last two days that week, athletes weren’t available for interviews. This award is to make up for that week. We’ll have another Orange and Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week announcement on Monday morning)
Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Jill Myler
This week’s Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week is women’s cross country runner Jill Myler. On September 25, Myler finished 3rd in a cross country meet that also included Northwood, East Chapel Hill and Hillside. It was the first home cross country meet at Cedar Ridge this season.
Orange Women’s Cross Country Seniors Grace Dively & Kate Burgess Discuss Senior Day
Last Tuesday, the Orange cross country hosted its only meet of the season against Cedar Ridge, Northwood and Eno River Academy. It was senior day for Orange women’s cross country members Grace Dively and Kate Burgess. On Saturday, Kate competed in the Wendy’s Invitational in Charlotte, which featured 519 runners from 35 teams across the state. Kate finished the 5K in 26:16.4. Both Grave and Kate are members of the Orange women’s basketball team who are preparing for the upcoming season, which starts in less than six weeks. Grace and Kate were members of the 2017 Orange team that captured the Big 8 Regular Season and Postseason women’s basketball championships. Now, they want to end their careers in style for Coach B.J. Condron. But first, there’s the Big 8 Conference Championships, followed by the 3A Mideast Regionals in Cary on October 27.
Orange Seniors Grace Dively and Kate Burgess Discuss Cross Country Season
Last Tuesday, the Orange cross country hosted its only meet of the season against Cedar Ridge, Northwood and Eno River Academy. It was senior day for Orange women’s cross country members Grace Dively and Kate Burgess. On Saturday, Kate competed in the Wendy’s Invitational in Charlotte, which featured 519 runners from 35 teams across the state.