One year after Bobby Shriner ended his high school coaching career at the Greensboro Coliseum with Payton Wilson winning the 3-A state championship at 220 pounds, two more Orange High wrestlers will go for their own state titles on Saturday.

For the second year in a row, 3-A Mideast Regional Champion Josiah Ramirez has reached the state championship finals. On Saturday at the Greensboro Coliseum, Ramirez defeated Chase Hamlin of Northwest Cabarrus 6-3 in the semifinals. Earlier in the day, Ramirez pinned Chanden Morgan of Kings Mountain in 5:18. Last year, Ramirez advanced to the finals of the 170 state championship, where he lost to J.C. Ciaramella of Marvin Ridge 12-7. Ciaramella handed Ramirez his only loss this season. However, Ciaramella was injured during last week’s Western Regional Tournament and had to forfeit his opening match on Friday.

In his 157th and final match for Orange, Ramirez will face Finley Allen of Terry Sanford, who is 35-3 on the season.

Also at 182 pounds, Cedar Ridge’s Colin Davis reached the state semifinals after defeating Topsail’s Noah LaValle 10-3. However, Allen pinned Davis in 1:38. Davis, now 22-5, will go for 3rd place on Saturday. He awaits the winner of Ruther Oxce of Southern Guilford vs. Ben Austin of Piedmont in the consolation semifinals.

Orange senior Braden Homsey, who also claimed a regional championship last weekend at Chapel Hill High, maintained his undefeated record on Friday by beating Kaleb Hendren of Hunter Huss 13-3. In his three matches in the state tournament, Homsey has won by either technical fall or major decision. On Thursday, he started with a 17-2 tech fall over Alexander Choma of West Johnson. In his quarterfinal match on Friday, Homsey defeated James Price of Piedmont 13-4, his second win over Price in less than two weeks. Homsey, now 39-0 this season, will face Tyrie Houghton of Weddington for the state championship. Houghton, who was the runner up for the 182 state championship in 2017 after losing to Northwood’s Hunter Queen 7-6, is 58-0 this season.

A day after winning his opening round match over Zachary Lesnar 4-1, Orange junior Avery Jenkins fell in the state quarterfinals to Paul Searcy of North Henderson 5-4. Searcy improved to 52-0, and eventually advanced to the state final. Jenkins lost his subsequent consolation match to Jashoua King of Northern Guilford 2-0 to end the season 30-11.

Two other Orange grapplers are still alive in the consolation brackets in their respective weight classes. Senior Bailey Hawkins won three matches on Saturday. After losing his opening round bout to Ethan King of Northern Guilford 3-2 in sudden victory, Hawkins pinned Jakob Burkett of Statesboro in 4:50 in his opening consolation match. Hawkins earned a 9-3 decision over Phifer Ozimek of J.H. Rose 9-3. On Saturday, Hawkins will face Jordan McKinney of Northern Cabarrus in the consolation quarterfinals.

At 138 pounds, junior Levi Anderson has won consecutive matches after dropping his opening bout to Brandon Reisen of West Brunswick. Anderson defeated Jonathan Dalton, the Western Regional Champion, 4-2 in his opening consolation match. Anderson followed that victory with a 6-4 decision win over Stephen Barnard of West Henderson. Anderson will take on Nicholas Vasquez, the Eastern Regional Champion, on Saturday morning.

After winning the 3A Mideast Regional Heavyweight Championship last weekend, the wrestling career of Orange’s Daylan Alston ended on Friday with a 3-1 loss to Piedmont’dsd Luis Oropesa on Saturday. On Thursday, Alston dropped his opening round match to Southern Guilford’s John Oxce 7-4. Alston’s 116th and final victory of his Orange career came with a pin of Cleveland’s JaNathan Coward in :37. Alston, who was also an All-Big 8 offensive lineman in football, concludes his Orange career with a record of 116-30.

Colin Davis is one win away from making the 3-A State Wrestling Tournament for the second year in a row. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals at Chapel Hill High, Davis defeated Hsernay Day of Northern Durham in :25. in the quarterfinals, he pinned Collin Va Cleave in :39. On Saturday afternoon, Davis faces Matt Ceparano of Southern Alamance in the semifinals.

Cedar Ridge Senior Colin Davis Talks Advancing to Regional Semifinals

Colin Davis is one win away from making the 3-A State Wrestling Tournament for the second year in a row. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals at Chapel Hill High, Davis defeated Hsernay Day of Northern Durham in :25. in the quarterfinals, he pinned Collin Va Cleave in :39.

Braden Homsey is the only Orange wrestler to win every individual tournament he’s competed in this year. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals, he got off to a strong start with consecutive pins in his opening two matches to advance to the semifinals. Homsey pinned Walker Stewart of Burlington Williams in 1:34. In the quarterfinals, Homsey pinned E.J. Hagwood of Western Harnett in 1:43. On Saturday afternoon, Homsey faces Chapel Hill’s Bradley Kenyon in the semfinals. The winner advances to the state tournament in Greensboro next weekend.

Orange Senior Braden Homsey Discusses Improving to 33-0 at the Mideast Regionals

Braden Homsey is the only Orange wrestler to win every individual tournament he’s competed in this year. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals, he got off to a strong start with consecutive pins in his opening two matches to advance to the semifinals. Homsey pinned Walker Stewart of Burlington Williams in 1:34.

Orange 132-pound senior Bailey Hawkins is one win away from making the 3-A State Wrestling Tournament for the second consecutive year. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals at Chapel Hill High, Hawkins started the night with a technical fall win over Jose Chahuiz of Burlington Williams 15-0. In the second round, Hawkins defeated Zach West of Southern Guilford 14-3. On Saturday afternoon at approximately 4, Hawkins will take on Matthew Bivens of Eastern Guilford in the semifinals. Hawkins is now 32-4 on the season.

Orange Senior Bailey Hawkins Talks His Two Victories at the Mideast Regionals

Orange 132-pound senior Bailey Hawkins is one win away from making the 3-A State Wrestling Tournament for the second consecutive year. On Friday night at the Mideast Regionals at Chapel Hill High, Hawkins started the night with a technical fall win over Jose Chahuiz of Burlington Williams 15-0.

Cedar Ridge’s Darius McLeod opened the 3-A Mideast Regionals on Friday night with a goal of advancing to the state championship meet next weekend in Greensboro at 126 pounds. He started by defeating Marcus De La Rosa of Northern Durham 8-4. In the 2nd round, Fred Lewis of Western Harnett added another win to his undefeated season, defeating McLeod 5-0. McLeod can still reach the state tournament with a 3rd place finish. On Saturday morning, McLeod faces Zachary Gierson of Gray’s Creek at Chapel Hill High.

Cedar Ridge Junior Wrestler Darius McLeod Discusses Performance in Mideast Regionals

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There will be other wrestling matches for the 12 Orange High seniors who came up short against Piedmont for the 3A State Championship on Saturday.

In fact, almost all of them will be back on the mat on Monday morning at Orange High, preparing for the Mideast Regionals that start on Friday. Josiah Ramirez and Braden Homsey are favorites to reach the state tournament.

But after 52 dual match victories over the past two years, they will never wrestle as a team again. That’s why the tears flowed at the Greensboro Coliseum Fieldhouse a little more on Saturday afternoon.

If anything, Saturday’s loss to Piedmont may have been more disappointing than last year, when Orange led 29-17 with four matches remaining and was one takedown away from beating Piedmont to take its fifth state championship. Instead, Piedmont rallied for wins in the last three matches to win 29-27 in Monroe.

That memory stayed in the minds of Orange wrestlers for the rest of the year, even after Orange captured the 3A Individual Team Championship at the State Tournament two weeks later. The buzzword throughout the week around the Orange wrestling room was “redemption.” Plus, there was a sense of finality. The 12 seniors, who came up together after a disappointing loss to Eden Morehead two years ago in the 2nd round of the state playoffs, were competing for each other for the final time.

Orange couldn’t have asked for a better start. Josiah Ramirez pinned Travis Murphy in 1:31, and the large Orange contingent exploded. At 220, Braden Homsey remained undefeated with a major decision over James Price 17-9.

Then things quickly fell apart. Piedmont won seven straight matches, starting at heavyweight when Luis Oropesa defeated Daylen Alston 9-6. Just as they did last year, Piedmont controlled the lighter weighs to take the state title. Tripp Collins started things at 106 by pinning Kessell Summers in 3:59.

At 113, Bailey Wicker edged Mitchell Askew 6-3 to give Piedmont a 12-10 lead it would not relinquish. At 120, Nathan Huntley, who earned a huge victory last year against Orange when he defeated Askew, shut out Justin Hutchins 4-0.

Angelo Gilvary knocked off Gavin Wiggins 8-1 to put Piedmont ahead 18-10. Colby Funderburk, the hero of last year’s state championship match when he defeated Noah Davis 18-2 to seal the title, decisioned Bailey Hawkins 7-3 at 132. Mason Fisher pinned Malcolm Phillips in 1:34. Kylan Thomas pinned Orange’s Marion Manduiano at 4:22 to earn Piedmont its third Dual Team State Championship and second consecutive title.

Levi Anderson won a match at 145 for Orange.

It was a cruel ending that the same team that handed Bobby Shriner his last dual match loss also gave Spenser Poteat his first. But even harder for Orange is how it ends for 12 seniors who have earned four conference championships, two regional titles and an individual state championship.

However many victories Orange wrestling has gathered over the past 27 years, the quality of the young men involved have proven to be the program’s legacy, which will continue to get passed down. When it does, that will make the sweet times sweeter.

A grinding stretch for the Cedar Ridge Boys Basketball team ended on Saturday with a 55-38 loss to Northwood. On Friday, East Chapel Hill defeated the Red Wolves 62-52, the Wildcats’ first Big 8 win of the season. The Red Wolves head into the final week of the regular season with a 4-15 record, 2-8 in the Big 8. Senior Khalil Barnett, who scored ten points against the Wildcats, talked about the grind of playing three times in 72 hours.

Cedar Ridge Senior Guard Khalil Barnett Discusses Loss to East Chapel Hill

A grinding stretch for the Cedar Ridge Boys Basketball team ended on Saturday with a 55-38 loss to Northwood. On Friday, East Chapel Hill defeated the Red Wolves 62-52, the Wildcats’ first Big 8 win of the season. The Red Wolves head into the final week of the regular season with a 4-15 record, 2-8 in the Big 8.

A month after blowing a 14-point lead to Chapel Hill, Orange gained a measure of revenge on Friday night by beating the Tigers 53-40. Orange started the game on a 17-4 run to lead wire-to-wire. Playing on three consecutive nights, the Lady Panthers captured two wins to improve to 8-13, 4-7 in the Big 8 Conference. Orange is currently tied with Chapel Hill for 5th place in the Big 8, three games behind Cedar Ridge. Orange wraps up the regular season next week with games against Southern Durham, East Chapel Hill and Northern Durham.

Orange G Lauren Cates on Playing Three Games in Three Days and a Win over Chapel Hill

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