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Midway through the 2018 season, it appears the Orange football team has its final schedule set. At least, until the next rainout.

On Thursday night, Orange announced that the Panthers will travel to Randleman on November 2 at 7PM. Randleman replaces Chapel Hill on Orange’s schedule. On August 13, four days before the season opener, Chapel Hill announced it would not field a varsity football team because of a lack of participation.

Randleman is a 2A team that plays in the PAC 7 Conference. They’re currently 5-0 overall, 1-0 in conference play. In 2016, the Tigers won the PAC 7 Conference Championship with a perfect 6-0 record. They finished 11-2 after advancing to the 3rd round of the 2AA State playoffs, where they lost to East Duplin 21-13. Randleman was held under 30 points just twice all of last season, finishing the season with seven consecutive wins by a cumulative total of 328-48.

So far this season, Randleman has defeated Asheboro, Southwestern Randolph, Ledford (who handed Randleman its only regular season last season), and Union Pines. Last week, the Tigers won its PAC 7 Conference opener over Wheatmore 28-14 in Trinity.

Through the course of this week, Orange has gone from nine scheduled games for the 2018 season to eleven. On Monday morning, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association extended the regular season to November 9, citing the number of schools in Coastal and Sandhills Counties that have yet to resume classes because of Hurricane Florence. Within hours of that announcement, Orange rescheduled the Riverside game that was postponed on September 14 because of Florence. The Riverside-Orange game will be the regular season finale for the Panthers.

Because of Cedar Ridge and CHHS not fielding varsity teams and Hurricane Florence, this Orange team will have the unusual distinction of finishing the season with three straight nonconference opponents. On October 26, Eastern Guilford will visit Orange. The Wildcats replaced Cedar Ridge on the schedule the day after the Red Wolves canceled the varsity football season in June.

It was important for the Panthers to get an eleventh game scheduled for playoff purposes. Currently, Orange is 1-3 going into Friday’s night contest against Southern Durham, who have dropped two straight to the Panthers, both at Spartan Stadium.

Orange isn’t the only team playing football schedule gymnastics. On Thursday afternoon, the Cedar Ridge junior varsity team announced that its game against Northern Durham, which was suspended by lightning on Wednesday night, will resume on November 5 at Cedar Ridge Stadium. The Red Wolves and the Knights completed the first quarter tied 6-6 before lightning stopped the proceedings.

There’s no word yet on if Cedar Ridge’s game against Northwood, which was supposed to take place last week, will be rescheduled. The contest was slated for Pittsboro but was postponed because of unplayable grounds at Northwood High.

Despite being the final week of September, Cedar Ridge has only completed three games this season, sporting a 1-2 record. The Red Wolves defeated Rocky Mount Preparatory on September 6 for its first win on the gridiron in over a year.

All Orange varsity and Cedar Ridge junior varsity games can be heard on Hillsboroughsports.com.

Cedar Ridge was set to take the field for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday night, but they only got one quarter in. Cedar Ridge’s game against Northern Durham was stopped because of rain at the end of the first quarter with the game tied at 6-6. Hillsboroughsports.com’s Curran Campbell spoke with Cedar Ridge Football Coach Antonio King about the game and what he’s thought of his team so far.

Cedar Ridge Football Coach Antonio King Discusses the rain-shortened game against Northern DUrham

Cedar Ridge was set to take the field for the first time in three weeks on Wednesday night, but they only got one quarter in. Cedar Ridge’s game against Northern Durham was stopped because of rain at the end of the first quarter with the game tied at 7-7.

Jordan Rogers: Division III William Peace defeated Hollins University 6-0 on Tuesday night in Roanoke, VA. Peace freshman Jordan Rogers, who graduated from Orange in June, scored her first college goal in the 26th minute when she picked up a loose ball and chipped it over the head of Hollins goalkeeper Kendra Rich. In the 57th minute, Rogers picked up her 2nd assist of the season on a goal scored by Alyssa Gasperini. Rogers fired three shots. She has started all six games for the Pacers this season, accumulating 321 minutes. She is credited with 12 shots, four of them on net. William Peace is 1-3-1 with a match set for Thursday against Methodist in the USA South Athletic Conference. During her career at Orange, Rogers was named All-Big 8 Conference all four of her varsity seasons. She was also a BETA Club student.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: The former Orange High star started for Dickinson College in a 2-0 loss to #10 Franklin & Marshall on Wednesday night in Carlisle, PA. The loss ended the Red Devils’ four-game winning streak. They’re now 5-3-1. Reid-Shaw has started all nine of Dickinson’s games. Dickinson is now 2-1 in the Centennial Conference. Reid-Shaw, a junior, played in his 40th game on Tuesday night. In his Dickinson career, Reid-Shaw has started 22 games and has one assist, 12 shots, and four shots on goal. On Saturday, Dickinson will travel to Collegeville, PA to face Ursinus College in another Centennial Conference game. The Red Devils return home on Tuesday to face Misericordia.

Lili Henry: After Hurricane Florence forced the Methodist volleyball team to cancel or postpone six matches, the Division III Monarchs returned to action on Tuesday night. Methodist, after 17 days off, defeated Pfeiffer 3-1 in their USA South Athletic Conference opener. Lili Henry, a 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate, had 40 assists, two aces, and nine digs. Methodist improved to 6-2 overall. Henry currently leads the Monarchs with 219 assists and 16 aces. She has played in all eight of Methodist’s matches, starting six of them. She also has nine kills. The Monarchs return to action on Friday night when they take on Eastern Mennonite in Harrisonburg, VA. There’s no word on when Methodist will make up four matches that were postponed, three of which are USA South Conference matches against Salem, Averett and North Carolina Wesleyan. On Saturday, Methodist returns to USA South Conference play in a tri-match in Staunton, VA. The Monarchs will start the day against Mary Baldwin at noon, then face Meredith, which includes former Orange star Bailey Lucas.

Morgan Sellers: Sellers is a freshman for the Fayetteville State volleyball team. Like Methodist and other areas hit hard by Hurricane Florence, the Broncos have been in a holding pattern waiting for the flooding to relent before starting back with volleyball again. Fayetteville State is slated to return to action on Thursday night against St. Augustine’s at Felton Capel Arena in Fayetteville. The Broncos will enter the match 1-7, 1-2 in the CIAA. So far this season, Sellers, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in June, has played in two matches. She has two kills.

Another fall has arrived and the Cedar Ridge girls tennis team still has never lost to Orange in Big 8 Conference play.

On Monday afternoon, the Red Wolves defeated the Lady Panthers for the 8th straight time 8-1 at Orange High Tennis Courts. Cedar Ridge won all six of the singles matches. Junior Olivia Ward, senior Alana Lutz, junior Brianna Cellini, senior Rachel Quade and freshmen Mary Hunter Millet & Hannah Shinnick all claimed victories.

Orange’s only victory was also the most competitive match of the afternoon as the doubles team of Sydney Allison & Lindsey Jouannet defeated Cedar Ridge’s #3 doubles squad of Millet and Shinnick 9-7. Cedar Ridge won the other two doubles matches, with Lutz/Ward teaming to defeat Jera Hargrove & Morgan Gwinn 8-1. In the #2 doubles match, Cellini/Quade defeated Orange’s tandem of Natalie Marochak & Emma Williamson 8-6.

Cedar Ridge, now 4-8 overall and 4-6 in the Big 8 Conference, hosts Northern Durham on Wednesday.

Boys Soccer: Coming off of its first win over Orange in two years, Cedar Ridge continued the momentum on Monday night by shutting out Hillside 5-0 at Cedar Ridge Stadium. With eight matches remaining in the season, Cedar Ridge has already equaled its win total from all of last season with a mark of 5-5-1. They host Southern Durham on Thursday night.

Also on Monday night, Orange bounced back with a 3-0 victory at Southern Durham in a match played at Twin Lakes Park. Orange goalkeeper Francisco McKinley earned the clean sheet for the Panthers. Levi Anderson scored the opener on an assist from Logan Myers. RJ Pherribo notched Orange’s 2nd goal off an assist from McKinley. Junior Jerry Velasquez added an insurance goal off a cross from Pherribo, who has five points over the past two games.

Orange is now tied with Northwood and Cedar Ridge for fourth place in the Big 8 Conference with 2-2 league records. The Panthers are also 5-5-1 going into its match on Wednesday afternoon against Northern Durham at Orange High Soccer Park.

Volleyball: Cedar Ridge completed a season sweep of Bartlett Yancey on Monday night. In a road trip to Caswell County, the Red Wolves defeated the Buccaneers 3-0 on scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-13.

It was another strong game for senior Sarah McCuiston, coming off her 21-kill effort in the Orange game. Against the Buccaneers, McCuiston finished with 17 kills and now has a team-high 147 for the season. McCuiston also had three blocks, three digs and an ace. Junior Tori Dalehite registered eight kills, three aces, and six digs. Senior Juliann De Jesus had six kills. Senior Macy Henry had 35 assists.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves lost to Northern Durham 3-0 at Cedar Ridge Gymnasium. The scores were 25-7, 27-25 and 25-14. Once again, McCuiston led the Red Wolves with 12 kills. De Jesus finished with seven kills and one block. Henry had three aces, five digs and a team-high 21 assists. Senior Rachel Tucker led Cedar Ridge with 13 digs.

The Red Wolves are now 5-12 overall, 2-8 in the Big 8 Conference. On Thursday night, they will wrap up the month of September by traveling over to East Chapel Hill. Next week, the Red Wolves host Northwood, Hillside and Southern Durham to wrap up the season.

Senior midfielder Jose Luna scored the opening goal in Cedar Ridge’s 3-2 win over Orange in the Hillsborough Derby on Friday afternoon at Orange Soccer Park. Luna’s goal was assisted by Calvin Navaez, who wound up scoring the game-winning goal with 10:41 remaining. Luna created several opportunities for the Red Wolves, who have already equaled its win total from last season with eight games remaining. On Monday night, Cedar Ridge continued its momentum with a 5-0 victory over Hillside at Red Wolves Stadium. 

Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week: Jose Luna

Senior midfielder Jose Luna scored the opening goal in Cedar Ridge’s 3-2 win over Orange in the Hillsborough Derby on Friday afternoon at Orange Soccer Park. Luna’s goal was assisted by Calvin Navaez, who wound up scoring the game-winning goal with 10:41 remaining.

Orange running back Hunter Pettiford had a career-high 128 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns on Friday night in the Panthers’ 54-0 win over East Chapel Hill. Pettiford scored on a 28-yard run with 6:41 remaining in the first half, then notched another touchdown on Orange’s subsequent possession from eight yard out. Pettiford also has eight receptions this season. Hunter asked to dedicate this award to his late grandfather Peter, who passed away over the summer and was a beloved figure in Caldwell. Orange, after winning its conference opener, now sets its sights on archrival Southern Durham on Friday night at Auman Stadium. Kickoff is at 7. The live broadcast can be heard on Hillsboroughsports.com. 

Orange Panther of the Week: Hunter Pettiford

Orange running back Hunter Pettiford had a career-high 128 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns on Friday night in the Panthers’ 54-0 win over East Chapel Hill. Pettiford scored on a 28-yard run with 6:41 remaining in the first half, then notched another touchdown on Orange’s subsequent possession from eight yard out.

Scott Satterfield: The 1991 Orange graduate is in his sixth season as head coach of Appalachian State, where he played quarterback from 1991-1995. On the eve of Saturday’s 72-7 Appalachian win over Gardner-Webb, it was announced by the Mountaineer athletic department that Satterfield has agreed to a two-year contract extension. The new deal will keep Satterfield as the head coach in Boone until 2023.  “I’m blessed and honored to be the head coach here at Appalachian State,” Satterfield said through a school-issued release. “I still come to work every day excited about being part of such a special university. “I would like to thank Chancellor Sheri Everts, the Board of Trustees and Doug Gillin (App State’s athletics director) for their support of me, my family, our coaching staff and App State Football. We will continue to build a championship-caliber program. It’s great to be a Mountaineer!” Satterfield is 43-23 as a head coach. He replaced Jerry Moore as head coach in 2011 and bridged the gap between Appalachian’s transition from an FCS school to FBS. In his stint, Appalachian has won three consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championships and victories in the Camellia Bowl (in 2015 & 2016) and the Dollar General Bowl (in 2017). Under his old contract, Satterfield made $425,000 annually.

Bryse Wilson: Though he hasn’t pitched since Tuesday, Wilson was spraying champagne on his Braves’ teammates in the Atlanta clubhouse at SunTrust Park on Saturday afternoon. The Atlanta Braves defeated Philadelphia 5-3 to clinch its first National League East Division Championship since 2013. With six games remaining in the regular season, Atlanta is 3-and-a-half games behind the Chicago Cubs for home-field advantage for the National League playoffs, so its possible Wilson could see action before the regular season ends Sunday. Wilson is currently part of Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The 25-man playoff roster will be submitted by each playoff team next Monday.

Garrett Cloer: For the 2nd straight week, Cloer started at wide receiver for Cornell in its home opener on Saturday. Yale defeated the Big Red 30-24 in what was also Cornell’s homecoming game at Schoellkopf Field in Ithaca, NY. Cloer didn’t make any catches in the game. Cornell (0-2) will host Sacred Heart on Saturday.

Rachel Shinnick: The 2015 Orange graduate fired two shots for the Wofford women’s soccer team in an 8-1 loss to East Tennessee State on Sunday in Johnson City, TN. Shinnick earned the start at wingback. So far this season, she’s started three games and has accumulated 385 minutes of game action. The Terriers are 2-7-1, 0-2 in the Southern Conference going into Friday’s game against Chattanooga.

Brittany Daley: The freshman centerback from Cedar Ridge fired a shot as Division III Greensboro College improved to 7-0 with a 4-1 win over Averett University on Saturday afternoon in Danville, VA. Daley has played in all seven of the Pride’s games, starting five of them, including Saturday’s victory.

Jordan Lloyd: The Brevard Tornadoes volleyball team dropped a pair of USA South Conference matches on Saturday in a tri-match held in Berea, KY. Huntingdon defeated Brevard 3-0. In that match, Lloyd led Brevard with seven kills. She also had six digs. In a 3-1 loss to Berea, Lloyd again led the Tornadoes with 12 kills. She also had a team-high 31 digs. Brevard returns to action on Saturday in a USA South Conference tri-match at home against LaGrange and Maryville (Tennessee).

Orange senior co-Captain Eryk Mercado made a big impression in the Panthers’ Big 8 Conference Opener on Friday night. Mercado, who was a first-team All-Big 8 selection last season, made two interceptions as Orange defeated East Chapel Hill 56-0 on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium. Mercado also got some snaps at running back and wide receiver. Having already been a member of two Big 8 Conference championship teams at Orange, Mercado has an eye on playing at the next leve as he attended several summer camps at various colleges across the state. But first, Mercado wants to put Orange back atop the Big 8. Next week, the Panthers host Southern Durham.

Orange Senior Eryk Mercado Talks Two Interceptions vs. East Chapel Hill

Orange senior co-Captain Eryk Mercado made a big impression in the Panthers’ Big 8 Conference Opener on Friday night. Mercado, who was a first-team All-Big 8 selection last season, made two interceptions as Orange defeated East Chapel Hill 56-0 on Friday night at Wildcat Stadium.