Photo Credit: Kathryn ObenshainThe new Art Club murals.[/caption]
The art department unveiled eight murals at homecoming. Many groups worked together to make this possible and donated supplies. The PTSO, Student Government Association, and Art Club collaborated on this project. A total of eight panels made of marine plywood were primed by the ag department and given to the Art Club to paint last year.
Elizabeth Dell-Jones, the art teacher here at Orange, said that she agreed when the PTSO asked her if she could do the project, not knowing its size. She was overwhelmed when she learned the size, but, with the creative minds in her classes and Art Club, she was able to go above and beyond.
Patrick Pettiford and Mary Giordano, two seniors last year, had a large part in the painting of these murals. In fact, Pettiford’s original ideas are in every mural. But everyone could add a little bit of themselves to the murals. For example, Haven Roberts painted an armadillo because it is her signature thing.
That being said, the murals vary in theme. One has mice, while others have mermaids and mythical creatures. “[These murals are] random iconic images from the hearts and minds of these very creative people,” says Dell-Jones. Many hours were spent meticulously painting the finest of details.
Photo Credit: Tammy Mack Adalyn Fleming finishes her race at Orange.[/caption]At the Wendy’s Invitational on October 2, the girl’s team got great times. This race is one of the most important ones of the year, and Wendy’s is a highly competitive race in Charlotte where the best battle it out.
On Saturday, September 27, Orange placed third overall at the Greensboro invitational. They were very close to being champions, but still did fantastic. Everyone ran well, and lots of girls got personal records (PR’s) on the course.
Tuesday, September 23, Adalyn Fleming came in third at Orange’s first home cross country meet, with a time of 21 minutes and 7 seconds. She and many other OHS runners made great leaps to make the first meet a great one.
Fleming was followed closely by sophomores Juliana Lester and Claire Barger, and freshmen Isabelle Hartmond and Melia Weeks. Junior Hannah Phillips finished 6th, and Sophomore Kathryn Obenshain finished seventh on the team.
The team’s success was surprising considering the team just acquired a new coach, Hendrik Joubert. Joubert is a highly recognized runner. He has run many marathons, ultra marathons, and 55 mile runs.
Photo Credit: Jared Riley[/caption]Friday, September 26, the Orange High Panther football team faced their toughest challenge of the season in the 4-0 Northwood Chargers. It took all the effort the Panthers could muster to fend off the Chargers, but Orange was able to prevail with their fifth consecutive win by a score of 14 to 7. The packed house at Aumond Stadium saw the Panthers move to 5-0 overall and earn their first Big Eight conference win of the year, while Northwood dropped to 4-1 and 0-1 respectively.
The Panthers offense opened the game on fire, scoring 14 points in the first seven minutes with Eryk Brandon Dean taking it in from 10 yard out, and a Garrett Cloer one yard plunge into the endzone. The game appeared to be on the same track as Orange’s previous 54 to 14 thrashing of Graham, however Northwood ensured that would not be the case. The Chargers defense was able to keep the Panthers out of the endzone for the rest of the contest and forced the Panthers to become one dimensional as the passing game was ineffective for most of the night. Cloer finished the night with only 5 completions on 10 attempts and 91 yards. The senior quarterback was on the move for most of the night, as Northwood’s impressive front seven kept the pressure on.
Orange was not the only team having trouble on offense, as Northwood was unable to move the ball for most of the game except for a 39 yard touchdown pass from Ti Pinnix to Jared Worley on a blown assignment by the Orange secondary. Worley, a senior captain for the Chargers, was all over the field, racking in 4 catches for 91 yards on offense, while making several tackles from the linebacker position. Worley and the Charger defense gave a valiant effort in trying to stop the Panthers' two headed monster at the running back position in Brandon-Dean and senior Tay Jones. The two combined for a nice 127 yards on 23 carries, but were unable to break free for the long runs the Panther faithful have become accustomed to seeing. Brandon-Dean was also the Panthers’ leading pass catcher, hauling in three catches for 70 yards.
Northwood struggled extremely in the running game as the Panthers’ front seven were in the back field the entire game, causing many long third downs for the Chargers and Pinnix. The senior signal caller was able to complete 14 of 29 passes for 194 while also rushing 15 times for 33 yards, most of which were scampers out of a collapsing pocket.
The Panthers defense, known as the ‘Orange Crush,’ stood strong on two different goal line stands, as they stopped the Chargers at the 2 yard line shortly before halftime after a false start negated a Northwood touchdown. Northwood was also looking for a tying score as the fourth quarter winded down, as the Chargers were able to get as close as the 8 yard line, before a Pinnix pass on fourth down was batted down by senior defensive lineman Byron Stephenson.
The Panthers travel to Henderson this Friday to take on the 1-4 Vikings of Northern Vance.
Meet the new counselor, Lynn Douglas! She is the counselor for names M-R. Photo Credit: Kathryn Obenshain[/caption]Orange High has a new counselor named Lynn Douglas. She is the counselor for names M-R. She is a very laid back, relaxed counselor, but if a student needs help, she is ready for action. When Douglas was in high school, she had a poor counselor. Her and her classmates were very under-informed about opportunities they needed to be aware of. Having this experience made Douglas want to become a counselor. She applied and got accepted to North Carolina Central College in Durham. Recently, she completed her masters and bachelors degree in school counseling. Although she is a newer counselor, she isn’t new to the school scene.
While completing her masters at NC Central, Douglas was an intern at Dudley High School in Greensboro. Douglas enjoyed her time there, but she needed a real job now that she had her masters. When looking for jobs, she says that she always looks for opportunities where the population is diverse. She sees Orange High School as a place that is not only diverse, but where she can add diversity. Douglas wants to help the Panthers celebrate world cultures, talk to students to fulfill their needs, and make sure Orange High School is well taken care of.
Although Douglas is a devoted counselor, she doesn’t stay at Orange all the time. In her spare time, she enjoys singing, shopping, cooking, traveling, and pageantry. She has been all over the United States with her college marching band. However, she hopes to go out of the country this upcoming summer. Douglas competes in and organizes pageants in her spare time.
A word of advice for the Panthers: “Always, always, always have a plan, a back-up plan, and a back-up plan for your back-up plan,” said Douglas. She loves talking to, interacting with, and helping students. Her door is always open to help anyone.
Jared Riley
Jared Riley was born a sports fan. He grew up a sports fan and he still is one today. He enjoys all sports, but his favorite is football. Riley is the sports editor for the Orange High School newspaper Den Echoes. He is a 16 year old, three-time-award-winning journalist, but these accolades do not matter to him yet as his goal is to one day be a journalist for ESPN. He wants to be the next Adam Schefter.
Riley has played football since he was eight, and he wants to continue to be around football even when he grows up. He is an offensive lineman on the Orange High football team.
Riley has a life outside of football as well. He is in multiple clubs. Some of these include the Society of Saint Andrews (SOSA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Riley enjoys hanging out with his friends. They like playing basketball and other sports outside. His favorite television shows are Sports Center and the news. Watching shows like this will definitely prepare him to work on ESPN.
Riley hopes to go to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has an advantage over other students, as he attended a journalism camp at UNC this past summer. He sure has set the bar high and should be an example to others about having high hopes for their education.
Photo Credit: Hannah Phillips/MIa Frenduto. All the seniors line up with their parents before the game starts.[/caption]The Orange High School Panther baseball team earned their twentieth win of the season on Friday, May 10, after defeating cross-town rival Cedar Ridge by a score of 10 to 6. The game was just the Panthers third at home all season due to an ice storm on March 6 that left that field severely damaged. With the victory, Orange improved to an overall record of 20-3 and a perfect conference record of 14-0. Prior to the game the teams ten seniors were honored in front of a near capacity crowd.
The Panthers were lead by a strong offense, which was able to score heavily in both the first and third inning, scoring four and six runs respectively. Sophomore catcher Brad Debo was the catalyst for the offensive attack, hitting a towering two-run homerun to right field to give Orange an early 2 to nothing lead. The Panthers also added two more runs on a Red Wolves error that brought in sophomore Bryse Wilson and a sacrifice fly by junior Josh Kiehle that scored senior Matthew Crabtree.
Orange kept their foot on the gas pedal in the third inning as they brought their run total to 10 due to six hits and another Cedar Ridge error. Despite not scoring for the rest of the game, the Panthers pitching was good enough to secure the win. Junior James Cunningham got the start on the mound, pitching four innings and ushering three runs, as only one was earned, while also striking out three. Senior Jonah Neville acted as the set up man in his final regular season home game, as he pitched two innings, while striking out one and allowing two runs to score. Finishing out the game and moving from behind the plate to the mound was Debo, as he struck out the side to get out of a bases loaded game, while allowing one run.
The Panthers will host round one of the 3A East playoffs against Northern Guilford. Neville’s expectations for the playoffs are to, “Win and advance as deep as possible. It’s a completely new season for us, our accomplishments from the regular season no longer matter.” Orange will face the Nighthawks on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
Photo Credit: jasonandjessiejam.webs.com. A shot of the Big Barn Convention Center prior to the Jason and Jessie Jam VII.[/caption]Two lucky Orange High students will receive academic scholarships courtesy of the Jason and Jessie Jam VIII, an action-packed, music-based fundraising event erected in the memory of two former OHS students who died in a tragic car accident; Jason and Jessie Evans.
July 26, you can come out to the Big Barn Convention Center in downtown Hillsborough to enjoy great food, live music, and a silent auction. Free drawings and door prizes will be given out throughout the night as well, giving great, quality entertainment for the whole family in one of the long, summer nights. With this exciting event being for a good cause too, it really adds to the effect.
Emma Beneville and Desean Motley were the OHS scholarship recipients from last year, while Ryan Robinson and Aubrey Carr were the recipients of the scholarships for the Florida State University Sports Medicine Program, which the Jam also provides. Jason Evans was studying sports medicine at FSU at the time of the accident.
As for some details of the event, “Thrills from the Grill” will be providing the food, while local band “Good Rockin’ Sam” will be “jamming” for the event. The silent auction will include sporting event tickets, local artwork, and some vacation getaways. The Jason and Jessie Jam VII, last year’s event, raised $16,000 from generous donors in addition to the endowments of the two Panther students.
Early tickets for the extravagant event can be purchased for $20 at Dual Supply in Hillsborough, McAdams Farm and McAdams Muffler in Efland, and Devine’s Restaurant in Durham. Tickets will be sold for $25 at the door.
More information about the event, a link to donate online, and pictures of previous Jams can be found by clicking here, the official website of the Jam. Come out and support a great cause in loving memory of two former OHS students, July 26 at the Big Barn Convention Center from 5-9 pm!
Photo Credit: Hannah Phillips. A shot of the 3A Mideast Regional, hosted by Northern Guilford High School.[/caption]The NCHSAA 3A Mideast Regional could have gone better for the Panthers that qualified, as some of the six athletes had remarkable performances, and the others leaving with the desire to have a redo. Two Panther athletes achieved the ultimate goal of the meet: qualification for the NCHSAA 3A State Championship.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming and sophomore Montee Mitchell have qualified in the 800m and the 110m hurdles, respectively. Fleming ran her PR (personal record) by over five seconds, an incredible accomplishment in the 800m. The freshman rising star finished in 2:24.87, taking the bronze medal by finishing third. Fleming missed regional runner-up by less than a second, while also becoming the first freshman to place in the top three in the 800m at this regional since 2003, an unbelievable feat. Adalyn also ran the 1600m, finishing seventh in 5:46.
As for Mitchell, the meet’s Performance of the Day winner, the sophomore was actually entered into the meet due to consideration (the process of selecting additional athletes other than the ones who did not meet the qualification mark). Mitchell, different from the hundreds of athletes, coaches, and spectators watching, had an ambition to not only participate, but to show out and prove that he belonged there. The sophomore was seeded thirteenth out of the fourteen entered athletes. In the prelims of the 110m hurdles, Montee took over a half a second off of is PR, finishing sixth in 16.23. The top eight finishers in the prelims qualify for the finals, meaning Mitchell was only one great race away from state qualification. Later in the day, when it was time for the 110 meter hurdle final, the sophomore was ready. Mitchell took almost another quarter of a second of his PR, finishing in 16.02. In his fourth-place finish in the finals (top four qualify), he officially made the state championship. Mitchell was the only non-senior in the top five, and will be facing his toughest competition at states.
Six other Panther athletes competed at this regional meet. Fleming’s partner-in-crime, fellow freshman Claire Barger, ran the 1600m and the 3200m. Barger just missed state qualification herself, finishing fifth in the 1600m. Her 3200m performance was a minor disappointment, with the freshman running well off her PR. The last student-athlete that rounds out the star freshman milers trio here at Orange is Julianna Lester, who actually ended up running the 1600m, despite her running in a local 5k race earlier in the morning. Lester was the second overall female in the 5k, but it was not her best performance in the 1600m. Lester finished in 6:02, 11 seconds off her PR. It was a pretty solid performance for Lester as a whole on the day.
Two other Orange girls competed, junior Morgan Efland and senior De’ja Johnson. Efland finished fifth in the prelims of the 100m hurdles, and eventually ran a 17.49 en route to a sixth-place regional finish. In what was the last Orange High School athletic competition for Johnson, the senior triple jumped almost a whopping two feet farther than her previous PR, leaping her way to a sixth-place finish at 34’2.5”.
In a very unfortunate sequence of events shortly before this regional championship, the more than likely team MVP, senior Brandon Vanhook, sustained two serious injuries in his knees. His ambition for a regional championship pushed him to participate. Shortly before departing to get to Northern Guilford, the site of regionals, Vanhook’s spikes broke. With the combination of replacement shoes and a somewhat crippling injury, the senior leader could not pull of a miracle. In what was thought to be Orange’s greatest chance for a regional champion, Vanhook in the long jump, was an unfortunate disappointment, but adequate considering the circumstances. The senior jumped just under 20’, almost two feet under his PR, finishing sixth. If Brandon would have jumped his PR, he would have won by over a foot. One great performance emerged from Vanhook, however. He ran his PR in the 100m prelims (11.19), in an eighth-place finish. This, unexpectedly, put Vanhook in the 100m championship. Vanhook ran a 12.01 in the finals in another eighth-place finish.
The last Panther who participated was another underclassman, freshman Joseph Pannachia. Pannachia ran alongside Mitchell in the 110m hurdles, and ran his PR by .7 seconds. Pannachia missed finals qualification by two spots, running a 16.91 in a solid tenth-place finish.
Congratulations to our Panther track team for a very successful regional meet! Adalyn Fleming and Montee Mitchell will advance to the NCHSAA 3A State Championship meet, which will be this Friday, May 16 at NC A&T’s Irwin Belk Track. We wish Fleming and Mitchell best of luck at the highest level of competition in the state!
A shot of turn one of Cedar Ridge High School's track. Photo Credit: article.wn.com[/caption]April 12, the Orange Panthers track team traveled to in-conference foe Cedar Ridge High School for the 2014 Orange County Championships, this year dubbed the “Orange County Invitational.” At 10 am the meet kicked off, and right off the gun, great performances and personal records were set across the board, including an individual qualifying for the 3A Mideast Regional Championship meet. The Orange boys and girls squads both placed fifth of the five teams participating (Orange, Cedar Ridge, Carrboro, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill). However, despite the rough final rank, there were two boys and two girls that placed in the top three in their respective events, with one of them qualifying for regionals.
Senior De’ja Johnson and freshman Joseph Pannachia “medaled” in their respective events, with Johnson placing third in the long jump and second in the triple jump, and Pannachia taking the bronze in the 110-meter hurdles.
Freshman Adalyn Fleming placed third in the 1600 meter, running her PR (personal record) of 5:39 and officially qualifying her for the regional meet. Another freshman, Claire Barger, finished fourth, and missed officially qualifying for regionals by just one-tenth of a second, running her PR of 5:40. Luckily for Barger and another freshman Julianna Lester, who also has a chance of qualification with a PR performance of 5:54, they still have two more meets to break the 5:40 barrier. Despite another excellent performance from the freshman phenom, a county-renowned sprinter and jumper will take home the Orange County Invitational’s Performance of the Day Award, senior Brandon Vanhook. Vanhook qualified for regionals last meet, running a 11.0 100 meter and long-jumping 21’4”. This time around, at the Orange County Championships, Vanhook was one of two athletes. and the only boy, to place in the top three in all of his events (participating in at least three). Vanhook took home all the medals on Saturday, finishing third in the 200 meter, second in the 100 meter, and being crowned Orange County Champion in the long jump. With Vanhook’s PR jump of 21 feet, 8 inches, he puts himself in the record books as one of the best long-jumpers in school history. The senior’s leap ranks him in the top 35 in the state this outdoor season. A big congratulations goes out to our current qualifiers, Fleming and Vanhook.
Next up on the schedule, Orange has their second and last home meet, senior night this Thursday against JF Webb. Then, the team will travel back to Cedar Ridge for the Conference Championships on April 30.
Photo Credit: Spencer Husen[/caption]On a cool night last Thursday, the men’s and women’s track and field team at Orange traveled to Chapel Hill High School to take on Chapel Hill and JF Webb in their first meet of the season. The Panthers’ guys team finished second out of the three in-conference foes, while the girls took third.
There were several great performances that arose, including victories in seven events, four girls and three guys. Freshman Joseph Pannachia won the 110 meter hurdles, while sophomore Montee Mitchell took first in the 300 meter hurdles. Another notable win emerged from senior qualifying-hopeful, Brandon Vanhook. Vanhook set his personal best in the long jump at the last winter track meet, jumping over 20 feet for the first time (20’4”), “inching” closer and closer to a regional meet berth.
Now for the girls. Senior De’ja Johnson won the triple jump, continuing her very successful high school career. Also continuing her in-conference dominance, junior Morgan Efland won the 300 meter hurdles, while also finishing runner-up in the 100 meter hurdles. With this victory, the Panthers secured a win in three out of the four hurdles events, boys and girls. Another win arose from senior Nycol Lyons, who won the long jump in 14’1”.
Despite all these great Panther wins, the first Performance of the Night award is going to freshman Adalyn Fleming, who won the 1600m in debatably the toughest conference in the state. Fleming ran a 5:44, her personal best, and also just under five seconds away from qualifying from the regional meet. Fleming also excelled in her freshman cross country campaign, as she was the only person who qualified for the state meet on the boys and girls team combined.
When asked about her individual performance and the performance of the (girls) team collectively on Thursday, Fleming said, “I think I did well, and our team also did pretty well considering we were missing two of our girls.” The girls are also under a new head coach, an experienced runner from South Africa, Hendrik Joubert. When the freshman star was asked about adapting to the new coach, Fleming responded, “[Joubert] works us hard, but I think that everyone is adapting to the new coaching style.” Fleming is also receiving a lot of attention this season, as she is leading the team as just a freshman. When asked about this extra attention she is receiving due to her leadership role, Fleming said, “It makes me have high hopes for the future of the team since we are so young. Most of the freshman girls are committed to running for the next three years.” Fleming is primarily referring to freshmen Claire Barger and Julianna Lester, who were number(s) two and three on the cross country team.
The Panthers will take on Southern Durham and Northern Vance this Thursday at home at 4:30, so come out and support your Panthers in their first home meet of 2014.
Photo credit: Brianna Hales. Colleges will be handing out pamphlets for students with a lot of important information.[/caption]The Career and College Expo is being held on Tuesday, March 18 during the school day. It will feature over thirty representatives from local businesses and universities. Students and staff will be able to ask the representatives different questions. Schools and local businesses include:
Colleges: Wake Tech Community College Durham Tech Community College UNC-Chapel Hill NCCU UNC-Greensboro Johnson and Wales High Point University Louisburg College Alamance Community College Appalachian State University Johnson C. Smith NC Wesleyan College St. Augustine's College Lees-McRae College Living Arts College Livingstone College Careers: Research/Science: Duke University Research/Science: UNC-Chapel Hill Aveda Institute Huntington Bank Human Resources: EEOC Piedmont Electric Pharmacy Design & Engineering: Summit Sports Endeavors North Carolina Forest Service Orange County Health Department Orange County Emergency Medical Services Hillsborough Fire Department Apprenticeship and Training Bureau: NCDOL Weaver Street Market Construction (Cranes & Rigging) : Buckner Companies Aquatic Management Group, Inc. Army Marines/National Guard Navy |
Photo Credit: Will Okun. Orange celebrates after winning the Eastern Guilford Christmas Tournament.[/caption]The Panthers took on second-seeded Hunt on Saturday, in an attempt to reach their first state championship game since 1969. The Panthers put up an incredible fight, but in the end, the Panthers took the L from the Warriors, falling by a final score of 66-60.
Orange kept it close early, closing the first quarter with only a 2-point deficit. The Panthers, almost all season, were not a very good second-half team, as they had scored more points in the first half in two-thirds of their previous 27 games. With this said, it was very important that the Panthers pounce on Hunt throughout the second quarter, reducing the deficit, if not leading, by halftime. That’s exactly what they did. With several pivotal defensive stops and good play inside, Orange regained the lead with less than two minutes to play in the half. They held the lead and even increased their margin, and lead by three at halftime.
Now it was the Warriors time to make a push. This push would be too much for the Panthers to eclipse. With an 11-point swing, Hunt regained the lead by nine at the end of the third. With one of the teams about to experience its final 10 minutes of the season, it was evident there was going to be a good fight to the end.
Orange started off strong, tightening the game to seven with a little over seven minutes to play. Then, it all started to fall apart for the Panthers. Hunt went on a 10-2 run in about 3:30 remaining, and had a 15-point lead with less than four minutes to play. It was not looking good for Orange, but they put up an incredible run to cap off the game. The Panthers got it down to single digits, trailing by nine with 2:34 remaining. Then down to seven, then five, then a three pointer by senior forward Keegan Crabtree cuts it down to four with 51 seconds to play. Following the Warriors’ 10-2 run, the Panthers went on their own 15-4 run. The Panthers were not able to complete the improbable comeback however, as they eventually were defeated by the East Regional Champion, Hunt, 66-60.
The Varsity and Junior Varsity basketball teams truly had incredible seasons, with their combined record finishing at 46-7. Varsity came within one win of competing for their first state championship since five years after the school’s inception in 1964, and the Panthers received several mid- and post-season awards. Orange won the Eastern Guilford Christmas Tournament in late December, and Coach Greg Motley and senior Keegan Crabtree won the Big Eight Conference Coach and Player of the Year Awards, respectively.
Next season, the Panthers will be without two of this year’s starters, but will leave a very talented core in starting guards Jawan Chambers, Eryk Brandon-Dean, and Tay Jones. You can expect forwards Garrett Cloer (who missed all of this season with a torn PCL) and Jace Jordan-Cornell to take seniors Crabtree and JD Brooks’ spots. We look forward to the Mighty Panthers taking the floor for the 2014-2015 Varsity and JV basketball season.
Photo Credit: Spencer Husen[/caption]After a 69-56 victory over West Brunswick High School in the east regional semifinal in the 2013-14 NCHSAA 3A State Playoffs, only two wins separate the Panthers of Orange High School from capturing their first state title in 45 years.
The game took place in Fayetteville, NC at Crown Coliseum, both teams’ first game at a neutral site. The Panthers did a great job adapting to the more hostile environment, as the coliseum had the largest opposing team’s student section that they had seen all year. Fans that took the two-and-a-half hour trip from OHS to Crown Coliseum enjoyed a pretty interesting game, with points of utter desperation to intense moments for both teams.
Orange was up early, with an eight point lead at the end of the first quarter. Continuing their strong push from the first quarter, the Panthers resumed their push by extending their lead to 15 at halftime. Sophomore point guard Eryk Brandon-Dean led the way in the first half with 10 points and 6 assists, the only player in double-figures at the half. The Trojans of Brunswick cut the lead by 9 points at the end of the third, with Orange up by just 6. Despite having a lot of confidence entering the final 10 minutes of the game, the Panthers’ lead was reduced all the way to two with 5:33 remaining. However, those five minutes and 33 seconds proved to be the last bit of time for West Brunswick’s season, thanks to Orange outscoring Brunswick by an unprecedented 28-2 in the transition game.
Brandon-Dean had debatebly the best game of his almost two-year career, with 16 points, eight assists, and seven steals. Senior JD Brooks also dropped 16, while junior guard Jawan Chambers led the charge with 18. The Trojans played a great game, coming all the way back from a near 20-point deficit by cutting the lead to two in the final quarter.
The Panthers will take on the Warriors of James Hunt High School, the two seed in the east, this Saturday at 2 pm, again at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.
Senior Joe Piscitelli hits a line drive single during the Panthers 8 to 1 win over Graham.[/caption]Wednesday, March 5 the Orange High School Panther baseball team earned their second win of the season following an 8 to 1 victory over Graham. The win moved the Panthers to 2-0 on the season after defeating Eastern Alamance last week, while knocking Graham to 0-2.
The Varsity Panthers were lead by a strong pitching performance from junior Josh Kiehle. Kiehle tossed four innings, while only ushering four hits and one earned run, and striking out four. Sophomore catcher Brad Debo spoke about Kiehle’s performance, saying, “He[Kiehle] had good command and was hitting his spots and keeping guys off balance.” Orange also received good performances from juniors James Cunningham and Miles Acosta and senior Jonah Neville, who pitched one inning apiece and gave up no runs.
Orange was also strong at the plate, scoring eight runs on ten hits, while having a .357 team batting average and 6 different players drive in a run. Senior second baseman and leadoff hitter Joe Piscitelli went 2 for 2 while scoring 3 runs, and reaching base in all four plate appearances. Senior centerfielder Collin Pope and sophomore Bryse Wilson each had two hits and two RBI’s, while senior Matthew Crabtree, sophomore Cameron Mehl, and Wilson all hit a double.
The Panthers lead the entire game and Graham’s only threat came in the sixth inning. The Red Devils were one swing away from making it a one run game when Cunningham pitched out of a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts.
Debo, who went 1 for 4 with an RBI single, says the team can still improve, saying, “We just want to get better everyday and win games.” The Panthers play on Saturday at home against Corinth Holders with the first pitch scheduled for 2 pm.
Senior Keegan Crabtree taking it to the rack.Photo Credit: Will Okun[/caption]
The Orange High School men’s basketball squad beat South Brunswick by a final score of 75-51 on Monday, advancing to the second round of the 3A State Playoffs. The Cougars of Brunswick kept it close early in the game, relying on their big men to take advantage of Orange’s relatively small lineup; however, with the score tied 27-27, the Panthers scored 12 straight points to cap off an explosive half. With the lead at 12 going into the second half, it proved to be insurmountable for Brunswick. The Panthers essentially ran away with the game in the second half, forcing several turnovers and scoring lots of transition baskets.
Orange was led by senior Keegan Crabtree and sophomore Eryk Brandon-Dean, who scored 21 and 16 points, respectively.
Orange’s second round game will be tomorrow, February 26, at 7:00 pm against 16-seeded, in-conference foe Chapel Hill.
Photo Credit: Will Okun. Junior Jawan Chambers runs the ball across half court during the Panthers 62 to 59 victory over Cedar Ridge.[/caption]The 2013-14 season has been one of the best for both the Junior Varsity and Varsity men's basketball teams at Orange High School in recent memory. Both teams were able to win the regular season Big Eight conference championship, finishing with records of 20-1 and 20-4 respectively.
The JV team secured a near perfect season against cross-town rival Cedar Ridge on Monday, February 17, with a 77 to 33 win. The Panthers were lead by freshman Connor Crabtree who had 19 points, while Alex Long also added 14 points off the bench. The Junior Varsity’s only loss of the season came on the road against Southern Durham.
The Varsity men's team also locked up the conference championship against the Red Wolves, winning a nail bitter by a score of 62 to 59. Leading the Panthers was senior forward JD Brooks who finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, with 5 of them being offensive. Also contributing to the win were senior forward Keegan Crabtree and junior guard Jawan Chambers who added 10 and 12 points respectively.
While the JV team’s season has concluded, the Varsity men play on into the conference tournament as the number one seed.
Photo Credit: Will Okun. Chandler Compton is making buckets.[/caption]The JV basketball team of Orange High School has had ups and downs this season, but it has been mostly ups. The mighty Panthers have just reached their 17th win, while only recently losing their bid for a perfect season, after starting an astounding 15-0. With only one loss, it is clear that the Panthers can compete with any JV team in the state, especially since they played Oxford Webb JV’s team, the 3A State Champion last season in varsity basketball, and beat them by 16. The team consists of a wide variety of several multi-sport athletes, and their athleticism is unmatched in the Big Eight Conference.
The recipient of both the Rookie of the Year and Athlete of the Year award during his time at Stanford Middle School, sophomore Lionel Reid-Shaw said that, “We have very talented freshmen on our team, and they really help us execute.” When asked about whether or not they should change their play style to face tougher competition, Reid-Shaw said, “No, we should continue doing what we’re doing, because it’s working. We’ve already played pretty much everyone, so I think we should repeat our previous strategies.” Lastly, when asked about whether or not being undefeated affects your confidence, the sophomore responded, “No, because we can’t let that get into our heads.”
In their two most recent games against in-conference foes Chapel Hill and Northern Vance, the Panthers came away with two wins, with sophomores Daniel Mulligan and Reggie Bradsher leading the way against Chapel Hill with 16 points. Sophomore forward Chandler Compton also scored all 13 of his points in the 4th quarter, which finished off a great run by the Panthers to lead them to victory. Leading the charge also against Northern Vance was Bradsher again, scoring a game-high 15.
Next, the Panthers take on the Chargers of Northwood. Varsity basketball will have senior night following the JV game. Come out and support the Panthers as they begin to try to cap off an unforgettable season at home on February 7 at 5:30 pm. Orange JV only has two more games after this matchup, against J.F. Webb and Cedar Ridge on the road and at home, respectively.
Husen has never met a sports debate that he wouldn’t engage in, and is always willing to defend his Duke Blue Devils. Husen is a die-hard Blue Devils fan who is willing to bet anything on his team, no matter what the odds.
Husen is not only a sports fan, but also a talented athlete. Husen lettered in both cross country and track in his freshman year, and was also co-MVP of the cross country team during his sophomore season. When not writing or running, Husen spends his time playing competitive pick-up basketball in his neighborhood, playing video games, and hanging out with his friends.
After graduating from high school, Husen aspires to attend a college with a good running program, and then pursue a career in technology or as a sports reporter. No matter what field Husen ventures into, his knowledge and passion for sports will always be evident.
Photo Credit: Will Okun.[/caption]Friday, November 8, the Orange High School Panther football team defeated Rocky Mount 31 to 3 in the first round of the NC 3AA playoffs. The win came one week after the Panthers suffered their first loss of the season against Southern Durham, and moved the team to 11-1.
Orange’s defense recovered from giving up 55 points against Southern Durham, to hold an explosive offense to just 229 yards from scrimmage, and one field goal. The defense was helped by a fast start from the offense and junior quarterback Garrett Cloer, who found Artrell Stewart for a 44 yard touchdown with eight minutes left in the first quarter.
Cloer would finish the game with two touchdowns and 280 yards, while completing 10 of 20 passes. Orange junior running back Tay Jones also played a big game on offense, accounting for 117 total yards of offense and three touchdowns, while breaking several Gryphon tackles.
Despite beginning three drives in Panther territory in the first half, Rocky Mount was unable to get anything moving on offense. Rocky Mount quarterback Joshua Carter was pressured all night, contributing to him finishing with just 62 yards and completing 8 of 24 passes. Carter was also sacked seven times by the relentless Panthers front seven. The lone score for the Gryphons was scored by kicker Micah Varnell on a 34 yard field goal in the second quarter.
Sophomore linebacker Bryse Wilson, who had eight tackles and two pass deflections against Rocky Mount, spoke about some of the changes the team made after the Southern Durham game, saying, “We [Orange] put in a new speed defense and changed our man coverage.”
The Panthers would lead at halftime by a score of 21 to 3, and would score one more touchdown on a 26 yard touchdown run by Jones. The final points of the night came on a 32 yard field goal by senior Brad Barbee.
Wilson also says the team is prepared for their second round opponent Cleveland, saying, “We expect a lot of running. They have a good running back and a good running quarterback.”
Orange will be on the road for the second round, as the Panthers travel to Clayton to take on the number three seeded, 9-3 Rams of cleveland High School. The game will begin at 7:30 pm.
Tay Jones scores a 93 yard touchdown during Orange's 55 to 41 loss to Southern Durham. Photo Credit: Mr. Okun[/caption]Friday, November 8, the Orange High School football team suffered their first loss of the 2013 season, in a 55-41 shootout against Southern Durham. With the win Southern Durham earned the Big Eight conference championship and moved to 9-2 on the season and 7-0 in conference, while the loss put the Panthers at 10-1 and 6-1.
The previously undefeated Panthers began the game on defense, and were able to stall a Southern drive at the Orange 14 yard line, after Southern failed to convert on fourth down. Orange however was unable to stop the Spartans after this, as on their next possession, Southern Durham junior quarterback Kendall Hinton put the first points on the board on a 36 yard rushing touchdown. That was just the start of the scoring that occurred on Friday night.
Hinton, a junior, would finish with 428 yards and five touchdowns through the air, while also picking up another 128 yards and one touchdown rushing. The majority of Hinton’s passing yards went to Maurice Trowell, who caught eight passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns for the Spartans, and Derrick Mason who caught 10 for 157 and also brought in two touchdowns.
The Spartans would also score on their next three possessions and would take a 27 to 0 lead over the Panthers with 11 minutes left in the second quarter. The Orange offense would manage to put 13 points on the board by halftime on two Tay Jones touchdowns, a 93 yard rush, and a 29 yard pass for junior quarterback Garrett Cloer, but would trail at the end of the first half by a score of 34 to 13.
Cloer would end the game with 288 passing yards, which mostly came in the second half, and three touchdowns. While Jones, a junior running back, would finish with 119 yards and one touchdown on seven rushes, to go along with his 29 yard touchdown reception.
Orange sophomore linebacker Bryse Wilson credited Southern Durham’s start to speed and strategy, saying, “They [Southern Durham] were very fast! And they [Southern Durham] were replacing our blitz’s.” Wilson also spoke about some of the adjustment’s the Panthers made at half time saying, “On defense we put in our speed package and on offense we were able to pick up their blitz, and throw the ball.”
Those adjustment’s would pay off, as the Panthers’ came out in the second half and scored on their first possession on a five yard Patrick Pettiford run. The score would cut Southern’s lead to just 14. However, the teams would trade touchdowns on their next two possessions, including a 70 yard pass from Cloer to receiver Ky Muller, and a Pettiford four yard run that would make the game 48 to 34 at the end of the third quarter.
Pettiford, the other half of Orange’s running back duo, finished 78 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries, while also catching a 76 yard touchdown pass.
The fourth quarter would not show a touchdown until Pettiford’s 76 yard catch from Cloer that came with three minutes left, which made the score 48 to 41 and cut Southern’s lead to under 10 points for the first time since the first quarter.
However that wouldn't last long as Southern would score the final points of the night, on a 44 yard pass from Hinton to Trowell that secured a 55 to 41 Southern victory.
Wilson believes that the loss will prepare Orange for the playoffs, saying, “We[Orange] will know how to keep up with the speed and we will see that we can lose, so I think we will come together more as a team in the playoffs.”
As for what Wilson’s playoff expectations are, he said, “I think that all of our games will be tough, but I think we will end up playing Southern Durham again in the regional semi-finals, and beating them.”
The Panthers’ will begin the North Carolina 3-AA playoffs on Friday, November 15, as the number six seed against 8-3 Rocky Mount. This game will at home, and will began at 7:30 pm.