Photo Credit: Brianna Hales[/caption]Wednesday, October 8, the OHS varsity women's tennis team competed against the other six schools in the Big Eight Conference in the 2014 conference tournament held at Orange High School. The team took only a few players, including Beth Bryan, Leila Andrews, Laura Hegemann, Brooke Asbury, Ezra Tennant, Michaela Shriner, and Hannah Link. The players competed individually or as a doubles team against the other schools in the conference in randomly decided brackets.
Doubles team Tennant and Asbury and singles player Leila Andrews, all sophomores, lost their first matches against Cedar Ridge and Northern Vance, respectively, knocking them out of conference play and ending their 2014 season for Orange. However, Laura Hegemann won her first round of singles in a very close tie-breaker game with a score of 8-6 over Chapel Hill to advance into the quarter-finals where she lost 5-10 to Jenna Proctor from Cedar Ridge. Doubles team Bryan and Shriner won their first and second matches over Northern Vance and Northwood to advance to the semi-finals in conference and to secure a spot in the regional tournament.
Senior tennis players Michaela Shriner, Hannah Link, and Beth Bryan pose on their senior night. Photo Credit: Brooke Asbury[/caption]By Hannah Link
It was a sad night for the Orange High School women’s tennis team on Wednesday, October 1 as the three seniors played on their home court for the last time during the regular season. The season may have been coming to an end, but the underclassmen on the team weren’t about to let the seniors leave without a bang.
Festivities kicked off Wednesday morning during school as the team joined together in wearing tie-dye T-shirts made in honor of Senior Night by some underclassmen on the team. “We love our seniors,” said sophomore Brooke Asbury. “We couldn’t bear the thought of not doing something special for them.” The seniors are having a hard time coping with the occasion. “It’ll be really hard to leave our team,” said senior Michaela Shriner. “We’re all so close; we’re basically a family.” The love for the seniors this year could be seen all over the court. Posters and signs hung from the fence and every player wore their tie-dyed T-shirts during the match.
The efforts made by the underclassmen weren’t the only thing that was sweet--the victory was too. Orange took a big 7-2 win over Oxford Webb in their last home match of the season, something the players and the coach were proud of. “We worked really hard tonight and, despite all of the food and candy the girls ate, we still worked hard and played really well,” said coach Andy Brown.
The team will go to Cedar Ridge High School on Monday, October 6 to take on the rival Red Wolves in their last regular season match before the Big Eight Conference tournament Wednesday, October 8.
Photo Credit: Amanda Tavares[/caption]Hannah Link was born in Hillsborough, North Carolina and she has a vast family. Link’s family includes her brother, father, and mother along with two horses, two goats and six chickens. She is in her senior year at Orange High School and is the business manager for the Den Echoes newspaper this year.
After graduating, her goal is to major in International Development studies at either Alabama University or NC State. Another one of her goals is to travel to and learn about the culture of Europe.
When Link is not in school, she is often found on the tennis courts because she loves to play tennis. She is also a big fan of the NFL, and specifically enjoys watching the Patriots. She attends Ebenezer Baptist Church in Hillsborough and is frequently involved in activities involving the youth group and serving her community.
Photo Credit: Brianna Hales. Corey Johnson hits as serve.[/caption]The Cedar Ridge Red Wolves came to the OHS tennis courts Monday, April 21 for the last game of the season. Although it was a tough fight, the Panthers lost to the Red Wolves. The Panthers celebrated senior night and recognized three seniors -- Jaden Vines, Corey Johnson, and Matthew McLaughlin.
Vines has been the number one player on the OHS team for four straight years. He joined the team as a freshman and quickly showed his skill, which has continually made him the first seed. He and Jarbari Hargrove have had a very successful season together as doubles partners, as a team they made it to the semi-finals in the Conference Tournament. Vines will be attending the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in the fall.
Johnson was the fourth seed this year on the team and he has also played all four years on the team. He is going to Appalachian State University next year. He had a successful season as a singles player, making it to the quarter-finals in the Conference Tournament.
McLaughlin was one of the newest additions to the team, only playing for one year. He came out onto the team to have fun. He will be attending High Point University next year.
To celebrate senior night, all the seniors and their parents were called out on the courts and given a celebratory orange rose. While this was occurring, each senior had their post-high-school plans read aloud. The mothers of all the seniors also bought the whole team pizza and snacks to celebrate their last night together as a team.
Jaden Vines, the first seed, and Jabari Hargrove, the second seed, went to the semifinals, losing to Chapel Hill in doubles ending with a tie breaker. Fourth seed Lee Oechsle won his first-round match but lost to the first seed of Chapel Hill. Third seed Corey Johnson also won his first-round match but lost his second-round match. Sixth seed Grayson Caudill and fifth seed Benjamin Pickard both lost in the first round of doubles to JF Webb.
Vines finished fourth in the Big Eight conference tournament. Vines and Hargrove made it to the finals, losing in a third set tiebreaker to Chapel Hill. They competed and represented Orange High School in a excellent manner.
In the end, Johnson and Oechsle made it to quarter finals for singles. Corey upset Northern Vance’s first seed 8-6 in the first round and Oechsle defeated Oxford Webb.
All photos taken by Brianna Hales.
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Photo Credit: Brianna Hales. Corey Johnson (right) hits a forehand. Lee Oechsle is patiently waiting for the ball (left). [/caption]As the men’s tennis season comes into full swing, the team is off to a good start with a record of 3-3 in the overall season and 2-2 in the Big Eight Conference. The team this year has played Eastern Alamance (9-0), Cardinal Gibbons (0-9), Northwood (5-4), Voyager Academy (1-8), and Northern Vance (7-2). But it is still the very beginning of the season, and the players and Coach Webb remain optimistic about the rest of the season. With a strong starting team and a new member coming onto the team, the boys are more ready than ever to play every game with hopes of a win.
The boys had a very decisive first victory over Eastern Alamance High School and swept a clean 9-0 win. Starters included Jaden Vines, Jabari Hargrove, Corey Johnson, Lee Oechsle, Ben Pickard, and Grayson Caudill.
The men’s tennis team fell 0-9 to Cardinal Gibbons, one of the best teams in the conference and the state, the following week playing at Orange. They played this match as a double header and lost both matches. Despite their 0-9 losses to Cardinal Gibbons, Coach Webb remains optimistic about the season and the players. “So far the team has been performing very well,” he said. When asked specifically about things going well this season, Webb bragged about his second-positioned player Jabari Hargrove. “Jabari Hargrove is having a great sophomore year, only losing singles matches to Cardinal Gibbons.”
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Photo Credit: Brianna Hales. Jaden Vines runs to hit a volley.[/caption]Friday night, the Panthers hosted Voyager Academy in their sixth match of the season. Even though they lost with a final score of 1-8, Webb is still excited for the rest of the season.
“I'm looking forward to the team improving as the season goes along,” Webb said when asked what he is most excited about for the rest of the season. “We really need to improve our doubles play to close out matches when they are close.”
“We need to win the matches we are expected to win and then steal a win when we have an opportunity to do so,” Webb said when asked how someone could expect them to do the rest of the season. The boys are in a very tough conference and have a hard season ahead of them, but it won’t stop the players and coach from remaining optimistic.
Photo Credit: Brianna Hales. On Court 1 Jaden Vines plays against the number 1 seed from Northwood.[/caption]Men’s tennis here at Orange High School has started and is running strong early in the season. With a new head coach, Justin Webb, the team has experienced some major changes this season. Nonetheless the returning players, and even the new talent, are back and ready to compete. Coach Webb remains optimistic, “We will probably finish in the middle of the pack but we play in one of the best tennis conferences in the state of NC,” he says about his team. Webb also says he is feeling good about his returning players and his starting players. “ This is a group of competitors who want to win and go out and compete in every match,” he says about his starting players who include seniors Jaden Vines, first seed, and Corey Johnson, fourth seed, as well as a few sophomores.
Vines and Johnson are returning players but not the only seniors. Matt McLaughlin is a senior new to the team this year, but Webb remains optimistic about his contribution to the team. Vines and Johnson are returning for their fourth season at Orange and Coach Webb says he is looking forward to working with them as head coach.
When asked about his new position as head coach, Webb’s main worry, he says, is rebuilding the team. Webb says his big focus this year is building up some of the younger talent on the team and trying to recruit new players in coming years to keep the team strong and dependable.
As the season is off to a good start in practice, the big concern for the team now is their first match against local team Eastern Alamance. “I'm feeling pretty good about our first match” Webb says, “I think if our players come ready to challenge them we will be up to it and could get an early season win.”
Orange won the match overall 9-0 with a clear win against the Eastern Alamance Eagles. After the match Webb was very pleased with the win and is looking forward to a strong season with his players. As of now, the line up is strong and the rest of the season looks promising for the men’s tennis team.
Photo Credit: Megan Joyner.[/caption]Update: Currently all try-outs for sports are postponed.
Spring sports are about to start at OHS, as preseason comes to a halt and tryouts begin. Orange High School offers a wide range of spring sport teams, including women’s soccer, men’s lacrosse, track, baseball, softball, men’s tennis, and golf. However, to get ready for the big day, athletes might need to know a few inside secrets about tryouts, what to expect, and what to bring. The following article details each sport and gives some pointers from each coach.
Women’s soccer tryouts will be on Monday, February 17 through Wednesday, February 19. They will be held on the OHS soccer field from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. each day. It is highly recommended by the coach that potential team members attend each day. It is also important that they have valid physical and soccer eligibility forms and that the forms are turned in before showing up to tryouts. If anyone is in need of any of the soccer forms, they should see Coach Hunter in room 407 as soon as possible. To prepare for the upcoming tryouts, it is important that athletes are in physical shape and prepared to work hard. On the day of tryouts, they should meet at the OHS soccer field ready to go by 4:00. Tryouts will be 4:00 to 6:30 each day. In order to be prepared, it is necessary to bring clothes to run in, tennis shoes, cleats, shin guards, and soccer socks. It is alright if athletes don’t have cleats and other soccer apparel. They just need to show up in an outfit that will help them do their best.
The men’s tennis team will be hosting tryouts February 17 through 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the OHS tennis courts. It is important to bring tennis shoes, athletic apparel, and a tennis racket. It may be cold, so athletes should dress appropriately for the weather. Coach Webb is looking for players who have a passion for the game and the team. All players are welcome, whether they are just learning or want to improve their game. He said, “Be ready to come out every day ready to work, compete, and have fun.”
Baseball tryouts will be held on Monday, February 17. They will be held on the OHS baseball field from 4:00 to 6:30 p.m. In order to be prepared for the event, people interested in trying out should bring baseball pants, sleeves, a sweatshirt, a jacket, and a baseball cap. They should also have the necessary equipment; baseball gloves, bats, helmets, etc. As a special insider tip as to what Coach Dease expects in a player, he said, “You need to be able to play the game very well.”
Softball tryouts will be February 17 through 19 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m on the softball fields. Coach Denise wants to remind all players to show up with paperwork and physicals filled out. In preparation for the upcoming event, players will need to wear long pants and any other clothing appropriate for the weather. In addition, they will need to bring softball gear such as gloves, bats, catcher’s equipment, helmets, and any other equipment necessary for their best-suited position. Tryouts will include an extensive skills evaluation of fastpitch softball, which includes throwing accuracy and speed, hitting, bunting, base running, sliding, fielding logistics, and overall comprehension of the game.
The lacrosse team will host tryouts February 17 through 19, from 4:15 to 6:30 p.m. Players should meet at the OHS field house prepared and ready to play. They need to bring tennis shoes and any lacrosse gear that they own. If they don’t have all of the gear, there will be some at the tryout for them to use. The most important thing to bring, according to Coach O’Neal, is a “good attitude.” Tryouts will be very competitive and will include skill and fitness evaluations. Coaches will also be looking at prospective positions for each player and will be deciding which one best suits the needs of the team. Coach O’Neil said, “Obviously, we are looking for skilled lacrosse players, but what people may not know is that we are also looking for athletes who may be new to lacrosse, but have a good attitude and want to learn the game.”
Track began for the indoor track participants on Thursday, February 6, and opened to the rest of the athletes on Friday, February 7 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Players should come dressed in appropriate clothes for the weather and bring tennis shoes, spikes, and any other equipment for specific events. Coach Joubert said, “We want athletes to come with an open mind expecting to learn that they are good at something they did not necessarily consider.” Although the team is looking for athletes, they are also in need of computer experts to record results. In the next week, the coaches will hold a meeting for parents and athletes once they find a date that works for the majority of participants.
Golf will start their season on February 12 at 4:00 p.m. with practice at the Occoneechee golf course. It is necessary to bring golf clubs and appropriate clothing. On the following Monday, the team will start to play. If potential team members have any questions or concerns, they should speak to Coach Moser.
Athletes should remember to show up with a valid physical and be prepared for each and every day. Finally, they should relax, have fun, and work hard.
After being interviewed multiple times by other staff members after tennis matches and between games, Link was struck with a new curiosity for the world of journalism, particularly for journalism at Orange High School.
Link fell in love with tennis after joining the tennis team at school to be able to spend more time with her friends. After her first season with the team, she was in love. She took up private lessons during the off-season with the coach and began running as a way to improve her abilities on the team for the next season.
Unfortunately, her next season of tennis would be spent mostly as a supporting member after she damaged her knee doing what she loved so much. “It was a really hard time,” Link says, “but I got to play some and I had a lot of fun cheering on the other girls on the team.” Link expects that after continuing her physical therapy she will be able to play consistently next season. “I’m working really hard,” Link said, “I want to be able to play and enjoy my senior year on the team.”
“My favorite thing about tennis,” Link said, “is that it is played all over the world and in all different cultures. I love watching the professionals play in tournaments in Australia and France. It must be such a great experience.”
Aside from her love for tennis, Link also enjoys playing piano and running in her free time. After graduation, she hopes to go to NC State University to major in International Studies and to play intramural sports, including tennis.
This semester, Link hopes to learn to write and to gain the experience of being the interviewer instead of the interviewee.
Jessica Scott hits a backhand. Photo Credit: Yearbook Staff.[/caption]The women’s tennis team celebrated senior night on Tuesday, October 8, after it was canceled on Monday due to rain. The team faced a tough match against rival, Cedar Ridge High School, and lost 0-9. Even with the loss, the team remained in high spirits enjoying their last match of the season. At 4:15 pm the senior night festivities started and at 4:30 pm the matches began.
To recognize the seniors, Coach Andy Brown called out each senior onto the courts one by one to be joined by their teammates and parents. He thanked them for their participation, mentioned their post-high school plans, and gave them a flower. The seniors on the team were Kiana Bell, Jessica Scott, Mary Katherine Dougherty, Skylar Crabtree, and Brianna Hales. Skylar Crabtree said, "[Senior night] was amazing. My favorite part was when Coach Brown did the curly shuffle." At the end of the ceremony Coach Brown demonstrated a dance called the curly shuffle to the team.
Every year, the underclassmen plan senior night for the teammates graduating. They contributed by making posters for each senior and the foreign exchange student, Ines Soffer, since this will be her only year playing on the team. Parents of the seniors brought food for all the players to enjoy. The team continued the celebration at Tokyo Express, where they ate out and enjoyed their last night together. Jessica Scott said, "[Senior night] was a bittersweet moment for me. I have been blessed to have a caring and loving team this season and a fantastic coach...I'm so thankful for the awesome season we had."
Although this was the last match of the season, the conference tournament was held at OHS on Wednesday, October 9 at 1 pm. Kiana Bell and Beth Bryan both played singles matches against Northwood and Chapel Hill respectively and lost in the first round. Jessica Scott and Michaela Shriner played doubles and lost to Chapel Hill in the first round as well. Mary Katherine Dougherty and Brianna Hales played doubles against J.F. Webb and won, progressing to round two. They lost to Cedar Ridge.
Orange High School seniors are wrapping up the last seasons of high school sports. Some seniors will continue to pursue their athletic careers by participating on their college athletic teams.
M.J. Bumgarner, a senior at OHS, was accepted to Lees-McRrae College. Bumgarner participated on the OHS women’s tennis team and was first seed her sophomore and senior year. After the season wrapped up, she went to visit her future teammates at Lees-Mcrae.
“Everything just sort of clicked. I just fell in love with the team,” said Bumgarner, “The camaraderie there was really good. They had really good friendships. It was like all of them were best friends.”
Bumgarner was able to not only meet all the players, but she also practiced with them by “hitting some balls” with the team captain.
One concern Bumgarner has the worry she might not be able to balance her school work, which will include her major in biology, and her sports-related work. This only slightly concerns her though because she has been used to balancing advanced placement and honors courses while still participating on the tennis and soccer teams during her high school career.
The Orange High School tennis team played both Cardinal Gibbons and Chapel Hill High School last week. Both matches resulted in a
loss for the Panthers. The two opposing teams, however, have been the best in the Orange County 3A division for many years, so the tennis team knew they were going into tough matches.Wednesday, March 20 was the first match of the week at home against Cardinal Gibbons which started at 4:30 pm. All of the matches were over by 6 after a 0-9 defeat. Although it was a rough match Trevor Samsa said, “I think our team can do well against the other teams we play.”
The next day, March 21, the Panthers played Chapel Hill in a rescheduled home game from Monday, March 18. Again the team lost 0-9. In doubles, however, Jaden Vines, first seed, and Corey Johnson, fourth seed, had a close match. Jaden Vines stated, “I was ready to play [Chapel Hill.]”
The match scheduled for Monday March 25 against Southern Vance was canceled. This game is not going to be rescheduled because their tennis team “disbanded” according to the OHS calendar.
The next tennis home game will be against J.F Webb at 4:30 pm on Wednesday, March 27.Written by Lourdes Ramirez
The OHS tennis team has started off to a rainy season. The team has only played 3 matches since the season began due to the rainy weather cancelling scheduled matches. Of those 3 matches, they have won one. Last week they played Cedar Ridge and unfortunately lost. The team is scheduled to play 2 matches this week, one against Cardinal Gibbons on Wednesday and the other one against Chapel Hill Thursday.
The team has 14 players and no seniors, which coach Andy Brown said is both a strength and a weakness. When asked what he thought the team’s strengths were he said he thought it was the fact that they didn’t have any seniors on the team. This gives the team time to grow as a whole without worrying about next year when the seniors would be gone.
The younger team can spend more time developing. Coach Brown said that not having seniors was also a weakness because there isn’t anyone to be leaders, however there are kids who have been there longer and can teach the newer kids. The season has started off good and the team is looking forward to more wins.
Written by Matt McLaughlin October 9 at Orange High School’s tennis courts, the OHS’s women’s tennis team celebrated their only senior, MJ Bumgarner, on her last home game in her high school career against Southern Vance.
Before the match, they recognized Bumgarner as she stood to the side with her parents while OHS’s tennis coach Andy Brown called Bumgarner forward and gave her an orange flower. Members from both teams applauded as Bumgarner accepted graciously.
After the match, the team celebrated with food, drinks, and farewells.
“I know that MJ was really sad it was her last game.” said Brianna Hales, a junior at OHS and the sixth seed on OHS’s women’s tennis team.
Bumgarner has been on the team all four years of her high school career. She has worked her way up and now she is the first seed on the team followed by junior Tallie Phillips.
Bumgarner also participates in both swimming and soccer.
- Beth Bryan follows through on her forehand during a match.
September 12, the OHS girl's tennis team played at Southern Vance’s court. While playing a singles match, the Panther’s third seed, sophomore Beth Bryan, injured her shoulder and was unable to continue the match. While hitting a lob in her singles match, Bryan felt her shoulder pop. She kept playing and ended up hurting her rotator cuff. Once this happened she was unable to continue playing and had to forfeit her match.
Bryan was also unable to play her doubles match with Orange High’s fourth seed, Mary Dougherty. Instead, Dougherty played the doubles match with sixth seed Brianna Hales. Dougherty and Hales won the match 8-0.
OHS came out victorious with a final combined score of 6-3. Bryan has recovered and is now able to continue playing. The home game on Monday, September 17, against Oxford Webb was cancelled due to weather and was rescheduled for Thursday, September 20. The Panthers were victorious with a 6-3 win.