SPORTS WRAP
STORY & PHOTOS BY WILLIAM HATHAWAY, JR.
This past weekend the Orange Recreation Department hosted its annual Orange Elementary League Basketball Championship games in partnership with the Orange Public Schools system.
Before the games, Kevin Johnson performed the national anthem, and the ROTC attended with a performance by the Orange Marching Band.
In the first game of the doubleheader, in the 4th and 5th grade division it was the Lincoln Avenue Panthers beating the Heywood Wildcats 9-8. Leading Lincoln was MVP Kowen Anderson and their head coach, former Orange High School graduate Mike Lewis. Lincoln Avenue won the title and finished the season at a perfect 10-0 overall.
Leading the 8-2 Wildcats was head coach Spencer Drice. Both coaches were given appreciation awards for coaching their squads. The Panthers were awarded the Mayor’s Trophy, and both teams got medals for their participation.
In the second game, the 6th and 7th grade division saw the Park Avenue Panthers win the crown, beating the older Heywood Wildcats by the final score of 33-29. This was a great game and both teams played well. Samad Dowd of Park Avenue was the team’s MVP of the game. Leading the #1 seed Park Avenue to victory was head coach Sean Holmes. Heywood was #2 seed and coached by Julian Molano.
