It’s Childs’ Play for Orange, 24-6

The Orange High School football team has ranged from very, very good to very, very bad in the first four games of the season, and Friday night’s 24-6 victory over Western did little to clear up matters.

Sure, the Panthers had nearly everything go their way at Western, but they hardly overwhelmed the Pioneers--a team which has won only one game this season.

“I would say we are progressing nicely as a team,” Orange Coach Tom Meiss said.

But progressing to where? At times, the Panthers (3-1) looked as good as they did last season, when they reached the Southern Section Division VIII championship game. At other times, though, they stumbled, plodded and failed to produce.

The ease of Orange’s victory was a direct result of Acen Childs’ performance. The senior tailback gained 138 yards in 14 carries, scoring on runs of 50 and 43 yards in the first half.

Childs could have been able to boost the Panthers to an even more convincing victory, but he didn’t get the chance. Childs gained 121 yards in eight carries in the first half and the Western defense demonstrated little ability to stop--or even catch--him.

But Childs rarely got the ball in the second half.

“We have Acen in the secondary, too, so we don’t want to tire him out,” Meiss said. “All our running backs are running hard right now.”

True enough. The Panthers gained 279 yards rushing and spread it around with eight backs carrying the ball. However, none were as impressive as Childs, who missed much of last season because of a knee injury.

On his fourth carry of the game, Childs burst through the left side, cut outside and ran untouched for a score. Then, on the first play of the second quarter, Childs broke through the line again with the same results.

Behind his performance, the Panthers took a 17-0 halftime lead.

But in the second half, Childs’ only major contribution was a fumble recovery on the game’s last play.

With Childs seeing limited duty in the second half, the Panthers’ offense sputtered. Orange managed a 73-yard touchdown drive, but most of it was gained through the air.

Quarterback Josh Belovsky twice connected with wide receiver Kris Lister for 53 yards. Belovsky capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run.

It was more than enough to bury the Pioneers (1-3), whose only score came on a 90-yard kickoff return by John Walder. Western gained only 140 total yards.