SPORTS

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

Playoff season has arrived for local sports, as area volleyball and women’s tennis teams have already advanced in this year’s NCHSAA state playoffs. The regular seasons are also winding down in the sports of soccer and football, as Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, and Carrboro all make late pushes for conference honors and postseason seeding.

Get all the latest high school sports news from the past week in the Chapel Hill area in The Local Reporter’s latest edition of the High School Notebook.

CHAPEL HILL HIGH TIGERS

Football – Tigers get back in the win column over Northern Durham

Coming off a disappointing 24-3 setback on the road in Durham to Hillside on October 10, Chapel Hill desperately needed a win to get their season back on track. After a solid 3-0 start, the loss to the Hornets marked three setbacks in four games dating back to September 12 for the Tigers. Fortunately for Ryan Horton’s squad, they put it all together Friday night in a 48-14 home blowout of Tobacco Road Conference rival Northern Durham.

The Tigers got off to a fast start, breaking out to a 21-8 first quarter lead before scoring another touchdown in the second quarter to take a commanding 27-8 lead into halftime. Chapel Hill continued to pile on the Knights in the third quarter, scoring two more unanswered touchdowns to take a 41-8 advantage into the final period. The Tigers added one final touchdown for good measure in the fourth quarter for their final margin of victory.

Chapel Hill had an excellent night on the ground, churning out nearly 250 rushing yards and averaging 9.6 yards per carry. Junior Christian Brooks-McMillian led the way for the Tigers with 109 rushing yards on eight carries, including a 56-yard touchdown run. Christian Brooks-McMillian finished the game with a pair of rushing scores for the Tigers. Sophomore Dominic Miller added 59 rushing yards, including a 50-yard touchdown run, while senior quarterback Stephen Zimmerman added 48 rushing yards and another pair of scores. Zimmerman also completed nine of 17 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns with one interception. Seniors Austin Campos and Silas Munday caught touchdown passes from Zimmerman in the win.

Defensively, the Tigers were led by Munday and junior Izayeha Brown, who each had eight tackles. Senior Prosper Mbaigon contributed five tackles and two tackles for loss with a sack, while junior Samir Holman also produced a sack for Chapel Hill.

The victory over the Knights improved the Tigers to 5-3 overall and 2-1 in Big Seven Conference play heading into the crucial final two games of the regular season. If the Tigers can win out, they will stand a respectable chance of hosting a first round state playoff game.

CHHS hits the road to Durham Friday night, where they will take on conference foe Riverside (1-7 overall, conference). The Tigers conclude the regular season October 30 at home against Southern Durham.

Men’s Soccer – Tigers put together late-season winning streak

Chapel Hill avenged a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to Southern Durham back on October 9 by winning its next three matches. After shutting out East Chapel Hill 2-0 at home on October 14, the Tigers stayed home two nights later on October 16 and earned another shutout – this one a 3-0 triumph over Hillside. Then on October 21, the Tigers made it three in a row with a 5-0 shutout victory over the road at Northern Durham.

In the October 16 home victory over Hillside, the Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead, and then added another insurance goal in the second half. In all, the Tigers had 17 shots on goal, with three making their way through.

Juniors Eliot Werley and Cyrus Ahmed, as well as sophomore Miles Tobolski, all scored goals for CHHS in the shutout victory. Tobolski joined senior Mark Heizer and sophomore Oliver Schmidler in providing assists for the Tigers. Defensively, seniors Troy Casey and Brendan Dorsey combined for a joint shutout in goal, each playing a half for Chapel Hill in not allowing a goal from the Hornets.

Against Northern Durham, the Tigers broke a scoreless first half tie by breaking out with five unanswered goals over the match’s final 40 minutes. The Tigers combined for 13 shots on goal as they improved to 11-4 overall on the season, and 5-2 in conference play. CHHS stood in second place in the Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference standings as of October 22, trailing only first place Southern Durham.

The Tigers host Riverside on Thursday night in Chapel Hill before closing out the regular season next week with road matches at Southern Durham on October 28 and at Hillside on October 29.

Volleyball – Tigers sweep New Bern in 7A volleyball playoffs 

After going 9-1 in Tobacco Road Conference play this fall to tie for the regular season conference title with rival East Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill opened NCHSAA 7A state playoff play on October 21, as the Tigers hosted New Bern. With a 17-7 overall record heading into the postseason – along with one of the strongest RPI ratings in the area – the Tigers earned the No. 5 seed in the East Region.

Receiving a first round bye, the Tigers drew New Bern in the second round after the Bears eliminated Fayetteville’s Overhills High in three sets in the opening round. Behind 10 kills from junior Keilani Ledaja-Brewer and eight kills each from seniors Paige Thomas and Haara Umenwaliri, the Tigers cruised to a straight set victory. Junior Maryn McIntyre and sophomore Sarah Williams had eight digs each as CHHS advanced to the next round of the playoffs.

The victory over New Bern was Chapel Hill’s sixth straight win, improving the team’s overall record to 18-7. Over the course of their six-match win streak, dating back to October 3, the Tigers lost just one set, which came against Orange.

With the win over New Bern, the Tigers advanced to a second round matchup against No. 4 seed Topsail on October 23. CHHS made the long trek east to the coast on Thursday for the matchup against Topsail. Heading into the third round matchup with the Pirates, Chapel Hill had won 16 consecutive sets.

Women’s Tennis – Tigers eliminated in third round, Cui advances to states

Chapel Hill’s run in the NCHSAA Class 7A dual team state women’s tennis playoffs came to a disappointing end on October 20, as the Tigers were eliminated on the road at Weddington. The Tigers traveled to Matthews in suburban Charlotte and won three of the six singles matches against the Warriors. But Weddington won all three doubles matches to advance in the state playoffs.

Erica Cui, Chapel Hill’s top singles player and individual state finals qualifier, got the Tigers on a winning note, as she bested Evie Kayes in an epic No. 1 singles match. After dominating the opening set 6-3, Cui was beaten 2-6 in the second set. But the CHHS junior regrouped and completely controlled the third set tiebreaker, winning 10 of 11 points to get the team point for the Tigers.

Senior Sophie Godfrey – competing for the final time on the court in a Tigers jersey – came through in the No. 5 singles match, beating Hrithika Katari in a three set tiebreaker. After dropping the opening set 1-6, Godfrey collected herself and repaid the favor to Katari, winning the second set 6-1. Godfrey prevailed 10-4 in the third set tiebreaker to get Chapel Hill another critical point.

In the No. 6 singles match, sophomore Margo Roth defeated Weddington’s Siya Chansoria 1-6, 6-4, and 10-3 in a third set tiebreaker. Roth’s victory evened the team scoring at 3-3 heading into the doubles matches, which were swept by the Warriors.

Despite the loss to Weddington, Chapel Hill had another fine season on the tennis court, going 10-8 in team matches, including a 6-2 record in conference play. They once again qualified for the state playoffs, and No. 1 singles player Erica Cui, who put together a solid 13-5 individual record against some of the top competition in North Carolina, qualified for the state championships, which begin this coming weekend.

Cui is scheduled to challenge New Bern’s Lina LaVigne in the quarterfinal round of the NCHSAA Class 7A women’s individual state championships at the Millbrook Exchange in Raleigh on Friday. If Cui defeats LaVigne, she would challenge the winner of a match between Juliana Andrea Castellanos Trujillo of Ballantyne Ridge and Nicole Ryan of Cardinal Gibbons in the state semifinal round.

CARRBORO JAGUARS

Football – Jags drop home conference game against Orange

Carrboro’s youthful varsity football team sought to pick up its first victory of the 2025 season this past Friday night, as the Jaguars hosted Big Seven Conference rival Orange. Like the Jaguars, the Panthers entered the game having not won yet on the season. Despite some near misses, OHS was still looking for their first win under new head coach Fritz Hessenthaler when they made their way to Carrboro last Friday night.

Orange’s running game told the story, as the Panthers churned out 299 rushing yards in a 38-12 victory over the Jaguars. Kayden Bradsher had 154 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the ground for Orange, while teammate Markus Thomas added 124 rushing yards.

Carrboro sophomore quarterback Jake Stevenson completed 14 of 26 passes for 125 yards and one touchdown – a 23-yard strike to junior Eli Beaven-Louey. Sophomore running back Max Trojanowski had 15 carries for 47 yards for the Jaguars, adding a 13-yard rushing touchdown. Freshman rusher Patrick Neagle added 34 rushing yards on seven attempts. Along with Beaven-Louey’s touchdown for the Jaguars, junior Max Sparrow had four catches for 44 receiving yards, and sophomore Leo Goldwater added four catches for 37 yards.

Despite the loss, the 12 points scored by the Jaguars was progress. After only scoring 20 combined points over their previous six outings, CHS’s 12 points against Orange marked their second-most points scored in a game so far this fall. Defensively, the Jaguars were led by junior Ajax Hopler, who had 14 tackles. Sophomore Theodore Childs added six tackles and a tackle for loss. Carrboro’s defeat to the Panthers slipped the Jaguars to 0-8 overall, and 0-3 in Big Seven Conference play.

CHS has two regular season games remaining the next two Friday nights to close out the regular season. Carrboro looks to get in the win column for the first time this fall on Friday night, as they host Cedar Ridge (1-7, 0-3 conference) for Senior Night. The Jaguars will conclude the 2025 season on the evening of October 31, as they’ll travel to Pittsboro to face conference rival Seaforth.   

Men’s Soccer – Jaguars extend winning streak

Although Carrboro’s hopes of winning the Big Seven Conference regular season title were most likely evaporated in a heartbreaking 2-1 loss on the road at Orange in Hillsborough on October 15, the Jaguars bounced back well from the gutwrenching setback to the Panthers. After shutting out Cedar Ridge 5-1 on the road in Hillsborough on October 16, the Jags hit the road again this week and earned a 3-1 victory October 20 at the Durham School of the Arts.

Against Cedar Ridge, the Jaguars broke out to a commanding 3-0 halftime lead, and then sealed the blowout victory with two more unanswered goals in the second half. Junior Manny Bastidas led the Jaguars in the victory, recording a hat trick with three goals.

CHS picked up where they left off against Durham School of the Arts – and while they allowed a goal off the foot of DSA’s Nicholas Matiz, that was all the offense the Bulldogs could muster. Dominic Pedde made a total of 11 saves in goal for the Bulldogs, but it wasn’t enough to get the victory. Junior Alex Ramirez scored a key goal for Carrboro in the victory, earning him the team’s postgame flag recognition.

On Wednesday night, the Jags hosted Cedar Ridge for a key conference match with playoff implications and came away with a clutch 2-1 victory. After falling behind 1-0 in the first half, the Jaguars surged back with two goals in the second half to get the victory. The win improved the Jags to 11-8-1 overall, and 9-2 in Big Seven Conference play.

Carrboro next returns to match action on October 29, when they host Oxford Webb.

Volleyball – Jaguars advance in NCHSAA state playoffs

Although Carrboro’s hopes of making a deep run in the Big Seven Conference Tournament was upended October 14 in a loss to league rival Seaforth, the Jaguars knew they still had plenty to play for in the state playoffs. After going 13-9 overall and 8-4 in Big Seven Conference play during the regular season – good enough for fourth place in one of the most competitive 4A/5A conferences in the state – Carrboro earned the No. 11 seed in the East Region of the NCHSAA Class 4A state playoffs.

In the opening round the Jags hosted No. 22 seed Morehead from Rockingham County and came away with a three set sweep. After winning the opening two sets rather handily by scores of 25-14 and 25-13, the Jags were pushed in the third set. With their season on the line, the Panthers gave the home team a fierce battle in the third set, but CHS eventually came on and won it, 25-22, to advance to the second round.

Senior Carson McGuire led Carrboro’s offensive attack with 12 kills, while junior Sydney Frakes and sophomore Sarah Vandersea contributed nine kills each. Vandersea also produced nine digs in the victory for CHS, while fellow tenth graders Caroline Butler and Camille Rucker combined for 34 assists. As a team, the Jaguars smacked a total of 38 shots to the floor against the Panthers.

On October 21, the Jaguars hit the road and earned a three set sweep over Nash Central in the second round. The competition was a little tougher early on, but Carrboro prevailed in the opening set, 25-19. The Jags put it all together in a dominant performance in the second set, as they took down the visiting Bulldogs, 25-10. CHS slammed the door on Nash Central with a 25-12 victory in the third set, earning their second straight postseason sweep. Vandersea led the way for the Jags in the huge road win over Nash Central with 16 digs, while Rucker contributed seven service aces and junior Hayley Royal 13 digs. McGuire added three blocked shots at the net, while Rucker had 18 assists.

The win improved CHS to 15-9 overall heading into a third round matchup Thursday night on the road in Beulaville against East Duplin.

Women’s Tennis – Jags strut their stuff in state individual, team playoffs

After a stellar 20-1 season that saw them lose only once as a team to fellow local powerhouse East Chapel Hill, Carrboro’s women’s tennis team is currently in pursuit of state championships at both the team and individual levels. Following a dominant 9-0 sweep at home over Oxford Webb on October 7, and then the Big Seven Conference Tournament on October 8, the Jaguars participated in the NCHSAA Class 4A Individual playoffs on October 17 and 18.

Carrboro’s No. 1 doubles tandem of Bea Unwin and Claire O’Brien qualified for the state finals, as they will take on Meredith Williams and Anna Kate Goodman of Salisbury High School in the state quarterfinal round in the 4A classification. Also earning a spot in the state championships is Carrboro’s top singles player, Morgan Stowe, as she worked her way through the field at the Regionals to earn a qualifying spot. Stowe will challenge Ava Cochran of Lincoln Charter in the state quarterfinal round.

The Jaguars have been cruising in the state team playoffs, emerging as the No. 1 overall seed in the East Region and blowing past Randleman 9-0 and Washington 8-0 in the second and third rounds after earning a first round bye. The Jaguars were scheduled to host East Duplin next in the state quarterfinal round.

EAST CHAPEL HILL WILDCATS

Football – Wildcats fall on the road at Riverside

East Chapel Hill slipped to 3-5 overall and 0-3 in Tobacco Road Conference play on Friday night, as they traveled to Durham and suffered a 45-7 setback at the hands of Riverside. The loss was East Chapel Hill’s fourth straight after a 3-1 start, with the Wildcats failing to reach 10 points offensively in each of their last three outings.

Riverside cruised to victory behind the passing of junior quarterback Jesiah Johnson, who completed 13 of 19 passes for 364 yards and five passing touchdowns. Sophomore Jordan Harrell rushed for 46 yards on five carries and a touchdown for the Pirates, while sophomore Leighton Lascallete had a monster game for Riverside with six catches for 212 yards and three touchdowns, including a 60-yarder.

Although East Chapel Hill was held to just 55 passing yards by the Riverside defense, senior running back A’maree Evans had a big night with 163 rushing yards on 26 carries, along with East’s lone touchdown. Senior Jake Canady had two catches for 45 of the team’s 55 passing yards on the night. Junior Andrew Hart led the Wildcats with six tackles and two tackles for loss, while Canady had five tackles and a tackle for loss.

The Wildcats look to snap their four-game losing streak and earn their first victory in conference play this autumn on Friday night, as they travel to Durham again to challenge Southern Durham (4-4 overall, 3-0 conference)

Men’s Soccer – Wildcats earn pair of key conference victories

Coming off a frustrating 2-0 shutout loss at Chapel Hill on October 14, East Chapel Hill regrouped and earned a pair of important conference wins. After earning a 2-0 shutout at home over Northern Durham on October 16, the Wildcats traveled to Durham on October 21 and edged Riverside, 2-1. The wins improved East Chapel Hill’s overall record to 12-2-2, and its conference mark to 4-1-2, good enough for third place in the league heading into the final week of the regular season.

Against Northern Durham, the Wildcats scored in the first half for an early 1-0 lead, and then added another goal in the second half to complete the victory. East Chapel Hill constantly harassed Northern Durham goalkeeper Kevin Andrade, combining for 12 shots on goal and slipping two through. 

After a scoreless first half on the road at Riverside, senior Riles Porter scored on a thrilling diving header goal, assisted by fellow senior Eli Woods, to get the Wildcats on the scoreboard. Another ECHHS senior – Peter Manns – added a penalty kick goal for East’s second goal of the night. Despite 11 shots on goal from Riverside, East Chapel Hill’s defense held off the Pirates down the stretch for a huge win, which keeps the Wildcats in striking distance in the Tobacco Road Conference standings.

East Chapel Hill has a huge rematch with Southern Durham on the evening of October 23. From there, the Wildcats close out the regular season with a road match at Northern Durham on October 27, followed by a home match against Hillside on October 28. After playing Southern Durham – the current Tobacco Road conference frontrunner – to a scoreless tie back on October 7, the Wildcats could still find themselves in position to win the conference regular season title if they can knock off the Spartans.

Volleyball – Wildcats advance to third round of 6A state playoffs

East Chapel Hill’s volleyball team rallied from a disappointing 4-5 start to win 10 of their final 13 matches of the regular season. The Wildcats shared the Tobacco Road Conference regular season title with Chapel Hill, who they defeated in five sets on the road back on September 30. Earning the No. 8 seed in the East Region of the NCHSAA Class 6A state playoffs, the Wildcats entered the postseason with an overall record of 14-8.

The Wildcats received a bye in the opening round, which propelled them into the second round and a matchup at home with Southern Lee on October 21. ECHHS made quick work of the visiting Cavaliers, winning in three sets by scores of 25-14, 25-18, and 25-10 to advance to the second round. East’s win over Southern Lee set up a matchup against the No. 1 overall seed in the East Region – J.H. Rose High School – on Thursday evening in Greenville. The Rampants enter the match with a stellar overall record of 20-5.

Women’s Tennis – Wildcats reach state quarterfinals of 6A playoffs

East Chapel Hill swept their way through the Tobacco Road Conference this fall, going a perfect 9-0 to win the league’s first ever regular season title in women’s tennis. Now the Wildcats are pushing for something even more elusive – a state championship.

The Wildcats advanced to the NCHSAA Class 6A state playoffs with a 13-3 overall record. Jon Noyes’ squad received a first round bye prior to sweeping Jacksonville 5-0 in the opening round. Then the Wildcats hosted Harnett Central in the third around and earned another 5-0 sweep, which propelled them into the state quarterfinal round, and a showdown with the top overall seed in the East Region from Union Pines. The Vikings entered the postseason with a perfect record of 17-0, and went a perfect 10-0 to win their conference regular season crown.

Along with the team’s success in the postseason, East Chapel Hill had three of its players qualify for the NCHSAA 6A individual state championships, which begin on Friday at Ting Park in Holly Springs. Doubles standouts Iris Mu and M.J. Esther qualified for the state quarterfinals, where they will face off against Larson Berry and Abby Talton of Boone’s Watauga High School. If the Wildcat tandem can win that match, they will move on to the state semifinal round.

Along with Mu and Esther, East Chapel Hill’s No. 1 singles player – senior Samantha Benton – qualified for the individual state finals. Benton will face off Friday against Laney Mayberry of Alexander Central in the state quarterfinal round. Benton, who challenged some of the best individual talent in North Carolina’s public school ranks this fall, put together a 7-4 individual record prior to qualifying for states.

Adam Powell has been a correspondent for The Local Reporter since 2023. A 2001 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Powell has served as managing editor of multiple local publications, including the News of Orange County, the Mebane Enterprise, the Caswell Messenger, and the ACC Sports Journal. Powell has won more than 20 North Carolina Press Association Awards throughout his journalism career for Excellence in Education Reporting, Excellence in Sports Columns and Features, and Excellence in Video Production. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) for Excellence in Education Writing and for his newsletters representing Rockingham County Schools and the North Carolina Cyber Academy. The author of four books. Adam currently resides in Mebane with his wife Julie and children Colt and Jenna. This reporter can be reached at:Information@TheLocal Reporter.press