SPORTS

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

With the regular season winding down for various fall sports, several local schools have either won outright or shared conference titles, or set themselves up for success in the upcoming NCHSAA state playoffs. Learn more about how Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill, and Carrboro High Schools have been doing lately on the high school sports scene in this week’s High School Notebook, which covers local games played between October 8 and October 15.

CHAPEL HILL HIGH TIGERS

Football – Tigers come up short against Hillside, 24-3

Chapel Hill made its way to Durham Friday night for a key Tobacco Road Conference battle with Hillside. Although the Tigers lost back-to-back games after a 3-0 start, they had gotten back on track with a convincing 34-9 win at East Chapel Hill on October 3. However, against Hillside, the Tigers couldn’t get their offense going most of the night in a frustrating 24-3 setback.

Although the Tigers got on the scoreboard in the first quarter on a 35-yard field goal from senior kicker Teagan CoyneSmith, it proved to be the only score of the night for the visitors from Chapel Hill. Hillside took a 6-3 lead into the second quarter, and then scored twice again in the second quarter to take an 18-3 halftime lead. Hillside added a fourth quarter touchdown for the only points of the second half in a 24-3 Hornets victory.

Senior quarterback Samuel Zimmerman completed 11 of 25 passes for 140 yards with two interceptions, while junior Christian Brooks-McMillan led the Tigers with 34 rushing yards on 11 carries. Senior Austin Campos led the Tigers with five catches for 81 receiving yards. Defensively, CHHS was led by senior Silas Munday’s 10 tackles and Brooks-McMillan’s seven tackles and one tackle for loss.

Chapel Hill (4-3, 1-1 Tobacco Road Conference) looks to get back in the win column and improve its state playoffs prospects this week as they host Northern Durham (3-4 overall, 1-1 conference).

Men’s Soccer – Tigers beat Wildcats on emotional Senior Night

Coming off their dramatic 3-0 double overtime victory October 7 at Durham Riverside, Chapel Hill came home and faced off two nights later against Southern Durham. Once again the Tigers were forced into overtime, as the Spartans took CHHS into overtime with the score tied, 1-1. This time around, however, the Tigers were unable to come away with the win, as Southern Durham scored a goal in the second overtime period for a dramatic 2-1 victory.

The disappointing loss slipped Chapel Hill to 8-4 overall, and 2-2 in Tobacco Road Conference matches. On Tuesday night, the Tigers hosted East Chapel Hill and came away with a 2-0 shutout win, avenging their loss to the Wildcats on the road back on September 25.

Desperately in need of a win with three losses in its last five matches, Chapel Hill honored its 11-man senior class with an impressive 2-0 shutout of the Wildcats. Mark Heizer got the Tigers on the scoreboard with a goal midway through the first half for a 1-0 lead. CHHS put the match away early in the second half, as Gilbert Schmidler found the back of the net. Down the stretch the Tigers controlled possession and dominated the action, keeping East Chapel Hill from making a comeback rally.

The Tigers host Tobacco Road Conference rival Hillside at home on Thursday night. Next week the Tigers travel to Northern Durham on October 21 before returning home to host Riverside on October 23.

Volleyball – Tigers clinch share of regular season conference title

Chapel Hill’s second half breakthrough this fall on the volleyball court put the Tigers in position to win the Tobacco Road Conference regular season title in its first season of existence. As it turned out, the Tigers will share the regular season title with rival East Chapel Hill, but will now have a chance to make a postseason run in the upcoming NCHSAA 7A state playoffs.

Heading into the final week of the regular season, the Tigers had won six out of seven matches, and found themselves sitting in first place in the conference standings at 7-1 with just two matches remaining at Hillside and at Southern Durham. The Tigers swept both the Hornets and Spartans to complete a 17-7 regular season, and a 9-1 run through the Tobacco Road Conference.

Against Hillside, the Tigers cruised to victory, winning three sets by scores of 25-10, 25-7, and 25-19. The Tigers also swept the Spartans handily, ensuring they’d share the regular season title with East Chapel Hill.

The Tigers now await their postseason fate. Given their strong RPI rating and share of the regular season conference title, they should get to host multiple state playoff matches at home.

Women’s Tennis – Tigers advance in 7A state playoffs

Following an 8-7 regular season, which included a 6-2 record in Tobacco Road Conference play, Chapel Hill earned a berth in the West Region of the NCHSAA Class 7A state playoffs. The Tigers opened at home against Southwest Guilford and came away with a dominant 8-1 victory.

Advancing to the second round on October 15, the Tigers hit the road to Winston-Salem to challenge R.J. Reynolds. In a tough battle, CHHS came away with a hard-fought 5-4 victory, which advanced the Tigers into the third round.

Junior Erica Cui got the Tigers going in the match with R.J. Reynolds by defeating Elizabeth Kim 6-1, 6-3 in the No. 1 singles match. The Tigers also won the No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches, with both matches coming down to emotional third set tiebreakers. In the No. 2 match, CHHS senior Zoe Zhang dropped the opening set 5-7 to Jane Welch, but then rallied to win the second set, 6-4. In the third set tiebreaker, Zhang and Welch played down to a dramatic 9-9 tie before Zhang scored back-to-back points to claim the victory, 11-9.

In the No. 3 singles match, Margot Vaughan-Wilson fell 4-6 to R.J. Reynolds’ Louise Johnson in the first set, but Vaughan-Wilson dominated the second set, winning 6-1. In the third set tiebreaker, Vaughan-Wilson took command and won, 10-6, to give Chapel Hill another huge team point.

Senior Olivia Fox took care of business for Chapel Hill in the No. 4 singles match, as she bested MacKenzie Acker, 6-4, 6-2. R.J. Reynolds won the No. 5 and No. 6 singles matches, as well as the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles matches, which gave both schools four points.

It ultimately came down to the No. 1 doubles match, in which Chapel Hill’s Cui and Zhang picked up a clutch 8-4 victory to push the Tigers into the next round of the state playoffs.

Chapel Hill will now challenge Weddington High School on the road. If they can win that match, they will advance to the state quarterfinal round.

CARRBORO JAGUARS

Football – Jags shut out at South Granville

A frustrating season for the Carrboro High varsity football team continued this past Friday night, as the Jaguars were upended 48-0 by Big Seven Conference rival South Granville on the road in Creedmoor. The Vikings jumped ahead 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, and then added two more touchdowns in the second quarter for a commanding 35-0 halftime advantage. South Granville added two more touchdowns in the second half to finish things off.

CHS sophomore quarterback Jake Stevenson completed seven of 14 passes for 40 yards, while senior running back Isaiah McFalling led the team with 30 rushing yards on 12 carries. South Granville’s defense held the Jaguars to just three first downs the entire game, and held Carrboro to well under 100 yards of total offense.

South Granville quarterback L.J. Reid threw two touchdown passes for the victorious Vikings, while running back Tyrell Thornton added 42 rushing yards and another score.

Carrboro has an excellent opportunity this Friday night to put an end to its losing streak, and to get its first victory of the 2025 season. The Jaguars will host Orange, who makes their way to Carrboro with the same 0-7 record that Carrboro currently has. However, unlike CHS, who has scored just three touchdowns in their last six games, Orange is coming off a 36-point offensive performance against Big Seven Conference frontrunner Oxford Webb.

Men’s Soccer – Jaguars extend winning streak

Carrboro’s resurgent second half to the fall men’s soccer season continued in recent days, as the Jaguars picked up a 4-3 victory on the road at Seaforth on October 8, followed by a road win at South Granville on October 13 heading into a huge road match Wednesday night at Orange.

After Carrboro and Seaforth played to a 1-1 halftime tie, the Jaguars poured it on the Hawks in the second half, scoring three goals on the way to the victory. Senior Benny Wittmayer scored a pair of clutch late goals in the second half as the Jags came away from Pittsboro with the huge win. The victory over Seaforth gave Carrboro six wins in seven matches dating back to a win over Seaforth on September 15.

On Monday night, the Jags traveled to Creedmoor and came way with a 9-0 shutout victory over South Granville. The Jags settled the issue early with seven first half goals, but added another pair of goals in the second half to finish things off. CHS as a team combined for a whopping 28 shots on goal against the Vikings.

The big match of the regular season for the Jags was Wednesday night, as they made their way to Hillsborough to take on Big Seven Conference frontrunner Orange. The Panthers had handed Carrboro its first conference loss – a 2-1 setback at home back on September 22. That was also the outcome this time around, as Orange scored a pair of first half goals on the way to a a 2-1 victory. Despite a first half goal, the Jaguars were unable to overcome Orange’s early rally.

The Jaguars – 8-8-1 overall through 17 matches and 6-2 in conference play – travels to Hillsborough to face Cedar Ridge Thursday night. Next week the Jags travel to the Durham School of the Arts on October 20 before hosting Cedar Ridge October 22 for a rematch.

Volleyball – Jags appear in Big Seven Conference Tournament

Carrboro finished out the regular season in strong fashion on the volleyball court, as the Jaguars ended the year on a six-match winning streak. Coming off a dramatic five set victory October 2 over Cedar Ridge – previously undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the NCHSAA Class 5A state rankings – the Jaguars finished the regular season with sweeps of Franklinton October 8 and Oxford Webb October 9. Those wins gave Carrboro a 12-8 record through 20 matches, along with an 8-4 record in Big Seven Conference play, which earned the Jaguars the No. 4 seed in this week’s Big Seven Conference Tournament.

Against Franklinton, the Jaguars cruised to victory by scores of 25-11, 25-20, and 25-12. Sophomore Sarah Vandersea led CHS with 15 kills and four service aces, while sophomore Caroline Butler added six service aces and 14 assists. Then in the regular season finale against Webb, the Jags overwhelmed their opposition by scores of 25-8, 25-5, and 25-5. Senior Carson McGuire led the way offensively with 11 kills, while Vandersea contributed five service aces. Sophomores Butler and Camille Rucker each had 14 assists for CHS in the victory. 

On Monday night, the Jaguars dominated Durham School of the Arts to advance to the semifinals of the conference tournament. In a three set sweep, the Jags were led by sophomore Brooke Williams’ six kills, Vandersea’s eight service aces, and Butler’s 14 assists. Carrboro was eliminated in the conference tournament semifinals by Seaforth, as the Jags were downed in three sets by scores of 25-11, 25-8, and 25-15. The loss sent the Jaguars to a 13-9 overall record through the end of the regular season and conference tournament.

Now Carrboro waits to see if their record is good enough for the berth in the NCHSAA state playoffs. The Jaguars will find out in the coming days if they will play another match.

Women’s Tennis – Jaguars advance in NCHSAA 4A state playoffs

After finishing the regular season with a stellar 20-1 overall record, which included a perfect 12-0 run through the Big Seven Conference in its first season of existence, Carrboro’s women’s tennis team was regarded with the No. 1 overall seeding in the East Region of the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs.

After defeating Southwest Onslow in the opening round, which was played on October 13, the Jaguars hosted Randleman on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 15. CHS handled Randleman quite easily, claiming a 9-0 sweep to advance to the third round of the playoffs next week, where they’ll face Washington High School.

EAST CHAPEL HILL WILDCATS

Football – Wildcats suffer third straight loss in close heartbreaker

Coming off their disappointing loss to Chapel Hill in their Tobacco Road Conference debut, East Chapel Hill hosted conference rival Northern Durham last Friday night. In a defensive struggle, Northern Durham scored a fourth quarter touchdown and held on for a dramatic 12-6 victory over the Wildcats. The loss slipped East Chapel Hill to 3-4 overall, and 0-2 in conference play.

After the two teams played to a scoreless halftime tie, Northern Durham finally broke through in the third quarter to take a 6-0 lead. East Chapel Hill finally got on the scoreboard themselves on a touchdown run by senior standout A’maree Evans in the fourth quarter, but the Knights’ late touchdown gave them the narrow victory. East Chapel Hill quarterback completed nine of 14 passes for 129 yards with one interception, while Evans led the Wildcats with 94 rushing yards on 22 carries and a touchdown.

Defensively, Gavin Hanig-Gills led the Wildcats with nine tackles, while Jaden Nichols and Leo Veggian had eight tackles each. Jake Canady added four tackles, two sacks, and three tackles for loss. Terrance Howard added an interception and 43-yard interception return for the East Chapel Hill defense.

The Wildcats look to snap their three-game losing streak Friday night on the road in Durham against Riverside (0-7 overall, 0-2 conference).

Men’s Soccer – Wildcats blow out Hillside, fall to Chapel Hill

Following a pair of back-to-back ties against Riverside and Southern Durham to open the month of October, East Chapel Hill got back in the win column in a big way on October 9 as they traveled to Durham to face Hillside.

With the ECHHS offense running on all cylinders, the Wildcats cruised to a 5-0 shutout win, which improved East Chapel Hill to 10-1-2 overall, and 2-0-2 in Tobacco Road Conference play. The victory extended East’s streak to nine straight matches without a loss. After scoring twice in the first half for a 2-0 halftime lead, the Wildcats scored three unanswered goals in the second half.

Five different Wildcats – seniors Carter Langston, Aneil Jolly, and Eli Woods, junior Elijah Farrar and sophomore Sam Warrington – all scored goals in the lopsided victory. Warrington, along with seniors Peter Manns and Sayed Jalili, and junior Lay Htoo all provided assists in the goals. Junior Rafe Belcher earned the shutout in goal for the Wildcats.

On Tuesday night, the Wildcats traveled to Chapel Hill in an important conference matchup for both squads. Unfortunately for East Chapel Hill, they came out on the wrong end of a 2-0 final score against their arch rivals. The setback to the Tigers snapped East Chapel Hill’s nine-match unbeaten streak, and slipped ECHHS to 10-2-2 overall, and 2-1-2 in conference play. The Wildcats seek to get back in the win column Thursday night at home against Northern Durham.

Volleyball – Wildcats stake claim for share of conference title

East Chapel Hill’s strong finish to the regular season on the volleyball court continued this week, as the Wildcats swept Southern Durham in three sets on October 13 before turning around and sweeping Hillside the following evening. The pair of wins – coupled with a sweep of Riverside on October 7 – gave the Wildcats an 8-1 record in conference matches with only one to play October 15 at Hillside.

A second win over the Hornets would give the Wildcats a share of the Tobacco Road Conference regular season title with rival Chapel Hill. Fortunately for ECHHS, they got that win over Hillside, as the Wildcats made their way to Durham and came home with a three set sweep. The win improved East to 13-8 overall at the conclusion of the regular season, and 9-1 in the Tobacco Road Conference, which means that the Wildcats will share the regular season title with rival Chapel Hill.

In their October 14 win at home over Hillside, the Wildcats controlled the action throughout, winning three sets by scores of 25-13, 25-15, and 25-7. Sophomore Cameron Bublitz led the Wildcats with 10 kills and seven service aces, while sophomore Maggie Jewell added nine kills. Junior Lucy Tisch contributed 18 digs, while junior Sadie Daniel and sophomore Kaitlyn Ciapciak combined for 30 assists.

The following night, the Wildcats traveled to Durham and dominated in similar fashion to the night before. In winning three sets by scores of 25-9, 25-5, and 25-14, the Wildcats got six kills each from three different players – Tisch, Bublitz, and sophomore Jill Canady – while sophomore Avery Ellis contributed six service aces. Tisch added 20 digs, while Ellis picked up 24 assists.

With their regular season conference title in hand, East Chapel Hill is now waiting for its postseason seeding. Given their 9-1 conference record, the Wildcats will be hosting at least one round in the state volleyball playoffs.

Women’s Tennis – Wildcats compete in NCHSAA state playoffs

After concluding the regular season with a 12-3 overall record in 15 dual team matches, while compiling a perfect 9-0 record to win the first-ever Tobacco Road Conference regular season championship, East Chapel Hill’s women’s tennis team advanced to the NCHSAA Class 6A state playoffs.

After earning a bye in the opening round of the playoffs, the Wildcats hosted Jacksonville at home on the afternoon of October 15. ECHHS took care of business, as the Wildcats swept the visiting Cardinals, 5-0. The win improved the Wildcats to

With the win over Jacksonville, the Wildcats advanced to the third round, and a matchup with Harnett Central. If East Chapel Hill wins that match, they will advance to the state quarterfinal round against either Union Pines or Triton.

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