SPORTS

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

Our latest High School Notebook covers high school sports action for the three area Carrboro-Chapel Hill Schools – East Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill – from August 21 through August 27. The Local Reporter will continue to provide weekly updates of local high school sports throughout the school year.

CHAPEL HILL HIGH TIGERS

Football – CHHS gets off to 1-0 start on gridiron

Chapel Hill’s 2025 season got off on a positive note August 22, as the Tigers overcame a 21-20 fourth quarter deficit for a late touchdown in a 27-21 victory at home over Seaforth. Chapel Hill scored two early touchdowns and held a 20-7 halftime lead, but the visiting Hawks scored two unanswered touchdowns in the third quarter to take the lead by a single point.

CHHS senior quarterback Samuel Zimmerman completed eight of 18 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions, while twelfth grader Austin Campos led the Tigers with 45 receiving yards, which included a 35-yard touchdown from Zimmerman. Sophomore Deuce Geer added a 16-yard touchdown for Chapel Hill in the win. Junior Christian Brooks-McMillan led Chapel Hill with 80 rushing yards. Senior Silas Munday led CHHS with 10 tackles, while junior Samir Holman contributed a sack, junior Nicholas Kelly grabbed an interception, and junior Cole Gwaltney recovered a fumble.

Chapel Hill (1-0) travels to Hillsborough to face Orange (0-1) Friday evening.

Volleyball – Tigers continue challenging non-conference schedule

CHHS continued its challenging non-conference slate with a home match August 23 against Greenville powerhouse Rose High School, and then another home match August 27 against Seaforth, a tough local school. And while the Tigers came up short against Rose, they put it together for a big win over Seaforth.

Chapel Hill took Rose, a regional heavyweight, to the full five sets after winning the second (25-15) and fourth (25-19) sets. But Rose barely snuck away with a 15-11 victory in the tiebreaking fifth set. Senior Eva Smith led Chapel Hill with 16 kills in the heartbreaking loss.

Seaforth won the opening set 25-15 against the Tigers, but then CHHS got it going, winning a thrilling 28-26 second set before dominating the fourth set in a 25-17 triumph. The fourth set again came down to the wire, but Chapel Hill got a couple key points down the stretch for a 25-23 win. Smith had 13 kills and four service aces to again lead the Chapel Hill offense. Smith and fellow senior Haara Umenwaliri added four blocked shots to lead CHHS’s defense.

The Tigers will be on the road for their upcoming matches, as they travel to Apex to face Middle Creek on August 28 before traveling to Falls Lake on September 4. Chapel Hill will be back home on September 9 against Apex Friendship.

Men’s Soccer – Tigers beat Carrboro, Williams

Although Chapel Hill suffered its first loss August 21 in a 4-1 setback to Ardrey Kell, the Tigers bounced back this week with a 3-2 win over Carrboro August 25, followed by a 4-3 victory at Williams in Burlington on August 27.

Chapel Hill spread the offense around in the victory over Jaguars, with three different players – senior Adam Hariri and sophomores Miles Tobolski and Vail Tucker – each scoring goals. Hariri added an assist, while senior Ricardo Zuloaga and junior Eliot Werley also assisted teammates with goals.

Against Williams, the Tigers broke out to a commanding 3-0 halftime lead, only for the Bulldogs to make a furious second half comeback, scoring three times themselves. Fortunately for CHHS, they added a goal for a big 4-3 win over a tough non-conference opponent. Hariri scored two goals in the win over the Bulldogs, while fellow senior Cruz Gomez also tallied a goal for the victorious Tigers.

The 4-1 Tigers host Lee County on September 4, and then get some time off from match action before returning on the evening of September 15 at Apex.

CARRBORO JAGUARS

Football – Jags fall in heartbreaker to Jordan-Matthews

Carrboro opened its 2025 football season at home the evening of August 22 against Jordan-Matthews. It was a golden opportunity for the Jaguars to get in the win column and pick up some momentum, but it was Jordan-Matthews who came away with a 20-15 victory in a defensive battle. Carrboro broke out to an early 8-0 lead in the first quarter, and added a second quarter touchdown on the way to a 15-8 halftime lead. Jordan-Matthews, however, scored back-to-back unanswered touchdowns – one each in the third and fourth quarters – to take the lead and ultimately win the game.

Carrboro sophomore quarterback Jake Stevenson completed 21 of 33 passes for 301 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while senior running back Isaiah MacFalling led the Jaguars with 41 rushing yards on 10 carries. Senior receiver Matthew Bien-aise had a huge game with seven catches for 152 yards and a touchdown, while junior Eli Beaven-Louey added 43 receiving yards and a touchdown. Jordan-Matthews got 104 rushing yards from senior Kamarie Hadley, while junior Jakari Blue added 93 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Carrboro (0-1) takes on Northern Durham (1-0) Friday night on the road. 

Men’s Soccer – Wittmayer scores four goals for Jaguars in win over Northern Durham

Following a disappointing 0-4 start, the Jaguars picked up their first victory of the 2025 season on August 27, as they traveled to Northern Durham and knocked off the Knights, 5-2. Senior Benny Wittmayer had a huge night for the Jaguars in the win, scoring four goals to lead Carrboro’s offensive attack. Two nights before the win over Northern Durham, the Jaguars suffered a 3-2 loss at Chapel Hill. 

Carrboro hosts the North Carolina School of Science and Math on September 3, and then has another home match September 8 against East Chapel Hill before the Jaguars travel to Western Alamance on September 10.

Volleyball – Jaguars end losing streak with win over South Granville

Although Carrboro slipped to 3-5 on the volleyball court with a succession of losses to Person County, Chapel Hill, and Seaforth between August 19 and August 26, the Jaguars hung tough and got back in the win column on August 28. The Jaguars traveled to South Granville and earned a four set win over the Vikings. After falling in the opening set 27-25, the Jaguars rallied to win the next three sets by scores of 25-14, 25-11, and 25-15.

Carrboro returns to action September 2 for a home match against Orange, followed by another home match September 4 against the Durham School of the Arts.

EAST CHAPEL HILL WILDCATS

Football – Wildcats overwhelm Cedar Ridge for 1-0 start

East Chapel Hill’s varsity football team is looking for marked progress this fall, and the Wildcats showed they’re ready to show it on the field in a 44-0 season-opening triumph over Cedar Ridge on August 22. Sophomore quarterback Leo George completed five of six passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns, including a 37-yard strike to senior Noah Muhammad.

Senior running back A’maree Evans had 86 rushing yards on 10 carries and three touchdowns on the ground for the Wildcats (1-0), while senior receiver Mason Maclejewski added a 56-yard reception from George. The East Chapel Hill defense held Cedar Ridge to just 54 passing yards and 110 rushing yards, while recovering two fumbles.

East Chapel Hill looks to stay unbeaten Friday night as they host Green Hope (1-0).

Men’s Soccer – ECCHS shuts out Felton Grove for 3-0 start

After getting off to a promising 3-0 start this season, the Wildcats suffered their first loss of 2025 on the evening of August 26 – a 3-1 loss to Green Hope at home. Following their opening wins at Durham Academy and Southern Alamance, ECHHS got two goals from senior Peter Manns in the win in a 4-0 shutout over Felton Grove. Although the Wildcats broke out to a 1-0 halftime lead against Green Hope, the visiting Falcons scored three unanswered goals in the second half.

Following a road match Thursday night at Southern Alamance, the Wildcats host a pair of home matches next week against Jordan and Southern Alamance. The September 2 home match with Jordan is scheduled for a 6:45 start, while the September 4 home match with Southern Alamance will kick off at 6:00 p.m.

Volleyball – Wildcats knock off Middle Creek for 4-2 start

Although the Wildcats slipped to 3-2 after getting swept August 16 by West Forsyth and August 21 by Green Hope, the team got it together in time to knock off Middle Creek in straight sets on the evening of August 26. Behind eight kills from sophomore Cameron Bublitz and six kills each from sophomores Maggie Jewell and Jill Canady, the Wildcats won three straight sets by scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-20. Bublitz added five service aces for East Chapel Hill in the win, while junior Lucy Tisch had 11 digs and sophomore Avery Ellis 24 assists.

The Wildcats return to action September 2 in Raleigh against Ravenscroft, followed by another road match in Durham September 4 against Jordan. ECHHS will renew its rivalry with Chapel Hill at home on September 11.

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