The Local Reporter’s Fall Sports Preview

SCHOOLS

By Adam Powell
Correspondent

With the arrival of August comes the start of fall sports practices around Chapel Hill, including football, volleyball, men’s soccer, and women’s tennis.

Local rivals Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and East Chapel Hill all found varying levels of athletic success last fall, with Carrboro winning the state women’s tennis title at the 4A level, Chapel Hill making an improbable run to the NCHSAA 7A state championship match, and East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill sharing a conference title in volleyball.

The Local Reporter takes a closer look at the upcoming fall sports slate in and around the Chapel Hill area with our preview of players to watch and games to mark on the calendar in the weeks and months to come.

FOOTBALL

CARRBORO

Head Coach: Ken Lathan

Last Season’s Results: 1-9 overall, 1-4 Big Seven 4A/5A Conference

Key Losses: Isaiah McFalling, Matthew Bien-aise

Key Returnees: Jake Stevenson, Max Trojanowski, Leo Goldwater, Eli Beaven-Louey, Tristan McGowan

Biggest Matchups: vs. Chapel Hill (Sept. 4), at East Chapel Hill (Sept. 11), at Cedar Ridge (Oct. 23)

CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Ryan Horton

Last Season’s Results: 6-5 overall, 3-2 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Samuel Zimmerman, Prosper Mbaigon, Austin Campos, David Campos, Silas Munday, Kenneth Dula

Key Returnees: Christian Brooks-McMillan, Dominic Miller, Cole Gwaltney, Izayeha Brown, Michael Sanders

Biggest Matchups: vs. Orange (Aug. 28), at Southern Durham (Oct. 2), vs. East Chapel Hill (Oct. 9)

EAST CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Ricky Morton

Last Season’s Results: 3-7 overall, 0-5 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Amare Evans, Jake Canady, Noah Muhammad

Key Returnees: Leo George, Josh Freeman, Leo Veggian, Grady LeGuillon

Biggest Matchups: at Cedar Ridge (Aug. 21), vs. Carrboro (Sept. 11), at Chapel Hill (Oct. 9)

VOLLEYBALL

CARRBORO

Head Coach: Linda Lang

Last Season’s Results: 15-10 overall, 8-4 Big Seven 4A/5A Conference

Key Losses: Carson McGuire, Ellie Erliene

Key Returnees: Brooke Williams, Sarah Vandersea, Sydney Frakes

Biggest Matchups: At Orange (Aug. 27), vs. Cedar Ridge (Sept. 3), at Seaforth (Sept. 15), at Cedar Ridge (Sept. 29), vs. Seaforth (Oct. 8)

CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Alexis Hollis

Last Season’s Results: 19-8 overall, 9-1 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Eva Smith, Paige Thomas, Haara Umenwaliri, Leila Tooloee

Key Returnees: Sarah Williams, Keilani Ledaja-Brewer, Picha Fitzgerald, Lemachi Umenwaliri

Biggest Matchups: vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Aug. 25), vs. D.H. Conley (Aug. 28), vs. East Chapel Hill (Sept. 15), at East Chapel Hill (Oct. 1)

EAST CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Ronstadt Manuel

Last Season’s Results: 14-9 overall, 9-1 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Katherine Reynolds

Key Returnees: Cameron Bublitz, Maggie Jewell, Jill Canady, Lilly Tisch

Biggest Matchups: at Green Hope (Aug. 10), at Cedar Ridge (Sept. 9), at Chapel Hill (Sept. 15), vs. Chapel Hill (Oct. 1)

MEN’S SOCCER

CARRBORO

Head Coach: Jared Drexler

Last Season’s Results: 14-9-1 overall, 10–2 Big Seven 4A/5A Conference

Key Losses: Benny Wittmayer, Jacob Burstein, Henry Smith

Key Returnees: Manny Bastidas, Josue Sepulvedo Nazario, Alex Ramirez, Sebastian Marin

Biggest Matchups: vs. Chapel Hill (Aug. 18), at Burlington Williams (Aug. 31), at East Chapel Hill (Sept. 10), at Orange (Sept. 16), vs. Orange (Oct. 12), vs. Seaforth (Oct. 28)

CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Davis Boyle

Last Season’s Results: 18-5 overall, 8-2 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Gilbert Schmidler, Adam Hariri, Brendan Dorsey, Troy Casey

Key Returnees: Cyrus Ahmed, Miles Tobolsky, Ricardo Zuloaga, Harrison Boyle, Eliot Werley

Biggest Matchups: at Carrboro (Aug. 18), vs. Burlington Williams (Sept. 8), vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Sept. 10), vs. East Chapel Hill (Sept. 29), at East Chapel Hill (Oct. 15)

EAST CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Davis Boyle

Last Season’s Results: 17-4-2 overall, 6-2–2 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Peter Manns, Jake Mann, Aneil Jolly, Marco Szott

Key Returnees: Elijah Farrar, Sam Warrington, Rafe Belcher

Biggest Matchups: vs. Southeast Alamance (Aug. 17), at Raleigh Broughton (Sept. 1), vs. Carrboro (Sept. 10), at Chapel Hill (Sept. 29), vs. Chapel Hill (Oct. 15)

WOMEN’S TENNIS

CARRBORO

Head Coach: Jeff Arthurs

Last Season’s Results: 20-1 overall, 12-0 Big Seven 4A/5A Conference

Key Losses: Morgan Stowe, Ryan Hanes

Key Returnees: Bea Unwin, Carson Frederick, Bailey Birrenkott, Claire O’Brien, MacKenzie Birrenkott

Biggest Matchups: at East Chapel Hill (Aug. 13), at Orange (Aug. 19), at Cardinal Gibbons (Aug. 20), vs. East Chapel Hill (Sept. 9), vs. Durham School of the Arts (Sept. 16)

CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Torey Wahlstrom

Last Season’s Results: 10-8 overall, 6-2 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Zoe Zhang, Olivia Fox, Sophie Godfrey, Ella Van Buren

Key Returnees: Erica Cui, Margot Vaughan-Wilson, Margo Roth, Alina Sidorova

Biggest Matchups: vs. Durham School of the Arts (Aug. 12), vs. Seaforth (Aug. 20), vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Aug. 27), at Durham Academy (Sept. 1), vs. East Chapel Hill (Sept. 2), at East Chapel Hill (Sept. 21)

EAST CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Jon Noyes

Last Season’s Results: 16-4 overall, 9-0 Tobacco Road 6A/7A Conference

Key Losses: Samantha Benton, Laura Chekan, Karen Lin

Key Returnees: M.J. Esther, Nora Lucas, Isabell Lattanzio, April Zhang

Biggest Matchups: vs. Carrboro (Aug. 13), at Chapel Hill (Sept. 2), at Carrboro (Sept. 9), vs. Cardinal Gibbons (Sept. 15)

MEN’S/WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

CARRBORO

Head Coach: Mimi O’Grady

Last Season’s Results: NCHSAA 4A State Champion, Men’s and Women’s Cross Country, NCHSAA 4A East Regional champions, Big Seven 4A/5A Conference champions

Key Losses: Benjamin Horton, Benjamin Frederick, Alora Honeycutt, Bella Reyes, Lillian Lagarde

Key Returnees: Carter Hunt, Shane Fitzgerald, Henry Lerner, Elijah Barach, Jake Vernon, Presley Pyne, Amelie Reyes, Elena Rappold, Naomi Hirsch

Biggest Matchups: Horton Invitational (Aug. 27), Hare & Hounds XC Invitational (Sept. 18), Wendy’s Invitational (Oct. 3)

CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Keith O’Brien

Last Season’s Results: 5th place, NCHSAA 7A Women’s State Championships, 7th place, NCHSAA 7A Men’s State Championships

Key Losses: Jackson Ruff, Noah Brinson, Matthew Brooker, Charlotte Hallquist

Key Returnees: Baxter Caress, Cole Dutton, Owen McFee, Frederic Belval, Sadie Mersereau, Lily O’Brien, Sarah Nemerovski, Savannah Benson, Henrietta Belval, Rachel Jia

Biggest Matchups: Horton Invitational (Aug. 27), Fleet Feet Run at the Farm (Aug. 29), Knights Crossing XC Invitational (Sept. 12), VA XC Showcase (Oct. 17)

EAST CHAPEL HILL

Head Coach: Jon Beyle Sr.

Last Season’s Results: 2nd place, NCHSAA 6A Women’s Championships, 5th place, NCHSAA 6A Men’s State Championships

Key Losses: Gianluca Vavalle, Michael Pollard, Leo Fortson, Ava Maughan, Yara Sinnott, Katherine Hylton

Key Returnees: Robert Clipp, Rhys Lockamy, Norman Burian, Christopher McEntee, Amelia Lockamy, Elorie Minter, Camille Sinnott, Norah Parnell

Biggest Matchups: Horton Invitational (Aug. 27), Fleet Feet Run and the Farm (Aug. 29), Adidas XC Challenge (Sept. 18)

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. 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