
By Henry Gargan
Staff Writer
FOOTBALL
Pittsboro Northwood 35 – Carrboro 34
Sometimes football just doesn’t make sense. Carrboro’s loss to Northwood highlighted this fact in stunning fashion, as the Carolina 9 behemoth fell to a team that even East Chapel Hill had beaten this year.
The Jags made quite a show of it, however – it took two overtimes to decide the victor on Northwood’s Homecoming night. Carrboro broke a 28-28 tie in overtime, but fatally failed to convert on the two-point try that would have put them a point closer to the victory. The cost of this blunder was quickly realized, as the Jaguars watched Northwood kicker Tim Gill’s point-after attempt sail through the uprights following the Charger equalizer.
Northwood running back Kevin Williams’ superhuman effort was needed to keep his team in the game. Derek Bryant and the Jaguars seemed well in control in the first half as they opened up a 22-8 lead over their conference rivals. Four touchdowns later, Williams had almost singlehandedly kept the contest interesting. He finished the game with 347 of the Knights’ 408 total rushing yards, a necessarily large total on a night when Northwood managed to advance only 35 yards through the air.
Carrboro plays next at home against the Red Wolves of Cedar Ridge this Friday.
Chapel Hill 47 – Northern Vance 14
It was a nostalgic trip back to the area for Darian Harris, who had, perhaps, in his years as coach at East Chapel Hill, become accustomed to losing at Culton-Peerman stadium.
Chapel Hill improved to .500 both overall and in the conference, as they rolled over Northern Vance’s Vikings, 47-14, on Homecoming night.
The Tigers jumped out to an early 26-0 lead by halftime, thanks to three quick touchdowns from Daniel Watson and another from R.J. Quick. Northern Vance got on the board at last after a 45-yard interception return and again on a four-yard pass to the end zone. But it wasn’t enough to stem the tide – the Chapel Hill juggernaut pressed on in the second half for another 21 points.
The Tigers play Oxford Webb at home tomorrow.
Northern Durham 40 – East Chapel Hill 14
The hints of promise displayed early in the season by East Chapel Hill seem to have dissipated.
In its seventh straight loss, it was clear that the Wildcats (1-7) were hurting without injured quarterback Drew Davis, whose ability to run Coach Bill Renner’s five-wide offense had somewhat compensated for East’s lack of output in the rushing department. Credit also the Knights (5-4), however, who only a year after going winless now lead the PAC-6 with a spotless 4-0 record in conference play.
It took Northern Durham almost an entire quarter to draw blood, but when they did, a torrent was unleashed. After going up 6-0 with a minute and a half left in the first quarter, the Knights managed to squeeze in four more touchdowns before halftime and another early in the fourth quarter. The total was 41-0 before the Wildcats managed to get on the board, although they did twice, thanks to special teams play. Andrew Moore returned a fumble 65 yards into the end-zone and Kevin Mangle ran back a blocked punt. Still, it wasn’t enough to prevent the reeling Wildcats from falling to 0-3 in the conference.
This week, East will try its luck on the road again, against Southern Durham.
SOCCER
Carrboro (15-3-1) 3 – Northwood (2-7-1) 0
CAR: S. Hickey 2, O. Romero 1
Next up: vs. Durham School of the Arts, Monday
Chapel Hill (11-5-2) 6 – Northern Vance (0-7-0) 1
CHL: C. Gillespie 1, S. Howes 1, C. Strand 1, P. Whitford 1, J. Dell 1, E. Westdorp 1
Next up: vs. East Chapel Hill, Friday
East Chapel Hill (11-2-2) 7 – Northern Durham (2-9-1) 1
ECH: H. Roberts 2, A. Kurdi 2, M. Gerrish 1, E. Centeno 1, J. Dimate 1
NDR: J. Williams 1
Next up: at Chapel Hill, Friday