Chapel Hill High School’s football team has stormed through the DAC-VII conference, with a 5-0 record halfway through the ten-game season.
The team currently sits in first place in the conference and hopes to remain perfect after the school’s homecoming game on October 1 against Southern Alamance High School.
The Patriots, currently second in the conference, enter the game with a 4-1 record.
“We know that Southern Alamance is going to be one of the best teams we play this year, but we are going to give it our all to win this game, especially since it’s homecoming,” senior running back Elijah Ayankoya, who has had two games with multiple touchdowns, said.
Tigers head coach Issac Marsh expressed confidence going into Friday’s match and said that the team is focused and prepared.
“We need to control the things that we have control over,” Marsh said. “Because we’re on the top, every team we play is going to give us their best each week, so our main focus is handling the things that we can control: our effort, executing the game plan and remaining disciplined.”
Junior linebacker Jeremy Breeze said that he has practiced and watched footage daily to prepare for today’s game against the Patriots.
“I’ve watched film on every game Southern Alamance has played, and I analyzed certain players,” Breeze said. “I’m a key player on defense, so I have to know what plays the offense will run.”
In their most recent game, the Tigers crushed winless East Chapel Hill in a 49-0 on-the-road blowout on September 24, and the team has outscored its opponents by an average of over 25 points.
Quarterback Caleb Kelley threw for three touchdown passes against East, connecting with seniors Kaire Ryland and Jamazia Williams, as well as sophomore Jovan Dewitt. The team also combined for 104 rushing yards, scoring four touchdowns on the ground.
Last season, the Tigers lost in the first round of the state playoffs to West Brunswick High School, but the team’s improvement this season has convinced players and coaches that they can make a deep run in the postseason.
“I feel very confident with the team we have this year: we have all the pieces; we just have to put the pieces together,” Kelley said. “The senior leadership is strong, along with some very, very talented young guys. If we take care of business during conference play, we should make some noise in the playoffs.”
Kelley added he is unfazed by the pressure of maintaining a perfect record.
“Being undefeated is always a great feeling, but none of that matters now, as we are focused on this upcoming game against Southern Alamance,” he said. “We have a lot more work to do, and we are doing a good job getting after it in practice.”
In their last homecoming game, the team’s seniors hope to notch a win for the school, their friends and themselves.
“I don’t want to play football in college, which makes me really want to win more,” senior Will Blythe, a tight end and linebacker, said. “It’ll be my last time playing football.”
Marsh also sees how the multi-year efforts of his seniors are culminating in this final homecoming game.
“The fruit of [our seniors’] labor is showing itself now,” Marsh said. “The work that they have endured since they were freshmen is remarkable: this game is a special moment for them.”
The Tigers trust that if they play to their potential, they can leave Culton-Peerman Stadium as victors.
“We know Southern Alamance will be a difficult opponent, but we can definitely get a win if everyone comes together as a unit,” Breeze said.
