Despite injuries and inexperience, the Tigers football team secured another winning record in conference play, going 3-2 to earn third place in the 4A DC 6 conference.
In Ryan Horton’s first season as head coach, injuries at the quarterback position made the Tigers’ season anything but easy.
Formerly an assistant coach for the Tigers, Horton, who graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 2004, quickly adjusted to the new role, explaining that the differences were mostly on the administrative side of things. “The communication with parents, the athletic director and other schools is more of a time demand,” Horton explained.
The Tigers’ 2024 season did not get off to a good start. On August 23, they lost 49-30 to Southern Durham, and starting junior quarterback Sam Zimmerman broke his thumb.
While nobody was happy that the starting quarterback was hurt and would miss games, the Tigers had confidence in senior Jonah Berman, who replaced Zimmerman.
The next game for the Tigers was against their rival Orange High School on August 30. In the 2023-2024 season, the Tigers destroyed Orange 42-7, but the team was stunned by the Panthers in a close 20-13 game.
The game was perhaps more notable, though, as Berman broke his thumb after just four pass attempts.
Horton had to find a way to keep the team motivated, even after losing both quarterbacks. “We had to determine why we’re here,” Horton said. “We’ve got 19 or 20 seniors, and those guys have a lot to play for.”
The Tigers were sitting at 0-2, and with a 38-14 loss to Southern Alamance on September 6, the Tigers started the season with three straight losses. At the time, there was a lot of disappointment around the team. It was supposed to be a good year, but both quarterbacks were hurt and the team wasn’t playing well.
With their quarterbacks injured, the Tigers leaned heavily on their running game. When the Tigers faced off against Carrboro High School on September 13, senior Tyler Jackson rushed for 137 yards and a touchdown. The Tigers cruised to a 35-12 win, improving their record to 1-3.
It was a relief for the team to finally win a game, but the Tigers couldn’t relax for long. A week after their win against Carrboro, the Tigers had to play Weddington High School, the fourth-ranked team in the state. Weddington dominated, and the Tigers lost 56-0.
Horton acknowledges that games against teams like Weddington are tough but knows there are benefits. “You want the opportunity to play against the best,” Horton said. “It prepares you for the rest of the season.”
After the Weddington game, Jonah Berman returned on October 4 to face conference rival Jordan High School. Unfortunately Berman’s return wasn’t enough as the Tigers lost to the Falcons 44-13.
But after the Jordan game, the tide turned. The Tigers won their next two games against Riverside and Northern Durham by a combined score of 103-14. These wins brought confidence back to the Tigers, while starting quarterback Zimmerman returned from his injury.
Leading up to the team’s game against Hillside on October 25, Zimmerman expressed confidence. “We definitely have a chance this year,” he said. Hillside, though, proved to be too strong, and the Hornets defeated the Tigers 42-13.
In their last game of the season on November 1, the Tigers faced off with their biggest rival, East Chapel Hill High School. With Berman starting on senior night and throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns, the Tigers beat East 48-8 to punctuate the end of the season.
The win against East gave the Tigers a final record of 4-6, with a winning 3-2 record in the conference.
Even though the team might not have exceeded their preseason goals, Horton believes “the motivation was always there” and said he is proud of his players for “playing a sport that we love” without giving up.
