Four days before the first game of the season during a morning practice, Chapel Hill head football coach Issac Marsh called a meeting with the varsity team in the weight room. The Tigers were set to travel to Riverside High School Friday, and players assumed that the meeting would go on as usual, as team gatherings were fairly normal.
Marsh, however, was joined by principal Charles Blanchard. The news was unexpected: Marsh announced that Chapel Hill would not field a varsity football team and instead use the season to rebuild through the junior varsity team.
The prevalent issue was the safety of the Tiger athletes.
“Low numbers created an issue with depth at each position on the team,” Blanchard said. “Also, the small number of upperclassmen on the team caused concerns for competing at the varsity level this school year.”
Freshmen, sophomores and juniors are allowed to play on the junior varsity team, but Marsh’s announcement likely signaled the end of the seniors’ competitive football careers.
Senior linebacker Leo Tun has been a part of the Chapel Hill program since he was a freshman.
“It was devastating,” Tun said. “I have played for the last three years, so I became attached to the program. I have spent countless hours practicing and studying film, through the worst and best times. I would be the first to admit that I cried–a whole lot actually. I have nothing but love for the coaches. They taught me to become a better man, and I could see how much this decision hurt them, too.”
After speaking with the whole team, Marsh spoke individually with the seniors, including Donny Nicholson, who played his first three years at Chapel Hill.
“The emotion in the room was through the roof,” Nicholson said. “Coach Marsh told us how much he appreciated us. We are all very passionate about the sport, so it was very hard on us. Then he hugged each of the players individually, and he thanked us for all of our dedication.”
Chapel Hill has had many successful varsity football teams over the past decade. In 2012, Chapel Hill went 9-4 and made it to the second round of the state playoffs. In 2014, the Tigers advanced to the fourth round of the state playoffs. Over the past two years, however, the Tiger varsity football team has posted an overall record of 3-18, and participation in the program has declined. This season, Cedar Ridge High School is not fielding a varsity football team, and last year East Chapel Hill High School did not compete at the varsity level either.
Although over the past couple of years the win and loss column for Chapel Hill may not be what the players and coaches had hoped for, the power of sports to teach life lessons did not suffer.
“I have learned a lot from football: family, toughness, and work ethic,” Tun said. “But, as our program continued to show little success, I learned the most important thing: I learned about commitment and never giving up. Too many people give up on things once they experience adversity. The easy thing to do is quit, but the tough thing to do is to stick with it and keep your head held high.”
According to Nicholson, the bond among the Tiger players symbolizes what it means to play for a team and buy in to a program.
“Football at CHHS has taught me the importance of family,” Nicholson said. “I love and respect each and every one of the players on our football team. I see them as my family, and they see me the same way.”
Unlike Nicholson and Tun, senior William Eble was set to compete for the first time for the Tiger program, and he gave up his job at Jersey Mike’s during the season in order to play.
“I wanted to try and help support the football program and hopefully bring some other upperclassmen on board to continue the Chapel Hill High School football legacy,” Eble said.
In the preseason workouts, Eble appreciated the dedication of his teammates.
“The best part had to be waking up early in the morning, heading to the locker room and getting out onto the field with a group of guys who seemed truly passionate about football and giving their all,” Eble said.
Even though the seniors will not be able to play for Chapel Hill, they were given the option to play for another team in the district, such as East Chapel Hill or Carrboro.
“None of the seniors even had to think about that question,” Nicholson said. “We all decided to stay loyal to our school and support the Tigers. Also, we all hate East.”
As a result, the playing careers for all of the seniors have come to an end.
“I am going to miss Friday night lights and the sense of belonging you get when you get a tackle or tip a pass,” Tun said. “It’s amazing, but I know that I’m never going to get it again. Football was an outlet for me. When school was tough, I would always have practice to look forward to. Whether it was tackling underclassmen or challenging a player to give it their all, I loved it. I took football for granted, and I wish there was a way for me to go back and tell myself to cherish the little things and to enjoy the game.”
Nicholson, Tun and Eble will not suit up for a game this season, but their passion, determination and hard work are sure to leave a legacy that will lead the Tiger program in the right direction.
