The Chapel Hill Tigers finished their season with an overall record of 7-4, bowing out in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association 4A playoffs.
The team began its season winning five consecutive games and then lost to Southern Alamance 35-27 on October 1, starting a three-game skid of losses that brought the team’s record to 5-3.
In their final four games, the Tigers broke even, losing to Hillside and Jordan, but ending with wins against Riverside-Durham and Northern Durham, giving the team confidence heading into the playoffs.
“We lost a close one to Southern Alamance that just slipped through our grasp, and, after that, we let our heads fall a little,” senior lineman Edward Bassett said. “We eventually were able to regroup and come back stronger to win against Riverside and Northern Durham. It took a lot of collective effort and energy from us and our coaches and captains to get that ‘hunger’ back, but we did.”
The Tigers went 2-3 in conference play, finishing fourth in the 4A East DAC-VII Conference, which was won by Hillside. Last season, the Tigers brought home the Big 8 Conference Championship when Nolan Westrom scored a game-winning, last-second field goal kick against Orange High School.
Although they didn’t bring home a title this season, the team’s seniors can fondly reminisce on that moment.
“Winning the conference was one of the best memories I’ve made playing for the Tigers,” senior linebacker Aaron Harrington said. “I’ve been playing varsity football for three years, and it’s the best feeling to know that—as a team—our hard work to turn the program around paid off.”
The Tigers squared off against undefeated Cleveland High School on November 5 during the first round of the playoffs and fell 56-14. Chapel Hill was unable to contain the offense of the Rams, who have yet to score less than 49 points in any game this season.
Despite the loss, the game served as a learning experience for the team’s returning players next year.
“Cleveland was great competition to go up against, especially for me as a sophomore playing for the first time,” wide receiver Ameer Burgman said. “I was able to play against a really tough opponent.”
Tigers coach Issac Marsh feels that, even though the team lost early in the playoffs, he has fulfilled his ultimate goal: helping his players grow as people.
“My only goal is to develop young men who will be productive out in society,” Marsh said. “I am more concerned about being a part of building our players’ characters and helping them become better people on and off the field than winning games.”
Roughly a third of the Tigers’ 49 players this season are seniors, most of whom donned their helmets for the last time against Cleveland High School.
“I don’t have any plans to continue playing in college, so this will probably be my last year on an organized tackle football team,” Bassett said. “I personally had a great time playing for this program and being with the people, and it’s sad knowing that I won’t play again but I had a lot of good times with the team.”
The seniors’ departures leave the team with big shoes to fill.
“It feels good to climb up the ropes, but there’s a lot of pressure with the new role,” Burgman said. “I have to do better than I did last season and hopefully bring the team back to the playoffs.”
