In football, your quantity often determines your quality.
A revamped Chapel Hill football team had ten skill players touch the ball against a young Orange team at Auman Stadium on Friday night. A maturing Orange team had five players touch the ball.
The Tigers’ Silas Munday, who recorded four carries all of last season, scored three touchdowns in the Tigers 34-22 win in Hillsborough. Chapel Hill quarterback Sam Zimmerman threw for 170 yards and a touchdown as the Tigers (2-0) defeated Orange for the fifth time in six meetings.
After a disappointing season opener against Southeast Alamance, the Panthers did show signs of cultivating the type of offense new head coach Fritz Hessenthaler desires. Sophomore Markus Thomas, in just his second varsity game, ran for 156 yards and a touchdown. After the Tigers took a 21-6 lead, Thomas snapped off a 69-yard run out of nowhere on 3rd-and-5 from his own 26-yard line in the fourth quarter. Two plays later, Thomas cashed in on his first varsity touchdown.
It was the most rushing yards for an Orange running back since Nate Sorrells ran for 181 yards in the 2023 season-opener against Southeast Alamance.
“I think they were stronger than us,” Hessenthaler said. “I think they were older than us. I think our kids fought. I’m very proud of our kids. We still had some mental breakdowns. We had some turnovers and I really think those two turnovers were probably the biggest difference.”
Under second-year Chapel Hill head coach Ryan Horton, Zimmerman operated most of the night out of a pistol formation. Zimmerman’s first big strike to Austin Campos went for 40 yards on Chapel Hill’s second drive. On a fourth-and-goal, Munday went untouched going up the middle on a six-yard gallup for his first varsity score.
Orange’s Kayden Bradsher, who has become the ultimate utility player, returned the subsequent kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. The attempt on the two-point conversion failed, keeping Chapel Hill ahead 7-6.
It was the second time in as many years that Bradsher returned a kickoff for a touchdown. Last year, he did to open the second half against Person in Roxboro.
Zimmerman, who finished 11-of-20 for 170 yards, found D.J. Jeter for 18 yards, then hit David Campos for 25 yards on the next play. Jeter caught his first touchdown pass on a fly pattern from Zimmerman from 26 yards out with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter. Teagan Coynesmith’s extra point put Chapel Hill ahead 14-6 at halftime.
Orange sputtered to start the second half, getting three straight penalties before Chapel Hill’s Austin Campos picked off a pass. The Tigers converted a 4th-and-7 when Zimmerman hit Jeter for nine yards. Zimmerman broke into the red zone on a 14-yard run. Munday scored his second touchdown on an eight-yard touchdown run.
The Tigers recovered a fumble with 3:55 remaining in the third quarter at the Orange 46-yard line. The Tigers pounded the ball up the middle with Dominic Miller, Justin Harrington and Munday all getting carries to advance inside the 20-yard line. Zimmerman scored on a quarterback sneak to push the Tigers ahead 27-6.
After Thomas’ touchdown, Chapel Hill scored again with Munday scoring his third touchdown on a 13-yard score.
Thomas had runs of 13, ten and 26 yards to open Orange’s final drive. After an eight-yard carry by Jakai Train, Thomas scored his second touchdown. Bradsher added the two-point conversion.
Orange rushed for 230 yards.
“I was proud of the offensive lineman,” Hessenthaler said. “They continued to play hard in the fourth quarter. I’m proud of my seniors. I’m proud of my sophomore quarterback, my sophomore running backs, there’s a lot of young guys. We have a hill to climb, but no one is going to feel sorry for us. We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves.”
Orange will travel to Memorial Stadium in Burlington to face Walter Williams on Friday. The Bulldogs have won four straight over the Panthers.
