October 8th, 2026 1:00pm
This week’s slate is all Conference Carolinas, with three league matchups on tap Saturday, and the headliner remains unbeaten 16th-ranked North Greenville hosting Chowan after the Trailblazers’ wild 42-41 comeback at UNC Pembroke. At the same time, Erskine travels to Pembroke to face a Braves team looking to bounce back from that heartbreaking loss, while Ferrum, fresh off its first win of the season, heads to Shorter in a matchup of teams trying to find their footing in league play.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS(home team in bold)
No. 18 North Greenville 42, UNC Pembroke 41
Ferrum 21, Barton 0
No. 16 Valdosta State 56, Erskine 0
West Alabama 29, Chowan 26
Delta State 23, Shorter 0
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)
*denotes Conference Carolinas contest
Friday, Oct. 9
*Ferrum (1-4, 1-1 CC) at Shorter (2-3, 1-1 CC) | Rome, Ga. | 3:30 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Ferrum finally broke into the win column, shutting out Barton 21-0 on the road behind a dominant ground game that produced 277 yards and three touchdowns. Jycen Anciso bulldozed his way to 145 yards on 25 carries while the defense held the Bulldogs scoreless and recorded four quarterback hurries. Anciso has now emerged as the clear workhorse this season with 397 rushing yards and four touchdowns, and quarterback Eli Foutz continues to put up solid numbers through the air with 982 yards and six scores, finding Omarza Gray for a team-high 305 receiving yards. The defense also deserves credit for turning things around, with Emory Womack leading the way at 18 tackles and the unit totaling five interceptions on the season, including multiple picks apiece from Jamarion Montford and Elias Hines.
Shorter's offense hit a wall in its worst showing of the year, managing just 269 total yards and getting shut out 23-0 at Delta State while turning the ball over three times via interceptions. Dennis Sims' seven catches were about the only bright spot in the game, but quarterback Jeb Walls has still been one of the conference's most productive passers overall, throwing for 905 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, with Sims (242 yards) and Silas Hinson (264 yards, two TDs) rounding out a receiving corps that's helped the Hawks average 28 points per game. Defensively, DJ Walker has been a playmaker with 22 tackles and two interceptions, and Marshall Combee leads the unit with 23 stops. The unit has surrendered just over 120 yards per game to opposing rushing attacks, and they’ll need to be even better up front this upcoming weekend.
Prediction: Ferrum
Saturday, Oct. 10
*Chowan (2-3, 1-0 CC) at No. 16 North Greenville (5-0, 2-0 CC) | Tigerville, S.C. | 12:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
North Greenville pulled off one of the season's wildest wins, erasing a 21-point deficit to stun UNC Pembroke 42-41 behind Kam Montgomery's 259 passing yards and four touchdowns, including a 75-yard strike to Sam Washam, who caught four passes for 100 yards and two scores in the comeback. Montgomery also added 113 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, including a 23-yard scamper with 1:24 remaining to put NGU ahead on the scoreboard. The defense stood strong and stopped a UNCP two-point conversion attempt to seal the victory. That dramatic finish pushed the Trailblazers to a perfect 5-0 start, with Montgomery now owning 374 rushing yards and 1,118 passing yards for a staggering 17 total touchdowns on the season, while Washam (240 yards, three TDs) and Jonathan Manley (183 yards) have given him a dynamic pair of targets in an offense averaging nearly 38 points per game. Defensively, Jamie Downing Jr. paces the unit with 36 tackles, and North Greenville has forced 10 interceptions on the year, led by Kaliber Hoey's three picks.
Chowan fell just short in a shootout at West Alabama, dropping a 29-26 decision despite Tyler Adkins throwing for three touchdowns and Dezmond Randolph hauling in all three of those scores on his way to a big day through the air. Adkins has now thrown for 1,490 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, with Amir Alexander (472 yards) and Randolph (331 yards, three TDs) giving him a dangerous one-two punch that's helped the Hawks pile up nearly 1,800 total yards through five games. Darian Whitaker remains the anchor of the defense with 38 tackles and 2.5 sacks, while the unit has forced five interceptions on the year, including two from Jimmy Lacy.
Prediction: No. 16 North Greenville
*Erskine (2-3, 1-1 CC) at UNC Pembroke (4-2, 1-1 CC) | Pembroke, N.C. | 1:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Erskine's losing skid has stretched to three games after a brutal 56-0 blowout loss at then-No. 16 Valdosta State, a game in which the Flying Fleet could only muster 124 total yards while four different quarterbacks combined to throw four interceptions on 10-of-30 passing, with the defense surrendering 298 rushing yards and eight total touchdowns. Despite the recent struggles, Ryan Killmer's season numbers remain respectable, with 851 passing yards and nine touchdowns, and Jo Burson has been a consistent bright spot with 18 catches for 359 yards and five scores. On defense, Weston Bergman and Gary Maddox III have each piled up 36 tackles, though the unit has managed just one interception on the year and is allowing nearly 377 yards per game to opponents.
UNC Pembroke returns home for Saturday’s date with Erskine looking to shake off a gut-punch 42-41 loss to North Greenville, a game in which the Braves rushed for 215 yards and four touchdowns and Josh Ehrlich went 15-of-24 for 269 yards and two scores, only to watch a 21-point lead evaporate. Ehrlich has been the engine all season, piling up 515 rushing yards and 1,078 passing yards, with Jake Davids (264 yards) adding a second ground threat and Malik Brown (419 yards) stretching the field, helping the Braves average 28 points and nearly 350 yards per game. The defense has produced its share of disruption too, with Jadin Baptist and Myles Hudson tied at 34 tackles apiece, Fred Giles leading the way with four sacks, and five different players recording an interception, though the unit couldn’t get a sack or a takeaway against North Greenville.
Prediction: UNC Pembroke
Columnist Picks
Last week: 4-1
2026 season: 27-8