November 5th, 2026 3:00am
The final weekend of the regular season in Conference Carolinas play brings a postseason reckoning for several programs, and the stakes are highest at the top of the League race. Chowan (5-4, 4-1) and UNC Pembroke (7-2, 4-1) are tied for second and both face pressure to keep their hopes alive. Chowan hosts Shorter in the Hall of Fame Game at Garrison Stadium and then has to wait on the result of the day’s other big League game, while Pembroke travels to Ferrum knowing a win sends the Braves to next weekend’s Conference Carolinas Bowl against North Greenville, with a playoff spot on the line. A Ferrum upset would turn the race on its head.
The headliner on the national stage is in Valdosta, where 13th-ranked Valdosta State hosts a Top 20 North Greenville squad at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium in a matchup with regional ranking implications for both sides. The Trailblazers are still chasing the first win in program history over the Blazers.
Win or lose Saturday, Valdosta State’s season is far from over. A trip to Delta State awaits in the Nov. 14 finale in Cleveland, Miss., with the winner crowned Gulf South champion.
There is also a continuing storyline for Conference Carolinas non-championship teams. Two of the Conference Carolinas schools that do not qualify for the championship game will play a SIAC opponent in Week 11 as part of the two-year football scheduling partnership that began in 2025. The two programs will be selected after the conclusion of all games on Saturday, so even the teams whose title hopes have faded have a reason to finish strong. Here’s what’s on tap.
LAST WEEK’S RESULTS (home team in bold)
*No. 18 North Greenville 45, Erskine 10
Delta State 22, Frostburg State 21
*Shorter 24, Barton 14
*Chowan 28, Ferrum 21
^No. 13 Valdosta State 28, West Alabama 24
THIS WEEK’S SCHEDULE (all times Eastern)
*denotes Conference Carolinas contest
Saturday, Nov. 7
*Shorter (3-6, 2-3 CC) at Chowan (5-4, 4-1 CC) | Murfreesboro, N.C. | 1:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Shorter snapped a four-game losing streak with a 34-14 win over Barton last Saturday, jumping to a 21-7 halftime lead and sealing the game when Conrad Hussey returned an interception 95 yards for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. The Hawks gained 421 yards, with Jeb Walls throwing for 206 yards and three touchdowns, Kyree Jenkins catching six passes for 137 yards and a 69-yard score, and the defense intercepting three passes. At 3-6 overall and 2-3 in Conference Carolinas play, Shorter is averaging 24.2 points and 344.8 yards per game while giving up 23.4 points. Walls has thrown for 1,292 yards and 13 touchdowns, though he has been intercepted eight times; David Hill has run for 812 yards, and Jenkins leads the receivers with 24 catches for 446 yards and five touchdowns. The defense has 54 tackles for loss, 14 sacks, seven interceptions and 11 fumble recoveries, with DJ Walker (46 tackles), Hussey (44 tackles) and Christian Benson (7.0 tackles for loss) leading the way.
Chowan rallied from a 14-7 halftime deficit to beat Ferrum 28-21 at W.B. Adams Stadium a week ago, improving to 5-4 overall and 4-1 in Conference Carolinas play. Tyler Adkins threw for 452 yards and three touchdowns, with Amir Alexander catching eight passes for 191 yards and a score, Dezmond Randolph adding five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown, and Krall catching a 26-yard touchdown pass. The Hawks, who gained 530 yards in the game, also got a 55-yard fumble return touchdown from Altiziano Edwards and two sacks and two tackles for loss from Greg Lott. For the season, Chowan is averaging 25.4 points and 365.2 yards per game while allowing 24.2 points. Adkins has thrown for 2,701 yards and 21 touchdowns with just five interceptions, and Alexander (54 catches, 993 yards, eight touchdowns) needs only seven yards for 1,000, while Randolph has 36 catches for 658 yards and six touchdowns. The defense has 21 sacks and 53 tackles for loss, with Darian Whitaker (77 tackles), Tayshawn Benson (10.0 tackles for loss) and Lott (9.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks) leading the way. A win on Saturday would keep the Hawks in contention for the Conference Carolinas Bowl, but they would then have to wait on the outcome of the UNC Pembroke-Ferrum game to learn their fate.
Prediction: Chowan
*Barton (1-8, 0-5 CC) at Erskine (2-7, 0-5 CC) | Due West, S.C. | 1:30 PM | STATS | VIDEO
Barton dropped to 1-8 overall and 0-5 in Conference Carolinas play with a 34-14 loss at Shorter, its sixth straight defeat, although it matched its highest point total since the Sept. 12 win over Bluefield. Brandon Quinn threw for 135 yards and two touchdowns, Jaidan Lee caught nine passes for 85 yards and a score, and Cameron Royal had an interception, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Barton had 243 total yards, turned the ball over via three interceptions and gave up a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown in the final two minutes. For the season, the Bulldogs are averaging 10.4 points and 230.3 yards per game while allowing 31.8 points. Jayden Brown has 452 rushing yards, Tyler Davis has 25 catches for 303 yards and three touchdowns, and Lee leads the team with 34 receptions. The defense has 62 tackles for loss, 15 sacks and seven interceptions, with Emmanuel Miller (11.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks), Sean-Jacob Bethea (51 tackles) and Kylyn Brown (50 tackles) leading the way.
Erskine’s loss at North Greenville was its seventh in a row, a 45-10 defeat in which the Flying Fleet managed 196 total yards, 126 on the ground and 70 through the air, converted just three of 12 third downs and gave up 364 rushing yards and six touchdowns. One of the few highlight plays came in the fourth quarter on Breylon Boyd’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Keown Richardson. Keaton Cooley still led the defense with 11 tackles, and Myles Robertson delivered a sack. That outing fits the season-long pattern: Erskine is averaging 18.9 points and 233.0 yards per game while allowing 33.0 points and 414.2 yards, with opponents gaining 5.2 yards per carry and scoring 21 rushing touchdowns. Even so, there are real bright spots. Jo Burson has 32 catches for 471 yards and seven touchdowns and Marquies Lattner leads the backfield with 251 yards. Alessandro Santana Jr. is a perfect 8-for-8 on field goals and has 44 points. Reid Giles has 576 all-purpose yards, including a kickoff return for a touchdown. The defense has produced 49.0 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks, led by Gary Maddox III’s 10.0 tackles for loss and Weston Bergman’s team-best 64 tackles.
Prediction: Barton
No. 19 North Greenville (8-1) at No. 13 Valdosta State (6-1) | Valdosta, Ga. | 2:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
North Greenville goes to Valdosta State on Saturday at 2 p.m. ET looking for the first win over the Blazers in program history, and it brings a three-game winning streak and an 8-1 record after a 45-10 Senior Day rout of Erskine in which it rushed for 364 yards and six touchdowns, an 8.9-yard average, and held the Flying Fleet to 196 total yards. Quarterback Kam Montgomery has played his best football in big games, most notably in wins over UNC Pembroke and West Alabama, where he threw for a combined 462 yards and five touchdowns with no interceptions and ran for 160 yards and two more scores. The Trailblazers are averaging 34.6 points and 386.4 yards per game while allowing 18.9 points. Montgomery has thrown for 1,654 yards and 12 touchdowns, with six interceptions, and run for 513 yards and nine scores. Sam Washam (19 catches, 330 yards) and Jonathan Manley (18 catches, 347 yards) are his top targets, and Maurice Anderson has eight rushing touchdowns. The defense has 12 interceptions, 14 sacks and 54 tackles for loss, with Jamie Downing Jr. leading the way at 70 tackles and Kaliber Hoey picking off three passes. Valdosta State is an out-of-conference test that gives NGU a chance to make noise in the national and regional rankings.
No. 13 Valdosta State trailed West Alabama 24-0 at halftime last Saturday, then scored 28 straight points in the second half for a 28-24 win in its Gulf South opener, with Champ Harris throwing for 304 yards and two touchdowns and running for another score. Leon Washington Jr. caught seven passes for 95 yards and a touchdown, Jaheim Arnold added a touchdown catch, and Matt Wilson ran for the go-ahead score with 1:45 left. The defense, which made 94 tackles and 12 tackles for loss in the game, held West Alabama scoreless after halftime, with Julius Pascal making 13 tackles and three tackles for loss. At 6-1 overall, Valdosta State has won three straight games, and it is averaging 43.0 points and 448.1 yards per game while allowing 18.3 points. Shawn Paschall has 614 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns; Harris has thrown for 1,224 yards and eight touchdowns and run for 416 yards and six more; and Washington (25 catches, 299 yards) and Arnold (11 catches, 250 yards, three touchdowns) are his top targets. The defense has 14 interceptions, 18 sacks, and 52 tackles for loss, with Jayden Bethea (44 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks), Malik Moore (2.5 sacks), and Curtis Janvier (three interceptions) leading the way.
Prediction: No. 19 North Greenville
*UNC Pembroke (7-2, 4-1 CC) at Ferrum (3-6, 3-2 CC) | Ferrum, Va. | 2:00 PM | STATS | VIDEO
UNC Pembroke comes off its bye week with a clear path in front of it: win at Ferrum on Saturday and the Braves land in next weekend’s Conference Carolinas Bowl against North Greenville, with a playoff spot on the line. They have the momentum for it, with three straight wins by a combined 141-24 score, the latest a 38-21 win over Chowan on Oct. 24. In that game Pembroke piled up 437 yards, held the Hawks to 54 on the ground, controlled the ball for 35:38 and scored on all four red-zone trips. Quarterback Josh Ehrlich ran the show, going 18-of-21 for 229 yards and three touchdowns and adding 136 rushing yards, including a 44-yard touchdown run in the final two minutes, while Malik Brown caught two scoring passes. That outing is the season in miniature and improved the case for Ehrlich as the frontrunner for Conference Carolinas offensive player of the year: 1,940 passing yards and 19 touchdowns against only four interceptions, plus 744 rushing yards and seven more scores, driving an offense averaging 34.3 points and 411.1 yards per game. Brown has 36 catches for 644 yards and seven touchdowns, plus two kick-return touchdowns, and kicker Jared Navidad is 8-of-9 on field goals with 63 points. The defense is just as steady, allowing 17.8 points and 284.3 yards a game, only 3.5 yards per carry, with Fred Giles leading the way at nine sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss.
Ferrum sets aside a 28-21 home loss to Chowan and welcomes UNC Pembroke to W.B. Adams Stadium for Senior Day Saturday, with a chance to play spoiler. Against Chowan, the Panthers led 14-7 at the half on touchdown runs by Wright and Anciso, only for the Hawks to answer with 21 straight points, including a 55-yard fumble return, before Eli Foutz hit Preston from 17 yards out with 3:27 left to make it 28-21. Ferrum ran 76 plays and held the ball for 34:10, totaling 393 yards (133 rushing, 260 passing) behind 10 catches for 82 yards from Omarza Gray. The offense was held to 4-of-17 on third down, though, and the defense, despite two interceptions, allowed 452 passing yards. Through nine games, the Panthers are averaging 17.9 points and 343.1 yards while allowing 24.2 points and 398.3 yards. Foutz has thrown for 1,779 yards and 10 touchdowns, Jycen Anciso has topped 600 rushing yards, and Gray has 46 catches for 507 yards. The defense has 11 interceptions, including two apiece from Rashaud Cherry, Jamorius Montford and Elias Hines, and Cherry leads the team with 34 tackles. William Hutton has pinned opponents inside the 20 on 14 of his 38 punts, averaging 43.1 yards. Strangely, all three of Ferrum’s wins have come on the road, at Barton, Shorter and Erskine, while the Panthers are 0-5 at home, so Senior Day is a chance to change that.
Prediction: UNC Pembroke
Monroe (N.Y.) (2-5) at West Alabama (5-4) | Livingston, Ala. | 2:00 PM | AUDIO | STATS | VIDEO
Monroe heads south for a date with West Alabama, its seventh road game in eight outings, riding the momentum of a breakout performance in its last time out. The Mustangs rolled past Keystone 54-20 on Oct. 31, snapping a four-game skid and nearly matching the 74 points they had scored in their first six games combined. They led 37-6 at halftime and finished with 478 yards (255 rushing, 223 passing), five rushing touchdowns and a 7-of-8 showing in the red zone. Lasean Sharp ran for 95 yards and two scores, Zavry Ward threw for 175 yards and a touchdown while adding two rushing touchdowns, and Dimitri Grieb connected from 20 and 45 yards. The defense added three interceptions, including a touchdown return by Benogo Diaby. For the season, Monroe is averaging 18.3 points and 277.1 yards per game while allowing 30.7 points and 343.6 yards. The defense has been stingy against the run (114.7 yards per game, 3.7 per carry), has 33.5 tackles for loss, and has forced 15 turnovers against only six giveaways. It has also scored twice itself, on Diaby’s interception return and a 60-yard fumble return by Da’Vaine Cushnie. Ward has accounted for 1,216 total yards and nine touchdowns, throwing for 983 yards and five scores with one interception and rushing for four more. Sharp has 357 rushing yards at 5.1 per carry, Grieb has 31 points, and Jarius Davis leads the defense with 22 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.
West Alabama hosts Monroe University this weekend, looking to snap a three-game skid, one that gained steam in a stunning collapse against No. 13 Valdosta State on Oct. 31. The Tigers led 24-0 at halftime on two Brayden Jenkins touchdown runs, a Dakarai Shanks score and an Elijah Guyton field goal, but the Blazers answered with 28 unanswered points, 21 of them in the fourth quarter, to escape Livingston with a 28-24 win. West Alabama still held the ball for 33:54 and ran 74 plays for 368 yards (121 rushing, 247 passing), with Jenkins posting 98 yards on 17 carries and Madixx Morris catching six passes for 109 yards. The Tigers went 0-for-3 on fourth down, missed a 29-yard field goal, and let a first-half shutout slip away even though Luther Richesson was 22-of-35 without a turnover. Through nine games, West Alabama is averaging 22.8 points and 315.7 yards while allowing 24.7 points and 375.4 yards. The run game is producing 115.7 yards per game at 3.4 per carry, and opponents are gaining 4.9 yards per rush against the defense. Richesson has thrown for 1,771 yards and 14 touchdowns with six interceptions; Jenkins has 473 rushing yards, and Morris leads the receivers with 423 yards. The defense has been opportunistic, forcing 21 turnovers (nine interceptions and 12 fumble recoveries) and piling up 14 sacks, led by Joseph Harper’s team-best 60 tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss, while Kebian Gilmore, Legend Doggett, and Issaiah Parrish have two interceptions apiece. Kendrick Joseph remains a weapon on special teams, with 654 kick-return yards on 18 returns, a 36.3-yard average and two touchdowns.
Prediction: West Alabama
Columnist Picks
Last week: 3-2
2026 season: 41-12