Chowan Holds Off North Greenville's Late Rally for Its First Win Over a Ranked Team

Chowan had a 16-13 lead, the ball and 2:35 to kill. Lane Roberts came up short on fourth-and-3 with 26 seconds left, and the Hawks' defense had to stop North Greenville one last time. It did, and the final snap ended at the Chowan 48.

That stop finished off a 16-13 win over No. 15 North Greenville, ranked in the AFCA Division II coaches poll, on a rainy Saturday in Tigerville, S.C. It was Chowan's first win over a ranked team since it became a full Division II member in 2007, and it handed the Trailblazers their first loss.

Chowan is 3-3 and alone in first place in Conference Carolinas at 2-0. North Greenville, the defending league champion, is 5-1 and 2-1, and its nine-game conference winning streak is over.

A slow start in the rain

Neither offense did much early. North Greenville missed a 27-yard field goal on its first drive, and Chowan's first real threat died on a fourth-down sack at the NGU 15.

Tyler Adkins broke through in the second quarter with a 13-yard touchdown pass to Dezmond Randolph. Riley Swanson added a 34-yard field goal with five seconds left in the half, and Chowan led 9-0.

Zachary Jones set up the next score. He picked off a pass early in the third quarter and returned it 32 yards to the NGU 40. A few plays later, Adkins found Amir Alexander for a 5-yard touchdown, and it was 16-0.

Adkins was sharp in the rain. He completed 16 of 20 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. Alexander caught five balls for 98 yards, and Timothy Baker Jr. ground out 72 yards on 27 carries.

North Greenville's rally

North Greenville didn't fold. Kam Montgomery hit Jonathan Manley for a 22-yard touchdown on fourth-and-6 early in the fourth quarter. The two-point try failed, but the Trailblazers recovered the onside kick at the Chowan 35. Chowan's defense held again, and that drive ended on downs.

Then North Greenville's defense scored. Chowan went for it on fourth-and-4 at the NGU 26, Jamie Downing Jr. knocked the ball loose from Adkins, and Jordan Conner returned it 68 yards for a touchdown. It was 16-13 with 2:35 left.

Chowan's defense

Chowan's defense held North Greenville to 177 yards. Darian Whitaker made a career-high 13 tackles, Greg Lott had nine and Tayshawn Benson added a sack. The Trailblazers also hurt themselves with 13 penalties for 136 yards. Downing finished with 13 tackles and Brannon Teamer had 12, but North Greenville's offense never found a rhythm.

A long climb for Paul Johnson

For Chowan coach Paul Johnson, this was a long time coming. His first team went 0-10 in 2023 as a Gulf South affiliate, Eric Lusk of NCFootballNews noted, and the Hawks went 3-7 the next year. They finished 4-7 last fall in their first season in the revived Conference Carolinas. This fall they beat Barton 34-0 and lost 29-26 to West Alabama. Saturday was the breakthrough.

What's next

North Greenville fell to No. 22 in the AFCA poll and hosts Shorter on Saturday. Chowan comes home to face Erskine for homecoming, then plays at UNC Pembroke on Oct. 24. The league champion gets an automatic playoff bid, and right now the inside track belongs to a team that went winless three years ago.