By Chatham Journal Staff
Pittsboro, NC – Seaforth and Jordan-Matthews opened the 2026 high school football season with convincing home victories Thursday night, while Northwood suffered a difficult loss against a potent Harnett Central offense. Chatham Central did not take the field, but the Bears were credited with a forfeit victory after Graham suspended its varsity season.
Seaforth 48, Chapel Hill 0
Seaforth quarterback Duncan Parker accounted for seven touchdowns as the Hawks overwhelmed Chapel Hill, 48-0, in Pittsboro.
Parker threw for 286 yards and a career-high six touchdowns while adding a rushing score. The performance helped Seaforth claim the first season-opening victory in the young program’s history.
The Hawks overcame an immediate setback after losing a fumble on their first offensive play. Seaforth’s defense prevented Chapel Hill from converting the turnover into points, and the Hawks responded with 41 unanswered points before halftime.
Senior receiver Max Hinchman opened the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown reception from Parker. Junior tight end Mason Pooley became Parker’s most productive red-zone target, catching touchdown passes covering 30, 15 and 45 yards.
The Seaforth defense helped turn the game into a rout by repeatedly giving Parker and the offense short fields. Senior Jackson Knoll recovered a Chapel Hill fumble at the Tigers’ 22-yard line, setting up Pooley’s first touchdown.
Junior safety Jude O’Neill later intercepted a pass and returned it to the Chapel Hill 7. Parker scored on a quarterback run on the following play.
Senior safety James Detzi added another long interception return, and Parker connected with junior receiver Noah Fuller for a 26-yard touchdown that activated a running clock shortly before halftime.
Senior receiver Connor Daley completed the scoring with a 23-yard touchdown reception during the closing minutes.
The Hawks’ defense completed the shutout by forcing turnovers, limiting Chapel Hill’s passing attack and capitalizing on the Tigers’ penalties. Chapel Hill never established a sustained offensive rhythm after recovering the opening-play fumble.
The victory also avenged Seaforth’s narrow loss to Chapel Hill in the 2025 opener.
“Felt like we should’ve got that win last year,” Seaforth coach Tolbert Matthews said. “We allowed Chapel Hill to sneak out of there with the win, so we knew this year was the get-back, and we think we handled business on the field today.”
Seaforth, now 1-0, will visit Southeast Alamance at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. The Stallions defeated the Hawks, 41-12, last season.
Read the entire game story on Bench Press.
Jordan-Matthews 36, Carrboro 22
Jordan-Matthews gave its home crowd an encouraging start to the season with a 36-22 victory over Carrboro in Siler City.
The Jets produced their highest-scoring opening game in recent years and secured a two-touchdown margin against the Jaguars. Jordan-Matthews entered the season looking to build upon the competitive progress it showed during portions of the 2025 campaign, and Thursday’s result provided an immediate boost.
The Jets improved to 1-0, while Carrboro dropped its fourth consecutive road game dating to last season. Complete individual statistics and a quarter-by-quarter scoring breakdown had not been posted as of Monday.
The victory gives Jordan-Matthews momentum heading into an early county matchup. The Jets will remain at home to face Chatham Central at 7 p.m. Friday, August 28.
That game will mark Chatham Central’s first opportunity to play this season and will give the Jets a chance to begin the year with consecutive home victories.
Harnett Central 49, Northwood 7
Northwood encountered one of the state’s most productive quarterbacks in its opener, as Harnett Central senior Koby Howard threw six touchdown passes in the Trojans’ 49-7 victory in Pittsboro.
Harnett Central scored 28 points in the first quarter and added 21 in the second, building a 49-7 halftime advantage. Neither team scored after intermission.
Howard distributed his six touchdown passes among five receivers. The performance increased his total to 60 touchdown passes since the start of his sophomore season, according to HighSchoolOT.
Northwood scored its lone touchdown during the first quarter but could not keep pace with Harnett Central’s quick-strike passing game. The Trojans repeatedly created favorable matchups downfield and converted their opportunities before the Chargers could settle into the game.
Despite the lopsided final score, the second half allowed Northwood to stabilize defensively. After surrendering seven first-half touchdowns, the Chargers kept Harnett Central out of the end zone throughout the final two quarters.
The loss left Northwood 0-1. The Chargers will travel to Asheboro for a nonconference game at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Asheboro opened its season by defeating Scotland, 25-22.
Chatham Central receives forfeit victory
Chatham Central did not play a game during opening week. The Bears’ scheduled Friday home contest against Graham was canceled after Graham High School announced that it would not field a varsity football team in 2026.
The result has been recorded as a 2-0 forfeit victory for Chatham Central, giving the Bears a 1-0 record without taking the field.
Graham officials said the Red Devils had only 18 players prepared to compete at the varsity level, with most of the roster consisting of freshmen and sophomores. Athletic director Kenroy Wallace said the school determined that requiring such a small, young roster to play complete varsity games against larger and more experienced teams would create an unacceptable injury risk.
Graham plans to rebuild through a junior varsity schedule.
The cancellation means Chatham Central will make its on-field debut against Jordan-Matthews on August 28 in Siler City. The Bears will enter the county matchup without the benefit of an opening game, while the Jets will arrive following their 14-point victory over Carrboro.