ECH AWAKES: Finally.
It has been a long, difficult season for the East Chapel Hill Wildcats.

Whether the program hasn’t recovered from the departure of former head coach/current Northwood offensive coordinator Bill Renner last November or its decisive home loss to neighborhood rival Chapel Hill earlier this season, the Wildcats have not awoke from their slumber.

Until Friday’s 42-35 win over Person, that is. While Person is not having a terrific season either at just 3-6, ECH did enjoy a bit of an awakening in posting its highest offensive output of the season. In fact, the Wildcats (2-7) scored more points than in their last four games combined (30), all losses.

GET THE POINT(S): East Chapel Hill wasn’t the only area team to put up big numbers Friday, as Orange, the No. 1 team in the WCHL/Chapelboro.com ‘Super Six’ wasted Webb 56-7 and No. 2 Northwood crushed Northern Vance 51-17. No. 3 Chapel Hill may be just 3-6 overall, but the Tigers were very competitive again in a 47-36 loss to a quality Cardinal Gibbons squad.

Northwood coach Bill Hall was correct when he noted the strides Chapel Hill has made from the beginning of the season when I talked to him earlier this week. Catch his comments about the Chargers upcoming showdown with the Tigers on “The Grid With Matt & Matt” Friday at 6 pm on WCHL 97.9 FM with a listener link available on chapelboro.com.

TOUGH TO DEFEND: With a slate that includes Northwood, Southern Durham, Orange, Cardinal Gibbons and a resurgent Chapel Hill squad still to come it’s tough to not feel a little sorry for an undermanned and overmatched Cedar Ridge squad.

The Red Wolves have allowed 36 or more points six times this season, with Southern Durham putting up 68 points in last Friday’s rout. The good news? Cedar Ridge should post its second win of the season Friday when it takes on a struggling Northern Vance squad.

One wonders how Chapel Hill escaped the 0-9 Vikings with just a 28-24 win only three weeks ago. The Tigers, as the Chargers are about to find out, appear to be a very different team now.