Chowan engineered one of the biggest upsets of the 2026 Division II football season – and in its own football history – on Saturday afternoon, upsetting No. 15 North Greenville 16-13 in Tigerville, SC.
The result marked the Hawks’ first-ever win over a ranked opponent since joining the D2 ranks in 1993. It also put Chowan (3-3, 2-0) in sole possession of first place in Conference Carolinas. The Hawks’ other conference win was a 34-0 shutout of Barton on Sept. 19.
Chowan’s defense held North Greenville to just 177 total yards and 11 first downs, picking off one pass. Darian Whitaker made 13 tackles, including seven solo stops, and earned two tackles-for-loss. Greg Lott added nine tackles and 1.5 TFLs. Zachary Jones returned an interception 32 yards.
Coach Paul Johnson’s team never trailed against a team that until Saturday had won nine straight Conference Carolinas games.
After a scoreless first quarter, Tyler Adkins found Dezmond Randolph on a 13-yard touchdown pass and Riley Swanson booted a 34-yard field goal for a 9-0 advantage.
The lead grew to 16-0 in the third quarter after Adkins completed his second scoring throw of the day, a 5-yarder to Amir Alexander. Adkins had a solid day directing the Chowan offense, finishing 16-of-20 for 171 yards, two scores and no interceptions.
North Greenville won Conference Carolinas in 2025, beating UNC Pembroke in the title game. The Trailblazers dropped to 5-1, 2-1 in conference play after Saturday.
Johnson has been Chowan’s head coach since the 2023 season, taking over as the Hawks transitioned out of the CIAA.
Chowan spent two seasons as an affiliate member of the Gulf South Conference, going 0-10 overall in 2023 and 3-7 in 2024. Last season, the Hawks’ first in the newly revitalized Conference Carolinas, Johnson’s team went 4-7 overall and 2-4 in league play.
Things continue to trend upward for Chowan, which pushed a solid West Alabama team to the limit before falling 29-26 on Oct. 3.
The Hawks will celebrate homecoming on Saturday against Erskine at 1 p.m. Chowan will then visit UNCP on Oct. 24 in what is shaping up to be a game with conference championship game implications.
Whoever wins Conference Carolinas will receive an automatic berth into the D2 playoffs in November.
👉 View the complete Chowan 2026 football schedule
👉 View the latest Conference Carolinas standings
