North Carolina
Pitt Snap Count vs. North Carolina Revealed
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — The Pitt Panthers defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium, 34-24, to open their ACC slate with a win and stay undefeated on the season.
The 5-0 start is the best start for the Panthers since 1991 and the win vs. the Tar Heels is the first in Chapel Hill, after losing the seven previous matchups there.
Quarterback
Eli Holstein-79
Running Back
Desmond Reid-57
Rodney Hammond Jr.-12
Daniel Carter-10
Wide Receiver
Raphael “Poppi” Williams Jr.-64
Konata Mumpfield-61
Kenny Johnson-46
Censere “C.J.” Lee-33
Daejon Reynolds-26
Tight End
Gavin Barthlomew-57
Jake Overman-29
Offensive Lineman
Right Guard BJ Williams-79
Right Tackle Ryan Baer-79
Center Lyndon Cooper-69
Center Terrence Moore-10
Left Guard Ryan Jacoby-65
Left Guard Jason Collier Jr.-14
Left Tackle Branson Taylor-72
Left Tackle Terrence Enos Jr.-7
Defensive Line
Defensive End
Nate Matlack-51
Jimmy Scott-44
Chief Borders-41
Sincere Edwards-28
Defensive Tackle
Nakhi Johnson-41
Sean FitzSimmons-40
Isaiah “Ghost” Neal-32
Elliot Donald-25
Francis Brewu-13
Linebacker
Kyle Louis-72
Brandon George-68
Rasheem Biles-61
Braylan Lovelace-21
Keye Thompson-13
Jordan Bass-11
Cornerback
Ryland Gandy-71
Rashad Battle-66
Tamon Lynum-24
Tamarion Crumpley-3
Safety
Donovan McMillon-75
Javon McIntyre-50
Cruce Brookins-37
Phillip O’Brien Jr.-15
Coverage Team/Defense
Dylan Bennett-14
Nick Lapi-14
Josh McCarty-14
Jesse Anderson-12
Donovan McMillon-12
Tamon Lynum-11
Kyle Louis-11
Ryland Gandy-11
Malachi Thomas-11
Javon McIntyre-10
Brandon George-10
Chief Borders-10
Rasheem Biles-9
Cruce Brookins-9
Jordan Bass-9
Daniel Carter-8
Ryan Carretta-6
Ryan Baer-6
Terrence Moore-6
Terrence Enos Jr.-6
Jake Overman-6
Branson Taylor-6
Jason Collier Jr.-6
Jake Overman-6
Keye Thompson-5
Braylan Lovelace-5
Derrick Davis Jr.-5
Jeremiah Marcelin-5
David Ojiegbe-5
Rashad Battle-4
Shadarian Harrison-3
Sean FitzSimmons-3
Nakhi Johnson-3
Isaiah “Ghost” Neal-3
Gavin Bartholomew-3
Tamarion Crumpley-2
Francis Brewu-1
Kick/Punt Return
Kenny Johnson-8
Censere “C.J.” Lee-3
Daejon Reynolds-2
Kicker/Punter/Long Snapper
PK Ben Sauls-13
LS Nico Crawford-6
Holder Cam Guess-6
Punter Caleb Junko-3
LS Nilay Upadhyayula-3
Junior running back Rodney Hammond had 12 snaps in his first game back from reinstatement. The program announced prior to the season that he was ineligible to play in 2024, but found out he was eligible for the previous game last week.
Redshirt sophomore Sean FitzSimmons made his first action and start of the season at defensive tackle, with 40 snaps. He missed the first four games of the season with an injury.
Sophomore Braylan Lovelace returned for the Panthers and started at Money linebacker with 21 snaps, but fellow sophomore Rasheem Biles played much more often with 61 snaps. Sixth year Keye Thompson missed the past two games, but came back vs. the Tar Heels, with 11 snaps.
Redshirt freshman defensive back Cruce Brookins had 37 snaps at safety, as senior Phillip O’Brien Jr. sat out the first half vs. UNC due to a suspension that he had from the Youngstown State game in Week 4 for a targeting penalty.
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North Carolina
NC Made: Durham’s Old Hillside Bourbon toasts Black heritage one bottle at a time
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — Bourbon is more than a business for Jesse Carpenter — it’s a tribute to the city that shaped him.
“This is Durham. This is where I’m from. This is where I grew up,” said Carpenter, Chief Product Officer of Old Hillside Bourbon.
The company he co-founded with childhood friends takes its name and identity from one of Durham’s most iconic institutions-Hillside High School, one of the oldest historically Black high schools in the nation.
“We graduated Class of 1993 from Hillside High School,” Carpenter said. “Concord and Lawson Street. It’s the old Hillside.”
The idea took root during the pandemic when Carpenter proposed starting a bourbon company to those same friends.
“I had an idea to start a bourbon company, and they were on board,” he said. “Friends from 30 years ago, and now we’re doing this business together. It’s awesome.”
From 300 Cases to 10,000
What began as a pandemic-era idea has evolved into a rapidly growing business.
In its inaugural year, Old Hillside distributed 300 cases; this year, the company anticipates 10,000. The bourbon also earned Best in Show at the 2023 TAG Global Spirits Awards, impressing even the most discerning craft bourbon critics.
“Let me focus on the aroma — layers of oak, vanilla,” one reviewer commented on the Bourbon Banter YouTube channel, concluding with, “I think it’s a great taste.”
SEE MORE NC MADE STORIES
A Bottle Full of Stories
Beyond its flavor, Old Hillside stands out for the history embedded in its label. Each vintage pays homage to a chapter of Black American history that might otherwise remain overlooked.
The inaugural bottle features a photo of the old Hillside High building, symbolizing the school’s deep community ties. A second flavor pays tribute to the African American jockeys who dominated the Kentucky Derby before the Jim Crow era effectively pushed them out of the sport. The company’s latest release honors the Harlem Hellfighters, the renowned all-Black military unit that served with distinction in World War I.
It’s a storytelling approach that Carpenter and his team are actively working to spread across North Carolina. Brand ambassadors Corey Carpenter and Amire Schealey are on the front lines of that effort.
“More bars and restaurants — tackling different markets,” said Corey Carpenter. Schealey added that the team is “setting up tastings at different ABC boards to build up our brand and presence around the state of North Carolina.”
Like many acclaimed bourbons, Old Hillside is distilled and bottled in Kentucky. But its founders are quick to point out where its true spirit comes from.
“Old Hillside is a lifestyle,” Jesse Carpenter said. “Not just a school-friendship and camaraderie. That’s what we do.”
SEE ALSO | NC Made: Raleigh jewelry brand AnnaBanana grows from UNC dorm room to statewide success
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North Carolina
State and local leaders discuss ‘child-care crisis’ in NC
DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) — State and local leaders gathered in Durham on Thursday to discuss how they say North Carolina’s ‘child-care crisis’ is taking a toll on our communities.
“We’re demanding recognition,” former childcare provider DeeDee Fields said. “We want fair compensation. We want health protections and a retirement pathway for the workforce that makes all the work possible.”
Childcare is one of the biggest expenses North Carolinians face, with infant care more costly than in-state college tuition per year, according to data. Childcare for a four-year-old costs nearly $8,000 a year.
Since 2020, North Carolina has seen a record loss of licensed childcare programs. Durham County, for example, experienced a 14% drop.
“I think a lot of people are making these tough choices about what makes the most sense for their family,” Nylah Jimerson said.
Jimerson used to work as a nanny before she became a parent. She’s one of more than a quarter of parents in North Carolina who left the workforce to stay home to care for children.
As North Carolina is the only state without a new budget, childcare is top of mind for State Sen. Sophia Chitlik, who co-authored a package of bills that aims to better support the industry, including making childcare more affordable.
“The ‘Child Care Omnibus’ is part of a series of bills that have budget requirements and budget asks in them,” Chitlik said. “But we’re not going to know until we get a state budget. The most urgent and important thing, in addition to those subsidies, is raising the subsidy floor … so I hope that there is bipartisan consensus that would be worked out in a state budget.”
North Carolina could remain without a budget until the legislature is back in session in April.
“We have got to do something about childcare,” Sen. Natalie Murdock said. “We shouldn’t be in this position … we have to have a sustainable model and program because it’s about our children.”
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Copyright © 2026 WTVD-TV. All Rights Reserved.
North Carolina
Lawmakers discuss solutions to solving a 'child care crisis' in NC
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