The Chapel Hill Highlands shut out the Charlotte Tigers last week and lead the NCYRA club league with a 2-0 record.

For the players and Coach Robert Joseph, it’s about time. 

After being a regular at the state championship game, and at HS nationals, the Highlanders had a lot of work to do to rebuild. They have been good, but are now feeling like they are closer to where they were about ten years ago.

“We’re still very young,” said Joseph, who teams is about two-thirds freshmen and sophomores. “But we have a lot of talent. It’s the young kids who are doing our recruiting. We had one player bring in five of his friends.”

A simple game plan with a lot of structure has seen the Highlanders defense well. They use a strong kicking game and a very effective and smart kick-chase to pin the opposition in their end of the field. The Tigers had trouble getting out of their half all day last weekend.

“We have a good, structured chase,” said Joseph. “When we execute it teams have trouble getting out of their 22.”

No. 8 Daniel Covi and flanker Camilo Hernandez have led the way defensively, and Covi is also the team’s main lineout jumper, while Hernandez is the team captain. Scrumhalf Lawrence Bridges is a sophomore with impressive kicking skills, and it’s his boot that has kept opponents pinned back.

The Highlanders also won the North Carolina preseason tournament, beating Southern Pines, Myers Park, and, in the final, Union County.

And in that tournament, they handled forward packs that were significantly larger, and Joseph said that’s going to be the story throughout the season. Seems like the Highlanders can handle it.