Last season

Record: 1-9 overall, 1-4 in Big Seven 4A/5A conference (fifth)
Playoffs: Missed the playoffs

2026 preview

Carrboro coach Ken Lathan, entering his 11th season at the helm, inadvertently set the tone for this year.

Shortly after the 2025 season, Lathan underwent surgery, and things took a downward turn as complications kept him in the hospital for three months.

“It was kind of touch and go for a minute,” Lathan said. “I didn’t know how I was going to come back. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to coach football anymore.”

Lathan was given another chance. And after a 1-9 campaign last fall, in which they scored a combined 46 points, the Jaguars are also back for another season. As Lathan and his team operate with a new outlook on life, the goal this year is to compete, have fun and “play it like it’s your last time.”

“We’ve dealt with some adversity around here,” Lathan said. “Obviously, the last few days around here have been really, really tough, losing a beloved coach that’s been apart of this school since its opening. Dealing with that — also, dealing with even myself having issues, health issues, and being away from the team and just understanding that man, this can be gone in a blink of an eye. And so, enjoying every moment, trusting the process, and not only just trusting the process, but enjoying it.”

On the field, Carrboro will look to enjoy the effects of getting older.

Last year, the Jaguars employed many underclassmen in starting roles, and Lathan expects maturity to be the biggest area of growth.

“Hopefully, with the guys playing so many snaps last year, it won’t be so brand new to them,” Lathan said. “We won’t be seeing things for the first time. Hopefully, the speed of the game will start to slow down for them a little bit.”

The growth of junior quarterback Jake Stevenson will be crucial for the Jaguars’ offense. Stevenson threw for over 1,000 yards with six touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2025, which was his first full year playing football. Lathan said Stevenson has put in “a whole lot of work” ahead of this season, and he’s excited to see what he’s able to do.

Carrboro will also look to sophomore receiver Tristan McGowan, junior receiver Leo Goldwater and senior receiver Max Sparrow for significant contributions.

“We don’t have many seniors,” Lathan said. “So, I’m looking for (Sparrow) to step up and be a leader on that side.”

Defensively, the Jaguars will lean on some two-way players alongside senior linebacker Ajax Hopler, last year’s leading tackler, and junior linebacker Max Trojanowski, from whom the team expects big things.

“(Trojanowski’s) going to be one of our top guys,” Lathan said. “He’s a kid that can fly around a good little bit and kind of has the instincts to just have a knack to find the football. So, he made some big plays for us last year as a sophomore, and now his junior year, we expect for him to even make a bigger leap, and not only him making that leap, but bringing other guys with him.”

This season, wins and losses won’t matter as much as growth to the Jaguars. Carrboro, which is playing the same schedule as last year, may not return to having winning seasons overnight, but the team is looking to “shock” opponents with their improvements.

“After a game, if a team can come up to us and be like, ‘Man, y’all boys played hard,’ then that’s a step forward for us,” Lathan said. “And then the wins will come. Once you do those types of things, the wins will come.”


Schedule
*conference game

Aug. 20 — at Jordan-Matthews
Aug. 28 — vs. Northern Durham
Sept. 4 — vs. Chapel Hill
Sept. 11 — at East Chapel Hill
Sept. 25 — at Louisburg
Oct. 2 — vs. J.F. Webb*
Oct. 9 — vs. South Granville*
Oct. 16 — at Orange*
Oct. 23 — at Cedar Ridge*
Oct. 30 — vs. Seaforth*