By Devin McCullough
In Saturday’s Conference Carolinas Bowl at Younts Stadium, UNC Pembroke lost 34–20 to North Greenville for the second time this season. In addition, UNCP was removed from consideration for the 2025 NCAA Division II Championship field. Meanwhile, North Greenville secures an automatic spot in the conference and advances to play for Conference Carolinas in the national tournament.
North Greenville struck first, capitalizing on an early drive that ended with a 29-yard field goal. The Braves answered with a methodical 75-yard push capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass from Tre Robinson to Jackson Karcher, giving UNCP a narrow 6–3 edge at the end of the opening quarter.
The second quarter swung back and forth as both offenses found rhythm. The Trailblazers tied the game with another field goal before the Braves regained control on Robinson’s 9-yard touchdown run. However, momentum shifted sharply as the Trailblazers scored twice in the final four minutes of the half, both short runs by quarterback Dylan Ramirez to seize a 20–13 lead heading into halftime.
Robinson’s 48-yard touchdown to Malik Brown gave the Braves a boost in the third quarter and momentarily tied the score at 20. However, the Trailblazers reacted almost after, and Ramirez’s 6-yard touchdown throw gave them the lead again. Later in the quarter, a costly Braves fumble put an end to another encouraging drive and maintained the Trailblazers’ lead.
In the fourth quarter, North Greenville delivered the final blow on a grinding drive that ended with another 1-yard Ramirez rushing score, pushing the margin to 34–20. The Braves attempted to mount a late comeback, but an interception with just over two minutes remaining ended UNCP’s hopes of a rally.
Robinson finished with 261 passing yards and two touchdowns through the air while also adding a rushing score. Que Kennedy turned in a standout performance with 10 receptions for 134 yards, and JaQuan Albright totaled 75 yards of combined offense. Defensively, Eric Ivory and Evan VanMeter paced the Braves with eight tackles apiece.
The Braves finished the afternoon with 384 yards overall, but they were unable to match the Blazers 414 yards and perfect 6-for-6 performance in the red zone. The Braves scored on both of their red-zone attempts, but they were unable to overcome crucial errors made in the second half or change the Trailblazers’ almost six-minute advantage in the time-of-possession contest.
With the defeat, UNCP ended their regular season with a record of 8-3 overall and 5-1 in league play, just missing out on a postseason berth. After sweeping the season series against the Braves, North Greenville (7–4, 6–0 CC) currently carries the conference banner as they move on to the 2025 Division II Championship tournament.