Hough shuts down Millbrook. How defense led Huskies to first NC football title
Thanks to its ferocious defense, Hough High School is a North Carolina state football champion for the first time.
The Huskies beat Millbrook, 21-0, at UNC’s Kenan Stadium on Thursday night in the NCHSAA 8A state championship, mainly because that defense just wouldn’t allow Millbrook to score.
“I thought our guys played exceptional all year long,” Hough coach DeShawn Baker said. “I told y’all back (in August) that we had the best defense in the state, and they showed it tonight on the big stage.”
The Wildcats (13-1) from Raleigh came into the game averaging nearly 40 points per game. Against Hough (14-0), they averaged 2.25 yards per play.
Millbrook was 3-of-14 on third-down conversions and 1-of-6 on fourth-down tries.
Every time, the Wildcats had a chance to make it interesting — and they had a few — Hough simply stood up like a human brick wall and said, “Not today.”
“I’m an offensive guy,” Baker explained. “And I tell everybody, all day long, we feed off our defense. The offensive guys get mad at me in practice because I give the defense guys more time, because if we can’t stop anybody, we can’t win. So I’m super proud of them, and our coaches, for the endless hours, the time away from our families. I’m super excited about the outcome.”
Fittingly, Hough started the game on defense and got a three-and-out. The Huskies’ offense, led by championship MVP, QB Ethan Royal, then drove for what turned out to the game-winning points. Royal scored on 1-yard keeper in the first quarter.
But facing a Millbrook defense that had allowed 72 points all season, Royal and the Huskies couldn’t pull away. And Millbrook had several really good chances to score, down just seven points. The Wildcats started several drives in Hough territory, including at the Hough 45 and the Hough 36 on back-to-back third quarter possessions.
What happened? Millbrook ran six plays. Millbrook didn’t go anywhere.
And with 2:27 left in the third quarter, Royal put the game away, hitting Jahmere Anderson with a 7-yard scoring pass. He finished the scoring with a 73-yard keeper in the final minute.
“It definitely feels great,” Hough senior defensive back Samari Matthews said. “Those first three years were all tough losses and that was my last time playing with a lot of great seniors, and I promised them, when the time is right, I’ll bring (a championship) back home to them.”
Matthews said many former Hough players were on the sidelines and in the stands. He said their presence motivated the team.
“Just seeing them happy for us, just showing the support we have,” Matthews said. “There were people way before us playing like this, and it’s a tradition we have to carry on.”
Three who made a difference
Ethan Royal, Hough: The Huskies’ junior QB was named the championship’s MVP. He threw for a touchdown and ran for two, rushing 12 times for 89 yards and completing 13 of 29 passes for 135 yards.
Quinton Cypher, Millbrook: Cypher, a junior, had a team-high 10 tackles and an interception.
Ryan Peterson, Hough: The sophomore linebacker had a team-high 10 tackles.
Notable
• Hough’s Samari Matthews and Millbrook’s Malachi Gilchrist were named winners of the NCHSAA Sportsmanship Award pregame. ... Matthews won the state’s biggest award earlier Thursday as he was, named Mr. Football.
• Millbrook made its sixth straight playoff appearance this season and made its second regional final, after reaching that round in 2022. Hough, which opened in 2010, was in its 13th straight postseason appearance and had lost in two previous regional finals.
• The game was stopped for several minutes in the first quarter after Millbrook’s Malcolm McIntyre, a senior defensive back, was injured after taking an accidental knee to the helmet while making a tackle. McIntyre eventual stood up and walked slowly to his sideline.
• Millbrook blocked two punts and deflected a third. Hough’s Baker said that was due to communication issues with his team, calling incorrect protections.
• Royal was the game MVP. Running back Jamarion Morrison (15 carries, 66 yards; two catches, 30 yards) was his team’s offensive MVP. Peterson was the Hough defensive MVP. The Millbrook offensive MVP was receiver Malachi Gilchrist (three catches, 22 yards). Quinton Cypher was the defensive MVP.
They said it
“I’d like to say congratulations to my guys for having a great season. It’s a sad locker room right now. But we’ll look back and recognize this as being a great year. Our guys have put everything in it, starting last January.” — Millbrook coach Laymarr Marshall, who led the team to its first state final.
Game summary
Millbrook 0 0 0 0 — 0
Hough 7 0 0 14 — 21
First quarter
H: Ethan Royal 1 (Piercom Selland kick)
Fourth quarter
H: Jahmere Anderson 7 pass from Royal (Selland kick)
H: Ethan Royal 73 run (Selland kick)
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 10:59 PM.
