Cleveland looks to keep strong run going

By Randy Capps

CLAYTON — It’s hard to find a football program in North Carolina with a period of sustained success that matches Cleveland.

The Rams haven’t lost a regular season game since Sept. 2019 (Cardinal Gibbons) or a conference matchup since Nov. 2018 (FuquayVarina) and have tallied a 45-4 record over the past four seasons.

“I think we will be competitive again this season,” Cleveland head coach Scott Riley said.

That seems like a safe bet.

Senior quarterback Jackson Byrd will headline an offense that put up 45 points per game last fall. He recently committed to East Tennessee State and is coming off a season in which he earned all-state honors by passing for 3,624 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 417 yards and 11 more scores.

Another senior, Jamarious Pegues, is a returning allconference player on the offensive line who Riley describes as, “the leader of the most important unit on the field.”

Porter Bennett (435 rushing yards, 6 TD) and DJ Crooms (31 catches, 464 yards, 2 TD) will look to take on larger roles to offset the graduation losses on offense.

Sawyer Lowe, a senior linebacker and all-state selection is “a sideline-to-sideline linebacker and has great production,” according to his head coach. He had 145 tackles, including 33 for loss, five sacks and a pair of interceptions as a junior.

Senior Ronalon Renwick is “a difference maker in the secondary with length and speed” who has recently committed to the Air Force Academy.

The Rams will look to junior linebacker Jaylin King, junior safety Josh Bootha and senior linebacker Aiden Stephenson (48 tackles) to bolster a defense that graduated a ton of production. Cleveland’s 2023 playoff run ended at home at the hands of Hoggard, 51-35, and those two teams will open the season together at John Jacobs Stadium on August 23.