With Hurricane Helene throwing a hissy fit in the Gulf of Mexico, a few Johnston County schools decided to play games on Thursday this week.
I can tell you that working late on a Thursday night and getting up on early on Friday morning is not something I want to do often.
Anyway, here’s the skinny:
Thursday’s games
Clayton 38, Garner 14 (JoCo Sports Game of the Week and CRN)
Cleveland 49, South Garner 24
Hunt 42, Smithfield-Selma 13
Fike 24, South Johnston 0
West Johnston 48, Southern Wayne 14
American Leadership Academy at West Bladen, cancelled
Monday
North Johnston at Lakewood, 6
Corinth Holders at Willow Spring, 6 (102.3 FM)
Clinton at Princeton, TBD
streaking
Clayton ran its record to 5-0 for only the second time this century (2017) by pulling away from Garner, 38-14.
Darrion Ellis got things started with a kickoff return for a touchdown, Aiden Smalls tossed four touchdown passes and the Comet defense allowed only one touchdown (the other was a kick return) in a complete team win.
The Comets are home again next week against Southeast Raleigh.
something old and something new
Cleveland paid homage to a couple of former standouts by retiring the jerseys of Sterling Johnson and Omarion Hampton Thursday night before racing past South Garner, 49-24.
Sophomore Kaleb Ferrell rushed 12 times for 140 yards and a couple of scores while Jackson Byrd added 323 passing yards and a couple of touchdowns of his own to the ledger. Sawyer Lowe and Darrell Herriott each had 13 tackles for the Rams, who improve to 5-0, and 2-0 in Greater Neuse River 4A play.
Cleveland visits Fuquay-Varina next week.
winless in wilson
A pair of Johnston County schools made separate bus rides up I-95 to Wilson Thursday, and each fell short in Quad County 3A action.
Hunt took down Smithfield-Selma, 42-13, while a banged up South Johnston was shut out, 24-0, by Fike.
South Johnston (3-2, 1-1) hosts C.B. Aycock in Week 7, while the Spartans (0-5, 0-2) entertain Fike.
taking care of business
West Johnston hosted Southern Wayne on Thursday night, and breezed to a 48-14 victory. Stats haven’t been entered into MaxPreps yet, but I’m guessing some of them were impressive.
The Wildcats will visit the team most responsible for them missing the playoffs last season, East Wake, next time out.