In NC high school playoff, Rolesville stuns Wake Forest to reach East region semifinal
Rolesville wide receiver and Ohio State commit Noah Rogers might have channeled his inner voice resonating with Santana Moss’ words in the fourth quarter of Friday’s N.C. 4A state playoffs’ third round game against Wake Forest at Trentini Stadium.
“Big time players step up in big games,” Moss, who retired a Washington Redskins all-pro, said famously while starring for the Miami Hurricanes.
The visiting Rams — who trailed by two touchdowns at halftime — never trailed again after Rogers’ long return of a Cougars kickoff for a game-tying touchdown with 8:30 remaining en route to a 42-28 victory that put Rolesville (10-3) in its third straight state quarterfinals.
The Rams tallied both of the game’s third quarter touchdowns through the air. Rolesville quarterback Braden Atkinson sent a 17-yard end zone strike to Dejuan Mickens to cap a 67-yard drive 2:17 after halftime. Atkinson’s 16-yard connection with Tamarcus Cooley knotted the count at 21 with 1:31 left in the third.
Wake Forest (10-3) had its best third-period scoring chance on Evan Helfrich’s 32-yard field goal attempt that sailed outside the uprights. The Cougars took a 28-21 lead with 8:44 remaining on quarterback Kavon Simmons’ 25-yards keeper for a touchdown. Wake Forest converted three straight third downs on what proved to be the Cougars’ last scoring drive of the 2022 campaign.
Rolesville, meanwhile, scored three more times, beginning with Rogers’ kickoff return. Thereafter, Aaron Smith rushed 54-yards for the game-winning touchdown with 3:47 left, and teammate Caleb Jarvis added his own 37-yard touchdown run with 2:23 remaining to close the scoring.
Rolesville reversed the outcome of the schools’ regular season conference game, won 24-20 by visiting Wake Forest. The Rams, with Friday’s win, became the lone Northern Athletic 4A Conference school to defeat all league rivals this season.
Rolesville’s scoring total, including 35 second-half points, marked game and half highs for points surrendered by the Cougars this season.
Rolesville and Wake Forest have met in the state playoffs three of the past four seasons. The Cougars won 26-14 at home in 2019’s second round. In the spring of 2021, the host Rams won 24-21 in double overtime of the state semifinals.
Rolesville will visit New Bern for a state quarterfinal game Friday after Thanksgiving Day.
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 9:53 PM.