Setting the tone: How Rolesville’s quick, confident QB led Rams to NCHSAA 4A East final
Braden Atkinson learned long ago reading a defense involves more than a quarterback’s vision. The Rolesville High senior listens, too.
“The defense does a lot of trash talking before the snap,” the third-year starter said. “I know they’ve been preaching all week in practice they can pressure me. I hear them saying I’m not fast enough.”
The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder is quick to respond. But not with words.
“He has a quick release — the quickest I’ve seen,” Rolesville head coach Ranier Rackley said. “He knows what to throw and when to throw. He doesn’t force passes. He throws deep passes. He throws into tight windows.”
A quarterback, after all, can’t be sacked without the ball. Upon beating the pass rush with a completion, Atkinson enjoys seeing looks of frustration. That’s his satisfaction. And then he moves onto the next snap in the up-tempo offense.
Rolesville’s 49.1 points per game this season demonstrates a quarterback doesn’t have to be built like the Buffalo Bills’ Josh Allen. For his career, he’s on the verge of 9,000 yards passing: 594 of 864 passes (.687) for 8,918 yards with 114 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
But this week’s Rolesville opponent won’t be caught off-guard. Cardinal Gibbons and the Rams know each other well.
The Wake County powers meet at 7 p.m. Friday at the Crusaders’ stadium. Fifth-seeded Rolesville (13-1) travels to No. 2 Gibbons (12-1) to decide the NC High School Athletic Association 4A East Region title and a berth in the state final.
Familiar foes
The showdown is a rematch of the third week of the season at Rolesville that the Rams won 30-27 in overtime.
Gibbons and Rolesville also tend to find each other in the playoffs. A year ago, Gibbons beat Rolesville 28-21 in the fourth round. In 2021, they accounted for the most recent all-Wake County 4A Region final. Gibbons beat Rolesville, 36-28, and claimed the 4A state title a week later.
The Crusaders’ current seniors were freshmen in 2021 and have been focused on returning Gibbons to the state championship.
Meanwhile, Rolesville was the 2020 4A state runner-up (the delayed season was played in the spring of 2021 due to the pandemic). The current seniors were eighth graders.
“We haven’t won a championship yet, but we feel we have the pieces,” Atkinson said. “We’re senior heavy. We have the experience.”
Familiar friends
Rolesville’s seniors include fourth year starting center Gavin Marks (6-2, 285). Both Atkinson and Marks are committed to Mercer University, a Football Championship Subdivision school in Macon, Georgia.
“I liked everything I saw about the school and my parents liked everything they saw,” Atkinson said. “It’ll be fun that my center is going there, too.”
Atkinson’s quarterback maturation includes growth from adapting to a new group of receivers each season.
As a sophomore in 2022, he had a pair of Division I recruits playing their senior seasons — Noah Rogers (N.C. State by way of Ohio State) and Tamarcus Cooley (N.C. State by way of Maryland). The Rams’ balanced offensive scheme totaled 2,957 yards rushing and 2,424 passing. Atkinson, who was limited to 10 games by an injury, finished 122 of 209 (54.1 percent) for 1,846 yards and 22 touchdowns.
But for Atkinson’s junior season, Rackley brought in a new offensive coordinator Mike Holderman with a pass-oriented scheme. When a play is signaled in from the sideline, Atkinson says he has “the freedom to flip the pass protection based on the pressure” or if the defense is stacked against a running play, “to call quick slant or a hitch.”
Atkinson adapted quickly to his new receivers, classmate Jaeden Alford and then-sophomore Gavin Waddell. Alford, who is committed to Elon University, caught 92 balls for 1,815 yards and 21 touchdowns and Waddell 66 for 1,005 and nine TDs. Atkinson finished 254 of 349 for 3,701 and 46 touchdowns. His 70.1 percent completions was a 16-point jump from his sophomore year.
In the 2024 season, Alford, who is committed to Elon University, has 49 catches for 689 yards and 14 TDs and Waddell 53 for 819 and 13 TDs. Although their totals are down from a year ago that’s a result of more one-sided scores and the backups finishing the game.
The significant stat to note in the receptions column is from a sophomore newcomer, Anthony Roberts (40-784, 10 TDs).
“He has been one of the biggest additions,” Atkinson said. “He gives us a third receiver who has made a lot of great plays.”
A third receiver is one too many for many high school quarterbacks – they don’t have the poise or time to find a third target – but with coverage focused on the veterans, Atkinson can check down to Roberts. The sophomore posted his biggest night in last week’s win at top-seeded Cleveland (13-1). Roberts caught five balls for 137 yards and three touchdowns, including a 73-yard score.
“I can go to any of my three receivers on any one play,” Atkinson said. “I have full trust in them to make a play.”
‘That’s who he is’
But two more receivers not listed on the Rolesville roster deserving credit are his parents, Woody and Michelle.
“Ever since I was a young kid I always had a football in my hands,” Braden said. “I always wanted to throw the ball around. I would ask my parents to throw the ball with me. Sometimes it was just me and my mom.”
Michelle, of course, wasn’t Noah Rogers, but Braden commented, “She did everything she could.”
Her support included finding a quarterback coach once she realized Braden was dedicated to pursuing a college career. Atkinson has been driving to Charlotte in the offseason to work with former Duke quarterback Anthony Boone, who led the Blue Devils to the 2013 ACC Coastal Division title.
“Braden is hungry, and I have a lot of faith in him,” Rackley said. “Things have changed with our personnel, but it hasn’t changed him. His confidence keeps him advancing as a quarterback. That’s who he is.”
This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM.