In the last two seasons, Rolesville's football program has risen to a level many didn't expect to see when the school opened in the fall of 2013.
When Rolesville's athletic teams first began competing, they were part of the Greater Neuse River Conference, along with teams like Garner, a perennial football power in Wake County that had played for a regional championship the season prior and was just three seasons removed from a state runner-up finish.
Rolesville was also a 12-minute drive away from Heritage, a program that was just getting its feet under itself with two varsity seasons in the books. The Huskies had just wrapped up a 6-6 season in 2012.
But the most daunting challenge for Rolesville came from the school that it essentially spun off from.
Wake Forest-Rolesville High School was beginning to establish itself as a dominant force in 4A football. In 2008, the Cougars appeared in the 4AA eastern regional championship for the first time, then returned in 2009, losing to Jack Britt both years. In 2010, Wake Forest-Rolesville defeated Panther Creek in the regional round, advancing to its first ever state championship game. The Cougars returned to the state finals in 2013, the year Rolesville High School opened and Wake Forest-Rolesville became simply Wake Forest.
Wake Forest did not win the state championship in 2010 or 2013, but in that part of Wake County, it was clear where the best football program was. Not since Garner in 1987 had a Wake County football team won a state title, and just two teams — Garner and Fuquay-Varina — had even played for a football state championship since then. Rolesville was attempting to build a program from the ground up while playing in the shadow of Wake Forest.
After sticking to junior varsity in 2013, Rolesville played its first varsity season in the fall of 2014. The Rams won just one game, a 14-7 victory at Knightdale. Meanwhile, Wake Forest defeated Garner in the 4AA regional championship and returned to the state final for the second straight year.
The Rams got some momentum in 2015. Rolesville won four of its first six games and finished the season with a .500 record at 6-6. It was an accomplishment for a program that was brand new and playing with its first senior class. Rolesville made the playoffs and lost in the first round, but Wake Forest only made it to the second round that fall. Some thought the run for the Cougars was over, which could open the door for a team like Rolesville or Heritage. After all, no football program in Wake County had ever sustained the success Wake Forest had already seen.
But that door was not open.
Wake Forest came back in 2016 better than ever. The Cougars won the school's first football state championship in 2016, while Rolesville fell backwards to 4-7. Wake Forest repeated in 2017, Rolesville was still 3-7. And while the Rams improved to 6-6 in 2018, Wake Forest won its third straight 4AA football state championship.
The Cougars had players going to Power Five schools. Dexter Lawrence was drafted 17th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Bryce Love was a Heisman finalist at Stanford. When people thought about high school football in Wake County, Wake Forest was the school that first came to mind.
But Rolesville kept building its program. Martin Samek became the head coach in 2019 and Rolesville took another step forward, winning 10 games for the first time in school history and picking up the school's first ever playoff win. The Rams also took Wake Forest to the brink in the regular season. The Cougars managed a 31-30 win in overtime against Rolesville, then beat the Rams 26-14 in the playoffs.
In fact, the only losses Rolesville suffered in 2019 were from Wake Forest and Heritage — the two rivals from their neighboring town. The Rams were still the little brother between the three.
But that has changed.
Rolesville hasn't lost a game during this spring season, posting a perfect 5-0 record that includes a dominant 36-3 win over Wake Forest and a 29-21 win over Heritage. With one game left in the regular season — a road game at Corinth Holders where the Rams will be the favorite — Rolesville has already clinched its first conference championship in school history and will receive a top seed in the state playoffs.
Wake County football was referred to as "Weak County" in other parts of the state. Wake Forest changed that. But now it's not just Wake Forest. In 2019, Cardinal Gibbons and Leesville Road appeared in state championship games — a first for both schools. Could Rolesville be next?
I won't get ahead of the season. There's a lot of football to be played and, in the year of the pandemic, all it takes is a simple COVID-19 exposure to end a team's season, but Rolesville will be in the conversation when the brackets come out. For at least this season, Rolesville has proven itself to be among the best in the East — and definitely the best in its conference.
Whether the Rams get to the state championship or not, they have established themselves as a formidable opponent — they've proven to be a credible program, climbing the ladder year-by-year — in one of the toughest football neighborhoods in the state. For that, the Rams deserve a lot of credit.
"football" - Google News
April 05, 2021 at 03:27AM
https://ift.tt/31Jb9vx
Escaping the shadow: Rolesville football is now in the spotlight - HighSchoolOT
"football" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2ST7s35
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Escaping the shadow: Rolesville football is now in the spotlight - HighSchoolOT"
Posting Komentar