Football Game Preview: Cleveland Rams vs. Garner Trojans + Official Tickets

Cleveland has gone 7-2 against Garner recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Friday. The Rams will be playing at home against the Trojans at 7:30 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

Cleveland's defense heads into the matchup hoping to repeat the dominance they displayed on Friday. They breezed past Fuquay - Varina to the tune of 43-0. The Rams' win was nothing new given the team hasn't lost yet this season.

Owen Hulbert

Rushing Yards (Career)

10/03/25 vs Fuquay - Varina	38
08/22/25 @ Pinecrest	25
09/05/25 vs Northern Nash	11
09/12/25 @ New Bern	6
08/30/24 @ Heritage	3

Owen Hulbert had another great game (as he tends to do), throwing for 183 yards and one TD while completing 76.9% of his passes, and also rushing for 38 yards and one score. Those 38 rushing yards gave him a new career-high. Cleveland also got help from Krisjon Clark, who showed off his sure hands for 80 receiving yards.

Another reason for the win was Cleveland's imposing defense, which managed to get into the backfield for three sacks. The team can thank three different players for their defensive prowess: Diondre Haynes, Stefon Banks, and Derek Locklear, who each picked up one sack apiece. Haynes was another major factor on D, picking up a sack and making 12 total tackles (2.0 for loss).

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Garner). They took their contest on Friday with ease, bagging a 71-0 victory over Smithfield-Selma. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Trojans' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 15th, while the Spartans are ranked 273rd).

Cleveland's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Garner, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.

Cleveland won a game that couldn't have been any closer in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, slipping by Garner 29-28. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was the Trojans' Devyn Grant, who rushed for 125 yards and one touchdown, and also picked up 52 receiving yards. Now that he won't be playing on Friday, will it be easier for the Rams to walk away with another win? There's only one way to find out.