Cleveland put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They put the hurt on the Fuquay - Varina Bengals with a sharp 44-21 win. Given the Rams' advantage in MaxPreps' North Carolina football rankings (they are ranked 13th, while the Bengals are ranked 112th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Cleveland was led to victory by Kaleb Ferrell and Jackson Byrd. Ferrell gained 145 total yards and three touchdowns, while Byrd threw for 351 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 10.6 yards per attempt. Deangelo Ruffin Jr was Byrd's top target, picking up 102 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Despite the defeat, Fuquay - Varina saw an underclassman step up: Matthew Ziglar picked up 133 receiving yards and a touchdown. Ziglar's longest reception was for an incredible 78 yards.
Cleveland pushed their record up to 6-0 with the victory, which was their eighth straight on the road dating back to last season. As for Fuquay - Varina, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 2-4.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Cleveland will venture away from home to square off against Willow Spring at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Cleveland knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 31 points or more in their past six matches -- so hopefully Willow Spring likes a good challenge. As for Fuquay - Varina, they will head out to challenge Corinth Holders at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
