Cross – Since an opening game loss to Calhoun County, the Cross High football team enters the second round of the Class A Lower State playoffs on a major roll.
Cross hosts Allendale-Fairfax in round two, riding a 10-game winning streak. The Trojans breezed through region play, not allowing a point, and continued the shutout streak with a 52-0 blanking of Hemingway in the first-round of the playoffs.
Allendale-Fairfax (5-6) enters the Cross game after a huge first-round upset of Latta, who was 9-1 in the regular season.
“Goes to show anything can happen in the playoffs. You better be ready to play every week or you go home,” Cross coach Shaun Wright said. “We know we have to be ready to play and we have to play well. We’re playing a team with a lot of confidence.”
Through 11 games, Cross has yielded only 75 points all season. A defense led by junior linebacker David Wigfall and sophomore linebacker William Grant has been in beast mode all year. Defensive backs Jamez Way and Caden Ramsey, also key receivers, have been strong defensively as well. Cobey Coleman paces the secondary with four interceptions.
Two-way lineman Jayden Middleton was recently selected to play in the North-South all-star game.
“It feels great to be selected to the North-South game,” Middleton said. “I wasn’t expecting to be picked but I try to be great every week. God is good and he gave me the talent.”
Senior Caleb Cornell is the center, flanked by guards Trejur Jones and Jayden Smith, both seniors. Middleton and Ty Bryant are the starting tackles.
Senior quarterback Tyler Mungin has had a solid final season running the offensive show. Mungin has passed for more than 1,100 yards and 13 touchdowns this season, He was five-for-five for 180 yards and two touchdowns in the playoff win over Hemingway.
Way and Ramsey each caught touchdown passes in the playoff win with Way also returning a kickoff for a touchdown.
The running game has been a strength as well offensively. Junior Karmello Jones and freshman Mah’ky Green have each topped the 700-yard mark on the ground. Wright feels both are college prospects.
While pleased with his team’s season to date, Wright has expectations for big things. Cross advanced to the Class A Lower State championship game in 2022, losing to Johnsonville. The 2023 team certainly has the type of potential if they can perform at a high level each time out.
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