By Mike London
Salisbury Post
SPENCER — If you were on North Rowan’s football schedule, it seemed like Jeremiah Alford was quarterbacking the Cavaliers for 10 years, but it actually was only four.
He was a special player for those four years, a linebacker at heart, but a lion-hearted, hard-nosed, thick-shouldered quarterback who graduated with county records for TD passes (82) and passing yards (7,220) and a school record for total offense (10,092 yards).
His graduation — he’s at Catawba now — obviously leaves a huge void, but North head coach Josh Sophia is confident the Cavaliers can replace Jeremiah with his younger brother, Michael Alford, and he believes North will still be a team to reckoned with in 2025.
“The chance is there for us to be pretty good,” Sophia said. “We do have athletes. We’ve got some special skill guys. If some of our young ones up front can grow up fast, we’ll be fine.”
While North’s student population has decreased over the years — 544 students was the figure used for the current alignment — this is traditionally a very good football school and remains a good football school. North has enjoyed nine straight winning seasons under three different head coaches. Last season’s 7-5 record and second-round playoff exit was actually a bit of an off year. North usually wins eight or nine and gets deeper in the playoffs.
While Sophia remains at the helm of a stable staff that has added Ralph Ellis, Malcolm Wilson and Jaleel Webster, a great deal has changed for the men in green and gold.
The NCHSAA’s unprecedented reclassification to eight divisions bumped North from 1A to 2A. The Cavaliers also were stuffed into an odd new league, as the old Central Carolina Conference got hit by a sledgehammer and was splintered in all directions.
North has been isolated from long-time partners Salisbury, Thomasville, Lexington, West Davidson, East Davidson and South Davidson, and is now in a Stanly County-centered Yadkin Valley Conferebce where Albemarle and North Stanly are the closest thing North Rowan has to rivals.
It’s a league that will include 1A, 2A and 3A schools. North Rowan is one of the four 2As in the league, along with Albemarle, Mountain Island Charter and South Stanly. The Bonnie Cone Leadership Academy and Thomas Jefferson are 1A. North Stanly and Monroe’s Union Academy are 3A. Gray Stone will be part of the league in most sports, but doesn’t play football.
“Yeah, it is different,” Sophia said. “We’re not thrilled with the travel, but we’re going to stay positive about the changes. What we’ve told our kids is that this is going to be very exciting. They’ll be playing different teams, traveling to different stadiums. We’re not going to know a lot about some of these teams, but they’re not going to know a lot about us, either.”
North’s season starts with non-conference games with bullies West Rowan and Salisbury, so the Cavaliers will have to be ready for physical games right out of the gate. West expects to grind opponents into mulch. Salisbury has four o-line starters back.
The first league game for North will come in Week 5 against Union Academy.
North has a workhorse to spark the offense, as the county’s leading rusher, Jo Jo Tarver, returns for his senior year. Tarver carried 156 times for 1,218 yards and nine TDs.
“He’s a really good player,” Sophia said. “Fast and elusive, but he’s also tough.”
Michael Alford is an excellent athlete, who has played a lot of positions for the Cavaliers. He had four TD catches last season. As the QB, he’ll present a running threat as well as a passing threat for opposing defensive coordinators.
North also is counting on productive carries from Brandon Clodfelter, a talented freshman, and junior Keese Carpenter.
North’s receiving corps is the team’s strongest position group, even without Emari Russell.
A’son Best had 17 catches for 262 yards and five TDs. Dyaon Norman-Jackson had 13 catches for 168 yards. Jaiden Brown’s six catches produced 168 yards and two scores. Khi Walker caught two TDs. Carpenter will factor in as a pass receiver. Tristen Brown is part of the pass-catching crew and also will serve as the backup quarterback.
“The receivers are a strong point,” Sophia said. “We’ve got a lot of athletes at that position. We’ve got vertical threats who can stretch defenses.”
The offensive line is critical for every team, and North has large holes to fill. The biggest loss on that unit was Wingate recruit KaMahri Feamster.
“We’ve got two full-time starters back there and another one who played a lot,” Sophia said.
The returning starters are center Silas Sophia, an all-conference player who is the coach’s son, and Kaleb McCubbin, a versatile senior who can start at guard or tackle, depending on how the other OL candidates shake out. He can also place center if Sophia has an injury.
King Feamster, KaMahri’s brother, wasn’t a starter, but he played a lot of snaps last season. The other new starters are expected to come from a group that includes freshmen Nemo Daugherty and Deveon Miller-Melton and sophomore Jordan Smith.
Tavon Lark and Alex Rutherford are veterans returning at defensive end. Omar Walker and KJ Coleman also have experience.
Andrew Tichenor, Trevon Brown, Elijah Young and Steve Diaz are the interior lineman. Young is making a comeback after being injured as a freshman.
Inside linebackers are Malik Miller, Quae Brooker, Jyaire Tillman and Xzavier Alexander.
Outside backers are Jaden Walker, Khi Walker and Carpenter.
Sophomore Shakeel Monroe will usually be in the strong safety role, but he can play a corner against pass-heavy teams.
North will be quick in the secondary with a group led by returning all-conference player Nick Morrow, a track sprinter.
North will be able to rotate Anton Pontoon, Tarver, Best, Jaiden Brown and Alford as DBs.
There won’t be a clear picture on the kicking game until after the scrimmages, including the Rowan Jamboree on Aug. 15, where North will tangle with a Carson team that expects to be good.
“We’re a work in progress as far as kicking it, but we’ve got three out there working hard at it,” Sophia said.
Expect the Cavaliers to continue to work hard — and to continue their winning ways. They should be in the chase for the YVC title.
