Home Care In Rolesville, NC

The second letter of intent comes from running back

Isiah Jones

of Rolesville (N.C.) High.

Here is a full bio on Jones.

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NATL

ST

POS

• Senior year: He had 11 carries for 44 yards and a touchdown in four games played. Jones add two catches for minus-five yards.

• Junior year: He had 154 carries for 1,122 yards and 11 touchdowns, and six catches for 47 yards.

• Freshman year: He rushed 65 times for 442 yards and two scores.

• Rivals.com: Three stars.

• 247Sports: Three stars, No. 87 running back in the country, No. 40 overall in North Carolina.

• ESPN: Three stars, No. 87 running back in the country, No. 41 overall in North Carolina.

The football Gods weren't on

Isiah Jones

' side during his senior year at Rolesville High.

Jones suffered an ankle injury before the season, and gave it a go in about two games, but it just never came together for him and he underwent a surgery.

The hope was that he'd be able to play if the Rams made it to the NCHSAA 4A state title game, but then Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons pulled off the 28-21 win the quarterfinals, and that dream ended too.

Jones had showed his potential his junior year with 154 carries for 1,122 yards and 11 touchdowns. He clocked 4.55 seconds in the 40-yard dash at NC State's camp last June, which led to his scholarship offer and ultimately his commit.

Rolesville coach Ranier Rackley looks forward to what a healthy Jones does in college.

"He should be good now," Rackley said. "He's excited. I probably talk to Isiah every day about the process. He loved his official visit. He knows he made the right decision. I'm excited to see what he does next in the next chapter of his life."

While Jones couldn't play, he helped out his teammates. Junior running back

De'Von Thomas

emerged in Jones' absence and rushed 211 times for 2,308 yards and 25 touchdowns this season. He ran for over 211 yards in five games.

"He was the biggest cheerleader possible," Rackley said. "It was a mental struggle for him to not finish his senior year. He was still able to do what he needed to do. He was a vocal leader on the sideline for his guys. He helped coach the young guys up and helped out as well."

Jones was able to work out in some areas while not playing this fall, and he's always had a fighting spirit.

"I told him ... it might not always go your way the way you want it to go, but you are a strong kid," Rackley said. "He just needs to keep fighting. Adversity should never stop him."

— Jacey Zembal

Jones was offered by NC State after competing at camp last June. He quickly picked the Wolfpack on June 16, 2023, over offers from Boston College, Navy, Columbia, Bethune-Cookman, Morgan State, Richmond and North Carolina Central.

NC State running backs coach Todd Goebel.

“All the fans, I feel so much love with NC State, so it’s going to be different now. I want to be an all-around player, just be an athlete anywhere and catching passes and be an all-around back and be a kick returner.” — Isiah Jones

Jones will likely redshirt next fall.

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ROLESVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- The ABC11 Game of the Week was in Raleigh Friday evening.

Rolesville High School defeated Cardinal Gibbons 52-32 final.

Both teams went into this non-conference matchup with 2-1 records.

SCORES ACROSS NC

Ayden-Grifton 21, Pamlico County 12

Bertie County 34, Kill Devil Hills First Flight 7

Brevard 48, North Buncombe 0

Burlington Cummings 42, Bartlett Yancey 14

Burlington Williams 44, Eden Morehead 7

Burnsville Mountain Heritage 28, Hendersonville 21

Calvary Day, Ga. 41, Charlotte Christian 10

Catawba Bandys 45, South Caldwell 14

Charlotte Ardrey Kell 27, Catawba Ridge, S.C. 14

Charlotte Country Day 30, North Cross, Va. 27

Charlotte Independence 45, South Mecklenburg 0

Charlotte Latin 35, Winston-Salem Carver 0

Charlotte Myers Park 47, Richmond County 14

Charlotte Providence Day 49, Concord Cannon 7

Cherokee 43, Rosman 6

Chesnee, S.C. 41, R-S Central 13

Claremont Bunker Hill 45, Hickory Home 6

Community Christian 22, Pungo Christian 14

Concord Robinson 54, Central Cabarrus 0

Corvian 58, Charlotte Garinger 0

East Gaston 27, Gastonia Ashbrook 0

Eastern Wayne 53, Greene Central 26

Elizabeth City Northeastern 52, Rocky Mount 46

Fayetteville Seventy-First 38, Hoke County 0

Friendship 34, Raleigh Athens Drive 16

Gaffney, S.C. 24, Charlotte Mallard Creek 7

Hickory Grove Christian 43, Mount Zion Christian 0

Holly Ridge Dixon 28, Rocky Point Trask 22

Indian Trail Porter Ridge 31, West Cabarrus 7

Jacksonville 35, West Carteret 8

Jacksonville White Oak 35, Jacksonville Northside 22

John Paul II Catholic 40, Grace Christian-Raleigh 8

Kannapolis Brown 49, South Rowan 0

Kinston Parrott Academy 75, Liberty Christian 12

Lake Norman 23, Waxhaw Marvin Ridge 21

Lake Norman Charter 13, Mooresville Pine Lake Prep 8

Lawndale Burns 50, Alexander Central 7

Lawrence Academy 45, Greenbrier Christian, Va. 2

Maiden 50, Hickory St. Stephens 19

Marshville Forest Hills 21, Davidson Community School 14

Matthews Butler 22, Matthews Weddington 15

Mitchell County 20, Andrews 3

Monroe 70, East Mecklenburg 0

Monroe Sun Valley 49, Monroe Parkwood 0

Morganton Freedom 56, Morganton Patton 6

Morrisville Green Hope 58, East Chapel Hill 0

Mount Airy 49, Ashe County 7

Mt. Holly Mountain Island Charter 42, Southlake Christian 13

Murphy 49, Sylva Smoky Mountain 27

Nash Central 35, Wilson Beddingfield 18

Newton Grove Hobbton 64, Seven Springs Spring Creek 14

Newton Grove Midway 32, Salemburg Lakewood 26

North Davidson 48, Walkertown 14

North Gaston 56, Cherryville 7

North Lincoln 56, East Rutherford 21

North Raleigh Christian 40, Louisburg 24

North Rowan 20, High Point Andrews 14

Northampton County 20, North Edgecombe 12

Northern Nash 37, Greenville Conley 12

Northwest Cabarrus 48, Mount Pleasant 0

Oak Grove 37, North Forsyth 6

Orange 22, Montgomery Central 0

Pinetown Northside 49, Bear Grass 6

Providence Grove 24, Asheboro 14

Rabun Gap-Nachoochee, Ga. 42, Arden Christ School 21

Raleigh Millbrook 44, Raleigh Broughton 6

Raleigh Sanderson 62, Hillsborough Cedar Ridge 0

Raleigh Wakefield 41, Franklinton 7

Randleman 47, Cameron Union Pines 6

Richlands 48, South Lenoir 0

Riverside Martin 24, Chocowinity Southside 6

Robbinsville 35, Alleghany County 7

Rocky Mount Academy 70, Father Vincent Capodanno 0

Rolesville 52, Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons 32

Scotland 40, Fayetteville Britt 35

Shelby 51, Charlotte Olympic 14

Siler City Jordan-Matthews 30, Chatham Central 26

South Columbus 61, Rose Hill Union 0

South Garner 44, Raleigh Enloe 12

South Granville 20, Durham Riverside 14

South Iredell 33, Monroe Piedmont 6

South Stanly 26, South Davidson 14

Southeast Halifax 38, Weldon 6

Southern Alamance 22, Southern Nash 15

Southern Pines Pinecrest 35, New Hanover County 3

Southwest Onslow 57, Goldsboro 0

Swain County 30, Waynesville Tuscola 26

Swannanoa Owen 26, East Henderson 6

Tarboro 35, SouthWest Edgecombe 20

Thomasville 33, Greensboro Smith 0

Thomasville Ledford 49, East Davidson 0

Topsail 34, Swansboro 7

Trinity Wheatmore 15, Kernersville McGuinness 14

Valdese Draughn 35, Forest City Chase 25

Vance County 35, Northern Durham 0

Wake Forest 27, Southern Durham 20

Wallace-Rose Hill 56, Pender County 14

Warren County 32, Northwest Halifax 6

Washington 12, Kinston 7

Watauga County 36, Asheville Reynolds 35

Waxhaw Cuthbertson 23, Palisades 0

West Bladen 47, East Columbus 14

West Henderson 40, Asheville Erwin 10

West Iredell 21, West Wilkes 7

Western Alamance 26, Eastern Guilford 20

Wilkes Central 21, East Wilkes 7

Wilmington Hoggard 38, Greenville Rose 14

Wilmington Laney 28, Cape Fear 21

Winston-Salem Prep 41, Gastonia Highland Tech 8

POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=

Cardinal Gibbons got timely, meaningful contributions from members of each class, took an early lead and never let it go, earning a 30-28 win over Clayton in the third round of the NCHSAA football playoffs on Friday. Cardinal Gibbons (11-2) completed an undefeated home slate for 2023. As the No. 5 seed, any remaining games for Cardinal Gibbons are guaranteed to be on the road.

Senior wide receiver Chet Yardley made the best of his one catch — a 74-yard touchdown strike from sophomore quarterback Gannon Jones. The Jones-Yardley tandem also had a 74-yard scoring connection to help Cardinal Gibbons defeat visiting Leesville Road (on October 27) and claim the Cap Six Conference championship.

Jones had touchdown passes Friday to senior Nick Leonard (23 yards) and sophomore Aiden Smalls (48 yards), as well.

The Crusaders opened the game’s scoring on Jones’ pitch to Smalls, who, then, heaved a pass to junior Sean Manuel who found the end zone.

Comets quarterback Jonathan Montague, though, was not done. Montague had a hand in all four of his team’s touchdowns, including three rushing. Montague and Deon Harris connected for an 18-yard scoring pass.

With 2:04 remaining, and the would-be final score set, Yardley recovered Clayton’s onside kick. Cardinal Gibbons needed to earn one first down before being able to run out the clock. On third down, Smalls ran play action and completed a pass to freshman Griffin Cockerham before the Crusaders closed the win.

Cardinal Gibbons coach Steven Wright has enjoyed many life milestones in his 13 seasons at the Edwards Mill Road school. Friday’s home win over Clayton provided a most unique “full circle” experience for the Crusaders coach.

When Wright arrived at Cardinal Gibbons in 2011, his oldest daughter, Bell, was in elementary school. Bell was there when her dad led the Crusaders to a 40-26 win over Clayton on Aug. 19, 2011 in his very first game. Bell was a Cardinal Gibbons student when her dad led the Crusaders to their first state final in 2019.

And Bell was there Friday alongside her husband Sean, who serves in the United States Army.

Wright, his wife Rachel-Ruth, and other daughters Sophia and Riggin dropped off Sean and Bell Quinlan at the airport Saturday morning. The Quinlans are bound for Italy, where Sean will continue his Army service.

Bell did that after watching one last Cardinal Gibbons win over Clayton, just as she watched her Dad’s very first Crusaders win — over Clayton.

Rolesville junior Devon Thomas found the end zone to surpass 2,000 rushing yards this season and jumpstart the Rams’ offense in a 69-21 win over Fuquay-Varina. The visiting Bengals, who entered the state playoffs 4-6, scored the game’s first 14 points on a run by Malcolm Ziglar (a North Carolina commit) and pick-six by Nick Hardison.

Rolesville (12-1), riding an 11-game winning streak, will host Cardinal Gibbons next Friday for the second time this season. The Rams won the teams’ Sept. 8 meeting, 52-32.

Cleveland won a historic 13th game with its 56-13 home rout of New Bern. The Rams, who scored 42 first-half points, got 64 rushing yards and a touchdown from Tyson Stokes, who now has exactly 1,000 ground yards (17 touchdowns, 6.6 yards per carry) this season.

Stokes had a season high 151 yards (10 yards per carry in Cleveland’s 33-31 rally October 27 at Clayton that preserved the Rams’ undefeated season.

Cleveland (13-0), which played for the spring 2021 season’s 3AA state championship, will host Hoggard (Wilmington) in next Friday’s 4A fourth round.

ROLESVILLE — The 223-acre Pearce Farm residential development finally got the OK from the Rolesville Board of Commissioners after it sent developers back to the drawing board in May.

“We believe we’ve produced in the last 10 months a project that’s materially a superior proposal compared to what was originally brought before you with this,” David Bergmark, senior planner for the applicant McAdams, said in a board work session Aug. 15.

The density for the site will be 2.7 units per acre.

Commissioners continued the public hearing and decision on the rezoning and annexation to create the residential neighborhood three times, beginning May. Reasons were requests for clarification on the development’s construction timing for an amenity center and collector road and the need for more detailed illustrations of proposed greenway locations.

The refined proposal for Pearce Farm, formerly called Tom’s Creek, includes new conditions to meet commissioners’ requests, including a more thorough depiction of the site’s greenway.

Bergmark said the site will feature over 4,500 linear feet of public greenway trails and another 4,500 linear feet of private greenway trails.

“The combination of those two will really create a truly enhanced pedestrian environment and a truly cohesive project,” Bergmark said.

Additional new conditions for the site include the completion of the main amenity facility before the 325th building permit, completing the east to west collector road before the 175th permit, providing shrubs in the front and rear yard of homes and construction documents that include on-lot grading for the site.

The developers will donate one home to a veterans’ organization, though the home could also go to benefit a first responder or teachers.

Bergmark said developers would spend millions of dollars in traffic improvements to promote safety and access for first responders.

The development will feature over 9 acres of public parkland dedications for town, 13 acres of active open space, including eight acres of park space maintained by a homeowners association, Bergmark said.

Resident Ricky Upchurch, who said his property is behind the development, said he’s never seen a better concept plan for a development. “I do approve it ,and plus, it’ll be easy for me to get to the walking trail,” Upchurch said.

Ann Keith said she lives near the site. Keith said developers worked with her to ensure she had a privacy fence, but she owns a path with renters on it and was concerned how that would affect her residents.

Keith also said she has a well positioned about 50 yards from the future development, but developers said they would work with her if they damaged her waterline.

“(I’m) very pleased with (it), I knew it was coming,” Keith said. “My granddaddy would probably turn over in his grave if he knew that there were this many houses going on it, but it is what it is.”

Amy Bonis shared concerns related to traffic, which, she worries, could be aggravated by other surrounding developments. Bonis also said she thought homes would be too close together and anxious about runoff entering nearby streams.

Kelly Jennings, owner of Harvest Moon Trading Co., expressed concern about effects the development could have on her home and business, as well as an increase in traffic. Resident Steve Hill said the new conditions were better but still not perfect, referencing the elevations for drainage for the site that only meet minimum requirements.

New Wake County Superintendent Robert Taylor wants to send a message: you shouldn’t be surprised if you see him visiting schools and meeting firsthand with teachers, principals and students.

Taylor marked his first official day on the job on Monday by visiting several schools, including Rolesville Elementary School. Pompom-waving students greeted Taylor as he got a firsthand look at conditions in the classroom.

“This is the beginning of my journey,” Taylor said during a news conference at Rolesville Elementary. “When you guys are out looking for me, I hope most times you can find me in a school working with principals, working with teachers, understanding what we can do to serve them.”

Taylor’s job is to help the nation’s 15th largest school district while it continues to recover from pandemic learning losses. Wake is also dealing with the challenges of keeping up with student growth, staffing shortages, safety worries and fights over what books should be in libraries and what material should be taught to students.

Taylor was sworn in as superintendent on Friday. He replaces Catty Moore, who retired after five years as superintendent.

Taylor has more than 30 years of education experience in North Carolina and briefly served as state superintendent in Mississippi. But none of his experience, until now, has been in the Wake County school system.

The former Bladen County superintendent and deputy state superintendent is following a 100-day entry plan that includes meeting with the community to find out what people say is working and not working.

Wake is by far the largest district that Taylor has ever led. It has more than 160,000 students, compared to the 4,000 students in Bladen County, located in southeastern North Carolina.

In particular, Taylor said he wants to hear from Wake’s teachers and principals about what he can do to help remove obstacles that may prevent them from educating students.

“I can tell you this is where the real work is,” Taylor said after touring Rolesville Elementary. “We’ve got to make sure we do everything to make the beginning of a student’s experience in public education great.”

But Taylor said he also wants to hear from critics of the district. He’s likely to get an earful on Tuesday from groups such as Moms for Liberty and the Pavement Education Project who regularly show up at school board meetings to complain about what they say are obscene books in schools promoting sexual activity and “transgenderism.”

“I can promise everybody I’m a willing listener,” Taylor said. “I want to hear what you have to say. I want to know if there’s a difference of opinion that you have and I want to consider that in every part of the work that I do.”

Part of Taylor’s school tours on Monday included talking with students.

“All kids are the same,” Taylor said. “They’re looking for an adult who is interested in them. They’re looking for someone who believes in them.

“So when I walked through the doors this morning, that’s what I saw. Kids that were glad to be here, and I certainly saw teachers who were glad to be here working with kids.”

What children need, Taylor said, is dedicated and engaged educators.

“The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do is work with children who need someone who is dedicated to them,” Taylor said. “So whether it’s a small hamlet or the 15th largest district, I’ll do that until I can’t do it anymore.”

The longtime “Star Trek” fan wore cuff links featuring the U.S.S. Enterprise as he made the rounds on Monday.

Robert Soutter, Rolesville Elementary’s principal, said the school was thrilled to host Taylor.

“I was just super excited,” Soutter said in an interview. “My teachers have been working hard. My kids have been working hard. My families have been working hard. It’s just nice to have that recognized.”

During the news conference, Taylor promoted the idea of expanding universal school breakfasts.

During the pandemic, the federal government waived rules to allow public schools to serve free meals to all students. The waiver ended last school year when schools resumed charging students for meals.

Out of Wake’s 198 schools, 28 provide free breakfasts to all students. Twelve schools provide both free breakfasts and lunches to all students.

Taylor said he wants to work with local and state leaders to expand free breakfasts for all students, starting in elementary schools.

Taylor compared providing free breakfasts to the expectation that students will get textbooks.

“I think as a country we want to say when a child comes to school, nutrition is not an issue,” Taylor said.

This story was originally published October 2, 2023, 12:49 PM.