Source: CBS-17
High school football season is underway here in North Carolina. For many players it’s time to see what gains were made through summer workouts and film study. For many this is their first season playing high school football. Over the summer of preparation, teams get the opportunity to build, bond and grow with each other. Ideally your teammates become your family during this period. For one high school, the meaning of family hits different on the field and off the field.
One of the youngest state powerhouse football programs in North Carolina, Cleveland High School located just south of Raleigh in neighboring Johnston County has a football roster that is truly a family affair. The Cleveland Rams have a set of five yes five twins on their roster for the 2023 football season. This is rare and even made CBS17’s sports reporter Todd Gibson ask if this was some kind of world record or something.
“It is for us,” said Cleveland head football coach Scott Riley. “I don’t know if that’s a [North Carolina] High School Athletic Association record or not, if that’s one they keep, but it definitely is for us.”
To add on to the double trouble times five, Cleveland also has a host of siblings suited up for this season to add to this football family affair.
“It’s kind of crazy. The first day of contact we matched the twins up and wow, there’s five sets of twins,” said Riley. “And there’s five sets of other siblings on the team, so there’s 19 or 20 kids on the team that have a brother. So it’s pretty unique.”
The twins do like to have a little fun on the practice field to confuse their teammates. At times you can catch them trading places to confuse teammates and coaches but overall the family feeling is well and thriving at Cleveland High. Chemistry should be no problem this season for the Rams as they seek a state 4-A championship this season.
“I love having somebody that has my back 24-7, somebody who can be with me forever, I love having that type of energy with my brother,” said Jerius Hargrove.
Jerius Hargrove is the twin brother of Jaden Hargrove, both play defense for the Rams. Take a look at the teams roster for 2023 from MaxPreps and see this family affair on paper.
Read more on the Rams twinning it up here.
