2025 Preview: Cross Trojans

For a team that has yet to check off the final game of the season, Cross is stillfeeling like Public Enemy No. 1 when it comes to rest of the bottom half of the state.   Winning 34 games over the last three seasons and winning every region game can have that effect. So, too, can playing for a state championship when everyone else is watching on TV.    “We know every team's coming for us because we won Lower State,” tailback [player_tooltip player_id='1172364' first='Mah'ky' last='Green'] (pictured) said last week during the Prep RedZone Media Days series. “We've got to work hard and have a good mentality. We're used to it.”   The winning has come in droves, and the expectation of more success has come right along for the ride. It doesn't matter that the Trojans will be without one of their most productive players of all time in Karmello Jones - who graduated after a monster senior season that led him to an all-star nod.   The road back to the Class A state title game appears to have to go through the northwestern edge of Berkeley County.   That doesn't mean the Trojans don't have some concerns.   “The scary part for us at Cross is always up front,” head coach Shaun Wright said. “Those guys have got to play both sides of the ball and last year, we were pretty blessed - I don't want to us the word ‘lucky' - that those guys played injury free. That was big for us. We have to replace two of our starters up front (left tackle, center), and we're replacing those guys with two sophomores. It's just going to take time.”   While Marquis Pringle will get his run at center and Andrew Hocket will be Cross' new left tackle, the rest of the offense will be plenty experienced after the 15-game 2024 slate. Even Green and backup [player_tooltip player_id='1639766' first='William' last='Grant'] (also one of the team's top tacklers at linebacker) will be tasked with replacing Jones' offensive production. Green's yards-per-carry and touchdown rates all mirrored similar figures Jones put up while getting 60-percent fewer touches.    To maximize Green, Wright was adamant about the running back's duel role opening up the most talented player on the roster.    Senior [player_tooltip player_id='473021' first='Caden' last='Ramsey'] and his 6-foot-4 frame.    The P4 recruit led the state in interceptions last fall and could very well do that again. Cross needs him to do even more on offense, too. That's saying something considering he caught 40 passes for 749 yards and nine scores as a junior.    “Skill-wise, we should be as good as we've been at Cross,” Wright said. “Karmello was a talent that you just don't replace. Mah'ky is just a special kid. What he doesn't have that Karmello had was vision and lateral movement. We're working on that this summer. We need to [use that] to free up Caden. In the playoffs, he saw two people in his face every snap. I have to be a better creator.”   STARS SET TO SHINE   [player_tooltip player_id='473021' first='Caden' last='Ramsey'] DB/WR, 2026 - Ramsey's ultimate ceiling isn't likely to be witnessed any time soon. But the next phase of his development will come on the offensive side of the ball. As Wright said, the trick is to get Ramsey the ball more to allow his physicality take over. From sweeps to short pitches to wildcat snaps, Ramsey likely sees it all this season.    [player_tooltip player_id='1172364' first='Mah'ky' last='Green'] RB, 2027 - After biding his time for much of the last two seasons, Green finally gets his chance as the Cross starter. Last fall, he went for 794 yards and 11 touchdowns on 90 carries, a slight bump from his 694-yard, 10-touchdown freshman campaign. If he gets on a roll and the Trojans make another deep playoff run, his numbers could easily double.    [player_tooltip player_id='1639807' first='Michael' last='Bennett'] DL, 2026 - Mostly playing defensive tackle but with the ability to flex out to the edge, Bennett put his footwork on display last fall against opposing interior offensive linemen who had little answer for him. It's why he finished the season with 63 total tackles and 15 tackles for loss.    [player_tooltip player_id='1422604' first='Jailyn' last='Broughton'] DL/OL, 2027 - Broughton was exactly what Cross needed last year on both sides of the ball. In addition to leading the team in tackles (92), he also put up 14 tackles for loss, have five sacks and recovered two fumbles. He will also go into his second full season as one of the team's starting offensive linemen and carries significant weight in getting the two newcomers ready to go.    FILM REVIEW   [player_tooltip player_id='1604028' first='Tyler' last='Harris'] QB, 2027 - Harris isn't going to wow anyone with his arm, and while he threw 10 picks on the season, three of those came in the lopsided state championship game loss to Abbeville when the Trojans were on their heels. More importantly, he completed 55 percent of his passes on the year for 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns. As he continued to get more accustomed to picking better spots, his numbers will thrive with maturity.    BIGGEST LOSSES   Karmello Jones RB/LB - In the blink of an eye, Jones went from a good player to a downright dominant one as a senior. He rushed for 1,900 yards and 32 touchdowns last fall while putting up 74 tackles and 18 tackles for loss on defense.    David Wigfall DL - Wigfall was the Trojans' dirty work guy last fall in the trenches, where he finished the season with 61 total tackles and 12 tackles for loss.    UP-AND-COMING POTENTIAL (PLEASE NOTE BOTTOM PLAYER)   [player_tooltip player_id='1422583' first='Khalil' last='Levine'] LB, 2027 - What Levine gave away last year in terms of overall stats he made up for with his hitting ability. Many of the middle linebacker's 39 total tackles a year ago slowed the progression to the next play. As a junior, the goal is to have him become more of an every-down contributor, something that seems to be right in line with his rise up the charts.   [player_tooltip player_id='1640695' first='Dakarai' last='President'] OL, 2027 - The biggest player on the Cross roster at 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, President is a people mover who should start to blow up on a bigger scale this fall. He missed time last year but it ready to go and should be able to use all that size to his (and Cross') advantage.     Smith's sophomore season included 37 tackles, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a sack. And he's on deck to smash all of those figures as he starts to see a whole bunch more playing time.   Smith will step into a starting role now that Karmello Jones has graduated and the production left from Jones' departure will likely be spread across multiple linebackers. The biggest beneficiary should be Smith.

For a team that has yet to check off the final game of the season, Cross is stillfeeling like Public Enemy No. 1 when it comes to rest of the bottom half of the state.