There was no level of expectations, or a target big enough, to faze No. 1 Rolesville.

Not in the Rams’ season-opening statement, a thorough 64-14 runaway victory on the road at No. 13 Butler.

After the two 4A powers traded early touchdowns, Rolesville rattled off the game’s next 18 points and never looked back.

De’Von Thomas escaped for a 32-yard run on the Rams’ opening drive. A play later, Braden Atkinson floated a 32-yard touchdown pass into the hands of a diving Gavin Waddell to claim a quick 8-0 lead.

Butler punched back instantly. Fellow Division-I bound quarterback Zach Lawrence slung a pass to Dequadre Currence for an 84-yard touchdown on third-and-14.

Rolesville’s ability to convert turnovers into points created the separation that it needed to put things out of hand fast.

Leading 11-7 late in the first, the Rams’ defense answered an Atkinson interception by getting him the ball back via fumble recovery one play later. With time expiring on the first quarter clock, Thomas grabbed a 16-yard pass and scampered in for a 19-7 lead.

Less than three minutes into the second, that advantage inflated to 26-7. Davis Brown dove past the goal line to put the finishing touches on a 10-yard touchdown grab.

Butler’s Jayden Williams danced through the defense for the Bulldogs final points of the night. The senior’s 24-yard touchdown run trimmed the deficit to 26-14, but Rolesville’s Marion Turner raced down to the Butler 14 yard line on the ensuing kick-off.

Thomas needed only two rushes to take advantage of the short field position. The kick-off that followed was fumbled back into the hands of the Rams who made quick work from the opposition’s 39.

Sophomore Amir Brown broke into the end zone for his first of two straight rushing scores. The second came on the heels of a Marquis Bryant interception.

With a running clock in sight, Atkinson and Waddell hooked up on a deep pass to setup Thomas’ second score on the ground.

Another Butler fumble gave way to Riley Daniels’ second field goal of the half, and ballooned the lead to 57-14 at the break.

Backup quarterback Mason Horne connected with Adrian Silver for the game’s lone second half touchdown.

Rolesville is 1-0 heading into its home opener, another marquee matchup, next week against No. 10 Grimsley. The Whirlies used five touchdowns from Mitchell Summers to defeat No. 18 Mount Tabor on Friday night.

Grimsley handed the Rams a 63-34 loss at Jamieson Stadium in Greensboro a year ago.

Butler heads to Rockingham County next week to face Richmond. The Raiders fell short in a thrilling season-opener on the road at Seventy-First.

Source: highschoolot.com