NC State signee Aiden Smalls dazzles in leading Clayton (N.C.) High to 7A state title game

NC State wide receiver signee Aiden Smalls is making the most of his last moments playing quarterback for Clayton (N.C.) High.

Smalls ran four touchdowns and threw for the game-winning score in a 35-32 win over Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons on Thursday, which is the school he attended his first two years. The cherry on top was Smalls got an interception on the last play of the game on a Crusaders’ Hail Mary attempt.

Clayton (12-2) advanced to play defending champion Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley (14-0) in the NCHSAA 7A state title game next Thursday.

The game

Cardinal Gibbons got an added bonus with the return of Wake Forest signee Gannon Jones at quarterback. Jones had broken his collarbone and hadn’t played since Sept. 19.

Smalls and Clayton took an early 7-3 lead, but the game changed when Cardinal Gibbons tried a fake punt at its own 10-yard line. The snap went to the unpack and he stumbled at own six-yard line. Smalls ran in for the six-yard touchdown run on the first play and the Comets took a 21-18 lead with 4:17 left in the third quarter.

Smalls ran the read-option and took off for a 18-yard touchdown run to give Clayton a 28-18 lead with 9:06 left in the fourth quarter.

Then Jones went to work and methodically took care of business with a mixture of his runs and throwing the ball. Cardinal Gibbons surged to a 32-28 lead with 2:21 left in the game, setting up Smalls’ late-game heroics.

Smalls threw a deep ball to Parker Ferguson, who got grabbed on the play, but he still came down with the 34-yard touchdown catch. Clayton declined the pass interference penalty and took a 35-32 lead with 33 seconds left.

NC State commits

Smalls was credited by HighSchoolOT.com with 30 carries for 183 yards and four touchdowns, and he went 10-of-21 passing for 178 yards and the famous touchdown toss. NC State will play Smalls at wide receiver, which is the position he played at Cardinal Gibbons his sophomore year.

Cardinal Gibbons junior Griffin Cockerham was all over the field defensively as an edge rusher, but will be a tight end at NC State. 

NC State targets

NC State has offered Cardinal Gibbons junior cornerback Xavier Hasan and sophomore middle linebacker Skylar Alston, but Hasan has a top six of Florida State, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Alston was terrific and played a physical game at middle linebacker, and has attend at least three NC State home games this season — wins over East Carolina, Florida State and North Carolina.

Clayton junior cornerback Akedran Crumel also believes he has attended three Wolfpack home games, including the 42-19 win over North Carolina last Saturday. Crumel has been offered by NC State and has had three of his relatives play for the Wolfpack.

Past target

Miami (Fla.) senior defensive tackle signee Keshawn Stancil was a force in the middle of Clayton’s defense. He originally picked Clemson over NC State, Miami, Penn State and Georgia, but then flipped to the Hurricanes on Oct. 29. NC State had offered Stancil on May 16, 2024.

Coming up

The Wolfpacker will have a story on Smalls, Crumel and various scouting videos, which will be found here.

  
 
 
 
 
 
 
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