Salem uses ‘1,000 in Cash’ to win its fifth in a row

Sophomore Parsley becomes Rams’ latest 1,000-yard rusher after going for 239 yards, 3 TDs against Pennsville

FRIDAY’S SALEM COUNTY GAMES
Salem 52, Pennsville 12
Woodstown 45, Pitman 0

PENNSVILLE – The countdown started sometime between the first time he touched the ball and the middle of the second quarter.

After Cashmir Parsley broke off another long touchdown run that was called back by a penalty the whispers started along the sidelines. How many yards does he need, what’s he got now, the players would ask the man with the clipboard.

They all wanted their teammate to get 1,000 yards before the end of the regular season. Parsley wanted it, too.

The sophomore needed 198 yards going into Friday’s regular-season finale to join the elite rushing club. He got it and then some  — rushing for a career-high 239 yards and three long touchdowns — in leading Salem to a 52-12 win over Pennsville to continue the Rams’ second-half surge. He now has 1,041 yards heading into the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs.

He’s the Rams’ first 1,000-yard rusher since junior Daviyonn Jackson went for 1,245 yards in 2023 and their youngest in more than 15 years records are available.

“It was a big improvement from last season,” Parsley said. “Last season I only had 468 and I just worked all summer to get to this goal. 

“My goal coming into high school was to break the school record in total yards. I put in more work this season to try to break the single-year record.”

That’s ambitious of him. The Rams’ single-season record is Jonathan Taylor’s then-state record 2,815 in 2016. Taylor rushed for 4,632 yards in his four years with the Rams. Now he’s running for the Indianapolis Colts.

Parsley didn’t waste any time going after it. The first time he touched the ball, on the Rams’ first offensive snap, he went 52 yards for the game-tying touchdown. He also scored on runs of 24 and 33 yards. He had a 51-yard touchdown run reduced to a six-yard gain by a penalty and he went over 1,000 on a 72-yard burst up the middle that didn’t quite reach the end zone late in the fourth quarter. 

“My goal coming into the game was get 1,000 before the regular season was over,” he said. “Beginning of the year I heard that we weren’t capable of having a thousand-yard rusher, so I took that very personally. That was my mind set coming into this game.”

Rams coach Kemp Carr would argue the Rams were capable of having multiple 1,000-yard rushers “because I think we have that type potential on this team. You could see when we go to another guy the production doesn’t stop.” Indeed. quarterback Desmund Thomas rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles and Adrian Alleyne rushed for 43 yards and an 11-yard touchdown on the play after Parsley’s biggest run of the night.

“Sometimes people don’t understand why (Parsley) gets the ball more,” Carr said. “He’s like an old car. Once he gets warmed up he runs a little smoother. It’s not that he’s old, that’s just when he becomes better. Sometimes it takes him a while, but he got one right out of the gate. That kind of set the tone and we weren’t going to be denied tonight.”

Pennsville, meanwhile, was going to challenge their visitors through the air and the Rams were ready for it. Salem’s Blue Storm defense brought relentless pressure to quarterback Jake Layfield and the Eagles’ offensive line. Layfield, the county’s leading passer and one of the tops in the state, was held to 11-of-25 passing for 184 yards. 

The Rams had at least four sacks, multiple pressures, forced a fumble Myshon Barnes recovered in the end zone for a touchdown and got a safety, and held the Eagles to minus-33 yards net rushing. 

“Our offensive game came down to how fast can we get off the press and how quickly can we get the ball out,” Layfield said. “Tonight we lost that battle and is the main reasons we failed to put points on the board.”

Layfield was effective early. He was 5-for-7 on the Eagles’ game-opening touchdown drive and 7-of-11 for 125 yards in the first quarter but was only 4-of-14 for 59 yards the rest of the game and just 1-of-8 for five yards in the second half.

“I thought Jake did an awesome job today (for) the pressure he was facing all night long,” Eagles coach Mike Healy said. “All year Jake’s always willing to stay in there, take the hit, get the ball downfield. It’s tough, obviously, for him, but I can’t really ask for more from him for what he’s doing back there.”

Defensive back Kyvion Parsons drew praise from Rams coach Kemp Carr for the job he did on Eagles receiver CJ Johnson, the state’s leader in receiving yards. Johnson, who had 52 catches for 830 yards through the first eight games of the season, caught just three balls for 37 yards. With Johnson covered up, Layfield sought alternative targets. Lucas Thomas caught five balls for 96 yards and a touchdown with 10 seconds left in the first half.

“I’m very proud of MuMu,” Carr said. “Best corner in his class. He gave up one catch. I’m pretty sure that kid (Johnson) was targeted 15 times. What a job he did slowing that down. I like what our defense did because we’ve been a little bit vulnerable against the pass. I thought our gameplan was magnificent tonight.”The Rams have now won five in a row, their longest winning streak since they won six straight in 2021. They’ve won 12 in a row in the series with the Eagles. 

“I am very happy with the way we’re playing,,” Carr said. “We’re scoring points and we’re stopping teams from scoring, and that’s a good combination.”

Salem 52, Pennsville 12

SCORING SUMMARY
P-Jake Layfield 2 run (kick failed), 8:09 1Q
S-Cashmir Parsley 52 run (Desmund Thomas run), 7:57 1Q
S-Cashmir Parsley 24 run (Desmund Thomas run), 11:52 2Q
S-Myshon Barnes fumble recovery in end zone (run failed), 11:39 2Q
S-Safety, snap out of end zone, 3:12 2Q
S-Desmund Thomas 1 run (pass failed), 59.8 2Q
P-Lucas Thomas 13 pass from Jake Layfield (pass failed), 10.5 2Q
S-Cashmir Parsley 33 run (Cashmir Parsley run), 9:49 3Q
S-Desmund Thomas 13 run (Desmund Thomas run), 4:58 3Q
S-Adrian Alleyne 7 run (run failed), 2:54 4Q