Staff Report
A few years ago, the average South Jersey high school football fan probably had no idea who Gyan King was. The Cedar Creek sophomore had 28 tackles as a defensive back and only eight receptions as a wide receiver.
But like the rest of his senior teammates, Gyan (pronounced GEE-in) rounded into form during his senior year and it’s no coincidence that a group that all matured together put together one of the greatest seasons in Cedar Creek history. The Pirates went 12-2 and won their first overall state championship, as they won five straight state playoff games — including a 34-7 thrashing of Old Tappan in the Group 3 state title game.
King had perhaps the play of the year for Cedar Creek in the sectional championship game. Moments after Mainland Regional senior kicker Nate Kashey drilled a 41-yard field goal to tie the game at 28 and seemingly set up overtime, King somehow hauled in a desperation pass by Frenchmon Bethea on the right sideline — a pass that was inches away from being picked off by Mustangs defensive back Liam Kennedy — and raced 65 yards for what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown in a 34-28 triumph by the Pirates.
King’s senior season was littered with plays like that, as the Bryant University recruit racked up 728 receiving yards on 34 catches, eight of which went for touchdowns. He was just as valuable on defense, finishing with 36 tackles and three interceptions, giving him 11 picks during his three-plus years of varsity experience.
“Gyan was a four-year varsity player for us. His first career start came in the 2023 sectional final vs. Camden and we knew we had something special with him after that game,” said Pirates coach James Melody. “He’s tough, versatile in what he can do, and always came up at his best in the big moments. He loves football and he meant the world to me.”
King left a lasting impression with his final numbers, which included more than 100 tackles (nearly 10 percent of which were tackles-for-loss), 57 receptions on offense and 1,151 yards and 12 touchdowns.
