The Rams Varsity Football team triumphed over the East Orange Jaguars at Bauer Field on Friday, Sept. 15. Despite back-and-forth scoring between the two teams, the Rams ultimately prevailed in a statement game, with a 42-35 win over the Jaguars.
“Play ‘till the whistle and do our jobs,” senior QB Josh Anderson said about the team’s focus going into this game.
In the first quarter, the Rams started off the ground game early by driving their way downfield, led by Anderson with four carries, gaining the Rams a quick lead of 7-0. With East Orange driving down the field, sophomore Mason Wilson made a leaping interception to give the momentum and ball back to the Rams. Soon after, Anderson threw a pick to the Jags, setting them up deep in Ram territory. East Orange, on fourth and short, looking to put points up on the board, bobbled the snap, which was recovered by senior Edge James Kleiven at the Rams’ own 35 for a huge stop.
“We stayed super focused during practice, locked in more than we usually are,” Anderson said on what the team had done prior to the game to prepare.
Randolph resumed the game giving Kleiven a chance to get some rushes, bringing the Rams to midfield. With the home team rolling in their first drive back from the break, a holding penalty drew them back to their side. After that it was a slow drive for the Rams, forcing a timeout by Coach Will Nahan. The first play out of the timeout, senior RB Jesse Wilfong made a huge run for 16 yards. Next, junior RB Gideon Ochieng plowed through defenders, putting Randolph within 10 yards of the end zone.
After a seven-minute-long drive, Anderson capped it off with a 5-yard run up the gut, for his second score of the day, bringing the Rams to 14-0. East Orange looked to answer for the first time in the afternoon, with a lot of real estate to cover, starting out at their own 36-yard line. The Jaguars began their run-heavy game with a 40-yard pass to put them in Randolph territory.
After that throw, East Orange got on board with a 20-yard pass, with two minutes left in the half. The Jags found themselves in good field position, looking to tie the game going into the half. The Jaguars got a couple of penalties against the Rams to give them a touchdown opportunity inside the redzone. On the last play in the half, the Rams brought pressure on the Jags, thanks to junior Dean Mangiocavallo and Kleiven, forcing a fumble and leaving the Jaguars disappointed going into the half, down 14-7.
Coach Nahan had some critiques for the men during halftime, according to Anderson: “Coach got on us about finishing plays and getting up the field; that’s what all of our ball carriers did.”
East Orange resumed with a quick 3 and out, thanks to great coverage by junior DB Will Varanelli. With things looking good for the Rams, junior Center Jack Manolis went down with a tailbone injury, bringing in sophomore Joey Bosotina. The Rams continued to prevail, with Kleiven making a nice seam catch for a 57-yard-long touchdown, stretching the lead to 21-7.
The Jaguars responded quickly, by zipping a 60-plus yard touchdown to bring them within one possession of the Rams. On the kickoff, sophomore Jackson Magley found a hole and took it all the way to the house, seeming to stretch the lead once again. Sadly, the play was called back for holding, chipping the shoulder of the Rams. This led to great field position for the Jaguars. East Orange decided to take things slowly, staying with the ground game through their last drive in the third
The Rams d-line looked powerful, with some key tackles for losses by Kleiven and Mangiocavallo. It wasn’t enough to get the ball back, however, as East Orange slung it down the field to once again set up the Jaguars inside the Randolph 10. One play later, a rushing touchdown tied up the game, 21-21, to end the third quarter.
“We have to have a next-play mentality and a short memory if anything bad happens,” said Anderson, referring to all the penalties during the game.
The Rams got back Manolis in the final 12 minutes, a key engine to the Rams’ powerhouse offense. The drive started out looking unpromising, with the Rams looking to punt after a 3 and out. Unexpectedly, they went for the fake as freshman Patrick Dell’Aglio reached for the first down, a huge turning point in this game. Randolph changed up the rushing formation, as they put junior Ryan Collins in the backfield as the lead blocker.
Anderson’s huge rushing game got even better, running 20 yards to get into Jaguar territory. The Rams, now in a comfortable position, utilized “Nascar,” their no huddle offensive concept, to drive inside the red zone. Looking to score, Randolph was set back by minor penalties, placing the Rams in a crucial, fourth-down situation. Randolph decided to go for it, and they converted then secured the touchdown by sophomore Justin Novak, taking the lead to 28-21, with 7 minutes and 30 seconds remaining in the game.
With the pressure on them, East Orange threw an impactful pick to senior Brody Koepke late in the game to give the Rams some breathing room. Two snaps later, Wilfong punched it in for his first score of the game, giving the Rams a comfortable 35-21 lead with 5 minutes remaining.
The Jaguars quickly responded, getting a 50-yard footrace for the touchdown, taking the score to 35-28. With the score this close, Magley made another great return, giving the Rams the ball around the 50. No success came out of that drive, which gave East Orange a shot to tie the game during crunch time. They tied the game through the air with only 2 minutes left. But the game did not end there, as Wilfong put the final nail in the coffin, securing the win for the Rams, 42-35.
With the win over East Orange, the Rams got back to .500, but they’re looking for more as they head to Chatham on Friday, Sept. 23. “We all have to rest up, to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for this next week of focusing,” Anderson said.
