The Rams fell hard to their Morris County rivals, the Mount Olive Marauders, 49-14 on Friday, Sept.13.
“We came out strong in the first half only being down by six to a power like Mount Olive, sophomore Zayne Carswell said, “but we came into the second half with many of our key players injured.”
In the first quarter, the Rams’ first drive of the game ended in a rushing touchdown by senior Gideon Ochieng. Mount Olive quickly responded to tie the game 7-7. After a Randolph punt, junior Joey Sommers came up big time for the Rams with an interception to close out the first quarter.
The second quarter was all about action; junior Mason Wilson had a fumble recovery in the Rams’ endzone for a touchback. Later that drive, Rams quarterback junior Jackson Magley picked up a rushing touchdown after a well-executed quarterback run, making the score 14-7. Mount Olive did not give up, however, and the Marauders hurried down the field and scored two more touchdowns, taking the lead from the Rams 20-14.
“The second half was more difficult due to missing many of our key players to injury, which set us back,” Carswell said.
Quickly out of the half, the Marauders marched down the field scoring in a few short plays, and completed a two-point conversion. Their special team added to their score as they returned a Rams punt for a touchdown. The Rams got the ball back one last time in the third quarter, but a quick drive from the Rams ended in a Mount Olive interception, ending the quarter 42-14.
In the fourth, the Rams refused to give up despite the odds and fought hard until the final whistle, the Rams losing 49-14.
Even though the game didn’t end in the Rams’ favor, Randolph played with aggression. The team now looks to upcoming games, determined not to let a prior loss affect their spirit or their season. “Our number one priority now is to fix our mistakes during this week of practice and get everybody healthy before Knolls,” junior Max Eisenberg commented.
The Rams will look to rebound this Friday, Sept. 20, as they take on Morris Knolls @ home.
