The Rams suffered a tough loss of 36-18 against Morris Knolls on Friday, Sept. 20.
“We did well in keeping Knolls in check in the first half,” sophomore Patrick Dell’Aglio said. “We’ve just got to keep the intensity and finish all four quarters.”
In the first quarter the Rams came out strong on intensity and worked together as a unit, forcing Knolls to punt on their first drive. Junior Ben Quinn came up big time with a sack, helping the Rams gain momentum. The Rams took advantage of the Knolls punt as junior Jackson Magley threw a dime pass to Dell’Aglio to put the Rams in the Knolls redzone to end the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the momentum continued as Magley rolled out of the pocket and hit Mason Wilson for the Rams’ first touchdown of the day, putting them up by six. Knolls responded swiftly as they returned the kickoff for a touchdown to see Knolls take the lead 7-6.
“We should look on improving our defense but all around, we need to minimize the mistakes on every side of the ball,” senior captain Nick Hart said. “The little mistakes within the system cause consequences such as letting up a touchdown, so we aim to tighten up as a team and minimize them.”
The Rams did not give up, as junior Joey Sommers took a tunnel screen to the Knolls 15-yard line, and senior Gideon Ochieng finished the drive by punching it in.
Knolls flipped the momentum and scored two touchdowns, taking control of the game. A quick dive into the endzone gave them a commanding 21-12 lead heading into halftime.
The Rams came out of halftime with renewed energy and determination. Although they moved the ball well on their opening drive, they were forced to punt. Knolls continued to control the game, putting up two more touchdowns.
The fourth quarter saw more of the same. The Rams did not give up and refused to back down despite the score. Magley threw a fade to Sommers who hailed in the ball for a touchdown, cutting Knolls’ lead.
The Rams defense stepped up in the fourth, stopping Knolls, but was unsuccessful in putting up more points for the night. The Rams lost 36-18 in a battle that was fought until the echo of the last whistle.
“The team dominated up front, and the big boys were doing their job and moving people around,” junior Jayden Morreale said after the game.
While the results weren’t what the Rams wanted, it’s still early in the season, and the team looks to improve in the coming weeks.
“This week we need to work on finishing and not just coming out for two quarters,” senior captain Dean Mangiocavallo said. “We need young guys to step up because of injuries, and build off of our mistakes from last week. We need to get better every day.”
The Rams play @ West Morris Central next, on Friday, Sept. 27.
