The Rams’ winning streak came to an end on Friday, Oct. 25, as they fell to Mendham 35-14 on the road. 

“Our mindset was to just win,” junior Joey Bosotina said. “Play to our strengths and come out victorious.” 

The Mendham Minutemen set the tone early by forcing a fumble on the opening kickoff. Their powerful run game immediately capitalized, with a 35-yard outside run that put them ahead 7-0. 

When the Rams offense took the field, they showcased their dynamic backfield duo, junior Logan Hankin and senior Gideon Ochieng. After advancing toward midfield, the Rams couldn’t sustain the drive and turned to Hankin, whose punt backed up the Minutemen inside their own 10-yard line. 

Mendham’s ground game continued to dominate, driving 90 yards to take a 14-0 lead by the end of the first quarter. 

Determined to spark some momentum, junior quarterback Jackson Magley made an impact by following senior offensive lineman Nick Hart’s lead. Facing a crucial fourth down, Magley kept the ball on a QB draw, reaching the 5-yard line. Mendham’s defense tightened on the goal line, putting the Rams in a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Ochieng then bounced the run outside and beat Mendham’s defenders to score, narrowing the gap to 14-7. 

In a bid to score before halftime, Mendham went to the air, a decision they’d regret. Junior Joey Sommer intercepted the pass, giving the Rams a chance to tie. However, the Rams couldn’t capitalize and eventually turned the ball over on downs. Mendham marched down the field again, but an interception by Hankin inside the 10-yard line closed the first half. 

“We broke the game down into Xs and Os,” said junior Greg Ford on the team’s halftime adjustments. “We also focused on rallying teammates for the third quarter.” 

The Minutemen resumed their strong run game in the second half, extending their lead to 28-7. 

The Rams offense kept pushing, with Ochieng breaking a big run to set up the Rams at midfield. Unable to maintain the momentum, the Rams gave the ball back to Mendham, who capitalized with another score, stretching the lead to 35-7. 

The Rams passing attack clicked late in the game when Magley launched a deep pass that brought the Rams to the 3-yard line. From there, Ochieng scored his second touchdown, cutting the lead to 35-14. 

“To move forward, we need to have a great week of practice,” Bosotina said. “It’s not a one-game season; we have to forget about everything and just play all out.”