Randolph Football traveled to Bergen County for its season opener but fell short in a lopsided, 47-12 loss to Teaneck on Friday, Aug. 29.
“The mindset coming into this game was to start strong and set the tone from the first whistle,” senior Kevin Kuridza said of the team’s preparation.
The Rams did just that early on, coming out with a new offensive scheme under first-year head coach and play-caller Ryan Gresik.
Led by senior co-captain Jackson Magley, the Randolph offense efficiently moved the ball down field, getting it to senior co-captain Joey Sommer. Deep in Teaneck territory on fourth down, Magley rolled to his left and found junior EJ Febles in the end zone, giving the Rams the first strike and a 6-0 lead.
But the Highwaymen answered back immediately with a one-play, 65-yard touchdown pass to take the lead 7-6.
Randolph’s second series began with strong field position thanks to a 50-yard return by Febles. The offense moved the ball methodically, with Magley and sophomore Dillon Hines carrying the majority of the load.
Unfortunately, costly high snaps and dropped balls prevented the Rams from getting into the end zone, instead turning the ball back over to Teaneck at the opposite goal line. The Highwaymen offense exploded with another one-play touchdown, rounding off the score 13-6 to end the first quarter of play.
To start the second quarter, Magley and his squad had trouble finding the first down marker, going three-and-out their first drive.
After they got a quick stop on defense thanks to the run pressure from seniors Max Eisenberg and Ben Quinn, the Rams looked to change the momentum of the game. With a couple of dominant rushes by Hines, the Rams found themselves in Teaneck territory.
Although forward progress was being made, mental mistakes led to penalties that set back Randolph and eventually forced the Rams to punt again.
And just like that, the game flipped upside down; Teaneck had a one-play, 75-yard touchdown, extending its lead to 19-6. With 20 seconds left in the first half, the Highwaymen reached the endzone once again to lead 25-6.
“The team’s point of emphasis coming out of halftime was to play hard no matter what,” Eisenberg said. “The score did not matter; we were going to give 100% effort every play.”
With a full half of football still to play, Randolph looked to spark a comeback and start off the season right. Teaneck picked up right where it left off, however, breaking tackles left and right, to make the score 32-6.
The Rams knew that they had to move at a fast pace to be able to bring themselves back into the game, but injuries played a big role in the third quarter with a total of six players going down with cramps.
As Randolph marched down the field, Magley made a costly error in the endzone, throwing his first pick of the game. Although it was a good ball, the defense made an even better play.
The Rams made a quick stop on defense and were approaching the endzone once again, but another interception by Teaneck quickly stopped a promising drive. Teaneck made another fast play, going the length of the field, stretching the lead to 40-6.
Through to the fourth quarter it was more of the same. Teaneck was able to capitalize on the Rams’ turnovers, making the score 47-6. On the last drive of the game, the Rams ran the ball between the tackles, and junior Matt Skrapits found the end zone to bring the final tally to 47-12.
“We look to learn from our mistakes and focus on getting healthy for next week,” senior co-captain Joey Bosotina said after the game. “We’re putting this one in the rear-view mirror.”
Next, Randolph goes on the road to take on Morristown on Friday, Sept. 5, at 6:30 p.m.
