The JV football team faced off against Byron Center. Byron Center received the kickoff to start the game and had a strong drive down the field, scoring a 3-yard quarterback sneak to open the game. They missed the extra point, making the score 6-0. The Rangers had their first drive but didn’t convert on their fourth-down attempt. On Byron Center’s second drive, they again moved down the field and scored a touchdown. They missed the extra point, bringing the score to 12-0. The Rangers’ second drive also ended with a turnover on downs. On Byron Center’s next possession, Will Costello made a big sack for the Rangers, making it fourth-and-24. The Rangers came up short on their last drive of the half, leaving the score 12-0 in favor of Byron Center.
After halftime, Ben Grant recorded a sack for the Rangers, marking their second sack of the day. At the end of the third quarter, Byron Center scored another touchdown, increasing their lead to 19-0. They scored yet another touchdown in the fourth quarter, making the score 26-0.
Will Costello scored the Rangers’ first touchdown, bringing the score to 26-7. Toward the end of the game, Byron Center fumbled, giving the Rangers another chance at the end zone. They drove down the field, and Patrick Carpenter had a big run to get them close. Carpenter then punched in a rushing touchdown, making the final score 26-14 in favor of Byron Center. Despite scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter, the Rangers fell short. They need to bounce back next week in a big game against Unity Christian.
“We need to focus on the good things,” Sultini said. “We ended up scoring at the end, and the positive is that we didn’t give up. We showed some grit and toughness, and we need to make sure we do that every single minute.”It was a great game, and the Rangers began to make a comeback toward the end and gain momentum, but there wasn’t enough time to secure the win.
Offensive lineman Alex Custer added, “We need to improve our blocking on the offensive line to allow us more time to pass and enhance our run-blocking ability.”
The Rangers have two very tough games coming up against Unity Christian and South Christian, with the heat likely being a significant factor. The temperature is expected to be in the high 80s for the upcoming game.
“We need to rotate our guys as much as possible,” Sultini said. “Another thing we can do is slow down the pace of the game and use the play clock on offense to get some rest every now and then.”
The Rangers played much better in the fourth quarter but still need to bounce back against Unity Christian on September 19th at home and South Christian on September 29th at home.
