For the Rangers JV football team, all aspects have proven to be solid. The team continued to carry this success through against district rival JJ Pearce this past weekend, knocking them off and improving their record to an impressive 7-1.
Leading up to the game, Coach Jonathan Short wanted the Rangers to “continue to improve on their technique and work towards finishing district strong.” Another goal was for the Rangers offense to get off to a fast start. The Rangers were able to do just that with wide receiver Mac Elliott ’16 scoring on a 70 yard touchdown on the opening play of the Ranger drive with the pass from Rusty Landon ’16.
The defense got off to a good start as well, holding the Mustangs to a quick punt on Pearce’s opening drive. The Rangers took full advantage of this possession with an impressive march down the field capped off by a passing touchdown from Landon to Luke Laufenberg ’16. With the first quarter coming to a close, the Rangers were leading 14-0.
Coach Short was impressed with the start and was happy with his team’s ability to get on top of Pearce early and quickly put them away. Defensive tackle Andrew Morris ’16 was also happy with the way his defense was able to start the game. Morris added that “we were able to set the tone in the first quarter for the rest of the game by giving them no yards to gain.”
The defense continued their success through the second quarter, forcing a Pearce turnover on their starting drive. At a 14-0 advantage, Landon was able to drive his team down the field and score his third touchdown of the night on a fade route to Connor Lanpher ’16, putting the Rangers at a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
The Mustangs were forced to punt on their next drive and the Rangers responded by running the time out. The first half then came to a close with the Rangers shutting the Mustangs out 21-0.
The second half started off the same way with the Ranger defense forcing a punt on the Mustangs first possession. The Rangers then took the ball down the field and Landon put up his impressive fourth touchdown of the night with a 30 yard pass to Lanpher. The Mustangs were then able to respond back with their first touchdown of the night, coming on a 5 yard run play; however, they missed the extra point. The third quarter came winding down and the Rangers were at a 28-6 advantage.
The fourth quarter was solid for the Rangers, with a rushing touchdown to put them at a 35-6 lead. Kicker Connor Lanpher ’16 added his fifth, straight extra point. The defense showed they were unstoppable in the fourth, making key plays to keep the Mustangs out of the end zone.
Coach Short was very happy with the win, saying that “we are playing good football as a team right now.” Short went on to say that he fully believes that this group has what it takes to finish the season with a 9-1 record, describing them as hard working and committed.
This Ranger team has proved to be a top two team in their division, with continual success in their district. In the first year that the UIL has ranked JV teams by district, the Rangers have shown that they are one of the best teams in the district.
Quarterback Rusty Landon believes that the team is unstoppable right now. Landon added, “At the rate we are going at now, we could beat any team in our division.” With the Rangers improving to 7-1, they look to carry the success through against Sunset Thursday October 31.
