Ross s. Sterling  football

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Sterling White JV Falls To Humble

     The Sterling JV White squad hung tough for the first quarter-and-a-half against Humble before succumbing 32-15 to the combination of a fierce Wildcat ground game and a quick strike air attack Thursday afternoon at Ranger Field.

     Defensive stops by Chance Walmsley, C. J. Hargrave, Chad Arabie, and Tyrrell Williams forced a quick end to the initial Humble drive.  However, an offensive fumble on the opening Sterling possession gave the Wildcats the ball at the Ranger 30, and with 1:59 remaining in the quarter, Humble took the lead on a 6-yard score.

     Though forced to punt on their first offensive series, the Sterling defense lit the Ranger side of the scoreboard after a safety provided their initial points, after an errant snap that sailed over the head of the Wildcat quarterback at the 22-yard line bounced past the goal line, where it was accidentally kicked out of the end zone by a Ranger defender for the 6-2 margin.

     After receiving the free kick, Sterling wasted little time taking the lead, driving 57 yards in only 5 plays, as wide receiver Josh Tanton (4 receptions for 52 yards) gathered in a 21-yard toss from quarterback Colton Kolaja and raced down the right sideline for the score.  Tim Maynard’s PAT increased the Ranger lead to 9-6.

     Though defensive stops by Bo Evans, Walmsley, and Hargrave kept the Wildcat running game in check, the Humble air game struck quickly, taking the lead for good with 6:25 remaining in the second quarter on a 38-yard pass play for a 12-9 margin.

     The next offensive play spelled disaster for Sterling, after an interception was returned to the Ranger 29.  Three plays later, the Wildcats increased their margin to 18-9 on a 22-yard scoring run.

     Sterling was again forced into a punting situation after stalling at their 43.  Following a muffed punt, Humble took possession on the Ranger 33 and immediately took advantage, stretching their lead to 26-9 on a 33-yard scoring play, and ending the scoring for the half.

     Following the intermission, the Wildcats scored on their first drive, though stops by Arabie, Yorel Stanley, Hargrave, Paul Etienne, and Ricky White made the going difficult.  With 1:51 remaining in the stanza, a 1-yard run provided Humble with a 32-9 margin.

     A Nick Dunn kickoff return to midfield seemed to spark the Sterling offense, and they made the field position count, traveling the distance in only 4 plays to cut the Wildcat margin to 32-15.  On the first play of the 4^th quarter, Kolaja (8 of 13 attempts for 132 yards) connected with Williams, who made his one reception of the game count by crossing the middle and scoring in the right side of the end zone for the final points of the contest.

Kolaja’s four TD passes lift RSS JV White over Lee

By ROBBIE MAGNESS

 

Colton Kolaja threw four touchdown passes in a game that featured seven lead changes to guide the Sterling Junior Varsity White squad to a 28-26 victory over the Lee JV White team Thursday at Stallworth Stadium.

The Rangers trailed 18-13 at halftime, but Tyrrell Williams caught a 15-yard TD pass early in the second half, running in untouched on a slant pattern from the right side. Kolaja’s keeper on an option right for the two-point conversion put Sterling ahead 21-18.

Lee took the lead back on a 41-yard pass from Grant Hanson to Curtis Louis. The Ganders failed to convert the extra point on any of their four touchdowns on the day, leaving the score at 24-21 with 9:11 remaining in the game.

The Rangers answered with an eight-play, 72-yard drive, capped by a 23-yard pass to Williams, who caught five passes for 105 yards to lead the Ranger receivers. Tim Maynard’s extra-point kick made the score 28-24 with 4:50 on the clock.

The Ganders’ ensuing drive reached the Sterling 26-yard line, but Chris Bonnin intercepted Hanson’s third-down pass near the goal line at the 1:40 mark.

After three straight running plays forced the Ganders to use up their remaining timeouts, Kolaja retreated into his end zone on fourth down, surrendering a safety but allowing the Rangers to kick off from the 20-yard line rather than punt from deep in the end zone.

C.G. Gutierrez returned the kick 42 yards for the Ganders, giving Lee one last chance from the Ranger 22. Williams and the Ranger secondary, though, rose to the occasion, forcing four straight incompletions to kill the threat.

On the game, Kolaja completed 10 of 18 passes for 154 yards. Josh Tanton had five catches for 48 yards.

Lee drew first blood, driving 48 yards in 11 plays on its first possession to take a 6-0 lead on a Dylan Jones three-yard run. Sterling answered with a six-play, 55-yard drive, capped on the second play of the second quarter by a trick play.

From the 15-yard line, Kolaja fired a short pass to the right side to Tanton, who pitched the ball to Tanner Townsend. He ran the last 11 yards for the touchdown, and Maynard added the extra point for a 7-6 lead.

Townsend finished with 161 rushing yards on 12 carries, doing some nice work at quarterback when the team needed him.

The Ganders answered with the kind of drive Ranger fans have grown to fear. Starting at its own 22, Lee gained four yards on a run, then threw incomplete to bring up a third-and-six from the 26. Lee quarterback Daniel Guzman hit Gutierrez in stride deep down the left sideline, and he went 74 yards for the score and a 12-7 lead.

Kolaja led Sterling back to the end zone on the next drive, running four times himself and completing three passes for 65 yards. The last of those was a 10-yard touchdown strike to Tanton, who outleaped a pair of Gander defensive backs to make the catch. The extra-point kick was blocked, and Sterling led 13-12.

A nice kickoff return gave Lee another chance at the Sterling 38, and they took advantage. Guzman connected with Gutierrez for 17 yards, then hit Matthew Kirkwood for a 21-yard touchdown and an 18-13 halftime lead.

Defensively, Chris Bonnin led the squad with his interception and six pass breakups.

 

RSS JV White 28, REL JV White 26

RSS         0               13             8               7               --              28

REL         6               12             0               8               --              26

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

REL – Dylan Jones 3 run (pass failed). 11 plays, 48 yards, 4:33.

Second Quarter

RSS – Tanner Townsend 11 run with pitch after Josh Tanton 4 pass from Colton Kolaja (Tim Maynard kick). 6 plays, 55 yards, 2:02.

REL – C.G. Gutierrez 74 pass from Daniel Guzman (pass failed). 3 plays, 78 yards, 0:56.

RSS – Tanton 10 pass from Kolaja (kick blocked). 12 plays, 86 yards, 5:55.

REL – Matthew Kirkwood 21 pass from Guzman (run failed). 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:18.

Third Quarter

RSS – Tyrrell Williams 15 pass from Kolaja (Kolaja run). 2 plays, 47 yards, 0:38.

Fourth Quarter

REL – Curtis Louis 41 pass from Grant Hanson (pass failed). 5 plays, 80 yards, 1:56.

RSS – Williams 23 pass from Kolaja (Maynard kick). 8 plays, 72 yards, 4:14.

REL – Safety (Kolaja tackled in end zone).

 

TEAM STATISTICS

                                                   RSS                          REL

First Downs                            13                              17

Rushes-Yards                         33-163                      19-78

Att-Comp-Int                          11-21-1   14-26-2

Passing Yards                         166                            265

Punts-Avg.                              1-27.0                       0-0

Fumbles-Lost                          0-0                            0-0

Penalties-Yards     10-90                        6-55

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – RSS, Townsend 12-161, Williams 1-17. REL, Guzman 5-44, Jones 9-35. PASSING – RSS, Kolaja 10-18-0 154. REL, Guzman 8-15-1 154, Hanson 6-11-1 111. RECEIVING – RSS, Williams 5-105, Tanton 5-48. REL, Gutierrez 5-140, Louis 4-71.

 

RSS JV Blue wins defensive contest over Lee Maroon

By ROBBIE MAGNESS

 

Two Sterling quarterbacks ran for touchdowns to help lead the Junior Varsity Blue team to a 21-14 victory over the Lee JV Maroon squad in a defensive struggle Thursday at Stallworth Stadium.

The Rangers led 7-0 at halftime and stretched the lead to 14-0 with 5:13 remaining in the third quarter. Taking over after a punt at their own 34-yard line, the Rangers struck for 48 quick yards on a pass from Cody Larson to Steve Ocanas. Four plays later, Larson ran in from six yards out, and Shaun Collins tacked on the extra-point kick.

The Ganders responded with a three-play, 83-yard touchdown drive, all of it on a third-down pass from Tim Jarrels to Eric Fannis. Jarrels threw a two-point conversion pass to cut the Ranger lead to 14-8.

On the next series, Larson hit Dan Rougley on a 20-yard pass, but the ball squirted away from the receiver and was recovered by Lee linebacker Patrick Dunford at the Ganders’ 12-yard line.

Early in the fourth quarter, a Lee drive stalled at the Gander 44, and Sterling’s Demarte Allen returned the ensuing punt 37 yards to the Lee 38. After Larson ran for five yards, Allen finished the job, running 33 yards to the end zone. Collins’ PAT pushed the lead to 21-8 with 6:55 left to play.

Jarrels drove his squad back down the field, completing four passes for 56 yards on the drive. Jarrod Brown ran the final 13 yards to cut the Ranger lead to 21-14. Sterling’s Jay Hinderman and Darren Griffith sacked Jarrels to nullify the extra-point attempt.

Lee’s defense held, forcing a Sterling punt on fourth-and-3 from the Ranger 32-yard line. But the punt, and the defensive stand, were wiped out by an offsides penalty against Lee. The penalty gave the Rangers a first down, allowing Larson to kneel on the ball three times and run out the clock.

Larson, who played most of the final three quarters, completed five of nine passes for 99 yards and tacked on 36 rushing yards. Allen ran 15 times for 75 yards to lead all rushers.

Aaron Martinez, who started at quarterback for the Rangers, ran eight times for 31 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown run just five minutes into the game. Collins kicked the PAT for a 7-0 Sterling lead.

The Ganders answered with an 11-play drive to the Sterling 11-yard line, but on fourth-and-6, Jarrels tried to draw the Rangers offsides with a hard count. When the Rangers flinched, Lee’s center snapped the ball, but the officials ruled the Rangers had not moved into the neutral zone. Sterling’s Jared St. Julian and Casey Rogers swarmed Jarrels for an eight-yard loss and a turnover on downs.

Sterling’s Casey Jones recovered the game’s opening kickoff at the Lee 39, and the Rangers drove to the 4-yard line before Martinez was intercepted by Dunford. The Ranger defense forced a three-and-out, though, on tackles by Dalton Powell, Townsend and Rogers to set up the game’s first score.

Darren Griffith forced a fumble for the Rangers, recovered by Collins.

 

RSS JV Blue 21, REL JV Maroon 14

RSS         7               0               7               7               --              21

REL         0               0               8               6               --              14

SCORING SUMMARY

First Quarter

RSS – Aaron Martinez 39 run (Shaun Collins kick). 2 plays, 44 yards, 0:54.

Second Quarter

None.

Third Quarter

RSS – Cody Larson 6 run (Collins kick). 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:40.

REL – Eric Fannis 83 pass from Tim Jarrels (Jarrels pass). 3 plays, 83 yards, 0:57.

Fourth Quarter

RSS – Demarte Allen 33 run (Collins kick). 2 plays, 38 yards, 0:53.

REL – Jarrod Brown 13 run (pass failed). 7 plays, 67 yards, 3:43.

 

TEAM STATISTICS

                                                   RSS                          REL

First Downs                            12                              15

Rushes-Yards                         34-160                      25-75

Att-Comp-Int                          5-11-2                      20-31-0

Passing Yards                         99                              236

Punts-Avg.                              3-29.0                       4-30.3

Fumbles-Lost                          2-1                            0-0

Penalties-Yards     5-45                          3-20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING – RSS, Allen 15-75, Larson 8-36, Martinez 8-31, Dalton Powell 3-18. REL, Stephen Banuelos 10-56, Jose Carmona 1-13, Brown 3-10. PASSING – RSS, Larson 5-9-1 99. REL, Jarrels 20-31-0 236. RECEIVING – RSS, Dan Rougley 2-44, Steve Ocanas 1-48. REL, Fannis 6-110.

Larson, Allen lead Sterling JV to win over Westbrook

By Randy Cunningham

 

     The combination of a 202-yard, 3-touchdown rushing effort by Demarte Allen and 184 yards passing from Cody Larson spelled doom for Beaumont Westbrook, as the Sterling JV squad pounded the Bruins 29-22 Thursday at Ranger Auxiliary Field.

     Larson completed 7 of 14 passes, spreading the wealth to several targets, including Karique Stephen, who gathered in 2 receptions for 79 yards, with Dan Rougley adding another 53 yards to the total, followed by Casey Jones with 22, Pat Wood with 19 yards, and Josh Tanton with 1 catch for 11 yards.  Larson added 41 yards rushing, with Dalton Powell carrying for 12 yards.

     Following a Westbrook punt that pinned Sterling back at their own 24, Allen scored the first points of the evening on a 76-yard scamper to give the Rangers a 6-0 margin.  Bursting through the right side of the Bruin defense, Allen made the run look easy, pulling away from the defenders for the score.  The PAT was good.

     Though halted on their next possession, the Sterling punt forced Westbrook to take over at their own 5-yard line, but a 95-yard touchdown run on their first play of the drive cut the lead to 7-6.  The PAT was successful.

     The Rangers’ offense sputtered on their next possession, but defensive stops by Trace Thurgood, Tanner Townsend, Kendal Doyle, and Jeremy Bushnell ended the ensuing Bruin drive.  Sterling then quickly took advantage, driving 41 yards in 5 plays to take a 14-7 advantage, as Allen ran over several Westbrook defenders, adding his second score of the contest on a bruising 4-yard effort.  The PAT was good.

     Beaumont responded with an 81-yard drive to take a 15-14 lead, as a 19-yard touchdown pass followed by the 2-point conversion gave the Bruins the advantage going into intermission.

     Though multiple penalties killed the Rangers’ opening drive of the second half, a staunch defensive effort led by Thurgood, Darren Griffith, Powell, and Rougley ended the Westbrook initial scoring hopes at the Sterling 25.  The Rangers then responded with a 75-yard drive highlighted by a 40-yard toss from Larson to Stephen that gave them the ball at the Bruin 12.  Two plays later, Allen completed his touchdown trifecta with a second 4-yard burst, then added the 2-point conversion for a 22-15 margin.

     After holding Beaumont to a total of 2 yards on their next possession, the Sterling offense then encountered difficulties of their own.  Following the Ranger punt, Westbrook then drove the distance in 2 plays, as a 56-yard scoring pass tied the contest at 22-22.

     The Sterling offense immediately replied with a 65-yard scoring drive that would enable them to take the lead for good.  Following Larson’s 25-yard scamper to give the Rangers a 1^st down at the Bruin 35, he later connected with Rougley for a 33-yard gain to the Westbrook 10.  Three plays later, the Larson-Rougley combination worked to perfection on a 15-yard scoring strike for the lead and the final points of the evening.

     A fumble on the next Sterling possession gave the Bruins a final opportunity, but an interception by Paul Booker ended any Westbrook scoring hopes.

 

 

 

 

RSS JV 29, Beaumont WestBrook JV 22

 

RSS—7    7     8      7---29

WB---7     8     0     7---22

 

Scoring Summary

First quarter

RSS—Allen 76 run (kick good).  1 play, 76 yards, 6:52.

WB—95 run (kick good).  1 play, 95 yards, :49.

 

Second quarter

RSS—Allen 4 run (kick good).  5 plays, 41 yards, 3:48.

WB—19 pass (run good).  7 plays, 91 yards, 1:05.

 

Third quarter

RSS—Allen 4 run (run good).  7 plays, 75 yards, :29.

 

Fourth quarter

WB—56 pass (kick good).  2 plays, 56 yards, 8:30.

RSS—Rougley 15 pass from Larson (kick good).  9 plays, 65 yards, 3:59.

 

Individual Statistics

RUSHING—RSS, Allen 27-202, Larson 8-41, Powell 4-12.

PASSING—RSS, Larson 7-14-0 184. 

RECEIVING—RSS, Stephen 2-79,Rougley 2-53, Casey Jones 1-22, Pat Wood 1-19, Josh Tanton 1-11.

Sterling JV Blue run rampant over Port Arthur

     Complete and total domination.  That’s the only way to describe the Ross Sterling JV Blue squad’s victory over Port Arthur.  Utilizing a 198-yard rushing effort by Kareem Williams along with a defense that held their opponents to a total of negative -15 yards offense for the contest, Sterling made an impression that these Titans will remember for a long time in a 40-0 pounding Thursday evening at Ranger Auxiliary Field.

     Cody Larson led the Sterling air attack, completing 5 of 18 passes for 50 yards, his favorite targets including Steve Ocanas, who caught 1 ball for 29 yards, followed by Pat Wood, who added 21 yards on 2 receptions.  Williams carried the ball 19 times in his 198-yard effort, while Larson bulled his way for 47 yards on 7 rushes, with Karique Stephen adding 2 carries for 17 yards.

     The first stanza was a battle of punts and traded field position, as neither offense could muster any type of drive or punts.

     Following a Port Arthur punt, Sterling took possession at the Titan 40, and 2 plays later, a 35-yard burst by Williams lit the scoreboard for the game’s first points.  Taking the handoff from Larson, Williams cut through the middle of the defense, then sprinted down the right sideline for the score.   The PAT by Shaun Collins was good.

     Spurred by the offensive success, the Ranger defense, led by stops from Brock Boyd and Collins, quickly halted the ensuing Titan drive before Trace Thurgood tackled the punter on 4^th down to give Sterling the ball at the Port Arthur 39.  On the very next play, Larson tossed a 29-yard strike to Ocanas, who scored to give the Ranger a 13-0 margin.  Collins’ PAT was good.

     The Sterling defense quickly turned into an immovable object on the next series, as stops from Darren Griffith, Townsend, and Paul Booker made quick work of the Titan drive.  Then, an interception by Collins provided the Rangers with excellent field position at the Port Arthur 30, and Sterling immediately responded.  Following the huge Ranger offensive line of William Spears, Hayden Jones, Trent Padgett, Reese Parish, and Darrel Clarke, Williams bulled his way through the defense for an 11-yard score.  Collins’ third consecutive PAT increased the Ranger margin to 21-0.

     Though the offenses traded punts on their next opportunities, Sterling’s defense, led by Kendal Doyle, Griffith, and Townsend, held the Titans to negative -3 yards over 2 possessions.  Taking over at the Port Arthur 49 following a punt, the Rangers drove the distance in 6 plays, as Larson gave his squad a 27-0 margin following a 1-yard run around the right side of the defense.  The PAT failed.

     The third quarter found the Sterling defense in a stingy mood, as Booker, Blaine Burnett, and Doyle made stops to end the Titans’ initial drive of the half.  After taking over at the Port Arthur 43, the Rangers needed only 3 plays to take a 33-0 lead, after Williams completed his touchdown trifecta on a 15-yard scamper.  The PAT failed.

     The next 2 Titan possessions ended quickly, as interceptions by Collins and Booker brought a halt to their offensive proceedings.  Following Booker’s theft, Sterling drove 69 yards in 9 yards to score the final points of the contest, after Terrence Herd added his first touchdown of the season on a 2-yard run with 5:10 remaining.  Collins’ PAT was good.

Sterling Frosh White gridders easily defeat Port Arthur

     Scoring early and never looking back, the Ross Sterling JV White squad handily defeated their counterparts from Port Arthur by the count of 32-15 Thursday afternoon at Ranger Auxiliary Field.

     Colton Kolaja led the offense, completing 13 of 16 passes for 232 yards, his targets including Tyrrell Williams, who caught 8 balls for 134 yards, followed by Josh Tanton with 46 yards on 3 receptions, Tanner Townsend with 2 catches for 35 yards, and Ryan Crenshaw, who totaled 23 yards on 1 catch.  In the rushing department, Kolaja added 22 yards on 8 runs, while Chad Arabie ran once for 4 yards.

     The Rangers opened quickly, mixing their ground and air attack to travel 68 yards in only 4 plays and taking a 6-0 lead following a 23-yard strike from Kolaja to Tanton.  Tim Maynard’s PAT was good.

     Though the Titans held the ball for 10 plays on their opening drive, incompletions and penalties halted any offensive progress.  Following stops by Paul Etienne, C. J. Hargrave, and Williams along with 2 passes batted to the turf by Jason Savoie, the Port Arthur drive ended meekly at the Sterling 39.

     The Rangers immediately responded with a 4-minute, 61-yard march on their second offensive possession, taking a 14-0 margin after Kolaja kept the ball on a 1-yard run through the middle of the Titan defense for the score.  Maynard added the PAT.

     Sterling’s defense held Port Arthur to negative -7 yards on their next possession, thanks to stops by Chance Walmsley, Etienne, Chris Bonnin, and Savoie, but the offense faltered on their next opportunity, when an interception thrown by Kolaja gave the Titans the ball at their own 20.  Following an 80-yard march, they cut the Ranger lead to 14-6 after a 2-yard rushing score.  The 2-point conversion failed.

     The Sterling offense hit the skids on their next opportunity following a second interception by Kolaja, but the Ranger defense again came to the rescue, as stops by Kevin Bardales, Arabie, Bo Evans, Nick Dunn, and a 4^th-down stop by Hargrave gave Sterling outstanding field position at the Titan 30.  Three plays later, Kolaja connected with Williams on a 21-yard score for a 20-6 lead.  Maynard added his third consecutive PAT.

     With only 1:05 remaining before the intermission, Port Arthur refused to quit, driving 80 yards to cut the Ranger margin to 21-12, scoring on a 49-yard play with :00 on the clock.

     The offenses traded field position in the third quarter before an interception by Bonnin was returned to the Titan 7-yard line, and 4 plays later, Townsend turned passer and hit Tanton with a 16-yard strike for the score, increasing the Sterling lead to 27-12.  Maynard added the PAT.

     Following another impressive defensive stand highlighted by stops from Bardales and Williams which allowed Port Arthur 0 yards, the Ranger offense was handed the ball at the Titan 20.  On their fourth play of the drive, the Kolaja-Williams tandem connected for a 5-yard score.  Maynard was perfect for the evening, adding his 5^th PAT for the final points of the contest.

     The final Port Arthur drive ended in frustration, as Ryan Batton, Arabie, Bonnin, and Evans all contributed defensive stops for Sterling.