Rangers look to keep momentum Friday against Hancock County
Published 1:35 am Friday, September 6, 2019
1 of 1
Star Photo/Larry N. Souders Devin Ramsey played a huge part in Unaka's overtime win last week over Cosby. The Rangers will need another big output from their wide receiver/defensive back tonight.
BY AUSTIN ALEXANDER
STAR CORRESPONDENT
Friday night in Stoney Creek honestly felt like a trip to the twilight zone.
As the game progressed, Murphy’s Law appeared to be in effect for both teams. But ultimately, Unaka made the plays when they mattered most.
Friday night versus Hancock County looks to be another game slated to be a tight affair.
The Rangers were drained after Friday’s win as they were still recovering from their short rest period. Unaka had to dig deep and find the guts necessary to power through to the win.
“Obviously their resiliency went a long way in determining the outcome of the game,” Unaka head coach O’Brien Bennett said about his team Friday.
The game saw many huge momentum shifts from an opening-play touchdown for Cosby to a double-digit lead for the Rangers, but the test would come when Unaka found themselves trailing just 5 minutes later.
“At that point, our kids really pulled together. They picked each other up, dusted themselves off, and said, we got this, settle down and do your job,” Bennett stated regarding the sudden changes.
Bennett continued, “That leadership on the field speaks volumes of these kids. That makes me prouder than anything else they did. Things got tough and instead of pointing fingers and making excuses, they pulled together.”
The Rangers know, however, that there is still a long season ahead and Friday night was just the second of many tests they’ll have throughout the season.
This week at Stoney Creek will be a massive chance for the Rangers to build more momentum before a three-game road trip.
The game is set up to be another doozy as both teams appear to be even in terms of talent.
“North Greene beat us 32-20 and Hancock County beat North Greene 42-8. Cosby beat Hancock County in OT and we beat Cosby in OT, so transitive logic doesn’t really apply in this scenario,” Bennett said about trying to draw lines from one result to the next.
“We have played them four times in two seasons, so there is a high level of familiarity. Three of those games have come down to the last play.”
With an overtime game already under each team’s belt, it’s imperative that the Rangers once again can make the big plays down the stretch against a team that’s coming off a big win.
“We want to keep things simple and put our kids in a position to be successful,” said Bennett about how he and the staff will try and handle the game. “This one could be decided late by a big special teams play or turnover.”
Friday could be an early-season must-win for a Rangers team hoping to get a good seeding in the playoffs.
Kickoff at Unaka is 7:30 pm.
