Rangers Shut-Out Warriors on Senior Night

Published 11:32 pm Thursday, October 27, 2022

By C.Y. Peters

Star Correspondent

The Rangers opened Senior night on defense; the Warriors won the toss and elected to receive.  The first half was all Unaka, they touched the ball three times and scored three touchdowns putting up 22 points in the first half.

On the first series, the  Warriors ran eight plays moving the ball down to the Ranger 40 before turning the ball over on downs.  Landon Ramsey would pick up three big first downs and score on a four-yard run with 2:46 left to play in the first.  Unaka’s scoring drive was 60-yards on ten plays and Ramsey added the PAT for an 8-0 lead.

The Warriors second drive was stopped by Marcus “the Big Show” Shomaker when he threw quarterback Reagan Ensor for a big loss on third down.  After a Warrior punt, the Rangers took over on the 34.  A completed pass to Joe-z Blamo is called back for a penalty and puts the Rangers back to their own 16-yard line.  The Rangers were backed up and the Warriors were rushing, Ramsey hit TJ Thomas on a screen pass that’s good for 28-yards.   Thomas picks up 20 more on another pass placing the ball on the Warrior 33. On the next play, Ramsey takes off around the right end for a 33-yard touchdown.  He passes to Takoda Freeman for the PAT and the Rangers lead is 14.

Happy Valley would get their best field position on a good punt return, and a Ranger penalty put their ball on the Unaka 44.  The Warriors would move the ball to the 27 before running into a stall.  The Rangers would get the ball with 3:44  to play in the half.  It only took Ramsey two minutes before hitting Jamol Blamo on a 40-yard touchdown pass for a 22-0 halftime lead.

Ensor moved the Warriors down to the Ranger 35 before time ran out in the quarter.  Ensor was 5 of 7 passes in the first half and the Warriors only had one penalty for five yards. Unaka picked up eight first downs to Happy Valley’s six in the first half.

In the second half, Unaka takes the ball to the Warrior 15 before turning the ball over on downs.  Bronson Norman makes some good runs moving the ball out to near midfield.  The back-to-back bad snaps, one over the head of the punter gives Unaka the ball on the 18.  On the first play Ramsey hits Joe-z Blamo for an 18-yard score and the Ranger lead is 28 with 4:44 to play in the third.

Ramsey sends the kick-off all the way to the five-yard line for the Warriors to start their next drive.  They run three plays and have to punt, giving Unaka the ball on the 44.  On the first play, the Rangers fumble and Pedra Colunga recovers and moves the ball down to the Unaka 47.  Happy Valley runs a play and then they fumble and AJ Greenless picks it up for the Rangers.

Joe-z takes a screen pass from the 22 on fourth down and runs into the end zone for another Ranger touchdown.  The PAT is not good but with 9:56 to go in the game Unaka leads 34-0.  Happy Valley had one more chance to score but  Bennett would run the final three minutes off the clock and the Rangers win big 34-0.

Unaka will host a State playoff game next Friday night at Goddard Field.