JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The Randolph High School Ro-Hawks football team will be
hoping to clinch a playoff spot when they take on rival Cole High School
Cougars tonight at 7:30 p.m. at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston.
The Ro-Hawks are aiming for one of the four playoff spots in
District 13-3A Division I with two games left in the regular season.
Despite their 54-21 loss to the Comfort Bobcats Oct. 23 at
Ro-Hawk Stadium, Randolph (3-4, 1-2 in district) could still secure a playoff
spot with a win over Cole (3-5, 0-3 in district).
“One of our goals is to get into the playoffs,” Randolph
coach Pete Wesp said. “Right now we are still in the driver’s seat.”
After losing their first district game to the Luling Eagles,
33-0, Oct.9, the Ro-Hawks were able to get playoff contention with a 36-22 road
win over Ingram Moore Oct. 16. Justin Thomason rushed for 120 yards and scored
two touchdowns, including a 75-yard kickoff return, to lead Randolph to the
victory.
Thomason’s kickoff return broke a 14-14 tie and helped put
Randolph up 28-14 at halftime.
“That was the play of the game,” said Wesp of Thomason’s
kickoff return. “Ingram had just gone down and scored and tied it up at 14.
That was a major shift as far as the momentum at that time of the game. It was
nice to go in at halftime being ahead. That was a huge play.”
Even though Randolph gave up 225 yards to Ingram, Wesp said
the Ro-Hawks were able to come up with several defensive stops that helped
preserve the win. Brown, who is also a free safety, recovered a fumble and
Jayden Maturey and Sebastian Goldsworthy each had a sack. Defensive end Cody
Kuhl, linebacker Eddie Lopez and Brown each had 10 tackles.
The Ro-Hawks are led by the running back combo of seniors
Lopez and Thomason, who have combined for 1,320 yards rushing and eight
touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Devin Brown has seven rushing touchdowns.
Randolph is averaging 196 yards rushing per game.
Defensively, entering the Comfort game, Lopez had a team
high 62 tackles. He was followed by Brown, 49, and linebacker Mayan Holmes, 45.
In their final two regular season games, Wesp said the
Ro-Hawks will need to play more physical on defense.
The Ro-Hawks final regular season game is Nov. 6 against
Marion at Ro-Hawk Stadium.
Wesp said the Ro-Hawks have held up pretty well considering
the circumstances they had to deal with before the season began.
In August, the Ro-Hawks dealt with the tragic death of one
of their teammates, sophomore Jakobus Beamer, who died in a drowning accident
at Canyon Lake Aug. 7. The 15-year-old started on the defensive line his
freshman year and would have started on both the defensive and offensive lines
this season.
The Ro-Hawks have dedicated the season in honor of Beamer
and retired his jersey number 70.