The Rosemary Clarke Middle School football team used big plays on offense and a string of defensive stops to build a 42-26 lead against Beatty at home Saturday, Sept. 19.
RCMS struck with a 75-yard touchdown pass early in the game. Ja’khai Smith later broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run to put the team ahead 12-0. After a turnover on downs gave RCMS the ball back, Sergio Eyraud scored on a 20-yard run. A pass to Tom Lopez added the two-point conversion and made it 20-0.
Nicholas Jones intercepted a Beatty pass and returned possession to RCMS at its own 12-yard line. Beatty answered with two touchdowns in the second quarter, cutting the lead to 20-12, but RCMS responded before halftime. A long pass moved the ball to midfield, and Smith raced down the right sideline for his second touchdown. He ran in the conversion as well, sending RCMS into the break ahead 28-12.
The defense helped RCMS extend its advantage in the third quarter. After holding Beatty to little yardage on its opening possession, RCMS returned an interception for a touchdown. The defense then intercepted Beatty’s next play, setting up another scoring opportunity. Eyraud recovered a mishandled snap and ran it in, and a successful conversion pushed the lead to 42-12.
Beatty scored twice more, but RCMS continued to make plays on defense. Lane Howard stopped a runner in the backfield near the goal line, while Kash Peugh made a tackle late in the fourth quarter. With about two minutes remaining, Champ Colon broke off a long gain as RCMS carried a 42-26 lead into the closing stretch.
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