YORK — With five of the replacements for the six starters sidelined by injury either sophomores or a freshman, the Lafayette Rams could have changed their mascot name to Lambs for their Bay Rivers District game Friday against New Kent.
There was nothing sheepish about the youngsters, or their older teammates, as the Rams/Lambs rolled past the Trojans 35-8 on Bruton High’s field as renovations conclude at New Kent’s facility.
“They did a great job,” Rams coach Andy Linn said of the group that included OL Parker Arnold, OL Luke Belmonte, RB Bryce Johnson and RB Izaiyah Gray (all sophomores), freshman OL John Richardson and junior LB Robert Winston. “Any time you put all those new guys in there, it makes you a little nervous, but they did well.”
Johnson and Gray combined for 121 yards rushing in their fill-in role, complementing Breon Stokes’ 67 yards as the Rams (3-0) netted 230 yards on the ground. Quarterback Baum Hogge threw for 86 yards and three touchdowns, a number that should’ve been two more minus his underthrow in the end zone and a dropped would-be touchdown by a receiver.
“Baum had a good night and it could have been even better,” Linn said of the junior, who was also good at linebacker.
The Rams got good performances everywhere on defense in the first half, holding the Trojans (1-2) to minus-16 yards. All-state kicker Aidan Gerda was an ally for the defense, booting three kickoffs into the end zone in the first half to force the Trojans to begin on offense from their 20.
After the Rams’ defense forced a three-and-out on the first series of the game, their offense started at the Trojans’ 40 after a punt. One of the first-time sophomore starters, Johnson, covered 16 yards on one run, while senior Stokes got the other 24 on five carries — the fifth 3 yards for a touchdown to make it 7-0.
Although the Rams fumbled the ball away inside the New Kent 5 after a long drive on their next possession, Hogge forced a fumble to get Lafayette the ball back. Hogge scored on a 1-yard keeper the next play to make it 14-0.
The Lafayette defense continued to stifle New Kent and set up the offense in good field position. Hogge, finishing the half on a roll, took advantage by throwing touchdown passes of 21 yards to Cyler Brooks and 25 yards to Naye’Ron Hudson to give the Rams a 28-0 lead at intermission.
Hogge’s third touchdown pass of the night, 15 yards to Jael Love, made it 35-0 in the third quarter. New Kent, as always, fought on, and earned some consolation when Sherman Wynn set up his 8-yard touchdown run with a 38-yard run late in the game.
But the night belonged to the Rams, and their lambs, who allowed the handful of banged-up older guys to heal.
“To have that many guys injured, and to have the young guys play that well, I’ll take that any day of the week,” Linn said.
