Big way to start
Rome proves itself out of the gate as the Wolves hamper Harrison at Barron Stadium.
Rome coach John Reid knew this season was going to be different. He knew in every game his unit would enter with a target on its back only reserved for state champions.
But while the perception is different, the players are the same. And the Wolves proved it again Friday night in Barron Stadium.
Rome caused havoc on star Harrison quarterback Justin Fields, and two touchdown passes from Rome quarterback Knox Kadum gave
the Wolves a 33-21 win against the Hoyas. Going back to last season, it is their 13th consecutive victory.
“Our kids responded to pressure right off the bat,” Reid said. “I think this is the game you want coming off a state title. You want to have a good
battle out of the gate, and there’s not more you could ask for tonight.”
Knox Kadum went 10for-15 for 179 passing yards and two touchdowns, along with 39 yards on the ground. Running backs Jalynn Sykes and Jamious Griffin combined for 166 yards and receiver Xavier Roberts had 85 receiving yards and two scores.
Meanwhile, the defense recorded six sacks on Fields, with lineman Adam Anderson and Ja’Quon Griffin each getting two.
The Wolves did exactly what defending champions are expected of and avoided mistakes. Whether it was the offense’s clean sheet of turnovers or punter John Cromer getting off two punts despite bad snaps, the Wolves kept composure.
That mindset was crucial against Fields, who proved worthy of the hype as he recorded 272 total yards and three touchdowns.
from B1
The senior did everything to avoid Rome’s monstrous front, and looked his best in a comeback attempt to start the second half.
Entering the half down 17-7, Fields threw a 40yard touchdown to Lawrence Shadd and six minutes later scored on a 12-yard scamper to go up 21-17. But Rome’s offense came alive in the final 15 minutes, scoring on its next two drives.
“Coach puts us in the hardest positions during practice, so it makes the games easier,” Kadum said. “We went down and we weren’t playing good coming out of the second half, but we had to stick with it and trust the coaches’ plan.”
The first critical situation came with 50 seconds left in the first half, as Kadum completed a 48-yard touchdown pass to Roberts on third and eight. Only six plays later,
the defense forced a fumble, recovered by T.J. Cammack to give it back to the offense.
The next drive Rome faced a fourth and two, and Kadum promptly took a zone read for a 13yard gain. The very next play, the Wolves called a flea flicker, with Kadum finding Roberts wide open to go up two scores with eight minutes left.
The momentum continued rolling, as Harrison went three and out and threw an interception to QuinTerrius Kennemore on the next two drives. The Wolves felt right at home with the playofftype atmosphere.
“We knew from the kickoff that this was going to be a big game,” Anderson said. “So knowing exactly where you are at in the first game is great, and in the fourth quarter we knew we had to talk through it to come out on top.”
The defense certainly sent a message to open the season, as Anderson stripped the ball from Fields on the fifth
play from scrimmage. The ball found the arms of Ja’Quon Griffin, who rumbled in for a 32-yard score to go up 7-0.
Harrison responded quickly with a Fields touchdown pass, but the Hoyas could do little else the rest of the half. Early in the second quarter, Jamious Griffin broke a 24yard touchdown run to go up 14-7, and the Wolves added a field goal just before halftime.
“I thought we pressured their quarterback as much as anybody will all season,” Reid said. “We didn’t get to him every time, but we did enough to keep the offense at bay.”
Rome plays again next week when it takes on Drew at Barron Stadium.