Antelope holds on, beats Glendale Prep
The young Antelope Rams are growing up, and learning how to win football games.
One week after coming from behind to beat Arizona College Prep, Antelope this time played the role of protecting a late lead, holding on to beat Glendale Prep 14-12 Friday night in Wellton.
For the Rams, it was their third win this season in six games — and those three wins match the program’s highest win total in any of the last nine seasons, and are the same amount of games the team won over the last three seasons combined.
For fifth-year coach Gary Mauldin, watching the program learn how to win in recent weeks has been a gratifying process.
“I do feel proud we’re winning the close ones,” Mauldin said. “Our guys are young, we have just four seniors; we’re still learning the game of football. I think they’re getting better each week. We just have a great group of young athletes, and it’s so cool to work with them.”
Before the season, Mauldin had his questions about how things would go this year. Few players were back from last year’s squad, which won its final two games to snap a 24-game skid for the program, and Mauldin was unsure who would step up this year.
Players have risen to the occasion, such as sophomore quarterback Dylan Thomas and senior wide receiver/defensive back Lucas Rolland, the two players who scored for the Rams on Friday.
Rolland, who also scored on a pick-six late in last week’s win over AZ College Prep, got the Rams on the board first Friday with a touchdown catch in the first quarter. Thomas scored on a quarterback run in the third quarter.
Rolland had what would’ve been another long touchdown catch called back by a penalty in the second quarter.
The Rams’ offense moved the ball well most of the game, though there were a few drives that stalled late. The defense, just like it was in the Rams’ first win of the season back on Aug. 25 against Tombstone, was the bigger story, holding Glendale Prep mostly in check throughout the night.
Mauldin said the focus of the game plan was to stop Glendale Prep running back Noah Roundy, who a year ago, in a 32-29 win over Antelope, rushed 19 times for 127 yards and