The Akron Rams will be defending their home-field for the first timethey go up against the St. Mary's Pirates at 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both come into the matchup bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Akron is coming home in high spirits after they had to open their season on the road against Calhan. Akron took their match on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 40-0 victory over Calhan. The score at the end of the third wound up being the final score as the Rams just coasted through the last quarter.
Akron got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Kolten Randel out in front who threw for 191 yards and five touchdowns on only 12 passes. Randel also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making a tackle and defending three passes in addition to snagging an interception. Anderson Filla helped Randel out on the ground, rushing for 123 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries, while also picking up 57 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Akron's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. The picks came courtesy of Randel and Jace Curtis. Curtis' also deserves a shoutout for his performance on D, making four total tackles and defending four passes in addition to snagging an interception.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Akron was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 217 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 217 rushing yards in six consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, St. Mary's gave their fans exactly what they wanted out of a home opener on Friday. They walked away with a 26-14 victory over Gilpin County.
The critical scores for St. Mary's came from Lance Mathews, Jack Schuchard, and Wyatt David.
St. Mary's wouldn't let Gilpin County keep a hold of the ball as they managed to force two fumbles. St. Mary's can thank Mathews and Jackson Beam for forcing both of them. Mathews didn't just play on offense: he also picked up a sack, forced a fumble, and made six total tackles in addition to snagging two interceptions.
Everything came up roses for Akron against St. Mary's when the teams last played back in September of 2023 as the squad secured a 43-8 win. In that game, Akron amassed a halftime lead of 36-0, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Saturday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
