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Cardinals get their revenge

Randolph shuts out Silver Creek/Forestville 42-0

By Christian Storms 6 min read

RANDOLPH -- A year ago, the Randolph football team was shut out at home by Silver Creek/Forestville in the Section VI Class D playoffs, putting an exclamation mark on a down season.

It was clear the Cardinals were out for revenge and flipped the script with a big 42-0 shutout victory over the Black Knights at Raymond Van Wie Stadium on Friday night.

"We talked about that this week, that game in particular," Randolph head coach Nate Armella said about last year's playoff loss to the Black Knights. "We thought as coaches that the difference in that game is they were more physical than us. We challenged the guys all week (by telling them) you have to be the most physical team, especially on your home field, and I think we were tonight."

The playoff loss last season really resonated with the Cardinals and since then they have surged to the top of the Class D standings at 2-0 and they are owners of a 4-1 overall record, the lone setback coming against Saint Mary's.

"I'm just proud of the kids," Armella said. "They are all buying in, they've all worked hard from the No. 1 starter to the last kid coming off the sideline. They've all just been committed and they're a pleasure to coach."

Silver Creek/Forestville did not make it easy for Randolph, rather the Cardinals showed how much they have improved. After forcing a quick punt to start the game, Randolph made the most of its first drive and finished it off with plenty of flair as Davion Johnson hit brother Syrai Johnson with a screen pass and he shook off defenders before darting to paydirt 20 yards along the sideline to give the Cardinals the 7-0 lead after Davion's kick.

Silver Creek/Forestville came out hungry on its next drive which lasted the remainder of the first quarter and saw the Black Knights convert on a couple third and fourth downs.

However, the drive did not live long into the second quarter when Randolph ultimately stopped Silver Creek/Forestville near midfield on a fourth-and-2.

"That's crucial, especially in high school football," Silver Creek/Forestville head coach Sean Helmer said about losing momentum on the second drive. "Momentum is a big part of the game and we felt like we could move the ball. Then we get down on ourselves really, really quickly. Then it's really hard to overcome it and come back from it."

While the Black Knights took a lot of time with no payoff, Randolph marched down the field -- defying two holding calls that washed away gains -- eventually extending the lead with a 26-yard touchdown run by Alex Garland.

Silver Creek/Forestville was unable to get back to a rhythm on offense, punting again and watching the deficit grow only a few plays later.

Randolph had a much quicker drive on the third score, finishing it off with Davion connecting with Syrai on a 25-yard play-action pass for the eventual 21-0 lead.

"Davion, I couldn't be any more proud of him," Armella said. "He has waited for this opportunity to be quarterback of this football team and he's answered the challenge. He's worked hard in the offseason and he's just so committed. He's all in, he knows how to run the offense, commanding the offense, he's always patient. Syrai is an incredible talent. He's got this skill set that I don't know if I've seen as a coach since I've been here, so it's fun to be able to do some things with him."

Silver Creek/Forestville made a few conversions on its final possession, thanks to Manny Sanchez in the backfield, preventing any further damage by giving the ball back quickly. Sanchez put together a strong game as the Black Knights leader on offense with 82 yards on 17 rushes, but was unable to be rewarded for his efforts on the scoreboard.

"Manny is just a tough kid," Helmer said. "He never quits, he runs super hard, he plays defense, he does all the things. We didn't really do much to help him tonight and it's tough."

While Randolph didn't get one more shot in the first half, the Cardinals capitalized on receiving to start the third quarter. Randolph had big runs from Garland, Davion Johnson and Cole Morris, who eventually finished things with a 3-yard punch to bring the lead to 28-0.

"When I was running the defense I had to defend that kind of stuff," Armella said about dual-threat offenses. "It's a pain in the butt to have to worry about defending the field and we have the weapons. We have the athletes to make teams have to defend the field. It's fun. We've been able to do quite a bit with these guys and there is still some more we will throw in at some point."

Garland led the Cardinal' offense with 206 yards rushing on 21 attempts with a touchdown and then caught one pass for a 13-yard touchdown. Meanwhile, Syrai Johnson reeled in two passes for 45 yards and the two scores; and Davion Johnson rushed for 80 yards on six carries and completed all seven of his pass attempts for 96 yards and the three touchdowns.

Not only was Silver Creek/Forestville unable to dig out of its hole, but the Black Knights struggled to get anything into Randolph territory.

"The defensive staff -- Carson Conley, Jordan Haines, Ike Morrison -- they put together a really nice game plan," Armella said. "They went through last year's film and kind of showed what beat us last year and I think we had things bottled up for the most part tonight.

Randolph picked up enough of a lead that with plenty of time in the fourth quarter the backups got into the game and Morris even added a second touchdown with another run from 4 yards and finished with 48 yards.

"It's always nice to reward those guys," Armella said. "Because they're the reason we're succeeding on the field, because they're the scout team. It's not always fun to be the scout team. You get beat up a little bit during the week, so if there's any chance you get to throw them out there it's good to get them out there."

Silver Creek/Forestville 0 0 0 0 -- 0

Randolph 7 14 7 14 -- 42

Ran--SJohnson 20 pass from DJohnson (DJohnson kick)

Ran--Garland 26 run (DJohnson kick)

Ran--SJohnson 25 pass from DJohnson (DJohnson kick)

Ran--Morris 3 run (DJohnson kick)

Ran--Garland 13 pass from DJohnson (DJohnson kick)

Ran--Morris 4 run (DJohnson kick)

Starting at /week.