RAHWAY – The South River Rams football team defeated the Roselle Rams 33-20 Saturday in a Middlesex County vs. Union County crossover clash at Rahway River Park.
South River begins its 2018 season at 1-0, while Roselle fell to 0-2.
The game’s first four touchdowns were on pass plays, with Roselle tying the game at 14-14 in the third quarter. South River then scored the game’s next three touchdowns before Roselle produced the final one.
For South River, senior running back Billy Drum carried the ball 18 times for 66 yards and two touchdowns.
For Roselle, senior running back Khair Pendleton gained 53 yards on 13 attempts, including a 22-yard touchdown run for the game’s final points.
South River’s first possession came to a halt on an interception by Roselle’s Isaiah Vallderruten (No. 9).
South River took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Michael DeSantis to Kacper Murdzek. Ulses Gonzalez kicked the extra point. The drive was four plays, 51 yards and took 1:30.
Roselle came right back to tie the game at 7-7 with a 65-yard drive that took 10 plays and used 7:08. Cam Chatman-rice threw a 10-yard touchdown pass over the middle to Naseer Page. Clifton Brutus kicked the extra point.
South River took a 14-7 lead with 3.9 seconds left before intermission. DeSantis threw a four-yard TD pass to Quadir Shabazz. Gonzalez kicked the extra point. The drive was nine plays, 62 yards and 3:41 was used.
Roselle’s second touchdown drive was just two plays. Chatman-rice completed a 56-yard pass to Brutus, who caught the ball at the South River 20, broke a tackle, and reached the two-yard line before being taken down with a horse-collar tackle. Page then ran the ball in from the two-yard line. Brutus kicked the extra point and the game was tied 14-14 with 9:29 left in the third quarter.
South River went ahead for good with 1:08 left in the third quarter. Drum scored his first touchdown on a five-yard run to cap a seven-play, 38-yard drive that took 3:40.
South River went up 27-14 in the fourth quarter when Trenton Balitsky scored on a three-yard run. The extra point was blocked by Pendleton. The drive covered nine plays, 59 yards and 4:56.
South River went ahead 33-14 two plays after an interception by Noah Wilson. Drum scored from two yards out. The two-point pass failed.
Pendleton scored his touchdown with 2:41 remaining to make the final score 33-20.