St. Johns Fl- It was a new team of Stingrays that took the field at Bartram Trail high school Tuesday night. Gamble Rogers, winners of three SJMSAA championships sought another, but this time new head coach Ron Evans was at the helm. Evans, a former collegiate football player (NC A&T) and long time defensive coordinator at Gamble Rogers was now in his second year of leading the Stingrays as head coach. “Always earned, never given” was his motto for the team, and they followed this lead all season.
Evans task, to continue the winning tradition that was started under head coach Matt Potak, but also to establish his own identity with new players in a new era. In the end, it was a new team but it was the same dream that was achieved as the Gamble Rogers Stingrays were crowned champions again.
“Wear them down” were the words that Coach Evans shouted from the sidelines before his offense took the field. The Stingrays then commenced to pounding the football down the Murray Bulldog’s throat. Mason Beane and Mason Lynch rotated at running back, gaining first downs with powerful runs.
It didn’t take long for the drive to reach the end-zone, when quarterback Cash Downey converted a short sneak to get across the goalline for six. The extra point for was good as the Stingrays took a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Murray would get the chance to respond on offense and immediately went to their playmaker Nykel King. King has led them all year with spectacular play-making ability with the ball in his hands and he quickly did the same in the championship game. First a run for a first down and a catch and run for another set the Bulldogs up in good feild position.
However, the Gamble Roger’s defense was able to hold on fourth down, stopping the Bulldogs attempt a first down and the ball went back to the Stingrays where they took advantage of the opportunity. Downey would drop back and find his receiver JonPaul DeNight in the end zone for a touchdown as Gamble Rogers took a 13-0 lead in the second quarter. Downey accounted for two touchdowns early on, continuing his incredible year where he led the SJMSAA conference in passing.
Murray would settle down and turn to their power running game. Running back Jayden Roberts ran through arm tackles for first downs and then some into Stingray territory. However, the defense of Gamble Rogers stepped up big, registering a strip sack and recovering the football to stop the drive. The Stingrays tokk a 13-0 lead into halftime.
Murray would get a chance to redeem themsleves after stopping the Stingrays and they went back to the power running game with Roberts. On the first drive of the second half, Roberts rolled around the left side for a long touchdown making the score 13-8 in the third quarter.
Gamble wouln’t gamble with the game and went back to their bread and butter. First the bread, Mason Lynch who toasted the Murray defense with long runs including a 45-yard scamper.
Next was the butter, as Beane ran through the defense like butter scoring a touchdown to increase the Gamble Rogers lead to 21-8. A hallmark of the team was their ability to respond to adversity, and their players never lost faith in their teammates when their backs were against the wall.
The thrid quarter provided lots of back and forth action, and that only got even more exciting on the ensuing possession for Murray. The Bulldogs put the ball back in Jayden Robert’s hands and all he did was take off for a 65-yard score weaving his way through the Gamble Rogers defense.
The score and 2-point conversion by Brysen Wright brought Murray to within 1-point of taking the lead in the SJMSAA D1 championship game.
However, Gamble Rogers would not be denied their dream season. The Stingrays gave the rock back to their brick masons Bean and Lynch, who followed the blocks of their offensive line getting first downs brick by brick. It would be Beane who would score on a touchdown run in the fourth quarter, putting the game out of reach and giving the Stingrays the win
Gamble Rogers won their 4th championship in six years. They reached summit in 2017, 2019, 2020, and 2022. They went undefeated this season (9-0), and have many returning starters coming back next year to make another run for the championship.
Featured Image by: Kristin McKinney Cline
