Rangers throttle Blue Devils 46-7
Published 10:10 pm Friday, September 16, 2022
1 of 12
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
The Rangers would strike first on a Landon Ramsey QB keeper for the TD!
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
What sounds good for dinner? How about a running back sandwich? Ryan Peters and Brayden Powell converge on a helpless Jellico running back.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
The Rangers defense put up a nice stop on a Blue Devil QB sneak midway through the first quarter.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
Big #62 Brayden Powell always seemed to be where the ball was on a great defensive night.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
Ryan Peters makes a nice shoestring tackle in the backfield for the Rangers.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
Ranger Jamol Blamo slices through the Jellico defense for a nice gain Friday night as Unaka hosted the Blue Devils.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
A long pass by Landon Ramsey is just out of the reach of Takoda Freeman in the endzone. The Rangers would however score on another QB keeper!
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
Ranger QB Landon Ramsey looks for an open receiver downfield Friday night at home against Jellico.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
Joe-Z Blamo hauls in a pass downfield from Landon Ramsey as the Rangers proved to be too much for Jellico early on.
Star Photo / Brandon Hyde
The Unaka Rangers get set to kick off to the Jellico Blue Devils Friday night at home.
Star Photo/CY Peters
Last year's Queen Macy Ensor crowns this year's Homecoming Queen Gracie Sims.
Star Photo/CY Peters
Homecoming Queen for Unaka High School for the 2022 season is Gracie Sims.
By C.Y. Peters
Star Correspondent
It has been 46 years since I wore number 82 on the field for the maroon and white. I remember our linemen like Graylon Grindstaff and Charley Taylor who worked hard on both offense and defense and very seldom, if any, got their names in the paper. I recalled the sounds of Doug Buckles, who was the voice of the Rangers, since about 1974 when Doug and Henry Wayne leaned a wooden ladder up against the concession stand and climb to the top to announce the lineups and give the play-by-play. Doug’s “up the Creek” and “down the Creek” reminisced through the crowd as I arrived. It was 46 years ago on Unaka’s homecoming night that Tonya Smith was crowned homecoming queen. Tonight the Rangers were playing a big conference game against Jellico who arrived in a nice Priority Coach bus. Big John would have loved to trade that yellow school bus in for a ride like that one.
Randy Sims became the proudest dad of the night when his daughter Gracie was voted Homecoming queen for the 2022 season.
Jellico took the opening kick-off on the 21, and by the time he made it to the 25, T.J. Thomas knocked Samuel Proffitt through the fence and nearly onto the track. The Blue Devils would move the ball to the 37 before they were forced to punt. A Ranger player got their hand on the punt and the ball landed on the 40, only a three-yard punt. On Unaka’s first possession, quarterback Landon Ramsey rolls out around the right end and takes the ball 40-yards for a touchdown. He would also add the PAT for an 8-0 lead.
The Blue Devils would pick up two first downs and move the ball to the 48 before they turned the ball over on downs. Brandon Powell and Marcus Shomaker were making big stops. A 40-yard pass to Joe-z Blamo would move the ball to the Ranger 10. Ramsey once again would take the right side for his second score and a Ranger 14-0 lead. Jamol Blamo would add the two-point conversion with 1:54 to play in the first.
What look like a Safety on the kick-off the ball was brought out to the 20 and the Blue Devils started there. After picking up only five yards, Jellico would go for it on 4th down, and incomplete a pass to give Unaka the ball on the 25. Ramsey drops back and hits Takota Freeman across the middle for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Blamo added the extra two and Unaka led 24-0 to end the first period.
Ramsey made the score 30-0 on Unaka’s next possession on a three-yard run; Blamo again adds the PAT for a 32-0 lead. Jellico began moving the ball down the field when Jamol picks off a Hunter Baird pass and returns it 47-yards and a 40-0 lead at the half.
At halftime, last year’s Queen Macy Ensor crowned this year’s Homecoming queen Gracie Sims. Lyndie Ramsey was voted Princess. Alisha Harrell wins the junior class, Kylee McCall the Sophomore class and Kimberly Proffitt the freshman class.
To start the fourth, the Rangers were on the 12-yard line; Ramsey pitches to T.J. Thomas who takes the ball the length of the field, heading to the end zone and on about the three-yard line stops and hands the ball to Isiah White for a touchdown. The lead is now 46. Once again as the Blue Devils are moving the ball down the field., AJ Greenless picks off a pass and runs to the 32-yard line of Jellico. Brynin Repass comes in at quarterback for the Rangers and on his first play runs for a score, but a flag brings it back to the 31.
With 2:36 to play Baird gets the Blue Devils on the board, Elijah Doersman connects on the extra point, the score now is 46-7 and that’s how it would end. The Rangers travel to Happy Valley next Friday night.
