Joaquin seventh grader Nate Belrose rushed for 99 yards and a score, while Ram eighth grader Nathaniel Retaumar scored twice and picked up 80 yards on the ground as the Ram junior high squads opened their 2011 football seasons with wins over Hemphill at Hornet Stadium Thursday night.
Both Ram squads improved to 1-0 on the year and will host San Augustine next Thursday night. The seventh grade will get underway at 5 p.m. from Ram Stadium.
Joaquin 8th 44, Hemphill 0 -- Retaumar led a dominating attack by the Joaquin eighth grade as the Rams outgained Hemphill 221-26 in the convincing win Thursday.
Tanner Williams gained 55 yards and a score on just four carries, while Coleman Dickerson finished with 42 yards and a touchdown, Cole Powdrill ran for 27 yards and a score and Trevor Baker hit paydirt once and rushed for 17 yards on three carries.
Joaquin took a 24-0 lead at the half, scoring 16 points in the second quarter.
Williams put JJHS on top with 2:52 left in the first quarter when he scored from 25 yards out. Dickerson added the 2-point conversion.
Dickerson then hit paydirt with 5:52 left in the half with a 42-yard scoring jaunt. He added the 2-point conversion for a 16-0 Joaquin lead.
Powdrill created the 24-point halftime lead with a 4-yard touchdown with only four seconds left in the half. Baker tacked on the conversion run.
Retaumar scored from 22 yards out with 5:02 on the clock in the third quarter. The try for two failed, leaving JJHS with a 30-0 lead. Baker then scored on a 7-yard run with 1:13 on the clock to create a 36-0 lead.
The final score of the night for the Ram eighth grade occurred with 6:47 left on Retaumar got loose on a 35-yard scoring run. Joseph Session scored the 2-point conversion.
Joaquin 7th 22, Hemphill 8 -- The Joaquin seventh grade held a 12-8 lead at the half, then added a safety in the third quarter and an insurance touchdown in the fourth to secure its season-opening win at Hornet Stadium Thursday.
Belrose rushed for 99 yards and a score on 10 carries for the Rams, while Peyton Martinez added 59 yards on only seven attempts. Brock Lawson picked up 29 yards and a score on seven hauls, Jamarcus Watts picked up 18 yards and Hunter Harper rushed for 11 yards and a TD.
The Rams finished the game 216 total yards, while limiting the Hornets to just 68 yards.
After a scoreless opening frame, Hemphill took an 8-0 lead with 6:54 remaining in the half. But the Rams cut the advantage to two points when Belrose bolted in from 22 yards out. The two-conversion failed, but Joaquin had cut the lead with 4:53 left in the half.
Lawson found the endzone with just 40 seconds left in the half. Once again the two-point run failed, but the Rams had taken the lead for good, 12-8.
Ruston Miller tackled a Hemphill back in the endzone with 2:42 left in the third to stretch the Joaquin lead to 14-8.
Harper then finished the scoring runs for the Rams with a three-yard score with 6:14 left in the game. Belrose added the 2-point run to close the scoring.
Statistics compiled by Darrell Martinez.