By Rob Brown // For the Daily Journal
Many of the faces are new, but Roncalli treated the home crowd to a result it has become accustomed to in a 43-20 win over Southport during Friday’s season opener, played in front of a full house at Roncalli Stadium.
“Our standard never deviates,” Roncalli head coach Eric Quintana said. “I think our guys competed well throughout spring and summer. We want to win in everything we do, and I’m proud of our guys.”
Junior tailback Henry Adams led a Roncalli rushing attack that rolled up 222 yards on 27 carries and saw four different Royals rush for scores. Adams, after rushing for 255 yards last season in a supporting role, exploded for his first 100-yard game (105 yards) on a career-high tying 15 carries. His totals included a 6-yard touchdown on Roncalli’s first possession.
His backfield mate, Ben Brandenburg, tallied 40 yards and two scores on just three carries, including a 37-yard scoring sprint down the left sideline in the second quarter.
“I’m really impressed with our offensive line,” Adams said. “They are smaller than last year’s line, but they work so hard. They gave me great holes to run through tonight and I took advantage.”
Roncalli scored 23 points on its first four possessions, all of which began inside the Southport 35-yard line. After Adams’ opening score, Levi Wisler connected on a 30-yard field goal, and then Rogan Benich carried it in from 5 yards out to put the Royals up 16-6.
After a Sam Roeder interception set the Royals up at the Cardinals’ 28-yard line, Brandenburg scored from 1 yard out seven plays later. Roncalli scored its final first-half touchdown on a 64-yard pass from Collin Ash to Christian Swiezy in the half’s final two minutes. The Royals led 37-6 at the half.
In the second half, Southport managed two scores on consecutive drives in the third and fourth quarters. Jeremiah Stanovic scored from 29 yards, then Bryce Calvert connected with Nilyn Compton from 47 yards.
Zach Dozier’s 43-yard run was the Royals’ only second-half score.
Roncalli, coming off a 12-2 season and a trip to the Class 4A semistate last season, is replacing 15 starters, many of whom were key pieces in a three-year run that saw the team go 37-4 and win a Class 4A state title in 2020. The 2023 returnees are clustered on the defense, which returns five starters. Roncalli limited Southport to just 220 total yards, 98 of those in the first half, and grabbed the game’s only takeaway.
“I put a key emphasis on our defensive group when we started in the winter because that’s where I knew the strength of our team was,” Quintana said.
Roncalli improved its all-time record against Southport to 16-11. The Royals have won three straight in the current version of the annual series, which dates to 2008.
Quintana’s group travels to Franklin Central next Friday night.
