Redemption on Rams' minds

By David Murphy
Published September 21, 2007

On the surface, it looked like the biggest no-brainer since Brad swapped Jennifer for Angelina. Ben Perry's father was standing in front of him, offering him an opportunity to join one of the most successful high school football programs in the history of mankind. He'd been offered a job in Forth Worth, Texas, and was planning to enroll his son at South Lake Carroll High, which had just won the Class 5A state title and was in the middle of a 49-game win streak.

All Perry had to do was give his consent, pack his bags and get sized for a championship ring.

Except for one thing: he didn't want to leave.

"Carroll's a great program," the Ridgewood linebacker said, "but you're not going to have an impact at a place like that."

Three years later, the impact Perry and his fellow seniors have had at Ridgewood has been nothing short of meteoric. The Rams, who won just two combined games in 2004 and 2005, have started 2-0 for the second straight season. In tonight's game against Central, a school that has quickly become their most heated rival, they have a chance to establish themselves as the early favorite to win the first district title in school history.

"It'd be big," running back Byronell Arline said. "We're going for a district championship."

But district aspirations are only a piece of the Rams' motivation. Last season, Central beat Ridgewood 23-20 in a heated game that was decided when the Rams' missed a last-second 37-yard field-goal attempt. The Rams were forced to attempt the field goal after a controversial unsportsmanlike penalty call turned a first and 10 at the Bears 20 into first and 25 at the 35.

"Their whole student section ran onto our field after the win," Perry said.

Tonight, the Rams are determined to protect their turf. To do so, they must avoid the slow start that plagued them last season when Central held them to 2 yards of total offense in the first half and took a 23-0 lead into the locker room. Arline, who has 278 yards on 50 carries in his first two games, likely will get more carries than he has seen all season. Perry and the defense, meanwhile, will look to stop a Central attack that is much more balanced than last season.

"I think we're going in there as the underdog," Rams coach Chris Taylor said. "We haven't done anything. Everyone anointed us this good team, and we haven't done anything."

Of course, this is one of those weeks where both coaches are attempting to convince their squads - and the general public - that they are the underdog. Central coach Cliff Lohrey has a poster of Arline taped to his office door as a constant reminder of the preseason hype Ridgewood has generated.

"They might be saying that (they are the underdog)," Lohrey said, "but they don't believe it."

A win would give Ridgewood its first 3-0 start since 2002. That's the last - and only time - the Rams qualified for the playoffs.

It's also the last time they beat Central.

Said Perry: "This is our shot at redemption."

David Murphy can be reached at dmurphy@sptimes.com or (352) 848-1407.

[Last modified September 20, 2007, 19:07:39]