Second-year Roland Rangers football coach and former RHS athlete Austin Cantrell wanted to do to things better this new 2023 season than in 2022 — improving the defense and running the football. In the annual season-opening “Battle of 64,” Cantrell’s Rangers did both as they knocked off the rival Muldrow Bulldogs 2114 on Thursday night at Ranger Field.

Defensively, the Bulldogs (0-1) had four drives that got into Roland territory — one as deep as the Roland 12 — and on each of those drives the ‘Dogs got stopped on downs.

“We’ve stepped it up on defense this year,” Cantrell said. “We told them last year that we had so many teams run for like 300 yards against us. We made that an emphasis this year to stop the run. A lot of props to our defensive coordinator Rashawn Eubanks, Brady Robertson and coach (Dillon) Corbit. They did a great job. They got those guys ready. They were fired up. The senior leadership out there to push through when we were tired, they did a great job.”

“It was huge,” firstyear Muldrow coach Logan Coatney said. “We had possessions and was moving the ball pretty well. On one of the drives, we had a second-down play that we had negative yardage on. We go for it on fourth and short, and we were unable to get it. We tried to get out here and win this ballgame. We weren’t able to execute. Hats off to Roland.”

On the other hand, the Rangers (1-0) ran the wishbone offense and essentially ran the ball down the Bulldogs’ throat.

“We didn’t run the ball well,” Cantrell said. “So, we wanted to make that an emphasis this year. I’m a run-first kind of a guy. We came out in the spread, and that’s kind of our base offense. It’s what we ran all spring and off-season. After that scrimmage (on Aug. 18 at Hartshorne along with Spiro), we didn’t have the wishbone in, but we had another type of offense in there with a multiple back. The only time were were really able to move the ball (in the scrimmage) was when we had multiple backs, and helping out our (offensive) linemen by getting some misdirection going in the backfield. So, we decided we were going to switch to the wishbone. It really complements the players we have. I thought we did a great job.”

“When you’re unprepared for that style of offense, it throws your game plan for a wrench,” Coatney said. “They had a great game plan. They executed it well. I have to imagine they had well over 200 yards rushing in the first half alone. It was an excellent game plan by them. We didn’t play defense very well. Up front and up the middle, our guys didn’t do their job.”

The game-winning score came with 5:50 left to play as Ashton Peters scored his second touchdown of the game, this one on a 1-yard sneak to break a 14-all tie. Logan Lorenz’s extra point put Roland up for good at 21-14.

The ‘Dogs had one last chance to either tie the game or re-take the lead. Muldrow got the ball off a squib kick near midfield. The Bulldogs were stopped on downs at the Roland 38 with 3:01 remaining to play. The Rangers ran out the clock.

The Bulldogs tied the game at 14-all with 28 seconds left in the third quarter on a 22-yard TD run by Ashton Foster. However, the two-point conversion run failed as Zack Parker was tackled for a loss. That score capped a 62-yard, fiveplay drive. It was the only score of the third quarter. Each team was stopped on downs in that period.

The Rangers scored first on a 6-yard touchdown run by Dalton Crossno. Lorenz’ PAT made it 7-0 with 7:14 left in the first quarter. The scoring drive covered 65 yards in nine plays.

The ‘Dogs responded with a 60-yard, six-play drive as Muldrow quarterback Reid Sutton hit Jermauree Palmer on a 13-yard TD pass with 4:53 remaining in the period. Tristan Walter ran in the two-point conversion for Muldrow’s only lead of the night to put the Bulldogs ahead 8-7 after the first quarter.

Peters scored the first of his two touchdowns on a 1-yard run. Lorenz kicked the extra point to regain the lead for the Rangers at 14-8 with 8:44 remaining before halftime.

Muldrow twice in the final 6:01 got stopped on downs in Roland territory, once at the Roland 45 with 6:01 left in the first half, and the other time at Roland’s 12-yard line with 1:54 remaining before halftime.

The Rangers tried to get another score as two passes from quarterback Logen Thomas, one to Tyson Williams covering 15 yards and a 28-yard strike to Dakota Price, got Roland near midfield, but the drive stalled — although not without some trickery on Cantrell’s part.

Roland appeared as if it was going to take a knee, but Lorenz popped out of the line of scrimmage for about a 15- to 20-yard run. However, he was tackled around the Muldrow 35 to end the half, leading 14-8.

Cantrell was a happy camper with getting win No. 1 on opening night.

“We start 1-0,” he said. “Last year, we had such a hard time getting something going, to understand how to execute something. This week (going into the game), we explained to them the game plan — we’re going to play keep away. They have an explosive offense, and we’re big and can run the ball. We wanted to snap the ball with about five seconds left (on the play clock), and get six to seven yards. They executed, and I’m so proud of them. They really did a great job.”

For the game, Roland’s rushing 1-2 punch of Crossno and Peters each had greater than 100 yards rushing as Crossno had 143 yards rushing on 29 carries and a touchdown, while Peters had 18 carries for 123 yards and two TDs.

In defeat, Cody Gibbs had 68 yards rushing, while Foster had 48 rushing yards and a touchdown. Sutton threw for 82 yards, with 43 of those coming on a 43-yard pass to Teague Collins and three more passes covering a total of 30 yards going to Palmer — including a 13-yard TD pass for Muldrow’s first score.