A new era of Central Catholic High School football was ushered in Friday, Aug. 30 at Hillsboro Stadium.
And it looked a lot like the old one.
The Rams rolled to a 35-15 win over Leilehua (Wahiawa, Hawaii) to grab head coach Charlie Landgraf’s first win leading the program, and it was the first varsity game for junior starting quarterback Robbie Long.
Long was in a three-man battle for the QB spot with senior Beau Rolak and junior Sam Ribner, winning out and leading Central Catholic to a 1-0 start.
“It was just the consistency from the start of August to when we made the decision last weekend,” Landgraf said of what landed Long the job. “Consistent play, the ability to make plays with his feet off script, and his demeanor. He’s got a cool, calm demeanor that I think the guys rally around and appreciate.”
Long admitted to some early nerves, but it was evident as the Rams put together a 70-yard touchdown drive on their first possession.
After completing a 40-yard pass to senior D’Marieon Gates, junior Tyson Davis ran it in from six yards out to give Central Catholic the early 6-0 lead after a missed PAT.
The Rams got the points back though after forcing a three-and-out and Leilehua snapped the ball through the end zone on the ensuing punt, making it 8-0 Rams early.
Central Catholic kept scoring, ending the next drive with a 13-yard touchdown pass from Long to senior Landon Kelsey. The 2-point try after was no good, making it 14-0 Rams still in the first quarter.
@landon_kelsey is just too big for his defender 🤏He brings in the 13 yard TD pass from Long. 2 pt attempt is no good, Rams lead 14-0 with 1:48 left in Q1 #opreps pic.twitter.com/byZVN6dYlL — Austin White (@ajw_sports) August 30, 2024
“After the first snap I was back to normal just playing football,” Long said of the nerves.
Another Mules punt eventually led to another Rams touchdown, this time Long used his legs to run the ball into the endzone from four yards out.
The play before, Long rolled to his right and seemed to dump the ball off miraculously right before going out of bounds to Kelsey, but Long was called out.
While it didn’t count, those types of plays are what made Landgraf go with Long for the starting gig.
“I thought he did a lot of good things, great athlete,” Landgraf said of Long. “I think you saw there, him being able to make plays off script … I’m sure there’s a ton we’ll be able to correct on film and hoping for a big week next week.”
Long’s rushing touchdown helped make it 21-0, and another punt from the Mules meant another scoring chance for the Rams.
This time it was a deep pass to junior Dayvion Curtis, who reached over his defender to make a catch and then spun out of the tackle attempt to run away for a 31-yard TD catch.
At the half, Central Catholic was on cruise control up 28-0 with the offense humming and the defense only giving up 90 yards of offense.
“I thought our front seven played physical and that’s just credit to the guys we have and the culture we’re creating in practice,” Landgraf said of the defense.
The Rams got the ball to start the second half, but were forced to punt. However, junior Cole Thomas came up with an interception two plays later to get the ball back to the offense.
Thomas’ teammates repaid him with the highlight play of the day.
Long appeared to be in the arms of the Leilehua defenders on a drop back, but he flipped the ball last second to Davis, and the running back broke through a couple arm tackles and took the ball to the house on a 45-yard touchdown.
“He’s crazy, I love that guy,” Long said of Davis. “He’s a crazy running back, one of the best in the state, the best in my opinion.”
The PAT made it 35-0 Rams to start the running clock where Central Catholic took its foot off the gas a bit. Leilehua ran the ensuing kickoff back about 90 yards to get on the board and make it 35-7.
Central Catholic punted its next two times with the ball and Leilehua put together one more scoring drive plus a 2-point conversion to get to the 35-15 final.
Long finished his first start going 17-for-24 for 217 passing yards and three TDs. He also ran the ball five times for six yards and one TD.
Davis carried the ball 13 times for 84 yards and a TD. He also caught three passes for 75 yards and one TD.
Overall, Central Catholic outgained Leilehua 338-139, but the Rams did have 100 yards lost due to penalties.
Still, an overall strong performance in game No. 1 for the Rams as they begin their quest to repeat as 6A state champions.
“I feel like our run was pretty good in the first half, but we definitely need to turn into a second half team,” Davis said. “Seemed like they caught on to our outside zone, but for the most part, we were moving pretty well.”
Up next is another out-of-state challenge for the Rams, and a twin of sorts.
The Rams will be welcoming Central Catholic out of Modesto, California to Hillsboro Stadium. The game is set for 7 p.m. on Sept. 6.
“I thought the guys came out and played a solid first half, and then a ton to work on in the second half,” Landgraf said. “You can’t be a one-half team … We got the win, it’s not always going to be pretty, but we’re excited to watch the film and see where we need to get better at.”
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