Roxbury High School Football has not seen a winning streak for many years. They’ve been seen as the underdogs and known as an “easy win.” The last time they were the winning team was over 7 years ago. As the seniors of 2023 departed from the high school, the class of 2024 knew it was their time to step it up and claim the victories that they knew they always could.
This group of senior boys have been playing together since their days on the Jr. Gaels, the recreational team. They were undefeated at that time and could beat anyone that came their way. They are reigning down on their competitors just like they were doing when they were 9 years old. Roxbury football truly shows how the bond you have with your team is the most important part of having a successful season.
Another important contribution to these weekly victories is Coach Ryan Roumes. Coach Roumes just became the head coach of the football team a little over a year ago and he has really turned the program around by giving them guidance and an optimistic spirit that benefits them while on the field. “The most important aspect of success is having a team with resilience. Resilience is key. This group of senior boys have lots of experience and know that things are gonna happen but you just got to keep swinging and fighting,” states Coach Roumes, and swinging the Gaels endeavored a well-earned winning streak of 8 wins and 0 losses.
For the first game of the season, Roxbury High School took on the Parsippany High School Football team on Friday, August, 25th, 2023. The game took place at Parsippany High School field giving them the home-field advantage, however, this didn’t stop the Gaels. Roxbury trailed behind Parsippany for the first two quarters with a score of 21-7. The first touchdown was scored by Colin Ritcher after receiving a 49-yard pass from Anthony Skawinski.
This continued until the 4th quarter when Jared Irwin had a 54-yard interception. It was then turned over to Gunnar Hilsinger for an extra-point kick. With seconds left on the running clock, the ball was returned to the Gaels. Jared Irwin got a 5-yard pass from Colin Ritcher bringing them to the 10-yard line. Anthony Skawinski locked eyes with Colin Ritcher, passed the ball to him, and Colin bolted down the field scoring the game-winning touchdown. The final score was 22- 21. The Gaels win!
The next 5 Games for the Gaels were triumphant in themselves. They were averaging about a 7-point win difference against their opponents at each game, except for the game at Randolph High School on September 8th when they completely blew the team out with a final score of 34-0. The statistics spoke for themselves Anthony Skawinski passed 70 yards (#1), 201 rushing yards by Jahmani Miller (#22), 51 receiving yards by Colin Ritcher (#2), 1 sack by Matt Rattay (#35), and 14 tackles by Josh Rivera ( #55). With that, they won their 5th game against Warren Hills High School on September 22 with a final score of the game of 14-7. After their 5 consistent wins, the 6th game of the season would determine if they would receive the title of Conference Champs.
The biggest game for the Roxbury Gaels came on Friday, September 29th. The game was against the Mount Olive High School Marauders at their home field. Not only were both teams undefeated but this game would determine which team would reign victorious as Conference Champs. “It felt cool because we hadn’t had that type of game in a long time. We hadn’t had a regular game with that much importance in like 7 years. They felt prepared and ready for this extremely important game,” exclaims Coach Roumes. The Gaels were ready to show that the players who truly want it are the ones who have to work hard for it.
In the 1st quarter of the game, Matt Rattay had an 11-yard run touchdown. He returned the Ball to Gunnar Hilsinger, who kicked an extra point for the Gaels. After no action in the 2nd quarter, the Marauders finally got a touchdown.
With the time running out and the score tied, the Gaels made the decision to have Gunnar Hilsinger go for a field goal. It was the right decision bringing the score to 10-7. But the ball made its way down to the Marauders’ hands and with seconds remaining on the clock they went for the touchdown. Making it only to the 20-yard line, their quarterback threw the ball and the receiver fumbled it. Connor May (#15) picked it up putting the Gaels in 1st down position. “I felt like I had to recover that fumble to secure victory for my team. It was the best feeling ever”, exclaims Connor May.
The clock ran out. The crowd cheered, and, the Roxbury High School Gaels became Conference Champions.
This Roxbury High School Football team has had an incredible season thus far. Ranked 19th in the state and with just a few more games left in the season, the Gaels are definitely the team to beat.
