Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Randolph-Henry High School’s (R-H) varsity football team started well in the first quarter of Friday night’s season opener against visiting Nelson County High School, but after some Statesmen setbacks, the Governors pulled away for a decisive 50-23 victory.

“We had a ton of penalties,” R-H Head Coach Zach Orlando said. “That really hurt us. We had some stuff that’s out of our control as players and coaches that really didn’t help us, but the big thing was penalties, and it’s like we came out and we played pretty well in the first quarter … We scored first. We were up 7-0, had a defensive touchdown and then stopped them, got the ball back. We were across the 40 on their side and fumbled the ball, and they went down and scored. And from that point forward, it just kind of had a snowball effect.”

The Statesmen trailed 8-7 after the first quarter and 32-7 at halftime.

The R-H defensive touchdown was set up by strong special teams and defense, pinning Nelson on its own three-yard line. On the ensuing running play, R-H senior Izaia Foster “caused the fumble, and Camden Locey covered the fumble in the end zone,” Orlando said.

Offensively, though sophomore Chris Redd was limited by injury, junior Ryetwon Callaham had 21 carries for 149 yards and both second-half R-H touchdowns.

R-H (0-1) will look to take advantage of any big-play opportunities Friday at 7 p.m. at Chatham High School (1-0).