Rams Set to Trample the Competition
Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Ethan Cash.
Bluefield University’s Rams football has high hopes for the 2025 season, thanks to a solid group of veterans returning and a promising group of new recruits.
The Rams rolled over Thomas University in the first game of the season. The team had the whole stadium in an uproar, the band and cheerleaders were going full force, and the fans were passionately cheering as the Rams took home their first victory of 2025, 31-20.
In that game, the Rams came out strong, scoring 14 points in the first quarter with 7 more in the following quarter. The first half of the game was nothing but pressure on Thomas University, with senior Ethan Cash, who connected with freshman Marlin Haywood, marking the Rams’ very first touchdown of the year in the opening quarter.
The third quarter was a standoff, with neither team scoring a point. The Rams’ defense battered the oncoming offense and held out until the fourth quarter. Thomas University gained a second wind, scoring 20 points in the final quarter, but the Rams pulled through in the final stretch, earning an additional 10 points, cementing the victory for BU.
Since then, the Rams have lost two straight games, dropping to 1-2 on the season, but the team still has high hopes for 2025, thanks to a number of top offensive and defensive players returning for this season. Bluefield’s two top rushers, senior Abdul Kaloko and sophomore Rayjuan Traynham, are returning alongside their top receiver, senior Christian Mack, on offense. Returning defensive players include sophomore defensive back Eric Boyd, sophomore defensive lineman Alex Gutierrez, and sophomore Titus Holte, who tallied 57 tackles during the previous season.
In addition to the returning players, Coach Dewey Lusk is excited about 15 new transfer players for the upcoming season. He hopes the combination of returning players and new recruits, will help the team improve upon its 5-6 overall record and third place finish in the conference in 2024. The Rams ended last season with a two-game winning streak and seem to have kept the spirit of victory going.
Support for the football team has also been reinforced. Bluefield University’s cheer team and marching band both have seen an influx of new recruits. For the first time in years, the band even has a color guard full of flag twirlers. Both the cheer team and band are eager to kick up some school spirit for the team and students on and off the field throughout the season.