A small team plagued with injury, the Washington Rams have the odds stacked against them, but that isn’t stopping them from fighting for a playoff spot.

The Rams are 1-0 in the 4A Black Canyon region, with an overall record of 3-2, as they enter play against the St. Mary’s Knights on Friday.

The team started off the season on a winning streak, with victories against the Dysart Demons and the Sierra Linda Bulldogs, followed by losses the next two weeks at home against the Arcadia Titans and the Moon Valley Rockets.

The Rams secured their third win at a road game against the Vista Grande Spartans on Sept. 20.

Continuing to play their best and managing injuries are the top priorities for the Rams. In their Sept. 13 game against Moon Valley, three players were injured: left tackle Mikias Sima, who suffered a sprained ankle; right tackle Isiah Cortez, who went down with a knee injury; and fullback Dominick Sanders, who may be out for the season after dislocating his elbow.

“We were running a shield punt," Sima said. "I was the left shield, and I got hit from both sides which I didn’t expect."

The left tackle exited the game at halftime. He is expected to play in Friday’s game pending a follow-up examination.

With many injuries, the other players have had to step up and play both offense and defense and will continue to do so until the injured players make their return.

“It was hard on the line losing two starters on our offensive line,” head coach Tim Mayfield said. “Injury kills us.”

Going forward, the seniors plan to be examples of leadership to the young team.

“There is a big difference between our dedication from last year to this year,” guard Carlos Castillo said. “Last year, we didn’t really have any leaders on our team to step up and show the underclassmen how to win and how to have a winning culture and have a brotherhood. As a senior, I want to show the underclassmen that it’s possible. It’s going to be hard, but we can do this.”

Senior wide receiver Dae dae Zachery echoed similar sentiments, explaining to his younger teammates that injuries happen, and as a team they need to be prepared to step in when their starters can’t play.

Region games will play a significant factor in the Rams’ season. Their first region game wasn’t meant to be their first game of the season, but after Mayfield received a call from Dysart about a scheduling conflict, they agreed to move the game up.

“Normally, your last five games are typically your region games. It worked out good because now we are 1-0 in region, so we know going in we are already 1-0,” Mayfield said. “We are going to need to win the region to get to playoffs.” 

Both of the team’s losses have been home games, and they are eager to change that.

“Our flow at home isn’t really right yet, but when we are away we understand that our backs are already against the wall," Zachery said. "We have to get that together so we flow right."

“We have to be more aggressive, and we have to play as a team,” senior free safety Travion Hughes said. “If everyone does their job, we will be good.”