Boys varsity basketball (0-1) fell to the Sherwood Warriors (1-0) 53-51 Dec. 6 in the home season opener in what was a close game throughout and came down to a final missed shot by the Rams that failed to send the game to overtime.

Last year, the Rams made it to the regional championship game where they fell short to the Thomas Johnson Patriots, closing the season with a record of  14-11 and a division championship.

The team was off to a slow start with a series of early turnovers which led to easy fastbreak points for the Warriors. Building on the rising momentum, the Warriors closed the first quarter with a 20-6 lead.

The Rams picked up the intensity at the beginning of the second quarter. Senior captain guards Je’shaud Armwood, Matt McTighe and Rajuan Stevens all contributed to the Rams outscoring the Warriors and narrowing the lead to 34-23 entering halftime.

Beginning the third quarter, the Rams pressured the Warriors with strong defense creating multiple turnovers for the Warriors.

“Even though we lost, we were playing good defense in the second, third and fourth quarter because the first quarter was the quarter when we dug ourselves into a hole,” Armwood said.

The Rams narrowed the lead to within 10 points, but unnecessary fouls kept the Warriors on the foul line. In addition to the numerous free throws, a tough layup by Sherwood’s junior forward Nate Lacey stretched the lead even further to 51-45 with two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Despite the late comeback by the Rams, they struggled to overcome the large early deficit. The Rams made a strong final push and had a chance to send the game to overtime, but the shot missed and the Warriors emerged victorious with a narrow 53-51 win.

The Rams will face the Quince Orchard Cougars next at home Dec. 11 at 7:15 p.m.