The Cate 8-man football team shook off a slow start and pulled away for a 46-0 rout of Villanova Prep in the season opener on Saturday in Ojai.
The Rams dominated on the defensive end from start to finish, but the Rams managed just one score in the first quarter on a rush from quarterback Sam Lambiote to take an 8-0 lead into the second.
However, Cate turned it up from there with 32 unanswered points in the second and third quarters to pull away for a 40-0 advantage. The Rams tacked on one more touchdown in the fourth to bring the game to its final score of 46-0.
“These are exciting times on the Mesa,” Cate head coach Ben Soto said. “With such a young roster already beginning to establish its identity, expectations and excitement surrounding this group will only continue to grow as the season progresses.
“Our team turned in a good job considering the limited time that we have been able to get onto the field due to heat restrictions. My coaches have done an outstanding job preparing the team in our classroom meetings.”
Lambiote ended the day 3-for-5 with 44 yards and one passing touchdown, while also adding two touchdowns on the ground. Michael Mumbo was all over the field with 104 all-purpose yards and a score.
Meanwhile, Will Murray found the end zone twice, and Julian Belfer scored his first career varsity touchdown.
On the defensive end, Andrew Jayich led the team with seven tackles and Jonah Vann got into the backfield for a pair of sacks.
Cate (1-0) will be on the road against Valley Christian Academy next Saturday in Santa Maria at 6 p.m.
