Marcus’s Postgame Pulse: Jayhawks Fall 34-23 in Thriller Against Roosevelt Rough Riders
BY MARCUS KRANZ ’27
On Friday, October 24, 2025, the Jayhawks played host to the Roosevelt Rough Riders in Jericho’s annual Play for Pink game. The Rough Riders entered the game struggling with a 1-5 record and a three-game losing streak, while the Jayhawks came in at an even 3-3.
The Rough Riders opened the game with a 3-yard rushing touchdown on their first drive. The Jayhawks responded in the second quarter as kicker Max Spector ’26 booted a 37-yard field goal through the uprights after a promising drive that included a 26-yard bubble screen pass to Brody Morgan ’27.
Jericho kept the momentum going later in the quarter as the defense forced and recovered a fumble. Spector then connected with Brody Morgan again on a 33-yard pass, leading to a J.P. Wang ’26 touchdown. Wang would score again on a 2-yard rushing touchdown to close out the half with the Jayhawks up 17–6 at the break.
The Jayhawks’ drive to open up the second half looked promising, however, it stalled out. On fourth-and-14, the Jayhawks tried a pooch punt, but it was blocked at the line of scrimmage and bounced into the hands of a Roosevelt player, who broke free for a big return. The Rough Riders’ offense was back on the field in the red zone as Roosevelt’s Tyreik McClenic ran the ball in from 5 yards out. The Rough riders then scored on the 2-point conversion to make it 17–14.
On the ensuing Jayhawks possession, Max Spector threw a pass that was initially ruled incomplete. However, after the referees conversed, the pass was changed to an interception. The Rough Riders had all the momentum, but the Jayhawks’ defense held strong as Brady Lee ’26 made a tackle in the backfield on fourth down. On the very next play, J.P. Wang fumbled, and Roosevelt’s Elyjah McRae ran back the fumble 25 yards for the scoop and score.
The Jayhawks’ drive stalled again, and the Rough Riders took advantage, scoring on fourth down to put the game away. However, the Jayhawks continued to fight, pulling out a few trick plays, including a double pass where Spector threw to Brody Morgan, who then found Michael Moskalev ’26 for a 24-yard gain. Then Spector found Hudson Gingold ’26, who pitched the ball to Jake Morgan ’27, who broke free for a 46-yard touchdown.
Ultimately, Jericho failed to convert on the onside kick, and Roosevelt ran out the clock as the Jayhawks fell 34 to 23. Reflecting on the heartbreaking loss, strong safety Jonathan Fortunoff ’26 said, “These last two weeks have certainly been tough but I have a lot of confidence in our ability to bounce back this week. If there’s one thing we excel at it’s believing in each other and learning from our mistakes. Expect a much different Jayhawks team this week.” The Jayhawks will look to bounce back against a struggling Glen Cove team on Jericho’s Senior Night this Friday, October 31.