ALTO – Joaquin didn’t attempt a pass on Friday night, and it didn’t have to.

The Rams were able run the ball up and down the field and get enough defensive stops to defeat Alto 35-20 in the District 11-2A, Division I opener on Friday night at Cam’Ron Matthews Field.

Kase Yates rushed for 187 yards and three touchdowns for the Rams, and Connor Bragg added 105 yards and a score.

Joaquin jumped in front early with an 82-yard touchdown run by Bragg.

Alto responded with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Townsend to Alex McIntyre to knot the score at 7.

WIth 1:14 left in the opening quarter, Yates went 34 yards to the end zone to give the Rams a 14-7 lead.

Early in the second quarter, a 6-yard run by Fred Thacker helped Alto chip into the deficit, but the extra point was no good to bring the score to 14-13. Just more than a minute later, Tray Wilkerson scored on a 1-yard run to give the Rams a 21-13 lead at the break.

Touchdown runs of 69 yards and 43 yards by Yates in the third and fourth quarters helped Joaquin put the game away.

Thacker added a 1-yard touchdown late in the contest. Thacker finished with 111 yards and two touchdowns. Townsend rushed for 128 yards.

Alto (1-5, 0-1) will travel to Carlisle on Friday.