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When the conditions are wet and rainy, as they were Friday night, most football teams plan to keep the ball on the ground and keep pounding away, only throwing when necessary. It's a strategy that works for the Rockville Rams.

When you have one of the best running backs in the county, in workhorse Crusoe Gongbay, and two more-than-capable backups in Josue Gaitan and Nate Nolasco, it makes sense to feed them the ball and turn them loose.

Gongbay finished with 31 carries, 167 yards and two touchdowns to lead his Rams (2-0, 1-0 Montgomery 2A Division) to a 21-6 divisional victory over visiting Poolesville (0-2, 0-1).

"When the chips are down, Crusoe is a grind-it-out running back," said Rockville head coach Kevin Bernot. "He can do it, and he's proven that he can do it."

Most of the game was played between the 30-yard lines, with both teams having no trouble moving the ball until deep in opponent territory. There were a total of six turnovers on downs in the game, four from Poolesville, and three of the four touchdowns scored resulted from big special teams plays.

Gongbay bull-rushed his way directly down the throat of the Falcon defense for most of the game, with very few rushes going left or right. In the first quarter, he had 42 yards and scored a touchdown as the quarter wound down, somewhat easing the restlessness of the home crowd.

But with 9 minutes, 48 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Rockville punter Robert Parker shanked a kick, setting Poolesville up at the Rockville 45-yard line. The Falcons took advantage, marching methodically in 11 plays, culminating in a 2-yard touchdown plunge from R.J. King (8 rushes, 12 yards).

After freshman place kicker Josh Womack missed the extra point to keep the Rams ahead 7-6, it was the Crusoe Gongbay show. On Rockville's next drive, Gongbay touched the ball nine times for 63 yards — 16 of which came on a third-and-13 — capped off with a 3-yard touchdown run, immediately answering the Falcon score.

"I wanted the ball; I wasn't trying to lose," Gongbay said. "I didn't even want them close to us."

Quarterback Chris Brown (3 for 7, 36 yards, 1 touchdown) iced the game with a 25-yard touchdown toss to tight end Phil McTighe after a bad Falcon punt.

Senior wideout Ben Hessles was by far Poolesville's most dynamic offensive threat; he finished with six catches for 103 yards, including a spectacular one-handed, 35-yard.

Quarterback Cody Kenly was 9 for 17, tallying 131 yards but two costly interceptions; Nilolay Henze finished with 23 yards on 14 rushes against a stingy Ram defense that only gave up 35 yards rushing on the night.