Xavion Chambers leads Roosevelt to bounce back victory over Jay

After getting blown out in its first two games, Roosevelt knew it was going to have to fix a few things to turn its season around.

Whatever fixes Roosevelt made seem to work for quarterback Xavion Chambers and the rest of the squad as the Rough Riders trampled Jay 55-6 for their first win of the season Saturday at Heroes Stadium.

“The message in practice was ‘fix us,'” Roosevelt coach Darnell Barnes said. “Fix us, fix our mistakes, fix what we’ve been doing wrong. We’re not going to look out and start pointing fingers, blaming referees and all of that stuff. We got to fix what we can control, so I felt like we really did that tonight.”

In losses to Clemens (50-22) and East Central (40-14), Barnes said Roosevelt hurt itself with turnovers. Against Jay (0-3), Roosevelt flipped the script by forcing the Mustangs into five turnovers, three of those miscues leading to Rough Rider scores.

“We came out in the first two games and in two games we had six turnovers and a blocked punt,” Barnes said. “It’s hard to win football games in (Class) 6A football period. But when you’re spotting good teams 21 points every game and being sloppy with the football, it’s impossible to win. In practice we harped on it, ball security, all the way to the ground, take care of the football. We harped on striking the hip, climbing the ladder, making good tackles and then if we got them stood up in the crowd, punching the ball out, ripping it out, giving more opportunities for our offense and then being explosive in the special teams. So, it was just a complete flip of what the last two weeks have been and I’m very proud of these guys because we talked about it in practice, we harped on it and then they came on the field and executed today.”

Chambers, a junior, led Roosevelt (1-2) as he threw for 236 yards on 17-of-22 passing and four scores, including two to Dartanyon Brown and one each to Aurice Perry, Dreidan Rose and Ernest Smith.

“Well tonight, it was just basically executing,” Chambers said. “The offense, we turned the ball over too many times. Defense wasn’t getting off the field on third downs. But today we just did our job. Everybody believed in each other. We had a good talk on Friday about personal issues with the team, bonding with the team, getting better. So, I feel like today we played for one other.

Roosvelt Rough Riders Ernest Smith (3) leaps over defenders In the second half for a touchdown on Saturday, Sept.12, 2026 at Heroes Stadium. Roosevelt defeated Jay 55-6. (Ronald Cortes/for the San Antonio Express News)

Rose finished with five catches for 118 yards, most of which came on the 71-yard scoring reception in the fourth quarter, while Brown caught scoring tosses of 17, 16 and 17 yards, all of which came in the second quarter, including a scoring toss from Perry. Smith also had a rushing touchdown.

“I got a lot of good athletes on my team,” Chambers said. “They make me look good. Honestly, I don’t really have to do too much. I can get the ball to my guys and let them do what they got to do to go score and that’s how we were very successful on offense today.”

After stopping Jay on downs deep in its own territory, Roosevelt marched down the field on a 71-yard scoring drive ending as Chambers threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Perry with 1:45 in the first.

In the second quarter, Roosevelt scored on three of four possessions in the frame to take a 28-0 lead at halftime. The first score came on a trick play, as Perry took a toss from Chambers and found Brown in the end zone for a 17-yard score. The Rough Riders’ next two scores were set up by two fumble recoveries by Isiah Chavez, resulting in Brown’s final two touchdown receptions of the game.

Roosevelt tacked on 21 more points in the third quarter, with running back Ernest Smith getting two of those touchdowns on a 14-yard scoring pass from Chambers and a 27-yard run.

Jay finally put points on the board in third quarter on a 13-yard scoring pass from Ezekiel Lara to Wallace Wellington.
Roosevelt linebacker Rayne Russell-Fields came up with two turnovers, including an interception and a scoop and score 53-yard fumble return in the third quarter.

Both teams have an open week before starting district action. Jay begins District 14-5A-1 play against South San on Sept. 24 at Gustafson Stadium, while Roosevelt faces a surprising Madison team that is off to a 3-0 start in its District 28-6A opener at Heroes Stadium on Sept. 25.