Chatham's football team travels to Randolph on Thursday, August 27 for a season opener that doubles as an early SFC Liberty Blue division test for both programs.

The Cougars face a Randolph squad desperate to erase the memory of a 2-7 campaign in 2025. That record was the Rams' worst since 2008.

Injuries gutted Randolph from the start last fall. Quarterback Jackson Magley tore a shoulder muscle on the fifth play of the season; on the very next snap, wide receiver Patrick Dell'Aglio broke his collarbone. The Rams failed to score more than 14 points in any game during an 0-7 start before rallying to win their final two contests, combining for 62 points in victories over Orange and Mendham.

"As the season went on, you'd look at the sideline and we were down to about 30 healthy kids at one point," Randolph head coach Ryan Grezik told NorthJersey.com on Thursday, July 24.

Grezik enters his second year leading the program. It marks the first time since 2023 that Randolph has the same head coach in consecutive seasons. He said the difficult 2025 slate forced underclassmen into action earlier than planned, giving his staff a longer look at younger talent heading into summer workouts.

Facility problems compounded the chaos. Randolph lacked a dedicated practice field and weight room until the week before its Mount Olive game, forcing the team to practice off-site. Those issues have been resolved for 2026, according to Grezik.

Both teams now share the SFC Liberty Blue division after a conference realignment. Randolph previously competed in the SFC Liberty White, where every other team reached the playoffs in 2025.

On the Chatham side, the Cougars went 7-3 in 2024, according to Daily Record preseason capsules, and quarterback Ryan Hogan threw for more than 1,000 yards as a junior in 2025. Chatham's 2026 roster and coaching staff have not been publicly confirmed.

Kickoff on August 27 is at Randolph. The Rams follow with a trip to Mount Olive on Friday, September 4, then host West Morris on Thursday, September 10.

A recap with the final score will be published after the August 27 game.