Homecoming is a time for the celebration of former Rams players who come back to see their team play and win.

Modesto Junior College failed to get the memo as they handed the Rams their second consecutive loss.

The loss sends the Rams to a record of 3-4, ostensibly ending their chance to reach the postseason, although the team is still alive for a berth in a bowl game.

Offense appeared like it would be the word of the day, as both teams scored two touchdowns within the first eight minutes of the first quarter, including a huge 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Rams sophomore running back Jamal Pickett and a 65-yard catch and run for a touchdown by running back Nate Jones.

Jones, a sophomore playing in his second homecoming game of his career as a Ram, had a wonderful day statistically, rushing for 96 yards on nine attempts and adding another 73 yards through the air with two touchdowns, raising his total to 4 on the season.

“Everything went right,” Jones said. “That’s all it was. Everything went right and we just executed, but when it came down to that last drive, we just didn’t execute enough, so my day was alright but it could have been better with a W.”

With just under a minute to go and Fresno trailing 28-27 due to a missed extra point by Rams kicker Erik Zamora in the third quarter, Fresno was still in a position where they could steal the game and send all the home team fans off happy, but it wasn’t to be.

The Rams moved the ball down the field in a hurry, despite some questionable penalty calls and were in position to kick a game winning field goal with just 10 seconds remaining from Modesto’s 12 yard line.

Zamora had struggled up to that point in the season, but head coach Tony Caviglia decided to send out his kicker to attempt a 29-yard field goal to win the game.

Caviglia explained the thought process behind his decision to kick the field goal instead of try for the endzone.

“I thought that it was the right spot for Erik. If we would have thrown the ball to the middle of the field, we would of had to rush the field goal out there and that’s not too good. If we took a sack, we would be out of field goal range,” he said. “I thought that it was our best opportunity to win the game.”

Zamora was unable to hit, pulling the kick to the left of the uprights, essentially sealing the victory for the visitors.

“He’s our brother and I feel bad for him,” Jones said of Zamora. “I know he’s thinking about it and nobody’s perfect so we just need to keep on working.”

Keep working hard indeed as the road doesn’t get any easier from here on out. Fresno will hit the road next week to play against the National-Valley division leading Laney College that has won five games in a row.