If there’s one takeaway from the Northern Virginia’ Rampage’s inaugural season of Major League Football, it’s that the path to victory can be a mountain climb to the top, with obstacles to clear at every level.

During their season finale against the Frederick County Tigers in Dumfries on Saturday, the Rampage looked to send the home crowd happy with a victory. Their first half was arguably their best performance of the season, with the offense reaching the end zone for the first time since April 14th on a 1-yard run by McCall, and then they picked off the Tigers on the ensuing possession. In addition, the defense held the Tigers on consecutive fourth down attempts, including a sack near the goal line, giving the offense ample opportunities. They went into the half tied at 8.

Then the second half happened.

After not scoring on the first possession, the Rampage defense got sliced by an 82-yard cross pattern for a 14-8 lead. Next, the Rampage QB Lucas was sacked and lost the ball at their 37, giving the Tigers ample field position. Quickly, they moved the ball down the field, scoring on a 12-yard touchdown pass that put them up 20-8. It only got worse from there, with Lucas getting intercepted, leading to a 43-yard touchdown pass on a wide receiver screen pass. Although the Rampage did score on their final offensive possession, they could not recover the onside kick, and the Tigers kneeled to win the game 26-14.

Despite the challenges of learning how to adjust to a new league, having to change offensive coordinators midway through the year, and the defense being placed in the opponent’s territory often, the team managed to keep the focus on establishing a foundation. That is critical to reaching the apex of success, and the Rampage will need to rely on that foundation to eventually become the champions they aspire to be.