Edgren quarterback Shawn Ortiz-Robinson outsprints Perry defender Robert Johnston. (Kayla Bodwini/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren quarterback Shawn Ortiz-Robinson outsprints Perry defender Robert Johnston. (Kayla Bodwini/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren running back Joseph Njorge looks Saturday for a way around Perry defender Desmond Moore. (Kayla Bodwini/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren quarterback Shawn Robinson tries to elude Perry defender Jarell Davis on Saturday. (Anthony Curriera/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren's Blake Smaw and Perry's Tyson Moore go up for the ball on Saturday. (Anthony Curriera/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Perry running back Caeleb Ricafrente tries to outrun Edgren defender Joseph Njorge on Saturday. (Anthony Curriera/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Perry running back Caeleb Ricafrente and Edgren defender Sky Phillips jostle for position Saturday. (William Takahashi/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren running back Nick Cunniff looks for running room Saturday against Perry defender Andrew Jenkins. (Kayla Bodwini/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren running back Daniel Lovett tries to shake off Perry defender Tyson Moore on Saturday. (Anthony Curriera/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren running back Nick Cunniff gets an escort Saturday from teammate Daniel Lovett against Perry defender Jarell Davis. (Kayla Bodwini/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Edgren quarterback Shawn Ortiz-Robinson unloads the ball Saturday over Perry defender Zach Brown. (William Takahashi/Special to Stars and Stripes)

Perry quarterback Garrett Macias gets rid of the ball Saturday as Edgren defender Terrel Troxler closes in. (William Takahashi/Special to Stars and Stripes)

CAMP ZAMA, Japan – They got the W in their first game as a varsity football program in 11 years. But for coach Frank Macias and Matthew C. Perry, Saturday’s neutral-site game at Zama served as what he called an “eye-opener.”

“Edgren, they came and laid hat,” Macias said after the Samurai pulled away late for a 40-18 win over Robert D. Edgren on Trojans Field. “It was an eye-opener to see the way a varsity team hits. We’re happy to get the win, but we’re not where we need to be.”

For the Eagles, who were blanked 39-0 in their season opener a week earlier at American School In Japan, “the kids did work a lot harder,” coach Bill Schofield said, referring to the line, in particular, as a “work in progress. We were in better shape this week.”

Using a punishing ground game, the Samurai racked up 335 rushing yards as a team, while the Eagles got their scoring on big plays.

Mick Carreiro rushed 21 times for 105 yards and scored three times to lead the Samurai. But it was Caeleb Ricafrente who made the difference in the late going, picking up 86 yards and a TD on 17 carries. “He was the star of the second half, the nail in the coffin,” Macias said.

Jarell Davis added 69 yards on 14 carries and two touchdowns for Perry. Edgren took the early advantage right from the opening kickoff, which Daniel Lovett returned 65 yards for a touchdown. Shawn Ortiz-Robinson scrambled 27 yards for a touchdown and threw 65 yards to Joseph Njorge for the Eagles’ third score. Lovett finished with 142 yards on 15 carries and Robinson 87 yards on eight attempts. Nick Cunniff had 11 tackles and Sky Phillips 10.

This was the Samurai’s first game since a 41-0 shutout loss to Zama on Nov. 8, 2003. It was their first win since shutting out Nile C. Kinnick 14-0 on Oct. 26, 2002.

Perry comes right back to Zama for its next game at 7 p.m. Friday, while Edgren travels to Kinnick, also at 7 p.m. Friday.