The Greene County Ram varsity football team dropped its season opener 12-6 on a wet Linduska Field to the Titans of South Central Calhoun Friday night.
The Titans came ready to play football and held a 12-0 lead after only three minutes of play. A seven-play, 72-yard drive, including a 42 yard pass by and a culminating 19-yard run up the middle put the Titans up 6-0 with 10:17 showing on the first quarter clock.
On their first possession the Rams were on their own 35 yard line when quarterback Daric Whipple’s first pass of the season was intercepted by Titan quarterback Henkenius (playing defense). Henkenius ran for 70 yards and scored, putting the score at 12-0. The Titans weren’t successful on any of their point after touchdown attempts.
The Rams started the second half receiving the kick-off, but the Titans recovered the ball on the Ram 43 yard line. The Titans moved all the way to the Rams’ 1-yard line when Joe Doran held them on downs. Late in the third quarter Whipple made it to the end zone, but the touchdown was nullified by a holding penalty. The third quarter ended 12-0.
With less than eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter, the Titans got the ball on their own 18-yard line after a Whipple fumble. Turnabout was fair play – Ram JC Weitl very soon recovered a Titan fumble on the 15-yard line. Riah Nelsen scored on a 12 yeard run with 6:39 left to play in the quarter. The Rams’ point after touchdown attempt also failed and the score was 12-6.
The Rams had the ball again with 4 minutes to play. They were as close as the Titans’ 26-yard line on a first down but a penalty, a quarterback sack, and a slip on the wet turf resulted in the Titan reclaiming the ball on the 47-yard line. The game ended 12-6.
As many first games of the season, penalties were heavy on both teams. The Rams had 10 penalties, and the Titans were close behind.
Unofficially, the Rams had 247 yards of offense, with 142 of them rushing. The Titans had 170 yards of offense, with only 46 of them rushing.
The Rams go to Carroll next Friday night to play the Knights of Kuemper Catholic high school.
