The Greene County Rams’ football season ended Wednesday in a lopsided first round playoff game vs the Creston/Orient-Macksburg Panthers in Creston. The Panthers scored on their first three possessions and were ahead 17-0 after the first quarter. Final score was 31-7, and the Panthers advance to play again next Monday.
The Rams finished their season with a 4-6 record while the Panthers are now 8-2.
The Rams received the opening kick-off and Joe Doran returned it 31 yards to the Ram 48 yard line, but a penalty against the Rams moved it back to the 43 yard line and first and 15. The Rams were plagued the entire game by penalties (six), plays for lost yardage, and failing to convert on fourth downs. The Rams played the entire first quarter and three minutes of the second quarter before they got a first down.
The Panthers began their first possession of the game on their own 19 yard line. It took them 90 seconds of play time and six plays to move the ball 81 yards for a touchdown. Panther quarterback Alex Nielsen was ready to throw, just as he had in the teams’ first meeting in the fourth week of the season. The 81 yards included pass plays of 22 and 44 yards. With a successful point after touchdown kick the score was 7-0 with 9:32 left to play in the first quarter.
Dylan Hamilton returned the Panthers’ kick-off after the touchdown 25 yards to the Rams’ 26 yard line. Quarterback Daric Whipple was sacked on the next play for a 12 yard loss, putting the Rams at second and 22 on the Ram 14 yard line. A five yard penalty was called against the Rams for having too many players on the field and after a good kick-off return they landed at second and 27 on their own nine yard line. They were third and 28 and then fourth and 26 when they punted and COM got the ball on the Rams’ 35 yard line.
The Panthers covered the 35 yards in six plays, and with the PAT, the Panthers were up 14-0 after just 6:54 of play.
The Rams finished their next possession with another punt and the Panthers started on the Rams’ 41 yard line. On fourth and eight the Panthers attempted and made a 41 yard field goal to stretch their lead to 17-0 with 1:45 left to play in the first quarter.
The Ram defense kept the Panthers from scoring in the second quarter. The Panther defense was also successful. The Ram offense got no closer to the goal line than the Panthers’ 46 yard line. The score at half time was 17-0. Unofficially, the Rams had 41 yards of offense while the Panthers had 201 yards in the first half. Hamilton had rushed for 45 yards, and Jordan Challen and Whipple also had rushing yardage, but the plays for lost yardage negated forward motion.
COM had the ball to start the second half. A 63 yard kick-off return gave the Panthers good field position. Two plays later Challen intercepted a pass in the end zone, his fourth interception for the season, and the Rams claimed the ball on their own 20 yard line. The Rams got a pair of first downs but at fourth and six on the Panthers’ 49 yard line Whipple threw an incomplete pass.
The Panthers went out on downs on their next possession as well and punted at the Rams’ 44 yard line. Tyler Beger returned the punt 34 yards back to the Rams’ 39 yard line to begin the Rams’ only successful scoring drive of the game. The Rams covered the needed 61 yards in eight plays that included a 15 yard pass play to Beger, a 21 yard pass to Jake Carey, and a 24 yard run by Challen. Hamilton carried the ball across the goal line. Nick Shroeder’s kick for the extra point was good (he kicked at 100 percent for the season) and the score was 17-7 with 4:36 to play in the third quarter.
The Ram fans couldn’t cheer long. Less than 60 seconds of playing time later the Panthers had scored another touchdown, with a 52 yard Nielsen pass to Bryce Riley accounting for all but 10 of the yards needed to score. The PAT was good and the score was 24-7 with 5:33 left to play in the third quarter.
Rams Hamilton and Challen were able to move the ball in the next possession, gaining two first downs and taking the ball to the Panther 40 yard line when a Whipple pass was intercepted and returned 21 yards to the Panther 46 yard line. Three plays later, including a long pass and a five yard penalty against the Rams, the Panthers scored to go up 31-7. That proved to be the final score of the game.
The Rams came close on their next possession, but Challen was tackled hard and stripped of the ball on the Panthers’ 23 yard line. The Panthers recovered the ball but were unable to score. It wasn’t until that possession, with 8:54 seconds left to play in the game, that the Panthers were called for their first penalty (and only) penalty of the game.
Offensive statistics were much closer in the second half, with the Rams putting together 220 yards of offense compared to 218 by the Panthers. Total offensive yardage in the game was 261 for the Rams and 419 for the Panthers.
