Knights scoreless until fourth quarter
The Greene County Rams have a 2-0 start to their football season following a 35-21 win over the Kuemper Knights of Carroll in Jefferson on a hot, humid Friday night. The National Weather Service was still listing a heat index of more than 100 degrees at kick-off.
The Rams dominated the entire game and led 35-0 with just more than a minute left to play in the third quarter. The Knights points all came in the last eight minutes of the game, with two of the touchdowns being scored against the Ram reserves.
The Rams jumped out ahead in the quickest way possible – on the kick-off. Ram junior Chase Stoline returned the kick-off 80 yards for his first varsity touchdown. The Ram players were penalized for excessive celebration, moving the ball back to the 25 yard line for the point after touchdown attempt, but senior Nick Schroeder was successful from the longer distance and less than a minute into the game, the Rams held a 7-0 lead.
The Knights’ first possession ended when the Ram defense held the larger Knights on downs. The Rams’ next possession ended with a 50-yard punt by senior Reid Lamoureux. The Knights got their ball on their own 8 yard line. They gained five yards on their first play, but with a second and 5 on the 13 yard line senior Max Neese intercepted a pass and ran to the end zone for a touchdown. Schroeder’s kick was good again and the Rams led 14-0 after just 2:55 of play.
The Rams began the second quarter with a 72-yard drive that failed to score. At fourth down and 6 yards to go on Knights 22 yard line the Rams attempted to make the first down rather than punt. The Knights’ defense held them and the Knight took possession.
The Rams got the ball back and with the help of a 15-yard penalty against the Knights for illegal participation they began their next drive on the Knights’ 44 yard line. Six plays later the Rams scored on a two yard Daric Whipple pass to Schroeder. The PAT was good and the Rams led 21-0 with 4:48 left to play in the half.
Whipple rushed for a total of 160 yards, including two scampers across the goal line. The first came at the end of a 21-yard run with 3:35 to play in the third quarter. Schroeder’s kick was good and the Rams led 28-0.
The Rams’ last score came with 1:24 left to play in the third quarter. Senior Max Neese intercepted a Kuemper pass to start the drive on the Knights’ 30 yard line. Whipple was out of the game for a few plays with a leg problem, but when he came back in he hit Schroeder for a 21-yard pass that put the Rams at first and goal on the 5 yard line. Whipple then scored his second rushing touchdown and with the PAT the score was 35-0. The clock ran continuously from then until the Knights scored.
Coach Dean Lansman put in his defensive reserve players with about 8:30 left to play in the game and the Knights on their own 8 yard line. The Knights’ needed just seven plays to score, with the drive including runs of 31 yards and 26 yards. With 5:33 to play, the score was 35-7 and the continuous clock stopped.
Many of the Rams’ offensive reserves played for the next possession. The drive ended with a Reid Lamoureux punt to the Knights’ 39 yard line. With the Ram reserves still in on defense, the Kuemper starters scored another touchdown. The drive ended with a 60 yard pass by junior quarterback Gage Gunnerson. The PAT was good and the score was 35-14 with 3:46 to play.
Coach Lansman put the starters back out on the field, but the Knights had momentum and were finally able to score against them, too. The Rams were on the Knights 44 yard line when they attempted to punt the ball, but the snap was bad, resulting in a loose ball that was recovered by the Knights and then picked up and run to the Ram 30 yard line. Gunnerson threw two incomplete passes before finally connecting with a teammate in the end zone. With a good PAT, the score was 35-21. The Knights had scored 21 points in about 3-1/2 minutes of play.
Unofficially, the Rams had 228 yards of offense, with 177 yards rushing and 51 yards passing. Whipple rushed for 160 yards on 24 carries. The Knights had 306 yards of offense with 102 yards rushing and 204 yards passing.
The Rams are now 2-0 on the season. They open Class 3A District 2 play next Friday in Algona.
Statistics: Whipple ran for two touchdowns and passed to Schroeder for another score. Schroeder was perfect on PAT kicks, going five for five. Whipple rushed 24 times for 160 yards. He was five of 12 passing for 51 yards.
Sophomore Ben Bravard carried the ball 16 times for 26 yards. Sophomore Jake Berns had a five yard carry while Reid Lamoureux lost 14 yards on an attempt.
Beger caught a two yard pass and attempted one without success. Neese caught a three yard pass.
Senors Keyden Pollock and Neese along with Stoline topped the defense. Pollock brought down three solo and six assisted tackles. Neese and Stoline each grabbed three solo tackles and four assists. Neese intercepted two passes, scoring a TD. Beger intercepted a pass with a six yard return. Stoline recovered a fumble.
Also contributing to the defense were: Berns, two solos, four assists; Anthony Cunningham, two solo, six assists; Matthew Gordon, two solo, six assists; Lamoureux, two solo, three assists; Noah Juergensen, two solo, one assist.
Also, Mitchell Gorsuch, one solo, three assists; Anthony Jacobsen, Whipple and Logan Lansman, one solo, two assists; Branden Miller and Dylan Smith, one solo, one assist; Schroeder, one solo; Ben Lint, three assists; Charlie Gunn and Hunter Ruth, two assists; Calvin Skalla and Dylan Fouch, one assist.
Lamoureux punted six times for 246 yards. ~The Scranton Journal
