Updated with more statistics Sept. 21
The Greene County Ram varsity football team is 2-2 on the season after a non-district loss, 36-32, to the Creston/Orient-Macksburg Panthers in Creston Friday evening.
It was a battle of two players – Ram senior quarterback Daric Whipple and Panther junior running back Chase Schiltz. Considering the scoring plays of the game, Whipple scored first with a 72 yard pass to Nick Schoeder. Schiltz scored with a 16 yard run, and then scored again with a one yard run. Whipple scored on a 45 yard run, and Ram Nick Schroeder scored with a 23 yard field goal. Schiltz scored the next three touchdowns of the game with runs of five yards, 33 yards, and one run. Whipple scored next on a 71 yard run and the Rams had the final touchdown of the game when Schroeder caught a five yard pass from Whipple.
Total stats favored the Rams. The Rams had 40 more yards offense than the Panthers in the first half and by even more in the second half. The Rams had 493 total yards of offense: 277 yards rushing on 35 attempts, and 216 yards passing with Whipple completing 11 of 25 passes. Schroeder was leading receiver with four catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Whipple rushed for 199 yards in 21 carries. Senior Max Neese had 75 yards on 12 carries.
Schiltz had 195 yards in 37 rushing attempts and scored all five Panther touchdowns. Panther offense totaled 369 yards. Panther quarterback, international student Moritz Johannknecht of Germany, passed for 124 yards completing 15 of 25 passes. Senior Seth Maitlin caught four of those passes for a total of 52 yards.
Despite the better offensive numbers, it was a turnovers and penalties that proved to make the difference. The Rams had four turnovers on the game, three of them as pass interceptions. Two Ram touchdowns were nullified by penalties, including one on the last play of the first half. Whipple threw a 38-yard pass to Schroeder on the five yard line. Schroeder broke two tackles and made it to the end zone, but the Rams were called for an illegal formation. The total number of penalties in the game was loaded on the Ram side as well.
Max Neese added 75 yards on 12 rushing attempts and had a 24-yard reception. Anthony Cunningham ran twice, picking up three yards.
The Rams host Webster City at Linduska Field in Jefferson next Friday night. ~statistics compiled The Scranton Journal
