The eighth grade Ram football team lost a close game to the North Polk Comets Sept. 29 on the road.
In a combined six quarter game the final score was 28-26. According to coach Tanner Lawton, the Ram defense had two goal line stands from inside the 5 yard line and forced the Comets to punt from inside the 5 yard line with 59 seconds to play. Tanner Allen returned the punt 35 yards and a 12-yard pass reception put the Rams on the North Polk 15 yard line with three seconds to play. Lawton credited offensive coach Richard Beeler with putting the team in a position to win.
With 1.6 seconds to play the Rams spiked the ball to get one more play and a chance to score. Quarterback Conner Whipple dropped back to pass to one last time to Zach Goff, who already had 117 yards receiving, but the pass was long and the game ended with the Rams down by two points.
“This was a complete team effort as many kids contributed both offensively and defensively. Coach Beeler and I were happy with the effort and fighting back to get into this game,” Lawton said.
Offensive stats provided by Lawton show Whipple at seven of 15 passing for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Goff was the leading receiver and had one touchdown. Tanner Allen also had three receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown. Jaxon Warnke was the leading rusher with 14 carries for 49 yards.
Other offensive stats are Brady Stuffer with three carries for 38 yards; Cam Miller with five carries for 22 yards; Jackson Gerdes and Makayla Kafer both with three carries for 12 yards; and Ethan Long with two carries for nine yards.
Trent Custer was the leading tackler with eight tackles and one sack. Kafer had five tackles, one sack and one fumble recovery, Goff had five tackels and one interception, Kaleb Hoyle had three tackles and two sacks, and Connor Brus had four tackles and one sack.
Also, Kadrick Kinne, Miller, Long and Stauffer had five tackles; Warnke and Allen had three tackles; Gerdes, Avery Bardole, Clay Peters and Peyton Kinsey had two tackles; and Dylan Ades and Forest Thompson each had one tackle.
