Rams total 538 yards of offense, including 285 rushing yards for Colby Kafer
The Ram varsity football team got the first win of the season, a resounding 61-14 win after being down 14-0 at the end of the first quarter. The Iowa Falls-Alden Cadets hosted the 0-4 Rams for their homecoming game.
The Cadets first possession ended quickly when Ram sophomore Xavier Hayes intercepted a pass and ran to the Cadets’ 19 yard line.
The Cadets scored first with 2:47 to play in the first quarter. It was on the Cadets’ third possession of the game. The touchdown came at the end of an 8-play, 80-yard drive and ended with a 33 yard pass from quarterback Tyjon Rose to Devin Sheridan. The point after was good and the Cadets were led 7-0.
The Rams missed opportunities to score early on. The Cadets’ first possession of the game ended quickly when Ram sophomore Xavier Hayes intercepted a pass and ran to the Cadets’ 19 yard line. The Rams made it to fourth and goal on the 6 yard line despite a penalty for holding and a dropped pass. They were unable to score and the Iowa Falls-Alden took over the ball on their own 4 yard line. A penalty against the Cadets moved the ball back to the 2 yard line, but the Rams weren’t able to force a turnover and the Cadets ended up punting.
The Rams’ possession started on the Iowa Falls 33 yard line, but after two more dropped passes they were on the Cadets’ 32 yard line to punt.
The Cadets scored on their next possession with 11:36 to play in the second quarter on an 80-yard pass to Sheridan.
The Rams turned the corner from frustration during the first quarter to success in the second quarter. They didn’t look back.
The Rams got on the scoreboard with 10:03 to play in the second quarter. The Rams took seven plays to move the ball 65 yards, all of them on the ground. Sophomore Colby Kafer scored the TD on a 17 yard run. Leo Marques’ kick after the touchdown was blocked and the score was 14-6.
They tied the score with 6:23 to play in the second quarter, this time on a 64-yard run by Colby Kafer on the first play after a Cadet punt. Like a score in last week’s game against Webster City, the snap for the PAT kick was bobbled and Jordan Patterson picked it up. This time he pitched it to Wade Adcock in the end zone for a two-point conversion and the score was tied at 14.
The Cadets broke the tie with a 4-play drive that ended with a 54-yard Rose pass to Luke Rubow. The PAT was good and with 3:59 to play in the half the Cadets were ahead 21-14. That was their last lead for the game.
The Rams tied the score again quickly. Junior Trey Hinote returned the kickoff to the Rams’ own 35 yard line. Sophomore quarterback Clint Dennhardt hit Patterson with a 42-yard pass into the wind. A pass play the ended up in Trey Hinote’s hands put the ball on the 16 yard line, and on the next play Hinote received for his first touchdown. This time Marques’ PAT was good and the score was tied at 21.
The Cadets attempted a 30-yard field goal at fourth and three on their last possession of the half. The kick was wide and the half ended 21-21.
The Rams had their first lead of the season 27 seconds into the third quarter. The Cadets kicked off to start the second half and the Rams started on their own 30 yard line. They were at second and 2 on the Ram 38 when Dennhardt on a quarterback keep play blew past tacklers and ran the 62 yards to the goal line. Marques’ PAT was good and the Rams were up 28-21.
The Cadets fared well in their next possession, with Kyler Hadwiger following a 5-yard run with a 50 yard run. They were at second and 10 on the Ram 13 yard line when Ty Miller batted a Rose pass into Jake Berns’ hands for an interception. The Rams weren’t able to move the ball, but punter Austin Delp, with the wind at his back, kicked a 65-yard punt to give Iowa Falls the ball on their own 20 yard line.
The Ram defense allowed them to get only to the 26 yard line. At fourth and 3 quarterback Rose punted the ball, but going into the wind it went only 11 yards. The Rams took over the ball on the Cadets’ 37 yard line. They scored seven plays later with Dennhardt rushing the last two yards across the goal line. Marques’ kick was good again and the Rams were up 35-21 with about 3:30 to play in the third quarter.
On the Cadets’ second play Hayes nabbed his second Rose pass to give the Rams the ball on Iowa Falls’ 35 yard line. Kafer scored again two plays later, running the 35 yards to score. The PAT wasn’t good, and the Rams were ahead 41-21.
Three plays later Ram senior Joe Towers forced a fumble and Miller claimed the ball. The Rams had the ball on the Iowa Falls-Alden 15 yard line. It took the Rams only three plays to score with Dennhardt again carrying the ball the last two yards across the goal line. There was a face mask penalty against the Rams after the score, but the penalty was assessed against the Rams on the kickoff. Marques’ PAT was good and the Rams were up 48-21 with 1:12 to play in the third quarter.
The Rams scored again with 9:50 to play in the game. After a 46-yard punt by Rose the Rams had the ball on their own 25 yard line. They scored eight plays later with another 49 yards rushing by Kafer for the score. Marques missed the PAT and the score was 54-21 for the Rams. Freshman Brent Riley was assigned quarterback duties during that drive.
There was 4:43 left to play in the game when the Rams committed their first turnover of the game, a fumble by a reserve player. The Cadets took possession of the ball on the Rams’ 41 yard line. The possession was short-lived, as sophomore reserve Tyler Teeples recovered a Cadet fumble on the Ram 40 yard line.
The Rams scored one more time, this time covering 60 yards in eight plays. Riley carried the ball the last six yards into the end zone. Marques’ PAT was good and the score was 61-21, putting the clock in continuous mode.
The Rams had 538 yards of offense, while they were averaged only 138 yards in their first four games. Kafer and Dennhardt both played exceptional games. Kafer set a new school record for yards of rushing in a single game, rushing for 285 yards and scoring three touchdowns, Dennhardt rushed for 89 yards and completed 14 of 22 passes for 167 yards through the air. Riley, in his fourth quarter appearance, completed two of seven passes for 22 yards and rushed for another 22 yards. Sophomore Joel Ward rushed for 24 yards.
Hinote led in pass receptions with 10 catches for 118 yards. Patterson caught two passes for 52 yards and sophomore Carter Morton had two receptions for eight yards. Lance Hughes caught a 9-yard pass and Kafer caught a 2-yard pass.
Defensively, Joe Towers led with 5 solo tackles, five assists and the Rams’ only sack. Delp was credited with four solos and two assists, and Jake Berns was credited with three solos and six assists. Clayton Smith had one solo and seven assists. Brock Wuebker had no solos but was in on six assists.
The Rams broke a 10-game road losing streak that reached into the 2015 season. They’ve had their share of turnovers in the first four games, but against the Cadets they committed only one turnover as the hosts committed seven. The victory was the first for new head coach Mitch Moore.
The win puts the Rams at 1-4 on the season, while the Iowa Falls-Alden Cadets are at 1-5. They host the Boone Toreadors for the homecoming game Sept. 29.
