The Ram offense had its way and the Ram defense destroyed the Eagles’ running game in a 68-0 victory on Saydel’s home field on the north side of Des Moines. The Rams scored 10 touchdowns in the non-district rout. The Rams are 3-0 on the season and the Saydel Eagles are 0-3.
The Rams scored just one touchdown in the first quarter. The TD came on the Rams’ third possession of the game when Colby Kafer ran 25 yards to score with 4:33 to play. Cael Fisher kicked the point after touchdown to add another point for a 7-0 lead.
The drive had started on the Eagles’ 29 yard line after Brock Wuebker recovered a fumble. Kafer carried the ball 12 yards, followed by a pass play to Carter Morton. The gain was nullified by a penalty against the Rams for holding. Quarterback Brent Riley threw an incomplete pass on first and 18, but on the next play Kafer ran the ball 25 yards for the touchdown.
The Rams scored early in the second quarter when Trey Hinote intercepted a pass from Payton Swafford, who had taken QB duties from Cash Lee just for that drive. Hinote ran 35 yards for a defensive touchdown. After Fisher’s PAT the Rams led 14-0 with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
The second touchdown seemed to start a Ram stampede. During the next three minute the Rams scored three times, each time taking advantage of an Eagle turnover.
The Eagles had poor field position to start their drive after a penalty was assessed against them on the kick-off. They started on their own 15 yard line. On a third and 9 play Ram Austin Delp intercepted a Lee pass, giving the Rams the ball on the Eagles’ 19 yard line. On the Rams’ first play from scrimmage, Clint Dennhardt carried the ball into the end zone for another TD. Fisher hit his eighth consecutive PAT (he was five for five in last week’s game against Nevada) and the Rams were up 21-0 with 7:51 to play in the half.
The Eagles fumbled on the second play in their next possession and the Rams had the ball again on the Eagles’ 11 yard line. On the second play Riley passed the ball to Dennhardt in the end zone for a TD. Fisher hit the PAT and the Rams had stretched their lead to 28-0 with 7:00 to play in the first half.
The Rams scored again on a 42-yard, three-play drive that ended with a 20-yard pass to Xavier Hayes with 1:57 to play in the half. Again, Fisher’s PAT was good and the score was 35-0.
Wuebker recovered another Eagle fumble with 1:44 to play and the Rams had the ball on the Eagles’ 32 yard line. It took the Rams two plays to score a TD on a 37-yard pass to Morton. The extra five yards needed were due to a penalty against the Rams. With the PAT the Rams were up 42-0.
For the first half, the Rams had 185 yards of offense while the host Eagles had just four yards total offense. They had -9 yards on the ground and 13 yards through the air.
The clock ran continuously with the start of the second half.
The third quarter started like the second quarter ended, with an Eagle fumble recovered by Brock Wuebker on the second play. That time, though, the Rams turned the ball over and the Eagles had the ball back. Eagle QB Cash Lee ran 72 yards before Austin Delp tackled him on the Rams’ 14 yard line.
The Eagles made their seventh turnover for the game when Delp next intercepted a pass on the 6 yard line. On the second play from scrimmage on the Ram 6 yard line, Colby Kafer broke lose and ran 91 yards for a touchdown. Fisher didn’t disappoint, and the Rams were up 49-0 with 4:49 to play in the third quarter.
The Rams scored once more in the third quarter when Dennhardt followed a 9-yard run with a 51-yard run. It was Dennhardt’s third TD for the game. This time the Rams tried a 2-point conversion but were not successful. With 22 seconds to play in the third quarter the score was 55-0.
The Rams scored their ninth touchdown of the game four minutes into the fourth quarter. Dennhardt posted his fourth TD with a 54 yard run to the end zone. Joel Ward rushed for the first nine yards of the 63-yard, two-play drive. Fisher missed his first PAT in 13 attempts and the score was 61-0.
Many reserves got playing time, and freshman Brayden Smith recovered the first fumble of his high school career on the Eagles’ 26 yard line. It was the beleaguered home team’s eighth turnover of the game. Dennhardt took the ball to the end zone but it was called back for a block in the back charged against the Rams. Junior Joel Ward ran the same 26 yards, but that, too, was called back for a holding penalty against the Rams.
Two plays later Ward scored his first varsity TD on a 15-yard run to the end zone. Fisher found the uprights on the PAT and the score was 68-0 with 3:15 to play in the game. That was the final score for the game.
The Rams had 429 yards of offense – 289 yards rushing on 18 carries and 140 yards in the air with QB Riley connecting on six of 13 passes. Dennhardt rushed for 132 yards and Kafer rushed for 117. Ward added 40 yards.
Austin Delp and Will Hansen were credited with five solo tackles each, with Hansen adding three tackle assists to his tally. Four of his solo tackles were for a loss. Brock Wuebker had three solo tackles, and two solo sacks. Nick Breon had four solo tackles, one assist, two solo tackles for a loss, both of them solo sacks.
The Rams had two turnovers while the Eagles totaled eight. The Eagles had 42 yards of offense for the game – 29 yards rushing on 38 attempts and 13 yards in the air.
The Rams play on the road again next Friday when they play the Gilbert Tigers.
