Rams have outscored opponents 166-23
The Greene County Rams traveled to Gilbert for the second consecutive year, and unlike last year, when the Rams led 31-22 after three quarters but lost the game 37-31, the Rams played four quarters of solid football Friday night on both offense and defense. They claimed a convincing 46-7 victory, their fourth win of the season.
Gilbert’s lone touchdown came in the third quarter. It’s only the third touchdown scored against the Rams this season. In their four games, the Rams have scored a total of 166 points and have held their opponents to a total of just 23 points.
The game was scoreless after the first quarter although the first Ram touchdown was close.
The Tigers on their second possession were at fourth down and four yards to go on the Ram 40 yard line. They faked a punt, but bobbled the ball and Ram junior Cole Betts picked it up and ran 55 yards to the Tiger 5 yard line with 1:55 to play in the quarter. The Rams were at fourth down on the 3 yard line when the first quarter ended.
On the first play in the second quarter Ram quarterback Brent Riley faked the hand-off and then passed to senior Clint Dennhardt who ran the ball in for the touchdown. The snap for the point after touchdown was bad; kicker Cael Fisher picked up the ball to run but didn’t get to the end zone. The score was 6-0 with 11:55 to play in the second quarter.
The Rams scored again just seconds later. The Tigers fumbled the kick-off and junior Carter Morton grabbed the ball to put the Ram offense on the field again. On the first play from scrimmage Riley passed the ball 21 yards to Morton for the touchdown. Fisher’s PAT was good and the Rams were ahead 13-0 with 11:45 to play in the quarter.
On their next possession the Tigers went out on downs but a 47-yard punt gave the Rams the ball on the Tigers’ 7 yard line. The Rams picked up three first downs but with two penalties they were still only at the Tigers’ 28 yard line when Riley was sacked on fourth and eight. It was the first time Riley has been sacked this season.
The Ram defense was powerful and forced Gilbert QB Matt Barragy into four incomplete passes. On the punt the Rams had the ball on their own 20 yard line. Riley handed off the ball to Dennhardt who broke three tackles and raced 80 yards to score a TD. That put the Rams up 19-0. Fisher’s PAT was deflected but the Tigers were called for a personal foul and the ball was moved five yards closer to the goal. The Rams attempted a two-point conversion but the Tigers foiled it. With 5:37 to play in the first half the score was 19-0.
The Rams threatened scoring on their next possession, which started on the Tiger 48 yard line. On second down and eight on the Tiger 13 yard line Tiger Tucker Hansen intercepted Riley’s pass. The Ram defense stifled the Tigers again and the Rams had the ball again on the Tiger 45 yard line with just more than a minute to play. The half ended 19-0.
The Rams compiled 263 yards of offense in the first half while the Tigers managed only 76 yards.
The Rams had the ball first in the second half. The kick-off went into the end zone and the Rams started on their own 20 yard line. They took three minutes off the clock and claimed three first downs before going out on downs on the Tigers’ 27 yard line. The Tigers’ possession was short and the Rams had the ball again on their own 37 yard line. The Rams took nine plays to score their fourth touchdown, this time on a 6-yard Colby Kafer run. Fisher’s PAT was good and with 4:30 to play in the third quarter the score was 26-0.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard in a six play, 85-yard drive that included a 50-yard Matt Barragy pass to Carson Johnson and a 15-yard penalty against the Rams. With 1:59 to play in the third quarter the score was 26-7.
The Rams scored with 11:03 to play in fourth quarter on a drive that started on their own 38 yard line and ended with a 33-yard pass play to Morton. After Fisher’s PAT the Rams were up 33-7.
Gilbert took 1:04 off the clock before punting to the Rams. After a 5-yard penalty against the Tigers on the reception, the Rams had the ball on the Tigers’ 48 yard line. Dennhardt ran for a TD on the first play but it was called back due to a penalty against the Rams for a block in the backfield. It was the second time in the game Dennhardt had a TD called back. (The first time was at the start of the drive early in the third quarter that ended with the 6-yard Kafer run.) The Rams lost their focus, and penalties were called against the Rams on each of the next four plays. The fifth penalty came on the Rams’ punt.
The Tigers punted to end their next possession. It took the Rams two plays to score on a Kafer run to the end zone. The PAT took the score to 40-7 with 5:45 to play.
With the game getting long and the heat and humidity wearing on the players, the scoring still wasn’t finished. The Tigers punted and the Rams did the same when they were at fourth down with 12 yards to go on their own 48 yard line. The Tigers fumbled the ball in the end zone on the punt return. Ram junior Tyler Teeples was the first one to get to the ball. He fell on it for another Ram TD. The Tigers blocked Fisher’s PAT; with 1:39 to play the score was 46-7.
The rest of the game was played with a continuous clock.
The win put the Rams at 4-0 and dropped the Tigers to 1-3.
Unofficially the Rams had 494 yards of total offense. Riley made good on 21 of 38 passes for 242 yards through the air. Morton led in receiving with 140 yards in 10 catches. Kafer rushed for 142 yards and Dennhardt rushed for 124; the Rams totaled 252 yards rushing.
Austin Delp led in solos with six soos and three assists. Nick Breon had five solo tackles, three of them for losses, and four assists. Will Hansen had five solo tackles,, including three for losses, and one assist. Bryce Hole had four solo tackles with two for lost yards and three assists.
The Tigers were held to 162 yards of total offense, with only 36 of them rushing. QB Barragy made 11 of 26 passes for 126 yards through the air.
The Rams open Class 2A District 9 play next Friday in Jefferson against Shenandoah. The game will begin at 7 am. Shenandoah took a 0-3 record into Sept. 14 at Riverside.
