The Greene County Rams started their varsity football season with a 49-0 win over the Perry Blue Jays in Perry Friday night. The entire second half was played with a continuous clock, as the Rams were up 43 points at the half.
Junior Bryce Stalder started his first varsity game as quarterback and scored three of the Rams’ touchdowns, with two in the air and one rushing. Stalder threw for 102 yards and added another 35 yards rushing.
The host team had the ball to open the game and started off well enough, earning a first down on their second play from scrimmage. It was the Blue Jays’ only first down for the half; it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Perry offense earned another first down.
Coach Caden Duncan’s Rams started their first possession on the Perry 44 yard line with Stalder as QB. Junior Nathan Black ran for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage, but it was nullified by a call against the Rams for holding. Eight plays later, junior wide receiver Joe Carey, who played in the QB spot occasionally last season, went in as QB with the Rams at third and 18 on the Perry 27 yard line. He connected with sophomore Richard Daugherty for a touchdown, the first of Daugherty’s varsity career. The Rams attempted a two-point conversion but weren’t successful. With 7:36 to play in the first quarter, the Rams were up 6-0.
The Blue Jays punted at fourth and 12 on their own 14 yard line to finish their next possession. After a 33-yard punt the Rams had the ball on the Jays’ 42. Five plays later the Rams scored their next TD, this one with Stalder as QB. The drive included a 5-yard pass to junior Jackson Morton and a 23-yard TD pass, also to Morton. Freshman Nathan Behne kicked the point after touchdown and the Rams led 13-0 with 3:08 to play in the first quarter.
The Rams started their next possession on the Perry 26 and scored that time, too. From the 8 yard line at second down and five Stalder threw an incomplete pass. He tried again and threw incomplete again. On fourth and five from the 8 Stalder kept the ball and ran it in for the TD. Behne’s PAT was good and the score was 19-0 with 10:28 to play in the first half.
The Blue Jays started and ended their next possession on their own 27 yard line. Their punt gave the Rams the ball on the Ram 38, a distance it took the Rams five plays to cover for their next TD. Senior Jaxon Warnke was the receiver in two pass plays on the drive – one for 17 yards and another for 36 yards. Black took the ball the last yard for the TD. After Behne’s PAT the score was 27-0 with 7:57 left in the half.
The Rams scored again after only 19 seconds ticked off the clock. The struggling Blue Jays received Black’s kick-off on their 22 yard line. Warnke recovered a Blue Jay fumble on the first play. With the Rams back on offense and at the Perry 17 yard line, Stalder hooked up with classmate Max Riley on a pass play that scored. With Behne’s PAT the Rams were up 34-0 with 7:38 to play.
The Jays started their next possession with their best field position of the game after Black’s kick-off went out of bounds, giving the home team the ball at their 35 yard line. They managed to move the ball five yards, but on fourth and 5 from their 40 yard the Jays were called for unsportsmanlike conduct. They punted at fourth and 20 from their 25 yard line.
Warnke returned the punt 50 yards, down to the Blue Jay 10 yard line. Finally, the Jays’ defense held and the Rams’ possession without scoring. However, the Jays’ offense had the unenviable task of starting a possession on their own 1 yard line. They punted at fourth and seven from their 3 yard line but a high snap sent the ball out the back of the end zone and the Rams were awarded three points for a safety. With 1:24 to play in the half the Rams were ahead 36-0.
The Rams scored on the next play when Daugherty ran the Jays’ kick-off 82 yards for the TD. With the extra point by Behne the Rams were up 43-0. That’s the score they took into the locker room at half-time.
The second half was played with the clock running continuously and with many Ram reserves in the game. Unofficially, every player who was suited got time on the field. Freshman Gavin Scheuermann returned the Jays’ kickoff 21 yards to start the half, and Carey played QB again. The Rams punted from their own 46 to end that possession; it was their first punt of the game. Neither team scored in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter began with the Blue Jays getting a first down on their 46 yard line; it was their only first down in the game. The Ram offense took over again at the Perry 49, with freshman QB Gabe Ebersole at the helm and many of his classmates in the game. They put together a 10-play drive that included a 16-yard rush by Ebersole on a quarterback-keep, a 12-yard pass to Jack Hansen, and several short pass plays with Scheuermann. Scheuermann finished the drive with an 8-yard rush to score his first varsity touchdown. Classmate Behne kicked the PAT and the Rams were up 49-0. With only 1:08 left in the game, that was the final score.
The Rams has 296 total yards of offense, with 157 yards passing and 139 yards rushing. Stalder completed six of 11 passes for 102 yards. Carey completed three of five passes for 42 yards, and Ebersole completed one of two for 13 yards. Warnke was the leading receiver at 53 yards. Morton received for 28 yards and Daugherty
Black led in rushing with 41 yards. Stalfer had 35 yards, Ebersole had 21, and Scheuermann had 20. Junior Bradyn Smith led in tackles with 4.5, including two solo tackles. Sophomore Patrick Daugherty was credited with tackles with three, including one solo tackle. Warnke, senior Kadrick Kinne, and juniors Brenner Gallagher and Jackson Morton, and freshman Michael Mumley were credited with 2.5 tackles. Warnke had two solo tackles while Kinne, Gallagher and Morton had one solo each.
The Rams host the Southern Cal Titans at Linduska Field next Friday, Sept. 4. To follow Covid-19 mitigation guidelines of the CDC and the Iowa High School Athletic Association, limited seating is available to the public. Read the related post under the Features tab in GCNO for information.
