Ram junior quarterback Bryce Stalder, with the help of the entire Ram offense, played his best game of the season as he led the Rams to a 42-6 win over the Shenandoah Mustangs on their home field to finish the regular season.
Stalder compiled an impressive 430 yards of offense, completing 11 of 16 passes for 224 yards through the air, and rushing for another 206 yards. He scored three touchdowns with runs of 71 yards, 26 yards, and 80 yards. The Rams totaled 499 yards of offense.
The game was scoreless until less than a minute remained in the first quarter. The Rams and the Mustangs both punted to end their first two possession. With about three minutes to play in the quarter, The Rams took possession on their own 26 yard line. Jackson Morton picked up the first eight yards for second down and two on the Rams’ 34. After an incomplete pass, Stalder ran for six yards for third down and four on the Ram 42 yard line. He threw to Zach Goff for eight yards, good for a first down. On the next play, Stalder fired again at Goff, who caught the pass at the Shenandoah 10 yard line. Goff raced the final 10 yards and the Rams were on the board, 6-0. The Rams scored a 2-point conversion with Nate Black toting the ball, and with 34 seconds left in the first quarter, the Rams were up 8-0.
The Rams scored twice in the second quarter. After the Rams’ first quarter TD, the Mustangs had the ball on their own 20 yard line. They used five minutes and put together a good drive that took them to the Rams’ 20 at first and 10. At fourth and 12 the Mustangs attempted a field goal from the 39 yard line. The attempt wasn’t successful and the Rams had the ball on their own 20 yard line. Stalder flipped the ball to Goff and Goff made it nine yards. At second and one Stalder turned on the speed and outran the Mustangs 71 yards for a TD. The Rams tried a 2-point conversion, this time unsuccessfully. With 7:03 to play in the half, the Rams were up 14-0.
The home team punted to end their next possession and the Rams started on their own 43 yard line. The Rams needed only three plays to score – a one-yard run by Black, a 32-yard pass play to Jaxon Warnke, and Stalder’s second running TD, this time from 26 yards out. Nathan Behne kicked the point after touchdown and the score was 21-0 with 4:57 to play in the half.
The Mustangs’ next possession started on their own 28 yard line and ended when Goff intercepted a Zayne Zwickel pass at the Ram 20 yard line. The half ended with the Rams in possession of the ball with a first down on the Shenandoah 45 yard line.
The Mustangs got on the scoreboard with their first possession of the second half. They returned Black’s kickoff to their own 36 yard line. At third and 15 Zwickel completed a 53-yard pass play to David Renden, moving the ball to the Ram 16 yard line. The Ram defense pushed the Mustangs back a yard for a second down on the Ram 17, but were then flagged for offsides. The penalty moved the ball to the 6 yard line. The Mustangs scored on a pass to Blake Herold. Zwickel attempted the PAT but Brayden Smith blocked the kick. The score was 21-6.
The Rams got nowhere on their next possession and punted from their 45 yard line. The Mustangs started on their own 22 yard line. At third and nine Max Riley intercepted Zwickel’s pass. Shenandoah was penalized for holding on the interception and the ball was placed on the Shenandoah 46 yard line. Before the dust settled on the interception Stalder had connected on a pass to Warnke and the Rams scored another touchdown. Behne’s PAT was good and the Rams led 28-6 with 6:11 to play in the third quarter.
The Mustang’s next possession ended when Ram junior defensive tackle Sawyer Schiltz intercepted a pass, giving his team the ball at the Shenandoah 28 yard line. The Rams scored seven plays later, with the largest gain being on a 13 yard pass play to Warnke. The TD came on a 3-yard pass to Warnke. With Behne’s PAT the score was 35-6, with 34 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
The Rams’ final score came with 11:32 left in the game. The Mustangs had punted at fourth and six on their 30 yard line. The Rams started at their 25 yard line, but they were whistled for an illegal prouder and the ball was moved back to the 20. No problem – Stalder still had fire under his boiler. He turned on the steam and ran 80 yards for the TD. Another good Behne PAT kick put the Rams up 42-6, a large enough margin to run the clock continuously for the remainder of the game. The Mustangs didn’t make it closer than the Ram 33 yard line during the remainder of the game.
Richard Daugherty led the Rams in tackles with 8.5; four were solo tackles. Bradyn Smith was credited with six tackles, three of them solos. Ten Rams had at least one solo tackle, with 18 solo tackles tallied.
The Rams finished the regular season at 5-2, having won the last four games. They’ll will host the 1-6 Red Oak Tigers for the first game in Class 2A District 9 playoffs Friday, Oct. 16. The Rams topped Red Oak 55-14 when they played in Red Oak Sept. 25.
