~with Taylor Teays of The Scranton Journal
The Greene County football team picked up a win while hosting Atlantic on Friday night, beating the Trojans 41-6. It was the second consecutive game the Rams finished with the clock running continuously due to the 35-point rule.
The Rams were on the scoreboard within two minutes of the opening whistle. The Trojans received the opening kickoff, a touchback on a Nathan Behne kick into the endzone. The fumbled on the first play, moving the ball back to their own 17 yard line, and ended the possession with a punt that Ram Nick Stream returned 20 yards to the Trojan 25 yard line. Quarterback Gabe Ebersole threw to Trey Schilling who scampered to the goal line on the first play from scrimmage. After Behne’s PAT kick, the Rams were up 7-0.
The Ram defense held the Trojans behind their own 20 yard line on the visitors’ next possession, forcing them to punt at fourth and 16 from their 14 yard line. Camden Strennen returned the punt 36 yards and the Rams started on the Trojans’ 15 yard line. They got as close as the Trojan 5, due partly to a 5-yard penalty against the Trojans, but after a pair of incomplete passes Behne went in to kick a field goal. The 24-yarder put the Rams up 10-0 with 6:20 to play in the first quarter.
The Trojans next possession ended with a fumble recovery by Ram Bryce Habben on the Ram 48 yard line. The Trojans were penalized 15 yards for pass interference on the first play from scrimmage, moving the ball up to the Trojan 30. At fourth down and 5 on the Trojan 25 yard line Behne attempted a field goal. He made a field goal from that distance in the opening game against Perry, but this time his kick missed and Atlantic had the ball back on their own 20 yard line.
Atlantic sophomore quarterback Zayden Parker fumbled at fourth and 14 on their 16 yard line. Ram Cody Allen recovered the fumble and ran the ball 14 yards to the Trojans’ 2 yard line. Two plays later the Rams scored, and with Behne’s PAT the score was 17-0 with just under 2 minutes left in the first quarter.
The Trojans made it to the Ram 45 on their next possession. A penalty against them moved the ball back to the 50 when Broc Stream intercepted a pass and returned it 29 yards to the Trojan 39 yard line. They were unable to score and Ebersole punted from the Atlantic 40. The Trojans took over the ball at their own 23 yard line. They lost yardage on penalties and ended the possession with a punt from their 14 yard line.
The Rams took possession of the ball on the 50 yard line and scored nine plays later, including pass receptions by Kendall Freeman and Jack Hanson. Ebersole carried the ball the last 14 yards for the TD. After Behne’s PAT the score was 24-0 with just over three minutes left in the half.
Hansen intercepted a pass on the second play of the Trojans’ possession, but a penalty on the play against the Rams moved the ball back to the Atlantic 28. Two plays later the Rams fumbled and Trojan Reed Flaisek recovered. The Trojans had the ball at first down and 10 on their 33 yard line. Gavin McLaren ran the ball 30 yards to the Ram 37. QB Parker completed a pass to the Ram 7 yard line. Two plays later McLaren carried the ball the final yard to the end zone. The PAT missed but the Trojans were on the board, 24-6, at the end of the half.
The Rams scored quickly in the third quarter with a four-play 71-yard drive that was capped by a 48-yard Ebersole to Hansen pass play. With the PAT the score was 31-6 with 10:41 left to play in the quarter.
Ebersole connected again the Hansen on a 21-yard pass play for a TD, but the TD was nullified by a call against the Rams for offensive pass interference. That moved the ball back to the Trojan 36 yard line. The Rams were whistled for illegal procedure on the next play, making it third and 28 on the Trojans’ 41. A pass to Strennen moved the ball to the 22 yard line on fourth and 9. Behne kicked a 39-yard field goal and the score was 34-6 with 5:55 left in the third quarter.
The Rams started their next possession on the Trojan 35 after Ram Michael Rumley recovered a fumble. The Rams scored just three plays later when Ebersole toted the ball 14 yards to the endzone. With the PAT the score was 41-6 with 2:53 remaining in the third quarter and the clock running continuously.
The Trojans came within one yard of scoring again with a drive that started on their own 32 yard line. After some rushing plays, Ram defenders held on first and goal from the 1 yard line and again on second and goal from the 2. On the third attempt the Trojans fumbled the ball but recovered it. On fourth and goal from the 1 the Trojans were penalized 5 yards for delay of game. Quarterback Tristan Hayes passed on fourth and goal from the Ram 6, but the pass was incomplete. The Rams had possession of the ball with 1 minute left to play. Christopher Daugherty rushed for three yards and the Rams took a knee and ended the game.
The Rams had 251 yards of offense, with 136 yards via Ebersole’s passes. Other stat leaders were Hansen with 78 receiving yards, Nick Stream with 55 rushing yards and Christopher Daugherty four solo and 8.5 total tackles.
The Trojans had 202 yards of offense, with 87 of them being aerial and 115 rushing.
The Rams play at Saydel on Friday, with their next home game on Sept. 22 against Kuemper Catholic for Greene County’s homecoming. The Rams are now 2-1.
Passing: Gabe Ebersole 8/13 passing, 136 yards, 2 TDs
Receiving: Jack Hansen 4 catches, 78 yards, 1 TD; Camden Strennen 2 catches, 21 yards; Trey Schilling 1 catch, 25 yards, 1 TD; Kendall Freeman 1 catch, 12 yards
Rushing: Nick Stream 14 carries, 55 yards, 1 TD; Strennen 6 carries, 19 yards; Ebersole 5 carries, 35 yards, 2 TDs; Cody Allen 5 carries, 3 yards; Christopher Daugherty 2 carries, 3 yards
Tackles: Hansen 1 solo, 1.5 tackles; Stream 2 solo, 3 tackles; Strennen 1 solo tackle; Camden Jacobs, 2 solo tackles; Schilling 1 solo, 4.5 tackles; Broc Stream 1.5 tackles; Drew Wolterman 1 solo tackle; Gavin Scheuermann 1 solo, 2.5 tackles; Alley 1 solo, 4 tackles; Daugherty 4 solo, 8.5 tackles; Jackson Turner 3 solo, 4 tackles; Noah Cornell 2 solo, 3.5 tackles; Michael Rumley 1 solo, 2.5 tackles; Kamden Kinne 0.5 tackles
Fumble recovery: Allen, Turner, Bryce Habben and Rumley
Interceptions: Hansen 1, 12 yard return; B. Stream 1, 29 yard return; Scheuermann 1
Punt returns: N. Stream 1, 20 yards; Strennen 1, 36 yards
Kicking: Nathan Behne 8 kicks, 450 yards; PATs 5/5
Punts: Ebersole 2, 41 yards
