The Greene County Rams football team kept up with the Carroll Tigers for three quarters at their season opener Aug. 30, but fatigue set and the Rams ended up losing 34-21. The Rams have 40 players on their 2024 varsity roster, 10 of them freshmen. The Tigers list 47 players on their varsity roster, none of them freshmen.
Ram senior Crew Conner played his first game in the quarterback position since his middle school days.
The visiting Tigers took an early lead, scoring on a 64-yard drive that began with a 46-yard run on the first play from scrimmage. The long run put the ball at the Rams’ 20 yard line. The Tigers scored on a 2-yard sneak by senior quarterback Carter Essick. The point-after-touchdown kick was good and the Tigers led 7-0 with 8:36 to play in the first quarter.
The Rams were held on downs on their first possession. After a punt, the Tigers had the ball on their 30 yard line. A Tiger fumble three plays later was recovered by the Rams and the home team had the ball at their own 22 yard line. No harm came to the Tigers, though, as junior Ty Muhlbauer intercepted a Crew Conner pass and returned it 25 yards for a TD. The PAT was good and the Tigers were up 14-0 with 2:37 left to play in the first quarter.
The Rams answered the touchdown with one of their own just three plays later. The kickoff put the ball on the Ram 24 yard line. The Rams moved the ball four yards on their next play, but the ball came loose on the snap. Conner recovered it but the ball was back at the Ram 19 yard line. Conner then completed a pass to junior wide receiver Broc Stream, who ran it for an 89-yard touchdown play. Senior Camden Strennen ran the ball for a 2-point conversion and the score was 14-8 with 1:21 left in the quarter.
The Rams didn’t let the Tigers score on their next possession, but were able to hold them on downs at the Ram 35, getting the ball back with 8:24 left in the second quarter. They kept the ball on the ground to the Carroll 47 yard line. On the next play, with the Rams at 3rd down and three yards to go, Conner got the ball to senior running back Nick Stream, who ran for a TD, tying the score at 16. Junior kicker Teagan Chisholm’s kick hit the crossbar on the goal post and the score remained knotted at 14 with 4:38 to play in the half.
The Rams had the ball to open the second half, returning the kickoff to their 30 yard line. Eleven plays later they had made it the Tigers’ 26 yard line when the Rams turned the ball over with a fumble. The Tigers scored eight plays later. With the PAT, the Tigers were up 21-14, with 3:21 remaining in the third quarter.
The Rams answered quickly, scoring a TD just five plays later. The 74 yard drive included a 28-yard pass play to sophomore wide receiver Trevon Keely and a 34-yard QB keeper by Conner. Senior Camden Jacobs received a 4-yard pass for the TD. Chisholm’s PAT was good and the game was tied at 21 with a minute left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter didn’t go well for the Rams, perhaps because with the shorter roster, fewer substitutions were available. The Tigers had returned the kick after the Rams’ TD to their own 42 yard line, and then ran the ball to the Ram 31 on the next play. They were at 2nd down and 6 on the Ram 27 when the fourth quarter started. They scored 3-1/2 minutes later, having used nine plays to move the required 58 yards. The PAT was successful and the Tigers were up 28-21.
The Rams’ turned the ball over on downs on their next possession, with Conner being sacked on the fourth play. The Tigers had the ball on the Ram 32 yard line. A penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Tigers with just less than six minutes to play moved the ball back to the Ram 47. Tiger senior Taidyn Peterson ran for a touchdown on the next play, putting the score at 34-21. The Rams blocked the PAT kick; 34-21 was the final score.
Crew Conner completed six of nine passes for 127 yards. The Rams rushed for 125 yards, with Nick Stream credited with 109 yards. Junior Christopher Daugherty led in tackles with eight solo tackles and 13 tackles total. Sophomore Jaron Jacobs had six solo tackles and nine tackles total.
For the Tigers, quarterback Carter Essick completed three of seven passes for 36 yards. He rushed for 65 yards. Taidyn Peterson led in rushing with 191 yards. The Tigers had 331 yards of offense on the ground. Ty Muhlbauer led the Tigers in tackles with three solos and six tackles total.
