The Greene County Ram football team got schooled in what to work on before the 2022 campaign when it played the PCM Mustangs in first round of Class 2A playoffs Oct. 30. The Rams, whose starting line-up on both sides of the ball is primarily juniors, took a six-game winning streak and a 7-2 record to Monroe to play the senior-led Mustangs, a perennial Class 2A football powerhouse. The result was a 42-0 shut-out, the first time the Rams were on the short end of a shut-out this season.
The Rams can take heart in allowing the Mustangs only 42 points; they have averaged 59 points per game this season.
The Rams learned quickly they’d have a difficult time moving the ball against the Mustang defense. The Rams received the opening kick off and play began on their 15 yard line. They were able to make a first down at the 26 yard line, but punted at fourth down and 4 on their 32 yard line. Junior quarterback Kyle Stalder, punter for the team, managed a 57-yard punt to give the ball to the home team on their own 9 yard line.
It took senior quarterback August Stock and his teammates 11 plays to score their first touchdown. The drive included no fourth downs. Even at third and 23, Stock completed a 27-yard pass for a first and 10. The final play of the drive was a pass to Gatlin Boell on third and 9 from the Ram 36. The Mustangs’ PAT was good and they were up 7-0 with 4:24 to play in the first quarter.
On the Rams’ next possession Stalder kept the ball on a third and 1 play from the Ram 44. He made the down, but was tackled hard enough to force a fumble, which Boell recovered. The Mustangs had the ball again on the Ram 46. The ran seven plays, all on the ground, for their next touchdown, scored on a quarterback-keep from the 6 yard line. After the PAT the Mustangs were ahead 14-0 with 37 seconds left in the first quarter.
Ram senior Jaxon Warnke returned the kickoff to the Ram 25 yard line, but a penalty for offsides moved the ball back to the 20. At first and 15 yards to go, Stalder rushed for 14 yards, giving the Rams a second and 1 from their 34 yard line. They made a first down, but got only as far as the 41 yard line before punting again. PCM senior Landon Fenton returned Stalder’s punt 71 yards for a touchdown, and with the PAT, The score was 21-0 with six minutes to play in the half.
The Rams’ next possession started on their 17 yard line. Stalder connected on short passes to Joe Carey and Warnke, but the possession ended with an incomplete pass on fourth and 7 from the Ram 36 yard line.
Although PCM started with good field position at the Ram 36, the Ram defense held them from scoring. The Mustangs attempted a field goal on fourth and 7 from the Ram 23. The field goal kick missed the uprights and the Rams had the ball back on their own 23 yard line.
The Rams were called for holding on their first play from scrimmage, moving the ball back to the Ram 10 yard line. The Rams reclaimed the penalty yardage with a pass to senior Zach Goff. Stalder passed on the next play, too, but the ball was caught by a PCM player who dropped it, and the Rams were called for an illegal forward pass. That moved the ball all the way back to the Ram 5 yard line at second down and 25 to go. Stalder connected with Warnke on a nine-yard pass, but ended up punting at fourth and 16 from the Ram 14.
The Mustangs started on the Ram 48 with 3:30 to play in the half. They used seven plays, including a 34-yard Stock to Boell pass, to score again. With the PAT the Mustangs were up 28-0.
Ram sophomore Richard Daugherty returned the kick-off 61 yards, giving the Rams their best field position of the half. The Mustang defense was faster than the Rams had faced before, and Stalder threw two incomplete passes to Warnke, hurrying his throws to avoid being sacked. On the third pass attempt, Stalder’s throw was intercepted. It was Stalder’s first interception since the third game of the season. Time ran out on the half, so the Mustangs took their 28-0 lead into the intermission.
Ram junior Nathan Black kicked off to start the second half. PCM senior Jacob VanWinkle returned it 80 yards for a TD, The extra point gave the Mustangs the 35 point margin needed to run the clock continuously for the rest of the game.
Although it was obvious the teams were mismatched, the Ram defense did manage to hold the Mustangs on a drive that took them as close as the Ram 5 yard line. On a second and goal play from the Ram 9 hard line, sophomore Patrick Daugherty tackled for a loss, moving the ball back to the Ram 18. Stock threw two incomplete passes to the end zone and the Rams reclaimed the ball on their 18 yard line.
A pass to Warnke picked up a first down at the Rams 29, junior Nathan Black rushed for two to the Ram 31, and Stalder passed to Richard Daugherty for a first and 10 on the Ram 40. Stalder threw once incomplete and then was intercepted mid-field by PCM senior Justin Maggard. The Mustangs started on the Ram 37 and sored five plays later, finishing the drive with a short pass from the 5 yard line. With 9:49 to play in the fourth quarter, PCM was up 42-0.
That was the final score of the game.
The Rams compiled 121 yards of offense. Stalder competed 10 of 22 passes for 64 yards. He rushed for 30 yards, with Black rushing for 27. Junior Jackson Morton, who in other games has been the Rams’ leading rusher, was on the injured list for the game.
Junior Max Riley was credited with 8.5 tackles, six of them solos. Warnke and junior Brayden Smith were each credited with eight tackles, with six of Warnke’s and four of Smith’s being solos.
Stock completed three of six passes for 101 yards. The Mustangs rushed for 268 yards with senior Sage Berns leading with 119 yards.
The PCM Mustangs advanced to play West Marshall (8-1) in a quarter-final game this Friday. Other teams still in post season play are West Lyon, Inwood, West Liberty, Camanche, Solon and Waukon.
