~with Taylor Teays of The Scranton Journal
The Greene County football team hosted their final home game of the season Friday night, falling 26-21 to Southeast Valley on senior night.
The game went down to the final minute. The Rams’ final possession began with just less than 6 minutes to play.
The Rams had retaken lead of the game with less than a minute left in the third quarter. After a Jaguar TD, the Rams had the ball on their own 34 yard line. Quarterback Gabe Ebersole connected with Trey Schilling on a pass play that covered the 66 yards needed to score. The TD, with kicker Nathan Behne’s PAT, gave the Rams a 21-18 lead.
In the fourth quarter the Rams held the Jaguars, forcing a punt from the SEV 44 yard line. The Rams got the ball as close as the Cougar 15 yard line but after two penalties against the Rams, including a 15-yard penalty against Schilling for unsportsmanlike conduct, the Rams were on the Jaguar 28 yard line when Ebersole’s pass was intercepted. The Jaguars scored 10 plays later, and with a two point conversion they led the game 26-21 with 2:27 left in the game.
The Rams started their possession on their own 29 yard line. A 15-yard penalty against the Jaguars for pass interference helped the Rams’ cause. With 51 seconds left to play and on the Jags’ 24 yard line Ebersole connected with Hansen in the end zone for a TD that would have given the Rams the lead. The referees saw it differently, and instead penalized the Rams 15 years for holding and Schilling was ejected from the game. The TD was nullified and the ball was moved back to the 34 yard line. The Rams were called for holding, though, nullifying the TD. The Rams were penalized 10 yards back to the 34 yard line at second and 21 to go. Jaguar freshman Logan Jaeschke intercepted Ebersole’s pass on the next play and the Jaguars had the ball with just 43 seconds left in the game. The final score was 26-21 in favor of the Jaguars.
The Jaguars had scored first in the game on a 15-play drive that started on their own 20 yard line after Ram Behne missed a field goal. The Jags attempted a two-point conversion but failed; the score was 6-0 in favor of the visitors with 1:12 left in the first quarter.
The Rams tied the game with a pass play to Jack Hansen to end an 8-play, 81-yard drive. Behne’s PAT was good and the score was 7-6 with 2:42 left in the half.
The Jaguars wasted no time, retaking the lead with just four plays, with the final one being a Cale Vansickle pass from their 45 yard line to Jace Hanson who ran for the TD. An attempted conversion failed and the Jags led 12-7 with 1 minute on the clock.
The lead was short-lived. Schilling received the Jags’ kickoff and ran 87 yards for a TD. After Behne’s PAT the Rams led 14-12 at halftime.
Both teams scored in the third quarter. The Jaguars scored after covering 63 yards in 11 plays capped by a one-yard run by Vansickle. A two-point conversion attempt failed again and the score was 18-14 in favor of the Jaguars.
The Jags kick put the ball on the Rams 34 yard line. The Rams scored in just one play, a pass play to Schilling. Behne again scored the PAT, setting up an exciting fourth quarter.
Seniors were honored for their time and dedication to the team, with 11 players graduating this spring: Jack Hansen, Nathan Behne, Trey Schilling, Gabe Ebersole, Alexander Rall, Cody Allen, Jackson Turner, Noah Cornell, Logan Butler, Michael Rumley and Gavin Trecker.
Ebersole led in passing yards with 258 and rushing with 40. Hansen led in receiving yards with 124 and Rumley had the leading tackles with eight. All told, the Rams had 304 offensive yards with 256 in the air and 48 on the ground. Defensively, Greene County gave up 382 yards. The Jaguars had 155 passing and 227 rushing yards.
The Rams travel to Des Moines Christian High School Friday with hopes of a win, which is needed to have a chance in securing the final District 8 playoff spot. First in the district is Kuemper Catholic, with Roland-Story in second. Third and fourth will come down to the Rams, Des Moines Christian and Southeast Valley.
Southeast Valley 26 ~ Greene County 21
Passing: Camden Strennen 1/1 passing, -2 yards; Gabe Ebersole 15/26, 258 yards, 2 TDs, 2 int
Receiving: Jack Hansen 8 catches, 124 yards, 1 TD; Nick Stream 1 catch, 23 yards; Strennen 1 catch, 4 yards; Camden Jacobs 1 catch, 14 yards; Trey Schilling 5 catches, 91 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: Strennen 5 carries, 8 yards; Ebersole 12 carries, 40 yards
Tackles: Hansen 2 solo, 3 tackles; N. Stream 2.5 tackles; Nathan Behne 0.5 tackle; Strennen 1 solo, 7 tackles; Jacobs 1 tackle; Schilling 1 solo, 1.5 tackles; Trevon Keely 1 solo, 1.5 tackles; Patrick Graham 2 tackles; Broc Stream 1 solo, 1.5 tackles; Ebersole 4 solo, 7 tackles; Gavin Scheuermann 1 solo, 3 tackles; Degan Miller 1 tackle; Christopher Daugherty 4 tackles, 0.5 sack; Jackson Turner 3 tackles; Bryce Habben 3 tackles, 0.5 sack; Noah Cornell 2 solo, 6 tackles; Michael Rumley 2 solo, 8 tackles, 0.5 sack; Kamden Kinne 1 solo, 7 tackles
Kick returns: N. Stream 1, 9 yards; Strennen 2, 19 yards; Schilling 1, 87 yards
Punt returns: Strennen 1, 5 yards
Kicking: Behne 4 kicks, 216 yards; PATs 3/3
Punts: Behne 1, 18 yards
