Rams nearly pull off the upset over Atlantic

By CHRISTIAN ROYSTON croyston@iowainformation.com

The game came down to the wire against a tough undefeated Atlantic team, but the Greene County football team could not make the final push it needed to topple the giant, losing 21-17 this past Friday.

Home-field advantage may have been the deciding factor, as the Trojans had just enough in the tank to squeak out a win and pick up their fourth-straight win. The loss also dropped Greene County to 1-2, as it has been close to switching those losses to wins.

Offense was hard to come by for both teams, as the Rams struggled to get things going in the air and on the ground. Senior Crew Conner did have a solid day, throwing for 74 yards and a touchdowns, while giving up no interceptions. He also carried the ball 10 times for 61 yards but could not find the end zone on the ground.

Senior Nick Stream did have 50 yards on the day, but Atlantic’s defense was playing tough, keeping him to under four yards per carry. 

Sophomore Trevon Keely had a solid day all over the field, helping out on defense, offense and even special teams. Keely caught two long passes, one for a touchdown, intercepted a ball and nearly took it to the house, and had an 85-yard kick return for a touchdown.

Despite the two touchdowns and a field goal off the foot of Teagan Chisholm, the Trojans found the end zone just enough times to walk away with a win.

The Rams may have given up three touchdowns, but they did a great job of controlling Atlantic’s offense for the most part. This was the lowest scoring game by Atlantic this season, as it entered the game averaging nearly 50 points a game. Keeping the Trojans to 21 was a win in itself.

As a whole, the defense had six tackles for losses and two sacks, keeping Atlantic’s run game contained. Junior Aden Bardole led the way with 8.5 tackles, while senior Camden Jacobs had seven solo tackles.

The loss may have dropped Greene County in the standings, but it was a good loss to have. The Rams showed bright spots on both sides of the ball and stayed competitive with a team that could be fighting for a postseason push in Class 3A.

Greene County has a chance to get back in the win column this Friday, as it hosts Saydel, a team that also sits at 1-2. The Eagles are coming off their first win of the season, recently taking down Colfax-Mingo 30-18.

Saydel has proven that it can score with ease, as its offense has been nothing short of fantastic. The game could come down to how Greene County’s defense deals with Saydel’s high-powered offense.

The Eagles’ senior quarterback Adam Ollin is the player to watch, as he leads the team in the air and on the ground. He has 874 passing yards this season and eight touchdowns, while averaging seven yards per carry on the ground for 270 yards and two more touchdowns.

Ollin does have a tendency to turn the ball over, as he has six interceptions so far, which does bode well for the Rams’ defense. Greene County has three players with picks, as Keely is the newest member to the interception list with his 60-yard pick.

The Rams will host Saydel at 7 p.m. Friday at Linduska Field in Jefferson.