Late field goal lifts Rams in rugged win

It was dejavu all over again for Glenwood.

Nearly two years after a field goal in the waning seconds gave them a 30-27 victory at Carroll Field in the state playoffs, the Rams found themselves in familiar territory Friday night in Carroll.

Alex Nusser’s 27-yard field goal with 23 seconds remaining broke a 14-14 tie and lifted Glenwood to a 17-14 victory in a rugged, physical non-district football season-opener on the road.

“We know Alex is a good kicker, he spends a lot of time in the offseason traveling around to different camps and he really cares about football,” said Glenwood coach Cory Faust after the game. “We had a ton of confidence in him and we knew he was going to make it.”

Glenwood’s offense wasn’t so fluid to open the game. On their four first quarter possessions, the Rams were penalized three times, gained 67 net yards and turned it over three times. Oh, and there was the matter of a blocked punt inside their own five-yard line that set up Carroll’s first touchdown.

But the Rams wouldn’t hang their heads for long after getting down 7-0.

Following their second turnover of the game, Glenwood got offensive with its defense when cornerback Silas Bales stepped in front of a Slade Sibenaller pass and returned it 60 yards untouched for a game-tying touchdown.

The score would remain deadlocked until late in the fourth quarter as both teams settled into a rugged, defensive-battle of field position. The two teams combined for five punts and two first downs to open the third quarter until Glenwood opened up the playbook.

After running the ball 36 times in 39 plays from scrimmage, Ram quarterback Zach Carr completed his first pass of the game to a wide open Colton Schutte streaking across the middle. The Tiger defense wrestled the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder to the ground but only after he gained 67 yards down to the eight-yard-line. On the very next play, Cooper Silvius bowled into the endzone to give Glenwood its first lead of the night with 1:34 to go in the frame.

The two would trade punts on their next two possessions before Carroll’s offense began to gain ground. After going for it on four-and-one at the Rams’ 17 to extend the drive, the Tigers’ other quarterback Colby Vincent, connected with Isaiah Badding for game-tying TD with just over seven minutes to go.

Glenwood would attempt to answer on its ensuing possession but the drive would stall on an incomplete pass on a fourth-and-five out inside the Tigers’ 33-yard line.

But the Rams would get another chance three plays later when another interception by a Bales, this time older brother Eli Bales, killed the Tigers’ drive. The Ram linebacker dropped into coverage and picked off a Vincent pass to set up Glenwood at its own 40 with just over three minutes to go.

Carr, and the Ram offense, wasted little time seizing the momentum flip when the junior quarterback hooked up once again with Schutte, this time for 51 yards. The play put them in business inside the Tiger 10 yard line.

After three straight runs – and two penalties on the Rams – netted them just two yards of field position and facing a fourth-and-goal at the 10, Faust sent Nusser out to boot the game winner. And the junior, kicking just his fourth varsity field goal, spit the uprights.

The Rams finished with 337 total yards –208 coming on the ground – but it looked and felt like a season opener in a new offense with three turnovers and 10 penalties. Glenwood unveiled its “quick huddle offense” for the first time Friday and seemed to get more effective as the game went along. The offense has the three lineman on the line of scrimmage with the remaining eight players lined up directly behind the center before all sprint into spots for a quick snap to not allow defenses to adjust to formations. Faust admitted there were some hiccups.

“You never know the first game, or any game really, what someone is going to come out and do and we anticipated Carroll coming out and running a different front so that was a little different,” Faust said. “And it’s a first game. We’re running a little bit different offensive scheme and then you throw in the quick huddle and we knew there’d be some growing pains. I’m proud of the guys for hanging in there and finding a way to get it down.”

Carr finished 4-of-8 passing for 129 yards while Noah Carter picked up 111 yards rushing and Silvius 66.

Defensively, the Rams looked in mid-season form, holding Carroll 69 yards rushing on 28 carries and just 181 total yards. They also forced seven punts and forced two turnovers. Eli Bales and Silas Bales led the way with six tackles and an interception each.

“The defense really played well,” Faust said. “We thought our defensive backs, going into the game, were going to be really good but we have a lot of news guys playing, and I think they proved tonight they can lock some people down. We also put a lot of pressure up front as well so we have to credit out defensive line too.”

The Rams are back in action Friday hosting Sioux City Bishop Heelan. Kick-off is set for 7:30 at Ram Memorial Field.

Scoring Summary
G  07  00 07  03 – 17
C  07  00 00  07 – 14

Game Summary
C – Ryan Johnston, 4 run (kick good).
G – Silas Bales, 60 interception (kick good).
G – Cooper Silvius, 8 run (kick good).
C – Colby Vincent to Isaiah Badding, 20 pass (kick good).
G – Alex Nusser, 27 field goal.