Rams fall in double OT heartbreaker

COUNCIL BLUFFS - Wins and losses in football often come down to a handful of plays throughout the course of a game.

In Glenwood’s 42-41 double-overtime loss to Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson, it came down to the final two plays.

Leading by six in the second overtime period, the Glenwood defense was unable to stop T.J. from tying the game on Griffin Koletzke’s touchdown run and then watched as Alex Powders’ PAT won the game on the next play. Glenwood had missed its extra-point on it’s touchdown leaving the door open for the Yellowjackets’ game’winner in front of a report-estimated crowd of 750 at Council Bluff’s City Field.

Glenwood coach Cory Faust downplayed the missed extra point following the game. One play, the coach said, never decides a football game.

“You have 11 players,” Faust said. “I could go back and watch the film and show 100 different plays that were the difference. If we make a stop on third-and-six a couple times and they punt the ball, they don’t score. It’s not one player or one play and I told the guys that.”

Glenwood got off to a fast start to open the game against a T.J. squad that had lost nine straight games stretching to last season. After the Yellowjackets fumbled on their opening play from scrimmage, the Rams marched down the field and took the 7-0 lead on a Wilwerding sneak from the one yard line just 1:27 into the game.

The two teams traded punts on their next two possessions before T.J. appeared to be making a drive, moving from their own 19 out to the 40, but Glenwood held on a fourth-and-one to turn the ball over on downs. The Rams wouldn’t waste the momentum or the field position as Wilwerding found a streaking Aaron Bertini for a 40-yard touchdown strike on the very next play.

Leading 14-0, Glenwood forced the Yellowjackets to punt on the ensuing possession. But the Rams’ march into T.J. territory was thwarted when Gage Surita scooped up a Glenwood fumble and raced 56 yards into the end zone to half the Rams’ lead with 1:46 to go in the first quarter.

The turnover seemed to sap the Rams’ offensive momentum as T.J.’s once sputtering offense began to click.

Wallace keyed a 12-play, 86 yard drive capped by Surita’s eight-yard touchdown catch with 36 seconds to go in the half. The drive ate up nearly five minutes of clock and left the score knotted 14-14 at intermission.

Glenwood changed that on their second play from scrimmage to open the third quarter when Josh Lee raced around the left side for a career-long 74-yard touchdown scamper.

The score would remain 21-14 until midway into the fourth quarter. Nursing their seven point lead, the Rams had driven out to their own 48 when the momentum swung once again via turnover and again at the hands of Surita. The junior safety stepped in front of Wilwerding pass and promptly returned it 50 yards for a Yellowjacket touchdown to tie the game at 21-21 with just over six minutes remaining in the game.

The momentum swings were just beginning.

Glenwood responded with a touchdown drive of its own when Wilwerding found Mavrick Decker for a 39-yard touchdown on a fade route to put the Rams’ back ahead.

Not to be out-done, Wallace keyed a Yellowjacket answer when his 18 yard touchdown pass to Isaac Hansen capped a six-play, 57 yard drive on the ensuing possession with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.

Tied at 28-28, the game headed to overtime where each team would get four plays from the 10-yard line to score a touchdown or a field goal.

Thomas Jefferson had first crack and Wallace connected with Jacob Durham for a 10-yard strike. The touchdown and PAT would give the Yellowjackets their first lead of the game at 35-28.
But Glenwood would answer – just with a little more drama.

After three plays and a penalty netted the Rams one yard, Wilwerding’s fourth-and-nine heave into traffic was snagged by Decker for a game-tying touchdown to send the game into a second overtime.

“That was clutch,” Faust said. “He (Decker) had a great game and made a few huge plays for us. I was proud of our guys for staying in there and battling like they did. It was fourth-and-nine and they got it in there.”

The Rams would get little time to celebrate as they went right back onto offense. Runs by Carter Von Essen and Wilwerding set the ball up at the T.J. one-yard line where Wilwerding burst through the Yellowjacket defense for his second rushing touchdown of the night. Leading 41-35, Glenwood needed to secure its PAT to assure at least a third overtime. But Fernando Gonzalez’s kick would sail wide right.

On the very next play, T.J.’s Koletzke raced around the left side for a 10-yard touchdown. The Yellowjackets would not miss their PAT as Powders’ kick sailed through the upright for the win.

“It is always tough to lose, but there are a lot of positives that can come out of the game if we choose to look at it as an opportunity to get better,” said Faust.  “T.J. exposed some things, and we made some unforced errors, but our players did a lot of great things both physically and mentally.  If we use this game as motivation to get better, correct our unforced errors, and keep improving each day, the rest of the year will be a lot of fun and this team can achieve a lot.”

Faust liked the play of his defense despite the final outcome. Glenwood held Wallace to less than a 50 percent completion percentage (17-of-36) and the Yellowjackets run game to just 3.2 yards per carry (36 carries for 118 yards) while forcing three turnovers.

“Pass coverage wise, there were some things I wish we could have done a little bit better but overall I thought we played well defensively,” Faust said.

Faust chalked up his team’s penalties (11) and three turnovers to some early season rust and a bit of inexperience in a close ball game.

“We have a young quarterback and it’s obviously not his fault but whenever you have a cool, damp night like this it’s hard to hang onto the ball,” Faust said. “It’s something we’ll get better at. Handling the ball in our offense is tough but we’ll get better at it and by the end of the year, we’ll be tough to beat.”

Wilwerding had a hand in five touchdowns for the Rams, completing 12-of-24 passes for 144 yards and three TDs and rushing four two more.

The Rams are back home Friday hosting Atlantic in the Class 3A, District 8 opener for both teams. Faust is confident his team will be ready.

“We’ll get better,” he said. “We look at the film and re-boot. This is one-week seasons now. We have another one week season next week and we’ll try and be 1-0.”