Rams win 41-24 in ‘home’ opener

PLATTSMOUTH, Neb. – Highway 34 bragging rights for southwest Iowa were settled Friday night in Nebraska.

Yes, Nebraska.

Forced to move its season-opener to Plattsmouth High School’s artificial turf because of a soggy surface at Ram Memorial Field, Glenwood held off pesky Red Oak, 41-24, in a non-district contest.

The Rams raced to a 28-0 halftime lead and survived a valiant second-half comeback effort by a determined Tiger squad to secure the win.

“In the first half, defensively, I thought we played really well,” Glenwood coach Cory Faust said. “Offensively, we had some nice balance. We were able to hit some pass plays. I thought we did some nice things in the running game, but there are a lot of things we need to get fixed, too.For the first game out, I’m happy with our kids and looking forward to getting better.”

The first touchdown of the game came midway through the first quarter after Glenwood’s Andrew Tilley intercepted a Carlos Guerra pass and returned it to the Tigers’ 42 yard line. The Rams pushed the ball into the end zone from there, capped by a three-yard scamper by quarterback Kolten Wilwerding.

Wilwerding would have a hand in Glenwood’s next two touchdowns as well. He completed a three-yard scoring toss to Mavrick Decker early in the second quarter and would score on a quarterback sneak four minutes later.

A one-yard touchdown run by Brogan Weddum in the final minute of the quarter gave the Rams their four-touchdown cushion at halftime.

While Red Oak struggled to generate offense in the first two quarters of the contest, the second half was a different story. The Tigers took the second half kickoff and methodically marched down the field for their first points of the night, burning seven minutes off the clock. A scramble by Carlos Guerra on fourth-and-5 kept the drive alive. A 10-yard, fourth-and-goal scoring toss from Carlos Guerra to Eli Guerra capped the drive.

After a failed onside kick attempt by the Tigers, Glenwood responded immediately with a 61-yard touchdown pass from Wilwerding to Blaine Clark, who outran the Tiger secondary.

Leading 34-6, the Rams had an opportunity to ice the game after the Tigers fumbled the ball away at their own 10 on the ensuing kickoff. Red Oak’s defense stifled the threat, however, with an interception in the end zone.

A Glenwood fumble would set up Red Oak’s next touchdown - a 10-yard run by Murphy Porter early in the fourth quarter.

Two more Glenwood fumbles and a pass interference penalty aided Red Oak to set up a 15-yard touchdown pass from Carlos Guerra to Conner Lansky midway through the fourth quarter.
Up 34-18, Glenwood finally sealed the game with a nifty 28-yard pass-and-catch from Wilwerding to Clark.

Red Oak’s final TD came with 31 seconds left in the game – a one-yard dive by Carlos Guerra.
Faust said the Rams’ inconsistent play, which included seven penalties and four turnovers, was concerning, but he’s confident corrections can be made as his young team gains more playing experience.

“I think it shows the youth of our team,” Faust said. “We’ve got a lot guys playing varsity football for the first time.  I think it’s a learning experience and you have to credit Red Oak, they came back and played hard. When they get some of their guys back, they’re going to have a good team this year. They’ve got some good players.”

Wilwerding, a sophomore making his first varsity start, turned in a solid performance – leading the Rams in rushing with 88 yards on 17 carries and completing 7-of-10 passes for 137 yards and three touchdowns.

“Starting a sophomore quarterback is always a challenge,” Faust said. “Now that he’s got one under his belt, we need him to start playing like a junior or senior and I think he’ll do that.”

Weddum rushed for 48 yards on nine carries. Clark was Glenwood’s leading receiver with two catches for 89 yards and two TDs.

Defensive statistics for Glenwood were not available at press time.
Red Oak rushed for 182 yards on 47 attempts. Carlos Guerra was 6-for-16 passing for 85 yards.

RED OAK        00  00  06  18 - 24
GLENWOOD    07  21  06  07 - 41
    
GLN – Kolten Wilwerding, 3 run (Fernando Gonzalez kick).
GLN – Mavrick Decker, 3 pass from Wilwerding (Gonzalez kick).
GLN – Wilwerding, 1 run (Gonzalez kick).
GLN – Brogan Weddum, 1 run (Gonzalez kick).
RO – Eli Guerra, 10 pass from Carlos Guerra (run failed).
GLN – Blaine Clark, 61 pass from Wilwerding (kick failed).
RO – Porter Murphy, 10 run (pass failed).
RO – Conner Jansky,15 pass from Carlos Guerra (run failed).
GLN – Clark, 28 pass from Wilwerding (Gonzalez kick).
RO – Carlos Guerra, 1 run (run failed).