Rams close regular season with wild win

It didn’t go exactly as head coach Cory Faust expected but it’s hard to argue with the results in Glenwood’s final tune up before the playoffs.

In a game that saw the two teams combine for over 800 yards of total offense and 80 points, Glenwood made the plays they needed over the final eight minutes to finally pull away from Boone in a wild 51-35 win at the Glenwood Activities Complex Friday.

“I knew they were capable of being really good,” Glenwood coach Cory Faust said of the 2-7 Toreadors. “I thought would play better on defense than we did but part of that’s on me. Maybe we were putting too much on the players there to check us into some certain things and weren’t really getting aligned right and weren’t playing fast but I’ll take the blame on that. I got to have a better plan.”

Both teams had the right plans on offense in the first half. Neither team punted with the Rams scoring on all four of its possession and the Toreadors scoring all but their final drive of the half when they took a knee.

After giving up 21 points and 239 yards in the first half, the Ram defense adjust out of halftime – less three-man fronts and more men in the box to better run fit the Toreador’s spread offense. The changes worked.

Boone went three-and-out on their opening possession of the half. The punt was the first of the game for either team.

“A lot of times we were slanting our lineman a little bit more,” Faust said of the subtle defensive changes. “We got them moving. Sometimes we added somebody to the box. More than anything we were just playing our stuff.”

The Rams drove 67 yards in eight plays on the ensuing possession to go up 31-21 on a Scott Reed one-yard touchdown plunge.

But Boone wouldn’t go away so easily.

They answered with a 10 play, 64-yard drive of their own when quarterback Jude Baumgardner connected with Tate Hollenkamp on a 15-yard TD. The point-after cut the lead to 31-28 with a little over two minutes to go in the third quarter.

 The Rams had an response of their own on the next drive when Reed raced in from 11 yards out to ice a 11 play, 61-yard drive to make it 38-28 with just over 10 minutes to go in the game.

Glenwood would appear to be on its way to extending their lead two minutes later when 6-foot-5, 260 pounds Drake Buthe intercepted a Baumgardner pass but just before reaching the endzone the ball was stripped. Baumgardner grabbed the ball and raced for a 93-yard touchdown in a wild play that made the score 38-35 with just over eight minutes to go. 

The Rams, however, would get their final answers.

Reed’s fifth and sixth touchdowns of the game – sandwiched around a Korbin Pelzer interception on defense – capped a pair of clock eating drives to put the lead to 51-35 and ice the win with just over two minutes remaining.

Reed had a monster game for the Rams. His six touchdowns are a new school record and his 228 yards came on a season-high 34 carries.

For the game Glenwood, tallied 499 yards, 232 passing and 267 rushing.

“Our offensive line obviously has a big part in that but I think Scott set the school record for touchdowns in a game,” Faust said. “He broke Dain Lundvall’s record so that’s a big accomplishment. I think it’s important for our offense to just get a little bit of confidence. Maybe they’ve been starting slower in some games but tonight they definitely brought the energy right away and were able to really move the ball throughout the night.”

Ram quarterback Ben Carlo completed 17-of-26 passes in the game.

Boone finished with 305 total yards. Running back Maddox McIntyre carried 29 times for 155 yards and a touchdown.

Glenwood opens postseason play Friday at defending state champion North Polk (7-2) in Alleman. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Scoring Summary

G  10  14   07  20   51

B  14   07  07  07   35

Game Summary

G – Aaron Christian, 36 field goal.

B – Maddox McIntyre, 34 run (kick good).

G – Scott Reed, 4 run (kick good).

B – Jude Baumgardner to Noah Davies, 39 pass (kick good).

G – Reed, 18 run (kick good).

B – Baumgardner, 23 run (kick good).

G – Ben Carlo, 2 run (kick good).

G – Reed, 1 run (kick good).

B – Baumgardner to Tate Hollenkamp, 15 pass (kick good).

G – Reed, 11 run (kick good).

B – Baumgardner, 93 fumble return (kick good).

G – Reed, 17 run (kick good).

G – Reed, 2 run (kick good).

PLAYOFF PREVIEW

Glenwood (7-2) vs. North Polk (7-2)

Where: Alleman

When: Friday, 7 p.m.

Notes: The defensing Class 4A state champions from North Polk were ranked No. 2 in the latest Class 4A RPI ratings before losing in its season finale 49-18 on the road at then No. 3 rated Gilbert (9-0). But the Comets were without quarterback James Armstrong in the game after he sat out with an undisclosed injury. The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, who has thrown for 1,507 yards and 12 touchdowns on 65 percent completions, is expected to play Friday. The senior has also run for 277 yards and four touchdowns. Leading receivers Bryce Burke and Brady Cathcart have hauled in 35 and 34 receptions each, respectively, while combining for nine touchdowns. Junior Carson Reinhart leads the ground attack with his 894 yards and 11 touchdowns. For the season, the Comets have a balanced offense that has averaged 359.1 yards and over 30 points per game. Glenwood’s offense has been equally balanced this season, passing for 181 yards and rushing for 215 yards per game while scoring 33 points a game. Running back Scott Reed and quarterback Ben Carlo have headlined the offense. Reed has rushed for 1,413 yards and 14 touchdowns while Carlo has completed 120-of-201 passes for 1,560 yards and 11 touchdowns. Kaden Crouse has been the top pass catcher, hauling in 35 passes for 565 yards and six TDs. Defensively, the Rams have racked up 24 turnovers – 14 interceptions and 10 fumbles – to go with 52.5 tackles for loss.
Glenwood Coach Cory Faust: “They are a complete team with good special teams, and strong skill and line players on both sides of the ball. That being said, I believe we match up really well with this team and that we can find success if we have a good week of practice and then execute on Friday. We have not executed to our potential on defense the past two weeks. We'll need to play well in all three phases for that to happen.”