Rams Bested by Bishop LeBlond
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By Sara Smith
Last season the Bishop LeBlond Golden Eagles made the trip to Schuyler County on Saturday, September the 2nd. The game had to be played on a Saturday at noon due to a shortage of referees. The Golden Eagles fell to the Rams during that game 52- 28.
This season, both teams had earned a win in week one, Schuyler versus the Seymour Warriors, 52-16, and Bishop LeBlond versus the North Shelby Raiders, 56-30.
This time it was the Rams’ turn to make the trek to St. Joseph on Friday, September 6, 2024. The senior-heavy roster for the Golden Eagles must have remembered the loss from the previous season and decided to get some payback.
The game started in promising fashion for the Rams, with a first down on rushes by #21, Mason Windy, and #1 Elliott Sevits. However, the drive stalled out and the Rams turned the ball over on downs.
To answer, the Golden Eagles made a big gain on their first play from scrimmage, a few snaps later the Golden Eagles were scampering into the endzone. Ace Akers put a stop to the 2-point attempt and the score was 6-0 in favor of Bishop LeBlond with just a little under half of the first quarter in the books, 6:44 remaining in the first quarter.
Another possession by the Rams, another turnover on downs. This time, however, when the Golden Eagles got the ball, the Rams’ defense forced a punt. The Rams’ drive was slowed by penalties. There were three penalties called back-to-back-to-back, two against the Rams and one against the Golden Eagles. That is how the quarter would end.
Unfortunately, the beginning of the second quarter would not turn the tide for the Rams’ offense and the Rams would once again turn the ball over on downs.
On the following Golden Eagle’s drive, the Rams’ defense kept the team in the game with a forced fumble and recovery. Brody Weaver took advantage of the turnover and threw a bomb to Sevits for a big gain and a first down. Regrettably, this bright spot in the game was followed by a bad snap, a short completion, a sack, and finally…a punt.
The Golden Eagles quickly scored, added a 2-point conversion and the score was 14-0 with 6:55 left in the half.
The unfavorable pattern for the Rams would continue on offense. A penalty would negate a pass play or a run play. The Rams would start to put together a drive, and then a sack or incomplete pass would put their backs against the wall, and the Rams would fall short of the line to gain and turn the ball over on downs. There were glimmers of great plays and the beginnings of sustained drives, but the Rams lacked consistency.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams continued to battle, but the energy was hard to maintain, and the Rams’ defense found themselves on their heels. Chasing, rather than pursuing, falling back rather than pushing forward. The Golden Eagles proved to be difficult to tackle and they pressed their advantage. By halftime, they were leading the Rams 26-0.
The second half started with another Golden Eagles touchdown drive, this time, however, the Rams were able to answer. Down 32-0, with 10:31 left to play in the third quarter, the offense continued to try and find their groove. After a few rushes by Sevits, a QB keeper, and a scramble from Weaver, the Rams were on the board, 32- 6, on a rush by Sevits for a TD.
As play continued the second half proved to be a continuation of the first, and the Rams could not stop the bleeding. With less than a minute to play at the end of the third quarter, Coach O turned his eye toward program-building and put many of the JV players into the game on defense.
The varsity offense continued to take the field, looking for a positive outcome to build on for next week. They would find it in a good kickoff return from Collin Oliver that put the offense in the position to rush for another touchdown, the score was now 56-12 at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
From this point on, the JV players would rotate in regularly and take on the bulk of the workload for both teams. The Rams JV quarterback, Gage Pauley was injured on one of the Rams’ drives and replaced by backup JV quarterback, Mason Oliver.
It was not all doom and gloom for the Rams, as mentioned earlier, they had flashes of success throughout the game. Sevits rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown, he also pulled in 44 receiving yards. Weaver and the pass game showed marked improvement, after only one completion in week one for eight yards, he completed seven passes for 61 yards this week, a step in the right direction for the Rams.
Next Friday, the 1-1 Rams will host the 1-0 Plattsburg Tigers who are coming off a bye. The Tigers defeated the Knox County Eagles in week one, 68-32. When these two teams met for the first time in the 2023 season, the senior quarterbacks and receivers for both teams lit up the night, the final score was 92-68 in favor of the Tigers. The Rams only lost three games last season, and this was one of them. With a different lineup on both teams, this game might prove to be a different style of play, and hopefully, will have a different outcome…a win for the Rams.
