The high school football season ended on Friday night in Van Horne to Benton Community for the Greene County Rams by a final score of 45-20 in a first round Class 2A playoff game. The Rams gave up a season high in points and yards as the fourth ranked Bobcats overcame a 10-0 deficit and rolled to their ninth win in 10 games and they move on to the Nov. 2 quarterfinals. Number seven Greene County ended the season with eight wins and two losses after going 1-8 each of the past two seasons.

The Rams scored on their first two drives of the game for a 10-0 lead. Coach Mitch Moore’s team took the opening kickoff and went 71 yards on 12 plays for a 3-0 lead on a Cael Fisher 30 yard field goal just 3:59 into the game. The lead went to 10-0 with 2:03 to play in the opening quarter on a Clint Dennhardt run of 13 yards to cap a 92 yard drive on 11 plays with Fisher kicking the extra point.

The Bobcats tied the game early in the second quarter on a safety, touchdown, and two point conversion. A punt put the Rams at the one yard line and the Bobcats tackled the Rams in the end zone to make it 10-2. Benton returned the free kick to the Rams’ 49 and running back Matt Davis went 49 yards yards for the first of his four long rushing touchdowns to make it 10-8. Jack Shaw tied the game on a run from the “Wildcat” formation. The safety came with 11:28 to go in the second quarter and the TD was just 16 seconds later.

Greene County answered quickly with a career long 39 yard field goal from Fisher, which capped a nine play, 72 yard drive, putting the Rams up 13-10.

It was all Bobcats after that. They scored 35 unanswered points before the Rams got a late TD. Quarterback Clay Krousie ran 52 yards for a scored and Zach Brecht kicked the PAT for a 17-13 lead. It went to 24-13 just before halftime on a Krousie to Davis pass of 13 yards with Brecht kicking the extra point. The Bobcats scored on the first play of the second half on a 69 yard Davis run and it was 31-13 after the PAT. Davis went 79 yards for a score with 9:30 to play in the third quarter and the extra point gave Benton a 38-13 lead. With just 21 seconds to play in the third the Bobcats scored again. This time Krousie hit Nathan Michels for 31 yards out and the PAT made the score 45-13.

The Rams scored on a Brent Riley to Will Hansen pass play of 33 yards with 4:52 left in the game and Fisher kicked the PAT.

Benton had 477 total yards with 349 on the ground. Davis ran for 257 on 17 carries. Krousie was 8-19-0 through the air for 128 yards. The Rams totaled 387 of total offense and racked up 24 first downs. Greene County ran the ball 29 times for 100 yards and threw it 47 times for 287. Riley was 27-45-3 for all the yardage.

The Rams turned the ball over a season high five times including four pass interceptions. Benton reserves lost a late fumble, and the Rams recovered an onside kick. Xavier Hayes recovered the kickoff and Brock Wuebker recovered the the fumble, his fifth recovery of the season.

Carter Morton was named the Fouch Agri-Service Player of the Game for his six catches and 97 receiving yards. Fisher was named the Moo Meat of Scranton Unsung Hero He finished the season 37-42 on extra points and five for five on field goals.