Two years ago, then freshman Bryce Stalder did not play football. One year ago, he was primarily a defensive back on the varsity and took some JV snaps at quarterback with limited mop-up duty on the varsity. Today, the junior is not only the Class 2A District 9 first team All-District quarterback, but was named the district’s Offensive Player of the year. His arm and legs helped the Rams to a 7-3 record, a runner-up finish in the district, and a round of 16 playoff appearance.

Stalder talked with Raccoon Valley Radio about the honor and this season. “Well, you know it feels really good. I wasn’t expecting it at all. I didn’t have much experience coming into this year and being a first year starting quarterback, I just had to trust my team and let them make plays for me, and it feels great!”

The first year starting QB completed 49.4% of his passes (81-164) for 1,212 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions. He went six games in a row with no interceptions from week four through week nine. Stalder ran for 570yards, a 6.1 average per carry, and eight more TDs.

Coach Caden Duncan returns not only Stalder for the 2021 season, but about two-thirds of the starting lineup, plus several other players who saw significant varsity time.