It’s a trip to the southeast side of Des Moines for the Greene County Rams as they open the 2026 high school boys’ soccer season tonight. It’s Heart of Iowa Activities Conference action vs. Grand View Christian as an experienced team of Rams plays the first of three matches this week. Tomorrow, it’s a 5:30 p.m. varsity contest at Boone with a JV half to follow, and Thursday, April 2 it’s the second half of a girl/boy doubleheader in Jefferson at Linduska Field vs. the West Marshall based combined program known as Central Iowa United.

Greene County and GVC both started their own soccer programs in 2018, but the similarities don’t go much beyond that. The Rams have had winning seasons every year except 2020 when there was no season due to the Pandemic, and Greene County teams have made three State Tournament appearances. The Thunder have not had a winning season and had a 3-9 record last year, which included a one-sided loss to the Rams in Jefferson. Only twice has GVC won as many as three matches in a single season.