The Shepherd Rams football team beat the Notre Dame College Falcons in Saturday’s Homecoming game by a final score of 43-to-14. It was the Rams’ fourth win this year, giving them a perfect 4-0 record.
The Rams and Falcons stayed scoreless for the first 7 minutes of the first quarter until Ryan Earles kicked his first of three field goals of the game giving the rams a 3-0 lead. A five-yard rush from DJ Greene gave the Falcons their only lead of the game at 10-7 at the 5:13 mark. The lead didn’t stay for long when 2 minutes later Jabre Lolley pounded the ball in from one yard out giving the Rams a 10-7 lead. It was a lead they would never give up.
The second quarter was filled with Shepherd taking control offensively scoring two touchdowns and a field goal, while the defense controlled the Falcons’ offense, keeping them scoreless. A field goal by Earles at the 10:47 mark gave Shepherd the lead 13-7. At the 3:29 mark quarterback Jeff Ziemba hit Dalton Boyd from 27 yards out to give the Rams a 20-7 lead before the half. After a short three-and-out series by the Falcons, Shepherd scored on a 77-yard bomb from Ziemba to Angelo Jean-Louis, giving the Rams a 27-7 lead heading into the half.
Jeff Ziemba’s pass to Angelo Jean-Louis (#12), leading to a touchdown and score of 27-7 by the end of the second quarter.
The Rams came out of halftime with the same fire and energy they left on the field at the end of the first half scoring twice in the quarter and putting the game out of reach for the Falcons. At the 7:18 mark Earles hit his third field goal of the game giving the Rams a 30-7 lead. Just 7 minutes later with time expiring in the quarter Jabre Lolley outran the Falcon defense for a 77-yard touchdown extending the Rams’ lead to 36-7.
Ryan Earls (#18), locking downfield in preparation for a kickoff after a Rams score.
As the fourth quarter reached its halfway mark the Falcons put their second touchdown of the day on the board when Malik Grove rushed in from 25 yards out making the score 36-14. Less than a minute later backup quarterback Connor Jessop hit a wide open Tyrell Hollingsworth for a 71-yard touchdown pass adding to an already substantial lead making the score 43 -14.
Quarterback Ziemba had another impressive game finishing the day 18 for 30 with 305 yards and two touchdowns.
Jeff Ziemba (#11) following up his play as he is about to throw the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.
The Rams had stellar rushers for the day with Allen Cross who had 98, and Lolley who had 74 yards and two touchdowns.
On the outside receiving the Rams missed their leading receiver Billy Brown who suffered a thumb injury early in the game, but Angelo Jean-Louis stepped up and filled the gap with 107 yards.
The Rams defense played a great game led behind Jaylen Johsons’ 13 tackles.
“It’s very hard to shut down a quarterback as versatile as Groves but I thought we did a good job of containing him for the most part,” said Shepherd head coach Monte Cater after the win.
The Rams get a rest next week but will return to action Saturday, Oct. 10, at Glenville State College in Glenville, W. Va.
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