Clock runs out on Scott City as Rams drop close one to Charleston

The Scott City Rams football team fell 44-35 to the Charleston Blue Jays on Friday night at Scott City High School.

The Rams were down 16 points heading into halftime and battled back to within three before the Blue Jays and the game clock finished the job. Scott City head coach Brian Beaubien said he was proud of how hard his team played and fought to get back into the game.

“I’m proud of how we responded, and we did a lot of good things. We just couldn’t seem to get over the hump, as far as making too many fundamental mistakes, to win against a good team like that,” Beaubien said. “I’m proud of how hard we battled, being down 30-14 a lot of teams would have folded their tents. We came out in the second half believing we could come back and win, we were just one or two mistakes away from accomplishing that.”

The Rams got on the board first with a Weston Underwood 8-yard rush before the Blue Jays’ Bernard Betts ran back the ensuing kickoff 65 yards for a touchdown. Charleston put up another score via a DeShawn Henderson 3-yard run to take a 14-7 lead after one quarter.

Scott City’s Jackson Gloth caught his fourth interception of the year, and the Rams capitalized, scoring on a 20-yard pass from Gloth to Lane Holder to tie the game at 14.

Charleston put up two touchdowns in five minutes, a 12-yard rush by Trez Clark and a 15-yard pass from Chase Kearby to Betts for a 30-14 Blue Jays lead at halftime.

Beaubien said his team’s offense moved the ball early but could not maintain the momentum because his defense could not get off the field.

“We scored on the opening possession, and we kind of got in a rhythm running the ball, and then we gave up the kickoff return. There was one other possession that we kind of got in a rhythm and scored, but then we had a turnover,” Beaubien said. “I don't know how many fourth-down plays we gave up on defense. We were battling pretty good for the most part, but then we'd give up fourth and five or fourth and seven. We just couldn't get off the field, so our offense didn't really have a chance.”

Scott City outscored the Blue Jays by a touchdown in the second half, at one point being down just 38-35. Gloth threw two of those to AJ Hayden and Lane Miller while running in the other. Clark added another for Charleston and Ty’Kireous Farries scored the one to put the Rams away.

Scott City will host Chaffee next week in their homecoming game while Charleston will host East Prairie.