Rams nearly perfect in Friday win

With Matt Schaefer around Friday night, it was almost hard to notice that the rest of the Scott City football team was doing its part in a near-perfect first half.

Schaefer, the Rams' elusive senior running back and the area's leading rusher for the second year running, piled up 198 yards and four touchdowns in the first half of a 47-20 victory against Chaffee. He finished with 220 yards rushing and five TDs on 21 carries.

"He sees the field real well," Scott City coach Terry Flannigan said. "Teams will think they have him for a loss and he'll turn it into a gain.

The rest of the Rams weren't too shabby either.

Senior quarterback Mark Johnston was nearly flawless with six completions in eight attempts for 105 yards, including a touchdown pass to Schaefer. He also caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from last year's quarterback, senior Luke McClellan, who was the holder on a fake field goal attempt.

"The thing I like about this group of seniors is that they play as a team and they're playing to win every game,"Flannigan said. "They understand the team concept."

On defense, senior defensive back Josh Carroll, an all-conference player last year, made several impact plays. He sacked Chaffee quarterback Jeff Daugherty and forced fumbles on back-to-back possessions in the first half, one leading to a turnover and another ending a drive deep in Chaffee territory. Scott City touchdowns shortly followed both plays. He also had an interception in the second half.

Scott City punted just once in the first half while scoring on six of seven possessions and taking a 41-7 lead. They had no turnovers.