11.06.07

The Rams were unable to match the aggressive play by the Hawks. Ankeny was able to move the ball on the ground making big play after big play, while the Rams struggled to do so. 

Last night's loss to Ankeny was disappointing for all of us.  When you set your goals high and you fall short of those goals it is disappointing.  As disappointing as the loss may have been it should not diminish the satisfaction that comes with making the commitment to doing the best you can.  I would like to thank and congratulate our players and coaches for making such a commitment.  I also thank the student body and community for their outstanding commitment to this year's team.  We will move on from here, thankful for the thrills and excitement that this season has brought to our school and community.

11.01.07

The Rams were able to control the tempo of the game with outstanding plays by the defense. After Jeff Woody scored on a 9 yard run, Cody Shepherd's aggressive play on the the kick off forced a fumble that Josh Bell returned for a touchdown. This play seemed to spark the defense to make several other big plays. Even though the Scarlets were able to move the ball down field, at times, with ease, the Rams were able to make the big play when it counted. Andrew Host's fumble recovery return and Ethan Bass's interception return for touchdowns just high lighted an outstanding performance by the defense.

The Rams will face Ankeny for the 4th time in two years on Monday at 7:00 PM at the Rams Stadium. The Hawks have been playing exceptional football the past two weeks and hammered Waukee 55 - 7 on Wednesday.

10.26.07

The Rams played flat for most of the first half.  The defense played one of it's best games of the year while the offense struggled to find consistency.  Penalties, missed blocks and the lack of intensity plagued the offensive unit.  The second half was much improved as the passing game and running game came alive. Harrison Williams' TD run was what the Rams needed to ignite the fire. The defense recorded their first shut out of the year and held the conference passing leader to zero yards in the second half.

The Rams will face DesMoines East on Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs.  The Rams will host the 7:00 PM start.

10.19.07

The Rams returned to their aggressive play by running up over 300 yards on the ground and making big enough plays on defense to make a difference. The theme for this game was "Step it up when needed and make a big play"  We had several big plays. Harrison Wiliams was one of those who stepped up when he was called on when Jeff Woody was sent to the sidelines with a sprained ankle.  Harrison made some tough yards on the final drive carrying the ball 14 times for 55 yards.  Tyler Walsh and Jake Stewart returned to the field after missing last week's game with Dowling. This was truly a team effort. 

We kept our conference championship chances alive. A win against Urbandale on Friday would earn the RAMS at least a tie for the conference championship for the second year in a row.  A win over Urbandale would also guarantee us a spot in the playoffs.

10.12.07

The difference....momentum. Bottom line was Dowling was able to create their own momentum during the second half with big plays and the Rams failed to respond with their own. 

The Rams need to recover quickly as we take on the Dragons of Johnston next. Johnston lost to Ankeny 14 - 10 fumbling into the Ankeny endzone with 30 seconds left in the game.

10.06.07

WOW.  Another outstanding performance by the Rams. Even though the Hawks put up bigger statistical numbers, the ones that count favored the Rams. 14-7. Our defense was able to make big plays once the Hawks moved into the red zone.  Three Ankeny field goals failed to make their way through the goal posts, one being blocked. Andrew Host and Ethan Bass lead a tough Ram attack on defense and Jeff Woody carried the load on offense.  This was a great win for the improving Rams. 

A big thank you to the student body and the fans of Southeast Polk. Great job.

9.29.07

The Rams started off slowly making mental mistakes and uncharacteristic turnovers, but were able to regroup at half time and win convincingly, 43-14.  A blocked punt and safety ignited the penatly infested Rams in scoring 16 points in 3 and 1/2 minutes at the beginning of the third quarter.

Homecoming is behind us and we look forward to playing Ankeny on Friday.  Ankeny has coasted in all 5 of their games this season and brings a 46 point offensive average into Friday's game. Their most impressive win was against Dowling last Friday winning 44-18. The Rams bring in an offense averaging over 400 yards and 45 points per game.  This will be the Rams biggest test so far this season.  There should be a big crowd so come early.  This should be another classic.

9.22.07

The trip to Sioux City is a long one but the boys were able to take care of business.  This ends our non-conference schedule.  As we all know our CIML opponents will present us with many more challenges.

We will face Indianola this Friday as we celebrate HOMECOMING. Indianola is coming off an impressive win over Abe Lincoln of Council Bluffs. 35-0.

9.15.07

It was a great high school football game. The running by the Ram's Jeff Woody and the receiving of the Little Cyclone's Ben Cotton thrilled the fans from Ames and Southeast Polk. The Rams were able to use their condiitoning (weight room and hills training) to outlast the Little Cyclones in the 2nd and 4th quarters. Our defense gave up some big 3rd down conversions but were able to make some big plays in the 4th quarter to snatch victory from the hands of our hosts. It was a great victory for the improving Rams.  The Rams will travel to Sioux City next Friday to take on the Black Raiders from Sioux City East.

9.13.07

Friday's game with Ames is a big game. So big that several media outlets are covering the game.  Channel 5's Blitz, Channel 8's game of the week, Medicom game of the week, 1350 KRNT  heard on 930 AM, and a couple other radio stations.  People out of state can go to 1350KRNT.com and click on pressboxradio.com and pick up the game on the internet.

9.08.07

Again it was another great production by the offense.  Several players, backs, receivers, QBs, and linemen, contributed to the 422 yards of offense. The defense again was able to force 3 turnovers and had one blocked punt. Drew Behrens did a great job on kick offs (59.8 yd ave) and he was 8 for 8 on PATs.  We improved on some of the areas that we worked on during the week.  We had only one penalty and we did a better job of staying on our blocks.  We still need to get our pad level down, but we are improving. Our biggest test of the year will come next week when we travel to Ames to face the Little Cyclones.

9.01.07

The Rams looked impressive at times during the 54-13 thumping of the Mohawks. The offense was able to throw and run with ease. The defense forced two turnovers and blocked a punt giving the offense short scoring drives. It was good to see the intensity that the players kept through out the whole game. There were alot more positives than negatives but like always there are areas that we need to improve on including the 70 yards of penalties. Over all a great start to the 2007 campaign

8.25.07

Friday's scrimmage was for the most part very successful.  We were able to execute our offense fairly well and the defense made some good plays in stopping the inside run.  Our kicking game looks to be a positive. Our  QBs and receivers were able to make some big plays in the passing game.  The biggest positive was that we did not sustain any more injuries. We hope to see the return of Tyler Underwood this week, along with Andrew Fisher. 

The Rams will continue their preparation for Mason City this week by working on those areas that the scrimmage showed need improvement

6.18.07

The preparation for a new season is ongoing. We are constantly evaluating how our boys are preparing themselves to be the best they can be.  The success of a team is often determined way before the season even begins.  We have a lot of talented young men who could make a big impact on the 2007 season. What we will be able to accomplish as a team this fall depends on how willing the boys are in doing the things necessary to make themselves and their teammates the best they can be.

We will be sending out a letter to the boys that will be invited to attend the USD team camp on July 18-20.  If you are not selected to attend this camp that does not mean you can't play next fall, it does mean, however, that you may not have met the coaches expectations on what it takes to be a first team player. If you feel you should be considered to be one of those players, you have the month of June to prove it.  We will invite 2 to 3 additional players at the end of June to attend the USD camp.

We will have a mandatory football meeting on Wednesday, May 16th at 7:15 am in one of the gyms.  If you are unable to attend this meeting you must see Coach Muller before the end of the week.

11.17.06

The physical play by the Saints was too much for the Rams. The Rams were going into the Championship game with a +20 turn over ratio. The Saints were able to force 3 fumbles and Rams picked up none. Size and strength in the offensive and defensive lines of Xavier ended up being the key factors in the Saints victory. The boys played hard and did not quit but the turn overs and the Saints aggressive play were too much to over come. 

The community support has been great and much welcomed.

This season's success is the first step to creating a winning football tradition at Southeast Polk. We expect to win and when we don't we are disappointed but we will not quit. The Seniors have given the team great leadership on and off the field. We will move on from here, better people for what we have experienced.

11.10.06

It was totally awesome. Our fans were awesome. The players were awesome. The outcome was awesome. The Rams fans out numbered the host team by 2 to 1. The players played hard and with emotion. The win vaults the Rams into the State Championship game. This is the last step to our new season.

The Rams will take on Xavier of Cedar Rapids on Friday, November 17 at 7:30 PM

11.6.06

Another great effort by the Rams. The young men of Southeast Polk showed great character in fighting back from a 17 point deficit. The Hawks took advantage of an early SEP fumble to take a 3 point advantage. The Ram defense played well in spite of giving up 17 points in the first 19 minutes of the first half. The hapless offense came alive with less than a minute to go in the first half scoring on three plays from their own 12 yard line. The momentum of the touchdown at the end of the half ignited the Ram offense in the second half. The SEP defense also did their part in holding the Hawks to only 3 points the last 29 minutes.

The Rams now take on Valley on Friday at 7:30 PM in the UNI Dome.

Tickets are available at the Activity office at Southeast Polk high school. All tickets are $6.00.

 11.1.06

The Rams came out focused on Wednesday evening, dominating the Bulldogs for the first three quarters.  Things got a little ugly in the 4th quarter but the damage had been done to the wounded Dogs. The Rams were able to finish the game and start thinking of the task in front of them.  It was good to see the boys rewarded for their hard work.

There will be more on this page in the days to come about the Ankeny Hawks

10.27.06

The Rams came out flat and played with very little emotion in the first quarter but were able to turn it up a notch in the second quarter scoring 4 times to take a 28 -0 half time lead. The Rams took care of business in the second half allowing the starters to take the bench early in the 4th quarter.

The Rams will host Ottumwa on Wednesday evening at 7:00 PM in the first round of the playoffs. The winner will face the Newton/Ankeny winner on Monday November 6th.

The players, managers and coaches would like to thank all those that have been so generous in providing team meals through out the year.

10.20.06

The Rams responded well to the loss to the Maroons last week in handing the Dragons their second loss of the season. The win put the Rams in the playoffs and keeps their conference championship hopes alive. Several players stepped it up on both sides of the ball. The defense would bend but would not break forcing 5 interceptions and blocking one field goal attempt.

The sophomores also were very impressive in their shut out of the Dragons 35-0. The sophs will play for a share of the conference title on Thursday (not Friday) against the Urbandale J-Hawks

10.13.06

It was a tough loss for the Rams. The offense struggled most of the evening, putting together only one sustained drive. That drive came on the Rams first possession of the second half and resulted in the only touchdown for the Rams. The Rams missed an opportunity to score early when the Maroons fumbled the ball away.. The Rams recovered the fumble on the Maroons 25 but could not put up any points on the board.

The Rams will host the Dragons of Johnston next Friday. The Rams are presently tied for the conference lead with Dowling and Johnston. The Rams will need to regroup in a hurry if they wish to hold on to their quest for a conference championship..

10.06.06

WOW. What a fantastic game. The Ram's defense had very few answers to Ankeny's ground attack but came up BIG on Ankeny's last possession. With the score tied the Rams stuffed the line of scrimmage. On third down Jon Bianchi pressured the quarterback forcing him to committ the games only turnover when Shane Wong was able to intercept the forced pass. Enter Jake Viggers for his second attempt of the evening. Ankeny tried to freeze the consistent Viggers but Jake stepped to the plate and hit the homerun. 

Nate Snead and Jeff Woody were the big guns on an offense that gained over 500 yards.

Those fans planning on attending Friday's Dowling Catholic game may purchase advanced tickets Monday through Friday from 7:00 - 3:00 in the Activity Office.

A big thank you to the fans of Southeast Polk. Your support Friday evening was awesome.

9.29.06

This was a big win for the Rams. Nate Snead was the work horse on offense and the defense did their normal thing. The win keeps the Rams on top of the CIML Central Conference along with Ankeny (30-20 winner over Dowling) and Johnston (24-20 winner over Urbandale). Jordan Wells returned to the playing field and made his first reception of the season. Jake Stewart also saw limited action as he returns from a shoulder injury. Ben Burzacott did not play but is hopeful for next week's game with Ankeny. Seth Negrete, injured in last week's game, begins his recovery from a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Seth will be unable to return to the field.

Again I thank the fans of Southeast Polk for their continued support and invite you to travel to Ankeny next week as the Rams take on the Hawks.

9.22.06

t was good to see our offense get on track. The balanced attack by the offense and the continued great play of our special teams helped the Rams put the game away early in the second quarter. Blocked punts by Kyle McClain and Jordan Mallicoat gave the Rams possession deep in the Black Raiders territory. Improved play by the offensive line along with Nate Snead's return to 80% accuracy in the passing game and Jeff Woody's running of the ball proved to be too much for the Sioux City East's defense. As great as the win was the mood was dampened by Seth Negrete's ankle injury. We wish Seth a speedy recovery.

We enter conference play next Friday when we travel to Indianola. The support by the Southeast Polk community for our football program has been greatly appreciated.

9.15.06

For the third week in a row the defense was able to force several turnovers. A blocked punt by Ethan Bass gave the ball to the Rams inside the 5 yard line. Another mishandled punt snap lead to another short field for the Rams but we were unable to score. A fumble recovery and 4 interceptions gave the Rams a total of 7 turnovers. The offense struggled for most of the evening, failing to find the consistency needed to sustain drives. It was nice to get the W and we are looking forward to hosting Sioux City East this Friday.

9.8.06

Another fine job by the special teams.  The play of the defense and the special teams allowed us to have the short field for most of the game. Nate Snead continues to throw the ball well and his receivers continue to do a good job of catching and running with the ball. Brett Wilkin had another outstanding night catching and returning the ball. Brett, with the help of his return team, is averaging over 29 yards per punt return.  Our running game continues to improve but we need more consistent play from our linemen. The defense was tough on the run holding the Polar Bears to -1 yards. However, we will need to spend some time defending the pass this week. Jake Viggers had a great night on kick offs but did struggle with the PAT kicks.  This will improve.  Billy Sowder was also given the opportunity to kick and did a good job. 

9.1.06

Both sides of the ball, along with the performances of the specialty teams showed the potential for greatness.  Nate Snead had a slow start passing the ball, completing only 2 of his first 5 attempts but finished the evening completing 10 in a row. Snead's performance, along with his receivers Wilkin and Jeremy Snead helped the offense amass 174 yards in passing offense. The running game was left to committee with Snead, Johnson, Negrete, Rojas and Lathrop all showing that they will contribute to the success of the RAMS this season. The balanced attack on offense, 174 yards passing and 178 yards rushing, will keep the RAMS future opponents guessing.

The defense at times showed signs of brilliance creating 4 Mohawk misques (3 interceptions and a blocked punt). The Ram defense jumped all over the Mohawk offense in their first 3 series producing 3 three and outs. Missed assignments and the lack of effort later in the game were concerns that the coaching staff will need to work on this next week. Overall the boys played hard.

The time spent working on our special teams during the preseason seems to be paying off.  Jake Viggers has developed into a consistent kicker averaging 53 yards on the kick offs and was 4-4 in PATs. The punt return team produced 102 yards in return yardage and the Mohawks had no punt returns and a kick off return average of 15 yards. The punt return team also produced a turn over with the blocked punt by Jordan Mallicoat.

8.20.06

Our scrimmage on Friday evening gave the fans a look at the 2006 Rams potential. The running of Nate Snead, Andrew Rojas, Seth Negrete and Jeff Woody along with the receiving of Jeremy Snead, Brett Wilkin, and Dustin Hickman were impressive at times against the shorthanded Rams defense. Several players were sidelined for the scrimmage with varying illnesses and injuries. Overall the scrimmage provided the coaches a look at personnel. This week we will begin our preparation for the Mohawks of Mason City.

Thanks to the parents for their attendance at the Black and Gold scrimmage and parent meeting.

10.29.05

Ankeny's speed and size were too much for the short handed Rams.  The Rams were playing without Joe Cason and Jake Wilson was forced to the sidelines with a sprained ankle.  Jake sprained his ankle on the opening kick off and after making a valiant effort to return was unable to do so. The Rams continued to battle the Hawks but the aggressive defensive play by the Hawks defensive backs held the Ram's passing attack in check. Seth Negrete replaced Jake Wilson and played well. Seth's running along with Nate Snead's running gave the Rams their only offensive production in the second half.  The Rams defense could not control the line of scrimmage and the Hawks were able to pile up over 300 yards of offense.  The Rams end the season with a 5 and 4 record and finished tied for third in the conference.

10.22.05 

The Rams offense finally got on track. Big plays and consistent play by the line helped the team to it's best offensive production this season. The defense held the Indians in check most of the evening due to improved play by the secondary and linebacker units. The defensive line also did their part by supplying pressure all night long. It was a big win for the Rams. The win keeps the Rams in the picture for a possible play off berth. Congratulations to the TEAM for a job well done.

10.15.05

The Rams inability to move the ball consistently on offense and the Dragon's passing game lead to the Rams third loss of the season. The defense responded the second half but too little too late for the struggling Rams. The Rams need to regroup quickly if they wish to stay in the playoff picture

10.08.05

The lack-luster performances of the Rams offense and defense, along with the fired up play by the J-Hawks, lead to a 12 point deficit going into the 4th quarter.  The defense did step it up in the second half allowing only 2 yards rushing but gave up a long pass play that lead to the J-Hawks final score.  An offense that produced less than 60 yards the first half was able to push the ball down field at times with ease.  Two turnovers, however, kept the Rams out of the endzone. A blocked punt helped ignite the Rams offense. Another J-Hawk miscue lead to the Rams second touchdown when J-Hawk punter mishandled the snap and was tackled for a loss.  The defense again gave the offense good field position with a Brett Wilkin interception.

10.01.2005

9.24.2005

9.17.2005

It took an interception by Jordan Mallicoat that was returned for a touchdown with less than 3:00 minutes remaining in the first half to spark the hapless Rams. The Huskies would turn the ball over again before half and the Rams took little time to find the endzone.  The Rams came out after half and dominated the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball.  Jake Wilson along with Nate Snead had outstanding running performances

9.11.2005

Great plays by our special teams helped the Rams over come the sluggishness of the offense and defense. Jake Wilson had another great running game and Joe Cason continues to lead our defense with knock out tackles. The W was nice to get but it came at the expense of Kaleb Knipp. Kaleb dislocated his right elbow as he fell to the ground after catching a pass. Kaleb's return is uncertain.

9.3.2005

The loss to CBAL was a tough one.  We played well enough at times to have won the game but we were unable to overcome the turnovers (4) and our miscues.  The Rams will need to refocus this week in preparation for the Mason City ball club.  Mason City lost to DesMoines Lincoln 49 - 0.  As some famous coach once said 'you are never as good as you think you are when you win and you are never as bad as you think you are when you lose '  We did enough good things on Friday to give us the confidence that we can be a good ball club if we prepare and practice to WIN. 

8.27.2005

It was a tough week of practice.  The heat and the start of classes made it even more challenging to improve. We have seen some improvement in our offensive line and we continue to see improvement with our linebacker unit..  Our scrimmage went fairly well.  This will be a big week for our team

8.18.2005

The first few days with pads went fairly well.  The boys are adjusting to their new armor and some are becoming great warriors.  Our coaching staff has done an excellent job in using our new technology.  The new video system continues to impress. Some people have asked about our coaching staff and their duties so I will place that information below.

Offensive coordinator/QB - Receiver coach- Brad Zelenovich

Defensive coordinator/Linebacker coach- Don Starcevich

Offensive Line coaches - Lou Mooney - Randy Mehrl- Bob Knipp/Head sophomore

Offensive backs coach - Troy Schwemm/A'sst Sophomore

Defensive Line coaches - Craig Wikin - Pat Wilson/A'sst Sophomore

Defensive backs coach - Mark Martin

Freshman coaches - Kevin Schulte, Adam Booth, Jake Bartels                                             

8.13.2005

The first three days of practice were conducted under extreme heat and humidity.  The players seemed to handle the conditions fairly well.  The coaching staff was pleased with the effort shown by most of the players.  Summer conditioning seems to have made a difference with several of our kids.  Next week will tell the story about what type of football players we have. We begin practices with pads on Monday.   We need to continue to improve if we wish to build on last year's success.

We will be taking pictures on Monday, August 15th beginning with Sophomore individual pictures at 2:00, Juniors at 2:15 and Seniors at 2:30. Team pictures will be taken at 2:45. Freshman will take pictures following the varsity group picture.

8.06.2005

Thanks to all the coaches and players that helped with the three camps that were held this past week. Over 250 7th thru 12th grade Ram football players participated in the football camp. The players at all levels were willing to work hard. The future of Ram football is a bright one.

7.20.05

The trip to Vermillion, South Dakota was a huge success.  Our boys were able to experience the game of football full go. We were able to use our new video system in filming our scrimmages. The new system looks like it will be a great asset. We did experience a few bumps and bruises but over all it was pretty much an injury free camp.

We will be attending two different camps next week.  These camps have already been paid for through camp funds.

On Sunday July 24 at 6:00 PM we will be at Drake to participate in the Drake passing league. We will also play Monday through Thursday at 6:00 PM at a site to be named on Sunday.

On Tuesday July 26 through Thursday, July 28 at 6:00 PM we will be participating in the Stephenson Linemen Camp at Roosevelt.

Varsity players are encouraged to participate in the passing league.

All lineman (offense/defensive) freshman - seniors are encouraged to participate in the Stephenson Camp.

Thanks again to the parents that supplied the goodies for the USD trip.

5.28.05

The visits to the elementary schools were a huge success.  Captains Joe Cason, Adam Dutcher, Nate Snead, and Nick Howald did an excellent job in addressing their young audiences. 

A BIG thank you to all of the sixth grade teachers that were willing to give up some time to give our young leaders an opportunity to demonstrate their leadership.

Also thanks to all the principals for their hospitality.

A job well done captains.

Now we move to a very critical part of our upcoming season. (off season training) It is a must that we have complete cooperation from all our players if we want to continue to be successful on the field next fall. TRAIN, TRAIN, and Train some more.  Take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you.  See you in the weight room.

5.15.05

Again this years Ram card fund raiser was a success. We will continue to sell cards through the football season. We thank all the parents that helped provide the lunchs on May 7 and      May 14.  The two Saturdays have proven again the value of TEAM work. Parents, coaches and players combined their efforts to have a very successful fund raiser.  The fund raiser also gave our boys an opportunity to be leaders and to show the community that they are willing to spend some of their time to improve their program.

Our four captains, Joe Cason, Nick Howald, Nate Snead, and Adam Dutcher, will be visiting the seven elementary schools on May 18 and 26.  The boys will be addressing the 6th graders on the importance of academics, team work, commitment, and hard work. Those sixth graders planning on participating in seventh grade football next fall will be asked to sign up.  The players will also be handing out camp flyers to the second through sixth grade students.

The success that we will have next fall will be directly proportional to how willing each player is in becoming a TEAM player.  Being in the weight room, attending camps, working to make someone else look good all will make a difference next fall. 

4.3.2005

The Lift-A-Thon was a huge success thanks to Coach Zelenovich and the 90 plus players and coaches that participated. 

The funds raised will help with expenses of the upcoming team camp that we will participate in this summer and also helped with the purchase of our new video system.

Our coaches will be inviting some of our juniors and seniors to particiapate in the team camp. We will be inviting 40 to 45 players to participate.

We will be selling our Ram Discount Cards on May 7 and May 14.  This has been a huge fund raiser for our football program.  Last year we were able to purchase a new blocking sled, blocking dummies, and several other smaller items.  It also has allowed us to pay a small amount to our volunteer coaches.

More details about the cards sales will be coming soon.

2.19.2005

There are several things that are happening with our football program.  Our coaches have been busy the past few months attending clinics and working with our players to become the best they can be.  We hope to use this web site to keep our parents and players informed about upcoming events.

We have had an excellent response by our players in getting involved with the weight training programs available to them.  There are a few, however, that need to get more involved if they wish to make a difference next fall.

The upcoming LIFT-A-THON will give our players an opportunity to help contribute to our football program. The funds raised from this project will be used to help defray the expenses of our players that will attend the USD TEAM CAMP at the University of South Dakota . We will attend the JULY 17-19 camp.  Players interested in attending this camp need to contact Coach Muller.

Coach Zelenovich continues to make a big impact with his dedication to our strength program. Through his efforts and the Southeast Polk administration we have been able to establish a school time PE strength building class.  This will prove to be a big help in providing another opportunity for those players that can not participate in outside school conditioning programs

11.9.2004
The Rams played hard, very hard. The young men played with emotion and a lot of heart. The defense did what they needed to do. The defense kept the rushing attach of Valley in check for most of the game, forcing them to go to the air on several occasions. We were again +3 in the turn over margin. Our offense made some big plays,(Josh Davis' TD run) but not enough for us to erase the score on the Valley punt return for a TD. The game featured two outstanding defenses. Valley was able to make the big specialty team play to make the difference. Great job by both teams.

11.4.2004
Ottumwa playing without 3 starters did not effect the play of their team. The Bulldogs were very aggressive on defense and their back up QB made some big plays on offense. Turnovers made a big difference in the first half and helped the Rams take an early lead. The second half was all Rams. The offensive line came out the second half and played as well as they have all year. The offense dominated the time of position in the second half running 39 plays to only 14 for the Bulldogs. This was a great win for the Southeast Polk Community. It was the first playoff victory in school history and ties the most victories in a season with 9. The victory also gives the Rams the opportunity to play the number one team in the state in West DesMoines Valley.

Our specialty players of the game will go to Nick Howald and Chole Cassber. Nick made an outstanding reception of a onside kick and Chole had a crushing tackle on the punt team. Great effort Nick and Chole. Our role player of the week goes to Josh Davis. Josh had a super pass interception and an outstanding punt return. Any solid performance by Josh.

11.1.2004
The Ankeny Hawks played a very good ball game and made the big plays when they needed to. Our defense did a great job holding them to almost 200 yards below their season average. Cheek was held under 100 yards for the first time since he became their starter. Ankeny won the battle up front against our offensive line. Other than Marcus Dawson's long run the Rams struggled to gain consistency in putting together any long drive. The Rams will face Ottumwa in the first round of playoffs on Wednesday @ 7:00. Much better play will be necessary by the offense if the Rams wish to have success against a very good Ottumwa defense.

10.28.2004
Ankeny will be the RAMS biggest test of the year. The Hawks bring a lot to the field. They have one of the hottest running backs in the league in #30 Brandon Cheek. Brandon is averaging close to 200 yards a game over the past few weeks. Cheek has moved up to 5th in the conference with 762 rushing yards just behind teammate Aaron Jarosh who has 775. Jake Havenridge has moved up to 3rd with 777 rushing yards. Ankeny leads the conference in total offense with an average of 405.9 yards per game (344 rushing). The RAMS leading the conference in defense giving up only 191 yards per game (107 rushing).

A large crowd is expected, so come early and help cheer on our sophomore team.

10.24.2004
We took care of business and played well enough to win big. Our offense was able to start fast for the first time this year scoring all four times we had the ball in the first half. Our defense did what they needed to do. Except for the one flea flicker that scored the touchdown and a few break downs, the defense was able to control the Indianola offense. It was a big win for the Rams. This sets us up for the big game on Friday against Ankeny. Our role player of the game goes to Jordan Wilkens. Jordan played two positions on defense(nose tackle and defensive end), he caught a pass for a touchdown and was a member of the kick off and punt teams. Another great job Jordan. Our specialty player of the week is Jesse Smith. Jesse was perfect on PATs, set up to return punts, had a 63 yard punt, and averaged over 52 yards on his 7 kick offs. Another great performance Jesse.

10.17.2004
Johnston gave us all we could handle. With uncharacteristic turn overs and untimely penalties our offense struggled. We did a better job the second half with our blocks. In the first half we did not finish our blocks or we allowed the defensive player to slip off of our blocks. In spite of our less than normal play we found a way to win. The win was a great win for the team and it guarantees us a playoff spot.

Our role player of the game goes to Josh Davis. Josh recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass for a TD, caught a pass for a TD, had 6 tackles and returned kickoffs and punts. Great game Josh. Our specialty player of the week is Joe Cason. Joe had two solo tackles in the second half on our kick off team. Joe also tipped the pass on defense that lead to Josh Davis' interception. Solid game Joe.

We now turn our attention to Indianola. Indianola has played well at home and will give us another stiff challenge.

10.15.2004
The Johnston Dragons are a dangerous team. Their history has poven that when they lose big they come back with fire. Last year was proof of that when they were 50 pointed by Ankeny and came back to beat the Rams 35 - 17. The Rams will need to continue to play solid defense and consistent offense. The short field has been a big plus for us in the last two games. The Dragons were without their star tailback last week, Steven King. King will play against the Rams. Johnston's Joel Quick leads the Central Division of the CIML in pass receiving with 377 yards. The Rams lead the conference in defense, giving up less than 190 yards of offense per game. The Johnston Dragons have been averaging 221 yards of offense per game. Dress warm and we will see you at the game.

10.09.2004
Another outstanding effort by our defense. Our offense was held in check for most of the second half but was able to tack on points late. Some outstanding efforts by a number of our kids. Our role player of the game will go to Eddie Lust again. He played nose tackle, defensive end and linebacker. Several great plays by our specialty teams with Jesse Smith gaining the honors for the second straight week. He was 2 for 3 in PATs, great distance on his kick offs,PAT pass conversion, and a 42.5 punt average.

Congratulations to all our players for their continued efforts during practices and games. Our coaches continue to do an outstanding job. Congratulations to them and also to the parents for all they have done to make this campaign a great ride.

10.02.2004
Super effort by all. On Tuesday we had 7 starters on the sideline watching practice due to some form of injury. Four of those played in Friday's game. This was definitely a team effort. Our defense played extremely well. Bending without breaking. The four take aways helped seal the victory. Our specialty player of the game goes to Jesse Smith. 4 punts for an average of 34 yards per punt (all against the wind), 3 for 3 PAT, 1 for 1 field goals (42 yards), one fake punt run for a first down, and 6 kick offs. Great game Jesse. Our role player goes to Jordan Wilkens. Jordan played defensive end and tight end. He did so with a badly sprained elbow.

Our next opponent will be Urbandale. Two weeks ago they were ranked 4th in the state. Our focus now turns to them.

A big thank you to the fans of SEP. YOU WERE GREAT

9.29.2004
This week's game with Dowling Catholic is one of five big games that we have left on our schedule. Dowling will challenge our defense with a league lending offensive attack (408 yards per game). The Rams will counter with the league's best defense (170 yards per game). Dowling's offense is supported with the running of Jeff Kline (439 yards) and Nathan Feltz(336 yards) and the passing of Andy Hermann (446 yards). The Rams' offense is lead by the running of Jake Havenridge (355 yards), Marcus Dawson (332 yards) and Patrick O'Brien (209 yards) and the passing of Nate Snead (426 yards).

9.25.2004
The offense took advantage of the short field provided to them by good defensive plays and punt returns. The offensive stats reflect that. We continue to improve in some areas but need to improve in others to be able to face the stiff challenges that lie ahead of us. Eddie Lust for the second week in a row will be our role player of the game. Eddie again wore two jerseys and played three positions (fullback, off. quard, def end) while being a big force on speciality teams. (two tackles on kick offs and a blocked punt). Marcus Dawson earns the speciality player of the game with his evasive punt return.

9.18.2004
The lightening delay added to the distractions that road trips bring and it showed with our sluggish play in the first quarter. Once we gained our composure we played fairly well. Our offense scored every time we had the ball except once (fumble). During the 2nd quarter with only 4 plays we scored 3 times. We did not punt in this game. We had some players on defense that were nursing some minor injuries and their play was limited. Except for a couple of break downs early the defense had a pretty good night. I was happy to see the number of players that had an opportunity to contribute. Josh Davis was our specialty player of the game with 3 returns for 44 yards and had 2 tackles on the kick off team. Josh also was our leading receiver with 3 catches for 55 yards. Our roll player goes to Eddie Lust. Eddie wore three different jerseys during the game. Eddie played defensive end, fullback and offensive guard. Congratulations to the team for a nice win.

We will now focus our attention on our final non-conference opponent, DesMoines North. North was able to collect their first win since 2002 last Thursday against Sioux City West. Sioux City West defeated Hoover 36-0 the previous week. North has several great athletes on both sides of the ball.

9.16.2004
We have worked very hard this past week and we are looking forward to playing Hoover. We have shown improvement in a number of areas during the week. We will miss the services of Jordan Palmer this week due to an injury.

9.11.2004
We started out slow again this week. I am proud of our kids and coaches for their patience in dealing with the sluggish start. In the second half both the offense and defense showed improvement over last week's performance against Abe Lincoln. This week's specialty player goes to Jake Havenridge. Jake did an excellent job with his kickoffs and PATs and contributed to a strong running performance by the Rams. Korey Hahn is our role player of the game. Korey played wide receiver, held for PATs and finished the game at QB. Congratulations to the Rams for their continued efforts to be the best they can be.

9.09.2004
Mason City will be a big challenge for us. The Mohawks have a rich
tradition of playing some big games, (West DesMoines Valley in 2003). The sophomore team will be leaving classes at 1:30 on Friday to journey to Mason City. The varsity will load their bus at 3:30. Thanks to Gina Burzacott's efforts, the sophomores will have a sack lunch prepared for them. The varsity players will also be receiving a box lunch for the trip to Mohawk country. GO RAMS!

9.04.2004
The RAMS played an outstanding game on Friday against the LYNX from Abe Lincoln. Our players and coaches have worked very hard over the past nine months preparing for this season. It was nice to see them rewarded for their efforts. Our coordinators Brad Zelenovich, offensive, and Don Starcevich, defense, had our young men ready to perform. Congratulations on a job well done. We really stress team and it was truly a team effort on Friday. We had outstanding performances by several of our players. I don't make it a habit to single out an individual player because I know that those players that usually get the ink in the paper are the one's that are in positions that are visible. The men in the trenches and our supporting players on the sidelines are all part of the success we achieve. Congratulations to ALL of our players. High fives to Patrick O'Brien for the outstanding role player of the game. Also high fives to Jake Viggers for specialty team player of the game. Way to go Jake. 3 for 3 on PATs and an excellent job on kick offs. Our focus is now on our next opponent, Mason City. Thanks cheerleaders and fans for your support. GO RAMS!

8.29.2004
One of the River Valley Conference favorites, Abe Lincoln from Council Bluffs, will be taking on the RAMS on September 3 at 7:30 PM at the Rams Stadium. The RAMS have had 3 tough weeks of practice and are ready for the challenge. The LYNX will bring a strong running game into RAM country. Returning starter Chris Johnson is one of the premier running backs in the state. The RAMS will hope to counter the LYNX ground attack with sound defense and a new offensive look. Come early and support our freshman team as they battle Ottumwa @ 5:00 PM

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