Rams Prepare for 2016 Season on the Gridiron

Nick Stavas's picture

     The 2016 football season is finally upon us. After the long, grueling wait, those beloved Friday night lights will be switched on in just weeks. Coming off the best season the small town of Glenwood has seen in over 20 years, the Rams are in search of a second consecutive district title, and will be expected to fill up the win column once again. Glenwood finished last year with an 8-1 regular season record and a share of a district championship that was split three ways between the Rams, Harlan, and Dallas Center-Grimes. Fourth-year head coach Cory Faust has high expectations of his team in the year ahead, and thinks that this team has no reason to stop at only a district title. Unlike last season when the Rams' glorious run was ended by a 22-point loss to Carroll in the first round of the state playoffs, this year's squad has the talent and experience that could take them deep into the postseason. “If we take care of the things we can control... we can expect to compete and win against anyone in the state.” said Faust.

     Not only does this team have talent and work ethic, but also experience. The Rams return many seniors who have multiple years of varsity time. QB Kolten Wilwerding will run the show for the Glenwood offense. Wilwerding's senior campaign is expected to be the best of his three seasons as QB1 for the Rams. He had a fantastic junior season, throwing for just under 1,400 yards, and 24 touchdowns by completing nearly 100 passes. He also sported a 6:1 touchdown to interception ratio, which was easily the best in the district, and roughly second in the whole state in Class 3A. To add fuel to the fire, Wilwerding will have his favorite target returning to the scene in senior receiver Mavrick Decker. Decker ranked first in the district in receiving yards (694) and touchdowns (13), and was also among the top five in receptions last season. The Rams also return two starters to the backfield in senior running back Cole Loeffelbein and junior slot back Andrew Blum. This duo combined for just over 1,000 rushing yards and eight touchdowns in 2015, and they should improve those stats this year. Of course, these numbers couldn't be recorded without the outstanding play of the offensive line, which also brings back a good amount of starters in 2016. The Rams will return juniors Caleb Sanders and Cody Sorenson, while adding senior Mitch Stanley and junior Dillon Wiser to the mix. Despite not getting much time on the offensive line last season, Mitch Stanley will likely be a player to watch on both sides of the ball. Having already committed to play division one football at the University of South Dakota, the 6'6”, 270lbs Stanley will look to standout even more in his final season in a Ram uniform. Playing next to Stanley will be junior Caleb Sanders, who last year was named an all-state lineman as a sophomore. Sanders has put in loads of work in the weight room over the summer, and recently squatted an astounding 500lbs for his 16th birthday. All in all, with a solid core of returning skill players and an offensive line that will be seemingly impenetrable, this Rams offense will be something to watch.

     Just like last season, Glenwood looks to be the strongest on the defensive side of the ball. Despite graduating five starters from last year's infamous “Dirty D,” the 2016 version could be, well, even dirtier. Led by senior outside linebackers Jon Stavas and Jake Clark, this Glenwood squad is shaping up to be one of the best in the state. The linebacking duo of Stavas and Clark combined for nearly 100 tackles in 2015, while leading a Rams defense that only allowed an average of 13 points per game in the regular season. Returning to the defensive line will be none other than Mitch Stanley and Caleb Sanders, who were arguably even better on defense last year. While pass coverage was the weakest link in the Rams' chain, the defensive backfield is coming together nicely. Junior safety Andrew Blum, who earned first team all-district honors in his sophomore season, will be the lone returning starter for the Rams. New to the lineup will be athletic senior corners Nate Nebel and Mavrick Decker, while junior Jake Murtfeld will join Blum as the second safety. “We will have to limit big plays in the passing game.” said Faust. This was the clear chink in the armor for Glenwood last year. The Rams gave up a combined 496 passing yards and eight touchdowns through the air in their two losses in 2015. Those eight passing touchdowns accounted for all but 47 points allowed by Glenwood on the whole season. However, improvements have been made, and this defense is already looking pretty scary. “We have potential to be a good defense,” Faust added modestly, “we will have to be willing to play our role with the front seven. A lot of the time, the player that makes the play isn't the one that makes the tackle.” If this Rams defense is able to play as Faust intends, they could cause some major scoring issues for the rest of District Seven.

     There is a new look to the Iowa High School Football Playoffs this year, and it is very different. The new format consists of only seven districts containing eight teams each, as opposed to last year when there were eight districts with seven teams. The biggest change will come at the end of the season when playoff talk rolls around. Instead of allowing four teams per district into the state playoffs, the new format will only take the top two teams from each of the seven districts. Two at-large, or “wildcard” teams will also be added. The schools deserving of these at-large bids will be plugged in, finishing off a 16-team playoff bracket for the state title. Glenwood will be joined by Harlan, Carroll, Creston, Winterset, Denison, Atlantic, and ADM, to make up Class 3A District Seven. This district is expected to be very competitive, and the Rams will certainly not have an easy road to a second consecutive district title. “Our district is probably as good or better than any in the state.” said Faust.

     The Rams will open the 2016 season by traveling to Council Bluffs for a matchup with the Abraham Lincoln Lynx, an opponent that is brand new to Glenwood's schedule. They will play their home opener the following week against familiar foe Thomas Jefferson, whom the Rams defeated in blowout fashion last year, and will look to have the same result in week two this season. After that, district play begins with a game that will likely build up a lot of excitement in the town of Glenwood. The Rams will host the Carroll Tigers in a week three district opener. As stated earlier, the Tigers were the team that caused Glenwood's magical 2015 season to come to a screeching halt. When asked what this game means to his team, Cory Faust simply said “I don't think it is wise to treat any game differently than the others.” Though this is a solid mentality for a team to have when going through the season, you can bet that Ram Memorial Field will be hopping when the Carroll Tigers roll into town on the night of September 9. Following the battle with Carroll, the Rams will have another test awaiting them in Harlan where the Cyclones will host Glenwood in week four. A lot of hype built up to the Rams' match up with Harlan last season, but after starting quarterback Kolten Wilwerding went down with an injury in the previous game, the Cyclones instantly blighted any hopes of Glenwood's perfect record. There is no doubt the Rams will be hungry for revenge when they travel to Harlan for their district clash. Glenwood will a enjoy a slight break in the tough schedule with a homecoming date with the Denison Monarchs in week five, followed by a game in Atlantic in week six. The Rams will host the Creston Panthers on senior night in week seven, which is a game that could prove to be very interesting. This time, Glenwood will be the team with a target on their back, as the Panthers look to avenge a 56-35 embarrassment on their home turf last year. Creston will reload from a solid 2015 squad, with senior RB Chase Shiltz returning to the backfield. Shiltz posted seemingly inhuman stats last year when he ran for the most touchdowns (35) and second most yards (2,542) in Class 3A. He also had eight games in which he ran for 200+ yards. However, in his game against Glenwood, he only managed to gain 102 yards, which was his second-lowest single game total of the season. Shiltz will definitely be a force to be reckoned with in the upcoming year, but the Rams defense looks like they will be up to the challenge. Glenwood will close out the regular season with games at Winterset and ADM in weeks eight and nine. Although neither of these teams were powerhouses last year, Glenwood will need to be careful as it's been proven that a win on the road never a gimme. The postseason will follow, but the Rams have business to take care of in a tough regular season schedule.

     So get excited everyone. We are now less than two weeks away from football Fridays, and Glenwood is preparing for a season that could once again go down in the history books. The only thing to do now is wait and see what the 2016 Rams have to offer out on the gridiron. Be sure to make your way to Council Bluffs to watch Glenwood square up against AL on in their season opener Friday, August 26. Also, follow @glenwoodsports on Twitter or “LIKE” Glenwoodsports.com on Facebook for score updates and stories on the Rams all season long. 

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