Greene Co. football: Three Rams tabbed with all-district honors
EDITOR’S NOTE: The Jefferson Herald sports department would like to apologize for an error that was made last week. We omitted Jake Berns from the all-district football article. As team MVP and one of the best defenders in the state, he certainly deserves his shine.
Here is the corrected version of the story.
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A season full of highs and lows was capped off by one final peak this week as the Greene County football team snagged a pair of all-district honors.
Senior linebacker and part-time running back Jake Berns led the way with a unanimous first team Class 3A, district 2 selection Jake Berns.
He was joined by junior wide receiver Trey Hinote and sophomore Xavier Hayes represented the Rams on the first team.
Though the Rams mustered just a single win this past fall, the trio was a constant throughout.
Berns, who was also named the Greene County team and defensive MVP at the season-ending awards banquet, was one of the top defenders in the entire state, let alone district 2. The linebacker was fifth in the district with 74.5 total tackles, which placed him ninth in the state. He recorded 44 solo tackles, which led the Rams, averaging 8.2 tackles per game. His total was 30 more than the next closest Greene County defender. Berns also carried the ball 39 times, rushing for 155 yards, a four yard average, the third best total on the team.
Hinote was one of the top receivers in the district as well as the state, securing 44 receptions for 569 yards, which was the 14th-best receiving total in all of 3A and fifth in the district. The junior’s 44 receptions led the district, ahead of Perry’s Brandon Kenyon (39) and placed him sixth in the state.
Hinote’s 152 yards and nine catches in the season-opener against Kuemper was the 12th best total in 3A this fall.
The speedy receiver also reeled in 10 receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown in the Rams’ 61-21 victory over Iowa Falls-Alden Sept. 22.
In the season finale against Ballard, Hinote caught seven balls for 131 yards and two touchdowns.
Hayes played an instrumental role as a defensive back and kick returner, never more important than in the win over IF-A. The sophomore hauled in two interceptions in the victory, helping support a stout defensive effort.
Hayes finished the year with three interceptions, which was tied for fourth in district 2. He also returned a kick 99-yards for a touchdown against Gilbert, a score that gave the Rams the lead. He tallied 220 return yards on five returns, which was sixth most in the district. In addition, he produced 28 total tackles, including 15 solo.
Quarterback Clint Dennhardt and lineman Tyler Miller were tabbed with honorable mention recognition.
Dennhardt was fifth in district two with 1,013 yards passing to go with 13 total touchdowns. He ran for 241 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns.
Miller anchored the offensive line as well as the defensive line, forcing several quarterback hurries while paving the way for a rush attack that produced 938 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Rams rushed for a school-record 420 yards and eight touchdowns in their 40-point win over Iowa Falls-Alden, aided by Colby Kafer’s school-record 285 rushing yards.
Several other awards were given out to Ram players at the Greene County football banquet Sunday, Nov. 12 at the high school in Jefferson.
Sophomore running back Colby Kafer was named the offensive MVP, running for 666 yards and six touchdowns, including a school-record 285 yards in a win against Iowa Falls-Alden.
Senior Charlie Minnehan was given the Scheuermann/McCabe Award as the Greene County offensive lineman of the year. He helped anchor a line that cleared the way for 14 rushing touchdowns.
Place-kicker Leo Marques was named the special teams MVP, highlighted by kicking the game-tying 32-yard extra point with no time left on the clock against Perry, which sent the contest into overtime.
He blasted 13 touchbacks in 32 kickoffs.
Senior linebacker Cayden Gerdes was honored with the Ben Carman award for the hardest working Ram.
Sophomore left guard Cole Betts was awarded the Allensworth Cup for the Most Improved Offensive Lineman. He started all nine games this fall, playing on 97 percent of the snaps. Prior to the 2017, he had never seen the field for a varsity play.
Sophomore wide receiver was named the Rams’ Most Improved Player, hauling in 23 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns.
And rounding out the awards, sophomore Joel Ward earned Scout team Player of the Year.
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