Oakland-Craig loses C-2 State Championship to David City Aquinas

Noah Pelan and Lane Napier combined to rush for 306 yards and three touchdowns, Spencer Maguire connected with Kenton Kobza for a 71-yard TD and No. 3 David City Aquinas defeated No. 6 Oakland-Craig 36-7 in the Class C2 championship game at Memorial Stadium on Tuesday.


Aquinas’ wing-T offense amassed 476 yards as the Monarchs (12-1) won their second straight state title and fourth in five years.

Cole Mitchell completed 17 of 34 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown, but was intercepted four times for Oakland-Craig (11-2), which was playing in its first final since 1997. Garrett Seagren caught eight passes for 83 yards and Cody Mace seven for 67.

 

Pelan led the Monarchs with 193 yards on 14 carries, including an 85-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Napier went over 1,000 yards for the season, running for 113 yards on 23 carries.

 

The Knights had an uphill battle in this game. It was a tough go of things for Oakland-Craig from the start. The Knights simply dug themselves too deep a hole to climb out of.

 

It was still a great season for Oakland-Craig though. Reaching the State Championship game is a big deal, and the Knights definitely played to their potential this year.

 

Oakland-Craig parts ways with Mitchell, Cody Mallette, Bob Gatewood, Tommy Nelson, Mace, Jon Nickerson, Neil Larsen, Conner Thiele, and Reid Fuerhoff.

 

These nine seniors meant a lot to this program, and the Knights wouldn't have been as good without them, there's no doubt about it.

 

These seniors led this team to a great amount of success this year, and should be commended for their efforts.

 

At the same time, Oakland-Craig has to be excited about what they return next season.

 

Hos Smith, Seagren, Ben Ward, Josh Dixon, and others return for the Knights in 2016.

 

It should be another fine season for Oakland-Craig next year, but the returning players can't become complacent and satisfied with what they did this season.

 

The ultimate goal has to be to win the state championship, and that means the returning players have to work just as hard this offseason as they did last offseason, if not harder.

 

I think the Knights were sort of the Cinderella story in Class C-2 this year. Not many expected Oakland-Craig to earn a berth in the state championship.

 

Teams will be ready for the Knights next year, if they weren't already. That means Oakland-Craig has to bring it night in and night out in 2016 just like they did in 2015.

Oakland-Craig defeats Battle Creek in semifinals to advance to state championship

The Oakland-Craig Knights advanced to the Class C-2 State Championship game with a 27-14 home win over Battle Creek in the semifinals Friday night.

Oakland-Craig started strong, going up 13-0 at halftime.

The Braves battled back, outscoring the Knights 14-6 in the second quarter to make it a 19-14 game at halftime.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. Oakland-Craig notched 8 fourth quarter points to make up the final score.

Cole Mitchell was 13-19 passing for 231 yards with three touchdowns.

Cody Mace hauled in six passes for 103 yards, including two scores. Zach Ahrens had two catches for 73 yards.

Mitchell rushed for 56 yards on 14 carries, and recorded a touchdown.

Josh Dixon had a game-high 12 tackles while Conner Thiele notched 8. Mitchell, Hos Smith, and Ben Ward each made 7 tackles.

The Knights totaled 314 yards of offense, 231 coming through the air.

Battle Creek amassed 265 yards of offense, including 229 rushing.

This was an absolute great win for Oakland-Craig. Not only did the Knights advance to the state championship, they avenged their only loss of the season.

Oakland-Craig (11-1) takes on David City Aquinas (11-1) in the Class C-2 State Championship game next Tuesday at 2:45 p..m. at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

The Monarchs have had a fine playoff run of their own, defeating Hastings St. Cecilia 51-7 in the other C-2 semifinal Friday night.

David City Aquinas is obviously very good, and I'm sure mostly everybody figured they would reach the state championship game again.

I think the Knights making the state title game is a surprise to many. It's not a surprise to these kids, coaches, and fans though I'm willing to bet.

This team has believed all season long, and has continued to get better each week, and all their hard work paid off Friday night in the win over the Braves.

Oakland-Craig has to savor the moment of being in the state championship game. The Knights definitely want to win the game, but making it to the state championship is quite an accomplishment in itself for this team.

Oakland-Craig has to play the same brand of football they have all season long.

I was quite impressed with the Knights' passing game Friday night. Smith was shutdown, but Mitchell showed this team can throw the ball, slinging the ball around the yard the way he did.

Oakland-Craig is a team to be reckoned with, and shouldn't be under estimated or counted out against the Monarchs.

Listen to next Tuesday's game on 107.9 the Bull. Kickoff is set for 2:45 p.m.

GACC falls to BDS to end year

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays saw their season come to an end last Tuesday evening as they fell 36-16 at home to BDS in the state quarterfinals.

The Eagles led 8-0 at the end of one and won the second quarter 12-8 to lead 20-8 at halftime.

BDS added 16 third quarter points to go up 36-8 at the end of three.

GACC scored their final points of the year in the fourth quarter.

Nolan Plagge was 8-19 passing with 113 yards, including a touchdown and three interceptions.  Tanner Ortmeier caught three passes for 74 yards, and scored a touchdown.

Tanner Hass had 96 yards rushing on 14 carries, scoring once.

The Bluejays totaled 243 yards of offense, including 130 on the ground.

The season didn't end the way or in the fashion GACC was hoping for, that's for sure. The Eagles are a good team that totally took the Bluejays out of their game.

GACC ends the year at 10-1.

Despite the fact the Bluejays came up short of reaching their goal of winning the state title, it was still a good season.

GACC had nice wins over High Plains Community and Pender in the regular season, and rolled Mead and Bloomfield in the postseason.

I honestly expected more out of the Bluejays against BDS, but the Eagles had all the answers last Tuesday in Beemer.

GACC loses a number of very talented seniors, including Noah Kreikemeier, Brandon Hass, Tanner Hass, Colin Wooldrik, Zach Kaup, Austin Duhsmann, Eric Klitz, Robert Schmaderer, Jordan Peatrowsky, Luke Gnad, Justin Watson, Ortmeier, and Josh Baumert.

These 13 seniors meant a lot to Bluejay football over the course of their careers, and should be proud of all they accomplished.

Next year's team will no doubt be led by Plagge, Kobe Slaughter, Jacob Yosten, Andrew Guenther, and others.

I don't know if GACC will be as good next year as they were this year, but I still expect the Bluejays to be competitive and make the playoffs.

GACC puts a quality team out on the field year and year out, and I look for next year to be no exception.

Look for Bluejay football to be strong once again in 2016.

Oakland-Craig picks up playoff win at Gibbon

The Oakland-Craig Knights picked up a big win at Gibbon Friday night, winning 27-7 in the state quarterfinals.

Oakland-Craig led 6-0 at the end of one and won the second quarter 15-7 to take a 21-7 lead into the locker room.

The Knights added 6 third quarter points. The Buffaloes were held scoreless in the second half.

Here is the scoring summary for both teams:

First Quarter Summary

OC- 46 Yard pass from Cole Mitchell to Cody Mace (Run Failed)

Second Quarter Summary

OC- 69 Yard pass from Cole Mitchell to Seagren (Mace Kick)
Gib- 2 Yard run by Wyatt Kee (Escandon Kick)
OC- 3 Yard run by Hoss Smith (Run by Mitchell)

Third Quarter Summary

OC- 12 yard pass from Mitchell to Mace (Kick Failed)

Smith rushed for 115 yards on 31 carries, and scored once.

Mitchell was 14-20 passing for 257 yards with three touchdowns. Garrett Seagren hauled in four passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Cody Mace made 6 receptions for 98 yards, and scored twice.

Conner Thiele made 14 tackles while Tommy Nelson totaled 9.

The Knights amassed 385 yards of offense, including 257 through the air.

The defense allowed 208 yards, 190 coming on the ground.

Oakland-Craig played a great game Friday night. Gibbon was without their starting quarterback, but the Knights still took it to the Buffaloes regardless.

Oakland-Craig (10-1) battles Battle Creek (11-0) in the state semifinals Friday night in Oakland.

The Braves defeated the Knights 41-12 back on September 4th. Head Coach Joe Anderson says things are different now than they were then. "Yeah, that was second game of the year. We had a whole new offensive line. And obviously they've improved a ton since that second week. They've gelled together a little bit. They're a big, physical team too so we got our work cut out for us. But in that game it was 14-6 at halftime, so we were in it. And it was a really hot night. And they're big and physical. They really wore us down. I think it was a 95 degree night. That second half they really wore us down. So hopefully we're in a little better shape. I think we're a little bit better a tackling team. I think we've developed a little bit more depth for this time of year. And we're going to turn it loose. No holding anything back now. And so like I said our passing game is clicking a lot better than it was at that time. And like I said we got a lot of weapons out there. So they're a ball control team, and we're going to have to stop the run again. And we're going to have to mix it up on offense. So like I said defensively they're really strong, and it will be a tough task, but hey it's a home game, and I know our kids number one goal is lets get back home, and get to play in front of fans one more time."

I think Friday night's game will definitely be closer than the regular season game was.

Oakland-Craig has made a lot of strides since that game, and is district champs.

This is for all the marbles. A chance to play at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. It doesn't get any better than that if you're a high school football player.

The Knights have to get fired, jacked, and psyched up for this game. This is winner take all, and Oakland-Craig has to rise up to the occasion and give it everything they got.

I definitely think the Knights can win, but it's going to be tough. I'm going to say it's going to be a close game either way.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. on 107.9 the Bull. Pregame is set for 6:40.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic rolls Bloomfield

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays rolled to another big playoff win Wednesday evening as they won 74-6 at Bloomfield in the second round.

GACC led 26-0 at the end of one and outscored the Bees 26-0 in the second quarter to lead 52-0 at halftime.

The Bluejays shutout Bloomfield 14-0 in the third quarter to go up 66-0 at the end of three.

GACC won the fourth quarter 8-6.

Here is the scoring summary for both teams:

First Quarter Summary

GACC 8:02 Tanner Haas 44 Yard TD Run (0-6)
GACC 7:14 Erik Klitz 1 Yard TD Run (Haas PAT Run) (0-14)
GACC 5:13 Tanner Haas 25 Yard TD Run (0-20)
GACC 3:31 Cole Kreikemeier 32 Yard TD Pass to Haas (0-26)

Second Quarter Summary

GACC 11:05 Tanner Haas 37 Yard TD Run (0-32)
GACC 6:14 Nolan Plagge 11 Yard TD Run (0-38)
GACC 4:31 Andrew Guenther 62 Yard Punt Return (Haas PAT) (0-46)
GACC 0:52 Tanner Haas 56 Yard TD Run (0-52)

Third Quarter Summary

GACC 10:07 Nolan Plagge 45 Yard TD Run (Plagge PAT) (0-60)
GACC 6:09 Cole Kreikemeier 45 Yard TD Pass to Tanner Ortmeier (0-66)

Fourth Quarter Summary

BHS 6:00 Tyler Holz 57 Yard TD Run (6-66)
GACC 4:10 Mitch Haas (Cole Kriekemeier PAT) (6-74)

Hass had 202 yards rushing with four touchdowns on 10 carries. Nolan Plagge rushed for 69 yards on 8 attempts, and scored twice. Mitchell Hass added 69 yards rushing on 4 carries, and scored once.

Cole Kreikemeier was 2-3 passing for 76 yards with two touchdowns. Tanner Ortmeier had two catches for 68 yards, scoring once.

Ortmeier and Luke Gnad racked up a game-high 9 tackles while Brandon Hass had 8. Tanner Hass and Jordan Peatrowsky each totaled 7.

The Bluejays totaled 456 yards of offense, including 341 on the ground.

The defense gave up 128 yards, 69 coming on the ground.

This was yet another dominant performance from GACC. The Bluejays have been on a mission to win a state championship, and Bloomfield was just another team in their way of doing so.

GACC (10-0) hosts BDS (10-0) in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

The Eagles defeated Neligh-Oakdale 42-7 in the second round on Tuesday, and are the defending state runner-ups.

BDS beat the Bluejays 44-40 in the semifinals last year, and I don't think there's any doubt GACC wants payback.

This is an absolutely huge matchup with so much on the line.

This could easily be a semifinal or state title game matchup, yet the two teams are meeting in the quarterfinals.

One team is going to go home disappointed while the other is going to be jubilant and move on to the next round.

The Bluejays have to come prepared and ready to play their best game of the season.

The Eagles are no doubt the best team GACC has faced all season, and the Bluejays have to practice well from now until the day of the game, and continue to improve everyday.

This is a season defining game for GACC. The Bluejays will be remembered by how they do in this game.

It's do or die for GACC. It's win or go home for the Bluejays. GACC has to rise up to the occasion and play their hearts out Tuesday night.

The Bluejays have to play their best game of the season, and go hard on every play. GACC has to really make this one count if they want to get to the state championship and win it.

Tuesday night's kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. Pregame is set for 5:40 on 107.9 the Bull, where the game can be heard.

Clarkson/Leigh's season ends with playoff loss to Creighton

Clarkson/Leigh's season to remember came to an end Wednesday evening as the Patriots lost 52-12 at Creighton in the second round of the playoffs.

The Bulldogs led 14-6 at the end of one and outscored Clarkson/Leigh 14-6 in the second quarter to take a 28-12 lead into the locker room.

Creighton shutout the Patriots 18-0 in the third quarter to go up 46-12 at the end of three.

The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 6-0.

Kobe Paprocki had 103 yards rushing on 24 carries, and scored once.

Bradley Bunner made a team-high 11 tackles while Seth Thompson and Tyrell Pokorney had 8 apiece.

Clarkson/Leigh totaled 244 yards of offense, 195 coming on the ground.

It was a very good season for the Patriots, who finished 8-2. The only disappointment of the season, in my opinion, was the loss to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, otherwise Clarkson/Leigh did some amazing things this season.

The big win over Howells-Dodge is something these players will no doubt remember for a long time. The Patriots posted some big wins this season.

Ben McMullin, Paprocki, Thompson, Colby Becker, Brandon Steffensmeier, Dominik Harper, Jake Paprocki, Tony Cuyler, Pokorney, Shane Svoboda, Brody Boyd, and Kolton Held are all lost to graduation.

12 seniors is quite a bit to lose for an 8-man team, and these 12 seniors meant a lot to this year's team for sure.

Bunner, Jacob Gall, Garrett Sayers, Tony Bruhn, and others return for Clarkson/Leigh next season.

The Patriots don't have a ton of returning talent as a lot of it is lost, but they still have Bunner, and he should help shoulder the load for this team next season.

It will be difficult for next year's team to duplicate what this year's team did, but a foundation for success has been laid by this year's senior class.

Clarkson/Leigh had about as good a season as they could have this year, and there's a lot for future teams to live up to.

I'm sure the Patriots wish they could have advanced farther in the playoffs, but it's just how things go sometimes. I think Clarkson/Leigh was better than a second round playoff team, but they had a really tough task in trying to beat Creighton. I think this team was easily a quarterfinal team, but they drew a low seed, and that made things difficult. 

Oakland-Craig defeats Omaha Brownell-Talbot in the first round of playoffs

The Oakland-Craig Knights jumped out to a big lead Friday night en route to a 40-7 home win over Omaha Brownell-Talbot in the first round of the playoffs.

Oakland-Craig led 20-0 at the end of one. The Raiders won the second quarter 7-6 to make it a 26-7 game at halftime.

The Knights outscored Omaha Brownell-Talbot 14-0 in the third quarter to make up the final score. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Hos Smith ran the ball 17 times for 145 yards, and scored twice.

Cole Mitchell was 7-16 passing for 130 yards and three touchdowns. Zach Ahrens caught 4 passes for 68 yards, and scored twice.

Tommy Nelson made 9 tackles while Josh Dixon and Conner Thiele totaled 8 and 7, respectively.

Oakland-Craig notched 348 yards of offense, 204 coming on the ground.

The Knights played a great game Friday night. Oakland-Craig got out to the type of lead they needed to, and never looked back.

The Knights (9-1) battle Gibbon (10-0) on the road Friday evening in the quarterfinals.

The Buffaloes downed Bridgeport 33-8 in the first round of the playoffs this past Friday, and appear to be really good.

Gibbon hasn't really been challenged so far this season. The Buffaloes haven't been in a close game all year.

This is going to be a really tough game for Oakland-Craig, but there's no doubt in my mind the Knights can get the job done.

I look at this game the way I looked at the North Platte St. Pat's game a year ago.

A trip out west against a tough team, and another chance to come away with another tough win.

I think Oakland-Craig's experience of going on the road and defeating the Irish last year will definitely benefit this year's team as they try and do the same thing against the Buffaloes.

Smith and Mitchell need to have big games for the Knights, and Oakland-Craig needs to play well as a team.

Getting off to a fast start is important as is finishing strong.

The Knights have to play a tough, physical brand of football for four quarters, and show Gibbon what Northeast Nebraska Football is all about.

I don't think the Buffaloes have faced as good a team as Oakland-Craig this season.

Friday evening's game should be an interesting and entertaining one.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. The game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull with pregame at 6:10.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic steamrolls Mead

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays appeared to be in championship form Thursday night as they blew out Mead 76-12 at home.

GACC led 30-0 at the end of one and outscored the Raiders 30-6 in the second quarter to go up 60-6 at halftime.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 16-6 to make up the final score. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Tanner Hass had 9 carries for 227 yards and 5 touchdowns. Nolan Plagge ran the ball five times for 108 yards.

Plagge was 2-5 passing for 94 yards with two touchdowns. Tanner Ortmeier was on the receiving end of everything.

Luke Gnad finished with 16 tackles while Josh Baumert had 11. Mitchell and Tanner Hass, Ortmeier, and Jacob Yosten each totaled 7.

GACC totaled 582 yards of offense, 488 coming on the ground.

The defense gave up only 95 yards, including 100 rushing.

This was a dominant performance from the Bluejays. GACC was definitely in state championship form, and left no doubt against Mead whatsoever.

The Bluejays (9-0) travel to Bloomfield (6-3) in the second round of the playoffs on Wednesday.

The Bees beat Nebraska City Lourdes 80-48 in the first round on the road.

Bloomfield got better as the year went on as they won their final four regular season games after starting the year 1-3. The Bees have won five in a row.

With that said, Bloomfield hasn't faced anyone as good as GACC, in my opinion.

The Bees lost 58-8 to Creighton, 30-8 to Howells-Dodge, and 32-18 to Pender if that tells you anything.

The Bluejays blew out the Jaguars and Pendragons, and could very well meet the Bulldogs in the semifinals.

However, it's the playoff and anything can happen. It's a new season, and Bloomfield proved that with their resounding win over Nebraska City Lourdes.

Each round gets a little bit tougher, and that means GACC has to raise their level of play even more this time around.

I don't know if the Bluejays can play much better than they are right now, but GACC has to continue to work hard everyday at practice and continue to get better.

The Bluejays can't take the Bees for granted.

GACC could end up hosting BDS in the quarterfinals, but the Bluejays have to be focused on Bloomfield on Wednesday.

I think GACC wins going away once again, setting up a showdown with the Eagles in Beemer next Tuesday.

Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. The game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull with pregame at 5:40.

Clarkson/Leigh doubles up Diller-Odell

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots started off slow against Diller-Odell in the first round of the playoffs Thursday evening, but turned things up in the second half and won going away 52-26.

The Griffins led 19-14 at the end of one and won the second quarter 7-6 to take a 26-20 lead into the locker room.

Clarkson/Leigh exploded for 32 third quarter points to go up 52-26 at the end of three. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Kobe Paprocki had 167 yards rushing on 17 carries, including three touchdowns. Bradley Bunner amassed 141 yards on 28 carries, including two scores.

Bunner totaled 16 tackles while Seth Thompson and Tony Cuyler notched 11 and 8, respectively.

The Patriots totaled 391 yards of offense, 361 coming on the ground.

It was a great third quarter and second half performance by Clarkson/Leigh. The Patriots showed how good they can be when they're on.

Clarkson/Leigh (8-1) takes on Creighton (9-0) on Wednesday in the second round of the playoffs in Creighton.

The Bulldogs defeated Fullerton 66-0 in the opening round, and have only been challenged once or twice this season.

Wakefield gave Creighton a game so the Patriots definitely have to feel they are capable of knocking off the Bulldogs.

Clarkson/Leigh has to play the way they did against Diller-Odell in the third quarter for the entire game on Wednesday.

The Patriots have to be able to run the ball well with Paprocki and Bunner, and the defense must step up and make big stops and create turnovers.

This is no doubt going to be Clarkson/Leigh's toughest game of the season. The Bulldogs are undefeated, but I'm sure the Patriots feel they should also be 9-0, and they easily could be.

Clarkson/Leigh really has nothing to lose in this game. The Patriots have to play loose and optimistic on Wednesday.

Clarkson/Leigh isn't expected to win this game. Creighton is the team who is supposed to win and advance. To me that means all the pressure is squarely on the Bulldogs.

If the Patriots are on top of their game for four quarters, and get some things to go their way, they may be able to win. It's going to take a lot for Clarkson/Leigh to win though. Creighton is the real deal.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

Howells-Dodge falls to High Plains Community in first round of playoffs

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars saw their season come to an end on Thursday as they fell 84-40 at High Plains Community in the first round of the playoffs.

Howells-Dodge led 22-20 at the end of one, but the Storm outscored the Jaguars 32-6 in the second quarter to lead 52-28 at halftime.

High Plains Community shutout Howells-Dodge 16-0 in the third quarter to lead 68-28 at the end of three.

The Storm won the fourth quarter 16-12.

Here is the scoring summary for both teams:

First Quarter Summary

High Plains Community School 10:26 #45 Josh Demers runs for 16 yards. Touchdown! (Point after kick by #80 Omar Ramirez good)
High Plains Community School 06:48 #3 Thomas Young runs for 9 yards. Touchdown! (Point after kick by #80 Omar Ramirez good)
Howells-Dodge 06:34 #10 Tyler Polacek runs for 65 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)
High Plains Community School 05:46 #45 Josh Demers runs for 65 yards. Touchdown! (Point after kick by #80 Omar Ramirez no good)
High Plains Community School 02:09 #3 Thomas Young runs to the Storm 27 for 0 yards. Fumble! (#64 Ryan Macholan) Recovered by #10 Tyler Polacek. (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek good)
Howells-Dodge 00:02 #10 Tyler Polacek runs for 3 yards. Touchdown! Penalty: defensive face mask for 15 yards. (Two point conversion run by #10 Tyler Polacek good)

Second Quarter Summary

Howells-Dodge 11:53 #10 Tyler Polacek pass complete to #30 Luke Renter for 22 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #15 Tyler Brichacek no good)
High Plains Community School 10:29 #3 Thomas Young pass complete to #45 Josh Demers for 40 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #3 Thomas Young to #6 Kyler Van Housen good)
High Plains Community School 05:15 #3 Thomas Young runs for 20 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #45 Josh Demers good)
High Plains Community School 03:15 #3 Thomas Young runs for 6 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #3 Thomas Young good)
High Plains Community School 01:41 #45 Josh Demers runs for 60 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #3 Thomas Young to #9 Kyler Stevens good)

Third Quarter Summary

High Plains Community School 10:21 #45 Josh Demers runs for 53 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #3 Thomas Young good)
High Plains Community School 03:15 #45 Josh Demers runs for 6 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #3 Thomas Young to #6 Kyler Van Housen good)

Fourth Quarter Summary

Howells-Dodge 11:10 #10 Tyler Polacek pass complete to #37 Zach Bayer for 33 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)
High Plains Community School 10:18 #45 Josh Demers runs for 48 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #3 Thomas Young to #9 Kyler Stevens good)
Howells-Dodge 04:49 #30 Luke Renter runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #10 Tyler Polacek to Team no good)
High Plains Community School 04:08 #3 Thomas Young pass complete to #9 Kyler Stevens for 65 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #45 Josh Demers no good)

Polacek had 140 yards rushing on 17 carries, including two touchdowns. Renter carried the ball 17 times for 81 yards, and scored once.

Polacek was 8-17 passing for 116 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Zach Bayer led the way with 9 tackles while Polacek made 8.

The Jaguars amassed 377 yards of total offense, including 256 rushing.

The defense surrendered 592 yards of offense, 405 coming on the ground.

It was definitely a tough way for Howells-Dodge to end the season, which was no doubt not as good as the Jaguars were hoping for.

I would have never thought Howells-Dodge would finish the season 3-6, but that's what happened, and there's certainly a lot of work to be done before the start of next season.

Polacek, Tyler Brichacek, Gavin Hays, Renter, Tyler Payton, Mitchell Prusa, Justin Bazata, Darren Hegemann, Nolan Lund, and Mitchell Brester are all lost to graduation.

The Jaguars return Dax VanLengen, Jon Yosten, Kade Hegemann, Jordan Brichacek, Tanner Coufal, Bayer, Ryan Macholan, Luke Larson, and others. 

There's certainly plenty of talent returning for Howells-Dodge, but there's a lot of talent lost as well.

Polacek, Renter, and Prusa are the biggest losses, in my opinion.

All three made play after play for this year's team, and made a significant impact in their senior season.

There's a lot of work for next year's team to get done before the start of next season. Next year's team has to be mentally tougher, and has to be prepared to play week in and week out.

I didn't feel like this year's team was as ready to play in some games as they should have been. The Jaguars came ready to play against Bloomfield and Fullerton, but other than that Howells-Dodge played subpar football.

It will be interesting to see if next year is any better for the Jaguars.

Pender ends year with loss to Neligh-Oakdale

The Pender Pendragons saw their season come to an end Thursday night as they fell 75-32 at Neligh-Oakdale in the first round of the playoffs.

The Warriors led 14-0 at the end of one and outscored Pender 28-16 in the second quarter to go up 42-16 at halftime.

The Pendragons won the third quarter 8-7 to make it a 49-24 game at the end of three.

Neligh-Oakdale put up 26 fourth quarter points compared to 8 for Pender.

Dylan Roth was 12-34 passing for 119 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Shay Messerlie rushed for 98 yards on 20 carries, and scored three touchdowns. James Bensen carried the rock 14 times for 81 yards.

Roth and Bensen had 9 and 8 tackles, respectively.

The Pendragons amassed 354 yards of offense, including 235 rushing.

The defense gave up 514 yards, 291 coming through the air.

Pender certainly struggled to stop the Warriors, but what a fine season the Pendragons had.

Pender had a much better season this year than last as they went 6-3.

I'm not totally shocked the Pendragons lost to Neligh-Oakdale given their playoff inexperience. I thought the game would be closer, but credit the Warriors for bringing it for four quarters.

This Pender team figures to be back better than ever in 2016 as the Pendragons lose just four seniors in Gerrit Follmer, Messerlie, Kolton Lehmkuhl, and Devin Soll.

These four players are significant losses as they contributed a lot to the team this year and in past years, but Pender has to be excited about who they bring back.

Roth, Bensen, Leland Bowder, Jesse Thompson, and others return for this Pendragons' team.

Pender should be solid in the pass and run game once again.

The Pendragons' defense was exploited against some of the tougher teams on their schedule. Pender could definitely improve defensively so they can stop the big boys more often when they play them.

This team has worked so hard the last two or three years, and it's going to take even more hard work to sustain more success in the future.

This year's team changed the culture and landscape of Pender football, and now the returning players and newcomers need to build off that and leave their own mark on this program.

It's one thing to have a good year, it's another to sustain success for years to come. It will be interesting to see if Pender football can be as good next year as it was this year, and perhaps be even better.

I look for the Pendragons to come back with a vengeance and be hungry given the way they lost to Neligh-Oakdale. I look for Pender to have another fine season in 2016, and perhaps take that next step and win a playoff game or two. We will know more about this team next fall.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast loses to Lawrence-Nelson to end season

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars competed hard against Lawrence-Nelson in the first round of the playoffs on Thursday, but lost 38-22.

The game was tied at 8 at the end of the first quarter and at halftime. The Raiders exploded for 24 third quarter points and held Lyons-Decatur Northeast to 6 to lead 32-14 at the end of three.

The Cougars won the fourth quarter 8-6.

Marcus Hegy rushed for 138 yards on 31 carries, and scored twice. Montana Riecken ran the ball 28 times for 66 yards.

Riecken was 10-15 passing for 157 yards with a touchdown. Jon Christiansen hauled in four passes for 71 yards. Tyler Kroger had 51 yards receiving on two catches, and scored a touchdown.

Bren Shatto and Tyler Hardeman made 9 tackles each while Riecken notched 7.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast racked up 362 yards of total offense, 205 coming on the ground.

The Cougars gave Lawrence-Nelson all they could handle. Lyons-Decatur Northeast has absolutely nothing to feel terrible about.

The Cougars finish the 2015 campaign with a 5-4 record.

It was a good final season for the Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars. This team really upped their game after the first few games of the season, and went on to do some nice things.

I think Lyons-Decatur Northeast maximized their abilities in the middle to late part of the season, and didn't necessarily save their best for last, but the Cougars still played at a high level at the end of the year.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast says goodbye to Hegy and Jayden Vetick.

These two seniors meant a lot to this year's team, and there's no doubt the Cougars would not have been as good without them.

Look for Christiansen, Riecken, Benny Estrada, Hardeman, Shatto, and Kroger to make a big impact on the co-op team next year.

A lot of Lyons-Decatur Northeast players should start on next year's co-op team with Bancroft-Rosalie.

At this time next year the Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur Wolverines will be in full effect.

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars made some memories and no doubt made their communities proud by the way they played this season.

It was a good way for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to go out as a program.

Now it will be interesting to see if the co-op team can continue the success both Bancroft-Rosalie and Lyons-Decatur Northeast have had in recent years.

Oakland-Craig downs Wisner-Pilger to end regular season

The Oakland-Craig Knights capped off their regular season Friday night with a 54-12 home win over Wisner-Pilger.

The Knights went up 20-0 at the end of one and outscored the Gators 20-6 in the second quarter to lead 40-6 at halftime.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. Oakland-Craig won the fourth quarter 14-6. 

Hos Smith carried the ball 27 times for 208 yards, and scored four times. Cole Mitchell had 53 yards on 8 carries.

Mitchell was 9-17 passing for 190 yards with two touchdowns.

Cody Mace hauled in five passes for 138 yards, and scored once.

Tommy Nelson made a team-high 10 tackles.

The Knights racked up 498 yards of offense, including 308 rushing.

The defense surrendered 246 yards, 181 coming on the ground.

It was a great game on Oakland-Craig's part. I thought the Knights might be in for a dog fight, but they proved me very wrong.

Oakland-Craig is making their 8th straight playoff appearance and will be taking on Omaha Brownell-Talbot at home in the first round of the playoffs Friday night. Head Coach Joe Anderson says the regular season was a success.

"We were able to accomplish our goal of winning the district championship. That was one of our goals coming into the year. We knew if we won our district then you'd have that automatic qualifying for the playoffs. So we're happy with being 8-1. We knew early in the season Battle Creek was going to be a big test for us. Probably especially since we were so inexperienced early in the year."

The Knights' only regular season loss was to the Braves.

Omaha Brownell-Talbot comes in with a record of 6-3. Anderson says the Raiders are a tough team despite the fact they lost three out of their last four to end the regular season.

"They lost to some pretty good football teams. They lost to Yutan here down the stretch, and they lost to David City Aquinas, which everybody loses to them as of right now. So they're a physical team, they don't do anything super fancy. They got some skill guys. They can run. They got good team speed. I'm really impressed with how well they get to the ball." 

I think the Raiders are a quality team, but I really like the way Oakland-Craig is playing right now. I look for the Knights to pull away and win by a few touchdowns.

The winner gets Gibbon or Bridgeport next Friday in the second round.

Friday night's game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull. Kickoff is set for 7:00 with pregame at 6:40.

Wisner-Pilger loses final game to Oakland-Craig

The Wisner-Pilger Gators lost 54-12 at Oakland-Craig Friday night in the team's final game of the season.

The Knights went up 20-0 at the end of one and outscored Wisner-Pilger 20-6 in the second quarter to lead 40-6 at halftime.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. Oakland-Craig won the fourth quarter 14-6.

Cooper Vonseggern had 165 yards rushing on 23 carries. Vonseggern was 4-22 passing for 65 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.

Kenny Baker had 15 tackles to lead all players. Cobe Porter made 13 while Vonseggern and Lucas Troyer notched 11 apiece. Jayden Raabe had 9 while Jake Denton and Nathan Hatterman totaled 8 each.

The Gators had 246 yards of total offense, including 181 on the ground.

The defense gave up 498 yards of offense, 308 of them rushing.

It wasn't an ideal finish to the season for Wisner-Pilger, but the Knights are a really good team, and proved it Friday night.

The Gators end the year at 3-6.

Wisner-Pilger was up and down this season.

The Gators played well at times, but not so well at others.

Wisner-Pilger says goodbye to Mason Rabe, Hubert Kuntzsch, Troyer, Baker, and Adrian Cardenas.

Five seniors isn't a lot to lose, but each and every one of these seniors brought something different to the table.

Vonseggern returns as does Hunter Waterman, Korrell Koehlmoos, Porter, Gage Riecken, Hatterman, Brody Mattson, Denton, Travis Keyes, and others.

These nine players and others have a chance to have special seasons next year.

As a matter of fact, I think the Gators have a chance to have a breakout season in 2016 and make the playoffs.

I thought Wisner-Pilger would do better this year than they did, and the potential to be better was certainly there, so I know this team is capable of doing big things.

The Gators must have a good offseason in the weight room and on the playing field.

It's important for the returning players and newcomers to get bigger, faster, stronger, and more physical, in addition to becoming better football players as a whole.

Stanton beats Laurel Concord-Coleridge by forfeit

Perhaps one of Class C-2's playoff snubs, the Stanton Mustangs won their final game over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge by forfeit.

It was a very good year for Stanton, who competed well with Battle Creek and beat everyone else on their schedule except for Oakland-Craig.

The Mustangs finished the year 7-2. I think Stanton is certainly better than a few of the teams who got into the playoffs.

It's a tough pill for the Mustangs to swallow. Stanton definitely deserved to be in the playoffs.

However, these seniors and this team went out winners, and in a lot of ways, that's better than losing your final game, even if it is in the playoffs.

The Mustangs graduate Kyle Sperl, Brook Klinetobe, Mitchael Sieh, Corbin Warnke, Grant King, Christian Stallbaum, Marques Matthies, Blake Huisman, and John White.

Each and every one of these nine seniors contributed in one way or another, and will be sorely missed.

Stanton's top returners for next year include Mason King, Hunter Stallbaum, Myles Nickolite, Trey Erbst, Alex Schellpeper, Logan McKeon, Ashton Flood, Dylan Hunt, Sam Christiansen, Parker Theisen, Gannon Tighe, and Henry Bohac.

For as much talent as the Mustangs lose, they return more.

I think the 2016 Stanton Mustangs will still be a good football team.

It will be interesting to see if Stanton can make the playoffs next year.

It's not often a team goes 7-2 and gets left out, but that's what happened to the Mustangs this year.

That has to motivate these players beyond belief to work their tails off in the offseason and comeback next year stronger than ever.

Tekamah-Herman loses regular season finale to Logan View

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers lost 60-6 at Logan View Friday night as their season came to a close.

It was an extremely difficult season for Tekamah-Herman, who got stung by the injury bug like none other.

The Tigers end the year 0-9.

Tekamah-Herman parts ways with Gus Langley, Bryan Peterson, Carter Walford, Brett Fleischman, Nick Bohannon, Matt Gross, Kolton Fleischman, and Caleb Wissman.

I'm not sure how much these eight seniors actually played this year, but either way they will be missed I am sure.

There's not a lot of positive things to take away from an 0-9 season, but Tekamah-Herman's younger players gained a lot of valuable varsity experience that will only benefit this team in the future.

It will be interesting to see how many of the same players actually start next years as I'm sure a good number of players will return from injury.

I think this team will be hungry and motivated to have a much better season next year than they did this year.

As long as they stay injury free, I think you will see the Tigers have a much better season in 2016 than they did in 2015.

It's hard saying how Tekamah-Herman will fare in 2016, but we will wait until next season to try and figure that out.

There's a long time between now and August, and the returning players and newcomers have a lot of time to reflect on the struggles of this season and do something about it.

Hard work in the weight room and on the playing field in the offseason will be critical to this team's success in 2016.

Logan View ends year with win over Tekamah-Herman

The Logan View Raiders ended their season with a resounding, 60-6 home win over Tekamah-Herman Friday night.

I'm sure Logan View wishes they could have made the playoffs, but not many teams go out winners, and that's exactly what the Raiders did by beating the Tigers Friday night.

Logan View ends the season 4-5.

The Raiders went through a four-game losing streak midseason, and had the first two games of that losing streak gone their way, Logan View very well could have been playoff bound. As it stands though the Raiders lost, and that's just how things go sometimes.

Logan View had a strong start to the season as they went 3-1 to begin the year, and the Raiders finished strong as well.

Logan View loses a number of seniors in Nathan Rock, Hunter Schlueter, Conner Gralheer, Garrett Knoell, Colin Vonseggern, James Hernandez, Nick Epperson, Zac Wanamaker, and Zach Heinke.

These 9 seniors will no doubt be missed, especially Knoell.

Replacing him will be very difficult, and I suspect there will be a quarterback competition next fall.

The Raiders bring back Andrew Poppe, Jacob Polk, Grant Meyer, Nolan Miller, Bailey Licht, Eric French, Brandon Hagerbaumer, Micheal Luther, and others.

There is quite a bit of talent returning for Logan View, and I think the Raiders have a chance to be good again next season.

This season was a success in many ways, and I'm sure the returning players will be hungry for more next season.

This season kind of feels like there is some unfinished business left for Logan View next season. I look for this team to have a chip on their shoulder throughout the offseason and into next year.

West Point-Beemer loses regular season finale to Wayne

The West Point-Beemer Cadets lost their final game Friday night, falling 27-14 at home to Wayne.

It was sort of a tough season for West Point-Beemer with some bright spots. The Cadets' win over Fort Calhoun was the highlight of the year no doubt.

West Point-Beemer ends the year at 2-7.

The Cadets graduate Blake Schroedter, Tate Toelle, Justin Eisenhauer, Ben Jahnke, Jonah Hughes, Tucker Luebbert, Chris Palm, Brayden Luebbert, Robert Kienbaum, Jacob Combs, and Edwin Ambrosio.

These 11 seniors will sorely be missed I am sure.

Toelle is a big loss as are Schroedter and Jahnke.

It will be interesting to see how good West Point-Beemer is next season.

The Cadets return the majority of their team, including Hunter Pilakowski, Tate Ernesti, Riley Berg, Evan Landholm, Gavin Case, and others.

It's going to take a lot of hard work in the offseason for this team to be better than they were this season.

The returning players and newcomers have to dedicate themselves to getting bigger, stronger, and faster while working on their on the field skills.

These kids should be out playing pick up football games on the practice field whenever they get the chance.

No one wants to get hurt playing football while participating in another sport, and out of respect to that other sport, like basketball, wrestling, or track...the kids should probably stay off the football practice field.

However, once summer rolls around, the kids who aren't playing baseball should be out enjoying themselves, playing football at every opportunity.

It takes a lot of hard work and dedication in the offseason to be a successful football team, but I know these kids have it in them to be a good team next season.

North Bend Central ends year with loss to Wahoo

The season came to a close for the North Bend Central Tigers Friday night as they lost 54-14 at home to Wahoo.

It wasn't an ideal end to the season for North Bend Central, but I think the Tigers can take pride in the fact they had a better season this year than last year.

North Bend Central ends the year at 1-8. The Tigers were more competitive in every game this year and put up more points than they did a season ago.

North Bend Central parts ways with seniors Chris Dostal, Jake Cleveringa, Colby Anderson, Lucas Moore, Nick Hines, and Ryan Kreikemeier.

These seniors will not be soon forgotten I am sure. Their contributions to Tiger football will be remembered for years to come I am willing to bet.

Six seniors isn't a whole lot to lose when you have 37 players on the roster. That means North Bend Central will return 31 players from this year's team.

The Tigers were young this year, but made a lot of strides throughout the season.

The win over West Point-Beemer was no doubt the highlight of the season, and North Bend Central came close to beating David City.

I think you will see an even more improved Tiger squad next season as long as everyone dedicates themselves to the weight room and the practice field in the offseason.

There is certainly a lot of room for growth and improvement on this team, and I look for North Bend Central to have a better 2016 than 2015.

This season wasn't a huge success, but improvement was made from last year and things were better for the Tigers this year.

I think the future looks bright for this program. With a lot of players returning North Bend Central could be poised to make some noise in 2016.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic defeats Omaha Nation by forfeit

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays won by forfeit over Omaha Nation to end the regular season on Friday.

It wasn't the most ideal thing for GACC, but there honestly wasn't a whole lot to gain by playing the Chiefs. The good news for the Bluejays is they are heading into the playoffs at full strength as players were able to rest and avoid injuries by not playing Friday night.

GACC (8-0) hosts Mead (4-4) in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night.

The Raiders won 32-28 at Cedar Bluffs Friday night to close out the regular season.

You always worry about being sharp and in top form when having a week off, but I look for the Bluejays to roll Mead on Thursday.

The Raiders have been one of the feel good stories in Class D-1 this season, but I'm afraid their ride is about to end on Thursday.

I look for GACC to go out there and make a huge statement. The Bluejays' run at a state title starts Thursday, and GACC has to be amped, jacked, fired up, and prepared to dominate Mead on Thursday.

The Bluejays have to leave no doubt as to who the better team is.

If GACC wins, they get the winner of Nebraska City Lourdes and Bloomfield next Wednesday in the second round.

A quarterfinal matchup with BDS is very likely, but the Bluejays have to take things one game at a time, and focus on each opponent as they advance through the playoffs.

This is GACC's shot to win a state title. A chance to bring the hardware home and be remembered forever. The time to get the job done is now for the Bluejays.

Clarkson/Leigh topples Nebraska Christian

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots toppled Nebraska Christian 50-26 at home Friday night to win the district title.

Clarkson/Leigh doubled up the Eagles 16-8 in the first quarter and got outscored 6-0 in the second quarter to make it a 16-14 game at halftime.

The Patriots won the third quarter 14-6 to go up 30-20 at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh outscored Nebraska Christian 20-6 in the fourth quarter.

Bradley Bunner had 167 yards rushing on 36 carries, including three touchdowns. Kobe Paprocki finished with 107 yards on 12 carries, including a score.

Paprocki was 2-5 passing for 70 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Bunner had 1 catch for 58 yards, which went for a touchdown.

Bunner made 19 tackles while Seth Thompson and Tyrell Pokorney had 14 and 13, respectively.

The Patriots racked up 344 yards of total offense, 274 coming on the ground.

The defense gave up 324 yards, including 171 rushing.

Clarkson/Leigh played a great game Friday night. The Patriots didn't finish the regular season 8-0, but 7-1 is the next best thing.

Clarkson/Leigh (7-1) battles Diller-Odell (6-2) in the first round of the playoffs Thursday evening.

The Griffin beat McCool Junction 45-6 in their regular season finale. Diller-Odell's two losses are to BDS and Nebraska City Lourdes.

I think the Patriots will win, but Paprocki and Bunner have to bring it for Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots will no doubt get the Griffin's best shot, and Clarkson/Leigh has to come ready to play.

The Patriots slipped up against Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family in the regular season, and can't let that happen again.

Clarkson/Leigh has to come out and take care of business against Diller-Odell from start to finish.

A win likely means a date with Creighton in Creighton on Wednesday of next week.

The Patriots can't be looking ahead to a potential matchup with the Bulldogs though. Clarkson/Leigh has to be focused on beating the Griffin.

Looking ahead will only get this team in trouble. The only team on the Patriots' mind right now has to be Diller-Odell.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. in Leigh.

Pender wins regular season finale at Wakefield

The Pender Pendragons struggled against Wakefield on Friday, but won 40-26 to cap off a 6-2 regular season.

The Trojans led 20-12 at halftime before Pender won the third quarter 14-6 to make it a 26-26 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons outscored Wakefield 14-0 in the fourth quarter.

Shay Messerlie finished with 128 yards on 23 carries, including a touchdown. Tyler Nelson carried the ball 6 times for 93 yards while James Bensen toted the rock 12 times for 88 yards, and scored twice.

Dylan Roth was 9-10 passing for 116 yards and a touchdown. Messerlie hauled in two passes for 63 yards, and was on the receiving end of Roth's touchdown pass.

Kolton Lehmkuhl and Devin Soll had 15 and 12 tackles, respectively, for Pender. Roth added 9 while Bensen and Leland Bowder recorded 8 each.

The Pendragons totaled 422 yards of offense, 306 coming on the ground.

It wasn't the prettiest game for Pender, but the Pendragons won, and that's all that matters.

Pender (6-2) travels to Neligh Thursday to take on Neligh-Oakdale (6-2) in the first round of the playoffs.

The Warriors lost their regular season finale to Clearwater/Orchard, falling 38-37.

I think the Pendragons have a good shot at winning on Thursday.

Neligh-Oakdale didn't beat a team that finished with a record above .500 in the regular season, and this is no doubt one of the Warriors' toughest tests of the season.

Pender's losses are better than Neligh Oakdale's.

With that said, the Pendragons lack playoff experience and the game is on the road.

That makes things more difficult for Pender, in my opinion.

I think the Pendragons are more than capable of making up for their disadvantages with good, physical play, but Pender has to be ready to bring it for four quarters.

Roth, Bensen, Messerlie, Soll, and others have to step up and play excellent football for Pender.

This game is out there for the Pendragons to go get, and a win would likely mean a second round home game against BDS. I'm sure that's a matchup Pender would welcome.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Neligh. The game can be heard on 107.9 the Bull with pregame at 6:40.

Howells-Dodge falls to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars fell 24-20 at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family in their regular season finale Friday night.

The Bulldogs went up 8-0 at the end of one before Howells-Dodge shutout Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 14-0 in the second quarter to lead 14-8 at halftime.

The Bulldogs struck for 16 third quarter points and led 24-14 at the end of three.

The Jaguars added 6 fourth quarter points, but it was to no avail.

Here is the scoring summary for both teams:

First Quarter Summary

Humphrey-Lindsey Holy Family 00:29 #12 Duncan Hanzel pass complete to #8 Ashton Dohmen for 10 yards. (Two point conversion pass by #12 Duncan Hanzel to #8 Ashton Dohmen good)

Second Quarter Summary

Howells-Dodge 09:23 #10 Tyler Polacek pass complete to #25 Kade Hegemann for 45 yards. (Two point conversion run by #30 Luke Renter no good)
Howells-Dodge 04:00 #12 Duncan Hanzel pass intended for Team. Intercepted by #71 Mitchell Prusa 41 yard INT return. (Two point conversion run by #30 Luke Renter good)

Third Quarter Summary

Humphrey-Lindsey Holy Family 06:26 #21 Austin Priester runs for 1 yards. (Two point conversion run by #12 Duncan Hanzel good)
Humphrey-Lindsey Holy Family 03:52 #12 Duncan Hanzel runs for 2 yards. (Two point conversion run by #12 Duncan Hanzel good)

Fourth Quarter Summary

Howells-Dodge 09:16 #10 Tyler Polacek runs for 1 yards. (Two point conversion run by #30 Luke Renter no good)

Tyler Polacek was 5-9 passing for 97 yards with a touchdown.

Kade Hegemann hauled in 2 passes for 54 yards, and scored once.

Mitchell Brester made a team-high 9 tackles while Mitchell Prusa, Zach Bayer, and Ryan Macholan racked up 8 apiece. Hegemann totaled 7.

The Jaguars had 221 yards of total offense, 124 coming on the ground.

I was surprised Howells-Dodge lost this game. I thought the Jaguars would win and host a first round playoff game, but things just didn't work out that way.

Howells-Dodge (3-5) is at High Plains (6-2) in the first round of the playoffs Thursday evening.

The Storm's two losses are to BDS and GACC, two of the better teams in the state.

High Plains defeated Fullerton 62-14 in their regular season finale.

I think the Jaguars are going to have a tough time with the Storm.

I feel like Howells-Dodge is capable of winning, but with the game being in Clarks I have to give the edge to High Plains.

That's not to say the Jaguars can't win though. If Polacek can go off and get help from his teammates, this team has a chance at making a run in the playoffs.

The Jaguars have certainly underachieved this season, in my opinion, but a couple of wins in the playoffs would make things better.

I didn't see Howells-Dodge going 3-5 in the regular season, but they did. At the same time, it's the playoffs and it's the Jaguars. They are certainly capable of making things happen and winning on Thursday.

Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. 

Lyons-Decatur Northeast loses to Wynot

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars lost 52-36 at Wynot in their regular season finale on Thursday.

The Blue Devils went up 32-6 at the end of one and shutout Lyons-Decatur Northeast 20-0 in the second quarter to take a 52-6 lead into the locker room.

The Cougars scored 8 third quarter points to make it a 52-14 game at the end of three and tacked on 22 fourth quarter points to make up the final score.

Benny Estrada had 11 carries for 143 yards, including two touchdowns. Montana Riecken carried the ball 21 times for 123 yards, and scored twice.

Bren Shatto and Marcus Hegy made 13 tackles each while Riecken and Tyler Kroger had 11 and 8, respectively.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast racked up 335 yards of offense, including 309 on the ground.

The defense gave up 398 yards, 258 coming on the ground.

I was surprised this game was so lopsided in the first half. I thought the Cougars would challenge Wynot throughout the game, and perhaps pull out the win. Credit Lyons-Decatur Northeast for not quitting and playing well in the second half though.

The Cougars (5-3) travel to Lawrence-Nelson (7-1) on Thursday for the first round of the playoffs.

The Raiders defeated Giltner 34-14 in their regular season finale, and their only loss this year is against Exeter-Milligan.

This will be a tough game for Lyons-Decatur Northeast, especially with it being such a long road trip.

However, it's the playoffs and certainly anything can happen.

The Cougars have to play optimistic football and believe they can win.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast has to start strong and finish even stronger. The Cougars need to play a complete, four quarter game to have a chance.

The winner gets either Wynot or Palmer, and I'm sure Lyons-Decatur Northeast would like another crack at the Blue Devils, especially at home.

It's great the Cougars get to extend their season for one more game, but I'm sure Lyons-Decatur Northeast doesn't want this to be their final game as Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

I think the Cougars want to hang around in the playoffs for a little while before reality strikes that the Lyons-Decatur Northeast Cougars are no more in football.

There's nothing better than playoff football in Nebraska, and Lyons-Decatur Northeast has to play for keeps.

The Cougars must have some luck go their way and must come up with a few trick plays to spring the upset in my mind.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast shouldn't change much from what they have done all year, but throwing in a wrinkle or two couldn't hurt.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 on Thursday.

Scribner-Snyder ends year with win over Winnebago

The Scribner-Snyder Trojans ended their season Friday night with a 67-26 road win at Winnebago.

The Trojans went up 20-0 at the end of one and doubled up the Indians 28-14 in the second quarter to take a 48-14 lead into the locker room.

Scribner-Snyder won the third quarter 13-12 to go up 61-26 at the end of three.

The Trojans added 6 points in the fourth quarter to make up the final score.

Michael Broussard had 294 yards rushing with five touchdowns on 15 carries in his final game in a Scribner-Snyder uniform. Darnell Sims ran the ball 4 times for 81 yards, and scored three times in his last game as a Trojan. Gunner Palmer added 66 yards rushing on 9 attempts.

Chauncey Holmes led the way with 13 tackles while Sims made 11. Broussard and Brandon Noel notched 8 apiece while Kaleb Fischer recorded 7.

Scribner-Snyder totaled 525 yards of offense, 495 coming on the ground.

The Trojans didn't make the playoffs, but Scribner-Snyder saved their best for last, and turned in a great performance.

The Trojans finish the year 3-5.

I'm sure Scribner-Snyder isn't satisfied with how this season turned out, and would no doubt like to have re dos with Mead and Cedar Bluffs.

If the Trojans beat the Raiders and Wildcats they probably make the playoffs.

Scribner-Snyder was definitely a good enough team to be in the postseason, in my opinion.

The Trojans just simply came up short of reaching their goal.

Scribner-Snyder graduates quite a bit of talent, including David Dunklau, Sims, Sonny Lodl, Broussard, Fischer, Jesse Schlecht, Austin Lampkin, and Holmes.

These eight seniors contributed a lot during their time with the Trojans. Their contributions will no doubt be missed.

All Scribner-Snyder can do now though is look to the future.

The Trojans bring back Palmer, Marcus Love, Alex Nuno, Noel, Hunter Adams, Riley Meyer, and others.

I would imagine Jadyn Smeal will start at quarterback next season unless there is a transfer or incoming freshman who is better.

I think Scribner-Snyder has a chance to be good next year, but the returning players and newcomers have to dedicate themselves to the weight room and the practice field from now until August.

Champions aren't made during the season, they are made in the offseason.

Winnebago falls to Scribner-Snyder in final game of season

The Winnebago Indians dropped their final game of the regular season Friday night, losing 67-26 at home to Scribner-Snyder.

The Trojans went up 20-0 at the end of one and doubled up Winnebago 28-14 in the second quarter to take a 48-14 lead into the locker room.

Scribner-Snyder won the third quarter 13-12 to go up 61-26 at the end of three.

The Trojans added 6 points in the fourth quarter to make up the final score.

The Indians gave up 525 yards of offense, including 495 on the ground.

It was definitely a tough way for Winnebago to end the season. The Indians finish the year 2-6.

There were some bright spots for Winnnebago this year though.

The comeback win over Cedar Bluffs to start the year is something these kids will remember for the rest of their lives, and the win over Omaha Nation is definitely something to take pride in.

The Indians had a better season this year than last so it has to be a good feeling knowing progress was made.

Winnebago says goodbye to seniors Kadge Thomas, Roman Perales, Vincent Bass, Kalief Harden, Antonio Redhorn, Nakia Mallory, Kyle Urbanec, and Airic Brown.

These eight seniors will definitely be missed, but the Indians have to believe they have a bright future given all the players that return next season.

Bass is a big loss on the line, but I'm sure Winnebago has returning players to fill the void.

The Indians have to get bigger, faster, stronger, and better before the start of next season.

Dedication in the weight room and on the field will be important for next year's team from now until August.

It's not what you do during the season that makes you good, it's all the countless hours put in the weight room and on the practice field during the offseason that truly make you who you are.

Winnebago had some success this year, but struggled a lot of the season as well. There's definitely a lot of room for growth and improvement on this team.

It will be interesting to see what kind of season the Indians have in 2016.

Bancroft-Rosalie loses final game to Allen

The Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers gave Allen all they could handle in their final game on Thursday, but lost 36-28 on the road.

Both teams scored 6 first quarter points. The Eagles doubled up Bancroft-Rosalie 16-8 in the second quarter to take a 22-14 lead into the locker room.

Both teams scored 6 third quarter points and 8 fourth quarter points.

The Panthers gave up 226 yards of offense, all on the ground.

It was no doubt a disappointing season for Bancroft-Rosalie, who ends the year at 0-8.

The Panthers just started off on the wrong foot this season, and were never able to recover.

Bancroft-Rosalie played a good final game of the regular season though, and that's something the returning players can carry with them to the co-op team next year.

The Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers are no more, at least as far as football is concerned.

Bancroft-Rosalie says goodbye to seniors Dayne Wortman, Chase Bonsall, and Austin Bruning.

These three seniors made a big impact on this year's team, and their contributions will no doubt be remembered for years to come.

Tanner Bonneau, Trent Gatewood, Jacob Zuhlke, Kenyan Lovejoy, Nolan Smith, Zach Bridges, Riley Gomez, and Jacob Cole figure to be among the top returners from the Bancroft-Rosalie side for the Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur Wolverines next season.

It's hard saying how good the co-op team is going to be next year, but they should have a chance to be pretty competitive. The returning players from Bancroft-Rosalie need to dedicate themselves to the weight room this offseason and attend summer camps and conditioning.

It's definitely going to be a tough transition for some if not all of these kids, there's no doubt about it.

Bancroft-Rosalie and Lyons-Decatur are what you could consider rivals so it will be interesting to see how all these kids get along next year.

Wisner-Pilger steamrolls Laurel-Concord-Coleridge

The Wisner-Pilger Gators won 60-0 at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger led 34-0 at the end of one and added 14 second quarter points to go up 48-0 at halftime.

The Gators put up 6 points in the third quarter and 6 more in the fourth quarter.

Hunter Waterman ran the ball 6 times for 133 yards, and scored three touchdowns. Cooper Vonseggern ran the ball 5 times for 100 yards, scoring three times.

Vonseggern was 4-6 passing for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Korrell Koehlmoos hauled in 2 passes for 87 yards, scoring once.

Wisner-Pilger racked up 431 yards of offense, including 299 rushing.

The Gators put together a fantastic game Friday night. I would say it was Wisner-Pilger's best game of the season.

The Gators (3-5) take on Oakland-Craig (7-1) on the road Friday night.

The Knights are coming off a 68-0 home win over Homer last time out, and have been impressive this season.

Oakland-Craig is a very good team who is battling for playoff positioning, and will no doubt bring it Friday night.

However, Wisner-Pilger has absolutely nothing to lose and should play optimistic football.

If Vonseggern goes off for the Gators watch out. If Wisner-Pilger plays the way they did last week they may have a shot.

It's asking a lot to beat the Knights, but it would be a great win heading into next season for the Gators.

All the pressure will be squarely on the shoulders of Oakland-Craig. Wisner-Pilger has to play loose Friday night.

The Gators have to play well if they want to win. Wisner-Pilger can't play like they did against Ponca and expect to win. It simply won't happen.

I think the Gators have a shot at the upset, but I could also see Wisner-Pilger getting blown out. It just depends on which team shows up Friday night.

Oakland-Craig spanks Homer

A week off didn't phase the Oakland-Craig Knights as they won 68-0 at home over Homer Friday night.

Oakland-Craig led 19-0 at the end of the first quarter and scored 41 second quarter points to go up 60-0 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 8-0 to make up the final score as neither team scored in the final 12 minutes.

Hos Smith rushed the ball 4 times for 138 yards, and scored twice. Cole Mitchell had one carry for 54 yards, which was good enough for a touchdown.

Mitchell was 8-11 passing for 214 yards and four touchdowns. Cody Mace hauled in 5 passes for 122 yards and scored three times. Garrett Seagren caught the other touchdown pass for 55 yards.

Ben Smith finished with 18 tackles, including 11 solo.

Oakland-Craig racked up 520 yards of offense, including 287 on the ground.

The defense gave up 126 yards of offense, including 83 rushing.

It was a monster performance from Oakland-Craig. They were in top, championship form Friday night.

The Knights (7-1) close out the regular season Friday night at home against Wisner-Pilger (3-5).

The Gators won 60-0 at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge last time out.

Wisner-Pilger can be a dangerous team, and is better than their record indicates, in my opinion, but the Gators have been inconsistent.

Oakland-Craig is battling for playoff positioning, and cannot afford a loss.

The Knights are still probably in the playoffs win or lose, but a loss would no doubt give Oakland-Craig a lower seed.

Oakland-Craig has to try and contain Cooper Vonseggern.

This is a scary game for the Knights if you ask me. Wisner-Pilger has absolutely nothing to lose while Oakland-Craig has a lot to lose if they fall to the Gators.

I think the Knights will win, but I wouldn't be surprised if Wisner-Pilger makes things interesting.

At the same time I could see the Gators getting blown out given the way their season has gone.

A lot of it depends on which Wisner-Pilger team shows up Friday night.

Stanton shuts out Ponca

The Stanton Mustangs won 20-0 at Ponca Friday night.

After neither team scored in the first quarter, Stanton struck in the second quarter to lead 7-0 at halftime.

The Mustangs added 6 points in the third quarter to go up 13-0 at the end of three. Stanton put up another touchdown in the fourth quarter to make up the final score.

Cobin Warnke had 10 carries for 75 yards. Trey Erbst rushed for 74 yards on 16 carries.

Mitchael Sieh was 4-11 passing for 52 yards with two interceptions.

The Mustangs played a good game Friday night. The Indians are a better team than their record indicates.

Stanton finishes the regular season 7-2 due to a forfeit by Laurel-Concord-Coleridge.

It's not the worst thing for rest purposes heading into the playoffs if Stanton makes it in. But if the Mustangs are left out of the playoffs, what an unfortunate way to have to end the season.

We will find out after Friday night's games if Stanton reaches the postseason. Right now they are the 16 seed.

Tekamah-Herman drops home game to Omaha Brownell-Talbot

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers incurred another tough loss Friday night, losing 48-12 at home to Omaha Brownell-Talbot.

Tekamah-Herman competed better against the Raiders than some other teams they've played this season, but it was still a struggle for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman (0-8) is at Logan View (3-5) Friday night.

The Raiders lost 63-7 at David City Aquinas last time out, and have sort of played uninspired football these last two weeks, at least in my opinion.

It's the final game of the regular season, and the Tigers have to go out there and make it happen, and let it rip.

These underclassmen who have been playing due to injuries have now had a full season to gain experience and improve.

Tekamah-Herman should be to the point where they're ready to go out there and make it happen in the final game of the regular season.

Anything can happen with it being the last game of the year, and if the Tigers put things together and Logan View plays uninspired football again, Tekamah-Herman might be able to make things close and possibly win.

I definitely feel this game has the potential to be one of the Tigers' closer games of the season.

I'm not necessarily suggesting a win for Tekamah-Herman, but the Tigers are certainly capable of doing something and making things interesting.

It has been a long, tough season for Tekamah-Herman, but if something positive could happen Friday night, if something could go their way for once, it might be something to take away heading into next season.