Howells-Dodge downs Johnson-Brock in first round of playoffs

Howells-Dodge won their opening round playoff game at home on Thursday over Johnson-Brock, 48-24.

The Jaguars led 14-0 after one and doubled up the Eagles 16-8 in the second quarter to make it a 30-8 game at halftime.

Johnson-Brock blanked Howells-Dodge 8-0 in the third quarter to cut the lead to 14 at 30-16 at the end of three.

The Jaguars outscored the Eagles 18-8 in the fourth quarter to make up the final score.

Jon Yosten finished with 93 yards rushing on 21 carries, and scored once. Jordan Brichacek totaled 92 yards on 22 attempts, and scored twice. Connor Blum amassed 68 yards on the ground on 14 carries, and scored a touchdown.

Dax VanLengen was 6-8 passing for 57 yards.

Tanner Coufal made a team-high 9 tackles.

Howells-Dodge totaled 319 yards of total offense, including 262 rushing.

Johnson-Brock registered 229 yards of offense, including 178 passing.

Head Coach Mike Speirs says his players did a good job containing the Eagles' passing game.

"Yeah the kids played with a lot of effort in that game, and really did a good job of picking up what Johnson-Brock did. I don't know if I've ever been involved in a game like that. In the second half, Johnson-Brock ran 23 plays, and 22 of them were passes."

Howells-Dodge (7-2) makes the trek to Nebraska City on Wednesday to take on the Lourdes Central Catholic Knights (7-2) in the second round of the Class D-1 Playoffs.

The Knights beat Clarkson/Leigh 52-8 at home on Thursday.

Speirs says Lourdes has some good athletes on their team.

"Well they're just a very, very athletic team. The athleticism jumps out at you right away. They won state basketball a year ago. And a lot of the kids that are playing for them now were playing on that basketball team. So the athleticism and the speed that they present is going to be a challenge for us."

I think Lourdes has proven that they are a good team, but so has Howells-Dodge, in my opinion.

I really think the Jaguars have a fairly decent shot to win.

I think Howells-Dodge has gotten the most out of themselves so far this season, and the ride is not over yet.

It would be a big deal for the Jaguars to beat the Knights and be able to host Creighton or Tri-County in the quarterfinals.

I feel like both teams are playing at an elite level right now, and that should make for a really good game.

It's Northeast Nebraska against Southeast Nebraska, and there's a lot on the line in this game.

I think it's important for Howells-Dodge to have multiple players be effective in the ground game again.

I also think VanLengen is going to need to make some plays with his arm and feet.

It really comes down to the battle in the trenches though, in my opinion. I think whoever is more physical and plays a better game up front will win.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on 107.9 the Bull with pregame scheduled to begin at 5:40.

GACC blows out Clearwater/Orchard in first round of playoffs

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays blew out Clearwater/Orchard 60-18 at home in the first round of the Class D-1 State Playoffs Thursday night.

GACC led 30-6 after one and shutout the Cyclones 14-0 in the second quarter to take a 44-6 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays blanked Clearwater/Orchard 8-0 in the third quarter to make it a 52-6 game at the end of three.

The Cyclones won the fourth quarter 12-8.

Jared Minnick had 211 yards rushing on 9 carries, including three touchdowns. Danny Wordekemper scored a 54-yard TD for his only carry of the game.

Nolan Plagge was 4-8 passing for 66 yards.

Michael Baumert made 10 tackles while Mitchell Peatrowsky and Minnick notched 8 and 7, respectively.

GACC racked up 431 yards of total offense, including 365 on the ground.

The defense gave up 261 yards of total offense, 238 coming on the ground.

The Bluejays played a great game and were on top of things Thursday night. I would say this was one of GACC's best games of the season.

The Bluejays (9-0) travel to Lindsay to take on Humphrey/Lindsay/Holy Family (5-4) on Wednesday in the second round of the playoffs.

The Bulldogs downed Pender 42-34 in the first round.

Fans from both sides will no doubt be psyched and jacked for this game, and I suspect there will be a decent crowd on hand.

GACC has to play their game and do what they have done all year, which is win.

The Bluejays need to try and slow down Ashton Dohmen and Johnny Babl. Both had over 100 yards rushing against the Pendragons.

GACC has done a good job of stopping the other team's best player this year. The thing the Bluejays are running into now though is both Dohmen and Babl are good back so GACC has to come up with a game plan to slow both down.

If the Bluejays can at least limit one of them it might be enough to win.

I think GACC will find a way to win, but I think the game could be somewhat close.

The Bulldogs haven't beaten anyone with a record above .500, and I don't see the Bluejays being their first victim.

I look for Minnick and Plagge to have good games for GACC.

The Bluejays have to be physical at the line of scrimmage. I feel this game will be won by the running backs and line.

It will be important for both teams to get their pass games going too, but both teams' forte is run the ball, and that's what I expect both teams to do the majority of the time.

If GACC can get this one, they will host in the quarterfinals, which figures to be huge.

Kickoff between the Bluejays and Bulldogs is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

Clarkson/Leigh falls to Nebraska City Lourdes in Playoffs

Clarkson/Leigh team saw their season come to an end Thursday night as the Patriots lost 52-8 at Nebraska City Lourdes in the first round of the playoffs.

Clarkson/Leigh was led by Bradley Bunner, who ran the ball 20 times for 63 yards. Bunner added 130 yards receiving on 6 catches.

Anthony Bruhn went 12-23 passing for 187 yards for the Patriots.



Jacob Gall made 8 tackles for Clarkson/Leigh while Bunner notched 7.

The Patriots amassed 309 yards of total offense, including 187 passing.

The Knights racked up 373 yards of total offense, 201 coming on the ground.

Head Coach Jim Clarkson says his team just couldn't get into the game.

"We had some penalties early, couple turnovers that really hurt our momentum. We thought we moved the ball well, and we did some good things defensively, but we just hurt ourselves, and got ourselves in too big a hole to get out of."

"The kids played hard, the team played hard. And it's unfortunate to go down like this. We were hoping to give a better fight on the scoreboard, but proud of our team, and credit to Lourdes, and good luck to them." Clarkson added.

Clarkson/Leigh ends the year at 3-6.

The Patriots started off the season really well, but had difficulties down the stretch, and I think a lot of that was due to Bunner being banged up.

I honestly thought Clarkson/Leigh would go at least 4-4 and win a first round playoff game, but things just didn't work out that way.

The highlight of the season for the Patriots had to be the season opening win over Pender.

The Patriots lose some talent in Bunner, Blake Paprocki, Luiz Mayorga, Dan Arriaza, and Connor Brandt, and Paxten Indra.

Clarkson/Leigh brings back some talented players though, including Isaak Wiese, Gall, Derek Gurnsey, Hector Mendoza, and Anthony Bruhn.

I think the Patriots have a chance to be solid and make the playoffs again next year. Clarkson/Leigh has room for improvement on defense, and even on offense, in my opinion, but I think the Patriots are capable of making improvements on both sides of the ball.

The returning players and newcomers have to work hard in the offseason and get better from now until August.

Participation in other sports is great, but if a player isn't out for a winter and/or spring sport, they should be working on the game of football when they have time.

I know some of these kids probably work jobs, and that's understandable, but it's not good for the players to just sit around and do nothing.

Being active physically is so important for these players, and they need to do their best to stay in and/or get in better shape in the offseason.

With that said, it's important not to overdue things. Proper rest and hydration and things of that sort is critical to having a healthy body.

Emerson-Hubbard ends year with playoff loss to Humphrey St. Francis

The season came to a close for the Emerson-Hubbard Pirates on Thursday as they lost 56-12 at Humphrey St. Francis in the first round of the playoffs.

I thought Emerson-Hubbard had a chance to be competitive and make things respectable on the scoreboard, but the Pirates just couldn't get it going.

Emerson-Hubbard ends the year at 4-5.

Making the playoffs had to be a good feeling for the Pirates. Sure Emerson-Hubbard would have loved to have won a playoff game or two, but anytime you end your season in the postseason, you're doing something right.

The win over Allen was huge for this team, and their biggest win of year, in my opinion.

The Pirates got blown out in their losses, but Emerson-Hubbard played some pretty good teams.

I think the seniors and other players for that matter can look into the mirror and feel proud of what they accomplished this season.

The Pirates graduate 8 seniors in Luke Stolze, Josh Sebade, Austin Carper, Caleb Gubbels, Nathaniel Parker-Diaz, Keaton Wreidt, and Noah Trenhaile.

I'm sure each and every one of these seniors was a big contributor in more than one way for Emerson-Hubbard.

I would say Sebade, Parker-Diaz, and Trenhaile are the biggest losses although graduating all 8 players is significant.

It's hard saying how good the Pirates are going to be next year, but I would say Emerson-Hubbard has a chance to make the playoffs again next season.

The returning players and newcomers need to work hard in the offseason, and spend a lot of time getting faster, stronger, and better at the game of football.

The more these players participate, the better they will be next season.

Everyone has to want to get better and have another good season in 2017. The more you play and work out and things like that, the better you will be.

It's like anything...the more repetitions you have at something, the better off you are the more successful you are likely to be.

Oakland-Craig routs Fremont Bergan to win District Crown

Oakland-Craig rounded out their regular season Friday night with a 35-6 home win over Fremont Bergan, which gave O-C the district championship.

Evan Reinert was 9-13 passing for 138 yards with two touchdowns while Jerad Mulder went 2-3 for 51 yards.

Garrett Seagren hauled in 4 passes for 89 yards, and scored once.

Hoss Smith carried the ball 20 times for 88 yards, and put up a score.

Josh Dixon made 8 tackles while Smith and Ben Ward recorded 7 apiece.

Oakland-Craig totaled 348 yards of offense, including 189 passing.

Head Coach Joe Anderson says his team was ready for a tough battle.

"We thought it was going to be a good game coming in, and we knew we were going to have to execute very well, and that's one thing we really did early on. I know we had a couple mishandles. I think we turned the ball over on our first drive, but after that the kids really settled in."

8-1 Oakland-Craig plays host to 7-2 Doniphan-Trumbull Friday night in the first round of the Class C-2 Football Playoffs on 107.9 the Bull. 

Anderson says the Cardinals' offense is as good as they come.

"What makes them so tough, and their offense is the best in C-2, I think they average 420 yards a game. And what makes them so tough is they're very very well balanced. They have a running back that's rushed for well over 1,800 yards, which is probably right up there in leading C-2. And then they have a quarterback that's thrown for 1,600 yards, which is probably right up there at the top of C-2." 

It's the 9th straight trip to the postseason for the Knights.

Oakland-Craig's defense has been tough this year, only giving up more than 20 points twice.

Doniphan-Trumbull has given up 20+ points on four separate occasions this season.

It's playoff time, and I look for the Knights to be at their best. The Cardinals have a great offense, but defense wins championships, and you can bet Oakland-Craig will be well prepared for Doniphan-Trumbull.

The Cardinals' defense has been much better since the team's 1-2 start though, and the fact Doniphan-Trumbull has won six in a row makes them a threat to win this game.

With that said, the Knights have won 7 in a row and are seasoned veterans when it comes to winning playoff games.

Oakland-Craig has made great playoff runs the last two years, and it wouldn't surprise me to see the Knights make another run.

The Cardinals are a real salty team, but I think Oakland-Craig will have enough to get the job done.

The winner gets either Battle Creek or Sutton, and that could make for a very interesting quarterfinal matchup for the winner of this game, especially if it is Oakland-Craig vs. Battle Creek.

The Knights have to focus on beating Doniphan-Trumbull first though, then Oakland-Craig can worry about a quarterfinal matchup with either the Braves or Mustangs.

Friday night's game is scheduled to kickoff at 7:00 p.m. in Oakland with pregame starting at 6:40 on the Bull.

Clarkson/Leigh falls to Howells-Dodge in regular season finale

The Clarkson/Leigh Patriots fell 58-34 at Howells-Dodge Friday night to end the regular season.

The Jaguars doubled up the Patriots 12-6 in the first quarter, and won the second quarter 22-20 to go up 34-26 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge blanked Clarkson/Leigh 12-0 in the third quarter to lead 46-26 at the end of three.

The Jaguars outscored the Patriots 12-8 in the fourth quarter.

Here is the scoring summary:

First Quarter

Howells-Dodge 7:55    #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 23 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 04:40    #32 Jacob Gall runs for 3 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #55 Anthony Bruhn to Team no good)

Howells-Dodge 03:45    #4 Dax VanLengen pass complete to #37 Zach Bayer for 65 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #4 Dax VanLengen no good)

Second Quarter

Howells-Dodge 09:58    #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)   

Clarkson-Leigh High School 09:45    Kickoff by #43 Brett Fiala to the 21 yard line. #42 Hector Mendoza return for 79 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #55 Anthony Bruhn to Team no good)   

Howells-Dodge 06:02    #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 5 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to #37 Zach Bayer good)
   
Clarkson-Leigh High School 02:03    #32 Jacob Gall runs for 6 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #9 Bradley Bunner good)
   
Howells-Dodge 01:50    Kickoff by #6 Blake Paprocki to the 26 yard line. #23 Jordon Brichacek return for 74 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to #22 Jon Yosten good)
   
Clarkson-Leigh High School 00:29    #55 Anthony Bruhn pass complete to #9 Bradley Bunner for 15 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #55 Anthony Bruhn no good)
Third Quarter

Howells-Dodge    06:31    #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 2 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)
   
Howells-Dodge    02:25    #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)

Fourth Quarter

Howells-Dodge    11:32    #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 5 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)

Howells-Dodge    08:16    #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #5 Connor Blum no good)
   
Clarkson-Leigh High School    02:57    #23 Isaak Wiese runs for 54 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #24 Derek Gurnsey good)

Head Coach Jim Clarkson says defense hurt his team.

"We haven't been as sound on defense as we'd like so we had a hard time getting them off the field. But we made them drive the ball down the field, but unfortunately we couldn't quite keep up with them scoring wise and weren't able to get off the field. So they ended up getting us in the second half, but I really liked the way our boys came out and played hard."

3-5 Clarkson/Leigh travels to Nebraska City on Thursday to take on 6-2 Nebraska City Lourdes in the first round of the playoffs.

Clarkson says defense is the key to winning the game.

"It's going to come down to our defense a little bit. We need to make sure we get some stops and get them off the field a little bit. So if we can do that, they have a pretty diverse offense, it's a lot different than probably what we've seen most of the year up in Northeast Nebraska. So hopefully if we're able to get some stops and do some things well on defense, hopefully our offense can get rolling, and hopefully (Bradley) Bunner can be healthy enough to give us a chance to score some points and give us a chance in the game."

The Patriots are making their 5th straight trip to the playoffs.

Bunner has been banged up with a hamstring injury and things of that sort so it will be interesting to see how effective he is against the Knights.

Like Clarkson said though, the defense is going to have to step up.

If they can, I think Clarkson/Leigh has a chance to spring the upset, but if the defense gives up big chunk plays and allows Nebraska City Lourdes to score quite a few points, it might be doom for the Patriots.

If Bunner was fully healthy I would say the Patriots could outscore the Knights, but right now I don't know if that's a real possibility.

Regardless of if Clarkson/Leigh wins or loses though I fully expect the Patriots to give it their all for four quarters.

Not every team makes the playoffs so this is a pretty big deal for Clarkson/Leigh.

The Patriots have been a mainstay in the playoffs the past five seasons and should be proud of the fact they're in the playoffs again.

Kickoff between the Patriots and Knights is set for 5:30 p.m. with pregame starting at 5:10 on 107.9 the Bull.

Stanton upsets Battle Creek to extend season

The Stanton Mustangs earned a playoff berth with a 13-7 home upset of Battle Creek Thursday night.

After neither team scored in the third quarter, both teams traded touchdowns in the second quarter, and the game was tied at 7 at halftime.

The Mustangs added 6 third quarter points to lead 13-7 at the end of three. That was the final score as neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

Hunter Stallbaum was 7-14 passing for 208 yards with two touchdowns.

Myles Nickolite hauled in 5 passes for 144 yards.

Mason King racked up a game-high 21 tackles while Henry Bohac registered 16. Dylan Hunt added 14 while Nickolite Gauge Erickson, and Beau Wilke totaled 13, 11, and 10, respectively. Trey Erbst and Gannon Tighe notched 9 apiece while Nathan Arens and Stallbaum recorded 8 and 7, respectively.

Stanton registered 298 yards of total offense, including 208 passing.

The defense gave up 255 yards of offense, including 202 rushing.

Head Coach David Stoddard says his team played a great game.

"Our kids made plays on offense and played bend, but not break on defense. Battle Creek is a great team, they do so many things well. We were able to get timely stops. We knew that we were going to have to be great at all levels and that the secondary was going to have to come up and make some tackles. We have a group of kids that played every play and they finished the game."

The Mustangs (6-3) take on Wilber-Clatonia (9-0) in the first round of the playoffs in Wilber Friday night.

The Wolverines won 56-0 at Freeman this past Friday night to end the regular season.

Wilber-Clatonia made the semifinals in C-1 last year before losing to eventual state champion Columbus Scotus.

Stoddard says his team will need to play well throughout on both sides of the ball to have a chance.

"Wilber-Clatonia has the ability to run the football in many different ways. It will be much like every week. Our defensive line will have to use their hands and feet and get off blocks, the linebackers must continue to fit off lineman and kickout blocks with precision, and the secondary will have to fill to their keys and also get to their drops. Offensively, the gameplan is always determined by what the defense shows. We will once again need to play 4 quarters of great football."

As great as the win over Battle Creek was, beating the Wolverines might be even tougher.

Stoddard says his team is definitely battle tested.

"The team has been confident in their abilities throughout the year. They learned the hard way on occasion that you have to finish the game each week to ensure a victory. It's through trials that the grew and matured to earn a spot in the playoffs."

Wilber-Clatonia QB Tanner Sand has 515 yards passing and 428 yards rushing on the season for the Wolverines while Coltin Rezabek is the team's leading rusher with 650 yards on the year.

This is going to be a tough game for Stanton without a doubt.

With that said, it's the playoffs, and anything can happen.

Stoddard says it's nice to be back in the playoffs after getting left out last year.

"Our kids are very excited that they earned a spot in the playoffs. The road to the playoffs was very difficult this season. We knew that we had to prepare each week to the fullest to have a chance to win each game. "

I think being battle tested gives the Mustangs a shot at the upset.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

Pender loses final regular season game to GACC

The Pender Pendragons dropped their final regular season game Friday night, falling 48-26 at Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

QB Dylan Roth was 12-25 passing for 251 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

Jared Tyrell hauled in 5 passes for 114 yards, and two touchdowns.

James Bensen added 67 yards receiving on 4 catches.

Jaydon Jump had a game-high 15 tackles for Pender while Jesse Thompson made 13. Leland Bowder recorded 9 while Bensen notched 7.

The Pendragons amassed 299 yards of total offense, including 251 through the air.

The defense gave up 407 yards of total offense, 204 of the yards passing.

Pender struggled in another big game, but the good news is the Pendragons are hosting a first round playoff game.

Pender (4-4) hosts Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (4-4) Thursday night.

The Bulldogs lost 55-16 at home to Neligh-Oakdale Friday night.

The Pendragons lost to the Warriors 59-8.

Based on that score and how both teams did against Clarkson/Leigh, one would think Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family would win, but it's the playoffs, the game is in Pender, and anything can happen.

It's a whole new season, and it's do or die from here on out.

Roth needs to have a good game running and passing the ball, and Bensen needs to get things going in the run game as well.

The Pendragons also have to try and slow down Ashton Dohmen and Johnny Babl.

Dohmen has 469 yards passing and 474 yards rushing on the season while Babl has 594 yards rushing.

These two players must be the focus point for Pender defensively.

Defense is going to make or break the Pendragons, in my opinion.

Pender has given up 48+ points in their four losses and has allowed 24 points or less in their four wins.

I think the Pendragons are capable of outscoring the Bulldogs and winning a shootout type game, but I'm not so sure that's the type of game Pender wants.

One way or another this is the Pendragons' chance. A shot to knock off Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family and have a rematch with GACC potentially.

Pender has to play a good game. Hopefully the Pendragons have saved their best for last because Pender is going to need to play their best game to knock off the Bulldogs, in my opinion.

Kickoff is slated for 7:00 p.m. in Pender.

GACC defeats Pender for District Title

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays defeated Pender 48-26 at home Friday night to end the regular season and win the District Title.

Nolan Plagge was 9-17 passing for 204 yards with two touchdowns. Cole Kreikemeier brought in 5 passes for 146 yards, and scored once.  Andrew Guenther had 3 catches for 58 yards and a score.

Jared Minnick notched 117 yards rushing on 23 carries, and scored twice. Plagge ran the ball 16 times for 67 yards, and posted two touchdowns.

Kreikemeier made 14 tackles while Guenther totaled 13. Connor Klitz added 11 while Plagge and Gage Herbert registered 9 and 8, respectively. Casey Doernemann and Damien Birchem made 7 each.

GACC racked up 407 yards of total offense, including 204 passing.

The defense gave up 299 yards of total offense, 251 coming through the air.

The Bluejays played a great game defensively, not allowing the Pendragons to get their run game going.

GACC (8-0) hosts Clearwater/Orchard (2-6) Thursday night in the first round of the playoffs.

The Cyclones lost 52-28 at home to CWCE this past Thursday night.

I think this game has a chance to be closer than a typical 1 and 16 matchup normally is, but I look for the Bluejays to win.

GACC has to key on QB Blake Hoke, who has 713 yards passing and 9 TD passes on the season so far.

The team's leading rusher is Creston Bertschinger, who has 346 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.

The Bluejays have done a good job of taking teams' best players away, and forcing other players to beat them.

And so far, no team has beaten GACC.

The Bluejays made someone else besides Bradley Bunner do something against them in the Clarkson/Leigh game, and put a lot of pressure on Pender's Dylan Roth by stopping James Bensen.

GACC has to make someone else besides Hoke beat them on Thursday. That is the recipe for success for the Bluejays, in my opinion.

GACC has to start fast and never look back. The Bluejays can't let Clearwater/Orchard hang around and believe they have a chance to win.

The Cyclones are definitely battle tested though so it will be interesting to see if GACC can put them away early.

The winner gets either Pender or Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, and I think the Bluejays have to like their chances of beating either one of those teams in the second round.

GACC can't get too ahead of themselves though and must take care of business against Clearwater/Orchard Thursday night.

Plagge has to have the same type of game he had against Pender. If he can do that the Bluejays should be in good shape.

Howells-Dodge knocks off Clarkson/Leigh in regular season finale

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars capped off a 6-2 regular season with a 58-34 win at home over Clarkson/Leigh Friday night.

The Jaguars doubled up the Patriots 12-6 in the first quarter, and won the second quarter 22-20 to go up 34-26 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge blanked Clarkson/Leigh 12-0 in the third quarter to lead 46-26 at the end of three.

The Jaguars outscored the Patriots 12-8 in the fourth quarter.

Dax VanLengen was 6-7 passing for 159 yards with a touchdown.

Zach Bayer caught a 65-yard touchdown pass.

Jordan Brichacek had 171 yards rushing on 31 carries, including four touchdowns.

Tanner Coufal had 10 tackles while Kade Hegemann totaled 8. Brichacek and Ryan Macholan totaled 7 apiece.

Here is the scoring summary for the game:

First Quarter

Howells-Dodge 7:55 #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 23 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 04:40 #32 Jacob Gall runs for 3 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #55 Anthony Bruhn to Team no good)

Howells-Dodge 03:45 #4 Dax VanLengen pass complete to #37 Zach Bayer for 65 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #4 Dax VanLengen no good)

Second Quarter

Howells-Dodge 09:58 #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 09:45 Kickoff by #43 Brett Fiala to the 21 yard line. #42 Hector Mendoza return for 79 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #55 Anthony Bruhn to Team no good)

Howells-Dodge 06:02 #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 5 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to #37 Zach Bayer good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 02:03 #32 Jacob Gall runs for 6 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #9 Bradley Bunner good)

Howells-Dodge 01:50 Kickoff by #6 Blake Paprocki to the 26 yard line. #23 Jordon Brichacek return for 74 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to #22 Jon Yosten good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 00:29 #55 Anthony Bruhn pass complete to #9 Bradley Bunner for 15 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #55 Anthony Bruhn no good)
Third Quarter

Howells-Dodge 06:31 #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 2 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)

Howells-Dodge 02:25 #4 Dax VanLengen runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion pass by #4 Dax VanLengen to Team no good)

Fourth Quarter

Howells-Dodge 11:32 #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 5 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #23 Jordon Brichacek no good)

Howells-Dodge 08:16 #23 Jordon Brichacek runs for 1 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #5 Connor Blum no good)

Clarkson-Leigh High School 02:57 #23 Isaak Wiese runs for 54 yards. Touchdown! (Two point conversion run by #24 Derek Gurnsey good)

Head Coach Mike Speirs says his team played better in the second half than the first half.

"We were able to make some adjustments on defense that put us in better positions to make plays. I felt like a little bit of the 2nd half was we were able to wear them down some also."

Speirs adds a 6-2 regular season is a credit to the players.

"I think it says a lot about our kids. They started out 2-2 and had lost 2 games to good teams, but they never doubted themselves. Our kids do a great job of preparing for each opponent and this is just the pay off for all that work."

Howells-Dodge hosts Johnson-Brock (5-3) in the opening round of the playoffs Thursday evening.

The Jaguars and Eagles have one common opponent in East Butler, who Howells-Dodge beat 18-6, and Johnson-Brock lost to 50-40.

The Eagles appear to be more of a passing team than a running team as QB Cole Fossenbarger has 922 yards passing and 12 TD passes on the season.

Devon Clark is the team's leading rusher with 458 yards on the ground and 7 TD's.

Speirs says the Eagles are tough.

"They are a very athletic team and they run a lot of formations."

Speirs says his team can get the job done if they play a good game.

"I think we have a good chance to be successful if our kids continue to prepare as they have been. Johnson-Brock will present some unique challenges to our defense so our level of success is dependent on our kids understanding what they need to do and where they need to be. We have to establish something offensively to help us out on defense also."

I think it's going to be important for Howells-Dodge to be able to both run and pass the ball.

Johnson-Brock will no doubt test the Jaguars' defense so the offense has to keep making plays.

Howells-Dodge has to try and keep everything in front of them on defense and not give up the big play.

The Jaguars must also get after Fossenbarger with the blitz and things of that sort.

The Eagles are a quality team, and Howells-Dodge has to be ready to play.

With that said, Johnson-Brock didn't beat a team with a record above .500 in the regular season, and I don't see the Eagles picking up their first win over a team above .500 in the playoffs.

I look for the Jaguars to win and advance to the second round.

Kickoff is set for 5:00 p.m. in Howells.

Emerson-Hubbard drops regular season finale to Randolph

The Emerson-Hubbard Pirates lost 68-28 at home to Randolph Friday night to end the regular season.

I thought the game would be closer than it was, but perhaps Emerson-Hubbard is just happy to be in the playoffs.

The Pirates (4-4) take on defending Class D-2 State Champion Humphrey St. Francis (7-1) in the first round of the State Playoffs on Thursday in Humphrey.

The two teams met on September 16th with the Flyers winning 56-6 at home.

I don't know what Emerson-Hubbard can do differently this time around, but I think the game has the potential to be closer than the first matchup was.

It's the playoffs, and anything can happen. The Pirates need to feel optimistic about their chances because they can beat Humphrey St. Francis.

Any sort of upset is possible in the playoffs, and major upsets can never be ruled out.

Emerson-Hubbard has to get out to an early lead, and stay with the Flyers the whole game.

If the Pirates can hold a lead and/or remain within striking distance until the fourth quarter, Emerson-Hubbard may have a chance to pull the game out.

The season is on the line for the Pirates, and their play has to reflect that.

The winner gets Wynot or Fullerton so Emerson-Hubbard could potentially have a home game in the second round if they find a way to upset Humphrey St. Francis.

I know upsetting the Flyers and doing something in the next round may seem like a long shot for the Pirates, but Emerson-Hubbard has to play with the attitude that they can win.

If the Pirates don't expect to win then they won't.

Emerson-Hubbard has to be tough mentally and physically. The Pirates have to fire off the ball, and tackle well.

Emerson-Hubbard also has to limit penalties and turnovers, and create some turnovers themselves.

I don't think there's any doubt the Pirates are going to need to catch some breaks in this game if they are to win.

Emerson-Hubbard is definitely capable of getting the job done, but the Pirates may need to return a punt or kickoff for a touchdown to be in this game.

All facets of the game...offense, defense, and special teams....are important.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. in Humphrey.

Scribner-Snyder drops final game to Cedar Bluffs

The Scribner-Snyder Trojans lost 52-44 at Cedar Bluffs Friday night to end the regular season.

I thought Scribner-Snyder had a good chance to come away with a victory Friday night, but it just didn't happen and wasn't meant to be.

The Trojans end the year at 1-7.

It was a tough season for Scribner-Snyder, but I think the Trojans got better as the year went along.

The highlight of the year had to be the win over Winside.

Scribner-Snyder says goodbye to four seniors in Brandon Noel, Alex Nuno, Gunner Palmer, and Riley Meyer.

All four players were very valuable to this team, and will be missed without a doubt.

Scribner-Snyder appears to return some pretty good players next year though.

Back is Quarterback Jadyn Smeal, Sebastian Arnold, Josh McMillen, Teague Stewart, Hunter Adams, Harrison Riggle, Victor Zamora, and others.

Numbers and depth appeared to be an issue for the Trojans this year so it will be interesting to see if that is an issue next year as well.

I think Scribner-Snyder is capable of having a better season next year, and getting back to the playoffs, but the Trojans have a lot of work to do in the offseason.

Players need to devote proper time to weightlifting, camps, and staying active by playing other sports.

The more these kids are involved and participate in, the better off they will be for the 2017 season.

I don't know all who Scribner-Snyder has coning up from the Junior High ranks, but hopefully there will be some newcomers who can step in and have an immediate impact for this team next season.

All the returning players and newcomers will be a year older than they are now, and should all be better players than they were this year.

Everyone needs to work on becoming faster, stronger, and better football players in the offseason though.

There's still basketball, wrestling, and other sports to be played this year, but once that's all over, the mindset has to be improving and growing as football players.

The Trojans have to workout and play with enthusiasm in the offseason and next fall. The team has to generate it's own excitement and motivation if they want to be a better team in 2017.

Wisner-Pilger tops Tekamah-Herman in final game

The Wisner-Pilger Gators blew out Tekamah-Herman at home Friday night, winning 72-26.

The Gators led 22-0 at the end of one and outscored the Tigers 26-8 in the second quarter to take a 48-8 lead into the locker room.

Wisner-Pilger won the third quarter 18-12 to go up 66-20 after three.

Both teams scored 6 points in the fourth quarter.

Cooper VonSeggern was 16-19 passing for 222 yards with three touchdowns.

Korrell Koehlmoos caught 6 balls for 123 yards, and scored twice. Hunter Waterman had 2 catches for 53 yards and a score.

VonSeggern added 225 yards rushing on 18 carries, including two scores. Cobe Porter had 145 yards rushing on 14 carries, including two scores.

The Gators racked up a school and 11-man state record 777 yards of total offense, including 531 on the ground.

That broke the school record of 590 set in 2011.

Wisner-Pilger also broke Omaha South's 11 man all-class record of 760 yards set in 1991.

In addition, it's the 18th highest total offensive output of all-time nationally, and the 2nd highest total offensive output nationally this season.

WOW. Simply put that's amazing.

Head Coach Brent Bauer says the win was a nice way to end the season after all the tough things the Gators had to go through this year.

"It was nice to see our team finally be able to put it all together. After all of our injuries and adversity this season our kids were ready to go play. I saw us starting to practice better during the Logan View week and knew we were starting to hit our stride. We have had so many players playing in positions that they hadn't practiced or rep'd in so many games that it was difficult for us to get into any rhythm on offense. It was also difficult for each player to really learn their defensive assignments when one week your a D end and the next week your an inside LB and so on. Getting a win to end the season felt great. Hopefully we have some great energy - attitude- effort going into our winter & spring sports and our summer workouts."

Bauer says it's a great feeling to set a record for once.

"It's fun. To know we broke a state record for total offense that was set in 1991 is something special.  As I look through the state records you'll find more than 1 record set AGAINST Wisner-Pilger. Especially in 1977 when Pierce set the Class B total offense record against Wisner-Pilger. It's neat to know that in 11 man football no one has gained more yards than we did in the history of Nebraska High School Football. However, it also shows you what we were capable of the entire season. We are really looking forward to playing with a HEALTHY team this summer!"

Wisner-Pilger finishes the 2016 campaign with a 1-8 record.

Bauer says there are a number of seniors he will always remember.

"I'll never forget guys like Nathan Hatterman who was the definition of a coachable player. Came to us as a freshman with very little athletic ability. Developed a love and passion for football that was second to none! He leaves here with a lot of college interest and is a player I will point to for future classes to see as an example of doing everything right. Cooper Von Seggern was a great leader as well. Very vocal and did all he could to get our team to practice and play the right away. Cooper was told twice this season that he was going to be out for the season. Going into our Crofton game with a thumb injury and then going into our Oakland Craig game with a stress fracture in his foot. He kept going and finished the season with all heart! I'll also always appreciate the toughness of Cobe Porter who put off shoulder surgery to finish his senior season. He was told during the week of our Hartington Cedar Catholic game that he would have to sit the rest of the season. Love and passion for the game kept him with us and he finished the season very well. We had 13 seniors out for football, but only had 4 that were 4 year players on our roster. Gage Riecken and Travis Keyes both transferred here as sophomores. They also added a lot of passion and pride to our team. I felt our seniors did the best they could and really exemplified what it takes to play football."

Other seniors include Brody Mattson, Kaden Henry, Jake Denton, Ryan McBride, Alexander Ausdemore, Braydon Kalkowski, and Devin Rasmussen.

Key returners for the Gators include Koehlmoos, Keegan Ruskamp, Waterman, Caden Schweers, Jayden Raabe, and Levi Otten.

Bauer says kids need to be more involved if this team is going to have the type of season they hope to next year.

"We MUST have better multi-sport participation. That is number 1. We need kids out for basketball or wrestling, track, and baseball. Our multi-sport athlete numbers are pretty low in regards to the successful schools in our conference. We also need to get our summer lifting / camp numbers back up to where they were 2 years ago. We had averaged 97% attendance rates for football players in our Summer Gator Power program. This past summer was the lowest attendance percentage we have had in my 9 years here at Wisner-Pilger (Under 70%). Our camp attendance was low as well.  We also must get healthy and take better care of our bodies. So many of our injuries came from previous seasons or other sport injuries in which the kids didn't get the injuries addressed when they should have. That caused many of our early season injuries.  And last but defiantly not least, we need to practice with better energy - attitude and effort. This was a big issue for this team. Regardless of your team situation if you practice great you'll play great."

I think that simply says it all in terms of what the players must do better to have success next season.

Logan View wins regular season finale over BRLD

The Logan View Raiders knocked off BRLD 49-48 in overtime on the road Friday night.

The Raiders led 7-6 at the end of one. Logan View won the second quarter 12-8 to take a 19-14 lead into the locker room.

Both teams scored 7 third quarter points. The Wolverines outscored the Raiders 21-16 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Logan View put up a touchdown in the extra frame and stopped BRLD on a two-point conversion to win the game in thrilling fashion.

Jacob Polk was 14-18 passing for 176 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Brady Hull caught 7 passes for 103 yards, and scored once.

Polk added 103 yards rushing on 23 carries, and scored four touchdowns. Grant Meyer notched 87 yards on the ground on 5 carries, and punched the ball in the end zone once.

Meyer made 9 tackles while Hull, Polk, and Armando Valencia registered 8 each. Brett Hull, Connor Miller, and Nolan Miller recorded 7 apiece.

The Raiders had 433 yards of total offense, including 257 on the ground.

The defense gave up 500 yards of total offense, 320 coming through the air.

Head Coach Dustin Sealey says getting this game was huge for the seniors.

"We always want to win the game. The importance of the win was for our seniors. I am glad that they were able to end their football careers winning."

Sealey adds stopping the Wolverines on the two-point conversion was huge for the team.

"It was definitely a thrill. It was a a thrill we could have lived without. However, our team was resilient and fought the entire game. Everyone was proud to be a Raider. Again, we always want to win on Friday night. This was another step in the right direction for our football program."

Logan View finishes the 2016 campaign with a 4-5 record.

Under the old format, the Raiders would have made the playoffs, but the new format didn't allow for that.

Logan View still had a good season though, and I definitely think this team and program is headed in the right direction.

The Raiders handled a Palmyra team that ended up 5-4, but I thought the biggest win of the season by far was the victory over BRLD.

Logan View had some tough non-district losses, but I felt the Raiders were at their best during district play.

Polk finished with 646 yards passing and 508 rushing. Brady Hull added 478 yards rushing.

Brady Hull led the way in tackles this year with 66 while Nathan Taylor notched 64. Brett Hull posted 56 while Valencia and Nolan Miller had 50 apiece.

Sealey says this year's senior class was really good to work with.

"I really enjoyed the seniors. I know it is not ideal for a new coach to come your senior year. I could not of asked for a better group. They worked hard and really helped their team and teammates move in the right direction. I really like the people on our team this year. A great bunch of guys that worked hard and had fun. I think we learned what level we have to prepare, practice, and play at to be competing in November."

Logan View loses Andrew Poppe, Valencia, Brett Hull, Max Christensen, Meyer, Tyler Mulliken, Layne Goreham, and Connor Miller.

These 8 seniors meant a lot to the success of this year's team and past teams without a doubt.

Sealey says he and his team know what they need to do to keep building this program.

"We will have a good group coming back. We had a relatively small senior class (as far as numbers). Next year, we need to get better in all phases of our program, and we will. Our guys are willing to do it what it takes. Our off-season needs to be consistent. We need to get good and being good. And this starts in the weight room, in the classroom, in winter/spring sports, and the summer."

Key returners in 2017 for the Raiders will be Polk, Nathan Wacker, Nolan Miller, Taylor, and others.

I think the future of this program is bright as long as the kids continue to work hard and buy into what Sealey is trying to teach them.

It was a solid first season for Logan View with Sealey as their Head Coach, and I look for things to only be better in the future.

Winnebago defeats Homer in final game

The Winnebago Indians knocked off Homer 42-12 on the road Friday night to end the regular season.

Winnebago led 22-6 after one. The Indians blanked the Knights 6-0 in the second quarter to go up 28-6 at halftime.

Winnebago outscored Homer 14-6 in the third quarter to make up the final score. Neither team scored in the fourth quarter.

The Indians gave up 244 yards of offense, including 141 rushing.

Winnebago ended the season on a high note. This was definitely the way for the Indians to go out.

Winnebago ends the season at 3-5.

That record may not seem like it's that great, but given where this program has been in the past, I think it's respectable.

The Indians didn't really have any signature wins, but I think you could say Winnebago competed hard in all of their games, and had a good offense this year.

The Indians graduate a number of players, including Cedrick Blackdeer, Drake Gorrin, Josh Miles, Tristen Larush, Miguel Baker, Sage Primeaux, Jaylen Harden, Angelo Suarez, and Nick Saunsoci.

All these players will definitely missed and have meant a lot to Winnebago Football over the years I'm sure.

The Indians are set to return some talent next year in T.J. Frenchman, Tyrese Gorrin, Nicholas Painter, Gavin Farmer, Ezekiel Walker, Evander Bass, and others.

I look for Winnebago to have a season in 2017 at least as good as this year if not better.

The Indians are losing some key contributors, but returning some solid players as well.

The biggest thing Winnebago needs to do is get better on defense.

The Indians gave up too many points and yards this season.

With that said, Winnebago is definitely capable of making improvements on that side of the ball.

If the Indians can become a stronger defensive team, they might be able to become a power in time.

It's probably not going to happen right away or overnight, but if Winnebago can keep making strides as a program, perhaps they can get to the point where they feel they can be competitive in C-1 or whatever class they would be if they didn't opt down to D-1.

There's a long way for this program to go yet, but improvements are being made, and future success is definitely possible for these kids.

I know basketball is huge in Winnebago, but if the Indians can find some time to devote to football, they will be better off for it.

Tekamah-Herman drops final regular season game to Wisner-Pilger

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers saw their season come to an end Friday night as they lost 72-26 at Wisner-Pilger.

The Gators led 22-0 at the end of one and outscored the Tigers 26-8 in the second quarter to take a 48-8 lead into the locker room.

Wisner-Pilger won the third quarter 18-12 to go up 66-20 after three.

Both teams scored 6 points in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers gave up 777 yards of total offense, a school record for the Gators, and unofficially a state record for 11-man. Tekamah-Herman also surrendered 531 yards of total offense.

It was another difficult season for the Tigers that started out with so much promise, but didn't end the  way Tekamah-Herman would have liked.

That season opening win over Omaha Brownell-Talbot seems like a distant memory at this point, at least to me.

The Tigers wrap up the 2016 campaign with a 1-8 record.

Tekamah-Herman had a tough time competing in all of their losses this year.

This year was still better than last year though so that has to be encouraging for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman graduates Cody Hopkins, Dustin Pickell, Drew Schmidt, Dillan Beaumont, Luke Green, Ben Metzler, Trenton Elliot, Colton Morrow-Merrill, Mitchell Moniff, Cory Leonard, Sarah Stang, and Brayden Drummond.

The Tigers certainly lose some valuable members of this year's team, including Hopkins, but it will be time for others to step up once next season rolls around.

Tekamah-Herman brings back Jayden Kellogg, Luke Wakehouse, Matt Hawkins, Clay Beaumont, Max Hansen, Sage Penny, Luke Rogers, Cody Arnold, Gage Drummond, and Mack Braniff, among others.

So a lot of talent returns for the Tigers, but Tekamah-Herman needs to have a good offseason.

It's important for the Tigers to perform well in the weightroom and on the field during camps and things of that sort.

These players have to spend the proper amount of time honing their skills and game if they want to have a better season next year.

Tekamah-Herman has to enhance every aspect of their games in the offseason, and come back strong in 2017.

Next year will be a new year, and I look for the Tigers to be even better next year than they were this year.

Tekamah-Herman really needs to get after things in the offseason though. The way the Tigers ended this year definitely has to leave a sour taste in their mouths.

I look for Tekamah-Herman to use this year's struggles as motivation in the offseason and turn them into success next season and beyond.

BRLD loses final game to Logan View

The Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur Wolverines came up a little short Friday night, falling 49-48 in overtime at home to Logan View in the season finale.

The Raiders led 7-6 at the end of one. Logan View won the second quarter 12-8 to take a 19-14 lead into the locker room.

Both teams scored 7 third quarter points. The Wolverines outscored the Raiders 21-16 in the fourth quarter to force overtime.

Logan View put up a touchdown in the extra frame and stopped BRLD on a two-point conversion to win the game in thrilling fashion.

Montana Riecken was 18-25 passing for 320 yards with 4 touchdowns.

Jon Christiansen had 9 receptions for 211 yards and two scores. Tyler Kroger had 62 yards receiving on 3 receptions, including a score.

Riecken added 103 yards rushing on 20 carries, and scored twice. Jacob Zuhlke ran the ball 22 times for 77 yards, and scored once.

Riecken notched 14 tackles while Christiansen and Bren Shatto totaled 10 apiece. Kroger added 9 while Zuhlke registered 7.

The Wolverines amassed 500 yards of total offense, including 320 passing.

The defense gave up 433 yards of total offense, 257 coming on the ground.

Offense wasn't the issue for BRLD, it was more the defense that let the Wolverines down than anything.

BRLD concludes the year at 3-6.

The Wolverines had some nice wins over Omaha Brownell-Talbot, Tekamah-Herman, and Wisner-Pilger.

I wouldn't say any of BRLD's wins really stood out, but the Wolverines competed with and lost to a number of good teams.

I think BRLD did alright for it being their first year as an 11-man team. I think the Wolverines will only be better in the future.

Riecken finished with 1,354 yards passing with 18 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

He added 1,002 yards rushing on 136 carries, and scored 12 touchdowns.

That's quite the season to pass and run for over 1,000 yards, and account for 30 touchdowns running and passing. Zuhlke added 802 yards rushing.

Receiving wise, Christiansen was the leader with 539 yards and 9 touchdowns.

Riecken was also the leading tackler with 73 on the season. Shatto had 62 while Christiansen made 57.

BRLD loses Riecken, Jacob Whitaker, Tanner Bonneau, Christiansen, Benny Estrada, Tyler Hardeman, Shatto, Jacob Cole, Joey O'Connor, and Cole Christoffersen.

The Wolverines certainly graduate a lot of talent, but some talent returns for BRLD as well.

The Wolverines bring back Zuhlke, Trent Gatewood, Kenyan Lovejoy, Will Gatzemeyer, Tyler Kroger, and others.

It appears BRLD will have a nice mix of older and younger players in 2017, and I expect the Wolverines to be competitive once again next year.

BRLD needs some players to step up and fill the shoes of Riecken and Christiansen, among others, but I'm sure the Wolverines will figure things out by the start of next season.

As long as BRLD has a strong offseason the Wolverines should be solid again next year.

North Bend Central wins thriller over David City to end year

North Bend Central won their final game of the 2016 season over David City Friday night, 25-22 at home.

The Tigers enjoyed a 13-7 lead after one. The Scouts blanked North Bend Central 7-0 in the second quarter to take a 14-13 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers shutout David City 6-0 in the third quarter to go up 19-14 after three.

The Scouts won the fourth quarter 8-6 to make up the final score.



Joel Hines carried the ball 15 times for 153 yards for the Tigers while going 4-6 passing for 89 yards. Dawson Poessnecker added 62 yards rushing on 16 carries for North Bend Central.

Poessnecker also made 3 catches for 56 yards.



Shadrick Westerman made a team-high 11 tackles while Brock Ray notched 9. Hines added 8 while Poessnecker made 7.



North Bend Central amassed 315 yards of total offense, 226 coming on the ground.



David City had 293 yards of total offense, including 187 rushing.

Head Coach Ryan Stieren says the win was a good way to finish the year. "It's definitely one of the craziest high school football games that I have been apart of. We just made a couple more plays then they did. Overall, I am pleased with the progress that we made this season and I believe that we can take another step next season."

Stieren says his team got better over the course of the season.

"We really don't talk about wins and losses and stuff like that. We just talk about getting better everyday. And I felt like we did that from beginning to end. Although here at the end I mean we were almost out of players. We've had so many injuries that we were starting to play really young kids that really haven't seen the field this year."

The Tigers end the year at 4-4.

North Bend Central's leaders on the ground this year include Hines and Poessnecker, who had 523 and 389 yards rushing, respectively.

Hines added 588 yards passing on the season.

The leading receiver was Poessnecker, who had 243 yards receiving. Colton Mitties totaled 104 yards receiving himself.



Ray was the team leader in tackles with 68 for the year. Poessnecker added 60 while Westerman made 53.
 


North Bend Central didn't really have any standout wins, but a 4-4 season is definitely respectable.

Stieren adds the future looks bright for the Tigers.

"We got a nice team coming back, but we got a long ways to go. We got to clean up a lot of stuff, but winning this game will hopefully catapult us into the offseason. And I think kids are starting to believe a little bit so this one helps a lot."

North Bend Central loses 8 players to graduation.

They include Poessnecker, Ray. Camden Stephenson, Jayton Frank,  and Trenton Johnston.

These players are big losses, but the Tigers have to be excited by who they bring back.

Hines, Mitties, John Emanuel, Peter Emanuel, Cole Kluthe, Trevor Nelson, Jeremy Doeremann, Cody Pospisil, James Seymour, and other talented players are set to return for North Bend Central next season.

There's certainly a lot for the Tigers to work on in the offseason, but North Bend Central has to be encouraged and feeling good about themselves heading into the offseason given the type of season the Tigers had and who all returns.

North Bend Central needs to have a good offseason in the weightroom and on the field, and if they can do that, more success should come their way in 2017.

The Tigers must learn how to handle winning though. North Bend Central can't get cocky and be complacent and satisfied with what they did this year because that's when you regress.

West Point-Beemer's season ends in loss to Norfolk Catholic

The West Point-Beemer Cadets saw their season come to an end Thursday night as they lost 56-20 at Norfolk Catholic.

It was definitely a disappointing end to what was a respectable season for West Point-Beemer.

The Cadets end the year at 4-5.

West Point-Beemer's two biggest wins of the year came over North Bend Central and Fort Calhoun. Those two wins were program building wins, and wins the Cadets can build off of heading into next season.

I'm sure West Point-Beemer would have liked to have finished the season much stronger though. It appears the Cadets never recovered from their 4th quarter collapse against Wayne.

The end of the this season can serve as a learning point for next season though. If anything I'm sure it leaves West Point-Beemer hungry and wanting more. I look for the Cadets to do better next year because of it.

West Point-Beemer was a really young team this year. The Cadets say goodbye to seniors Jackson Hoffman, Dylan James, Riley Berg, Alex Landholm, Santiago Perez, Sean Siebrandt, and Thomas Eckmann.

These 7 seniors meant a lot to the program, and will be deeply missed.

With that said, the Cadets return a lot of talent next year.

Back will be Ben Vander Griend, Kade Hughes, Blake Anderson, Cole Hughes, Hunter Pilakowski, Chase and Austin Streeter, Gavin Case, and others.

I think the future looks good for West Point-Beemer Football. Going 4-5 with a chance to make the playoffs until the last game of the year is a pretty good accomplishment for a team as young as the Cadets were.

The biggest thing will be replacing Berg at running back, but I'm sure Head Coach Troy Schlueter will have a plan come August.

With the exception of the way the season ended, I thought it was a good year for West Point-Beemer. I think the Cadets won some games they would have lost in the past.

I look for West Point-Beemer to be very competitive again in 2017 and make another push for the playoffs.

North Bend Central falls to Bishop Neumann

The North Bend Central Tigers dropped their 3rd straight game Friday night, falling 56-0 at Bishop Neumann.

The Cavaliers led 14-0 at the end of one. Neumann blanked North Bend Central 28-0 in the second quarter to take a 42-0 lead into the locker room.

The Cavaliers won each the third and fourth quarters 7-0 to make up the final score. It was 49-0 after three in favor of Neumann.

Dawson Poessnecker made 10 tackles for the Tigers.

North Bend Central had just 89 yards of total offense, 56 coming on the ground.

The defense surrendered 409 yards of total offense, including 258 through the air.

Head Coach Ryan Stieren says there were some positives to take away from the loss.

"I feel that we brought some fight, they are just a superior team. We forced them into 8 and 9 play drives, so we did not give up the huge plays. We also had a couple big plays offensively but could not get things going consistently. I believe that Bishop Neumann will be the Class C1 state champion -- I think that they are a complete team. We must continue to improve so that we can have success against David City this Friday."

Stieren says his team has made drastic improvements this season.

"I think we've made good progress. Of course winning some more games on the outside has a look of progress. But I think from a day-to-day standpoint I think we've made a lot of progress. A lot more than even the scoreboard says."

3-4 North Bend Central hosts 1-7 David City Friday night in High School Football Action on 107.9 the Bull.

Stieren says the Scouts have his squad's attention.

"They came to our place last year and beat us. And so they have a couple nice players, and they're going to have a lot of confidence coming in Friday night. And they're going to believe that they can beat us. And if we don't play well they can beat us."

David City picked up their first win of the year over Conestoga last week, winning 40-35.

The Scouts haven't been very competitive in any of their other games this season, although they've played a pretty tough schedule.

Still though the Tigers have won more games this year than David City has.

I like North Bend Central to come away with the win Friday night. I think the Tigers are well suited to finish the season 4-4, which would be very respectable for this program given where it's been.

North Bend Central can't expect things to be a cakewalk against the Scouts though.

David City will no doubt play tough with it being their final game of the season as well.

The Tigers are going to have to earn this win. It's not just going to be handed to them on a silver platter.

North Bend Central can't take the Scouts lightly. The Tigers have to work hard just like they have all season long.

I'm sure the seniors really want this one badly. There's nothing better than beating a team that beat you at your place the year before.

And you can bet these players haven't forgotten about what took place last year. I'm sure North Bend Central will be out for revenge.

I think the Tigers can definitely get revenge if they put their minds to it. I think North Bend Central stands a good chance to win Friday night, but the Tigers have to be focused and ready to play.

North Bend Central has to play a complete four quarter game and put things together one final time.

Kickoff between the Tigers and Scouts is set for 7:00 p.m. in North Bend. Pregame begins at 6:40 on  the Bull.

Oakland-Craig cruises to easy win over Tekamah-Herman

The Oakland-Craig Knights beat Tekamah-Herman 48-0 on the road Friday night.

The Knights led 28-0 after the first quarter and blanked the Tigers 20-0 in the second quarter to lead 48-0 at the break.

Neither team scored in the second half.

Jared Mulder was 8-12 passing for 211 yards with three touchdowns.

Kobe Benne caught 2 touchdown passes for 82 yards. Garrett Seagren hauled in 3 passes for 75 yards, including a score.

Hoss Smith had 152 yards rushing on 12 carries, including three scores.

Oakland-Craig accumulated 429 yards of total offense, including 245 passing.

I thought the Knights played a great game. Mulder and Smith had fantastic games. Oakland-Craig did what they needed to do, which was put away Tekamah-Herman in the first half.

Oakland-Craig (7-1) hosts Fremont Bergan (5-3) Friday night for the District Championship.

Bergan has won four in a row since starting the season 1-3.

This game is for all the marbles. A district championship and a guaranteed berth into the playoffs.

Oakland-Craig is likely in the playoffs win or lose, but Bergan needs to win to get in.

You can bet Bergan will be playing like there's no tomorrow, because if they lose, there's not.

I fully expect Oakland-Craig to get Bergan's best shot.

With that said, I think Oakland-Craig will win.

Oakland-Craig appears to have figured some things out in the passing game with Mulder, and if he starts for Oakland-Craig again, Bergan is going to have their hands full trying to slow him and Smith down.

It's championship football time, and I expect Oakland-Craig to be at their best.

Oakland-Craig is currently sitting 6th in power points, and would no doubt like to improve their playoff seed.

A win would do that, but a loss would definitely make for a more difficult first round playoff matchup.

With all this said, I look for Oakland-Craig to find a way to win.

Oakland-Craig is well coached, and has found ways to win big games time and time again in the past.

That's why I look for Oakland-Craig to answer the bell again and come through in the clutch.

This game will no doubt be a good playoff prep game for Oakland-Craig. OC will see teams just as good if not better than Bergan in the playoffs.

BRLD falls to Fremont Bergan

The Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur Wolverines lost 28-14 at Fremont Bergan Friday night.

Montana Riecken was 5-8 passing for 91 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

Jacob Zuhlke ran the ball 22 times for 86 yards while Riecken carried the ball 11 times for 59 yards, and scored once.

BRLD totaled 236 yards of offense, including 145 on the ground.

I thought the Wolverines might beat the Knights, but BRLD simply didn't have enough to pull out the win.

The Wolverines (3-5) host Logan View (3-5) in the season finale Friday night.

The Raiders are coming off a 33-30 home win over Wisner-Pilger last time out.

I think these two teams are pretty evenly matched.

I think BRLD's been tougher against the good teams on their schedule, and their wins have been more impressive.

This game is tough to call with both teams 3-5, but I give the Wolverines the edge with it being a home game for BRLD.

Riecken and Zuhlke need to have good games running the ball, and Riecken has to be effective with his arm as well.

The Wolverines have to be the more physical team, and take the fight to Logan View.

Both these teams are in transition with it being BRLD's first season as a team and the Raiders' first season with a new coach.

There has been a lot of learning and growing pains by both sides this year, but the winner of this game will no doubt feel a little bit better about things heading into the offseason than the loser will.

This is an important game for building for the future and winning that final game for the seniors.

Both teams have no doubt worked hard this season, and I look for Friday night's game to be good and close.

I do think the Wolverines stand a better chance to win, but Logan View cannot be counted out.

I feel both teams are good and coming along well, and I look for this game to be decided anywhere from 7-14 points.

I think the team that executes the best and makes the fewest mistakes will find themselves on the winning side of things.

Logan View downs Wisner-Pilger

The Logan View Raiders topped Wisner-Pilger 33-20 at home Friday night.

Brady Hull had 93 yards rushing on 20 carries, including three touchdowns. Jacob Polk ran the ball 12 times for 92 yards. Nolan Miller had 76 yards rushing on 13 attempts.

Nathan Taylor made a team-high 16 tackles.

The Raiders racked up 305 yards of total offense, 256 coming on the ground.

I thought Logan View ran the ball very well Friday night. The Gators have had trouble all year stopping the run, and the Raiders took advantage of that.

Logan View (3-5) takes on BRLD (3-5) on the road Friday night.

The Wolverines lost 28-14 at Fremont Bergan Friday night.

The Raiders competed better against Bergan than BRLD did, but the Wolverines played Oakland-Craig tougher so it's hard saying how this game is going to go for sure.

I think the game will be decided by anywhere from 7-14 points.

I think the contest will be close with both teams running the ball well.

There should be a lot of running in this game as both teams can pound the ball and play physical football.

Both teams have the ability to throw too though so don't count out either team's passing game as being a factor in this contest.

It's the last game of the season for both teams so I expect both squads to play their best game of the season.

This game is big for both teams in terms of building for the future and sending their seniors out winners.

Brighter days are ahead for both of these programs, and I think this game could be the start of many heated battles between the two squads in the future.

I look for both teams to get after one another, which should make for a good game.

I think Logan View might have to pull out some trick plays to pick up the win.

BRLD is a tough team, especially at home, and I think it's going to take something extra for the Raiders to win.

Special teams is big too. If Logan View can get a big return or block a kick, it could make a really big difference.

Tekamah-Herman shutout by Oakland-Craig

The Tekamah-Herman Tigers lost 48-0 at home to Oakland-Craig Friday night.

The Knights led 28-0 after the first quarter and blanked the Tigers 20-0 in the second quarter to lead 48-0 at the break.

Neither team scored in the second half.

The defense gave up 429 yards of total offense, including 245 through the air.

It was a really difficult game for Tekamah-Herman. One I'm sure the Tigers felt they should have and would have liked to done better in.

Tekamah-Herman (1-7) travels to Wisner Friday night to battle Wisner-Pilger (0-8).

The Gators lost 33-20 at Logan View this past Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger has had trouble stopping the run all season long so the Tigers should look to pound the rock on the Gators.

Tekamah-Herman's defense has had their own issues too though so this should make for an evenly matched game between two teams really needing a win.

Wisner-Pilger might need this one more than Tekamah-Herman, but the Tigers still have to want this one badly.

It's the final time these players will suit up this season, and for the seniors, it's the final game they will ever play for Tekamah-Herman High School.

The Tigers have to take some pride in that, and show up and play a good game Friday night.

Both teams have to throw everything they've got at one another, and tough, grit, and gut it out the best they can.

With the exception of the Omaha Brownell-Talbot game, it has been a season of frustration for Tekamah-Herman. The same thing could be said for Wisner-Pilger.

That's why I look for both the Tigers and Gators to give it everything they've got, and not hold anything back.

This should be a good battle between Tekamah-Herman and Wisner-Pilger.

I'm sure the Tigers would like to get this one after losing 31-6 to the Gators last year.

I would say Tekamah-Herman is better than they were last year, and Wisner-Pilger isn't as strong as they were last year, so that should make for a pretty even game between the two squads Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger loses to Logan View

The Wisner-Pilger Gators remained winless on the season with a 33-20 loss at Logan View Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger gave up 305 yards of total offense, including 256 on the ground.

Stopping the run has been the achilles' heel of the Gators all season long. Wisner-Pilger has really struggled to stop the run for whatever reason.

The Gators (0-8) host Tekamah-Herman (1-7) Friday night in the regular season finale for both teams.

The Tigers lost 48-0 at home to Oakland-Craig Friday night.

Both teams have certainly had tough seasons, and I look for both to take a season's worth of frustrations out on one another.

It's the last game of the season for both teams so might as well throw the gauntlet at one another.

There is no tomorrow for both of these teams so both might as well empty the playbook as well.

It has been a really tough and unfortunate season for Wisner-Pilger, yet the Gators have a chance to send their seniors out winners and finish the season on a high note.

It would be a big deal for Wisner-Pilger to win this game. It would be a positive for the program and a good confidence builder heading into the offseason.

The biggest thing for the Gators though is slowing down the run. Wisner-Pilger has to be physical at the line of scrimmage, and limit Tekamah-Herman's big plays.

The Gators have to keep everything in front of them, yet be opportunistic on defense.

Wisner-Pilger has to take some chances with blitzes and things of that sort.

The Gators shouldn't have anything to hold back Friday night. Wisner-Pilger should be able to let er rip in an effort to pick up their first, only, and last win of the season.

It's final chance time for the Gators, and Wisner-Pilger doesn't want to finish the season winless.

The opportunity is out there in front of the Gators. Wisner-Pilger has to go out there and seize the moment.

So many emotions will be running through these players' heads I'm sure. The biggest thing is to not get caught up in the moment and continue to play good, tough football.