Oakland-Craig wins C-2 State Title with shutout of Sutton

The Oakland-Craig football team defeated Sutton 19-0 for the Class C2 State Championship on Tuesday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, as aired on 107.9 The Bull.

Both teams traded punts early on, before Oakland-Craig scored on their second offensive possession of the game, a one-yard QB sneak by Colton Thomsen. The two-point conversion missed, and the Knights led 6-0 with 4:53 in the first quarter.

Both teams punted multiple times, and were turned away on fourth down tries for the remainder of the half, and Oakland-Craig led 6-0 at the intermission.

The Knights started the third quarter with the football and ended the drive with a 23-yard touchdown run by Jaron Meyer. The two-point try was no good, and the Knights led 12-0 with 9:59 in the third.

Both teams again traded failed fourth down conversion attempts and punts, and the score was 12-0 at the end of the third quarter.

Sutton was pinned back at their own one yard line after an Oakland-Craig punt, and were unable to pick up a first down, giving the Knights a great starting spot, at the Mustang 43.

The Knights were able to use up over six minutes of clock, while finishing off the drive with a 14-yard scoring run by Ian Lundquist on a fourth-and-11 play. The PAT was good, and Oakland-Craig led 19-0 with 1:12 left in the game.

The Mustangs were moving the ball on their final possession, before the Knights recovered a fumble to end the game, preserving the finals score of Oakland-Craig 19, Sutton 0.

For Oakland-Craig, Lundquist finished with 20 carries for 77 yards and a touchdown, Meyer had 13 carries for 93 yards and a score, and Thomsen had five carries for 52 yards and a touchdown.

The Knights out-gained the Mustangs 295-154, with 292 rushing yards.

Head Coach Joe Anderson says his squad really got the job done defensively. "Both teams were really limited with what we could do offensively. They don't throw it much anyways, but between the wind and the moisture down on the field it was really tough. But I thought defensively we just really set the tone early. That was a team that's averaging 500 rushing yards a game."

Oakland-Craig ends the season a perfect 13-0 and as the Class C2 State Champion.

It was a great run for the Knights.

Anderson says a lot of credit goes to the defense. "Coach Guzinski's done a great job with that defense all year long. I felt like each week they just kept getting better, and better, and better. They just play with so much enthusiasm. They just play together, they're just fun to watch play."

Anderson was a part of the 1995 team as a player that also won state.  "Yeah it was neat. It was great to bring one back to this community. For the kids to go down there and represent our school the way they did it's pretty neat. There's a lot of similarities I think between the two teams. A lot of great football players out there. A lot of unselfish guys who really don't care who got the carries or who got the yards or who got the tackles, all they care about is winning."

Anderson says the win over Hartington Cedar Catholic in the first round of the playoffs kind of sticks out as a memory from this past season.

Oakland-Craig loses Thomsen, Blake Johnson, Lundquist, Tom Maline, Jarron Metzler, Jack Selken, Laurence Brands, and Wyatt Seagren to graduation.

These kids worked so hard over the course of their High School Careers, and deserve a lot of credit for the way this season went.

Their leadership and on the field performance was absolutely incredible and amazing so hats off to them.

Key returners for next year include Gunnar Ray, Coulter Thiele, Meyer, Grady Gatewood, Caden Nelson, Jack Pille, and Mike Brands.

It was a picture perfect ending to the season for the Knights, and I look for Oakland-Craig to simply reload next year.

It might be a while before the Knights think about next season though.

Oakland-Craig ought to enjoy this one for a little while.

However, the Knights must be ready to get back to work and remember the things they did to get to this point when it is time.

Win 13 Won 13 was accomplished this year, and so we will see what Oakland-Craig does for an encore next year and if they can repeat.

It wouldn't surprise me if the Knights repeated next year either as long as they have another great offseason of conditioning, lifting, and playing the game.

Congratulations to the 2019 Oakland-Craig Knights, your Class C-2 State Football Champions!!!!!!!

Oakland-Craig obliterates St. Paul in State Semifinals

Oakland-Craig scored on its first five offensive possessions of the first half, and rolled to a 54-13 win over St. Paul in a battle of 11-0 teams in the Class C2 state football semifinals Friday night, November 15 in Oakland, in a game aired on 107.9 The Bull.

The Knights started the game with the ball at their own 35, and finished the drive with a five-yard scoring run by Ian Lundquist. The two-point conversion made it 8-0 with 8:20 in the first.

St. Paul went three-and-out and were forced to punt.

O-C took over at their own 45 and scored on a 20-yard run from Coulter Thiele. The two-point try made it 16-0 Knights with 4:31 in the first.

Following another St. Paul punt, Oakland-Craig capped off a 68-yard drive with a one-yard run from Caden Nelson. The two-point conversion failed, and the Knights led 22-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Wildcats had a big kick return and started their next drive at the Oakland-Craig 16 yard line. Eli Larson finished the drive with a one-yard scoring plunge. The PAT missed and Oakland-Craig led 22-6 with 9:34 in the second quarter.

Oakland-Craig didn’t take long to score again, as Jaron Meyer broke loose for a 55-yard touchdown run. The two-point try made it 30-6 Knights with 8:23 in the second.

St. Paul moved the ball into O-C territory, before Meyer intercepted a pass, giving the Knights the ball at their own 43.

Meyer added another big touchdown run, this time from 30-yards out. The two-point conversion made it 38-6 in favor of O-C with 3:48 in the second.

The Wildcats were pinned back at their own 15 for their next drive. They moved the ball out to their own 32, but Thiele intercepted a pass and the Knights took over at their own 35.

The Knights were turned away on fourth down from the Wildcat 44.

St. Paul scored in one play on a 56-yard hook-and-ladder pitch to Larson. The PAT made the score Oakland-Craig 38, St.Paul 13 with 19 seconds left in the half.

Oakland-Craig took a knee and sent things into halftime with a 38-13 advantage.

Both teams traded punts on the first possessions of the second half.

St. Paul again drove to the O-C side of the field, but the Knights got their third interception of the evening, and the second by Meyer.

O-C capped of the 54-yard scoring drive on a one-yard run by Nelson. The 2PC made the score 46-13 in favor of the Knights with 2:38 in the third.

St. Paul threw their fourth interception of the game, this time it was picked off by Nelson, and O-C took over at their own 28.

This drive ended on a four-yard run from Nelson. The two-point try made the score 54-13 with Oakland-Craig in the lead and 9:03 to play.

The Wildcats drove down to the Oakland-Craig 35 before failing on a fourth down attempt.

The Knights took over at their own 35 and were able to run out the remaining 2:50, preserving the final score of Oakland-Craig 54, St. Paul 13.

Head Coach Joe Anderson says being in the State Championship Game is an amazing feeling. "It feels great. Just so happy for these kids. They put in so much time to get to this point. And it's just fun to see it finally pay off. And it couldn't happen to a better group. We have a great bunch of football players, but more importantly have a great bunch of young men that fought together and won together and accomplished one of their goals."

Oakland-Craig remains undefeated at 12-0 on the season, and will meet Sutton for the Class C2 state championship on Tuesday, November 26 at 2:45 at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. The game will be broadcast on The Bull.

The Mustangs downed BRLD 38-28 in the other semifinal in Lyons Friday night.

Anderson says the two teams are very similar. "They're a lot like us. They're a power football team. They're going to line up in the I and just come right at ya. They're big, they're physical."

Sutton rushed for 550 yards against the Wolverines, and had two ball carriers over 200 yards.

Jackson Perrien rushed for 250 yards and Cade Wiseman had 206.

The Knights will have to do what they did to St. Paul 2,000 yard running back Eli Larson, who only had 63 yards rushing.

The difference will be Oakland-Craig will have to shut down a two-headed monster instead of just one great back.

Definitely a big and perhaps new challenge for the Knights, but one they're up for I'm sure.

If the game goes anything like Friday night's game did then Oakland-Craig will be State Champs.

Anderson says Friday night's game wasn't what he expected. "No it really wasn't. St. Paul's a very good football team, but we just told our kids we've done a really good job of coming out and playing well early in games, and coming out and playing physical."

That's exactly what the Knights will need to do once again next Tuesday.

Oakland-Craig has found the blueprint for winning a State Title, and has to stick to it against the Mustangs.

The Knights made it in 2015 and lost to heavy favorite David City Aquinas.

Now Oakland-Craig would probably have to be considered at least somewhat of a heavy favorite in this one.

We'll see if the Knights can get it done this time.

I think they can and will as long as they play the way they have all season.

This is what you play for and dream of as a kid....that is a State Championship and an opportunity to play at Memorial Stadium...home of the Huskers.

Oakland-Craig can't be intimidated by the Stadium.

I think this year's senior class having been there as Student Managers when the team played Aquinas is a huge advantage for the Knights.

Oakland-Craig knows what it's like and what to expect, so has all the makings of winning a State Championship.

Pregame coverage will begin next Tuesday between 2:00 and 2:15 p.m. on the Bull.

BRLD's season ends in Semifinal loss to Sutton

The BRLD Football Team fell 38-28 at home to Sutton in the Class C-2 State Semifinals in Lyons Friday night.

The Wolverines led 7-6 at the end of one before the Mustangs doubled up BRLD 14-7 in the 2nd quarter to take a 20-14 lead into the locker room.

The Wolverines won the 3rd quarter 7-6 to trim the deficit to 26-21 at the end of three.

Sutton outscored BRLD 12-7 in the 4th quarter.

Will Gatzemeyer was 19-31 passing for 319 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 86 yards on 20 carries, and scoring once.

Kobe Lyons added 70 yards rushing on 12 carries, and scored once.

Jaxon Johnson hauled in 7 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown. Lucas Vogt made 7 receptions for 107 yards. Dylan Beutler had 5 receptions for 100 yards and a TD.

Gatzemeyer made 15 tackles while Derek Petersen and Tyler Vavra each had 9. Luke Kramer notched 8 while Johnson and Gus Gomez totaled 7 apiece.

The Wolverines finished with 482 yards of total offense, including 319 passing.

The defense gave up 550 yards, all on the ground.

Tough way for BRLD to go out for sure.

The Wolverines end their campaign at 10-2.

Statistical leaders for BRLD...Gatzemeyer finished with nearly 3,000 yards passing and over 1,700 yards rushing. Lyons had 946 rushing yards.

Gomez finished with 120 tackles on the year while Petersen made 106 and Gatzemeyer 102.

The Wolverines say goodbye to a host of Seniors, including Arizona Riecken, Braxton Bargmann, Gatzemeyer, Johnson, Lyons, Parker Paulson, Kramer, and Kyler Gomez.

These 8 seniors will be sorely missed without a doubt.

Key returners for BRLD include Colten Briggs, Beutler, Vogt, Luke Ronnfeldt, and Gomez.

The Wolverines have a solid group of returners back next year, and should be good once again.

BRLD has some absolute huge shoes to fill with the departure of Gatzemeyer though.

He is a big time loss for the Wolverines.

Some new players are going to have to step up and emerge for BRLD next season.

The Wolverines need to have a big offseason of working out, conditioning, and playing the game.

I'm sure BRLD is disappointed they didn't make it to the State Championship, but that's all the more reason to work even harder next year.

This was the Wolverines' chance and season to win it all though.

BRLD came up short, but still had a fine and spectacular year.

The Wolverines were undefeated until the very end when they lost to Oakland-Craig and Sutton, the two teams in the State Championship Game.

BRLD has absolutely nothing to hang their heads or be disappointed about.

The Wolverines did all they could this year I feel.

The season didn't end in a State Title, but it was still a heck of a season.

I only look for it to make BRLD stronger, tougher, and more motivated next year.

The North Bend Central win is something these kids will remember for the rest of their lives I am sure.

Howells-Dodge loses to Osceola-High Plains in State Quarterfinals

The undefeated season came to an end Tuesday night for the Howells-Dodge football team, as they lost 28-14 to Osceola/High Plains in the quarterfinal round of the Class D1 playoffs in Osceola, as aired on 107.9 The Bull.

The Jaguars started the game with the ball at their own 25, and would need just a few plays before Levi Belina broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion gave them an 8-0 lead with 10:03 in the first.

Osceola/High plains punted on their first possession, giving the Jaguars the ball at their own 15.

Howells-Dodge drove the 65 yards in just over three minutes, finishing the drive with a two-yard touchdown run from Jacob Tomcak. The two-point conversion was no good, and the Jaguars led 14-0 with 4:33 to go in the first.

The would be the score at the end of the first quarter.

After starting at their on 33, the Stormdogs put together a drive that lasted over eight minutes and ended on a six-yard run from Keaton Van Housen. The two-point try made it 14-8 Howells-Dodge with 8:21 to go in the second quarter.

Howells-Dodge went for it on fourth down from the O/HP 33, but were turned away.

The Stormdogs got all the way to the Jaguar three-yard line, but timing expired, giving Howells-Dodge the 14-8 lead at the half.

O/HP started the third quarter with the football at their own 30. Van Housen picked up his second rushing touchdown of the night, this time from three yards out. The two-point conversion was good and the Stormdogs led 16-14 with 6:57 in the third.

After punting on their first drive of the second half, the Jaguars got the ball back when they recovered an O/HP fumble, after the Stormdogs had drive to the H-D 10.

The Jaguars were forced to punt and the third quarter ended with the score 16-14 in favor of Osceola/High Plains, who took over at their own 30-yard line.

This possession was capped off by an 18-yard scoring run from Van Housen. The two-point try missed, and the Stormdogs led 22-14 with 6:34 left in the game.

Howells-Dodge drove all the way down inside the O/HP 20, before fumbling the football and turning it over.

Two plays later, Van Housen got free for a 59-yard touchdown run. The Stormdogs missed the two-point try, but now led 28-14 with 4:40 to go.

The Jaguars threw an interception, and O/HP got as far as the Howells-Dodge 10-yard line, before being turned away on fourth down.

Howells-Dodge took over at their own 10 with 44 seconds left in the game, trailing 28-14.

Darrin Pokorny scrambled for a big gain inside the O/HP 15, but time expired, making the final score Osceola/High Plains 28, Howells-Dodge 14.

Surprising and tough loss for the Jaguars in this one you could say.

Howells-Dodge ends their season at 10-1 overall.

Tomcak led the team in passing this season with 516 yards and 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Belina had nearly 1200 yards rushing on the season while Luke Rocheford finished with 745.

Trevor Schumacher led the team with 152 tackles for the season Belina finished with 132, and R.J. Bayer 102.

The Jaguars say goodbye to Rocheford, Pokorny, Charlie Dvorak, Schumacher, Wyatt Hegemann, Johann Reuschel, Carter Throener, Logan Nelson, and Kyle Pickhinke.

These 9 seniors will be sorely missed without a doubt. Lots of big losses among this group. It's too bad their careers had to end the way it did. I have to admit I am shocked and surprised Howells-Dodge lost to Osceola-High Plains.

Not that the Stormdogs aren't good because they are, but I thought the Jaguars were the better team coming in.

I know it may be a bit before Howells-Dodge thinks about next season, but key returners for the Jaguars include Lance Brester, Tomcak, Gavin Nelson, Belina, Blake Sindelar, Trevor Jedlicka, Bayer, Aandy Dominguez, Landon Pieper, and Brady Lund.

Lots of talent returning for Howells-Dodge next season.

It may take a bit to get over this one though.

Tough way to go out for this year's senior class.

I honestly thought the Jaguars had a great shot of getting to Lincoln.

It wasn't meant to be though, and all Howells-Dodge can do now is work even harder than they have been and prepare for next year.

The Jaguars have to work harder in the offseason than they ever have before if they want to play for  State Championships.

Howells-Dodge has to ramp up their workouts and work out harder, more often, and longer than ever before.

The Jaguars have to do what it takes to be great and become State Champions in the future.

Howells-Dodge has certainly had their chances at a State Title the last couple of years so we'll see if the Jaguars can breakthrough and win it next year.

Oakland-Craig handles Doniphan-Trumbull in State Quarterfinals

The Oakland-Craig Football Team dominated Doniphan-Trumbull 50-16 at home Friday night in the State Quarterfinals.

The Knights led 14-8 after one, and 44-8 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig won the 3rd quarter 6-0 to go up 50-8 at the end of three.

The Cardinals blanked the Knights 8-0 in the 4th quarter.

Ian Lundquist had 13 carries for 123 yards and two touchdowns while Coulter Thiele ran the ball 8 times for 113 yards, and scored once. Jaron Meyer added 70 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a score. Caden Nelson had 53 yards rushing on 12 attempts, and scored three times.

Mike Brands had 9 tackles while Nelson made 8.

Oakland-Craig had 383 yards of total offense, all on the ground.

Head Coach Joe Anderson says the line and backs played exceptionally well. "Going into the game we knew that we needed to control the line of scrimmage. With Colton (Thomsen) out, our line really stepped up and controlled this game from the start. Grady (Gatewood) did a good job of coming in and running our offense. He got us in the right plays and made good decisions all night long. I also thought our running back committee ran extremely hard all night. The line created big creases for them and the backs did not go down very easily. They had a lot of yards after contact."

The Knights (11-0) host St. Paul (11-0) in the State Semifinals Friday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Wildcats defeated Aquinas 25-10 at home in the Quarterfinals last week.

Anderson says St. Paul is a very good team and the real deal. "St. Paul will be a great challenge for us. They are very big up front (average over 250 pounds) and they have some very talented backs behind them. Elijah Larson is one of the best backs in the state (almost 2,000 yards). Defensively they are very aggressive and do not make many mistakes. We will have to be very disciplined on both sides of the football, and play with the same fire that we had last week."

I thought the Knights would possibly be in trouble with Thomsen out against the Cardinals, but it didn't seem to make any difference.

Oakland-Craig may need him against St. Paul, but if they don't the Knights still know they are very capable of winning without him.

Oakland-Craig will definitely have a huge battle on their hands in this one though.

With that said, I'm sure the Knights will be up to the challenge once again.

Oakland-Craig has flat out dominated people this year, and will look to do the same again Friday night.

Anderson says it's big for this game to be at home. "It is great for our seniors to get one more home game. We have played very well at home the last couple years. We also have a great following of fans that comes out and supports our football team. Our kids really feed off their energy."

I really think the Knights have a good shot to win this one and make it to Lincoln, possibly rematching against BRLD.

It's crazy to have two Semifinals in the same Class 7 miles apart.

Anderson says getting to Memorial Stadium would be another goal accomplished by this team. "The guys set some really high expectations coming into the year. So far we have accomplished everything that we have set out to do. One of their goals is to get back to Memorial Stadium. Our seniors were the student managers the last time we played there, so they really have worked hard to try to get back there themselves as players."

The Knights lost to Aquinas in the State Championship Game in 2015 so we'll see if Oakland-Craig can get back there and win a Title this time.

Kickoff from Oakland is set for 6:30 p.m. on the Bull with pregame at 6:00 p.m.

BRLD outlasts North Bend Central in State Quarterfinals

Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur won a shootout over North Bend Central 60-53 in the quarterfinal round of the Class C2 football playoffs Friday night in North Bend, in a game aired on 107.9 The Bull.

The game got off to a great start for the Tigers, as BRLD fumbled the opening kickoff, and NBC started on the BRLD 17. Austin Endorf caught a trick play pass from Cody Prohaska, and NBC led 7-0.

BRLD drove inside the NBC 40 before losing another fumble, giving the Tigers the ball at their own 35.

Endorf hit Cody Pospisil for a nine-yard touchdown pass and the Tigers now led 14-0.

BRLD scored on its very next drive, a four-yard run from Kobe Lyons. The PAT missed and NBC led 14-6.

Both team exchanged punts on each of their ensuing possessions, before Lucas Vogt intercepted a pass from Endorf and returned it 65+ yards for a touchdown. The Wolverines failed in a two-point try, and NBC led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers were forced to punt on their next drive, and pinned BRLD back at their own nine yard line. The Wolverines capped off the 91-yard scoring drive on a three-yard run from Will Gatzemeyer. Following the two-point conversion, BRLD now led 20-14.

NBC answered right back however, driving 58 yards and scoring on a one-yard plunge by Ethan Mullally. After the PAT, the Tigers were back on top 21-20.

BRLD failed on fourth down from the NBC 46, turning the ball over on downs.

NBC scored on a 29-yard TD by Mullally, and now led 28-20 with 3:19 left in the second quarter.

BRLD started at their own 25, and scored with just 35 second left in the half on a five-yard pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. The two-point try was no good, and the game went into halftime with North Bend Central leading Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 28-26.

NBC got the ball to start the second half, and closed out a 52-yard drive on a one-yard run by Mullally, taking a 36-26 lead.

BRLD started its next drive at the own 23 and finished things off with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. The PAT missed and NBC led 36-32.

The Tigers kept their run of great starting field position going, taking over at their own 46. They would get down to the BRLD nine yard line, before Jarrett Poessnecker hit a 27-yard field goal, putting NBC up 39-32.

BRLD tied the score at 39-39 on its next drive thanks to a two-yard run from Gatzemeyer. That was the score at the end of three quarters.

Following a NBC fumble, BRLD took over at its own 44-yard line, and would score on a 10-yard pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. Following the PAT, the score now favored BRLD 46-39.

The Tigers tied things up on the next possession after Endorf found Pospisil for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The score was now 46-46 with 9:25 left in the game.

The Wolverines got the the NBC 41 before being turned away on a fourth down try.

NBC took over at its own 41 and regained the lead after a 19-yard touchdown run by Mullally. NBC now led 53-46.

BRLD pulled within a point after Lyons finished off a 68-yard drive on a four-yard scoring run. The PAT missed and the score was now NBC 53, BRLD 52.

The Tigers were forced to punt on their next possession, giving BRLD the ball on their own 45.

Gatzemeyer hit Dylan Beutler on a 31-yard scoring strike, and after the two-point conversion, BRLD now led 60-53.

NBC took over at its own 37 with 1:44 left to play. The Tigers got to the BRLD 48 before fumbling the ball. BRLD recovered and would run out the remaining time, preserving the final score of Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 60, North Bend Central 53.

For Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur, Will Gatzemeyer was 19-33 passing for 313 yards and four touchdowns. Gatzemeyer also ran the ball 33 times for 229 yards and two scores.

Kobe Lyons added 90 yards on 15 carries with two touchdowns.

Lucas Vogt caught 11 passes for 108 yards and three touchdowns.

Gus Gomez had 18 tackles for the Wolverines, including four solo and one for a loss.

BRLD had 632 yards of total offense, including 319 rushing while the Tigers had 440 yards of total offense, 282 coming through the air.

Wow, what a great offensive showcase by the Wolverines, and both teams for that matter.

Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur is now 10-1 overall, and will host Sutton (10-1) in the Class C2 state semifinals Friday night for a chance to go to the championship game.

The Mustangs defeated Battle Creek 44-28 at home in Friday night's Quarterfinals.

The Wolverines have to be aware of and try and slow down Cade Wiseman and Jackson Perrien.

The two combined for 418 yards rushing in the win over the Braves.

There figures to be a lot of running in this one, and Sutton has a very good run game.

The Wolverines have to be very physical at the line of scrimmage and point of attack.

I think Gatzemeyer and BRLD's pass game will be the difference in this one.

I think the Mustangs might be a little more one dimensional than the Wolverines.

I also don't think Sutton has played the caliber of competition BRLD has.

The Mustangs beat Wilber-Clatonia 16-0, who BRLD beat 39-21.

Sutton also barely got past Doniphan-Trumbull, who Oakland-Craig dominated, and I put BRLD right up there with the Knights.

I still say that BRLD and Oakland-Craig are the two best teams in the state, and both will get their chance to prove it Friday night.

What a game it would be if those two met for the C-2 State Championship next Tuesday.

It would be a dream come true game for us here at KTIC to have two area teams square off in a State Championship Game.

It could very well happen too, but Gatzemeyer and the Wolverines have to do their part, and go out there and beat Sutton.

It should be a heck of a game, but I think BRLD being at home gives them the advantage, same with Oakland-Craig.

So I'm thinking it will be a BRLD/Oakland-Craig State Final, but I could be wrong as I have been wrong before.

The Wolverines have to go out there and earn it Friday night, and the Knights will have to do the same.

North Bend Central falls in State Quarterfinals to BRLD

Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur won a shootout over North Bend Central 60-53 in the quarterfinal round of the Class C2 football playoffs Friday night in North Bend, in a game aired on 107.9 The Bull.

The game got off to a great start for the Tigers, as BRLD fumbled the opening kickoff, and NBC started on the BRLD 17. Austin Endorf caught a trick play pass from Cody Prohaska, and NBC led 7-0.

BRLD drove inside the NBC 40 before losing another fumble, giving the Tigers the ball at their own 35.

Endorf hit Cody Pospisil for a nine-yard touchdown pass and the Tigers now led 14-0.

BRLD scored on its very next drive, a four-yard run from Kobe Lyons. The PAT missed and NBC led 14-6.

Both team exchanged punts on each of their ensuing possessions, before Lucas Vogt intercepted a pass from Endorf and returned it 65+ yards for a touchdown. The Wolverines failed in a two-point try, and NBC led 14-12 at the end of the first quarter.

The Tigers were forced to punt on their next drive, and pinned BRLD back at their own nine yard line. The Wolverines capped off the 91-yard scoring drive on a three-yard run from Will Gatzemeyer. Following the two-point conversion, BRLD now led 20-14.

NBC answered right back however, driving 58 yards and scoring on a one-yard plunge by Ethan Mullally. After the PAT, the Tigers were back on top 21-20.

BRLD failed on fourth down from the NBC 46, turning the ball over on downs.

NBC scored on a 29-yard TD by Mullally, and now led 28-20 with 3:19 left in the second quarter.

BRLD started at their own 25, and scored with just 35 second left in the half on a five-yard pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. The two-point try was no good, and the game went into halftime with North Bend Central leading Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 28-26.

NBC got the ball to start the second half, and closed out a 52-yard drive on a one-yard run by Mullally, taking a 36-26 lead.

BRLD started its next drive at the own 23 and finished things off with a 25-yard touchdown pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. The PAT missed and NBC led 36-32.

The Tigers kept their run of great starting field position going, taking over at their own 46. They would get down to the BRLD nine yard line, before Jarrett Poessnecker hit a 27-yard field goal, putting NBC up 39-32.

BRLD tied the score at 39-39 on its next drive thanks to a two-yard run from Gatzemeyer. That was the score at the end of three quarters.

Following a NBC fumble, BRLD took over at its own 44-yard line, and would score on a 10-yard pass from Gatzemeyer to Vogt. Following the PAT, the score now favored BRLD 46-39.

The Tigers tied things up on the next possession after Endorf found Pospisil for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The score was now 46-46 with 9:25 left in the game.

The Wolverines got the the NBC 41 before being turned away on a fourth down try.

NBC took over at its own 41 and regained the lead after a 19-yard touchdown run by Mullally. NBC now led 53-46.

BRLD pulled within a point after Lyons finished off a 68-yard drive on a four-yard scoring run. The PAT missed and the score was now NBC 53, BRLD 52.

The Tigers were forced to punt on their next possession, giving BRLD the ball on their own 45.

Gatzemeyer hit Dylan Beutler on a 31-yard scoring strike, and after the two-point conversion, BRLD now led 60-53.

NBC took over at its own 37 with 1:44 left to play. The Tigers got to the BRLD 48 before fumbling the ball. BRLD recovered and would run out the remaining time, preserving the final score of Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur 60, North Bend Central 53.

For North Bend Central, Austin Endorf finished with 257 yards passing with two touchdowns and one interception. Endorf also caught a touchdown pass on a trick play.

Cody Pospisil caught eight passes for 118 yards and two scores.

Ethan Mullally ran the ball 27 times for 133 yards and four touchdowns.

Gavin Peterson led the Tiger defense with 10 tackles, including eight solo and two for a loss.

BRLD had 632 yards of total offense, including 319 rushing while the Tigers had 440 yards of total offense, 282 coming through the air.

What a heck of a game. It's too bad someone had to lose.

North Bend Central ends its season at 9-2 overall.

Head Coach Ryan Stieren says his team did all they could. "We left it all on the field and I am extremely proud of our kids. We were in control of the game in the 4th quarter with opportunities to win but they made more plays than us in the end. After the smoke settles, our seniors will take pride in all that they accomplished in their 4 years and I am proud of those guys."

The Tiger seniors meant a lot to this program.

They are responsible for turning this program around and into a winner.

There's no doubt that North Bend Central Football is in much better shape now than it was at the start of their careers.

Endorf finished with almost 2,400 yards passing on the season while Mullally had over 1,400 yards rushing.

Breckin Peters had 912 yards passing for the year while Ian Virka was the team's leading tackler with 84 and Peterson was 2nd with 82.

The Tigers lose 6 seniors in Endorf, Prohaska, Pospisil, Peterson, Ben Buresh, and Cole Johnson.

These seniors meant a lot to this program will be sorely missed without a doubt.

Key returners for North Bend Central include Peters, Poessnecker, Peyton Mitties, and others.

Next year's team should be good and solid no doubt.

The Tigers will be moving back up to C-1 so it will be interesting to see how that will affect things for North Bend Central.

The Tigers did really well the last couple of years so I think they can do well in C-1 as they have a lot of momentum going into next year.

Losing to the Wolverines the way they did is a tough pill to swallow and tough way to go out, but it was a great game and BRLD is a great team.

North Bend Central has absolutely nothing to hang their heads or get upset about.

With that said, I'm sure the Tigers will comeback stronger and hungrier than ever next year in their quest to continue to grow and improve as a program, and take even further strides than they have the past couple of years.

Howells-Dodge rolls Lutheran High Northeast in 2nd round of Playoffs

The Howells-Dodge Football Team routed Lutheran High Northeast 56-22 at home in the 2nd round of the playoffs Wednesday night.

The Jaguars led 22-0 at the end of one and 44-8 at halftime.

Both teams scored 6 points in the 3rd quarter, and it was 50-14 at the end of three in favor of Howells-Dodge.

The Eagles won the 4th quarter 8-6.

Here is the scoring summary:

First Quarter
HD - 7:01 Luke Rocheford 25 Yd Pass From Jacob Tomcak (Levi Belina Run For Two-Point Conversion)
HD - 4:36 Levi Belina 6 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)
HD - 4:22 Levi Belina 37 Yd Run (Two-Point Conversion Jacob Tomcak Pass to R.J. Bayer)

Second Quarter
HD - 11:53 Jacob Tomcak 8 Yd Run (Levi Belina Run For Two-Point Conversion)
HD - 3:57 Levi Belina 5 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)
LHNE - 3:32 Ben Gebhardt 54 Yd Pass From Jaxson Kant (Ben Gebhardt Run For Two-Point Conversion)
HD - 1:58 Levi Belina 48 Yd Run (Levi Belina Run For Two-Point Conversion)

Third Quarter
HD - 9:07 Levi Belina 16 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)
LHNE - 5:01 Ben Gebhardt 13 Yd Pass From Jaxson Kant (Failed Two-Point Conversion)

Fourth Quarter
HD - 4:39 Charlie Dvorak 14 Yd Run (Failed Two-Point Conversion)
LHNE - 1:47 Keaton Ranslem 30 Yd Run (Trystan Scott Run For Two-Point Conversion)

Belina had 19 carries for 133 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Tomcak was 3-7 passing for 72 yards and a touchdown.

Belina made 18 tackles while Trevor Schumacher had 13. Carter Throener made 11 while Blake Sindelar totaled 10.

Howells-Dodge racked up 278 yards of total offense, including 206 rushing.

Head Coach Mike Speirs says playing smashmouth football was the difference. "I think our boys played very physical football from the beginning of the game. We were able to control the Line of Scrimmage on both sides and that allowed us to take control of the game."

Speirs went on to say being prepared made a big difference for his team defensively. "I was pleased with our defensive effort. I think a big part of that was the boys put in a lot of study and had a good grasp of what LHNE was trying to do on offense. That allowed them to play with confidence and to get to the ball to be in position to make plays."

The Jaguars (10-0) battle Osceola-High Plains (8-2) in the State Quarterfinals in Osceola Tuesday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Stormdogs defeated Creighton 46-32 in Wednesday's second round.

OHP is a solid football team, and Howells-Dodge needs to put forth another huge effort in order to be able to win this one.

Speirs says the Stormdogs have good players up front and on the outside. "OHP is a very talented team that has tremendous skill kids. They have an aggressive defense and will test our offensive line. In order for us to have a chance to be successful we will need to be physical from the start on both sides of the ball."

I think the key to the game for the Jaguars is getting to a fast start like they did against Lutheran High Northeast.

If Howells-Dodge plays like they did in the first half of that game I don't know if they can be beat.

Still though the Jaguars need to come ready to play as one loss and the season is over.

Of course I'm sure Howells-Dodge is very much aware of what's at stake in this one.

It should be a great game, and I look forward to listening to it on the Bull.

Speirs says the team shouldn't even be thinking past Tuesday. "At this time of year it should be impossible to look ahead. Every team left is a high quality team and our focus is only on OHP. The players understand the ramifications of the game and it is win or go home."

I'm sure the Jaguars have big goals and aspirations of getting to Lincoln, but as cliche as it sounds Howells-Dodge has to take things one game at a time.

The Jaguars can't get too ahead of themselves because Osceola-High Plains is a very good football team.

Howells-Dodge has to come out and play physical, smashmouth style football and punch their ticket to the State Semifinals.

I think the winner of this game could very well go on to win State.

The Jaguars are a great team, and I fully expect them to come out and play a great and awesome and fantastic and amazing game Tuesday night.

I'm hoping the Jaguars can win and advance to next week's Semifinals with a chance to make it to Lincoln the following Monday.

Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. in Osceola.

Clarkson/Leigh loses at Falls City Sacred Heart in 2nd round of Playoffs

The Clarkson/Leigh Football Team fell 56-6 at Falls City Sacred Heart in 2nd round playoff action heard on 107.9 the Bull on Wednesday.

The Patriots trailed 8-6 after one, and 24-6 at halftime.

The Irish blanked Clarkson/Leigh 24-0 in the 3rd quarter to increase their lead to 48-6 at the end of three.

Sacred Heart shutout the Patriots 8-0 in the 4th quarter.

Isaak Wiese made 14 tackles while Drew and Mitchel Beeson totaled 8 apiece.

Clarkson/Leigh had 120 yards of total offense, including 99 rushing.

Tough game overall for the Patriots, but good season nonetheless.

Clarkson/Leigh's year ends at 7-3.

Statistical leaders for the Patriots...Eli Hays had 775 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns to lead the team while Lance Paprocki had 762 yards and 17 touchdowns.

Drew Beeson made 72 tackles while Carter Hanel made 66 and Wiese 58. Trevor Zulkoski added 51 while Mitchel Beeson notched 50.

Wiese is the only senior lost to graduation.

He will be missed big time, but you have to think this team can do amazing things next year given who all returns.

Clarkson/Leigh will get Tommy McEvoy back, and that should help out tremendously.

Imagine him with all the other backs the Patriots developed this year...man oh man that could be lethal.

I think Clarkson/Leigh could very well take that next step next year and get past the 2nd round of the playoffs, assuming everyone stays healthy.

There's a lot of good, experienced, and young talent coming back for this team next year, and I think the Patriots can be a force to be reckoned with for sure.

Clarkson/Leigh can definitely repeat as District Champs, but it will be interesting to see who they get matched up with.

The Patriots have what it takes to be a great and dynamic team next year, in my opinion.

Clarkson/Leigh has to work extremely hard in the offseason and put in the time, work, and effort though.

The Patriots can't sit around all offseason and expect greatness next year.

Clarkson/Leigh has to work their tails off in the weightroom and on the field each and every day.

The Patriots need good weightroom attendance as well as good participation in team and summer camps, and summer leagues.

Football isn't an August-November sport, it requires year round dedication, work, effort, and determination.

So Clarkson/Leigh needs a big offseason to take that next step and become a great team next season.

North Bend Central outlasts North Platte St. Pat's in first round of playoffs

The North Bend Central Football Team downed North Platte St. Pat's 34-19 at home Friday night in the first round of the playoffs.

Here is Head Coach Ryan Stieren to break the game down:

After being down 14-13 at halftime, we outscored them 21-5 in the 2nd half. Offensively, Austin Endorf was 12-20 for 220 yards with 3 TD passes and he also rushed 8 times for 72 yards. Cody Pospisil caught 3 passes for 68 yards and a TD. Ethan Mullally rushed 13 times for 72 yards. Defensively, we were led by Cole Johnson who had 15 tackles on the night and Cody Prohaska who had 2 interceptions including 1 that he returned 80 yards for a TD.

The Tigers had 337 yards of total offense, including 193 through the air.

Stieren says his team wore down the Irish in the 2nd half to pick up a huge victory for the program. "I am really proud of our kids for showing some toughness in this game because St. Pat's got off the bus and really took it to us the 1st half. We were the stronger team and as time went on, we were able to have huge explosive plays on offense and defense to put the game away. This is a great win for our program because it is the 2nd playoff in the history of our program. Now, we need to get to work to prepare for an excellent BRLD team."

North Bend Central (9-1) hosts BRLD (9-1) in the C-2 State Quarterfinals Friday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

BRLD topped Wilber-Clatonia 39-21 at home in last week's first round.

BRLD is led by Quarterback Will Gatzemeyer and Wide Receiver Lucas Vogt.

Gatzemeyer has over 2,300 yards passing and over 1,400 rushing on the season so far.

Of course the Tigers are led by Endorf and Mullally, who have over 2,100 yards passing and nearly 1,300 yards rushing, respectively.

I feel these two teams are very similar in a lot of ways.

Both are very physical and hard nosed, smashmouth football teams.

I think the Wolverines might be a tad bit more dynamic and explosive on offense, but I give the advantage on defense to North Bend Central.

I feel this game will come down to the 4th quarter, and whoever wins will have earned it for sure.

I think the Tigers being at home is a big advantage for them.

I also think beating Aquinas gives North Bend Central the confidence to knock off a team like BRLD as well.

Both teams are so good and have played such a tough schedule, and have definitely earned everything they have accomplished to this point.

It's two great teams going at it, and unfortunately only one can win.

This is a huge game and a huge deal and position for the Tigers to be in though.

It's not everyday North Bend Central hosts a Quarterfinal Playoff Football Game.

They are though, and this game figures to be great and should come down to the wire.

I'm excited to listen to the game and I hope you are as well if you aren't going to attend it in person.

It should be a great and action packed night of High School Football on the Bull, and I'm really looking forward to it, and I hope you are as well.

Kickoff from North Bend is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with pregame beginning at 6:30 on the Bull.

BRLD smashes Wilber-Clatonia in first round of playoffs

The BRLD Football Team won 39-21 at home over Wilber-Clatonia in the first round of the playoffs Friday night.

BRLD held a 20-13 lead at the end of one and led 27-13 at halftime.

BRLD won the 3rd quarter to go up 33-13 at the end of three.

Wilber-Clatonia won the 4th quarter 8-6 to make up the final score.

Will Gatzemeyer was 19-37 passing for 331 yards and three touchdowns.

Lucas Vogt made 10 catches for 172 yards and two touchdowns. Dylan Beutler hauled in 3 passes for 91 yards and scored a touchdown.

Gatzemeyer had 92 yards rushing on 20 carries, and scored once. Lyons added 91 yards on the ground on 18 carries, and scored once.

Derek Peterson made 11 tackles while Jaxon Johnson had 9. Colten Briggs added 8 while Gus Gomez notched 7.

BRLD had 521 yards of total offense, including 331 through the air.

The defense gave up 288 yards of total offense, 203 of them passing.

Head Coach Dan Maresh says his team's defense led to their offense, allowing them to get up early. "Offensively our players just made some big plays early. Wilber-Clatonia's defense was tough and our kids were able to win their matchups. Defensively we created turnovers and were able to turn them over on downs a few times. This allowed us to get more aggressive on offense."

Maresh says his kids won their matchups, and that was a big reason why the offense performed as well as it did. "Our offense is about matchups and space and we were able to win some one on one battles that allowed us to open up things."

BRLD (9-1) takes on North Bend Central (9-1) on the road Friday night in the C-2 Quarterfinals in action that will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Tigers defeated North Platte St. Pat's 34-19 at home in Friday night's first round.

Maresh says North Bend Central is a complete football team. "They definitely have an offense that will keep you up at night. They have a lot of athletes and QB who can throw people open. They also have a solid ground game that will keep them balanced and we won't be able to just focus on stopping the pass. Defensively they are really aggressive and will try and get us off schedule."

Both teams have great quarterbacks.

Gatzemeyer has over 2,300 yards passing and 1,400 yards rushing so far this season.

Austin Endorf has over 2,100 yards passing and Ethan Mullally nearly 1,300 yards rushing.

I feel Gatzemeyer could definitely be the X-Factor in this game.

I feel the Wolverines might be the more dynamic and explosive offensive team by a small margin, but feel the Tigers might have a better defense.

This is a dead even matchup in my mind, and I think the game being in North Bend is an advantage for the Tigers.

It should be a great game that has everyone on the edge of their seats for sure.

I feel Vogt could play a big role in this game as well.

It should be a great game and a dandy of a matchup for sure.

Maresh says his team would be thrilled to move on to the next round. "This team is just trying to play their best football each Friday night and if that is good enough to get us to the next round we will be very excited."

The winner gets either Sutton or Battle Creek in the Semifinals, and the winner of that figures to be tough as well.

This should be an incredible and amazing game though, and I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

It's two KTIC Sports Booster Teams going at it in the playoffs, and that is very exciting.

I hope you can all tune in Friday night because it should be a great game.

Kickoff from North Bend is set for 7:00 p.m. with pregame getting underway at 6:30 on the Bull.

Oakland-Craig outlasts Hartington Cedar Catholic in first round of Playoffs

Oakland-Craig outlasted Hartington Cedar Catholic 28-26 in the first round of the Class C2 football playoffs Friday night in Oakland, in a game aired on 107.9 The Bull.

Oakland-Craig scored in their first possession, a 71-yard touchdown pass from Colton Thomsen to Coulter Thiele, giving the Knights an 8-0 lead after the two-point try.

HCC answered back on their first offensive play of the night, a 66-yard scoring run by Jacob Keiser. the PAT missed and Oakland-Craig led 8-6 with 10:03 in the first.

The scored would remain 8-6 until late in the second quarter when the Trojans scored on Kesier’s second touchdown run of the night, this time from 22 yards out. The PAT again missed and HCC led 12-8 with 2:40 in the second quarter.

On the next drive for Oakland-Craig, Thomsen’s pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Connor Vlach. With 1:28 to go before half, the score was now Hartington Cedar Catholic 19, Oakland-Craig 8.

The Knights were able to score one last time before the intermission, however, as Thomsen ran in a score from 14 yards out. At halftime, HCC led 19-14.

Oakland-Craig put together a six-plus minute drive on their first possession of the third quarter, getting down to the HCC 17. Thomsen was injured on a third down play and would leave the game. Backup QB Grady Gatewood entered the game as the Knights faced a fourth and 10 from the Cedar 17 yard line.

On the fourth down play, Gatewood threw a fade route to the end zone which was caught on a diving attempt by Caden Nelson. The two-point conversion made the score 22-19 in favor of Oakland-Craig with 4:07 left in the third.

HCC drove to the O-C 42 before being forced to punt.

The Knights put together another long drive, nearly seven minutes, and ended the drive on a four-yard scoring run by Nelson. The two-point try misses and Oakland-Craig led 28-19 with 3:36 left in the game.

The Knights tried a squib kick on the kick off, which was scooped up by Keiser for HCC, and returned over 70 yards for a touchdown. The PAT was good and with 3:20 left in the game, O-C led 28-26.

O-C was forced to punt after a three-and-out, and the Trojans took over on their own 36 for the potential game winning drive.

HCC got inside the O-C 40, before the Knights’ Jaron Meyer intercepted a pass with 1:35 left to go. The Knights were able to run out the remainder of the clock, sealing the victory. The final score was Oakland-Craig 28, Hartington Cedar Catholic 26.

What a great play Gatewood made on the touchdown pass. Way to step up Grady!!!!!!!

Oakland-Craig remains undefeated at 10-0, and will host Doniphan-Trumbull (9-1) in the C2 quarterfinals Friday night.

The Cardinals beat Centennial 22-14 at home last week in the first round.

These two have met in the playoffs recently with the Knights winning.

I look for Oakland-Craig to win this game as well.

I feel Cedar Catholic was tougher than Doniphan-Trumbull.

I just don't think the Cardinals have played that challenging of a schedule..

All of their regular season opponents finished below .500 except for Centura.

Doniphan-Trumbull is still tough and in the playoffs for a reason, but I feel like the Knights will have an easier time with Cardinals than they did the Trojans.

That's of course if Thomsen is back from injury for Oakland-Craig.

I look for the Knights' line play and run game to be too much for the Cardinals to handle.

Oakland-Craig has a really good run game with Thomsen, Meyer, and Ian Lundquist.

Add South Dakota State commit Wyatt Seagren at tight end and you have an extremely good team, which the Knights are.

Oakland-Craig would play either David City Aquinas or St. Paul in the State Semifinals next Friday if they win this Friday, and both of those teams are incredible as well.

The Knights have to worry about getting past Doniphan-Trumbull first though.

Oakland-Craig has to be locked and dialed in Friday night, and must be ready to take it to the Cardinals for four quarters.

I think the Knights could win this game big and going away.

If Oakland-Craig can get off to the type of fast and dominating start they've got off to for most of the season then they should be in fantastic shape.

The Knights are at home, and have to come out and dominate and defend their home field.

Oakland-Craig can definitely do it too, they just have to go out there and light a fire under themselves like they have all year long.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Oakland.

Howells-Dodge rolls Homer in playoff opener

The Howells-Dodge Football Team blew out Homer 52-12 in the opening round of the playoffs Thursday night.

Here is the scoring recap:

First Quarter
HD - 5:45 Levi Belina 1 yard run (Belina run)
HD - 4:33 Jacob Tomcak 6 yard pass to Levi Belina (Lance Brester run)
HD - 3:55 Levi Belina 2 yard run (conversion failed)
Homer - 2:12 #4 9 yard pass to #8 (conversion failed)

Second Quarter
HD - 6:35 Jacob Tomcak 24 yard pass to Charlie Dvorak (Levi Belina run)
HD - 0:55 Jacob Tomcak 17 yd pass to Levi Belina (conversion failed)

Third Quarter
HD - 7:35 Jacob Tomcak 23 yard pass to Charlie Dvorak (Lance Brester run)
Homer - 4:43 #4 11 yard pass to #10 (conversion failed)

Fourth Quarter
HD - Levi Belina 58 yard run (Lance Brester run)

Belina had 219 yards rushing on 30 carries, and scored three touchdowns. Brester had 84 yards rushing on 11 carries.

Tomcak was 6-7 passing for 76 yards with four touchdowns.

The Jaguars had 383 yards of total offense, including 307 on the ground.

The defense gave up 209 yards of total offense, and held the Knights to -20 yards rushing.

Head Coach Mike Speirs says the run game and the team's defense allowed them to win the game. "We were able to build a lead by running the ball effectively on offense and by playing sound defense. Homer only had one designed run play in the first 3 quarters so we had to play very sound pass defense. Other than a couple of breakdowns we were able to do that."

Howells-Dodge (9-0) hosts Lutheran High Northeast (6-3) in the second round of the playoffs Wednesday night.

The Eagles defeated Nebraska City Lourdes 56-52 at home Thursday night in the opening round.

The Jaguars beat LHNE 50-27 in Norfolk in the regular season.

I look for Howells-Dodge to take care of business once again and advance to the Quarterfinals.

Speirs says the battle in the trenches will be key. "We are going to have to be sound in the offensive line. LHNE has some key players back from injury and we will need to perform at our best to be competitive with them. We need our defense to be sound against their run game."

Belina has really stepped up in Luke Rocheford's absence, according to Coach Speirs. "Levi has really found his stride as a running back over the last 3 weeks. He has had to shoulder the load with Luke Rocheford being injured and Levi has done that very well. Levi has developed into a back we can give the ball to 30 times a game if we need to."

It will be interesting to see if Rocheford is back this week.

If he is those two figure to be a dynamic duo.

I think the Jaguars will win this one by at least 2 or 3 touchdowns.

The game being in Howells really benefits Howells-Dodge I feel.

The Jaguars won in Norfolk the last time so I don't see why they can't win at home over the Eagles as well.

Of course it's never easy to beat a team twice in the same season, but that is exactly what Howells-Dodge will try and do Wednesday night.

It should happen for the Jaguars too, Howells-Dodge just has to go out there and make it happen.

The winner gets either Osceola-High Plains or Creighton in the Quarterfinals, and if it's the Bulldogs the Jaguars would get them at home.

Those two teams pose a tough threat no doubt, but Howells-Dodge has to worry about getting past LHNE first.

The Eagles can't be taken lightly or for granted because they can score points.

The Jaguars will have to be up to the task defensively of slowing them down.

Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. in Howells.

Clarkson/Leigh smashes Riverside in opening round of playoffs

The Clarkson/Leigh Football Team hammered Riverside 58-6 at home in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night.

The Patriots led 18-0 at the end of one and 34-6 at halftime.

Clarkson/Leigh outscored the Chargers 24-0 in the 4th quarter.

Lance Paprocki had 163 yards rushing on 25 carries and four touchdowns. Eli Hays added 91 yards on the ground on 16 carries, and scored twice.

Carter Hanel made 10 tackles while Isaak Wiese had 9. Drew Beeson notched 8.

The Patriots amassed 301 yards of total offense, including 282 on the ground.

Head Coach Jim Clarkson discusses what won his team the game. "Our defense is playing really well right now along with our offensive line, those two things are what allowed us to win the game on Thursday."

Clarkson adds Paprocki was ready to breakout. "Lance has done a really nice job all year, we did have a game plan that was QB run heavy and he was up for the challenge. That kind of performance hopefully will help him have the confidence to reach his full potential."

The Patriots (7-2) battle undefeated Falls City Sacred Heart (9-0) in the second round of the playoffs at Jug Brown Stadium in Falls City on Wednesday in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Irish thumped Diller-Odell 60-6 at home in Thursday night's first round.

Clarkson says his team has to continue doing what they've been doing to be successful. "In order to compete with the Irish we have to stick with the model that has gotten us this far. That is the model that I mentioned earlier about Defense and Offensive line play. If we play well in those areas we will give ourselves a chance to advance."

I think the Patriots have a chance to compete in this one and perhaps pull the upset.

Clarkson/Leigh has been playing great football lately, and is a very good and tough team.

Clarkson says his team anticipates the matchup and hopes to spring the upset. "It would a huge step for our program. We have had some good teams and good seasons but taking the next step requires beating teams like Sacred Heart. We have seen two of the best teams in the State earlier this season, and we have improved a lot since then so now we will find out if we improved enough, Can't wait!"

The Patriots lost 42-14 to Howells-Dodge and 52-0 to Humphrey St. Francis earlier this season.

I think Clarkson/Leigh is a much better team now than they were then though.

And by much better I mean it.

I think the Patriots started to really figure out with the start of the Pender game.

I feel Clarkson/Leigh can go down there and hold their own.

The Patriots are a really good team, but Falls City Sacred Heart is the cream of the crop.

The Irish are always in state championship games and so beating them would be an incredible and amazing feat.

Clarkson/Leigh can become great and upset them though.

Anyone can be beat on any given day.

The Patriots are a solid football team, and I look for Clarkson/Leigh to do and perform well and admirably on Wednesday.

The winner gets either Bloomfield or Hartington-Newcastle in the Quarterfinals, and neither of those teams figure to be easy to beat either should the Patriots get that far.

Kickoff from Falls City is set for 4:00 p.m. with pregame at 3:30 on the Bull.

Wisner-Pilger loses opening round playoff game to Creighton

The Wisner-Pilger Football Team lost 56-32 at home to Creighton in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night.

Difficult loss for the Gators, who end their year at 7-2.

Tough way to go out, especially after starting the season 7-0.

The Bulldogs know what it's like to win in the playoffs though, and I look for Creighton to make a run.

Wisner-Pilger says goodbye to a very talented senior class that includes the likes of Cole Jacobsen, Trevor Styskal, Colby Heller, Dylan Kneifl, Justin Pieper, Gavin Lampman, Mason Dimon, Dylan Uhing, and Tijs Heuvelmans.

These kids will be sorely missed without a doubt given how much they meant to Gator Football.

Key returners include Klay Koehlmoos, Regan Bellar, Cole Hawk, Bo Ruskamp, Marqus Eddy, and Landon Beaver.

Lots of talent returning for Wisner-Pilger.

It will be interesting to see if the Gators stay in 8-man or move back up to 11-man.

Either way Wisner-Pilger has to feel good about how the last two years of gone and where this program is heading.

That should inspire and motivate the returning players and newcomers to lift often and work hard in the offseason.

The Gators definitely have what it takes to continue their success, but they have to keep putting the work in.

Wisner-Pilger has to use the playoff loss to Creighton as motivation to get back and do even better next season.

The Gators lose a lot of talent that won't be easy to replace though.

But all that simply means is new players will have to emerge and step up.

Wisner-Pilger needs a new crop of players to contribute and help carry and shoulder the load next year.

The Gators need to find and develop some leaders and key contributors in the offseason as they get ready for next year.

GACC loses to BDS in opening round of playoffs

SHICKLEY – The #15 Guardian Angels Central Catholic football team lost 42-20 to #2 Bruning-Davenport-Shickley in the first round of the Class D1 playoffs Thursday night in Shickley.

The Bluejays scored on their first possession of the game on a three-yard run by Noah Hass, and led 8-0 after the first quarter.

GACC extended their lead to 14-0 following a 50-yard run from Hass midway through the second quarter.

BDS used nearly five minutes of clock on their next drive, which ended on a four-yard scoring run from Dalton Kleinschmidt, making the score 14-6 GACC late in the second.

The Bluejays then drove down to the BDS nine yard line, but a trick pass play was intercepted in the end zone, and BDS ran out the remaining clock, making the score 14-6 GACC at halftime.

BDS came out hot in the third quarter, scoring 22 unanswered points, and took a 28-14 lead after three.

The Eagles added two scores in the fourth quarter, and led 42-14 with 6:50 left to go.

The Eagles offense was aided by three Bluejay turnovers in the second half, an interception and two fumbles.

GACC put one more drive together, and Cody Steffen plunged in the end zone from one yard out with 1:57 to go. The two point conversion missed, and the score was 42-20 BDS.

An onside kick attempt by GACC failed, and BDS ran out the clock, preserving the final score of BDS 42, GACC 20.

The Bluejays end their season at 4-5 overall.

Definitely not a Central Catholic like year, but I felt the Bluejays got better at the end of the season.

Steffen finished the season with 848 yards rushing while Hass added 641.

Blake Pojar led the team with 83 tackles.

GACC says goodbye to Hass, Damon Crawford, Mitchell Peatrowsky, Casey Doernemann, Pojar, and Aaron Disher.

Some very good talent lost from this team that will have to be replaced.

Key returners include Steffen, Cash Meier, Jaryn Smeal, Noah Kreikemeier, and Coy Kreikemeier.

Some good players returning, but the Bluejays have a lot of work to do to get back to where this program is used to and belongs.

GACC has to get in the weightroom and lift hard this offseason if they want to be successful.

I was very surprised the Bluejays struggled as much as they did this year.

GACC needs to put in the hard work to get back to where they once were.

New players have to emerge and step up for this team next year.

The Bluejays are losing a lot up front so some new players will have to step up on the line.

GACC can definitely be a force to be reckoned with next year, but they have to put in the time and effort in the offseason.

Success doesn't come easy, and champions are made between December and July.

Champions aren't made from August to November.

I look for the Bluejays to have a bounce back year next year and do well.

It will be interesting to see who all GACC plays in the next two-year cycle.

The Bluejays need to be intense and feel the burn when they lift this offseason.

GACC has to play the game as much as possible as well before August, and enjoy doing it in the process.

Pender falls to Bloomfield in opening round of playoffs

The Pender Football Team lost 54-16 at Bloomfield in the first round of the playoffs Thursday night.

The Pendragons trailed 24-0 after one and 54-0 at halftime.

Pender scored all their points in the 4th quarter.

Dylan Vogt had 57 yards rushing on 15 carries while making 9 tackles.

The Pendragons had 164 yards of total offense, including 147 on the ground, while the Bees totaled 396 yards of offense with 237 coming on the ground.

It appears Pender was simply outmatched in this one.

The Pendragons end the season at 4-5.

A respectable season by Pender as a whole I would say.

The Pendragons had a new coach and made the playoffs once again, and that's big for this program.

Vogt finished with over 1,000 yards rushing and Caleb Trimble was over 600.

Pender says goodbye to Larry McManigal, Austin Roth, Eric Hathaway, and Nike Ritschel.

Four players who will be missed for sure, but the Pendragons have to be excited for the future with all the talent they return.

Key returners include Vogt, Jacob Bruns, Trimble, Jaxon Mrsny, Jaxon Maise, Lucas Timm, and Colton Sanderson.

I think Pender has an opportunity to be very successful and good once again next season.

The Pendragons have to work their tails off this offseason though, and grow in every aspect.

Pender has to get bigger, faster, and stronger and better at the game.

The Pendragons have to bulk up in the offseason and burn that fat.

Pender's players have to be well oiled machines ready to take on anyone they play.

The Pendragons have to develop a pipeline and keep the excellence going.

Pender has already started a tradition of making the playoffs and has to keep that going.

The Pendragons have to want to do more than get past the first round next year though.

It will be interesting to see what happens next year with the new two-year cycle and everything.

Pender has to take the bull by the horns this offseason.

Only the Pendragons control their destiny and what they can be next season.

Pender has to put in a ton of work and work extremely hard over the course of the offseason to be ready for next year.

The Pendragons can definitely be a force to be reckoned with once again next year too but they need to have a good offseason.

I think it's imperative for Pender to have good weightroom attendance, and work in summer camps, leagues and conditioning around baseball in the summer.

Oakland-Craig takes District Crown over BRLD

The Oakland-Craig Football Team won the C2-2 District Championship over BRLD in Lyons Friday night as the Knights earned a 40-30 victory.

The Wolverines held a 30-24 lead in the 3rd quarter, but the Knights put up 16 points in the 4th quarter and held BRLD scoreless to earn the come from behind win.

The Wolverines led 12-8 at the end of one and 24-16 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig won the 3rd quarter 8-6.

Jaron Meyer had 10 carries for 124 yards and a touchdown. Ian Lundquist had 19 carries for 105 yards and two touchdowns.

Colton Thomsen was 5-8 passing for 100 yards.

Tom Maline made 9 tackles while Blake Johnson had 8. Thomsen and Laurence Brands each totaled 7.

The Knights racked up 431 yards of total offense, including 331 on the ground.

The defense gave up 405 yards of total offense, 249 coming through the air.

Head Coach Joe Anderson on the win. "It was great for our kids to be in that situation. I wanted to see how they would respond when things were not going great. I felt we played a really strong 4th quarter. We put some great drives together on offense and then got two big stops on defense. Yes, we were able to win a district title, but more importantly it made us a better team going into the playoffs. BRLD is a very talented team, and they were able to expose some weaknesses that we can now fix before next week."

Oakland-Craig (9-0) plays host to Hartington Cedar Catholic (5-4) in the opening round of the playoffs Friday night in action that will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

The Trojans dismantled Stanton 56-7 on the road in Thursday night's regular season finale.

The Knights whooped up on Cedar Catholic 50-13 at home in the 2nd game of the season.

Anderson says the Trojans are a different team now than they were then. "Hartington CC will be a tremendous challenge. Last time we played them, they were not at full strength and things kind of snowballed on them. They now have their all-state RB back and their whole team is playing really well. They have 2 of the best players in all of C2 with their RB and their lineman. I feel they are a top 10 team again now. They are always a very well coached team and they play really physical. It will be important for us to keep them from hitting the big plays and offense we must execute well and limit our mistakes."

I feel like the Trojans are kind of hit and miss.

Cedar Catholic will play lights out in some games and win some ugly.

Case in point the Trojans hammered Norfolk Catholic 34-7 and lost 21-14 to David City Aquinas, but only beat Crofton 13-7 and David City 20-18.

Granted NC wasn't the same this year and David City is much improved, but still the Trojans have been up and down the entire season although since losing to BRLD and Oakland-Craig early in the season without their star running back they've only lost a couple of close games and won the rest.

So I really think this game hinges on which Cedar Catholic team shows up.

If it's anything like the first time around then Oakland-Craig should win big going away.

But if the Trojans have anything to say about things this time around then it will be an absolute great game and barn burner.

It really could be too.

I want to say the Knights are going to win, but if Cedar Catholic plays lights out then they could win.

The winner gets either Centennial or Doniphan-Trumbull in next Friday night's Quarterfinals, both teams Oakland-Craig has faced in the playoffs in recent years.

If the Knights win and the Broncos win then Centennial hosts Oakland-Craig next Friday night in the Quarterfinals.

That would be a dandy of a ball game, but the Knights have to worry about getting past the Trojans first, and Centennial has to beat the Cardinals as well.

Kickoff from Oakland is set for 7:00 p.m. on the Bull.

BRLD loses District Championship Showdown to Oakland-Craig

The C2-2 District Championship was on the line in Lyons Friday night with BRLD coming up short to Oakland-Craig, losing 40-30.

The Wolverines held a 30-24 lead in the 3rd quarter, but the Knights put up 16 points in the 4th quarter and held BRLD scoreless to earn the come from behind win.

The Wolverines led 12-8 at the end of one and 24-16 at halftime.

O-C won the 3rd quarter 8-6.

Will Gatzemeyer was 15-22 passing for 249 yards and two touchdowns.

Jaxon Johnson hauled in 5 passes for 121 yards, and scored once. Dylan Beutler had 5 catches for 99 yards and a score.

Gatzemeyer added 78 yards rushing on 14 carries, including two touchdowns. Kobe Lyons had 78 yards on the ground on 28 carries, and scored once.

Gatzemeyer made 22 tackles while Derek Petersen had 13. Gus Gomez and Kayden Henneman each had 8 while Luke Ronnfeldt made 7.

BRLD had 405 yards of total offense, including 249 through the air.

The defense gave up 431 yards, including 331 on the ground.

Tough loss for the Wolverines after holding the lead the entire game. BRLD still played well though I thought, it's just Oakland-Craig is that good.

BRLD (8-1) hosts Wilber-Clatonia (7-2) in the opening round of the playoffs in Bancroft Friday night.

Wilber-Clatonia shutout Malcolm 35-0 on the road in Friday night's regular season finale.

Wilber-Clatonia lost 23-21 at Fremont Bergan earlier in the season while BRLD won 42-36 over the Knights in Fremont a couple weeks back.

I think that and the fact that BRLD is at home gives them the advantage.

I'm willing to bet BRLD will be pretty upset about losing the late lead to Oakland-Craig as well.

I'm sure BRLD feels like they have some work to do in the playoffs, and have payback on their minds.

BRLD has to come out and play a complete football game from start to finish Friday night.

Wilber-Clatonia's defense has been lights out the last 6 weeks, only allowing 6 total points, including 5 shutouts.

Granted Wilber-Clatonia didn't beat any powerhouses or anything like that, but they are still a very solid team.

BRLD needs to be on top of their game to win this one.

I look for BRLD to be in full playoff mode come Friday night.

I think they will play well and win.

It would potentially set up a matchup against North Bend Central in North Bend in the Quarterfinals next Friday.

That would be a dandy of a game, but first things first, BRLD has to take care of business against Wilber-Clatonia.

I think the way BRLD has been challenged all year long will really pay off for them in this one.

Some of the best Football is played in Northeast Nebraska, and I look for BRLD to find a way to advance to the Quarterfinals.

All that matters this time of year is that you win, it doesn't matter how pretty or how ugly.

Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. in Bancroft.

North Bend Central downs David City to win District Title

The North Bend Central Football Team won 32-25 at David City Friday night in the regular season finale to claim the C2-4 District Championship.

Here is Head Coach Ryan Stieren to break things down:

We took the first drive 69 yards for a Touchdown capped by a Breckin Peters Touchdown reception which broke the school record for touchdown catches. We stopped them on their first drive but fumbled our punt return. They took over at our 10 yard line and scored a couple plays later. Then, Allan Orellana took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. We took a 25-12 lead into the half but they battled back in the 2nd half to tie it 25-25 but with 3 minutes left in the game we drove 65 yards and scored on 5 yard TD run by Austin Endorf to seal the game.

Endorf was 21-31 passing for 189 yards and a touchdown. Peters had 9 receptions for 58 yards and a TD.

Ethan Mullally had 131 yards rushing on 26 carries, and scored once.

Cody Pospisil had 10 tackles while Cole Johnson and Ian Virka made 8 apiece. Peters and Gavin Peterson totaled 7 each.

Stieren on the win. "We didn't deserve to win this game but good teams win ugly and that's what we did tonight. We had at least 8 dropped passes, 1 of which was intercepted by the opposing team. We fumbled a punt return to give them the ball deep in our territory and we allowed them to break off a big explosive play. But, at the end of the day we won the district championship which is huge for our program."

North Bend Central (8-1) plays host to North Platte St. Pat's (6-3) in the first round of the playoffs Friday night.

The Irish drilled Gordon-Rushville 62-7 at home in Friday night's regular season finale.

The two teams have one common opponent in Grand Island Central Catholic.

The Tigers beat the Crusaders 24-17 in overtime at home while North Platte St. Pat's lost 28-7 to GICC on the road.

The Irish only lost 17-7 to top seeded Sutton in their season opener though so you know they can play some football.

North Platte St. Pat's won their last 6 games after losing their first three.

With that said, North Bend Central has played and beaten some very good teams, and we all know how good Football and High School Sports are in this part of the State.

So based on that I look for the Tigers to win and advance.

North Bend Central has to play like they did against Aquinas and Shelby-Rising City though, not David City.

Anyone can be beat on any given night, and the Tigers have to realize and understand that.

The winner gets either BRLD or Wilber-Clatonia in the Quarterfinals next Friday night.

It would be a tough game against either Wolverine team, but North Bend Central has to focus on and worry about beating North Platte St. Pat's first.

The Tigers have to defend their home field and beat the Irish.

It's a long road trip and bus ride to North Bend from North Platte, and the Tigers have to make sure it's a long trip home for the Irish Friday night.

NBC has to get pumped and fired up and try and go out there and win a playoff game this year.

The Tigers got there last year, now North Bend Central has to take that next step and win a game.

It will be really interesting to see how this one goes.

I think the Tigers could win big, or it could be a close game, but either way I look for NBC to find a way to win.

Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in North Bend.

GACC routs Winnebago in regular season finale

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Football Team routed Winnebago 80-16 at home Friday night in the regular season finale.

The win propelled the Bluejays to the playoffs as the 15 seed in the East.

GACC (4-4) takes on BDS (8-0) in the first round of the playoffs in Shickley Thursday night in action that can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

The Eagles concluded the regular season with a 60-12 win at Thayer Central Friday night.

BDS is kind of a strange team in that some of their wins have been blowouts and some have been close games/wins.

This isn't your typical 2/15 matchup either.

I feel the Bluejays have been playing their best football of the year over the last 3-4 weeks.

GACC has a lot of momentum coming into this game, and has to be feeling pretty good about where they're at right now.

If there's a team that can go on the road and pull off a monumental upset it is the Bluejays.

GACC has to feel very optimistic about their chances of doing so on Thursday.

I'm excited to go down to Shickley and call the game with Joel.

I look for the Bluejays to hold their own and put forth a great, amazing, and fantastic effort.

GACC has to play an incredible game and give it their all and all they got Thursday night.

Win or lose, I look for the Bluejays to play well and with class.

Casey Doernemann has to create some huge lanes in the run game, and blow some BDS Eagles off the ball.

GACC has to be very physical up front, and must be able to run the ball as well as stop the run.

BDS is notoriously a very good team, and this year is no exception.

The Bluejays' record is deceiving though.

GACC is a much better team than their 4-4 record.

If the Bluejays had played the way they did in the second half of the season in the first part of the season then I feel GACC could of and would of won a couple more games in the regular season.

Better late than never though as the Bluejays are playing good Football right now.

Kickoff from Shickley is set for 6:00 p.m. on the Bull.