The 1000 Yard Guy

Elgin/Pope John QB, Ross Schindler is off to the races.

Anybody who follows Nebraska high school football religiously knows about the “Magic Circle.” It’s that imaginary circle that starts around Howells and highway 91, stretches north to Bloomfield, west to Elgin and back down to highway 91 ending at Albion.  In that circle lies some of the roughest, toughest, tradition-rich football teams in the entire state.  There have been more state championships claimed by teams in this circle than almost anywhere else, especially form the 8-Man ranks.  Unbeaten and #1 ranked Kenesaw found out the hard way how these teams play football as Elgin/Elgin Pope John came to town and ended the Blue Devil’s D-1 state title hopes with a resounding 40-26 victory.  The invaders for The Magic Circle sprinted to a 20-0 halftime lead and never looked back.

Kenesaw, who was coming off a 52-22 pasting of previously unbeaten Garden County, was forced out of their quick striking run game and never recovered. Kenesaw’s All-State quarterback candidate, junior Tyler Schnitzler had made shambles of that Garden County defense by rushing for 297 yards and 8 touchdowns just 6 days ago.  But the hard hitting defense of the newly merged Elgin teams never let the speedy Schnitzler get untracked, limiting him to just 41 yards on 14 carries and forcing him into unwanted passing situations.  The Wolfpack “D” forced Schnitzler, who had attempted only 7 passes a game, into a second half come from behind offense that made things uncomfortable to say the least.  The Blue Devil signal caller, under constant pressure, could connect on only 5 of 18 passes for 89 yards as Kenesaw’s title hopes were dashed.

After the teams exchanged punts to open the game, Elgin/Pope John marched 52 yards in 7 plays for their 1st score.  Hard running fullback Blake Anderson, who is only 5-8 and 155 pounds, blasted in from the 5 yard line carrying Blue Devils with him.  The Wolfpack scored again in the 1st quarter when 155 pound QB Ross Schindler completely fooled the Kenesaw “D” and nailed Grant Beckman with a 25 yard scoring strike.  Nash Schindler added the 2 point conversion run and Elgin/Pope John had was in the lead 14-0 after the 1st quarter and the Blue Devils were in shock.

Elgin/Elgin John John applied a dagger right before the halftime break that really put Kenesaw behind the 8 ball.  Gaining possession of the ball on their own 15 with a minute 15 left, QB Ross Schindler pitched the ball to cousin Nash Schindler on a sweep right.  Lightweight fullback Grant Anderson, leading the play, then delivered one of the most vicious blocks I have witnessed the entire season, flattening 1000 yard rusher Gavin Robinson, springing Nash Schindler for a 46 yard run that carried to the Kenesaw 19.  Anderson the took the ball for 11 yards, then 3, and with only 13 ticks left in the half Ross Schindler hit Andrew Heitoff with a 7 yard TD pass.  The Wolfpack went to the break with a 20-0 advantage.

Kenesaw came out with a vengeance in the second and drove the field 65 yards for a score on their opening possession.  Gavin Robinson took it in for the score from the 5, cutting the lead to 20-6.  The drive was aided by a 15 yard penalty on Elgin/Pope John.  The Kenesaw fire was quickly extinguised on the next series when the Wolfpack, facing a 3rd and 8 on their own 17 caught Kenesaw napping.  Ross Schindler found cousin Nash alone in the flat and floated a pass that #1 grabbed and danced 63 yards for a score.  Just like that, the Elgin/Pope John was was back up to a 28-6.  But after holding Kenesaw to a 3 and out, Nash Schindler lost the handle fielding the punt, and the Devils recoved it on the Wolfpack 29 and were back in business.

It took only 7 plays to have 215 pound FB Cogan Thompson bull over for a 2 yard touchdown.  Robinson hit the end zone for a 2 point conversion run and Kenesaw was back withing two scores, 28-14 with 2:46 left in the 3rd quarter.  But Elgin/Pope John delivered what appeared to be a knock-out blow on the next series.  The invaders from the Magic Circle consumed the next 7:32 on a 14 play drive that ended with Nash Schindler scoring from the two.  With 7:09 left in the game, and the Wolfpack leading 34-14, the hill to victory looked a little steep to climb for the Blue Devils but when a team is 11-0 and in the semi finals…..there is a reason.

Kenesaw scored on a Gavin Robinson 1 yard plunge with 6:08 on the clock, then halted a Wolfpack drive on the Blue Devil 24.  Tyler Schnitzler completed only 2 of 7 passes on the next possession, but that was all it took for Kenesaw to score.  A 32 yard strike to Robinson went from the Kenesaw 24 to the Elgin/Pope John 24, then Schnitzler bulleted a 24 yard scoring strike to Zane Woodman with 2:25 left in the contest.  Could Kenesaw make the impossible comeback?  It certainly looked like it when Elgin/Elgin Pope John faced a 3rd and 9 at their own 31 yard line.

With 1:30 left and a certain passing situation facing them, Wolfpack coach Carlee Wells went to his slippery quarterback for the kill.  Ross Schindler put the ball in the gut of FB Blake Anderson, pulled it out and followed Nash Schindler as right side of the line sealed off the Kenesaw defense.  Schindler sprinted to the Blue Devil 2 yard line and the Wolfpack forced Kenesaw to call their final timeout.  Ross Schindler took a knee to kill more time, then the crafty Wells called a time out with just 7 ticks left in the game.  Ross Schindler then followed his offensive line in for the final touchdown of the semi final contest and the Wolfpack punched their ticket to the Class D-1 State finals to face defending champion West Point Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

It was a heart wrenching loss for Craig Schnitzler’s Kenesaw squad, who had rolled over their first 11 opponents, outscoring them 632-155.  The Blue Devils, who did not attempt one pass in the quarterfinal win over Garden County, was forced out of their game plan by the defensive wizards from Elgin/Elgin Pope John.  Nash Schindler led the way for the Wolfpack with 141 yards on 24 carries and 2 touchdowns.  Fullback Blake Anderson added 73 yards on 20 touches and quarterback Ross Schindler chipped in 94 yards on just 10 totes.  Elgin/Pope John shocked Kenesaw by completing 4 0f 7 passes for 108 yards, but three of those completions were for touchdowns.  Kenesaw’s potent rushing game was held to 156 yards, 104 of those came from hard running senior Gavin Robinson (on 23 carries).  Both Schnitzler and Robinson finished the season with over 1000 yards rushing.  Schnitzler finished with an unofficial total of 1,343 and Robinson, 1,120 yards.  Nash Schindler of Elgin/Elgin Pope John also went over the 1000 yard mark a week ago.

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*Kenesaw head coach Craig Schnitzler should know a little about that “Magic Circle.”  His father, Bob Schnitzler, put together an 11-Man Class C-1 dynasty at Battle Creek in the 80′s and early 90′s.  The elder Schnitzler’s Battle Creek teams had 13 straight playoff appearances form 1984 through 1996, winning C-1 titles in 1981, ’86, ’87 and 1992.  The now retired Bob Schnitzler won 293 football games in his illustrious career and is the 3rd winningest coach in Nebraska history.

*Elgin/Elgin Pope John beat Creighton 52-20 in the opening game of the 2011 season.  Their D-1 state final opponent West Point GACC,  beat that same team 34-28 just a few hours ago.  We’ll see how that score comparison plays out next Monday a little after noon.

The Elkhorn Antlers used their size and deep roster to defeat an upstart Hastings Adams Central 41-7 Friday night in a Class B semi final game played at Hastings College.  Elkhorn head coach Mark Wortman played the numbers game well with his deep roster and wore down the Patriots, who basically have  seemed like Class C-1 school playing in Class B all season long.   The senior laden Antlers front line moved the ball at will and bulldozed their way into a Class B State Final rematch with Crete, who defeated powerful Gretna, 20-15.

Patriot coach Bill Carlin indicated he was concerned about the depth of Wortman’s forces and it showed in the second half when Antlers took away the strong running game of Jake Fowler and pressured quarterbacks Kyle Goldenstein and Creighton Reed when they attempted to throw.  Elkhorn’s defensive front line “fearsome foursome” of Matt Odell (285), Clay Cameron (250), Chase Burresh (265), and gigantic Payton Lange (10 feet tall and 220 pounds), made life miserable for Adams Central once they figured out how to stop the outstanding running of Fowler.  The Patriots made a game of it in the first half, moving the ball very well, but just could not finish drives when the Elkhorn defense got stingy.

Elkhorn won the opening coin toss, took the ball, and proceeded to move it down the field with a 9 play, 72 yard march.  Thousand yard rusher Graham Nabity took a pitch and cruised around right end 21 yards for the score.  Sophomore QB/kicker Colin Stiles sky ed the point after through the uprights and it was 7-0 in a heartbeat.  Adams Central went right to work on their first possession, feeding the ball to the hard running Jake Fowler who ripped off gains of 13, 11 and 4 yards to the Antler 45.  Kyle Goldenstein then lofted a perfect spiral forty three yards down field, but it was about 6 inches short and was picked off by Elkhorn’s Austin Alfrey at the 3.

The Antlers, who are not known for their passing game,  then sucked the Patriot defense in on an apparent sweep play and QB Daniel Feickert pulled up and found Michael Weber in the flat.  The 225 pound Weber then sprinted 48 yards to the AC 16 yard line.  Two plays later, Feickert handed the ball to powerful FB Cole Bowdino (220 pounds), who rambled to the Adams Central 1 yard line, headed for an apparent score.  A Patriot defender poked the ball loose and AC averted a TD by recovering the Bowdino fumble on the Patriot one foot line.

Jake Fowler looked sharp on the next drive, bursting off tackle for gains of 4, 5, 5, and 22 yards but the drive stalled at the Elkhorn 40 after 2 incomplete passes.  After a punt to the Antler 19, it took only 5 plays for Wortman’s machine to score.  Nabity had the key run in the short drive, slipping around right end and galloping for 49 yards.  QB Feichert took it the last 5 yards for the score and it was 14-0 with 8:49 left in the half.  Adams Central then put together a drive that looked like they were going to stay in this ball game.  The Patriots mixed the run and the pass well, moving the ball on a 17 play drive from their own 22 to the Antler 18.  But the bend, don’t break Elkhorn defense stuffed Fowler twice for no gain and that was that.

With only a buck 18 left in the half it appeared Elkhorn might just run out the clock, but Daniel Folckert once again sucked the Patriot “D” into run support and lofted a pass to Chris Weber, who took it 54 yards to the house for a back breaking touchdown with just :18.6 seconds remaining before halftime.  That late score proved to be a fatal blow to Adams Central.

Elkhorn turned Graham Nabity loose on that right side sweep again in the 3rd quarter for a 38 yard score to stretch the lead to 27-0 going into the money quarter.  Second team QB, Derreck Feldman, a 150 pound dynamo smashed in from the 3 to start the 4th quarter to make it 34-0.  Following the Elkhorn kick-off, which Adams Central returned to their own 40, the roof caved in for the Patriots.  On the very first play, Kyle Goldenstein took a direct snap, bobbled the ball and chased it back to the 30.  Hearing the pounding footsteps of a couple Elkhorn defenders, he panicked and inadvertently kick the ball all the way back to the 10, was bulled over by 285 pound Matt Odell, who scooped up the ball without breaking stride and carried it in for the score.  11 seconds after the previous score, the Antlers had another TD on the board, a 41-0 lead and kicked in the running clock.

Adams Central did manage to get one on the board when quarterback Creighton Reed nailed Jesse Ackerman with a short pass.  Ackerman then plowed through the Elkhorn defenders for a sparkling 20 yard score.  Brody Vorderstrasse then coaxed the point after through and the score was 41-7.  Elkhorn then ran out the clock for the semi final victory and punched their ticket to the Class B State Championship.

Graham Nabity led the way on ther ground for Elkhorn with 134 yards on just 10 carries and 2 touchdowns.  Nabity now has 1,398 going into the Finals.  The Antlers rushed for 339 yards as a team with burly, but speedy fullback Cole Bowdino adding 71-9.  Elkhorn’s Daniel Folckert attempted only 4 passes, completing them all for 122 yards and a TD.  Adams Central’s Jake Fowler, a junior, rushed for 103 yards on 22 tries and the quarterback tandem of Goldenstein and Reed combined to throw for 108 yards on 11 of 25 passing.  The Patriots ended up with only 183 total yards with the QB sacks and the 40 yard loss on the Goldenstein play taking away from the positive yard total.

Elkhorn advances to the big game with an 11-1 record.  Their only setback was a 28-14 loss to Gretna.  The Patriots close the 2011 campaign with an 8-4 record and a very, very good season by any one’s terms.

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*This AC team is young and if this bunch drops to Class C-1 next season, they should be a mean handfull for anybody in that Class.  Coach Bill Carlin has done a magnificent job with this team, and to know you are going to be outnumbered gane in and game out and still compete and beat teams like McCook is nothing short of amazing.  Remember, this AC team almost beat Aurora and had defending champion Crete on the ropes before falling only 26-16.  Hats off to the Patriots for a great season.

*Next week’s Class B title game is a rematch of 2010 when the Cardinals blasted the Antlers 34-0.  This year will not be a repeat I can promise you that much, but Crete always seems to find a way to win.  You do not fashion a 25 game winning streak without that attribute, but we’ll see what Mark Wortman has up his sleeve November 21st at around 7:15 PM at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.  Stay tuned…..

Omaha Central RB, Jackie Davis leads his team to a "W" against GI.

Solid line blocking and the crisp running of junior tailback Jackie Davis brought an end to a story book season to a solid Grand Island football team in the Class A quarterfinals on a blustery Friday night.  The Eagles rode the legs of the shifty, powerful Davis, who ran for 171 yards of 31 carries to defeat the Islanders 34-24 in a battle of two teams that possessed speed unmatched in the state’s top class.  In the end, Central over came 81 yards in penelties and ran an offense that saw quarterback Will Burgess mix in the run and the pass in perfect harmony to advance to a rematch with number 1 Omaha Burke in next Friday’s semi finals.  In the end, it was the athleticism of the Metro’s Omaha Central that finally wore down the Islanders in a match-up that was one of the best of the 2011 high school football season, regardless of class.

The pure athleticism of players like Davis and Mr. Everyhting, Darian Barrientos-Jackson was just a half a shoulder above what the Islanders could handle.  Omaha Central was poised to have a breakout season a year ago and have seemed to improve with each game this year, but Grand Island countered with their own standout athletes like D-1 quarterback prospect Ryker Fyfe, and speed merchants, Will Bamesburger and Sam Foltz, and Justin English.  But it was the line blocking of the Eagles that wore down GI in that second half, just as Lincoln Southeast did.  But Grand Island never did “say die” and fought until it was in the books.

Things did not start well for the Islanders on their first possession as they suffered three straight penelites, 2 illegal proceedure calls and a delay of game flag that eventually pushed them back to a punting situation on their own 13  after they advanced to a 2nd and 1 on the 28 yard line.  Central gained great field position when GI had to punt into the stiff south wind on this opening possession.  Starting at the Islander 28, it took only two pops for the Eagles’ Jackie Davis to dash 26 yards for the opening score.  The point after was successful and Central had a 7-0 lead with only 3:02 into the contest.  But Grand Island marched right down the field on it’s next possession and fashioned an 8 play drive that culminated with Ryker Fyfe scrambling to his right, releasing the throw going out of bounds and nailing Sam Foltz in the extreme right corner on the end zone with a 16 yard TD strike.  Brendan Wentling added the point and it was knotted at 7-7.

On Central’s next possession, facing a 4th and 3 at their own 30, the fleet Foltz broke through and blocked the Eagle punt and the Islanders took over with great field possession at the 9 yard line.  Central’s rugged middle stuffed GI on the next three plays, but the trusty Wentling entered and nailed a 21 yard field goal to give the Islanders a 10-7 lead with 4:18 left in thre first.  But the Eagles had a great kick return by sprinter Dennis Barfield to set up shop at the GI 49 yard line.  8 plays later, Will Burgess hit Barrientos-Jackson with a 10 yard scoring pass that saw the 6-2, 190 pound dynamo take a pass in the flat and weave his way through the middle of GI’s “D” for the score.  The Eagles had the first quarter advantage lead 14-10.

In the second stanza,  Will Bamesburger pirated a Will Burgess pass at the Islander 22.  But the Eagles returned the favor when stocky R.J. Jones intercepted an errant Ryker Fyfe pass and returned it all the way to the Islander 9 yard line.  The Islanders would have nothing of this Eagles possession, however.  After a 5 yard motion penelty on Central, Davis was spilled for a 5 yard loss, then BuomLuth Lual fought his way through and spilled Burgess for a 16 yard loss and Central was forced to punt on a rare 4th and goal from the Islander  35.

Later in the quarter, the Eagles gained possession of the ball at the Grand Island 39 yard line with a buck 28 left in the half and proceeded to drive it to the GI 17 with one play remaining.  Will Burgess then threw a jump ball to the 6-2 Barrientos-Jackson in the end zone and he out jumped Will Bamesburger and Sam Foltz for the 17 yard score with just :07.6 ticks left in the half.  Ramsey added the point after kick and Omaha Central’s crucial score right before the half made it 21-10.

Jay Ball decided to pound the rock right at the Islander defensive line in the second half and that’s when 1000 yard rusher Jackie Davis went to work.  Davis, who is also an excellent defensive back for Central, keyed a 12 play, 5 minute and 6 second time consuming drive down the Memorial Stadium artificial turf.  The GI defense took advantage of a controversial call however,  to stop the drive.  What appeared to be an incomplete pass was ruled a catch and fumble by TreDeon Hollins.  A 15 yard unsportsmanlike conduct call on Central gave GI the ball on their own 36 following the turnover.  The Islanders ate up the next 3:23 but had to punt with Central taking over at the Eagle 18.  Central then orchestrated a killer 17 play drive ending with a Jackie Davis 1 yard blast.  Ramsey’s point after try was blocked by Justin English and it was 27-10 Omaha Central with 7:27 left in the money quarter.

The Islanders didn’t throw in the towel and with a drive that started on their own 22, and moved it down the field in a hurry.  The key play was a slick 35 yard completition from Fyfe to Bamesburger.  15 big ones were added on to the play when Central was flagged for roughing the passer. Now at the Eagle 25, Fyfe hit Jacob Cornelius with a 16 yard completion that ended up at the 9.  Another roughing the passer call moved the ball to the 4, then Dylan Urias took it in from there for the score.  Grand Island was back in the game, trailing 27-17.  Another great kick return put Central in business at the Islander 48 and 5 straight carries by the sharp cutting, swivel-hipped Jackie Davis wore down the right side of the Islander defensive line.  A reverse play to, who else, Darien Barrientos-Jackson resulted in a 15 yard score and the crushing blow was delivered with only 2:29 left…..Omaha Central leads – 34-17.

Just as Grand Island had done all season, they turned to the magic of Ryker Fyfe to try to pull off a fairy tale ending.  The rifle-armed Fyfe went to work from his own 35 with 2:21 remianing.  He found Bamesburger for 8, Justin English for 12, Cornelius for 18, another strike for 6, then called his own number and ran for 11 yards, then 6 more for the score, smashing over Central tacklers for the final 5 yards.  Wentling was perfect into the teeth of the gale winds and it was 34-24 with 73 seconds left and only an onside prayer kick to go.  Wentling’s attempt bounced high and sailed harmlessly out of bounds and the Islanders saw a glorious 2011 season expire.  Will Burgess took a knee twice to end the great battle.

It was the superior line blocking of the Eagles, the running of Davis and the athleticism of Barrientos-Jackson and TreDeon Hollins (both standout basketball players) that spelled the difference.  Also the sharp, pinpoint passing of senior quarterback Will Burgess made a huge difference to balance the running game.  Burgess ended the windswept night completing 10-17 passes for 123 yards and 2 TDs.  Barrientos-Jackson hauled in 5 of those throws for 45 yards and 2 scores.  Hollins had 4 receptions for 52 yards.  For Grand Island, Fyfe, who had 70 yards passing at the break, ended up completing 15 of 27 throws for 193 yards and a TD.  The sure-handed Will Bamesburger grabbed 7 receptions for a whopping 112 yards.

Omaha Central coach Jay Ball credited his two defensive ends, Alex Williams (#80) and Davon Stennis (#90) for applying pressure on Ryker Fyfe all evening.  Actually, Fyfe had really not been pressured much the entire season, thanks to the great line blocking of the Islanders.

Omaha Central advances to the Class A semifinals to meet unbeaten and top rated Omaha Burke (11-0)  The Bulldogs handed Central their only loss in the season opener 14-7.  Grand Island closes the season at 9-2 and complete one of the most successful seasons in recent history.

Omaha Central’s  Jackie Davis ran his 2011 rushing total to 1,430 yards.

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*It’s hard to buck history, friends.  Since the high school football playoffs began in 1975, only 4 out-state teams have won a Class A title.  Grand Island won a dandy in 1978 (over Creighton Prep), Hastings in 1993, and Norfolk the next year.  But only once in the past sixteen years has a non-Omaha or non-Lincoln team won an “A” title.  Only Kearney cracked the out-state curse in 2006.  Is it a curse, or is it just the depth and and deep pool of athletes that Metro schools have access to?

I witnessed the amazing talent of this Omaha Central football team after spending a day and night with them last October 15th.  Players like Barrientos-Jackson and TreDeon Hollins are mainstays on a State Championship basketball team that is almost a shoo-in to win it all again this season.  The Barfield boys, Dennis and Devin, both led the Eagles to an easy State Track title last spring.  Even though there are a few Grand Island athletes that measure up to some of these guys in track, there just aren’t enough of them to overcome the depth and athleticism that a team like Central presents, but nobody can ever state that GI did not compete until the end with this Central team that may just win it all this season.

*It was a sight to behold to see two of the best coaches in the state in Jay Ball and Jeff Tomlin exchanging a few thoughts prior to the game Friday.  You can’t find ‘em any better than those two.

*Here’s hoping that official Greg Hardin is alright after being steamrolled by two huge lineman on an play that carried out of bounds.  I’ll bet he’s feeling it today.  Great job for hangin’ in there, Greg.

*It will be a while before you witness this kind of speed from an Islander football team and quarterback Ryker Fyfe may very well end up playing for a Division One football program…….Boise State?

The "Doctors of Pain", Giltner's Drew Ott and Logan Rath

So this is the Giltner squad that didn’t even have 1000 yards rushing as a team during the regular season.  This is the Giltner bunch that averaged 278 yards a game passing…..ya think they’re gonna throw against St. Francis, right…………Wrong.  Coach Jeff Ashby turned the runners loose tonight and with 6-4, 247 pound D-1 recruit Drew Ott and his 247 pound counterpart, Logan Rath leading the “steamroller” brigade blocking machine, and the Hornets rolled Humphrey St. Francis for 363 yards rushing enroute to a 36-26 win in a classic D-2 2nd round playoff game in Giltner.  The Hornets stunned the vaunted Flyer defense with 259 1st half rushing yards as Giltner ran to a 36-14 halftime advantage over a Humphrey SF team that played through a killer 2011 schedule.

It took only one play from scrimmage to let the Flyers know that Giltner could run the ball.  6-2, 192 senior Trevor Poppen skirted left end, and after Ott and Rath rolled two St. Frans defenders, he danced 57 yards for a score.  Poppen then hit Kyle Hawthorne for the 2 point conversion on a broken play and it was an 8-0 lead for the Hornets.   St. Francis answered right back though 3 plays later when 1000 yard rusher Derek Pfeifer rambled 30 yards for a score.  The point after failed and with only 2:53 gone it was already 8-6 Giltner.

The Hornets stuck to the ground game and gave the Flyers a steady diet of misdirection running plays and reverses featuring the hard running, swift Poppen.  After the St. Frans TD, the Hornets put together a 12 play drive that consumed 5:09 seconds, quarterback Jake Findley covering the final 3 yards for the score.  It took only 3 plays for defensive back Dustin Hastings to pick off a Blake Krings ariel and only 3 more for Findley to hit Hastings on a 30 yard scoring play.   The first quarter then ended with the Hornets leading 22-6.

St. Francis did get a nice drive going that began on their own 15, to start the 2nd quarter but it fizzled when Krings suffered his 3rd interception.  Jake Findley picked off the pass on the Giltner 7 yard line to snuff the 11 play drive.  What developed next had to absolutely take the sails out of the vaunted Humphrey SF defense.  Starting on their own 15, QB Jake Findley ran six consecutive option plays, pitching every time to Trevor Poppen.  The first 4 swept to the left, the final two right with Poppen dashing in from the 9.   That stretched the Giltner lead to 28-6.  St. Francis answered in a hurry though when Krings lofted a perfect 67 yard scoring strike to his favorite target, Jake Werner.  Krings found Derek Pfeifer for the 2 point conversion and it was 28-14.

Giltner stuck one more dagger in before halftime when they ran Poppen on the option left 3 more times for 18, 6 and 2 yards.  Drew Ott finally took it in from the one after taking the direct snap.  Findley ran in the 2 point conversion and Giltner had a shocking 36-14 halftime advantage.

Giltner came out and ate up 6:11 on their opening drive, but the Flyers held on 4 straight tries from their 8 yard line.  The quarter ended with no scoring.  When Giltner’s Dustin Hastings picked off Krings’ 5th interception, the game appeared to be pretty much in the books with 7:43 remianing.  But the tradition rich St. Francis team had other ideas.

With only 4:34 left in the game, St. Frans fashioned a 10 play drive that took a time killing 2 minutes 45 seconds.  Blake Krings then hit Derek Pfeifer with an 8 yard scoring strike, the extra point run failed and the score read: Giltner 36-20.  The Flyers executed a perfect onside kick and recovered the ball at the Hornet 37 with a buck 49 left in regulation.  An ill advised holding call almost snuffed the drive, but St. Francis finally scored on the hard-nosed Giltner “D” with only :29.7 seconds left.  The Flyers had one last gasp after trailing 36-26, but the last minute heroics ended when the Hornets pounced on the ensuing onside kick.  Findley took a knee on the final two snaps and the Giltner Hornets completed the signature loud and clear statement that the mighty Howells had better be prepared for next Tuesday’s quarterfinal clash.  It was a game that left many spectators in shock, considering the way the Hornets crushed the Flyer defense with their ground attack.

I do not know how many yards Trevor Poppen had coming into this game, but I do know Kyle Hawthorne had 539 of Giltner’s 989 regular season rushing yards.  Tonight,  Poppen ripped off 203 yards on 19 carries to lead the way for the Hornets.  Hawthorne added 61 yards on 14 tries, Findley had 55 yards on 13 touches, and Drew Ott churned out 46 yards on only 7 attempts, taking the direct snap from the Wildcat formation.  Derek Pfeifer led the way for St. Francis with 84 yards on 14 tries, giving him a final total of 1,177 for the season.  The Hornets threw only 10 times, with Findley completing 5 for 60 yards with a TD and an interception.  Blake Krings was force to throw 33 passes, completing 18 for 234 yards and 2 scores, but suffered 5 interceptions.  When it was all said and done,  the stinging Giltner offense laid 423 total yards on the 8-1 Flyers on this chilly night.

Giltner moves on for a rematch with Howells next Tuesday in Howells.  Last season, the Bobcats eliminated Giltner 40-20 in the D-2 semi-finals.  Howells beat Dodge tonight 44-16 and will may be in for a severe test from this Giltner ball club, who had not been tested until tonight.

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*Tonight, I witnessed why Drew Ott is a Division 1 recruit.  What an intimidating sight it is to see him and 247 pound Logan Rath either staring at you from their linbacker slots or leading a sweep on offense.  Ott is a very special player who has played with fury and no fear the minute he stepped on the field as a freshman

* Credit this proud Humphrey St. Francis football team for never throwing in the towel tonight.  Giltner had a superior game plan and credit that to coach Jeff Ashby.  Two of the best coaches in the state were on the sidelines tonight with Ashby and Flyer head man, Eric Kessler.

*The result of this baby begs the question:  Has somebody finally put together a team that can beat Howells?  Some say that is almost impossible.  I’m betting Giltner thinks otherwise.

*Quote of the night from a sports writer: “If the weather is nasty, Giltner will be forced to run and it will be Maxwell all over again”. (refering to a 14-0 Giltner to Maxwell in a horrible, cold rainstorm 2 years ago)

Omaha Central's Jackie Davis escapes a Lincoln East tackler.

(photo courtesy of Journal-Star)

Two 2nd round high school football playoffs right smack dab in the center of Nebraska highlight a week that couldn’t be scripted any better than this.  Both match-ups could very well be a final at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln……..they’re that good.  And neither will take you more than 20 minutes to reach if you live at my address in Grand Island.

Wednesday night Humphrey St. Francis visits Giltner in a Class D-2 dandy and Friday evening in Class A,  Omaha Central comes to Grand Island to face the Islanders in a game only the football the football gods could have prearranged.  Rarely do second round parings like this occur and when they do it creates many sleepless nights for high school football crazed men like myself.  And the nice thing about it…..I have to leave home less than half an hour to reach my first destination to beat the teams to the dressing room prior to the game.  Is this Heaven?   Without a doubt.

How about a look at both games and what we should expect to witness.  No final score predictions here, these games are just too interesting to care about who wins or loses……just great high school football.  It is a shame someone has to lose but that’s why they play the games.  Let’s break down Omaha Central and Grand Island first:

We’ve had the good fortune to see GI play twice this season (Lincoln SE and Columbus).  I watched Omaha Central play Creighton Prep at Rosenblatt a year ago when I was honored to be able to shadow the Eagles for most of the afternoon leading up to that historic 50th anniversary game.  Even though the youthful Eagles dropped that one to Prep, I could tell Jay Ball had a heck of a football team coming back for the 2011 season.

The chalkboard for both squads:

Rush Offense  Pass Offense  Total Off.   Rush Defense   Pass Defense Total Def.

Omaha Central          274                  106                   380                 141                       69                   210

Grand Island              228                  180                   407                 107                      130                 238

A couple of things here.  On paper,  it appears that GI will have a tough time passing on the Eagles.  An intangible that also enters into that fact is that Grand Island will finally be playing a team that can match-up with the Islander’s speed and few can.  Grand Island gives up almost twice as many passing yards but Central’s Will Burgess only passes around 11 times a game, completing around 6 per contest.  The average yards per completition is 15 per and every 6th one goes for a score.  On the other hand, Ryker Fife’s completitions average about 16 yards per and every 5th one goes for  TD.  Fyfe has completed 104 of 176 for 1,706 yards, so he takes to the air much more often than Burgess,  who is 67-112 for 996 yards this year.  Who wins the passing game?  The million dollar question since both teams have DB’s that are all-state material. 

The running game is solid on both sides.  Central’s game is more focused on junior speedster Jackie Davis, who has run for 1,259 yards on 130 carries.  But don’t forget Quentin Williams who has rushed 72 times for 767 yards.  GI spreads the ball around a bit more when they do the ground game thing.  It’s Justin English and Ryker Fyfe that carry the load, but the Islanders have extra blinding speed if they want to slip the ball to Dylan Urias or Will Bamesburger.  English has rushed for 759 yards on just 76 carries (almost 10/per) and the super-shifty Fyfe has run for 689 yards on 96 tries.  The problem for Islander opponents is Fyfe.  The 6-4 signal caller has a Division 1 arm, yet can sucker you into pass coverage and take off running and that is not recommended.  Fyke can run like a gazelle and cuts like a jackrabbit.  He loves to cut back against the grain which creates further headaches for the “D”.  You will not witness two high school football teams with this kind of speed very often, my friends.

On defense will Grand Island try to dent the stingy Eagle pass defense or will they stick more to the ground game?  I can’t see GI abandoning their balanced run/pass offense for this one.  Fyfe is the better passer of the two when you compare him to Burgess, so I’m thinking Central will try to pound the rock right at the center of the Islander line and keep ‘em honest with some passes.  Let’s say about a 70/30 run/pass offense.  The Eagles have the recievers to go deep with WRs Darian Barrientos-Jackson and TreDeon Hollins, but the Islanders have the DB’s that can match them for quickness in Bamesburger and state 400 meter champion, Sam Foltz.  When it comes to raw speed, it doesn’t much better than Foltz and Barrientos-Jackson, friends.

Weather should be no factor in this game unless something changes between then and now.  Having artificial turf should neutralize any moisture anyway.  Traditionally, you have to go with Omaha Central, but Grand Island has the speed and quickness to match the Eagles so this baby should be as exiting as the GI-Lincoln SE contest.  If you look at points scored,  Grand Island has a winning margin of 42-12, Omaha Central’s is 39-13…..not much variance.  The Islander opponents have a combined record of 38-47, and Central’s 40-46.  Again, not enough to pry apart.  GI has played 4 playoff teams while Omaha Central has met 5.  They have played 2 common opponents.  GI beat Lincoln East, 42-14, Central 41-12.  Omaha Central blasted Omaha Bryan, 47-0, the Islanders beat ‘em, 49-0.  Any way you view this match-up, there is just not much to favor one team by much over the other.  Both coaches are absolute top notch Class A high school football men and both Jeff Tomlin and Jay Ball are outstanding defensive minds.

Will the long road trip effect the Eagles?  Not a chance.  It would not effect GI either if they had been the team to do the 150 mile jaunt.  Both of these teams are well disciplined and know the stakes.  So, if you are a high school football afficianado, or even just a casual fan, you will NOT want to miss this classic in the making.  Game time is 7:00 at GI’s Memorial Stadium……bring some nerve pills.

HUMPHREY ST. FRANCIS at GILTNER   (Wednesday – 6:00)

Kind of a shame these two have to meet so early, but D-2 is so stacked, especially in the East Bracket,  it’s not even imaginable.  The winner of this baby will no doubt get Howells and by then two of the finest Class D-2 teams in the state could be watching with me from those sidelines.  But first things first.

Rushing Offense  Pass Offense  Total Off.     Rush Defense  Pass Def  Total Defense   PF   PA

HFS                  270                          58                322                       97                  46              140                47-4

Giltner             123                         278               401                       48                  71              119                60-13

Well gee, looks like St. Frans like to run and Giltner loves to throw.  One noticable difference I see here is the caliber of competition these two teams played.  The combined records of Giltner’s opponents is 23-46.  Humphrey St. Francis foes are 38-38.  St. Francis is one of those teams in that magic circle along Highway 92 that houses some of the best 8-man football powers in the state.  That being said, I don’t think Giltner is shaking in their shoes because they have been in the thick of things the entire time Iowa recruit Drew Ott has been blasting RB’s from his linebacker spot.  Since his arrival on the Hornet scene in 2008, Giltner has been in the playoffs.  His freshman season Hampton eliminated them in Round 1, 64-44.  The next season, Giltner won 2 games, qualifying for the quarterfinals before being ousted in a driving, freezing rainstorm 14-0 by Maxwell.  2 years ago, the Hornets went all the way to the finals before losing to Howells 68-28.  Last year, Ott and his teammates advanced all the way to the semis before running into the mighty Howells again.  This time, they gave the Bobcats a game before falling, 40-20.  No, Giltner is not in awe of St, Francis be any means.

St. Francis is led on the ground by Derek Pfeifer who surpassed the 1000 yard mark last Thursday (1,093) and hard blocking fullback, Jerad Leifeld.  QB Blake Krings is less than 50% in passing accuracy, completing 26-54 for 454 yards and 8 scores.  Trouble there is,  he has half as many interceptions as TD passes.  On defense, seven different St. Francis players have picked off passes.  Rugged Jarod Podliska has pirated 5 of the 11 the Flyers interceptions.  They also can get to the opposing quarterback, registering 14 team sacks in 2011, five coming from John Wieser.  Blake Krings is also a terror at linebacker, while Podliska was an all conference kicker a year ago.

If you think about Giltner football, the name Drew Ott surfaces first and foremost.  The first time I watched this young man, he was in the 9th grade, was a starting linebacker, and made 15 solo tackles in a 40-34 win over a rated Kenesaw team.  Ott was all-state as a sophomore, again last season and is now a division one recruit.  The man under center is junior Jake Findley, who calmly threw for 1,791 yards in the regular season, completing a staggering 99 of 138 passes (72%) for 34 touchdowns. Findley made his presence immediately, by tying an 8-man passing record in his first game out.  He completed 22 of 29 passes for 487 yards in a 82-14 win over Shelby.  For the season,  Ott caught 44 of those Findley tosses for 775 yards and 16 scores.  Kyle Hawthorne has 22 catches for 431 yards and 8 TDs, and not far off is Trevor Poppen, who has run under 23 for 408 yards and also 8 scores.  When the Hornets run, it’s sophomore Kyle Hawthorne that totes the ball most of the time.  Hawthorne ran for 529 yards during the regular season.

Now……. unlike the weather on Friday, Wednesday’s weather could present a problem for a team that throws…as in Giltner.  A cold front that could produce some rain and snow flurries driven by strong north winds is possible.  That definately favors a grind it out team like Humphrey St. Francis……..unless Jeff Ashby decides to, say, put Drew Ott in the Wildcat offense and let him take the direct snap and roll.  Wonder if he’s thought of that?   Hmmmmm.  Regardless of the weather conditions, this should be one whale of a football game between two of the best 8-man teams in Nebraska.

Get out and support Nebraska High School football this week.   Best game in town….or anywhere for that matter.

Ehan Douglass-Wiley was a monster Kearney Friday night.

Lincoln Southwest unleashed a shining star in 6-2, 210 pound running back Ehan Douglass-Wiley. The senior tailback, had only rushed 41 times for 288 yards in the previous 7 games combined, blitzed the Kearney defense to the tune of 194 yards on 18 carries as the Silverhawks beat an excellent 6-1 Bearcat team 48-21 Friday night in Kearney.  Southwest, who had never won in Kearney, used the running of Douglass-Wiley and Jacob Jordan plus the magical play of Kansas State recruit Tay Bender to break open a tight game in the 2nd quarter and improve their season record to 7-1,  taking a giant step toward clinching a Class A District 2 title in the process.  The Silverhawks have only to defeat an improving 4-4 Norfolk squad next Friday to win the crown and possibly nail a 3rd seed in the upcoming playoffs.

Southwest looked ready to play on their first drive of the game but came up short on the 5 minute drive when quarterback/kicker Tay Bender was off on a 35 yard field try.  Kearney then rode the accurate arm of sigal caller Luke McNitt and took it 8o yards in just 3 plays to score.  The rifle-armed McNitt nailed speedy Trey Anderson with a perfect 60 yard strike that went all the way to the Silver Hawk 20.  McNitt then scampered 20 yards for the score and the ‘Cats had a 7-0 lead.  The score would remain that way after one quarter.  But it was the final play of the second quarter and the opening play of the 2nd half that delivered the lethal blow to Kearney and put Lincoln Southwest seemingly out of reach.

After Southwest recovered a fumbled punt snap on the Bearcat 48 to start the 2nd quarter,  Bender rolled right a found Brandon Kelly on a perfectly thrown pass that carried to the Kearney 11.  The very next play Jacob Jordan, who rushed for 1,345 yards in 2010, took it in for the 11 yard score.  With the score tied at 7-7, enter #26, Ehan Douglass-Wiley.  With the ball on their own 16 yard line and 9:43 left in the half, Douglass-Wiley, who carried twice for 29 yards in the opening stanza, carried every single play of a 7 play drive and crashed in from the 2 yard line for the go ahead score.  The senior back put on a sparkling display of power running and had every yard in the 84 yard drive except for a 15 yard pass interference penelty accessed to Kearney.  Where had this kid been all year?

Jordan would add another score from 8 yards out with 4:55 left in the half to lift in the the Silver Hawks to a 20-6 lead, but the Bearcats came right back when Luke McNitt hit Spencer Lindsay for a 39 yard TD with one of the prettiest passes I have seen this season.  McNitt lofted the pass to Lindsay’s left shoulder and the speedy senior avoided the out of bounds line and nabbed the toss right as he crossed the goal line with a Southwest defender drapped all over him.  So, now with 2:02 left in the half, Kearney was right back in the thick of things trailing only 20-14.  It appeared as though that would be the way things would end before the break, but Tay Bender performed a little “Division One recruit” magic with time running out in the half.

On a 4th and 13 on the Kearney 38, Bender dropped back to pass and hurl a possible hail mary toss to the end zone.  Instead, the nimble Bender scrambled to his left, then back to his right and decided to take off.  On a breathtaking cut back run, Bender left Kearney tacklers grabbing nothing but thin air and sprinted to the end zone with no time remaining on the clock.  It was Southwest 28-14 at the break, but the knockout punch was just a haftime band perfromance away.

It took only 14 seconds for Brandon Reilly to return the 2nd haf kick-off 98 yards for a touchdown.  The fleet wide receiver cut to his right at his own 35 and was off to the races down the Silver hawk sidelines.  Kearney did add another Luke McNitt touchdown run with 5:44 left in the 3rd to close the gap to 35-21 at the end of three. But it didn’t take long for Lincoln Southwest to respond as they took possession of the ball at their own 29.  After a 2 yard loss, Jake Jordan ripped off runs of 19 and 10 yards, then Bender found tight end Tyler Hoppes for a 28 yard scoring pass and Southwest was back in front by three touchdowns, 42-21.

After Kearney drove to the ‘Hawks’ 32 yard line and saw their drive stall, Southwest coach Mark King to give Kearney another steady dose of Ehan Douglass-Wiley.  The outstanding RB tore off runs of 14, 4, 10, 32, and 5 yards with a 17 yard sprint by super junior RB/LB, Josh Bandaras sandwiched in.  Douglass-Wiley then smashed through from a yard out with 5 minutes even remaining to put the game away.  Substitutes played the remainder of the game for both squads.

It was an impressive victory for the 3rd rated (World-Herald) Silver Hawks.  Southwest’s offensive line opened huge holes for Douglass-Wiley and Jordan and with the mutiple sets and shifts run so smoothly by the 6-4, 210 Tay Bender, Lincoln Southwest was a tough assignment for Kearney’s defense.  Many times Bender would line up under center with two backs behind and the fullback splitting those halfbacks backs.  The formation looked like a reverse wishbone.  On many occasions, Bender would line up under the center, shift back and the RB’s would then shift to the wings keeping the Bearcats’ defense off balance.  These mutiple sets must be working because the Silver Hawks have averaged 41.5 points per game the last 5 outings.  With Douglass-Wiley’s breakout game, it gives the Silver Hawks two suberb runners (with Jordan) that can alternate and drive defenses crazy.

Along with Douglass-Wiley’s 194 yards rushing, Jacob Jordan added 104 yards on only 10 touches.  Tay Bender added 66 yards on 7 carries and was 6 of 10 passing for 106 yards and a TD.  Kearney’s rushing game was held to 122 yards, but Luke McNitt was dead on when he threw most of the time, completing 16 of 21 for 211 yards and a score.  Southwest gouged the Bearcat defense for a whopping 501 yards, part of that due to some very “Un-Kearney-like” tackling.

Lincoln SW improves to 7-1 and closes with Norfolk as we said.  Kearney makes a Thursday trip to Seacrest to face a regular season ending 4:30 match-up with a sometimes dangerous Lincoln North Star team that features multi-purpose player Mike Minter.

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*Tell you what, the three best lines I have seen this year are Lincoln SW, Lincoln SE and Grand Island with Southeast probably the most physical.  Southeast and GI meet Friday in Grand Island.  Granted I have not see Millard North or Omaha Burke’s offensive lines and you know they are top notch, but Lincoln Southwest has to have Class A coaches worried right now.

*Lincoln SW and Grand Island have not met this season but it appears they may be headed for same side of the bracket seeding, although at opposite ends.  Maybe a semi-final match-up, but let’s take ‘em one at a time for right now.

*Flat out….Ehan Douglass-Wiley is the best back I’ve seen this season. Still cannot get over this young man’s gutty performance.  As far a quarterbacks, it would be difficult to seperate Tay Bender and Grand Island’s Ryker Fyfe at this point…..both are lights out.  Let’s hope they meet in the playoffs.

David City's Derek Worm rolls out to find an open receiver.

Man, woman and child you better have taken your blood pressure medicine before the Columbus Scotus-David City game Thursday night.  After a mildly quiet first half, things kicked into high gear and the statisticians were turning pages like crazy as David City mounted a furious second half comeback enroute to a 28-23 victory over Class C-1′s number 10th ranked Scotus Shamrocks.  The pinpoint passing of seasoned senior Derek Worm and the ram tough running of junior Austin Havlena led the 2nd half rebound as the Scouts just may have clinched the C-1 District 4 title.  The win put David City at 3-0 in district play with only North Bend (0-3 in district action) remaining on their regular season schedule.

David City mounted a decent drive in the first quarter, featuring the running of Havlena and Brad Meusch, but Scotus stiffened on their 36 and took the ball there.  The ‘Rocks proceeded to put together a 5 minute 45 second,  13 play drive that finished with a sparkling 16 yard TD run by junior Nick Pandorf on the 1st play of the second quarter.  Josh Spenner booted the extra point through for a 7-0 Scotus lead.  The 175 pound Pandorf carried 7 times in the drive for 61 yards and was nearly unstoppable during the possession.  David City finally took to the air with 1:52 left in the half after Worm intercepted a Spenner pass on the Scouts’ 44.  It took only 3 plays for David City to hit paydirt.  Worm slipped through for a 7 yard gain then found big tight end Kurt Veskerna for a 29 yard gain, then went right back to Veskerna for a 19 yard scoring strike with just a buck 30 left in the half.  The point after missed and the Scouts went to the break trailing only 7-6

Columbus Scotus added a 30 yard Josh Spenner field goal, David City scored on a Travis Worm one yard plunge in the 3rd quarter, then Scotus, who runs the double wing formation, ran another one it’s patented reverse plays to perfection with Ryan Ohnoutka blasting through the right side of the line for a 48 yard TD scamper.  The Shamrocks had the lead after 3 quarters, 16-12.  Quite a few high school teams have gone away from the double-wing formation as of late, but Scotus, with quarterback Josh Spenner carrying out fakes like a master of trickery, has made this offense click and click well with his deceptive fakes.

Scotus looked to have things under control in the 4th quarter, but a bad snap from center on and a poor punt set David City up in great shape on the ‘Rock’s 47 yard line midway through the money quarter.  David City unleashed Austin Havlena on the next drive and he responded with runs of 20 and 14 yards, and did the honors with a 4 yard touchdown with 6:36 left.  Worm then found Havlena for the 2 point conversion and the Scouts had their first lead of the game at 20-16.  The Scouts defense stiffened like a plaster of paris statue and forced a 3 and out Scotus series.  Scotus knocked the ball down to the DC 20 yard line on the following punt and then the back-breaker hit Scotus like a knock-out punch in a prize fight.  On the first play, the left side of ther Scouts’ line that had been blocking well all evening, opened up a gaping hole and the speedy Havlena darted through, slipped to the sideline and sprinted 80 yards for the score.  The junior workhorse then blasted through the heart of the Scotus line and carried the pile into the end zone for the 2 point conversion.  Scoreboard read, David City 28 Columbus Scotus 16 with only 4:37 left in the contest.

On the ensuing drive, the Shamrocks slick Josh Spenner hit receivers for 4 straight first downs, but the drive fizzled when David City’s Pete Danielson batted a pass away at the Scouts 10 yard line.  Scotus had another shot to score, but the time ticked down to 38.5 seconds left before Spenner could find 230 pound bruiser Alex Bolte for a 2 yard diving catch for a score.  Trailing 28-23, the ‘Rocks tried the onside kick and fittingly, Austin Havlena pounced on the ball for the Scouts to secure the win.

You could’nt have asked for a better football game on Thursday evening between two teams that entered the game with identical 4-2 records, but the second half running of Havlena and the on target throwing of Derek Worm was just what the doctor ordered for David City.  Havlena ended the night with 181 yards on 19 carries and two scores.  Havlena now unofficially has 962 yards for the season.  Derek Worm ended the night with 134 yards through the air on pin point 9 of 13 passing.  He had 1 TD and 1 interception.  Scotus was led on the ground by Nick Pandorf, who ran for 95 yards on 11 carries and a score.  Fullback Austin Wortman added 76 yards on only 8 touches.  Josh Spenner was an efficient 11 of 19 for 108 yards passing for Scotus.  David City outyarded Columbus Scotus 401-371 for the game, and their defense came up big when it counted in that 4th stanza.

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*Both of these teams, along with district 4 rival Columbus Lakeview,  look like they are headed for for a playoff berth in a couple of weeks.  Scotus and Lakeview clash next week in a huge game that certainly will effect the playoff standings for both squads.

*Austin Havlena looks like he is picking up right where 2 time all-stater/1000 yard rusher, Seth Behrens left off last year.  For a 170 pounds, this kid can really pack a punch when he is greeted by opposing tacklers, often carrying the pile for 5 extra yards.

*David City’s football field may take the prize for having the biggest crown I have seen in a long while.  Who was that team on the other side?