Saturday Morning Quarterback
While we sit here tapping out toes for the official playoff brackets to be released here is our final SMQB of the regular season.
This has been a hard couple of weeks on No. 1-ranked teams. Last night it was Class A Omaha North that was tripped up in a stunning 28-14 loss to a 6-3 Lincoln Pius X team that probably deserved more respect than it had gotten. All three Pius losses have come to playoff teams (Lincoln High, Millard South, Grand Island), the latter two by a combined 10 points.
Even so, to have Omaha North fall in the final week of the regular season the week after former No. 1 Bellevue West lost leaves Kearney as Class A’s only unbeaten team and projected No. 1 playoff seed. Not sure how many people saw that coming, especially from Kearney team that returned three full-time starters.
Kearney’s path to the top is complicated by the late season injury to QB Kanon Koster, an all-state talent, but the Bearcats have sure gotten a lot of great things done with that defense. Lee Herrington, ya done good.
Back to Omaha North for a second. Or make that Pius X. The last I saw of North they were in the process of scoring touchdowns like it was on the elementary playground against former No. 1 Omaha Burke; Pius X shut the Vikings out after the first drive of the second half. What does that mean?
What that means is, Class A is shaping up to be a postseason thrill ride, that’s what.
Same thing in Class B. We went over it yesterday but Gretna’s win - a sound, for-sure win - over two-time state champion Elkhorn South threw the doors open to hope for postseason competition in the Class B bracket.
Look, if you wanted to tell me Norfolk Catholic has been the best team in Class C-1 all along I’m OK with that but it is a fact Huskerland had Aquinas ranked No. 1 until its Week 8 loss, another solid win for the underdog. That means the No. 1s in our three largest classes have lost in the last week. What does that mean?
What it means is, Coach, you were right. They really can beat us on any given night.
The other significant upset from last night was Fullerton’s 32-28 upset of Class D-2 No. 3-ranked Humphrey St. Francis. Fullerton finishes the regular season 7-1 so it’s no weakling but this still came as a surprise. This much I know, this morning Shawn Wetovick won’t need to worry about having to pay for his next fountain pop, not after scoring the game-winner on a one-yard run with 15 seconds left in regulation.
Two other items of note, one great, one absolutely not. In a season where so many losing streaks have gone by the boards Schuyler put a capper to the bunch with last night’s 21-18 win over South Sioux City, snapping a five-year, 45-game drought. On a morning where there are so many people to be happy for, right at the top of the list is any and all connected with Schuyler football.
All the details I don’t have but this I know - Beatrice all-Huskerland senior Cameron Jurgens, the future Husker - was carted from the field last night after sustaining an ankle injury. Clearly, like with all our young men who suffer injuries, we hope this is something as minor as possible, this one made all the more personal since I’ve been able to interview Cam in person and gotten to know him some. Get well, Cameron.
* As I wrote on Twitter last evening - you can follow me @HuskerlandBob (and who doesn’t want to follow the meanderings of a 60-year-old man, anyway) - I wasn’t too keen on getting out of the truck at Utica last night. No offense to the fine people of Utica, of course, but the wind was howling and big wind I don’t care for. (Winter darkness I could also do without, if you are keeping score.)
Once I did I saw the early stages of a physical game between two of our best Class C-2 teams, a game eventually won by No. 1-ranked Centennial over Sutton but the score of 20-12. That caps a second consecutive perfect regular season for the Broncos, bravo to you, boys.
Frankly, I’d hoped to check in on Grand Island Northwest at York but that first half flew by so I took a pass. (I left the game in Utica, 15 miles from York’s stadium, with four minutes to go in the first quarter. That should be enough time to negotiate the drive - unless I met a train at the crossing north of the school - find an illegal place to park, jump in and snap a couple of pics and jump out. Except when I got in my truck I heard on the radio at York there three minutes left in the first half. First half. And this with Northwest and that passing offense of there’s. Such is life on the road with Huskerland Prep Report...)
So with that I darted down to Henderson to catch some of the battle of unbeatens, Kenesaw v. Heartland, and what I saw as a fearsome looking offensive attack by Kenesaw. After a slow start the Blue Devils stomped on the gas, a KHS touchdown right before halftime was a killer for Heartland, and pulled away to a 72-40 win. Kenesaw is going to be difficult to contain this postseason, no matter the foe.
My final stop was at Aurora. Pulling into the stadium I was listening to the always entertaining broadcast by radio announcer Steve Stein, the voice of the Huskies, and he was reminding us how Aurora had a 13-year playoff streak on the line in tonight’s game. That was pertinent because visiting Seward had stormed back from a two-touchdown deficit to take a third-quarter lead.
Well, Aurora stormed right back, too. The Huskies brought order to what was a crazy second half by scoring three quick touchdowns to open the fourth quarter and went on to win 48-39, locking up No. 14 for the Huskies and leaving Seward on the front step of the playoffs looking in.
Lots more to get to from last night, here goes...
Bellevue West 35, Omaha Burke 28. Gave lived up to the hype. Both these teams will be formidable foes in the playoffs.
Millard West 28, Lincoln High 17. Links gave it a shot, and still could be the type of team to win a playoff game or two. Millard West strengthens its case for a state title run.
Blair 32, Columbus 28. Blair has been playing great and came through in the clutch last night, beating state-ranked Discoverers to win the district title and earn a playoff berth.
Chadron 28, Chase County 6. Cardinals close out district title to finish regular season 8-1.
Norfolk Catholic 49, West Point-Beemer 21. You probably saw this coming but this is more about how good NC is than anything else. West Point-Beemer is capable of a playoff win or two, wait and see, while NC is capable of four playoff wins, if you get my drift.
Wahoo 13, Bishop Neumann 0. Just win, baby. As for Neumann, that’s four losses to teams with a combined record of 33-2. Thanks, Mr. NSAA Schedule Maker.
Central City 37, St. Paul 19. In what was a win-and-get-in the Bison come up strong in the second half.
Oakland-Craig 31, Archbishop Bergan 0. Strong showing in district title victory.
Ponca 20, Hartington Cedar Catholic 0. Another battle of unbeaten teams and Ponca comes out smelling like a rose garland. Isn't that what they give thoroughbreds after they win the Kentucky Derby?
Southern Valley 20, Sandy Creek 10. Everybody plays for something and for Southern Valley this was its first win of the season. Well done, boys.
Wilber-Clatonia 41, Freeman 27. Defending C-2 state champs lock up district title, chance to defend its title in the playoffs. Riley Homolka would be proud.
Yutan 35, Lincoln Lutheran 9. Here comes Yutan again. That’s six wins in a row and it will take a mighty effort to KO the Chieftains in the playoffs.
Hemingford 40, Dundy County-Stratton 28. Bobcats finish the deal, win the D1-10.
Howells-Dodge 42, Clarkson/Leigh 22. Patriots give it a go but in the end Howells-Dodge wins the Bacon Bowl. And who doesn’t want to do that?
South Loup 47, Elm Creek 26. Bobcats are legit. And somebody will need to find a way to stop Jack Rush for that to change.
Thayer Central 20, Superior 18. Two things. First of all Thayer Central gets the mid-cycle waiver to be eligible for the playoffs. Then the Titans go and win four games - after winning four total the previous three seasons - and get in. Gotta be a great morning for those Thayer seniors.
BDS 36, Lawrence-Nelson 6. BDS is good. So is Lawrence-Nelson but BDS is good.
Elwood 54, Silver Lake 12. While you weren’t looking Elwood won its fifth game of the season. This after not even HAVING a season two years ago, forfeiting all eight games. Another great story.
Hay Springs 44, Hyannis 34. Two really good Panhandle six-man teams duke it out. Name to know: Trent Reed. Peopole, the Hay Springs junior would be an all-stater in eight-man, too.