Aurora outlasts GI Northwest 42-27 in another Classic.

Grand Island Northwest All-State QB Carter Terry. Always a standout in a win or loss. A true leader and fine young man. *(photo by Coach Harrington)

VIKING FIELD, GRAND ISLAND NE

To borrow an old Lyle Bremser phrase, Man, Woman, and Child, was this one Classic for the Ages or what?

This game had it all. Crazy momentum changes, tipped passes that turned into interceptions, drive killing penalties, injuries that forced reserve players to step up and a brutal ground attack by both teams, that many fans did not expect to see.

The anticipated “Baylor Scheierman Aerial Show” came to town as expected, but what may not have been expected by fans, was the crisp ground attack by the Huskies.

Sure, you knew record setting Carter Terry would also throw his share of passes for Northwest, and it would not have been a big surprise to see Vikings 1000 yard rusher Adam Cooper get the ball get the ball some and produce tonight. But what Aurora did not expect was the number of times Copper would be fed the ball in opening half.

So, here is how it all played out…..and I’m glad this isn’t a blow by blow, play by play description of this Classic because it would take about three days to write.

Northwest received the opening kickoff and promptly set the tone for the game by fashioning a buzzsaw, grind-it-out, right-in-your-face 90 yard, 17 play drive dominated by the punishing runs of Adam Copper. The senior running back ran like a man possessed all night, ripping off a 20 yard gain on his very first carry of the night.

Adam would carry the mail 9 times for 68 yards on the 4 minute, 38 second drive, culminated by Carter Terry’s 2 yard touchdown run. Senior Jason Bachle booted the PAT, giving Northwest the early 7-0 lead.

Most figured Aurora would be unphased by the Northwest drive and answer right back. They did. The Huskies came out swinging with Scheierman’s quick trigger, driving 93 yards for the score. Kaden Moural did the honors with a 1 yard TD blast, but it was the PAT situation that had Huskie head coach Kyle Peterson concerned.

The Aurora trainer told me before the game that place kicker Ryan Hunter may not play due to an ankle injury. He didn’t, which put Aurora in the uncomfortable position of going for the double PAT every time they scored and wouldn’t you know it, Northwest knocked away the Huskies point after pass attempt after Aurora’s 1st TD, keeping the score at 7-6.

Jason Bachle would then boot a 36 yard field goal with 1:33 left in the first quarter, giving the Vikings a 10-6 lead after one complete stanza.

Baylor Scheierman engineered another Huskie drive downfield to begin the 2nd stanza, finding Jordan Stevenson for a 5 yard TD to put Aurora back up 14-10. The Huskies did convert the double PAT this time around when Scheierman hooked up with All-State receiver Cade Reichardt for the two points.

The Vikings would continue to lean on Adam Cooper, who just absolutely tore up the Huskie defense with his powerful runs, aided by crisp blocking by the Northwest offensive line. Cooper bowled in from a yard out to give his team a 17-14 lead with 5:51 left in the 2nd quarter.

Aurora then mixed in the run a little more, Kaden Moural started running like Adam Cooper and the Huskies came right back to take the lead on a slick 10 yard touchdown pass from Scheierman to Rylan Willis. The PAT run again fizzled, giving Aurora a 20-17 lead.

Northwest worked their way downfield to the Aurora 19 yard line, where Jason Bachle then connected on his 2nd field goal of the evening, a 30 yard boot that knotted things up at 20 apiece the half.

The opening half of play took its toll on the Aurora defense, but the Huskie coaching staff wasn’t wanting a replay of Adam Cooper’s 144 yards on 21 carries in the 2nd half and that’s when those Huskie reserves came in to play their hearts out.

Both defenses tightened things up after the halftime break and you had to figure turnovers and/or mistakes would play a major role after the break.

They did. Northwest had some major penalties that often occur in a rivalry game, late hits out-of bounds and the likes. Lapse of concentration, offside infractions and dropped passes didn’t help matters either, but the Huskies made their share of mistakes too, keeping the game close.

Aurora stole the lead back following a Northwest turnover, with Scheierman recording his third TD pass of the night, a 14 yard strike to running back Kaden Moural. Again, the PAT pass failed but the Huskies regained the lead back, 26-20 with 8:24 left in the 3rd.

I noticed halfway through that 3rd frame, Baylor Scheierman was forcing his passes a bit, really putting some extra mustard his throws. One of his bullets had already been tipped and intercepted in the 2nd quarter and after a stretch of four of 5 incomplete complete passes in that 3rd quarter, it finally happened.

Baylor pulled the trigger, fired a bullet to steady Cade Reichardt, but it was tipped and Northwest’s junior DB, Jarren Wlaschin was right there, Johnny-on-the-spot, fielding the tipped pass, then waltzing 21 yards to paydirt for the Pick 6.

With a buck 53 left in the 3rd, Northwest had answered to take a 27-26 lead over the Huskies.

Now…..this is where Northwest wanted to put the game away, but then the silly, lack of concentration stuff started happening. Aurora then began to lean on Kaden Moural’s running a bit more, and Baylor Scheierman’s passing began to click again.

Just when it appeared that Scherieman and Aurora might take over for good in the 4th quarter, disaster struck again when Baylor hit Reichardt on a short pass, but a jarring hit by a Northwest defender jarred the ball loose and the Vikings were back in business in Huskie territory.

But the Aurora defense dug in, halted the Viking drive and tacked on the go-ahead score with 9:21 left in the money quarter. And it was a couple of strange plays that set up that crazy touchdown by the Huskies at the 9:21 mark.

Scheierman looked as if he had a sure touchdown when he fired a pass to Cy Bullerman, who had already reeled in 6 receptions for 65 yards at that point. Bullerman had it in his hands until Northwest’s Jarren Wlaschin laid a crunching hit on Cy, ripping the ball away in the process. The play brought a chorus of boos from the Aurora faithful, who wanted a pass interference call on the play.

The very next play, a 4th and 9 at the Vikings 12 yard line, Scheierman took the shotgun snap, was pressured and finally lofted a pop fly, high flying aerial into the breezy Viking Field skies. When it finally came back to earth, Aurora’s Kolby Wessels had gathered in the can of corn for an 11 yard touchdown.

Baylor then connected with his trusty target, Cade Reichardt for the two-point conversion, giving Kyle Peterson’s squad a 34-27 advantage.

9:21 remained in the contest, Northwest had ample time to answer, but the goofy sequence, along with the nasty Aurora defense that followed, may have taken the sails out of the Vikings.

A sack by Aurora’s Trevor Cumpston, his second of the game, forced a fumble that was recovered by the Huskies and converted into Kaden Moural 6 yard TD run, probably sealed the deal.

To make certain the lead was comfortable enough following the Moural score, Aurora unveiled a little trickery on the double PAT. Scheierman took the snap, pitched the ball back to Jordan Stevenson, who then rolled to his right, finally nailing Kolby Wessels for the two-point conversion.

That gave Aurora a 42-27 lead with only 3:05 remaining in the Classic battle, a deficit to tall for the fighting Vikings to overcome.

Baylor Scheierman ended his night completing 29 of 45 passes for 308 yards, 4 touchdowns and an uncharacteristic 3 interceptions. Hard running Kaden Moural cranked it up in the second half to finish the night with 153 yards on 32 totes, a pair of rushing TDs and a pass reception for a score as well.

For Northwest, All-State QB Carter Terry was 16 of 30 passing for 144 yards. Adam Cooper was a shining star despite missing some time in the 2nd half with a wicked leg cramp, ripping off 186 yards on 30 high energy carries and a TD.

Northwest, now 1-3, begins District play next Friday, facing another formidable foe on the road in Seward, with passing whiz Joseph Krause.

Aurora begins their C-1 District 5 play at home when they face winless Fairbury.

……………………………..1……..2……..3……..4……….F

Aurora (4-0)......................6…….14…….6.……16…......42

G.I. Northwest (1-3).........10……10…….7……..0……...27

1st Qtr…………………………………………………………………………..Aur..NW

NW...Carter Terry - 2 run……...……………..…...PAT-Jason Bachle kick..0…..7

Aur...Kaden Moural 1 run.………………….……..PAT-pass failed……......6….7

NW..Jason Bachle 37 Field Goal……………………………………………..6….10

2nd Qtr

Aur..J.Stevenson 5 pass from B. Scheierman…...PAT-Scheierman to Reichardt...14...10

NW..Adam Cooper 1 run…………………………...PAT-Bachle kick……...14...17

Aur..Rylan Willis 10 pass from B.Scheierman…...PAT-run failed………...20...17

NW..Jason Bachle 30 Field Goal……………………………………………..20...20

3rd Qtr

Aur...Moural 14 pass from Baylor Scheierman…..PAT-pass failed……….26...20

NW..Jarren Wlaschin 21 yard INT return…………PAT-Bachle kick….......26...27

4th Qtr

Aur...Kolby Wessels 11 pass from Scheierman….PAT-Scheierman to Reichardt..34...27

Aur...Moural 6 run…………………………………...PAT-Stevenson to Wessels…...42...27