Columbus Lakeview rolls past Kearney Catholic to gain C-1 Finals.

Columbus Lakeview offensive heroes (L/R) RB Cooper Tessendorf (#34), WR Adam Van Cleave (#28) and QB Kolby Blaser (#5) were clicking on all cylinders in the Vikings 31-21 win over Kearney Catholic Friday night

MILES FIELD, KEARNEY, NE.

Fullerton assistant football coach Eric Frenzen told me at halftime that the difference in this football game was the “tough farm kids” from Lakeview. Vikings head coach Kurt Frenzen may certainly have agreed on that point, but all I know is that this Columbus Lakeview team has reeled off 9 straight victories after I saw them drop a 30-17 decision to Wayne back on September 10th and it showed tonight in Vikings convincing 31-21 win over a previously undefeated Kearney Catholic team.

The Lakeview defense was clicking on all cylinders from the opening kickoff, harassing super athlete/quarterback Brett Mahoney all night long. They also held the number one rusher in Class C-1 (Riley Grieser) to 125 yards below his per game average on this crisp, but still night for football.

The Vikings defense pounced on a trio of Stars fumbles in the first half, converting the second miscue into 6 points which gave Lakeview a 14-7 halftime lead.

While the rock solid Lakeview defense was doing their thing, Vikings quarterback Kolby Blaser was hooking up with 2020 All-Stater Adams Van Cleave for two long touchdown strikes.

Blaser would end the night with 7 completed passes for 182 yards, SIX of those going to Van Cleave for a monster 180 yards and the pair of demoralizing, long distance touchdown receptions.

Kearney Catholic, who came into this C-1 semifinal football game averaging 221 rushing yards per game, was shut down to the tune of 25 yards on 25 attempts. Still, the Stars never quit, turning to the magical Brett Mahony and his 66% completion rate, passing game.

Mahony actually did better than that in the game, connecting on 69% of his 29 pass attempts, but just one was a touchdown strike. But, the senior quarterback was running for his life much of the evening, feeling intense pressure from Lakeview defensive linemen #52 Jaeden Jenkinson, #54 Eli Osten and #51 Jorge Garcia, especially Jenkinson, who was occasionally in the Kearney Catholic backfield before the play even had a chance to develop.

This was still anyone’s football game at the half with Lakeview leading 14-7, but that changed in the blink of an eye when the Vikings offense came out and scored on a gut-punching 75 yard touchdown pass from Blaser to Adam Van Cleave, just one play and 19 seconds deep into the second half.

That one hurt because the Stars offense was shutout in that 3rd frame, while Mason Klug was adding a 34 yard field goal to give Lakeview a commanding 24-7 lead heading into the 4th and money quarter.

Kearney Catholic did fashion a nice 10 play scoring drive that stretched from the final minutes of the third quarter and ended 1:26 deep into the 4th quarter.

You know those tipped ball drills all the wide receivers and backs go through toward the end of most practices? Well, one of those must have paid off when Lakeview defender Mason Viergutz tipped a Brett Mahony pass right into the hands of Kearney Catholic wide receiver Garrett Schmaderer, who proceeded to waltz 18 yards for the score

That cut the Lakeview lead to 24-14, but the Vikings answered right with a heavy dose of running back Cooper Tessendorf, who ripped off FIFTY SEVEN yards of the ensuing 66 yard scoring drive after toting the ball just twice in the first half for ZERO yards.

Tessendorf fired off runs of, 13, 9, 8, 4, 13, suffered a 5 yard loss, then still came back with runs of 5 yards, then the 11 yard scoring jaunt.

That’s just the kind of night it was for Kurt Frenzen and the Lakeview coaching staff. The game plan was superb and it seemed like everything jelled on both sides of the ball.

Despite the Lakeview scoring drive, Kearney Catholic still did not give up. The Stars roared right back three and half minutes later with a Brett Mahony 2 yard scoring dash, cutting the Columbus Lakeview lead to 31-21.

The Stars' hopes vanished though, as Lakeview chewed up the final 4:23 of the game, punching their ticket to Lincoln where they will meet Pierce for the Class C-1 championship on Tuesday, November 22nd at 10:15 AM.

And remember, Pierce just barely got past this same Lakeview team 28-27 back on September 3rd.

…………………………………..........1……..2…….3…….4……..Final

Columbus Lakeview (10-2).....7……..7…….10…..7……….31

Kearney Catholic (11-1)...........0……..7……..0……14…….21

………………………………………………………………………………………..CL-KC

1st Qtr.

CL-Adam Van Cleave 63 Pass from Kolby Blaser - PAT-Mason Klug kick (2:02) 7 - 0

2nd Qtr.

KC-Riley Grieser 2 Run………………………… PAT-Max McBride kick (11:30) 7 - 7

CL-Adam Van Cleave 3 Run…………………...PAT-Klug kick (5:18) 14 - 7

3rd Qtr.

CL-Van Cleave 75 pass from Blaser………...PAT-Klug kick (11:41) 21 - 7

CL-Mason Klug 34 Field Goal…………………………………….....(1:19) 24 - 7

4th Qtr.

KC-Garrett Schmaderer 18 pass from Brett Mahony - PAT-McBride kick (10:24) 24-14

CL-Cooper Tessendorf 3 Run………………...PAT-Klug kick (7:07) 31 - 14

KC-Mahony 2 Run………………………………..PAT-McBride kick (4:26) 31 - 21

Individual Statistics:

Rushing: Columbus Lakeview; Cooper Tessendorf 82-14 (1 TD), Adam Van Cleave 35-14 (1 TD), Landon Ternus-31-6, Kolby Blaser 19-8. Kearney Catholic; Riley Grieser 33-16, Brett Mahony minus 8-9.

Passing: Columbus Lakeview; Kolby Blaser 7 of 11 for 182 yards/2 TDs, 1 INT/ Kearney Catholic: Brett Mahony 20 of 29 for 200 yards, 1 TD.

Receiving: Columbus Lakeview; Adam Van Cleave 6-180/2 TDs, Mason Viergutz 1-2. Kearney Catholic: Garrett Schmaderer 5-58/1 TD, Riley Grieser 3-52, Aaron O’Brien 3-34, Kade Uelmen 1-25, Mason Mandernach 3-7.