Cambridge Trojans to face Crofton in state title match

Monday, November 17, 2003

Top-ranked Cambridge will play fourth-ranked Crofton in the Nebraska state Class C2 finals, after both undefeated teams won in semifinal play Saturday.

Matt Sexton rushed for two touchdowns to lead Cambridge (12-0) over Lawrence-Nelson 16-13 in Nelson.

Sexton, who carried the ball 16 times for 121 yards, scored on runs of 4 and 19 yards. Sexton also ran in a two-point conversion, as did Waid Vontz.

Vontz threw one pass all night, a 45-yard strike to Whitney Jones, setting up Sexton's 19-yard score.

Brett Peterson, who led Lawrence-Nelson with 119 yards rushing on 24 carries, scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter. Andrew Kathman had previously scored on a 2-yard run.

Sixth-ranked Lawrence-Nelson (9-3) had 246 total offensive yards, compared with 223 for Cambridge.

Willy Mech ran for a touchdown and caught a pass for another to lead Crofton over West Point Central Catholic 31-8.

Mech scored on a 10-yard run and caught a 50-yard strike from Nick Jansen for a score, both in the first quarter.

Jansen, who was 5-of-8 for 71 yards, also connected with B.J. Scott on a 12-yard scoring pass. Rhett Sandvig added a 2-yard scoring run and Robbie Gunther kicked a 20-yard field goal for Crofton (12-0).

Fifth-ranked West Point Central Catholic's only score came on a 6-yard run from Ryan Mendlik midway through the fourth quarter.

Chase County to face Neumann in C1 state final

Second-ranked Bishop Neumann will take on sixth-ranked Chase County in the Nebraska Class C1 football finals in Lincoln after both teams won semifinal games Saturday.

A 15-yard run from Aaron Fuehrer with 3 1/2 minutes left in the game lifted Chase County over Hastings St. Cecilia 14-10.

Fuehrer rushed 24 times for 87 yards at the game in Imperial.

Chase County's other score was on a 61-yard scoring run from Jason Burke. He led his team in rushing with 162 yards.

Fifth-ranked Hastings St. Cecilia (10-2) led 3-0 at the half after a 25-yard field goal from Scott VanCura.

Nate Duggins caught a 5-yard strike from Ryan Esch for a score in the third quarter.

Esch was 10-of-22 for 97 yards.

Mike Mertens led St. Cecilia in rushing with 118 yards.

Chase County (11-1) stopped the Bluehawks four times inside the 10-yard line. Taylor May led the Longhorns with 19 tackles.

It took three comebacks from Bishop Neumann to finally beat seventh-ranked Norfolk Catholic 20-17 in Norfolk.

Trailing 3-0 at halftime, Bishop Neumann (12-0) took the second-half kickoff and scored in four plays.

Quarterback Jake Vasa gave Neumann its first lead at 7-0 when he scored on a 10-yard run with 10:26 left in the third quarter.

The Knights (10-2) answered by driving 79 yards in eight plays to regain the lead at 10-7 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Sudbeck to Ricky Distefano.

Sudbeck went on to complete 12 of 20 passes for 184 yards and two TDs, with Distefano recording seven receptions for 125 yards.

Sudbeck also threw an interception, and it set up Neumann's second touchdown when Cavaliers linebacker Ben Langemeier made a leaping pick at the Norfolk Catholic 23-yard line.

It took Neumann six plays to score, but fullback Jarrod Makovicka finally punched it over from the 1 for a 13-10 Neumann lead with 24 seconds left in the quarter.

Norfolk Catholic regained the lead at 17-13 with 6:39 left in the game when Sudbeck threw a 7-yard TD pass to tight end Josh Schulte.

With its season on the line, Neumann put together an 11-play, 75-yard drive and took the lead for good when Makovicka scored on a 1-yard run with 2:03 left in the game.

Season ends for Eustis-Farnam

Top-ranked Howells will face No. 10 Overton in the Nebraska state class D1 finals Thursday at Lincoln, after both teams won semifinal matches Saturday.

Preston Gehle ran in two 2-yard scores to lead Overton (11-1) over Eustis-Farnam 21-6 in Eustis.

Jared McCarter also scored on a 25-yard interception.

Dakotah Hueftle, who rushed 11 times for 39 yards, had the only score for Eustis-Farnam -- a 3-yard run.

Josh Warren was 9-of-15 with 60 yards to lead second-ranked Eustis-Farnam (10-2) in passing.

Michael Dostal ran for 181 yards and five touchdowns to lead Howells over Falls City Sacred Heart 44-8 in Falls City.

Dostal scored on two runs of four yards, and on 8-, 24- and 3-yard dashes.

Michael Bayer also hit brother Scott for a 14-yard score for Howells (12-0).

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: