Top-ranked Bison steamroll Gering

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette file photo Bison all-state quarterback Matt Berry continues to rip apart class B defenses. Berry carried 7 times for 100 yards and 4 touchdowns and completed 2 of 5 passes for touchdowns against a No. 10 ranked Gering. [Click to enlarge]

GERING -- The McCook Bison took advantage of Gering's early miscues, which included three fumbles in the host team's first four possessions, and steamrolled their way to a 62-7 thumping of the Bulldogs. Lightning flashed around Gering's football field as the minutes before the 8 p.m. Central time kickoff ticked away; perhaps it was a omen of things to come on the turf during the game.

McCook scored on seven straight possessions, including all five in the first quarter. Matt Berry showed no ill effects of reported pre-game stomach trouble, rushing for four touchdowns and throwing for two more. Head football coach Jeff Gross called Berry -- who came into the night as Class B's leading scorer -- "a special player for us," and added that "he kind of makes us go."

While McCook's offense was firing on all cylinders, the coach said, "A lot of the yards tonight were set up by defensive plays." Indeed, it was the defense that set the tone early -- and often.

Gering's first possession of the game lasted all of two plays; Chris Schleeman tore into the backfield on a linebacker blitz and knocked the ball loose, and the fumble was recovered by the Bison on the Bulldog 17 yard line. Three plays later, Berry took the ball into the end zone himself from seven yards out.

The second Gering possession lasted a single play, as the football found the turf -- and McCook gathered it in -- inside the Bulldog 20. McCook capitalized quickly again, this time through the air, as Berry threw his first pass of the game, a touchdown toss to Tyrone Sellers that covered 19 yards.

After forcing the Bulldogs backwards on three plays and forcing a punt, the Bison offense ripped through Gering's overmatched defenders on their way to another score. From his fullback position, Schleeman -- who finished the night with 92 yards on the ground -- took the ball from Berry, found a hole, somehow kept his feet, and scorched the turf for 38 yards. Then Berry called his own number, and dashed the remaining 17 yards for the Bison's third visit to the end zone in a little more than eight minutes of elapsed game time.

On the ensuing kick, starting wide receiver Chris Jackson fumbled the ball, and McCook once again was set up on Gering's end of the field. The Bison wasted no time getting the ball past the goal line; Berry hit Ryan Hardin for a 19 yard touchdown pass, which was set up by a 13 yard Schleeman run.

Gross said that he was very pleased with Schleeman's intensity on both sides of the ball. "He did a great job tonight," he said.

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Berry closed out the first quarter scoring with a 13 yard touchdown run, his third of the game.

To their credit, Gering kept competing throughout McCook's onslaught, but an attempted fake punt merely ended up bobbled and in Bison clutches. It set up another McCook touchdown early in the second quarter, as back-up tailback Andy Smith raced twenty yards for another score. Gross praised the junior's speed and agility when finding daylight on the line of scrimmage, singling out Smith's ability to "burst through the hole."

After stopping the Bulldogs and forcing another punt, another Bison back-up rusher -- fullback Brock Kotschwar -- shot through the Gering defense for the longest touchdown of the night, a 55-yard romp. Gross said that he and his staff are glad that they have such a talented player in Kotschwar. "We totally have faith that if Schleeman needs a breather," Gross said, "we can call on Brock."

The Bulldogs finally began to show some signs of life toward the end of the half. Gering's offense began to put a drive together, and was aided by a somewhat controversial pass interference call that put the ball deep in McCook territory. Unfortunately for the host team, with 14 seconds left in the second quarter, Bulldog quarterback Patrick O'Boyle's pass was plucked out of the air by senior Dillon Goltl on the 2 yard line, thwarting Gering's hopes, and protecting the shut-out for the time being.

McCook's starting offense took the field in the third quarter, and attempted to pick up where they left off, but a fumble by tailback Zach Wieser with 7:59 remaining in the quarter was recovered by a re-energized Bulldog defense.

Unfortunately, the Bison defense, particularly its line, continued its dominance over the outmanned Bulldogs. Schleeman, once again, sacked O'Boyle, and sent Gering's offense back to the sidelines. Berry then led his team down the field once more, and closed his evening with a fourth touchdown dash, this one for 14 yards.

Bison defender Aaron Ruppert grabbed a second Gering pass out of the air early in the fourth quarter, which led to another touchdown for Andy Smith, a six yard scamper. He finished with 56 yards on the ground.

With time winding down toward the end of the game, Gering did muster a drive under the guidance of back-up quarterback Charlie Hadenfeldt. The sophomore guided his team down the field, and ultimately fired a 29 yard touchdown strike to fellow sophomore Gunnar Britsch, which prevented the Bulldogs from being held scoreless.

McCook's defense ultimately held their hosts to 175 yards of total offense, while the Bison offense generated 429 yards, including 391 on the ground.

Next up for the Bison is a Homecoming tussle with the 5-1 Lexington Minutemen, who are coming off an impressive win of their own; a 34-12 victory over Sidney.

McCook 34 14 7 7 -- 62

Gering 0 0 0 7 -- 7

M: Berry 7 TD run (Lorentz kick)

M: Sellers 19 TD pass from Berry (Lorentz kick)

M: Berry 17 TD run (Lorentz kick)

M: Hardin 19 TD pass from Berry (kick failed)

M: Berry 13 TD run (Lorentz kick)

M: Smith 20 TD run (Lorentz Kick)

M: Kotschwar 55 TD run (Lorentz kick)

M: Berry 14 TD run (Lorentz kick)

M: Smith 8 TD run (Lorentz kick)

G: Britsch 29 TD pass from C. Hadenfeldt (Ferguson kick)