Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette McCook Bison fullback Chris Schleeman (36) bulls over Lexington defensive back Kellen Schroeder for a 3-yard touchdown Friday night. The Bison downed a hard-hitting Lexington team 49-14 at Weiland Field.

The Bison battled their way to a 49-14 victory over an upset-minded Lexington squad Friday night at Weiland Field.

It was the Bison homecoming game.

Grant Strunk/McCook Daily Gazette McCook Bison junior quarterback Chad Stull (3) finds running room for an 11-yard touchdown.

McCook improved to 7-0 overall and 1-0 in Nebraska Class B-7. Lexington dropped to 5-2 overall.

"They're 5-2 for a reason," said McCook football coach Jeff Gross. "We probably underestimated them all week. I never understood how they lost to Gering. We struggled to win 49-14."

The Bison, who scored 34 points in the first half of last week's 62-7 win at Gering, were held to 6 points in the first quarter against Lexington. McCook took a 12-0 lead on two 1-yard quarterback sneaks. McCook missed the extra point attempts.

Lexington got on the board on a 3-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Rios from Stuart Long and the PAT kick.

The Bison answered with an 8-yard TD run by Zach Wieser (set up by a 44-yard pass from Berry to 6-foot-5 senior tight end Aaron Ruppert). Jeff Lorentz kicked a 36-yard field goal and McCook led 21-7 at halftime.

The Bison scored two TDs in the third quarter. Berry returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown and Chris Schleeman scored from 3 yards out.

In the fourth quarter, McCook's Tyrone Sellers caught a pass over the middle and turned it into a 24-tard TD pass.

Rios returned the ensuing kickoff 89 yards to enable Lexington to cut McCook's lead to 42-14.

McCook's Chad Stull added the final TD of the game on a 11-yard run.

Lorentz kicked four extra points and Shane Wallen added the final PAT.

McCook rolled up 24 first downs, 297 yards rushing, 160 passing and 457 total yards. The Bison defense limited Lexington to eight first downs, 41 yards rushing, 115 yards passing and 156 total yards.

Andy Smith was the leading rusher for the Bison with 138 yards on 17 carries. Wieser had 48 yard srushing, Berry 44, Schleeman 41, Chad Stull 27 and Deon Allen 5.

Ruppert caught two passes 59 yards, Sellers three for 54 yards and Dillon Goltl made a leaping grab for 47 yards. He had to be taken off the field after the catch, but Bison coach Jeff Gross said Goltl just had leg cramps.

Berry completed 6-of-13 passes for 160 yards. He threw two interceptions in the first quarter.

Goltl and Ryan Hardin intercepted passes and Hardin recovered a fumble.

Long completed 15-of-30 passes for the Minutemen for 106 yards. Rios caught four passes for 54 yards, Tyler Tinglehoff three for 37 yards and and D.J. Ward two for 24 yards.

And it was rough game for both teams as two Tiger players were taken to Community Hospital by ambulance -- starting tailback Bryant Bernal and lineman Caleb Sandford.

Several Bison players were nicked up as well.

McCook plays at Holdrege next week.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. Ogallala defeated Holdrege 45-0 Friday night.

Lexington (5-2) 0 7 0 7 -- 14

at McCook (7-0) 6 15 14 14 -- 49

M -- Matt Berry 1 run (kick failed)

M -- Berry 1 run (run failed)

L -- Andrew Rios 3 pass from Stuart Long (Jorge Martinez kick)

M -- Zach Wieser 8 run (run failed)

M -- Jeff Lorentz 36 FG

M -- Berry 68 punt return (Lorentz kick)

M -- Chris Schleeman 3 run (Lorentz kick)

M -- Tyrone Sellers 24 pass from Berry (Lorentz kick)

L -- Rios 89 kickoff return (Martinez kick)

M -- Stull 11 run (Shane Wallen kick)