Hayes Center punches ticket for state

Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Alex Wach (right) of Hayes Center blocks Pleasanton defensive end Tate Shafto in the Class D-2 high school football playoff semifinal contest Monday afternoon at Hayes Center. The Cardinals qualified for the D-2 state championship finals in Lincoln next Monday with a 14-0 win over Pleasanton.

HAYES CENTER -- Hayes Center head football coach Scott Jorgensen might think twice about making promises to his team.

But Jorgensen will be more than happy to show off his new hairdo next Monday in Lincoln.

Hayes Center earned its first-ever berth in a state football championship game at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln with a 14-0 win Monday afternoon over previously unbeaten Pleasanton. The Class D-2 playoff semifinal was held in front of a capacity crowd at the Hayes Center football field.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Travis Garrett (38) escorts Keifer Messersmith (11) around left end in the Cardinals' 14-0 win over Pleasanton in Class D-2 playoff acton at Hayes Center Monday. Messersmith rumbled for 269 yards on 33 carries, and Keifer scored both touchdowns for Hayes Center.

The Cardinals earned a trip to Lincoln to face Humphrey St. Francis in the D-2 championship game. Kickoff is set for 10:15 a.m. Monday, Nov. 23, at Memorial Stadium.

St. Francis topped host Ewing 49-18 in the other D-2 semifinal Monday.

The Hayes Center coach likely woke up Tuesday morning sporting a Mohawk for the first time ever -- or at least since he was a youngster. Coach Jorgensen apparently promised his team that he would join some of the Cardinals players with the Mohawk cut if they advanced to the state finals.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette Edgar Rodriguez (right) celebrates with teammate Keifer Messersmith after Hayes Center's 14-0 win over Pleasanton. The Cardinals will meet Humphrey St. Francis next Monday in Lincoln for the D-2 state championship.

After finishing media interviews following the win Monday, Jorgensen kept his promise as he sat down and let junior lineman Edgar Rodriguez do his magic with the clippers.

Star running backs

Monday's game was anticipated as a battle between two outstanding running backs. Keifer Messersmith of Hayes Center won the battle against Pleasanton's Sean Campbell, and helped his team win the war.

Messersmith ran for 269 yards on 33 carries (8 yards per carry average), and the 190-pound senior scored both touchdowns for the Cardinals. The Hayes Center defense limited Campbell to just 125 yards on 25 attempts (5 yards per carry).

"He's a good running back," Messersmith said of Campbell, "but our team defense is pretty good this year. We can do a good job of containing. Our corners keep them inside and push them into our middle linebacker. Our line does a good job up front controlling (the opponent's) line."

Pleasanton had several long scoring drives and several opportunities to score, but the Hayes Center defense and turnovers help keep a zero on the scoreboard for the Bulldogs.

"We were telling (our defense), Pleasanton is going to get chunks of yards on us," Jorgensen said. "We've just got to keep a level head, not get too excited and just play your assignment football. Pleasanton has such a great offensive blocking scheme that we were having troubles early. But we just kept fighting, just kept working to get it. It worked out all right."

Key turnovers

Pleasanton surrended the ball six times in Hayes Center territory, including three lost fumbles and a pass interception.

With Hayes Center leading 7-0 early in the fourth quarter, Campbell lost the ball inside the Cardinals 5-yard line after a hit by Rodriguez, and Messersmith recovered. Two plays later, the Hayes Center workhorse broke free around left end for a 31-yard gain.

On the next play, Messersmith broke through the middle and sprinted 39 yards for a touchdown. The PAT kick by exchange student James Mate gave the hosts a more comfortable 14-point cushion.

Pleasanton had one more scare for the Cardinals, with a drive to the Hayes Center 30. But a deep pass intended for Matt Giffin was tipped by Brady Rosno into Messersmith's hands. Three plays later, Messersmith ran 54 yards to the Pleasanton 16, and the Cardinals ran out the clock to start the state trip celebration.

"It was getting down close to the end of the game and we were worried we would have to punt it back to them," Messersmith said. "Getting that long run really helped us to calm down and put the game away."

Messersmith scored the first touchdown for Hayes Center on a 17-yard run on the Cardinals first possession in the opening period.

Hayes Center threatened to score again in the second quarter after Tyler Clifford recovered a Pleasanton fumble in Bulldog territory. Messersmith dove into the line at the Pleasanton 3-yard line, but the senior lost the ball and Pleasanton recovered.

"I couldn't believe it -- we were so close to taking a two-touchdown lead, then I fumbled it," Messersmith said. "Luckily our defense stepped up and held them back."

Goes over 2,000 rushing yards

Messersmith eclipsed the 2,000-yard mark for the season. Keifer's big game Monday pushed his season total to 2,196 rushing yards entering next week's state title tilt. Messersmith was quick to give his offensive teammates credit for much of his success.

"Our line does a tremendous job up front. Our interior linemen are really getting a good push," he said. "Our ends are containing their ends and giving me good looks. Tyler Clifford has been helping to give me huge holes to run through all year, and it's a blast running behind them."

Hayes Center had 345 total yards (328 on the ground), while Pleasanton had 287 total yards (140 rushing, 147 passing).

"Offensively I thought we executed fairly well," Coach Jorgensen said. "When you get to this level of play, we're going to miss blocks every now and then we're going to miss holes, we're going to fumble. You just hope it's not like the one at the goal line, you just hate to see it there. A game like this, that's going to happen.

"The attitude that we've been telling these boys since August is, forget about the previous play good or bad, and just work to the next play. Just keep fighting for that next play. I thought we did a great job of just keeping our overall composure and not getting too excited tonight."

On to Lincoln

Hayes Center, 11-1, will be pumped for its first-ever chance to play next Monday on Huskers' home turf. The Cardinals were denied a trip to the state finals last year when Ewing won a 36-27 decision in the semifinals.

"It's been exciting all season, looking forward to that," Messersmith said. "We knew it was going to be tough coming into the year, but we knew we had it in us. The seniors wanted to get back to the semifinals and prove what we could do, and we did a pretty good job of that tonight."

St. Francis brings a 12-0 record to Monday's state title game. The Flyers lost to Ewing in last year's D-2 championship game in Lincoln.

CLASS D-2 STATE FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

Semifinals Tuesday at Hayes Center

Pleasanton0 0 0 0 -- 0
Hayes Center7 0 0 7 -- 14

HC -- Keifer Messersmith 17 run (Messersmith kick).

HC -- Messersmith 39 run (James Mate kick).

Hayes Center statistics

Rushing -- Keifer Messersmith 33-269, Tyler Clifford 22-62.

Passing -- Tyler Rehbein 2-5-1 13 yards.

Receiving -- Bady Rosno 2-12, Tyler Clifford 1-5.

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