Menu
Bison attack grounded in playoff loss to Aurora
AURORA, Nebraska -- In a state playoff rematch, McCook couldn't duplicate a great start the Bison enjoyed in a regular-season meeting with Aurora.
The host Huskies jumped on the Bison early, then slowed the McCook offense in a 27-0 decision in the Class B state playoff quarterfinals Friday night, Nov. 5.
McCook got off to a great start against Aurora in their contest Sept. 3, when the Bison built an 18-7 lead before the Huskies gained momentum with a pair of punt returns to rally for a 43-25 win. In round two last Friday, it was defending two-time state champions and unbeaten Aurora's turn for a strong start.
Before McCook blinked, the Bison fell behind 20-0 early in the second period. McCook didn't register a first down until its third possession midway through the second quarter.
For the game, McCook was held to just 109 rushing yards and 119 total yards, while Aurora ran wild with 358 yards on the ground and 28 through the air for 386 total yards.
"Aurora has always been good offensively, but we've always been able to move the ball and control the clock and do some things against them," said McCook head coach Jeff Gross. "That's probably the best defensive game I've witnessed or watched them play in the last three or four years, to hold our rushing attack to (109) yards, and our total team offense to (119) yards. At one point it was 20-0 and they probably had 270 yards offense and I think we had six.
"They got the early score and we had to come back and respond -- whether it was for points or not, to go on long, sustained drives. But our first three drives were three-and-out and punt. That makes it awfully difficult to stick around in the ball game."
Bison senior linebacker Austin Bishop echoed his coach's sentiments.
"We didn't come out as hot as we should have," Bishop said. "We came out a little slow."
Quarterback injured
Aurora suffered an apparent huge loss when all-state quarterback Tyson Broekemeier was injured late in the second quarter with his team ahead 20-0. Broekemeier was tripped up after a first-down gain. He flipped in the air and landed on the back of his head and shoulders. After lying on the field, the standout quarterback got up with the help of Aurora trainers, and as he started to sprint off the field he collapsed, drawing gasps from both sides of the stadium.
Broekemeier later walked off the field, and he did not return to action the rest of the game. His status for next Saturday's playoff semifinal showdown against Crete will be determined later this week. Aurora head coach Randy Huebert said after Friday night's game he heard his star quarterback might have suffered a slight concussion. Broekemeier was seeing smiling and chatting with teammates and friends after the game.
"We need to talk to the trainer, we'll see what happens," Coach Huebert said on Broekemeier's status.
The senior standout had gouged the Bison defense for 140 rushing yards while scoring all three Aurora touchdowns on runs of 26, 27 and 3 yards before the injury.
"He's a big player; he's pretty good at making people miss and running down the field," Bishop said of Broekemeier.
Junior Seth Schnakenberg replaced Broekemeier, and the Huskies didn't miss a beat. Schnakenberg scored Aurora's final touchdown in the third quarter on a 9-yard run.
Aurora's run game emphasis
Coach Huebert said Schnakenberg did a nice job filling in for Broekemeier, and the Huskies worked hard last week trying to improve their rushing attack entering Friday's contest.
"We really had an emphasis on working on our running game," Huebert said. "We (put) some things in for McCook in terms of their three-man front and four man front. We were able to execute pretty good. I'll tell you, our linemen up front did a really nice job, our receivers blocked well, and we were able to move the football, which was good for us, because we have a lot of respect for McCook.
"I think both programs have a lot of respect for each other. I have always had respect for the way McCook runs their football program and the way the kids play at McCook. We are fortunate to get wins against them when we can. It's great high school football."
Missed opportunities
McCook missed several scoring chances. The Bison drove to the Aurora 31-yard line late in the second quarter, but junior quarterback Matt Chitwood was sacked on third down to force a punt.
The Bison drove inside the Aurora 10 late in the third period, but an incomplete pass and Chitwood's sack on fourth down ended the threat. McCook moved to the Aurora 17 early in the final quarter, but Wyatt Kain's great second effort on a fourth-down pass from Baumbach came up a yard short of a first down.
The Bison had problems in the passing game Friday, as junior quarterback Matt Chitwood misfired on his only two attempts. Sophomore Jake Schlager, working from the Wildcat shotgun formation, missed on his only throw, and Brad Baumbach completed two of three passes for just 10 yards.
Bison bluffs
Coach Gross said Chitwood entered the game hampered with the effects of a shoulder dislocation suffered a few weeks ago, and a sore right elbow.
"Matt and I ought to be on Full-Tilt Poker -- we did our best job (last week) of making people believe he was 100-percent healthy," Gross said.
Chitwood was limited throwing in drills last week, Gross said.
Senior Brandon Yost led McCook rushers with just 43 yards on 15 carries. Junior fullback Justin Terry added 31 yards on nine attempts, and Keldon Osterman had 19 yards on three carries.
Baumbach led the Bison defense with 10 solo tackles and 15 total stops.
Senior leaders
McCook ends the season with an 8-3 record. Coach Gross gave much credit for the success of this year's team to a group of outstanding senior leaders. The Bison used a platoon system, with most of the starters either playing strictly offense or defense most of the season. That platoon helped keep the McCook starters fresher in the fourth quarter and helped wear down many opponents. It also helped Coach Gross give several underclassmen valuable experience for the coming years.
Gross noted that this group of seniors won just one game in their two years of junior high football, and they had a .500 record as freshman three years ago.
"Expectations are high at certain communities," Gross said. "At 90 percent of the places in the state, that 8-and3 record would be an unbelievable deal and they would be throwing a party and parade for their kids. In McCook we have high expectations, so (8-3) is always disappointing. I think where we ended up is very befitting of the talent level of the group of kids that we have. All of that was made possible by our senior leadership."
Two-platoon system
Gross said his seniors "bought into" the two-platoon system.
"Next year, because of these guys' ability to accept that and be leaders, we're going to be a very, very good football team," he said, "because, all of a sudden, we've got seven, eight, nine guys coming back that played a lot of minutes this year, that had we not done all this two-platooning this year, those kids wouldn't have played.
"(The seniors) had to buy in; they had to not be able to pout because a sophomore was playing where they may be playing."
Gross said the Bison staff felt like the platoon system was the best way to go this fall.
"We felt like, talent-level wise, that would be the best for us," he said. "We don't do that every year. We did this back in 2007. The next year we turned around and played a little more iron man football.
"We'll have enough talent next year to be very competitive, but depth will be an issue. You evaluate it each year and you deal with it and you play the hand that's dealt to you. We'll be better off next year, -- the lasting impact of the leadership we had from this senior class will be felt for a few years because of the way they accepted the underclassmen in and accepted their roles on this football team."
Bishop perhaps summed up McCook's campaign very well with his parting words.
"A lot of people probably didn't expect as much as we had," Bishop said. "I think we fought as hard as we could. We had a great season. I love all the guys we played with; they did good."
Unbeatens to meet in semis
Aurora advances to next Saturday's Class B playoff semifinal at Crete in a battle of unbeaten teams. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. Nov. 13 at Simon Field on the Doane College campus in Crete.
Class B football fans across the state have probably been anticipating this game all season. The two teams have been ranked 1-2 all season.
"A lot of people are talking about it," Coach Huebert said. "But weve just got to prepare one game at a time, like we always do. Crete's going to be a very good football team. It's going to be a great high school game."
Aurora, Crete and McCook have been the top teams in Class B in the past 10 years. Coach Gross expects a great game Saturday.
"They're both quality football programs, they're as good as they are," he said. "In the last 10 years you've got us with a couple state titles, Aurora with a couple and Crete with three. I wouldn't give a distinct advantage to either team, although this group of Aurora kids have been through it (winning the last two state titles).
"If Broekemeier doesn't play, then I say advantage Crete. If Broekemeier plays and he's healthy -- and that's the thing, if he's healthy (advantage Aurora). I watched some Crete film earlier in the year and they have some trouble defending the pass.
"They both have had each other circled on the calendar for some time. It will be a dandy. Good luck to both fine programs."
Elkhorn and Blair meet Saturday in the other Class B playoff semifinal.
The Class B state championship game is set for Nov. 23 in Lincoln.