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Unbeaten Bearcats are buzzkill for Bison
SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. — Every once in 16 tries a great football program will likely have its night.
Make it two-for-17 as the Scottsbluff Bearcats rumbled past McCook, 23-13, at Bearcat Stadium Friday evening.
The Bearcats (9-0 record) scored 16 unanswered points behind a star named Chris Busby who brought plenty of “bus” to go with his state track champion speed.
“He’s the leading rusher in Class B for a reason,” Bison coach Jeff Gross said McCook’s second loss to Scottsbluff following a 15-1 run through this century. “He hits the seams and goes. Honestly, we hadn’t had to tackle someone like that for quite awhile and I think it showed. We got better as the game went on.”
Indeed. Busby gained about 150 yards before halftime (he had 213 total) while scoring two of his three touchdowns.
He twisted, bounced, dashed and broke free from strong Bison tacklers on some key first-half plays.
Even tied 13-13, the time-space continuum did not seem to cooperate with McCook’s 8-0 team.
The Bison batted away a fake-field goal pass which seemingly ended this first half.
But wait!
The first half was not done because one second remained on that Bearcat Stadium clock.
“They (Scottsbluff) got to run like six plays in the last 16 seconds,” Gross explained about his on-field discussion with officials late in that opening half. “They ran a fake field goal pass which only took like 2.6 seconds. How was that even possible?”
Anything really is possible because — since the pass attempt was on third down — Scotsbluff’s Caleb Walker was still able to kick a field goal for the 16-13 halftime lead.
Only another odd, rarely-seen play on special teams gave the Bearcats this tie-breaking chance.
Bison defenders DJ Gross and Conner Kleckner had dropped Busby for a two-yard loss on third down.
The Bearcats unleashed what became a perfect punt because it bounced perfectly off one retreating Bison blocker’s foot.
“It (the ball) took a horrible bounce,” coach Gross said. “It was just one of those unfortunate things that happened. It was nobody’s fault.”
Bison senior Colin Giron promptly sacked quarterback Sebastian Harsh after the next snap.
However, Busby displayed his great talent and balance again while sweeping inside McCook’s 20-yard line.
Though an ensuing pass bounced off a Bearcat’s facemask, Scottsbluff tried throwing again and drew a pass interference penalty in the end zone.
The Bearcats ran three more plays — including that fake field with six seconds left — and still had time for Walker’s kick.
It was the only separation of a great first half where both teams unleashed big plays.
McCook quickly answered Busby’s first touchdown that covered 53 yards.
Quarterback Cameryn Berry completed a huge third down-and-eight pass to senior Morgan Fawver along the sideline. Scottsbluff tried to intercept — but neither Berry nor any Bison passer has thrown a “pick” in nine regular-season games.
Following two tough Paxton Terry rushes, senior Gabe Sehnert blasted through another opening and dashed 46 yards to a tying TD.
Senior Trae Koetter’s PAT kick caught the mighty Bearcats at 7-7.
Both McCook and Scottsbluff would play their first games decided by less than 27 points since mid-September.
Bison defense soon stopped Busby on a fourth-down run.
Berry then fired another super pass downfield to Fawver, who kept his focus despite another Bearcat defender flying past in pursuit of a pick.
Fawver’s catch covered 36 yards to the 12, and Terry covered that final dozen on a rumble to McCook’s go-ahead touchdown.
The Bison surprisingly missed a PAT kick — so Fawver blocked Scottsbluff’s next extra point to keep it at 13-13.
Yet the Walker field goal and an early second-half fumble set up those eventually decisive 10 Bearcat points.
McCook moved inside the 20 once only to be stopped inches short on fourth down.
“Some thought they moved the ball back, but we couldn’t tell. It was really close,” coach Gross concluded.
Scottsbluff stopped every other potential to clinch its No. 2 spot among all Class B state playoff teams.
The Bearcats are behind only 9-0 Omaha Skutt Catholic.
Meanwhile, McCook slipped from second to fourth in playoff points despite that terrific 20-13 win over No. 3 York earlier this season.
Coach Gross doesn’t see much difference between those two spots as the Bison (8-1) now get ready for their first-round game against Hastings (4-5) at Weiland Field Friday night.
“Our goal wasn’t to go undefeated. Our goal was to be in the best position we could be by playoff time,” he said. “And how can you say it’s not that way? There’s not much difference between the top four teams. No matter what, you’re going to have to beat someone really good to get where we want to be at the end.”