Cross County Rushing attack overwhelms Blue Hill in season opener.

The Cross County defense (white jerseys) was superb in the Cougars resounding 70-12 win over Blue Hill Friday night.

BLUE HILL, NE

Cross County’s two-headed rushing monster of Carter Seim and Isaac Noyd picked right up where they left off a year ago as the 2nd rated (D-1) Cougars rambled to a 70-12 win over Blue Hill on opening night 2020.

Seim, just a junior, exploded for 234 yards on just 13 carries and 5 touchdowns as Hayden DeLano’s forces sped to a 38-12 halftime lead and never looked back.

Senior speedster Isaac Noyd added 138 yards on 14 totes which included a sweet cutback 39 yard scoring run early in the 3rd stanza that left some Blue Hill undergarments scattered on the field.

The Cross County offense was so dominating that the Cougars scored on every single possession except one, when they turned it over on a lost fumble early in the 2nd quarter.

Led the powerful O-Line blocking of 6-0, 230 pound Lincoln Kelly, the Cross County rushing blitzkrieg racked up 468 yards in a game that saw the Cougars attempt just two passes all evening, and one of those being an 11 yard scoring strike from junior QB Haiden Hild to his classmate, 6-6, 205 All-State candidate Cory Hollinger.

Carter Seim, who rambled for 1,293 yards a year ago, scored on runs of 19, 66, 5, 43 and 37 yards in the route, and was also a defensive standout in a game that saw the Cougar “D” limit Blue Hill to just 125 yards of total offense, 106 of those coming through the air.

Cross County stuck early and often with hard charging, 170 pound senior fullback Christian Rystrom bolting in from 14 yards out to get things rolling. Carter Seim then swept in from 19 yards away, capping a 7 play, 54 yard drive, that gave the Cougars a 16-0 lead with 3:17 left in the opening quarter.

Blue Hill did answer back after the Seim touchdown when senior tight end McLayne Seeman grabbed a 3 yard scoring pass from slick junior quarterback MJ Coffey, cutting the Cougar lead to 16-6.

MJ, who is the son of former Blue Hill head coach Jon Coffey, was a dangerous weapon when given time to throw the football out of that Bobcat backfield and most all of his hookups came against a south wind that was mildly gusty at times.

Carter Seim then answered the Blue Hill score with an electrifying 66 yard scamper around the right side, but the Bobcats answered right back a minute and 36 seconds later, when Jake Bonifas crashed in from the 4 yard line.

The Bonifas touchdown sliced the Cross County lead to 22-12 with 7:47 left before halftime, but Blue Hill never saw the end zone again.

The 11 yard Hild to Hollinger hookup and a 5 yard standup touchdown by Carter Seim, gave the Cougars a 38-12 lead at the intermission.

Cross County immediately went to work in the 3rd quarter. An 8 yard gain by Rystrom, followed by a 21 yard scamper by Isaac Noyd, set up Carter Seims fourth touchdown run of the game, a sparkling 43 yard sprint just 56 seconds deep into the second half.

Then came Isaac Noyd’s pretty 39 yard scoring dash, which sent the clock into running mode with 9:10 still remaining in that 3rd frame.

Seim closed out his night with a 37 yard scoring jaunt at the 5:34 mark, giving the Cougars a 62-12 lead.

Sophomore backup quarterback Jackson Lindburg then left his mark when he scooped up a bad snap, scrambled momentarily, then proceeded to bolt 31 yards for Cross County’s final score of the night coming at the 1:56 mark of the 3rd quarter.

The Cross County offensive line of Cory Hollinger, Damon Mickey (5-11, 225, Jr.), the aforementioned 230 pound Lincoln Kelly, Colby Bolton (195, Jr) and 200 pound Freshman Alex Noyd, continually punished the Blue Hill defense to the point of causing fatigue just before halftime.

On defense, it was Seim and Damon Mickey leading the way for Cross County.

For Blue Hill, JR Coffey’s tight, accurate spirals were a forewarning to future Bobcat opponents that the junior sharpshooter will score some points this season.

The high, booming punts of McLayne Seeman also prevented Cross County from garnering any sizable return yards, and Bobcat freshman Romeo Gomez flashed some terrific tackling skills late in the contest when the backups were in the game.

Cross County will travel to Class D-1, #1 Clarkson-Leigh next Friday, setting up a number one versus number 2 matchup that could be a game for th ages.

Blue Hill, who dropped to Class D-2 this season (20 players on the roster), will remain at home next Friday when Loomis invades the Hill.

…………………...1……..2……..3……..4……….Final

Cross County…..16…...22…….32……0………....70

Blue Hill…………..6…….6……...0…....0………....12

1st Qtr.

CC: Christian Rystrom 14 run…………………..PAT-Carter Seim run (7:20)

CC: Seim 19 run………………………………….PAT-Rystrom run (3:17)R

BH: McLayne Seeman 3 pass from MJ Coffey..PAT-run failed (:53.2)

2nd Qtr.

CC: Seim 66 run………………………………….PAT-run failed (9:23

BH: Jake Bonifas 4 run………………………….PAT-run failed (7:47)

CC: Cory Hollinger 11 pass from Haiden Hild...PAT-Rystrom run (4:49)

CC: Seim 5 run…………………………………...PAT-Seim run (2:19)

3rd Qtr.

CC: Seim 43 run………………………………….PAT-Isaac Noyd run (11:04)

CC: Noyd 39 run………………………………….PAT-Shayden Lundstrom to Noyd pass (9:10)

CC: Seim 37 run………………………………….PAT-Ashtom Seim run (5:36)

CC: Jackson Lindburg 31 run…………………...PAT-Izaac Dickey run (1:56)