Bison football JV shocks North Platte

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook's Brock Scott (25, left) and Chandler Wagner (right) double-team North Platte defender Tom Beckmann (64) during junior varsity football action Aug. 29 at Weiland Field. The Bison reserves ran past North Platte, 42-20.

Bigger, stronger, faster doesn't always win the race.

The McCook High School junior varsity football game was at a disadvantage against the North Platte High school reserves Monday, Aug. 29 at Weiland Field. But the Bison JV grabbed momentum on an unusual play to blow past the Bulldogs, 42-20.

The McCook junior varsity was playing its first game of the season with a much bigger, stronger and faster opponent across the line of scrimmage. Early in the contest, it appeared North Platte had the upper hand, as the Bulldogs scored twice sandwiched around a 70-yard touchdown run by McCook's Cade Hiatt to lead 13-7. But momentum flipped to the Bison on a lineman's dream play.

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook running back Ethan Loibl (34) finds running room through the North Platte defense during junior varsity football action Aug. 29 at McCook's Weiland Field.

McCook drove deep in North Platte territory, but the Dawgs held and forced a field goal try with Jacob Reimann lined up to kick at the North Platte 33-yard line. The snap was fumbled, and Reimann picked up the pigskin and rolled to his right, looking for an open receiver.

Reimann fired the ball downfield, where it was tipped high in the air. Bison center Morgan Schilling began running downfield after Reimann's pass, and the ball deflected into Schilling's hands, where he turned and ran to the end zone for a touchdown. Reimann's PAT boot gave McCook a 14-13 lead with 2:45 left in the opening half.

Long touchdown pass

Steve Kodad/McCook Daily Gazette McCook receiver Jacob Reimann hauls in this pass from quarterback Vince Lyons during third-quarter action from the McCook JV win over North Platte Aug. 29 at Weiland Field. Reimann ran untouched to the end zone to complete a 50-yard touchdown pass play.

The Bison forced a three-and-out, and following a North Platte punt, McCook over at the NP 46 with just over a minute left before intermission. Two plays later, quarterback Vince Lyons pump-faked as Reimann broke outside from his wide receiver position then cut upfield on the hitch-and-go route. The ball floated into Reimann's hands and over the head of the North Platte defender, and the Bison receiver ran untouched to the end zone to help give McCook a 21-13 cushion.

"We got of to a slow start," said McCook assistant coach Jeremy Yilk. "We gave up a couple big plays early, then we settled in, recovered, played great defense. Offensively, we were able to move the ball and just keep it simple -- run the ball between the tackles and make plays. We got some big scores right before half.

"We're not going to spread you out and chuck it around like some other teams do. But yet, our running game is going to set up our passing game, and Vince made a couple nice throws, and it led to a big play to Jacob Reimann."

Third-quarter scores

McCook added another big score in the third quarter. The Bison converted a Kyle Stewart interception into a two-touchdown lead. Stewart stepped in front of a short North Platte pass and returned the ball into Bulldog territory. Lyons completed three passes on the 40-yard scoring drive, including a 19-yard TD pass in the left flat to Cade Hiatt. Reimann's fourth PAT kick of the night put McCook ahead 28-13 with 5:18 left in the third quarter.

McCook held on downs as a North Platte pass deep in its own territory fell incomplete. The Bison JV overcame a holding penalty, scoring in three plays when Ethan Loibl dove up the middle, then cut outside and outran the Dawgs defense to the end zone. Reimann converted again for a 35-13 McCook lead late in the third period.

North Platte mounted a drive into McCook's end of the field early in the final quarter. The Dawgs got to the Bison 19, but two penalties helped push North Platte back to fourth down at the McCook 30. A long pass was batted by Bison defender Dylan Samway into the hands of teammate Brock Scott, who returned the pick to the Bison 34.

McCook put together a steady 66-yard scoring match in 10 plays, with big runs of 21 yards by Lyons and 13 yards by Ian Pearson. Lyons capped the drive with a 5-yard touchdown run with five minutes left in the contest.

North Platte drove for a final score in the closing minutes before McCook ran out the clock.

Coach Yilk and the Bison staff were pleased with the win.

"They were a lot bigger, they were a lot faster, but we played with better technique," Yilk said. "We played our style of football. We stayed in the game plan and kept it simple and just executed really well and did stuff that we normally do."

At Lexington Sept. 12

The McCook reserves are scheduled to visit Lexington Monday, Sept. 12, for a game set to kickoff at 5 p.m.