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Big first half plays boost Bison to big win over Northwest
McCook managed only 10 offensive plays from scrimmage in the first quarter against Grand Island Northwest Friday, Sept. 23 at Weiland Field. Northwest ran 22 plays in that same time frame.
The Bison had 54 yards of total offense in the first 12 minutes, compared to 40 for the visitors.
Score at the end of the first quarter -- McCook 28, Northwest 0.
The Bison capitalized on Northwest turnovers and stretched the lead to 49-0 at halftime. Then the starters watched reserves finish out the second half in a 49-36 decision.
McCook remained unbeaten in five starts, while Northwest fell to 1-4.
Perhaps an omen of things to come was shown to the Northwest faithful on the opening kickoff. McCook kicked off, and Matt Chitwood's boot bounced in front of the Northwest return man and rolled into the end zone for a touchback.
Three plays later, after the Bison had allowed the Vikings five yards to force a fourth down punt, the center snap sailed over the head of would-be kicker Dylan Krosschell. The Viking punter retrieved the loose ball and was hit for a 9-yard loss, giving McCook possession on the GINW 18-yard line. Two plays later, Chitwood ran the option keeper and ran 8 yards for the touchdown, then the Bison senior booted the extra point, and the Bison had a 7-0 lead barely a minute into the game.
On second down for Northwest, Krosschell's pitch hit the turf, and Justin Terry recovered for the Bison at the Vikings 17. Terry rambled 12 yards to the 1 on second down, then Jake Schlager scored on the next play, and Chitwood's boot put McCook ahead 14-0 with less than two minutes elapsed off the clock.
Northwest gained 18 yards on the next two plays, then Krosschell threw a pass up the middle that was picked off by Schlager, the Bison outside linebacker. Schlager scooted 40 yards for the interception return, but Chitwood missed the conversion kick -- about the only thing that had went wrong for the Bison in the early going.
Not so fast. Northwest was flagged for a face mask penalty on the PAT kick, and Chitwood's second attempt was good to put McCook ahead 21-0 with 8:04 remaining.
A holding penalty on the return backed Northwest up to its 10-yard line. Austen Sis threw Krosschell for a 4-yard loss, and Kyle Bockman was stopped for a 3-yard loss on a third-down screen pass that was sniffed out by Terry at middle linebacker.
Northwest punted from its end zone, and the Bison nearly blocked the kick. The shanked punt went out of bounds at the Northwest 21, and Chitwood went the final 7 yards five plays later for a 28-0 McCook lead with 4:14 left in the first quarter.
The Vikings got untracked and put together a drive deep in McCook territory early in the second quarter. On fourth and 15 form the Bison 36, Northwest passed on a punt and decided to try for the first down. But Chitwood timed the out pass perfectly, stepping in front of the GINW receiver for the interception, then sprinting 76 yards for the touchdown and a 35-0 McCook lead two plays into the second quarter.
The Bison held on downs, and following a 40-yard punt, it took the Bison two plays to score again. Terry broke free up the middle on a fullback dive, then he rumbled 60 yards for a 42-0 Bison lead with 9:28 left before intermission.
Northwest went three-and-out again on their next possession, and McCook put together a 65-yard drive in nine plays, capped by a 9-yard run by Kyle Stewart for the 49-0 lead. The big play on the march was a 21-yard pass from Chitwood to Cade Hiatt.
Coach Jeff Gross sat his starters throughout the second half, and Northwest came back to score four too-little, too-late touchdowns.
The Bison stay at home next Friday, Sept. 30, to face Sidney. Watch for expanded coverage of the McCook-Northwest game in the Monday, Sept. 26 Sports pages and on the Gazette on-line edition.