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Bison football reunion held at UNK
KEARNEY, Neb. --The college football game Saturday, Nov. 12 between the University of Nebraska-Kearney and Colorado School of Mines had a definite Bison flavor.
Three former McCook High School gridiron standouts met at Ron & Carol Cope Field on the UNK campus, and the Bison duo on the home team roster got the best of their former prep teammate now at CSM.
Matt Berry and Dillon Goltl are redshirt sophomore wide receivers for Nebraska-Kearney. Sam Frazier is a junior defensive tackle for Colorado School of Mines. UNK topped Mines, 45-21, in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference battle last Saturday and the regular-season finale for both teams.
McCook High School head coach Jeff Gross and Bison defensive coordinator Russ Schlager also watched their former players compete.
The three players and their former coaches met on the UNK turf following the game to pose for photos and catch up on old times for a few minutes.
In Frazier's senior season at McCook (2007-08), Berry and Goltl were both juniors on the Bison team that lost to Crete, 14-7 in overtime, in the Class B state championship finals. Ironically, that was the last time McCook advanced to the playoff title game.
Berry was the starting quarterback on that 2007 Bison team that went unbeaten until the finals loss to Crete. Goltl was a starting wide receiver, and Frazier started at fullback.
No trash talking
With both his former Bison teammates playing wide receiver, Frazier didn't have any opportunities to do a little trash talking -- or have any physical contact -- with either Berry or Goltl during Saturday's game.
"I really didn't get a chance to hit anybody, as far as those guys," Sam said. "I was kind of upset I couldn't get Matt Berry coming across the middle on a screen or something. I didn't even get a chance to talk to them (during the game). I talked to Matty a little bit before the game. As far as during the game, we didn't talk much."
Revenge factor
One year ago at Golden, Colo., Mines beat the Lopers, 55-53 in three overtimes to knock UNK out of the NCAA Division II national playoffs. Berry said his squad really didn't have any plans to avenge that loss against the Orediggers last weekend.
"That was a really good game, went into overtime," Berry said, referring to last year's contest. "It is nice to win, it was a good game (this year).
"We talked about it (revenge) a little bit, but we just try to focus on the game -- it's just another game. That's what we did, we played a really good game on both sides of the ball and it came out in our favor."
Frazier said he would want to avenge a loss to any team.
"Absolutely. I know if I lose to somebody, the next time I face them I want to beat them so bad," he said. "But I want to beat them so bad all the time. That definitely factors into it. I'm sure those guys had revenge on their minds. They're obviously a great team, they're top five in the nation.
"We played pretty well today. We had some things not go our way, and they made some plays. Who knows how the game could have gone given a couple different calls or a couple different scenarios? They are a good team and it was fun to get to play with some of those McCook guys again.
"You play (against) your friends and you always want to beat your friends, bragging rights and what have you. The two McCook guys, and then I played on the Shrine Bowl against a couple other guys on the Kearney team. So I always want to beat those guys so I don't have to hear about losing.
"It was a fun game. I felt like I played all right. The only thing I could change would be the score -- I wish it would have went our way. But it was a fun game."
Undersized lineman
Frazier started at defensive tackle Saturday for Mines. Frazier had seven total tackles, including four solo stops. Frazier even had a short stint at fullback when Mines drove down close to the goal line against UNK.
"They let me go in and relive the glory days a little bit, knocking heads down there," Sam said.
Frazier looked like he was giving up a few pounds as he battled against much bigger UNK offensive linemen.
"How big am I? How big do I say I am? Or how big am I actually?" Frazier said when asked about his weight. "I'm listed at 6-2 260, it's more like 6-2, 240 or 235. I felt like I've lost a lot of weight. I haven't stepped on the scale since the beginning of the season. Everybody's like, 'Well how much do you weigh?' As long as I don't step on the scale, I can play like I'm 260.
"Those offensive linemen, everybody I play against is bigger than me. You've just got to play with technique. Hopefully this off-season I can put a little more weight on. I'd like to be 260, 265 for my senior year next year."
Mines didn't qualify for post-season play, so Saturday marked Frazier's final game of the season. The petroleum engineering major will start looking ahead to his final season of college football, and probably his final season of football, period.
"It's wild to think about, because I've been playing football since I was just a little guy," he said. "It's wild to think that it's almost over. I'm starting to tear up just thinking about it, because I don't want to be done.
"I'm excited to come back. I've got great teammates, all those guys out there that I know are amazing. It's sad to see the seniors go today, but I know that me and the rest of the underclassmen, guys coming back next year, are going to work hard and hopefully get it done next year."
Playoff home game
While Frazier's 2011 football season is over, Berry and Goltl and their UNK teammates have at least one more game. The Lopers are the second seed in the NCAA Division II playoffs and will draw a first-round bye.
Nebraska-Kearney will host a second-round playoff contest Saturday, Nov. 26, facing the winner of Saturday's first-round battle between St. Cloud State and Wayne State (Michigan).
"It will be nice to get a week off -- everybody can get their legs back," Berry said of the playoff bye.
Leading receiver
Berry caught one pass for 19 yards in Saturday's contest. The speedy sophomore, one of the top receivers for the Lopers this fall, also returned four punts for 62 yards.
The former Bison quarterback had perhaps the best game of his college career two weeks ago when UNK played in a snowstorm at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. Berry returned a punt 79 yards for a touchdown less than three minutes into the contest. Later in the first period, he caught a 73-yard TD pass, followed by a 63-yard touchdown reception in the second period.
"It was fun playing in the snow -- it was a little different the first time," Matt said. "In the snow it just didn't feel like I was running that fast. I kind of felt like I was just kind of slow. The snow evens out everybody's speed. It was all right."
Battle for playing time
Goltl is a reserve wide receiver for the Lopers. He battled back from an early-season knee injury, and he has seen limited playing time on offense, although he is a regular on UNK special teams.
"It's kind of tough to get through," Goltl said. "I guess what the coaches want, it's not a big deal."
With several seniors playing ahead of him, Dillon will look to increase his playing time next fall.
"Hopefully I can do something like that next year," he said.
Goltl is sporting a bald head these days.
"It fell out; I'm getting old," he said, wearing a sly grin on his face, when asked about his new hairdo.
Goltl and Berry have an advantage with a familiar face on the UNK roster. Both also worked behind former Bison standout Brendan Liess, who ended his UNK career last fall.
"It's always kind of a competitive thing, growing up, in high school, things like that," Goltl said. "It was fun playing with Brendan (Liess), Matt and everybody.
"It's nice to have somebody on the team that you know, especially when you first start out."
Following the Bison
All three former Bison standouts said they tried to keep tabs on McCook during this past high school season. The Bison went 10-1, losing to Adams Central, 28-24, in the Class B state playoff quarterfinals Nov. 4.
"They had a good season. I'm proud of them," Berry said of the 2011 Bison squad. "I didn't get back this year -- we always had away games when they were home -- but I wanted to. That's kind of why I wanted to go back, I coached some of them in midget football, now they're playing high school football. It makes me feel old."
Frazier said while he didn't get to see the Bison in person, he at least managed to catch final scores each week.'
"Sounded like they had another good year," Sam said. "You can't ever be too upset about a quarterfinals team. The only place that is ever upset about that is McCook, because we're spoiled, we're used to winning.
"They had another great year, and it sounds like they bring back a lot of guys next year and they'll have another (good season)."
Frazier was pleased to see his former high school coaches at Saturday's game.
"I'm really close with Coach (Gross), it's always good to see him," Sam said. "We talk a couple times throughout the season about how those guys are doing and how we are doing. It's always good to see him in person.
"It will be good to come home for Thanksgiving here in a couple weeks. We'll get to go out and maybe go pheasant hunting or something like that."