Last-second thriller kicks off the MFL season, more tonight

Eagle Lincoln Brown signals incomplete as his MFL teammates helped secure a 14-12 opening win over the Commanders at Weiland Field Thursday night.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

McCOOK, Neb. — Lose track of a “Jett” and look how much fun erupted at Weiland Field Thursday evening.

Suddenly as only seconds remained, Jett Bednar’s brilliant 51-yard touchdown catch of a great pass from Ean Cock brought the Commanders within 14-12.

Bednar had slipped behind the last Eagle defender and this McCook Football League season opener was going down to one final two-point play.

Footballs were flying and rolling all over Weiland Field Friday night with the Commanders’ Ean Cock (left) scooping this Eagles miscue and rumbling for yardage.

R.B. Headley/McCook Gazette

Eagles were far more ready to fly, Eagles, fly and defend this two-and-a-half yard play.

They swarmed to break up the Commanders’ attempted two-point pass which really never got close to forcing a 14-14 deadlock.

Instead, the Eagles celebrated victory in this first fifth-sixth grade MFL game of 2026.

More heroics on defense erased an earlier 6-0 Commanders advantage on Bednar’s 65-yard TD gallop.

Maxwell Hidy soon scooped up a Commanders fumble and feathered his way on the 27-yard return.

Quint Mashek’s first of two crucial PAT power bursts put his Eagles ahead 7-6.

The lead held into quarter four even though Cock recovered an Eagles fumble and retired it past midfield.

Following another huge fourth-down stand, top rusher Max Johanson cut to his left and ran throught a commander to the 24-yard touchdown.

Mashek again powered across the goal line for that 14-6 Eagle advantage before those final memorable moments.

Both teams will continue their fifth-sixth grade seasons Monday evening.

Interested fans can see an entire Eagles roster featuring Johanson, Hidy, Mashek, Ashton Koeppe, Tate Salas, Cordell Bradney, Broden Applegarth, Bruce Thatcher, Jude Jurek, Ryker Vontz, Colton Softley, Michael Wilson, Benlee Stoney, Lincoln Brown, Lynkyn Hagan and Dariah Aguirre-Perkins.

The Commanders consist of Cock, Bednar, Emmitt Ridlen, Wheston Guthrie, Charlie Siegfried, Luke Sonnenberg, Noah Messinger, Crispin Lopez, Ryan Osborne, Hunter Snyder, Jay Crawford, Aaron Hernandez, Maddox Fox, Tao Martinez, Kayden Helm and Orlando Casarez.

MFL action continues tonight with seventh and eighth graders starting their season. Opening kick times are again 7 and 8 p.m.