COLUMBUS – What a game it was. Between turnovers, lead changes, gutsy calls, and a last minute score, Columbus prevailed by the Kearney Bearcats in a 35-31 victory Friday night at Pawnee Park. Click here to listen to the podcast.
Kearney entered the contest at 2-3 on the year having fallen two consecutive weeks on the road at Millard West and at home to Bellevue West the prior week. The Bearcats would also be without their star receiver Kaden Miller, a late scratch who was unavailable due to an injury that left him in street clothes for the contest. Miller leads all of Class A in receiving touchdowns.
The Discoverers entered the Week 6 matchup with a 4-1 record, having heard arguments over their hot start due to a softer schedule. Entering the contest, Columbus’ combined opponents record was 22-24; Kearney’s was 27 – 22.
As the opening drive of the game started for Kearney, the Bearcats immediately opened the contest with a big kick return into Columbus territory. A surprise start, junior Treyvan Beckman led the Bearcats to a 9 play, 41 yard touchdown drive that showed a good mix of run and pass and ended with a quarterback dive from two yards out. Kearney led 7-0 with 8:05 to play in the first quarter.
The ensuing kickoff was fumbled by Columbus, giving Kearney prime real estate inside of the Discoverers territory once again. Set up at the Columbus 23, senior Riley Miller took over the reins of the offense and found Max Meyers on an 8 yard touchdown catch and run to extend the lead 14-0 in the first quarter.
Columbus was done with making their own mistakes, and once the Discoverers had their first true possession of the game they began their methodical approach for the rest of the contest. Using multiple runners and misdirection, Columbus shuffled between run and pass leading to an eleven play, eighty yard scoring drive that brought the game within 14-7 after a 17 yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Brody Mickey.
Kearney proceeded to hit some big plays, including two first down pass completions and a first down run, but failed to pick up a first down after an incomplete pass led to a turnover on downs at the Columbus 44 yard line. The Discoverers then marched down the field, traveling 56 yards in 12 plays with a three yard touchdown run to tie the game at 14 with 4:41 to play in the first half.
Kearney and Columbus would trade three-and-outs, but Kearney would force a miscue on the Discoverer special teams when a low snap resulted in a lost down deep in Columbus territory. The Bearcats were in business at the Columbus 21 yard line, but failed to overcome a sack and near interception as a James Dakan field goal attempt failed to go between the uprights and kept the score tied at 14.
Columbus would proceed to kneel and burn the rest of the second quarter clock entering the halftime locker room tied at 14.
The Discoverers would receive the second half kickoff, using their slow and steady approach to burn seven minutes and 45 seconds off of the game clock to score after 11 plays on a ten yard touchdown run by senior Ean Luebbe. Columbus led 21-14 with 5:15 in the third quarter.
Kearney would quickly respond with a good kick return to their own 43 yard line, followed by a completion for first down yardage. Miller then patiently waited for a late option pitch to running back Rian Green who found green space and sprinted down the Kearney sideline for a 47 yard touchdown run. Green’s run tied the game at 21.
KGFW // Credit – Austin Jacobsen
Columbus then ran the ball 6 straight plays for good yardage, followed by a play fake and wide open touchdown toss to future Nebraska Cornhusker Ernest Hausmann from 53 yards out, leading the Discoverers to a 28-21 advantage with 3:40 to play in the third quarter. A quick three and out from Kearney was noted for two big pass plays that fell incomplete, leaving Kearney forced to punt down seven.
Columbus quietly took advantage of the opportunity, moving the ball and eating clock as the contest entered the fourth quarter. On a drive that started at the Columbus 44 yard line, the Discoverers went 10 plays before facing a fourth and inches from inside the Kearney 20 yard line. The Bearcats held still at the line of scrimmage, but a costly false start pushed back the Columbus offense to 4th down and six yards to go. Head Coach of Columbus Craig Williams elected to go for the dagger, and sent the offense out to convert and milk the game away.
As Mickey rolled out to his right, the quarterback was pressured to throw a pass into traffic. The toss was knocked into the air, deflected by a Bearcat defender, and fell into the waiting arms of senior D’Andre Ndugwa. Ndugwa proceeded from his own 20 yard line, shrugging off offensive players and rumbling down the Kearney sideline with a pack of Bearcats leading the way. After the 80 yard interception return for a touchdown, Ndugwa’s big play moved momentum to Kearney’s side as the Bearcats tied the game at 28.
The proceeding plays were a kickoff return to Columbus’ 40 yard line, followed by a fullback blast by senior Liam Blaser. As Blaser was pounding for extra yardage, Kearney senior linebacker Parker Wise continued to fight for a play, knocking the ball out of the hands of the fullback and falling on the ball for a Kearney turnover.
Set up at the Columbus 47 yard line, Kearney’s offense marched down the field to the Discoverers 6 yard line before electing to send out the kicking unit and take the lead. Dakan’s kick rang true, and gave Kearney their first lead since the first half at 31-28 with 2:47 to play.
The ensuing kickoff return was busted by the Columbus returner, finding a seam and bursting for a huge gain and downed at the Kearney 30 yard line. After converting a first down on their first play, Columbus was running out of time, timeouts, and options as a stuffed run on third down led to 4th down and three yards to go for a first down form the Bearcats 11 yard line.
Columbus first elected to send out the field goal unit, led by senior Blake Thompson. Once set up on the line of scrimmage with 40 seconds to play, head coach of Kearney Brandon Cool burned a timeout to attempt to ice the kicker. During the timeout, Columbus’ Williams changed his mind. The Discoverers instead would trot out their offense to go for the win – or first down – rather than to attempt a tie and play for added time. As quarterback Mickey dropped back to pass, the only option would be the sure bet in the endzone to the future Husker. Outmuscling nearly three defenders for the ball, Hausmann scored with 34 seconds remaining to take the Columbus lead 35-31.
Kearney’s next play on offense would end in an interception, completing the game at 35-31.
Columbus has now won 5 straight contests after losing their first game of the season. The Discoverers take their 5-1 record to Omaha Northwest next Friday.
Kearney falls to 2-4 on the season having lost three straight contests and unable to break their winless streak of road contests. The Bearcats look to right the ship during Homecoming at Ron and Carol Cope Stadium against Lincoln High on Friday night.
