Boone Central/NG dominates #2 Pierce, 48-7.

Wyatt Mazour (#20) Boone Central/NG's standout QB.

It was billed as one of the early season classics in Nebraska high school football but Boone Central/NG must have thought otherwise. In one of the most rustic small town settings you will ever see for a high school football game, the Cardinals dominated from start to finish and disposed of C-1 number two Pierce, 48-7. Boone Central turned another Mazour loose and junior Wyatt proceeded to turn both the Pierce offense and defense inside out. The younger brother of graduated star quarterback Tanner Mazour took over the reins a week ago and made his presence known on a neutral football field in the tiny town of Petersburg and sent the Bluejays back home to have nightmares about a converted 8-man field that hadn't staged a varsity football game in 13 years.

The setting in Petersburg, a small town 13 miles north of Albion, seemed like a combination of a county fair, centennial celebration, and a state championship football game back when they played 'em on the home team's field. 8 to 10 large sets of bleachers were trucked in from Norfolk, a portable press box, reached only by a cherry picker and a city park decked out for a once-in-a-lifetime event set the stage for this early September clash between the numbers 2 and 3 teams in Class C-1. The game had to be moved from Albion because the sparkling new field turf facility being installed there was about 3 weeks away from completion. The locals insisted on playing Petersburg's old entrance music, Hells Bells by AC/DC as Boone's 75 player strong football team ran onto the once upon a time 8-Man gridiron. After all was said and done on this steamy night in Petersburg, I'm wondering if Boone Central/NG might want to do this setting again.

Pierce received the opening kickoff and actually had some early success with Lane Rohrich running the quarterback roll out. But the Bluejays were forced to punt and Boone Central immediately marched 86 yards on their first possession to score, Joseph Brugger taking it in from the 3. Strange as it may seem, the tide of the game seemed to turn on Pierce's next possession when QB Lane Rohrich attempted a designed shovel pass that fell incomplete. However, the officials ruled it a fumble and the Cardinals recovered on the Pierce 27. Boone took over and after the Pierce defense stiffened, Mazour nailed Travis Kennedy at the 5 yard line on a 4th and 9 play. Mazour took it in a few plays later from 3 yards out and the Cardinals had a 13-0 lead and never looked back.

Boone Central tacked on 2 more in the 2nd quarter, the first on a dazzling, zig-zagging 57 yard TD dash by Mazour, then a short 7 yard TD pass from the junior QB to Garrett Temme. Kody Sok added a 17 yard power dash for the Cardinals first 3rd quarter score and then Pierce actually put together a nice 9 play drive that started on their own 24. But on a 3rd and 4 at the Boone Central 7, Wyatt Mazour came out of nowhere, stepped in front of a Pierce receiver and picked off the intended TD pass and sprinted 101 yards for a confidence crushing touchdown. Mazour collapsed to the ground after the run with severe leg cramps, was carried off the field and did not return in the game.

The running clock actually took effect at the 9:30 mark of the third quarter after Sok's TD run.

Hard running Collin Freeman finally put the Bluejays on the board with a 3 yard reverse for a score early in the 4th quarter, but the game was well out of hand with Boone Central leading 42-0. Reserves finished up the game for both teams as the 4th quarter ran out.

Wyatt Mazour was the shining star for Boone Central/NG completing 14 of 19 passes for 195 yards and a score. The flashy junior also rushed for 111 yards on 10 tries and 2 touchdowns. The rugged Cardinal defense held Pierce to just 62 rushing yards and 137 through the air. Johnny Huff was a sparkler for the Bluejays however, catching 4 passes for 89 yards. Eleven different Boone players rushed the football for a total of 177 yards to go along with Mazour's 195 passing yards. Mazour also spread his targets out to include five different receivers. 200 pound senior Tyler Hedlund snared 6 of those passes for 64 yards, Travis Kennedy caught 2 for 57 yards and Pierce Koch nabbed 4 for 48 yards. Wide-out Derek Gentrup, who had 515 yards receiving a year ago, was only targeted twice for 19 yards.....that's how efficient the Cardinals passing game was.

Boone Central moves to 2-0 with the win and Pierce falls to an even-steven 1-1 for the young season.

Next week the C-1 picture will become even clearer when Boone Central/Newman Grove pays a visit to Norfolk Catholic. The Knights disposed of #8 Wahoo Neumann on the road, 33-7 Friday. Pierce will entertain an 0-2 Boys Town squad next Friday.

.....and some closing thoughts: As far as physical stature, this is the smallest Pierce team I have seen in quite a while. On the other hand, Boone Central/NG seems to be going though a "big kids" stage and it has shown the past few seasons. Coach Arnie Johnson has big kids and big numbers. That's just how it is. Don't count Pierce out of the hunt this season by any means. With Mark Brahmer at the controls and the Pierce tradition, we know better than to throw this bunch under the bus after one loss. One thing I do know is you would have to dig a long ways back to find the last time Pierce was on the short end of a running 35 point clock.

....and furthermore: So...in the past two weeks, I have seen Norfolk Catholic, Columbus Lakeview, Cozad, Adams Central, Boone Central/NG, and Pierce play football. That my friends, is the cream of the crop in Class C-1 football. My top team to date? Still a bit cloudy right now, but if Boone beats Norfolk Catholic by 2 scores it may be tough to go against the Cardinals, but there is a mighty tough Cozad team lurking on the West side of things that could have a lot to say about this entire deal. If it came down to the trenches, Boone and the Haymakers would be my picks. The picture could clear up after next Friday when Boone and Catholic clash, but there is still a ton of football to be played after that and it just may come down to who stays the healthiest. God forbid, but the loss of a player the caliber of a Jackson Love, Wyatt Mazour, or a Jake Paulsen could put some serious dampers on the respective team those players represent.

......one more thing: A huge round of applause for the town of Petersburg for staging this splendid event. Yes, this field is used for middle school 11-Man football games but to create an atmosphere such as the one we witnessed Friday night is just outstanding, really outstanding. Three choruses of Hells Bells for the Petersburg Pirates please!