Hemingford dominates BDS to take D-1 title, 52-8.

Hemingford's Colt Foster (red uniform) played like a college star in the D-1 Championship today

Like a raging whirlwind from the far reaches of the Western Nebraska Panhandle, the Hemingford Bobcats raced to their 1st state football title in the school's history on a brutally cold and windy afternoon at Memorial Stadium. In a start-to-finish domination of a very good Bruning-Davenport-Shickley squad, the Bobcats never permitted the Eagle offense to get started. And on offense, RB Ethan Skinner and FB Brady Turek were nearly impossible to stop.

The result was a resounding 52-8 victory and a rare state final running clock. On defense, Colt Foster looked like a college player. I don't know how you could scout a team any better than Hemingford coach Jordan Hass and his staff did BDS. As previously stated, it was a wire-to-wire win for the Bobcats.

You just knew things may be tough for BDS when Hemingford fullback Brady Turek sneaked off left tackle, caught the tight-in-the-box BDS defense too close, and easily outran them all for a 76 yard TD. With 5:36 left in the opening stanza, Hemingford had made a statement. It was nearly an entire quarter until the Bobcats scored again, but with 5:24 ticks left in the 2nd stanza fullback Brady Turek competed his only pass of the game for 22 yard TD to outstanding WR Colt Foster. Just 2:02 seconds later Ethan Skinner took it in from the 5 to give Hemingford a 20-0 halftime advantage.

Other than one BDS drive in the first half that started on their own 39, the Eagles never crossed the 40 yard mid field stripe. Hemingford simply had them pinned down deep in the depths of their own territory with possessions that started on their own 15, 2, 15, 25, and 17 yard lines respectively. Even on their good possessions, Bobcat defenders like Colt Foster, Turek, Skinner, and Matt Wood spilled into the backfield and forced losses. BDS punted in the shadow of their own end zone too many times to count.

On the opening play of the second half, Hemingford ran the same slick fullback off tackle play they pulled off in the first quarter. The result was the same. Turek, who just may be the fastest 8-Man fullback in the state, bolted 61 yards for the score only 7 ticks into the 3rd quarter. Nearly untouched again. Keep in mind though that Brady Turek finished 6th in a deeply talented Class C 100 meter dash last May at the State Track Meet in Omaha.

Ethan Skinner scored again in that 3rd frame on a 6 yard run and ended the quarter when Turek and 3 buddies spilled BDS TE Sam Christensen for a safety to make the score 36-0 going into the money quarter.

On the first play of the 4th quarter Skinner bolted off the right side, broke some tackles and rambled 36 yards for a TD. Skinner would add his 4th score of the afternoon with an 11 yard run with 3:09 left in the contest.

BDS finally scored between Skinner's touchdowns in that 4th quarter when Grant Norder reeled off a splendid, tackle shedding 22 yard TD run. Norder, in all liklihood the all-state D-1 quarterback, made a sweet dive at the end of the run to sky over the pylon for BDS TD.

Hemingford head coach Jordan Hass talked about how diligently his players worked on stopping a BDS offense that he referred to as "using a defense" The Eagles run so many misdirection plays that are very difficult to diagnose, but Hass also credited his players for their intellengence and ability to figure out, and adjust to the high powered BDS offense. Haas also mentioned "Western Nebraska pride" along with his current players and a team that just doesn't come around very often.

Hemingford was led by Skinner's 233 yards on 32 carries and 4 Tds. Brady Turek followed his classmate with 190 yards on 15 totes, 2 Tds and a 12.7 per carry average. The versatile Turek even tossed that 16 yard TD pass to Foster in that 1st half on a razzle dazzle play. Colt Foster paced the Bobcat defense with 10 solo tackles and 1 assist. Jameson Wood and Turek had 8 apiece.

For BDS, quarterback Grant Norder led the ground attack with 44 yards on 14 tries and the Eagles only score. Hemingford's swarming defense held the Eagles to 122 yards of total offense for the game.

For Hemingford, it was a fitting ending for a team that played in this very setting only a year ago. The 'Cats had a 2 touchdown lead over Exeter-Milligan at the half before surrendering 2 big plays in the 2nd half resulting in a heartbreaking 20-18 loss. Live and learn from the loss, do your homework during the season and make ammends. That's how it works.

And indeed Hemingford did just that. Well done gentlemen.