Ferocious Defense leads Lincoln Southwest to 21-7 win over Grand Island

Former Grand Island Super-State QB Souks Boutmahavong (left) and current Lincoln SW linebacker Taylor Boutmahavong (right) posed for a cool father/son photo after the Silver Hawk 21-7 win over Grand Island Friday night.

-GRAND ISLAND, NE-

So effective was Lincoln Southwest’s relentless defensive performace in Friday night’s 21-7 victory over #4 Grand Island, Silver Hawks head coach Andrew Sherman called the win “one of the biggest in school history.”

Not only did the “Fearsome Foursome” Southwest linebacking corps almost completely shut down a potent Grand Island running game (28 yards), but an 93 yard Pick 6 by DB TaeVyn Grixby was the play that sealed the win for a surging Silver Hawk team.

As good as that Lincoln Southwest defense was in the win, it seemed as though they had to not only beat Grand Island, but constantly get out of the way of their own mistakes….aka defensive penalties.

The vaunted Silver Hawk “D” had to overcome a couple of personal fouls, a roughing the passer penalty, and a few pass interference infractions that would normally extinguish any thoughts of a victory.

But on this night, that relentless Southwest defense was not to be denied. That, along with a couple of sweet touchdown passes by QB Laken Harnly and some slippery running by Frazzie Wynn, lifted the Silver Hawks to their 4th straight win heading into the season finale with Lincoln High.

Grand Island, playing without the services of starting quarterback Cole Evans, were forced to turn the duties over to junior Carson Cahoy. The slender, 6-3, 180 pound son of former Husker gymnastics great Phil Cahoy, really played a pretty decent game in my opinion, completing 23 of 38 passes for 265 yards and touchdown, but it was the constant pass rush pressure that caused young Cahoy to fire a pair of interceptions and finish the game with a minus 33 yards rushing.

Most of the pain being inflicted on the Islander junior QB came from Southwest defensive end Nick Leader (2 sacks), Caden McCormack, Taylor Boutmahavong and Easton Boyd.

McCormack, who had 93 tackles and 13 for losses coming into the game, was especially effective in not only rushing the quarterback, but plugging up the middle of the field and making certain the Islander running backs never reached the corner.

Taylor Boutmahavong also came up big in the first half with one caused fumble and a huge, drive killing fumble recovery at the Southwest one yard line when Grand Island appeared ready to score and force a key momentum shift at the time.

Taylor, by the way, is the son of former Grand Island Super-State Quarterback, Souks Boutmahavong, who ruled the Islander gridiron back in the mid 1990’s

It appeared that Laken Harnly’s 5 yard scoring pass to Taevyn Grixby early in the second quarter may actually hold up for a 7-0 Lincoln Southwest win the way things were progressing throughout the game, but the reslilient Islanders would have none of that.

Carson Cahoy really showed some veteran skills in the 4th quarter, after suffering an interception to Grixby in the 3rd stanza. The junior directed a splendid 90 yard GI drive that began with 3:04 left in that 3rd quarter.

First, Carson found future All-State Islander WR Broc Douglass for a big 34 yard gain from the Grand Island 28 all the way to the Southwest 38 yard line. A pass interference penalty then moved the ball to the Silver Hawk 18 when the Islanders started getting in their own way.

A holding call moved the ball back to the Southwest 30, Nick Leader then sacked Cahoy for an 8 yard loss, and suddenly Grand Island was facing a 3rd and 30 at the Silver Hawk 38.

Cahoy then once again found the speedy, glue-handed Douglass, who sprinted all the three yard line. The very next play, the snap form center sailed far over Cahoy’s head and the Islanders were now back at the 21 yard line.

Still unshaken, Carson Cahoy dropped back, flipped a short toss to Timo Sikes, who then turned on the jets for a 21 yard Islander touchdown.

The score actually looked like an Islander game changer as far as momentum goes, but Southwest answered back with the 58 yard TD pass from Harnly to Chase Rinne, who made himself open on a sweet crossing pattern.

The Islanders were set up to immediately answer Rinne’s TD when Broc Douglass broke a 60 yard kickoff return from the Islander one yard line all the way to the Southwest 35.. But on a 4th and 14 play from the Silver Hawk 30, Southwest’s Taevyn Grixby would end GI’s comeback hopes with the brilliant, weaving, cutting back against the grain, 93 yard Pick Six.

That sets up a Class A, District 3 championship matchup for Lincoln Southwest (7-1), who meets Lincoln High in the 8:00 nightcap Friday game at Seacrest Field in Lincoln.

Grand Island, who falls to 6-2 on the season with the non-District loss, will close out the 2018 regular season at home with District 5 foe Lincoln East, who pulled off a 21-13 upset win over #3 Millard West on Friday night.

For Lincoln Southwest, Laken Harnly was 10 of 18 passing for 129 yards and a touchdown. Frazzie Wynn captured rushing honors in the game with his 83 hard earned yards on 18 carries.

As we said, Carson Cahoy ended the evening by completing 23 of 38 throws for 265 yards a TD and 2 INTs.

The game was marred with 229 yards worth of penality flags. Southwest was moved backwards for 120 yards, with the Islanders not far behind with 109 yards worth of yellow flag yardage.

……………………...…………....1……..2……..3……..4….…….F

Lincoln Southwest (7-1)..........7……..0.….....0……14...……..7

Grand Island (6-2)....................0….….0.….....0……..7……....21

…………………...…………………………………………………………..……...….SW-GI

2nd Qtr.

SW..TaeVyn Grixby 5 Run……………………….PAT-Dylan Jorgensen kick……..7...0

4th Qtr.

G I...Timo Sikes 21 pass from Carson Cahoy...PAT-Keyin Wentling kick….…….7….7

SW..Chase Rinne 58 pass from Laken Harnly..PAT-Jorgensen kick…………….14…7

SW..Grixby 93 yard Interception Return……….PAT-Jorgensen kick…………….21...7