Fullerton pulls out a Playoff win for Ages.

Fullerton's Connor Sonderup (L) and TJ Dubas (R) were just two of the Warriors that came up big their 40-34 overtime win over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge. *(photo by Lynn Haughton)

-FULLERTON, NE-

Fullerton Head Coach Ryan Haughton told me after the game that his 46th birthday was yesterday, and already he feels like 50.

Well Coach, if you are considering a heart checkup after the Warriors 40-34 overtime victory over a terrific Laurel-Concord-Coleridge football team, you may as well make an appointment for Me right after scheduling yours. Good Lord!

This opening round Class D-1 playoff game went round and round, and back and forth the entire contest, although Fullerton never actually trailed at any given time.

Despite the fact many sports scribes around the state picked Fullerton to win the game, one had to be concerned about the fact the home town Warriors were playing a pair of starters short on defense.

Big deal? You bet your bootie it is when you’re playing 8-Man football and you have an opposing quarterback coming to town that has thrown for 1,309 yards and 23 TDs and run for another 752 yards and 15 more scores.

Such was the case for Laurel-Concord-Coleridge dandy, Isac Reifenrath, a gutty 150 pound senior, who also had 74 tackles on defense in 8 prior contests. But the Fullerton Warriors were up to the task, although a few gray hairs and chewed fingernails came with the deal.

Fullerton looked like they were going to move the ball right down the field after receiving the opening kickoff. Coach Ryan Haughton rode the churning legs of senior RB TJ Dubas, who ripped off consecutive gains of 15, 10 and 9 yards, moving the ball all the way from the Warriors 30 yard line all the way to the Bears 16.

But the LCC defense stiffened and allowed Fullerton only 4 more yards before taking over on downs.

The remainder of the 1st quarter was a back and forth affair, with the defenses shining until Fullerton fashioned a 7 play, 48 yard drive culminating with a TJ Dubas 2 yard touchdown blast, five seconds deep into the 2nd stanza.

The big play on the drive was a sparkling 37 yard pass play from sophomore quarterback Hunter Haughton to Dubas. TJ ran in the double PAT and the Warriors had the 8-0 lead.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge would answer back with 3:45 left in the 2nd quarter, when Reifenrath hit big 190 pound sophomore Cael Hartung with a 24 yard scoring strike. The Bears big play in that drive came on a 4th and 2 gamble on their own 38 when Reifenrath followed the rugby scrum-type blocking of his O-Line for the first down.

A little over a minute later, LCC was on the board again after, you guessed it, Isac Reifenrath busted through the Fullerton defense and blocked a punt at the Warrior 3 yard line.

The gutty Bears QB then ran it in from 3 yards out and suddenly the game was all square at 14 apiece.

Fullerton, just as they did all evening, bounced right back a 1:18 ticks later, when young Haughton nailed Connor “Bubbas the Man” Sonderup with a short pass. Sonderup did the rest with some sweet running and fancy footwork and cut-back running, taking the pass 31 yards to the house, giving the Warriors a 20-14 lead heading into halftime.

The defenses again took center stage for most of the 3rd quarter until Fullerton punter James Lesiak nearly brought on 135 heart attacks in the Fullerton grandstand by taking off on a fake punt with the scoreboard reading “4th and 13 on the Fullerton 33 yard line”.

I can’t tell you if the play was called by Coach Ryan Haughton, but what I can tell is that Lesiak must have seen an opening and a path to a first down, because the 175 pound senior took off and rambled 29 yards down the Warrior turf, ending up on the Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 18 yard line.

After everyone wearing red exhaled, Hunter Haughton eventually ran the ball in from a yard out, giving his team a 26-14 lead with a buck 42 remaining in the 3rd.

The 4th, and money quarter was a doozy. LCC quarterback Isac Reifenrath and favorite target, Noah Schutte started heating up, and it’s no small wonder considering the fact they had hooked up during the past 8 regular season games for 845 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Bears struck initially in the 4th stanza when Reifenrath followed his “hogs” into the end zone for a one yard scoring burst. Fullerton 26-20 LCC - 9:55 left.

The never-quit Warriors answered three minutes and 14 seconds later when Hunter Haughton sprinted around his right side for an easy 4 yard touchdown. The scoring dash happened when the Bears defense was bunched up tight expecting a TJ Dubas belly series run.

Fullerton now had a 34-20 lead, which seemed “semi-comfortable” at the time with 6:41 left in someone’s season.

Not phased, LCC bounced right back to score when Isac Reifenrath matched young Haughton’s 4 yard scoring run. Fullerton 34-28 LCC - 3:31 left.

The next 3 and a half minutes were a brutal match-up of a lethal Laurel-Concord-Coleridge Reifenrath to Schutte passing combination, and a determined Fullerton defense. It looked like the Warriors were going to get the best of it when big 225 pound junior CJ Pickrel hunted down Reifenrath and sacked him to the Warrior grass with 1:40 left in the contest.

But then the unthinkable happened. The Bears defense stiffened and got the ball back to their lethal passing duo with 33 seconds left. But…...LCC had 44 yards to go and that Fullerton defense had held up all night in crunch time, especially on 2 point PAT conversion attempts.

As fate would have it, LCC moved the ball downfield to the Warrior 11 yard line with just 0:4.2 seconds left in regulaton.

Out came WR Noah Schutte on a crossing pattern. Blanketed with nearly flawless coverage by a Fullerton defender and running out of end zone real estate to boot, the killer pass/catch duo of Reifenrath and Schutte struck again for the 11 yard touchdown.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge was about to make dozens of Fullerton hearts break into a gazillion playoff pieces with the score knotted at 34.

Bears QB set his sights on the double PAT pass going to Schutte, but two Warrior defenders tipped the pass, causing the fabulous Noah Schutte to be distracted and miss the catch.

Overtime.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge had first shot at scoring, but the Warrior defense turned it up a notch when it mattered most. Reifenrath once again attempted to nail Noah Schutte with an overtime TD strike.

But right then and there, 150 pound junior defensive back Kyle Knopik stepped up, said NO SIR, then proceeded to pirate the Reifenrath pass. He then calmly handed the ball to the officicial and motioned to his offense to get out and get it done.

Fullerton then had their shot. TJ Dubas tried the right side, but no dice and no gain. On 2nd down, Hunter Haughton faded back to pass, but was sacked at the 11 yard line. Hunter’s Dad called time out, and as I understand it, dusted off a play that had not been used all season.

Sophomore Haughton drops back to pass. Kyle Knopik, who was playing tight end at the time, held his position and waited for the defensive backs to cover the Warrior wide-outs and backs.

Then it happened. The very same dude who thwarted LCC’s 2 point pass conversion, casually sneaks into the Bears secondary……...is all by his lonesome, looks back at Hunter Haughton, and the pair hooks up for a leisurely 11 yard, game winning touchdown pass.

Game Over and Fullerton wins the heart-stopping 40-34 playoff game.

The Warriors were led on the ground by the determined, pounding runs of TJ Dubas, who churned out 165 yards on 29 carries and a TD. Hunter Haughton completed 7 of 13 passes for 101 yards and a pair of scores. The level-headed sophomore field general also scored two rushing TDs.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge was led by the fabulous Isac Reifenrath, who completed 29 of 44 passes for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns. He also ran for two scores. I had Noah Schutte for 21 receptions for over 200 yards.

Fullerton moves forward to Round Two of the D-1 playoffs, gets their two defensive players back, and will travel to Friend to meet undefeated Exeter-Milligan-Friend next Wednesday. Gametime may be announced Friday.

In the meantime Fullerton faithful…..take a deep breath, ring that bell and give a huge round of applause to that Warrior football team that never quit.

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

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (3-6).......0…....14.…....0…….20…..0……...34

Fullerton (7-2)....................................0…....20….....6.…….8……6…......40

…………………...…………………………………………………………..………....LCC-FUL

2nd Qtr.

Ful - TJ Dubas 2 Run….……………………….......PAT-Dubas run………………...0…...8

Ful - Elijah Norman 7 pass from yan Haughton....PAT-pass failed……………......0…..14

LCC-Cael Hartung 24 pass from Isac Reifenrath.PAT-Irwin pass from Reinenrath..8..14

LCC-Reifenrath 3 Run……………………………..PAT-pass failed………………...14....14

Ful - Connor Sonderup 31 pass from Haughton..PAT-run failed…………………..14….20

3rd Qtr.

Ful - Hunter Haughton 1 Run…………………… PAT-run failed…………………..14….26

4th Qtr.

LCC-Reifenrath 1 Run……………………………..PAT-pass failed………………...20….26

Ful - Haughton 4 Run……………………………...PAT-Dubas run…………………20.....34

LCC-Riefenrath 4 Run……………………………..PAT-Ohlrich pass f. Reifenrath.28….34

LCC-Noah Schutte 11 pas from Reifenrath……..PAT-pass failed………………...34….34

Overtime

Full - Ryan Knopik 11 pass from Haughton……..PAT-no attempt needed……….34….40