Grand Island scores 38 unanswered points to stun Omaha North.

Grand Island linebacker Sam Sims (#7) is one of many Islander defenders that stood out in the Islanders stunning 38-24 win over defending Class A champion Omaha North Friday night.

-GRAND ISLAND, NE-

Grand Island pulled off one of the most stunning comebacks in Class A playoff history tonight, spotting defending Class A state champion Omaha North a 24-0 lead before unleashing an Islander Avalanche that didn’t stop until GI pulled of a 38-24 win.

The men in purple and black exorcised the Omaha North demons that so frequently ripped their hearts out come playoff time, and sometimes on their home turf to boot.

But tonight, it was another Jeff Tomlin masterpiece, and this baby wasn’t getting away.

Is there anyone around that gets more out of every single player on his football team than Islander head coach Jeff Tomlin? No Siree, not as far as I can see.

Not many can make the halftime adjustments that Tomlin and his staff can make as the fans are headed to the consession stands wondering if the curses of 2013, 2014, and especially 2013, are going to resurface and rear their ugly heads and send the GI faithful home to nightmare city.

I’ve been to over a thousand high school football games in my life and haven’t witnessed many like this one. It’s gonna be a hot time in Islander town tonight, and you almost have to wonder how it feels to be up 24-0 with 5:49 left in the first half and let things slip away?

But those GI players have been on the otherside of that bitter heartbreak before and now the football gods, if there be such a thing, decided enough was enough.

Could you see this once-in-a lifetime victory coming from GI? Hard to fathom, when Omaha North super coach Larry Martin pulls this magic off every year, it seems. Except...there is no magic, just brilliance on his part. Martin simply reloads, brings his players around slowly, rests the injured bodies, and gets them healthy by the time playoff season rolls around.

A narrow two field goal, 6-0 yawner of a win over Lincoln Southeast was not big deal on September 21st. Prior to that, the Vikings were sporting a 1-3 record, albeit the trio of losses were to Creighton Prep, Millard West and Omaha Burke.

But I can almost assure you, Omaha North was very healthy entering this game tonight. That’s the way we all wanted it. And as for Grand Island, Cole Evans was finally back, but certainly not at a hundred percent. That’s the way it goes with high ankle sprains. Just ask his Dad, Dr. Cody Evans.

Did the Islanders start things out to fancy with that Flee-Flicker play? If it had worked like a charm, offensive coordinator Russ Harvey would have merely looked like the genuis he is. But it didn’t, and the Islanders didn’t register a 1st down until the 2nd quarter.

Meanwhile, there could may have been an ominous sign for Omaha North when three time 1000 yard rusher Zander Gray went down on only his 4th carry of the night, a sparkling 16 yard run to the GI 15 yard line.

The game was over right then and there for Gray, who suffered a dislocated elbow on the play. But the Vikings never blinked an eye, brought Treon Fairgood-Jones into the frey, and never missed a beat.

Fairgood-Jones took it in from 5 yards out, then hit the repeat button less than 2 minutes later, hitting paydirt from 2 yards out. Bang! 14-Zip Vikings with 4:27 left in the opening quarter.

Place kicker Jared Venner extended the bleeding with a 33 yard field goal to give Larry Martin’s squad a 17-0 lead after one quarter of play. Was the playoffs nightmare starting again for GI?

Grand Island finally notched a first down, two, matter of fact, before Omaha North QB Houston Foglestrom spiraled a 65 yard pass into the oustretched hands of Bryant Wesson. The play carried to the Islander 7, then big 210 pound sophomore LaVaughn Luellen, who looks like a “minature” version of Zander Gray, waltzed his way into the end zone for the Vikings 3rd TD of the night. Dagger #2, made it North 24-0 with 5:49 left before halftime.

It was bad enough for GI that Fairgood-Jones stepped in and ran well, but when Luellen came into the game and ripped of brusing runs of 43, 31, 9, 16, 5, 9 and 17 yards right off bat, the heads of the Islander defenders appeared to be hanging in disbelief. Could that have merely been a mirage though?

The tiny, portable temporary scoreboard in the South end zone read 2:15 (the beautiful main board was inoperable for the evening) when Jeff Tomlin sent reserve quarterback Carson Cahoy into the football game.

Cahoy immediately dropped back 3 steps and launched a 40 yard scoring missile to the amazing Broc Douglass. BANG! 24-7 Omaha North - 2:07 2nd quarter.

Momentum switch? Not sure, but when Omaha North drove all the way to the GI half yard line and the Islander defense stuffed Luellen, that may have switched Big Mo.

If Big Mo didn’t change uniforms on the final play of the first half, it sure as heck did on the opening play of the third quarter.

Viking QB Houston Foglestrom had barely handed the ball off to his running back when the Islander defense attacked like a hungry, frenzied group of piranhas, forcing and recovering a fumble at the Viking 32 yard line. It took exactly 4 plays for the GI offense to strike gold.

Cole Evans found running back John Reilly in the right corner fo the end zone for a 7 yard touchdown play. Evans had nailed Broc Douglass with a 28 yard pass just 2 plays prior to the score. Omaha North 24-14 Grand Island - 10:28 3rd quarter.

Meanwhile, the GI defense was making playoff life miserable for the Vikings. Sam Sims, Jack Wemhoff and the fellas were suddenly stuffing Luellen and Fairgood-Jones, the Islander defensive backs were covering pass receivers, all the while, Houston Foglestrom was running for his life in that Viking backfield.

It was right before 6:05 mark of the 3rd quarter, when Carson Cahoy slipped into the Islander offense, virtually unnoticed, as a wide receiver. It was precisely at the 6:05 mark when Cole Evans fired a spinning beauty of a pass to a wide open Cahoy, who simply let the throw drop into his bread basket for a 34 yard TD reception. Omaha North 24-21 Islanders.

Big Mo was getting blacker and more purple by the minute.

Reliable Keyin Wentling added a 33 yard field goal less than a minute later, and the Islanders had suddenly caught up to the defending state football Class A Kings.

The Grand Island defense had already pounded Treon Fairgood-Jones so hard that LaVaughn Luellen was the only experience back carrying the ball for a spell. Fairgood-Jones did return and run well for a while, but North, just as the Islanders had been the entire 1st half, continued to pinned down deep in their own territory.

The Islanders finally forced another Viking punt late in the 4th quarter, and it was time for the offense to go, and wouldn’t you know it, GI now had BIG MO completely on their side.

Keep this drive in your mind forever, Grand Island faithful. The clock read 4:24 left in the 4th staza.

It was first and 10 on the Omaha North 41 yard line and RB Caleb Francl was about to play the part of the “offensive assissan”. The “assissan” ripped off nice gain after nice gain, not letting up until the ball rested on the Omaha North 10 yard line.

Coach Russ Harvey, the former star Northwest Viking and Kearney State College QB, called John Reilly’s number just a tad before the tiny clock read 1:05 - 4th Quarter.

Moses would have been jealous the way that Islander line opened a gap as wide as the Red Sea. The Omaha North defensive waves parted like the Red Sea and John Reilly shot into the end zone like a wild rush of wind, applying the knockout punch with just 70 seconds left on the game clock.

Grand Island had a 31-24 lead when defensive backfield assassin Kojo Atikpohou stepped in front of Omaha North’s Bryant Wesson and scooted 45 yards with the Pick-6 of his life. When the tiny, portable scoreboard finally ran out of juice, the Islanders had scored 38 unanswered points and erased some bitter playoff memories, posting an unforgettable 38-24 win over a terrific Omaha North team.

The final rushing, passing, recieving and defensive stats? I can hardly believe I’m saying it isn’t important at this time, because stats are my thing. But not tonight, Henry. This was a team victory and I dare you to choose a Player-of-the-Game for the Islanders.

It’s time to soak up the win, GI, then like the warriors you are, it’s back to work preparing to meet that much talked about youth movement from Millard South next Friday at Buell Stadium.

But for now, enjoy one of the Biggest Comebacks in the history of Class A football playoffs. You earned it.

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

(6-3) Omaha North..........17…...7.......0......0.......24

(7-2) Grand Island............0.... ..7…...14….17.....38

……………………………………………………………………………………...ON - GI

1st Qtr:

ON - Tre'on Fairgood-Jones 5 run (Jared Venner kick).....6:45……………….7 - 0

ON - Tre'on Fairgood-Jones 2 run (Jared Venner kick).....4:27……………....14 -0

ON - Jared Venner 33 FG…………………………………...1:05……………….17-0

2nd Qtr:

ON - LaVaughn Luellen 7 run (Jared Venner kick).............5:49………………24-0

GI - Broc Douglass 40 pass from Cole Evans (Keyin Wentling kick)..2:07…..24-7

3rd Qtr:

GI - John Reilly 9 pass from Cole Evans (Wentling kick)........10:28………….24-14

GI - Carson Cahoy 34 pass from Cole Evans (Wentling kick)...6:05………….24-21

4th Qtr:

GI - Keyin Wentling 33 FG………………………………………...5:11………….24-24

GI - John Reilly 10 run (Wentling kick)......................................1:07…………..24-31

GI - Kodjo Atikpohou 31 interception (Wentling kick)................0:45…………..24-38