Nebraska football playoffs: Longhorns shock Chadron

Ann Fornoff/Hayes Center Hayes Center quarterback Joseph Frecks (27) powers and twists ahead for yardage against the Wallace Wildcats. Teammate Jerry Deaver (73) throws a block to provide room for Frecks. Hayes Center defeated Wallace 26-20 at Wallace in the first round of the Nebraska Class D2 football playoffs.

CHASE COUNTY -- Chase County's Longhorns blasted previously unbeaten Chadron 48-22 in football action Thursday.

The Longhorns were 6-2 against Chadron's record of 8-0.

Chase County now moves up in the Class C1 bracket and play Valentine next Wednesday.

Chase County grabbed the first quarter and just kept running, allowing Chadron some scoring in the fourth.

Matthew May led the Longhorns with 21 carries for 227 yards and 3 TDs. May also had 1 reception for 25 yards and a touchdown.

Lance Miller and Scott Munger also accumulated yardage. Miller had 19 carries for 50 yards and 1 TD and Munger had 13 carries for 46 yards with 2 TDs.

Chadron's Jake McLain total 171 yards, 1 TD and 2 interceptions. John Ritzen had 15 carries for 78 yards, 1 TD, and 4 receptions for 91 yards.

Drew Pope ended the night with 3 receptions for 80 yards and 1 TD.

Valentine beat out 5-3 Gordon-Rushville 14-7, allowing them the challenge of the Longhorns.

Cambridge 37,

Garden Co. 6

CAMBRIDGE -- Cambridge knocked off the Garden County Eagles 37-6 Thursday. Both teams were 6-2 going into the matchup.

The Trojans took the first three quarters, allowing one run from the Eagles in the fourth. Cambridge stomps into the next Class C2 bracket taking on 9-0 Amherst, Wednesday.

Cambridge's Anthony Lytle took off running 64 yards and another 7 for 2 TDs and Lance Shifflet ran 2 yards in the first quarter.

Lytle ran another 15 and 19 yards in the second with Josh Keener making the kick and Waid Vontz ran 1 yard in the third.

Kennedy had a one yard run for the Eagles to finish the fourth.

Amherst 28,

Southern

Valley 27

AMHERST -- Amherst edged out Southern Valley 28-27 Thursday.

Southern Valley gave 8-0 Amherst a run for its money, before coming up short.

Amherst scored first with a 40 yard run by Shane Bosshamer and Tenaya Howsden making the kick.

Southern Valley fired back with a 1 yard run by Kyle Lockridge and Taylor Lueking making the extra point kick.

Amherst managed another 5 yard run by Faron Klingelhoefer and Howsden making the kick again to finish the first.

Amherst pulled ahead in second with a 6 yard pass by Cody Gillespie to Klingelhoefer and Howsden kicking the point. Southern Valley shut down the Broncos in the third with a 61 yard pass by Gavin Fults to Andrew Winscot and Lueking making the kick.

The Broncos pulled a 1 yard run to start the fourthby Kirk Saathoff.

The Eagles tried to make up the difference with a 2 yard run by Kyle Lockridge and a kick by Lueking.

Blake Nielsen had a 35 yard interception return, but the Broncos shut down Fults' extra run attempt.

Southern Valley ended the season at 5-4. Amherst will move on to Cambridge.

North Platte-

St. Pat's 56,

Burwell 20

NORTH PLATTE -- North Platte St. Pats pounded Burwell on Thursday 56-20.

North Platte was 8-0 compared to Burwell's 4-4.

North Platte will take on 8-1 Morrill next Wednesday in Class C2.

Morrill 24,

Perkins Co. 18,

double overtime

PERKINS COUNTY -- Morrill finished 8-1 after going into double overtime against Perkins County Thursday.

Morrill won 24-18.

Morrill will take on 9-0 North Platte St. Pats next Wednesday.

Softley, Long and Kroeker led the Plainsmen in rushing and passing. Gonzales and Anderson were leaders for Morrill.

Softley tried a 55 yard run for Perkins County and Anderson fired back with an 8 yard run for Morrill, taking them into their first overtime.

Softley passed to Kroeker for 5 yards, but missed the PAT.

Gonzales then pushed into overtime again with an 8 yard run. Morrill kept the Plainsmen scoreless in double overtime with Gonzales making a 7 yard run for finish the playoff.

Crawford 46,

Dundy County 0

CRAWFORD -- 8-0 Crawford trampled Dundy County 46-0 Thursday.

Dundy County was 3-5 in the D1 matchup. Crawford takes on 5-4 Wauneta-Palisade on Wednesday.

No details were available.

Wauneta-

Palisade 48,

Anselmo-Merna 8

WAUNETA-PALISADE -- The Wauneta-Palisade Broncos gear up for Crawford after downing Anselmo-Merna 48-8, Thursday in the first round of the Class D-1 playoffs.

The Broncos scored in the first quarter with a 1 yard run by Taylor Dixon. Dixon ran again in the second with a 65 yard run and pass to Chad Flaig for the extra point.

Dixon then passed to Russell Ridlen for 56 yards. Nick Rush ran the only 4 yard run for Anselmo in the second.

Dixon again took the third quarter with a 51 yard run and a 30 yard pass to Christopher Crowell.

Andrew Isom ran two yards and Dixon passed to Chad Flaig for the extra point. Cody Fanning finished the game in the fourth with a 55 yard run.

Arapahoe 56,

Eustis-Farnam 6

ARAPAHOE -- Arapahoe stays undefeated after blasting Eustis-Farnam, Thursday 56-6 in Class D-1 playoff action Thursday.

The Warriors will pair up with 7-2 Elwood next Wednesday in the next round of the playoffs.

Warrior Tony Braithwait started the game off with a 6 yard run and a pass to Blake Maaske.

Tyler Hamel ran 75 yards with Braithwait passing again to Maaske. Hamel finished the first quarter with a 80 yard interception return and a 3 yard run.

Jeff Lashonkohl passed to Todd Warren for Eustis-Farnam's lone score in the second.

Braithwait ran 2 yards and passed 25 yards to Maaske.

Maaske and Braithwait paired up again for another 12 yards to finish the second. Braithwait made the final score in the third with a 19 yard pass to Adam Borden.

Elwood 66,

Hitchcock

County 19

ELWOOD -- Hitchcock County and Elwood vied for a spot in the D1 playoffs, Thursday.

Elwood, 7-2, dominated the 5-4 Falcons 66-19.

Elwood goes on the to play still undefeated Arapahoe.

Elwood got the start in the first with a 14 yard run by Lavis Benevidez and a 44 yard run by Stephen Schultz with Bryson Mahlberg made the extra point kicks.

The Falcons scored with a 68 yard pass by Orrin Riggs to David Paprocki, but Elwood finished the first with a 1 yard run by Mahlberg and Benevidez.

Mahlberg ran again for 29 yards and 13 yards in the beginning of the second.

Tyrell Riggs scored with a 58 yard pass from Orrin Riggs .

Aaron Johnson fire back for Elwood with a 30 yard pass from Mahlberg and a 23 yard run by Benevidez.

Hitchcock County tried again with a 69 yard pass from Riggs to Chancy Carlson, with Adam Wright making the extra point. Benevidez finished the second with a 21 yard run.

Elwood dominated again in the third with Mahlberg's 19 yard run and Devin Gall's 27 yard pass to Mahlberg.

Hayes Center 26,

Wallace 20

HAYES CENTER -- Hayes Center and Wallace paired up for D2 football action on Thursday. The Cardinals pulled out 26-20 win against the undefeated Wallace boosting them into the playoffs against South Platte next Wednesday.

Wallace seemed to pull ahead in the first quarter with a 27 yard touchdown by Andy Barner, but Joseph Frecks passed 25 yards to Beau Richards to even it up. Barner ran again in the second for 3 yards.

Kamron Hubbard took the third for Wallace with a 3 yard run and PAT to Mike West.

Lane Broz fought back for the Cardinals with a 7 yard run.

The Cardinals dominated the fourth with a 33 yard pass by Frecks to Levi Tyan and a 4 yard pass to Nick Cox. Cox also made the extra point pass from Frecks.

The Cardinals will take on 6-3 South Platte who beat out Mullen 28-20.

The winner in that bracket will square off with the Potter-Dix vs Stapleton winner.

In other playoff games, Potter-Dix, 6-2, won over Minatare 76-36 and Stapleton, 7-1, took out Cody-Kilgore 52-18.