First quarter explosion propels Bison past Bulldogs

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School sophomore Sam Frazier (45) takes a handoff from quarterback Tony Purvis during the fourth quarter of Wednesday's Nebraska Class B first-round state playoff game against Gering at Weiland Field. Frazier carried the ball 15 times for 73 yards in the Bison team's 38-8 win over the Bulldogs.

McCook to host

Holdrege in

state quarterfinal

round Monday

The No. 1-ranked McCook Bison football team scored three touchdowns on its first five offensive plays en route to a 38-8 dismantling of Gering in a first round Nebraska Class B state playoff game Wednesday at Weiland Field.

McCook (10-0) will now have a rematch against Holdrege in the state quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Monday at home.

Holdrege came from behind to defeat Scottsbluff 31-17 Wednesday at Holdrege.

The Bison fought off the Dusters 17-7 Oct. 27.

McCook football coach Jeff Gross said he challenged his players to play the first half the way the Bison did the final half of the regular-season win over Holdrege.

"The offense really busted some nice runs," said Gross, whose team has now won 48 of its last 49 games. "The defense kept getting us the ball back."

The first quarter lasted close to 45 minutes.

"We couldn't get it over with," Gross said. "It's tough not to relax when it's 28-8 or 35-8. We lost a little intensity. We came out of the longest game in history healthy."

McCook scored on three big plays in the first six minutes to take a 21-0 lead.

Ryan Bedore started the onslaught with a 60-yard touchdown run. Josh Cherry kicked the first of his five extra points.

After forcing Gering to punt, Craig Fritz broke loose for a 42-yard TD run.

The Bison forced the Bulldogs to punt again on their next series. Two plays later, McCook senior quarterback Tony Purvis lofted a short toss to Fritz, who then turned it into a 44-yard TD pass.

On the next series, Sam Frazier sacked Gering quarterback Jon Hutchison. Brock Hubert blocked a punt and recovered the ball at the Gering 16-yard line.

Four plays later, Mason Pohl scored on a 1-yard TD run to give McCook a 28-0 lead.

Gering used a hook-and-lateral to advance the football to the McCook 6-yard line.

"They brought out the flea-flicker or hook-and-lateral," Gross said. "We were suckered in after they ran 3-4 curl plays."

Hutchison threw a 6-yard TD pass to Jason Alvarez, and then Alvarez ran in the 2-point conversion to cut McCook's lead to 28-8.

Things settled down somewhat in the second quarter. Bedore scored the frame's only TD on an 18-yard TD run with 6:23 left in the half. Cherry's fifth PAT kick gave the Bison a 35-8 halftime lead.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. Cherry, who missed a 40-yard field goal wide right in the the first half, just cleared the uprights from 44 yards out with 2:56 left in the game to provide the final 38-8 margin.

McCook piled up 296 yards rushing and 80 passing against the Bulldogs. Fritz finished with 128 yards on 19 carries and caught three passes for 80 more.

Fritz now has 1,132 yards rushing this season.

Bedore ended up with 89 yards on 10 carries. Sam Frazier carried the load for the Bison in the fourth quarter, and finished with 73 yards on 15 carries.

Purvis, who entered the game with more than 1,000 yards rushing, had just 4 against Gering.

While the Bison offense was clicking, the Bison defense made sure Gering's did not click.

The Bison sacked Hutchison seven times and dumped him for minus 39 yards on 10 carries.

The sacks were racked up by Brandon Kotschwar solo, Frazier solo, Josh Mullen shared with Mason Pohl, Hubert shared with Paul Farrell and Rippen, Rippen solo, Lucas Kotschwar solo and Hubert shared with Lucas Kotschwar.

Gering had two big plays -- the hook-and-lateral and a 33-yard pass that Alex Hadenfelt caught off a deflection.

The Bulldogs passed for 179 yards, but were limited to minus 9 yards rushing because of the sacks.

Gering finished the season with a 6-4 record.

McCOOK 38, GERING 8

Nebraska Class B

State Football Playoffs

First Round Game

Scoring Plays

M -- Ryan Bedore 60 run (Josh Cherry kick)

M -- Craig Fritz 42 run (Cherry kick)

M -- Fritz 44 pass from Tony Purvis (Cherry kick)

M -- Mason Pohl 1 run (Cherry kick)

G -- Jason Alvarez 6 pass from Jon Hutchison (Alvarez run)

M -- Bedore 18 run (Cherry kick)

M -- Cherry 44 FG

Team Stats

Individual stats

Rushing

McCook: Fritz 19-128, Bedore 10-89, Frazier 15-73, Purvis 9-4, Pohl 1-1, Cherry 1-1.

Gering: Martinez 6-13, Steinwart 2-7, Anderson 1-2, Broussard 3-9, Ostdiek 1 (-1), Hutchison 10 (-39).

Passing

McCook: Purvis 3-8-1-80.

Gering: Hutchison 10-30-0-146, Martinez 1-1-0-33.

Receiving

McCook: Fritz 3-80.

Gering: Alvarez 4-11, Blaylock 2-33, Ernest 2-19, Martinez 1-57, Hadenfelt 1-33, Koncaba 1-15, Rivera 1-11, Kinight 1-0.

Defense

McCook

Sacks: B.Kotschwar solo, Frazier solo, Mullen shared with Mason Pohl, Hubert shared with Farrell and Rippen, Rippen solo, L.Kotschwar solo, Hubert shared with L.Kotschwar.

Blocked punt: Hubert.

Gering

Torres interception, Franklin fumble recovery.