Bison reach state title game for fourth straight season

Connie Jo Discoe/McCook Daily Gazette McCook High School's holder-kicker combo of Joel Arterburn (7) and Josh Cherry (2) carry out their parts in a fake field goal attempt during the second quarter of Saturday's Nebraska Class B semifinal game against Beatrice at Weiland Field. Arterburn pitched the ball to McCook quarterback Tony Purvis, who connected with Cherry on a 33-yard touchdown pass. McCook defeated Beatrice 24-17 to advance to the Class B state championship game against Omaha Skutt.

McCook squad overcomes tragedy, injuries,

tough opponents to reach championship

The fourth straight trip to the Nebraska Class B state championship was an against-the-odds scenario for the McCook Bison football team.

McCook had to overcome the tragedy of the death of beloved assistant coach Ron Coleman.

Then the Bison lost two of the best players in the state -- Brendan Liess and Jeff Klug -- to injuries in the first game of the season.

Then McCook lost several other key players to injuries, including defensive tackle J.D. Stone at defensive tackle and his backup Daniel Schaffert.

Stone has returned for the final few games of the season, but the injuries taxed the Bison team's depth.

But the Bison overcame all of that plus a lot more and will be headed back to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln for the Class B state championship.

Senior Tony Purvis passed for one touchdown and rushed for another to lead McCook to a 24-17 win over Beatrice in the Class B semifinal on Saturday.

No. 1-ranked McCook will play No. 2 Omaha Skutt in the Class B state championship at 7 p.m. next Saturday.

Skutt defeated Lincoln Pius X 13-7 in Omaha Saturday, so there will not be a rematch of last year's state title game when Pius defeated McCook 14-9.

The Bison (12-0), winners of 50 of their last 51 games and 56 of their last 58, won the 2002 state title game 39-14 over Ralston and the 2003 title game 21-0 over Omaha Roncalli.

McCook lost to Waverly 14-7 in the 1980 state championship.

Purvis' 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter proved to be the winning score for McCook.

Purvis' scoring pass came on a 33-yard toss to Josh Cherry in the second quarter on a fake punt -- a play used by the Bison during their state title win two years ago against Omaha Skutt.

Cherry lined up for a 44-yard field goal. Holder Joel Arterburn pitched the ball to Tony Purvis, who avoided a 10-yard loss and threw the ball to Cherry, who made a diving catch in the end zone.

"Obviously the fake punt wasn't pretty," said Bison coach Jeff Gross, whose career record in eight seasons at McCook is 75-17. "Great athletes like Tony and Josh make great plays."

Purvis finished the day with 90 yards through the air and 58 on the ground.

Derek Linck rushed for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the loss for Beatrice (10-2).

Linck's touchdowns came on runs of 1 and 3 yards.

Both teams scored 10 points in the second quarter and the score was knotted up at 10-10 at halftime.

McCook took a 17-10 lead in the third quarter on a 3-yard TD run by Sam Frazier and Cherry's PAT kick. The scoring drive was kept alive when McCook's Joel Arterburn outjumped an Orangemen defender for a 38-yard catch to the Beatrice 26.

The Orangemen tied the game in the fourth quarter on Linck's 3-yard TD and Brandon Wollenburg's extra point.

Purvis' game-deciding TD was set up by his own 28-yard dash and the running of Craig Fritz and Frazier.

Cherry then boomed another one of his touchbacks into the end zone. Beatrice had to drive 80 yards down field, but fell 28 yards short.

McCook took over on downs, Purvis knelt twice and the Bison are headed back to state.

Purvis rushed for 58 yards and passed for 90. Fritz rushed for 55 yards and Frazier 40. Cherry caught 2 passes for 43 yards.

Brock Hubert recovered a fumble.

Nick Grummert added 63 yards rushing for Beatrice.

Quarterback Brian Riekenberg rushed for 31 yards and passed for 40. Steve Wardlaw intercepted a pass.

The Bison are the first team in history of Nebraska 11-man football to make four straight trips to the title game.

"We overcame so much," Gross said. "We lost coach Coleman. Look at the players who were lost to injuries along the way. You tell the players congratulations and thank you. The kids worked their tails off.

"We need to have a little blurb about the coaching staff. The job they have done is unbelievable."

Cherry, a junior who is playing on his third state team, and senior Garrett Rippen, on his second state team after coming over from McCook from Culbertson, tried to sum up the feelings of their teammates.

"There are no words to describe the feelings," Cherry said. "Our two best athletes go down, and we're still in the championship game. A lot of it's adrenaline."

"You can't beat it." said Rippen.

Scoring plays

M -- Josh Cherry 37 FG, 11:50 2Q

B -- Derek Linck 1 run (Brandon Wollenburg kick), 6:23 2Q

M -- Cherry 33 pass from Tony Purvis 3:42 (Cherry kick), 3:42 2Q

B -- Wollenburg 45 FG, 0:17 2Q

M -- Sam Frazier 3 run (Cherry kick), 9:37 3Q

B -- Linck 3 run (Wollenburg kick), 9:02 4Q

M -- Purvis 6 run (Cherry kick), 5:43 4Q

Team stats

Individual yards

Rushing

McCook: Purvis 9-58, Fritz 14-55, Frazier 8-40, Bedore 1-3.

Beatrice: Linck 31-152, Grummert 19-63, Riekenberg 11-31.

Passing

McCook: Purvis 4-6-1-90.

Beatrice: Riekenberg 4-7-0-40.

Receiving

McCook: Cherry 2-43, Arterburn 1-38, Kamla 1-9.

Beatrice: Engler 2-28, Higgins 1-15, Grummert 1 (-3).

Defense

McCook: Hubert recovered fumble.

Beatrice: Wardlaw interception.

Omaha Skutt 13,

Lincoln Pius X 7

OMAHA (AP) -- Casey Carbullido's 53-yard touchdown run with about four minutes left lifted Omaha Skutt to a 13-7 win over defending state champion Lincoln Pius X in the Class B semifinal on Saturday.

Carbullido finished with 74 yards rushing in the win for Skutt (12-0).

Kory Kahlandt rushed for 89 yards and a touchdown in the loss for Pius (9-3).

Kahlandt's 5-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter tied the game at 7-7.