Flying through night: Tigers play pass-happy Knights

Sophomore Delton Haines (43) and the Dundy County-Stratton Tigers have shook hands while saying farewell to two playoff foes including last week’s upset of D-1 West No. 2-seed South Loup. The No. 7 Tigers (8-2 record) now take on surprise quarterfinal foe North Central (7-3) tonight in Bassett.

Steve Towery/McCook Gazette

BASSETT, Neb. — Politicians won’t be the only ones likely dancing into wee hours Wednesday morning following an ultimate big win.

The Dundy County-Stratton Tigers have never traveled this far into state football playoffs, and now they make a LONG journey to Bassett for tonight’s Class D-1 state quarterfinal.

Kickoff has been set at 6 p.m. following the four-hour-plus road trip from Stratton or Benkelman or any other Dundy County location.

What’s awaiting the Tigers?

A North Central 35-touchdown passing attack featuring 17 of those TDs during the Knights’ last four games.

Senior quarterback Jake Heerten directs an offense averaging better than 49 points per game since a 35-0 opening loss to No. 1 Burwell in August.

The Knights have bombarded Arcadia-Loup City with seven scoring strikes, six vs. Neligh-Oakdale and another five in a recent 72-14 rout of Ainsworth.

Senior 6’ receiver Trace Ebert scores a touchdown on more than 50 percent of his catches — turning 29 into 16 North Central TDs.

His 662 yards means Ebert gains nearly 23 with every grab.

Senior teammate Colton Munger satisfies pigskin hunger by making a team-high 38 receptions, 569 yards and another 11 scores.

Junior Zak Palmer shouldn’t be ignored considering he has 25 receptions (five TDs) and rushed for 111 yards in the one game vs. Ainsworth.

Plus don’t forget the Knights average more than 160 rush yards per game. Junior Charlie Gale (654 yards, nine touchdowns) gives the Knights plenty of offensive balance.

Defensively, the Knights surrendered 115 points during their first three games (38.3) but only 148 in seven contests since (21.1).

Junior Sage Miller’s far and away the top North Central tackler, making 130 stops or 13 per game.

The DC-S Tigers don’t care.

They have super soph back Serbando Diaz, who broke mighty South Loup Bobcats defenders for 210 rush yards last week.

Quarterback Quade Myers continues to be a freshman sensation, though he was just about as devastating on defense (12 tackles) last week.

Plus the young Tigers know all about making clutch stops on ‘D’ in playoff pressure.

They stopped a late Cambridge two-point try to win 30-29 two weeks ago.

Last week was one more stop for all history books, when Tigers stuffed South Loup on fourth down in overtime from inside the Tigers’ one-yard line.

Senior Jacob Krutsinger-Haines blasted into 11 tackles to join Myers as DC-S leaders.

Junior Domonic Sis (10 tackles), sophomores Delton Haines (eight) and Wesley Throckmorton (seven) are three other Tigers aiming to throttle those Knights tonight.

Whoever prevails will advance into the D-1 state semifinal round on Monday.

The Tigers will be certainly hoping for another home game. North Central ruined the hopes last week by knocking off No. 3 and undefeated Nebraska Christian, 34-28, last week.

Watch for results in Wednesday’s Gazette.