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Bison play game of catch while blanking Tigers
HASTINGS, Neb. — Look up in the air!
It’s a bird!
It’s a plane!
Perhaps it’s a goose! Another one making its way toward Barnett Park!
No, it’s another Bison touchdown pass!
Pigs still can’t fly at last report, but pigskins covered the air like few have seen during recent Bison football seasons.
Look out, next eight foes!
Steam might still be rising from Hastings College’s home turf after all those flying pigskins fueled a 41-0 McCook win over Hastings Friday evening.
The Bison made NFL Superman Tom Brady look feeble with 90 percent passing accuracy (nine for 10) led by senior Morgan Fawver’s three TDs and 183 receiving yards.
Hastings completed its own 35-yard scoring strike — though it was Alec Bunger taking it to the other end zone for McCook.
Oops. Bad things are going to happen when you face these furry Bison beasts on defense.
McCook could even cool down during a continual running-clock second half.
The Bison (1-0) didn’t need a second-half point to impress its closest observers.
“We came out on fire!” coach Jeff Gross observed. “I said the offense would be explosive and man, it looked real explosive. Their (Hastings’) offense couldn’t move the ball. We came out and did some real damage.”
Come on now, Hastings had nine more total yards than McCook’s points.
What’s up with that?
The Bison suddenly permitted a first down after pulling ahead 34-0.
McCook’s offense even looked a little “jumpy” while drawing several early false-start penalties.
But not to worry.
“We put in this new read sweep series, and it looked like a million bucks in the scrimmages,” Gross explained. “I think our first six (penalty flags) was us trying to execute that series tonight. We did get it run without jumping offsides so at least we cleared that hurdle. We’ll fix that.”
McCook’s finest work immediately began on the game’s first tw2o series. Facing third down and one, Hastings already seemed leery of Bison physicality and attempted a pass.
Not good.
The first Tiger punt followed and McCook’s first play went 35 yards on a Paxton Terry fullback fumble.
Real, real good.
McCook moved downfield quickly and covered the final 12 yards on a classic Cameryn Berry quarterback run.
Senior Trae Kotter’s first of five PAT kicks would really be all the points McCook would need.
After all, Hastings has not scored a point against McCook since Bo Pelini was coaching Big Red in 2014.
One big play could change all that!
Except the next Tiger play was a fumble that Bison beast/D-tackle Colin Giron recovered.
In barely enough time for home fans to say “here we go again”, Berry flipped his first touchdown pass covering 14 yards into Gross’ hands.
Berry began what was his best varsity passing performance: eight-for-nine, 202 yards and those four TDs.
“We are going to take the kid gloves off Cam this year,” Gross explained. “Last year, he’d had his toes in the grass and be ready to scramble. Tonight, he stood in and made some throws. Then Al (Bunger) gets the pick six.”
Neither Hastings players nor frustrated coaches (in top photo today) could stop Bunger from bringing back six more Bison points.
Following yet another quick defensive stop, Berry spotted Fawver from 45 yards to make it 27-0 with still more than 2:30 remaining in that first quarter.
The break between periods didn’t last long — though long enough for McCook’s only trickery of this opener.
Senior back Gabe Sehnert took a pitch on that first play of quarter two, and Hastings moved in to stop the returning 1,000-yard Bison rusher.
Just what McCook wanted.
Sehnert instead lofted his first pass of anyone’s recent memory which perfectly found Fawver on a 25-yard TD play.
Another Koetter PAT made it 34-0 while Hastings still hadn’t achieved a first down.
The Bison moved backwards a little more often as those Tigers unleashed their “what do we have to lose at this point?” approach.
“As the game went on, they started bringing the house more defensively,” Gross observed about the Tiger blitzes. “That’s something we have to execute and be able to pick up. We have some things to work on.”
McCook still tacked on its longest scoring paly of the night — Berry’s 75-yard catch-and-run shortly before intermission.
The entire second half featured a continuous running clock which actually only took about 20 minutes to complete.
Bison defense didn’t relax. Reserve end Torrington Ford “blew up” one Tiger sweep run.
Juniors Drew Daum, Luke Roberts and sophomore Alec Langan teamed to stuff a third-down play.
Other reserves like Jared Cole, Dawson Bredvick and Leighton Fisher preserved the Bison shutout.
Senior Camry Hurdle and sophomore Mark Arp continued two of the better Bison second-half runs.
Class B No. 3 McCook will expect a stronger challenge for the Weiland Field varsity opener on Friday.
No. 7-ranked Grand Island Northwest will invade to play the 7 p.m. game following its 61-0 triumph over Gering last week.
Quarterback Carter Terry is expected to be among Class B’s best passers this season. More Viking details appear below.