Falcons, Warriors, Riders and Tigers all top 40 points in wins

TRENTON, Neb. — Quick trivia question for football fans at every level across the globe:

How many teams have held an opponent 90 points below its previous week’s performance?

One obvious correct answer: the 2024 Hitchcock County Falcons.

Come on, that’s absolutely insane.

No, insane would be the clean shiny smoothness of coach Randall Rath’s dome — similar to McCook hoops coach Joe Imus.

There’s nothing insane about a Hitchcock football team that’s outscored its first two foes, 114-0.

Following last week’s 68-0 opener, the Falcons were just as ferocious during their 46-0 home debut win over Maxwell.

Meanwhile, Maxwell’s Tigers went from a 90-6 opener over Sutherland to...well, you already know what happened next.

Junior Karson Shuler’s 10 tackles led this latest Falcon shutout with junior Jaret Neben making eight.

Shuler also intercepted one Tiger pass while junior Jayce Hauxwell returned another pick 31 yards.

Hauxwell and senior Jack Baker added five tackles apiece along with junior Adam Kisker’s six.

Meanwhile, the Falcons (2-0) featured their second week of multiple players rushing for touchdowns.

Sophomore Isaac Vrbas paced the attack again, scoring twice among 60 yards on 12 carries.

Freshman Brody Hubl blasted into the end twice as he rumbled six times for 46.

Baker was even spicier as he averaged nearly 12 yards, running six times to 71 yards and another TD.

Neben (seven for 28), Avery Thiessen (12 for 51) and Noah Caddick (six for 13) were other Falcon touchdown makers.

Baker even hit 100 percent of his passes (two for two) including a 46-yard six-pointer to Hauxwell.

Shuler took that other rare Falcon pass 27 yards.

Not surprisingly, the Falcons never punted.

Hitchcock travels to play Franklin (1-1) Friday night after the Flyers fell 32-12 to Cambridge last weekend.

Cambridge 32,

Franklin 12

FRANKLIN, Neb. — Senior Tayten Koeppen rushed for 129 yards and freshman quarterback Abram Norton’s eight pass completions gained 115 Friday evening.

Norton threw a TD strrike to Koeppen, who was also the top Trojan receiver with two for 60 yards (36, 24).

Koeppen’s longest rush covered 49 yards as the Trojans evened their record at 1-1.

Junior Brady Ahlemeyer added another TD among his 27 yards on four rushes.

Junior Krayton Ruggles worked for 42 of 224 rushing yards total for coach Catlin Rice’s team.

Rice reported his Trojans fumbled 12 times — but happily fell on NINE.

Senior Jayden Ruf’s 12 total tackles topped the defense. Ruggles made five solo stops among his seven. Juniors Colton Perks and Braydon Miller both sacked the Flyers QB.

Arapahoe 67,

Bertrand 6

BERTRAND, Neb. — Seniors William Cacy and Grayson Koller both scored three touchdowns during a 53-0 Arapahoe first half Friday evening.

The Warriors (2-0) started with a 38-0 lead against Cambridge last week.

They totaled 418 yards vs. Bertrand with Cacy needing only eight carries to gain 106 yards and score two TDs.

His first six points finished a 41-yard pass from quarterback Trenton Roskop, who dashed 55 yards for the Warriors’ opening score.

Cacy carried 24 yards next to a 24-0 lead, then Koller’s 10-yard rumble capped the 30-0 first quarter.

Cacy and Koller both covered 13 yards on their next romps into six-point pigskin paradise.

Koller’s four-yard run became the seventh Arapahoe TD before halftime. He gained 58 yards on nine carries while Roskop ran eight times to 86.

Clayton North’s 52-yard, second-half score capped the victory. He finished with 61 yards on four carries.

The Warriors did mix in two TD passes after not attempting one throw vs. Cambridge.

Besides the opening Roskop to Cacy strike, Alex Diaz caught a 14-yard pass from Briggs Hill that made it 60-0.

Hill’s six total tackles topped a defensive effort where just about every Warrior got involved.

Southwest 56,

Harvard 14

HARVARD, Neb. — Junior Hudson Billeter threw an amazing five touchdowns on six completes for 2-0 Southwest Friday evening.

Billeter’s six connections covered 224 yards with senior Trenton Williams catching three scores and 149 yards.

Junior Derick Kelley caught those other two touchdowns while gaining 76 yards total.

The Roughriders even added three rushing TDs from Billeter, Williams and junior Damario Koetter.

Koetter carried only three times to a team-high 53 yards.

Sophomore Jacob Barber’s per-carry average was even more awesome at two for 43.

Billeter ran 15 yards to six points on his only carry. Williams toted five for 21.

Sophomore Gage Hammond got into 12 total tackles which topped the strong Southwest defensive effort.

Koetter contributed to eight total stops and Barber seven. Williams, Derick Kelley and freshman Tyler Kelley added four total tackles apiece.

Another huge Roughrider stat? Seven quarterback sacks: Barber four and Williams three.

Fleming 35,

Wau.-Pal. 33

FLEMING, Colo. — Wauneta-Palisade fell just short despite a final 49-yard touchdown pass from Nathan Blackman to Aden Acton Friday.

The Broncos (1-1) nearly matched Fleming (1-1) score for score as Casey Walker’s 113 rushing yards paced their attack.

Walker ran 30 yards to a 6-6 tie, then plunged one yard for the Broncos’ 12-6 lead.

Fleming was much stronger after missing two key players in its opening defeat.

The hosts went ahead 20-12 only to see Krayton Wiese connect with Acton on a 23-yard TD pass.

Walker added the two-point ran and those Broncos were tied again at 20-20.

Wiese later went one yard to a touchdown, but the missed PAT left W-P trailing 28-26 — and two points turned out to be the difference.

Blackman completed four passes for 66 yards and Wiese added 66 rushing yards.

Acton finished with a super 117 receiving yards on six pass catches.

Grayden Sutherland’s eight total tackles topped the Bronco ‘D’.

DC-S 40,

Bridgeport 8

BRIDGEPORT, Neb. — Junior quarterback Dante Horner threw three TD passes while classmate Ethan Latta rushed for 104 yards and two more scores Friday.

Latta, juniors Kevin Garcia and August Shaw caught those three scoring strikes from Horner. Garcia’s one catch covered 36 yards.

Latta unleashed a 54-yard gallop among his team-best rushing effort.

Junior Lane Bybee broke through for 15 total tackles, six solos.

Sophomore Brock Bailey’s 14 total stops featured four behind the Bridgeport line.

Shaw also totaled 14 stops including four solos.

Decatur Comm. 50,

Greeley County 0

OBERLIN, Kan. — The Decatur Community (Kan.) Red Devils made a super season debut Friday night. Sadly, no other details have been obtained.

Mullen 36,

May-Hay 21

MULLEN, Neb. — No individual stats were obtained as the Maywood-Hayes Center Wolves slipped to 1-1.

Dighton 38,

Rawlins County 24

DIGHTON, Kan. — The Rawlins County (Kan.) Buffaloes fell short though senior Ryan Sramek did rush for 205 yards and two scores.

Gothenburg 36,

Chase County 7

Chase is now 1-1.