Anytime a #1 faces a #16 in playoff action, it’s going to be an uphill battle for the lower seed.
Throw in a snowstorm that dumped over a foot of snow on Western Nebraska, leaving the football field in Chadron a muddy quagmire. A one-day postponement. A 6-7 hour bus trip for the Boone Central Cardinals. And, finally, a 21-0 Chadron lead at halftime of Friday’s Class C1 first-round state playoff contest.
In the face of those daunting odds, many teams would have folded and been on the short end of a landslide result.
Not so the Boone Central Cardinals.
Mirroring the program’s tradition and history, Boone Central (3-6) fought back valiantly in Friday’s second half, holding the undefeated host Cardinals (8-0) to just 12 yards and zero first downs following intermission. Boone Central scored its own late touchdown and saw its 2009 season end with a competitive 21-8 loss in the far northwest corner of the state.
“We didn’t play the greatest in the first half,” acknowledged Boone Central Coach Arnie Johnson. “But the kids came back and played a strong second half.
“Our kids really played hard the entire game.”
You would expect no less from a Boone Central team.
Chadron finished with a 256-164 total yardage advantage, mainly with a 136-66 edge through the air. Both teams gained 13 first downs and Chadron had a 6-5 turnover advantage in the sloppy conditions.
Lane Anderson (34) and Dustin Christo (29) led Boone Central rushers and Kunzman completed 7-of-18 passes. Defensive leaders for the Cards included Christo (13 solo tackles, 10 assists), Nathan Olson (12, 8), Trey Sorell (8, 6) and Matt Spieker (6, 6). Sorell, Brett Temme and Jace Willets intercepted Chadron pass attempts and Olson and Liss recovered fumbles in the contest.
Complete Details in Print & Online Editions of Albion News.
