Warriors Clinch Playoff Berth; Wolfpack Season Ends

On Friday, one Antelope County team saw their season come to an end while another kept theirs alive for an extra week.

Elgin Public/Pope John hosted Neligh-Oakdale on parents night. The Warriors controlled the game from the opening snap, taking a 48-8 victory and locking up a playoff berth. The loss ends the Wolfpack's season at 0-8.

Neligh-Oakdale churned out just one touchdown in the first quarter before adding two more in the second to go into the break with a 20-0 lead. The Warriors turned up the heat in the second, scoring 20 points before each team found the end zone in the fourth quarter.

Much like it has all year, the EPPJ offense ran through Hunter Reestman. The junior finished with 186 yards on 20-of-35 passing. He also added 26 yards on the ground. 

Kyle Schumacher accounted for 10 catches for 105 yards on the night. Conor Ramold had six grabs for 47 yards. Cameron Nielsen had three catches for 20 yards and Adam Dreger had two catches for 29 yards. 

Defensively, Liam Heithoff led the attack, accounting for 13 tackles, including one for a loss.

Neligh-Oakdale showed off great efficiency on offense, averaging more than 11 yards per play en route to 407 total yards. 

They finished with 195 yards through the air off the arms of Hunter Charf and Brock Kester. Charf missed on just one of his six attempts, finishing with 112 yards and a score. Kester added 83 yards on 3-of-5 passing and a touchdown. 

Those scores went to Julien Hearn, who took it 59 yards on his only catch, and Austin Rice, who finished with four catches for 113 yards. Dawson Kaup added a catch for 24 yards. 

Andrew Herley led the ground attack for the Warriors, going for 108 yards on just 10 carries and punching in three scores. Hearn was explosive on the ground as well, racking up 72 yards and a touchdown on just two carries. Charf added 41 yards on seven carries.