FOOTBALL: Burke Survives Scare From Southeast, Blocks FG

LINCOLN–(KFOR August 30)–Defending Class A state champion Omaha Burke managed to rally back late and hold off a tough Lincoln Southeast ball club on Thursday night.

The Bulldogs blocked a 24-yard field goal attempt from Knights kicker Jackson Doty with less than four seconds remaining to earn a 16-14 victory in the season opening game of high school football at Seacrest Field and a game heard on KFOR FM103.3/1240AM.

Burke (1-0), though, was called offside initially when Doty nailed a 30-yard field goal.  It was a ruled as a dead ball violation and moved Southeast closer.  Burke’s Brayden Pommier-Williams blocked Doty’s second attempt to keep the win streak alive at 14 games.

It wasn’t until 1:21 left in the game when Burke took the lead for the first time, when Colin Urban ultimately nailed the game-winning 31-yard field goal.

The game was scoreless until 18 seconds left before halftime, when Southeast quarterback Coleby Daffer found Isaac Gifford for a 24-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead.

Notre Dame recruit Xavier Watts put Burke on the scoreboard early in the third quarter when he caught a 42-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Reid Burke to tie the game.  Watts had eight catches for 137 yards and a touchdown.

Then Southeast drove and got down to the Bulldog 4-yard line when Daffer found Isaac Appleget in the end zone on a pass play, as the Knights regained control at 14-7 midway through the third quarter.

Appleget finished with seven catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.

Burke crawled to within one early in the fourth quarter, after Reid Burke found receiver Michael Payne III for a 76-yard touchdown toss.  The point after failed.

Reid Burke completed 13 of 23 passes for 254 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Southeast is back in action on Friday, Sept. 6, against Lincoln Southwest, which you can hear on ESPN FM101.5/1480AM.