FOOTBALL: Elkhorn South Takes Control In 2nd Half To End Southeast’s Playoff Run

LINCOLN–(KFOR Nov. 6)–Two of the more physical high school football teams in Nebraska met Friday night in the Class A quarterfinals, but a key second half drive proved to be the difference.

Elkhorn South took control on a drive that took over six minutes in the third quarter and held off Lincoln Southeast 28-7 at Seacrest Field, in a game heard on KFOR.

The Storm (9-1) will now play Kearney in next Friday’s (Nov. 13) Class A semifinal, after the Bearcats upset defending state champion and No. 1 seed Bellevue West 41-40 in overtime on a walk-off two-point conversion.

Southeast (8-1) had early opportunities to capitalize against Elkhorn South, but came up empty in the first quarter.  In the second quarter, safety Derek Branch picked off a pass that set up a short drive capped by running back Nigel Bridger’s one-yard touchdown run that put the Knights up 7-0 with 9:56 remaining in the second quarter.

Then Elkhorn South answered with an 80-yard drive, capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Cole Ballard to tie the game at seven with 3:38 left in the second quarter.

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To start the second half, the Storm move the ball going with the south wind and scored off 16 plays and 80-yards when Ballard scored on a five-yard run with 5:47 in the third to go ahead 14-7.

Opportunity came around again, after Elkhorn South safety Trevor Winterstein intercepted a McGinness Schneider pass around the Storm six-yard line and returned it to the 49-yard line of Southeast, when Winterstein fumbled and Southeast tried to get the ball back.  Carter Richardson got the ball back for Elkhorn South.

A missed opportunity for Southeast turned out to be the Storm’s gain, when Ballard scored on a five-yard run early in the fourth quarter.  A Southeast defensive lineman was hurt on he play and had to be carted off the field and hauled off via an ambulance to a Lincoln hospital.  Still, after about a 15 minute delay, Elkhorn South expanded the score to 21-7 after Carsen Crouch’s point after attempt was good.

Defensively, Elkhorn South limited Southeast from getting any forward progression on the next several drives.  It was capped when Storm running back Ben Warren broke free for a 55-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to seal the win.