FOOTBALL: Southwest’s 2nd Half Burst Cools Off Northeast

LINCOLN–(KFOR Oct. 3)–Breaking free from a two-point advantage at halftime, the Lincoln Southwest football team outscored Lincoln Northeast 34-7 in the second half and picked up a 50-21 victory Thursday night at Seacrest Field.

Southwest improved to 2-4 on the second and recorded their second district win, with games against Omaha North, Bellevue West and Omaha Buena Vista remaining, in looking for a playoff berth.

A 66-yard opening drive of the second half led to Southwest extending their lead to 23-14 on a one-yard touchdown run form fullback Garrett Hull and after the Silver Hawks forced Northeast to a three-and-out, Jace Erickson returned a punt 52-yards for a touchdown to extend the lead to 30-14.

Sophomore quarterback Brockston Teply later found Jackson Crawford on a 47-yard touchdown pass with 2:37 let in the third quarter to extend the Southwest lead to 37-14.   Then running back Luke Mitchell scored on a two-yard run early in the fourth quarter and after Ian Mulvaney recovered a fumble at the Northeast six-yard line, freshman quarterback Thatcher Shelton scored on a one-yard run for the Silver Hawks’ final scoring drive with 6:04 to play.

Northeast (3-3) scored on the game’s opening drive, advanced on a 31-yard run by quarterback Grant Matson and a 9-yard pass to Levi Sherman before Matson scored on a one-yard run.  Southwest responded a scoring drive, when Teply found Husker football commit Jackson Carpenter on a 23-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7.

Southwest’s defense came through on the next Northeast possession, as Hull intercepted a Matson pass and returned it 32-yards for a touchdown, but after the failed two-point conversion attempt, the Silver Hawks took control at 13-7 late in the first quarter.

Ethan Sanchez booted a 24-yard field goal for Southwest with 19 seconds left in the second quarter, but on the ensuing kickoff, Northeast’s Coltin Sims returned the kick 91-yards for a touchdown and the Rockets trimmed the deficit to 16-14 at halftime.

The final scoring drive of the game late in the fourth quarter came from Northeast, when backup quarterback Zayne Scully found Sherman on a 10-yard touchdown pass.  The Rockets have Omaha Buena Vista, South Sioux City and Bellevue West on their schedule, in hopes of trying to reach the playoffs.

Click the link below for the podcast of Thursday’s game.

FOOTBALL PODCAST: Lincoln Southwest at Lincoln Northeast 10-3-24.