Knights can’t dig out of first half hole in loss

Fremont-Mills could not get on track offensively early and Woodbine scored on five of its first six possessions on its way to a 58-8 win over the Knights in Eight-player, District 10 football Friday in Tabor. 

 Just how much did the Knights’ offense struggle that first half against the No. 2 ranked Tigers (3-0)?

Their first 13 offensive snaps netted minus-16 yards. Woodbine had no such trouble moving the ball. 

Quarterback Cal Pryor connected with Ayden Coenen for one of his three first half touchdown passes on the game’s opening possession. Pryor hooked up with Penn State recruit Landon Blum on two more first half TD tosses and the Tigers led 36-0 at the break, out-yarding Fremont-Mills 282 to 53 at intermission.

But the Knights didn’t go away without a fight.

After scoring a safety on attempted Tiger punt on the opening possession of the third quarter, the Knights finally found the endzone on offense when Paxton Campbell broke free on a cutback 51-yard touchdowns scamper to make the score 36-8 with 3:36 to go in the third quarter.

The Knights stayed even with the Knights in the third frame and never played like a team down four scores.

“I think that’s a testament to the kids,” said Fremont-Mills coach Greg Ernster after the game. “We talked about that (at halftime) about keeping to one play at a time and staying there and the kids fed into that. The defensive staff did a really good job with adjustments and that really helped.”

Woodbine added a pair of touchdown runs from Pryor in the fourth to cap the scoring.

For the game, the Tigers tallied finished with 426 yards. Pryor completed 18-of-26 passes for 237 yards and five touchdowns, four going to Blum. Blum ended his night with eight grabs for 130 yards.

“They’re a really good team, they have one maybe two Division I players on their team, they have athletes all over the place, they’re a large, physical team that dwarfed a lot of our kids. We put up a good fight, but they are a talented, talented team who is probably a quarterfinal or semifinal team. I proud of the fight we put up.”

The Knights tallied 114 yards, 107 of it coming the ground. Campbell finished with 66 yards and a TD on his 11 carries.

Stilling looking for their first win with its 0-3 record, the Knights are in rare territory for a program that has gone to the state playoffs 16 straight seasons entering this year. 

With back-to-back non-district games coming up on the road at WACO and top ranked Audubon coming to town Sept. 25 before closing the regular season with district foes Sidney, Stanton and East Mills, Ernster said his team will have to win out in the district to make the playoffs.

“The mindset is we have to find wins,” he said. “I like our chances against WACO this week at Central Decatur. Our kids will be fired up. So, we just need to find wins.”

The Knights faced WACO (3-0) Friday in Leon. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

Scoring Summary

W    12  24  08 14  58

FM  00  00  08  00  08

Game Summary

W – Cal Pryor to Ayden Coenen, 8 pass (conversion failed).

W – Pryor to Landon Blum, 41 pass (conversion failed).

W – Micah Moores, 52 run (two-point conversion good).

W – Pryor to Blum, 7 pass (two-point conversion good).

W – Pryor to Blum, 45 pass (two-point conversion good).

FM – Safety.

FM – Paxton Campbell, 51 run (conversion failed).

W – Pryor to Blum, 11 pass (two-point conversion good).

W – Pryor, 1 run (conversion failed).

W – Pryor, 13 run (two-point conversion good).