Bluejay Football
The Bluejays Take Down Central City
By Avery Brunckhorst
The Bluejays traveled to Central City to take on the Central City Bison and won 35-0.
Coach Tyler Legate noted how the team kept the momentum going throughout the game.
“Winning at Central City is always a big win; it's a good program and a tough place to play. I was really pleased with how we stuck with the plan even when things didn't start like we wanted. We will need to use the plan that we used last Friday for this Friday for the first round of playoffs,” Legate said.
In the first half, the Bluejays scored three touchdowns, leading 21-0 at halftime. Touchdowns were scored by Cole DeBoer, Brody Scholting, and Burkley Collison.
In the fourth quarter, Konnar Jones broke away for a big 70-yard touchdown, and Tate Wales added the extra point, pushing the lead to 28-0.
“When I scored the touchdown, I think that gave us more momentum than we had to help finish out the game. One thing we can improve on throughout the rest of the season would be starting the game out stronger,” Jones stated.
Pierce continued to lead as sophomore Kiegan Werner scored a touchdown, and Wales added the extra point again, bringing the score to 35-0.
The final score was 35-0, with the Bluejays taking the win.
Jones led the team offensively with 123 rushing yards. Scholting added 104 yards, with 38 rushing and 66 passing.
The Bluejays had 66 passing yards on 15 attempts and 286 rushing yards.
Defensively, DeBoer led the team with 13 tackles, followed by Maddox Ronspies with nine, Collison, Lakin Prince, and Ethan Nordby with seven each, and Gavin Lubischer and Scholting with six apiece.
Pierce had two fumble recoveries, one by Lucas Weber and one by DeBoer.
Catch the Bluejays next game in Pierce against Cozad as it will be the first round of playoffs.
JV Football Wraps Up Their Season by Demolishing Wayne
By Raleigh Pfeiffer
Packing up their pads, jerseys, and cleats, the JV boys headed to Wayne for their last game of the season. They faced off against the Wayne Blue Devils on Monday the 19th with a 5 p.m. kickoff. The Pierce boys bulldozed through the game, ending with a score of 42-0 and finishing off the season with a win. The JV boys ended their season with a winning record of 5-2.
In the first quarter, the Bluejays started strong, leading 14-0. Continuing to lead, the Bluejays scored three more touchdowns to reach 35-0 and end the half. Fresh out of halftime, the Bluejays scored one more touchdown while the Blue Devils scored none. Neither team scored in the final quarter, but coaches substituted in many Pierce players.
The boys had many strengths throughout the night as they showcased their talent on the field.
“The offense was really good because we could execute our plays. Defense made a number of good plays also. The offensive line did a good job blocking. Overall, one of our best games of the year,” JV Coach Grant Doerr says.
Various players excelled throughout the game. Freshmen Travis Monroe and Colton Hanna scored one touchdown. Freshman Carter Unger and sophomore Keegan Holan each had two touchdowns.
Unger also had two interceptions, and Hanna had one. Freshmen Dagen Halsey and Austin Flesner both had one fumble recovery.
Being the last game of the season for these boys, the players are looking back on their success and how they morphed into such a strong JV team.
“The beginning was rough. We played good opponents, but as the season went on, we got better. I’m excited to see what this group can do in a year or two,” Doerr says.
Despite their final game being a victory, there is always room for improvement for the upcoming season.
“We should just start off the season better,” freshman Brysan Jones states.
Congratulations to the JV players on a great season. We can not wait to see what next year holds!
