GRAND ISLAND — Grand Island Central Catholic advanced to the state football playoff semifinals for the first time in 42 years with a 31-14 victory over Fremont Bergan Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
The Class C-2 No. 6-rated (Omaha World-Herald) Crusaders (10-1) will host fifth-rated Ord (7-4) next Friday with an opportunity to reach a state football final for the first time since finishing as the Class B runner-up in 1983. The Chanticleers dealt GICC its lone loss of the season, posting a 21-14 home victory in the first meeting between the two teams back on Oct. 3.
Grayson Sack led the way for GICC as it knocked off No. 2-rated Bergan (9-2). The senior quarterback completed 8 of 17 pass attempts for 131 yards and a touchdown and also rushed 18 times for 138 yards and two more scores.
The Crusaders controlled the game with their ground attack in the second half and finished with 262 yards rushing on 48 attempts. Jack Alberts carried 11 times for 68 yards and Thomas Schneider rushed for 54 yards on 18 attempts for GICC to go with Sack’s 138-yard effort on the ground.
Connor Haney was Sack’s top passing target, hauling in four receptions for 95 yards, including a 36-yard TD catch.
Austin Scheuler was 15 of 34 passing for 199 yards and two TDs for the Knights. Trent Mlnarik rushed 13 times for 78 yards for Bergan, which tied the score at 14-14 on Gavin Dean’s 21-yard scoring reception from Scheuler, but was shut out the rest of the way.
It looked like a high-scoring affair early with GICC leading 17-14 after the first quarter. Alberts scored on a 65-yard run on the Crusaders’ first offensive snap and Sack later connected with Haney on a 36-yard TD pass before Garrett Watson’s 31-yard field goal with 2:24 left in the first quarter gave Central Catholic the lead for good.
Sack delivered a back-breaking 31-yard TD scramble on the final play of the first half, extending GICC’s lead to 24-14 at the intermission. The Crusaders got their final score on a 4-yard run by Sack, capping a 19-play drive that drained 8:48 off the clock and gave Central Catholic a 17-point lead with 10:55 remaining.
