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HARTINGTON - A great Cedar Catholic comeback was spoiled late in the game at Russ Hochstein Field when the Ord Chanticleers connected on 48-yard “hitch-and-go” with 38 seconds on the clock to take a 27-21 lead after leading at the half, 21-7.
The play ended a spectacular season for the Trojans who sat at top of the C2 polls since at least the second week and were the top seed in the C2 playoffs.
“I thought our kids played hard the entire game, but the end wasn’t what we wanted,” said Cedar coach Chad Cattau. “We showed a lot of heart and character coming back from the 21-7 halftime deficit to tie it, we were just a couple of plays short of coming out on top.”
Cedar Catholic appeared to have earned at least an overtime session when Grady Haberer hit Mason Baller on a 35-yard scoring pass with just 1:21 left in regulation, but the Chants had other ideas.
Quarterback Jordan Williams spotted Landon Critel, who had made an out move, then headed up the field. Williams threw a perfect pass and Critel hauled it in for the touchdown.
Ord missed the extra point leaving the door just a little crack open for a Cedar miracle.
No miracle was in store as four consecutive incompletions turned the ball back to the Chanticleers and they ran out the clock.
Cedar Catholic opened the scoring for the evening when Mason Baller set his team up by jumping on an Ord fumble at the Chants’ 24.
Brady Hochstein, who finished the game with 165 yards rushing on his 26 carries, followed a convoy of blockers on the second play after the fumble for a touchdown and a Jared Rutar kick, put the Trojans up 7-0 with just under three minutes left in the opening quarter.
Ord answered with a long pass play from Williams to Colton Thompson from 79 yards and the score was tied 7-7 after the first 12 minutes.
The Chanticleers would score twice in the second period to create the 21-7 deficit for the Trojans.
Cedar Catholic took to the ground attack to get back into the game in the second half.
“That’s kind of our bread and butter and we had early success with it in the second half, so we stayed with it.” Cattau said. “It worked for the most part. That’s kind of what we do, what we live or die on. I commend our kids for making a run at them in the second half.”
Hochstein capped off a seven-play, 56-yard drive to open the third frame, barrelling in from five yards out and the Trojans were back in it down by a single touchdown with just under nine minutes left in the third.
The two defenses controlled the next four possessions, which milked to the clock well into the fourth quarter.
A Trojan defensive stop on fourth down at midfield, set them up for the game-tying score.
Baller caught the ball on the sideline at around the 25 of Ord and scampered down the sidelines for a 35-yard touchdown with 1:21 left in the game.
The fateful Ord drive began at the Chanticleer 17 and four running plays got them to the 48 before Williams and Critel hooked up for the final score of the contest.
“You have to give Ord Credit because they made some big plays throughout the game that were the difference,” said Cattau.
Although it was a disappointment the way the season ended, the coach said the team has a lot of reasons to be proud.
“I would like to personally thank all of our seniors for their time, effort and leadership in this program,” the coach said. “They were all extremely selfless throughout the season and that attitude of ‘team first’ really made its way through the program.
“Each and every one of them contributed in so many ways to the success of the season. I know it hurts now, but they will someday understand what they accomplished this year. They have all developed from young freshmen boys into young men that are going to accomplish great things when they leave Cedar Catholic.”
The Trojans ended the season 10-1 while Ord will move on to play Grand Island Central Catholic in a C2 semifinal match up.
Ord (8-3) 7 14 0 6 - 27 Cedar Catholic 7 0 7 7 - 21 FIRST QUARTER CC: Brady Hochstein 24 run, Jared Rutar kick, 2:49. 7-0. ORD: Colton Thompson 79 pass from Jordan Williams, Colt Meyer kick, 1:45. 7-7. SECOND QUARTER ORD: Jordan Williams 1 run, Colt Meyer kick, 8:29. 7-14. ORD: Beau Wells 9 run, Colt Meyer kick, 0:48. 7-21. THIRD QUARTER CC: Brady Hochstein 5 run, Jared Rutar kick, 8:56. 14-21. FOURTH QUARTER CC: Mason Baller 35 pass from Grady Haberer, Jared Rutar kick, 1:21. 21-21. ORD: Landon Critel 48 pass from Jordan Williams, kick no good, 0:38. 21-27. Cedar Catholic Passing Yards: 7-19 88 Cedar Catholic Rushing Yards: 42-221 Cedar Catholic Total Yards: 61-309 Cedar Catholic Individual Passing: Grady Haberer 7-19 88 1TD. Cedar Catholic Individual Rushing: Hunter Bensen 1-1; Bodie Hochstein 2-15; Grady Haberer 6-11; Brady Hochstein 26-165 2TD; Easton Hochstein 6-27; Ryan Hoebelheinrich 1-2. Cedar Catholic Individual Receiving: Bodie Hochstein 1-26; Booker Hochstein 2-15; Mason Baller 1-35 1TD; Brady Hochstein 1-4; Easton Hochstein 2-8.
