Blue Devils settle for second in State title game

LINCOLN — The Wynot Blue Devils’ dream football season came crashing to an end Monday afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

Their hopes for a Class D2 State championship were dashed by a punishing Sandhills/Thedford ground attack as the Knights rolled to a 50-12 win.

Wynot had no answer in this one for the physical size of the Knights’ offensive line or the powerful rushing of their star running back Kyle Cox, who rushed for six touchdowns, picking up state records with 486 rushing yards on 65 carries.

The weather in this contest did not help the Blue Devils’ passing game, as there was a steady drizzle the entire game and certainly was favorable for the Knights’ predominant ground game.

Wynot got on the scoreboard first in this game as it marched 65 yards in eight plays to start the contest. First-down catches by Carson Wieseler and Joseph Sudbeck along with a 13-yard gain on a option pitch to Zack Foxhoven moved the ball deep into Knights territory. The Blue Devils capped the drive on a six-yard touchdown pass from Dylan Heine to Wieseler. The two-point conversion was no good as Wynot held the early 6-0 lead.

Sandhills/Thedford answered with a long drive of its own. Cox broke a 39-yard run to start the drive and completed the possession with a 12-yard blast up the middle for the touchdown. The twopoint conversion run was stopped as the first quarter wound down with the score tied 6-6. The Blue Devils’ next offensive drive stalled out. The Knights went on the offensive and put together a drive all on the ground. Cox fueled the drive with four first-down runs. He powered in from seven yards out for his second score of the game. The two-point conversion pass was good, giving Sandhills/Thedford a 14-6 lead.

Wynot then went three and out. The Knights took over at the 15-yard line and Cox carried the ball seven straight times with the final carry resulting in another Sandhills/Thedford score from the sixyard line. Cox also ran in the two-point conversion, making the score 22-6 at halftime. The Blue Devils tried an unsuccessful onside kick to open the second half and the Knights gained possession at the 40-yard line. Sandhills/Thedford’s offensive line continued to open holes for Cox as he kept clicking off five-yard gains on every carry. Cox put another score up on the board on a 13-yard run over the left side for the touchdown. The two-point conversion was no good as the Knights’ lead had grown to 28-6.

Wynot’s offense showed signs of life on its next possession. Aided by a 13yard catch by Wieseler and a 16-yarder by Chase Schroeder for a couple of first downs along with a personal foul on the Knights, the Blue Devils drove into the Knights’ red zone. Kasen Koch swept the left side and hit the pylon to cap the drive. The score was 28-12.

Wynot’s defensive unit continued to play hard, but it was no match for Sandhills/ Thedford’s size.

The Knights’ offensive line continued to dominate the line of scrimmage as they mounted another long drive. Cox was the workhorse as he had five more carries on the next drive with the final one for the one-yard touchdown.

Cox also ran in the two-point conversion to extend the score to 36-12 at the end of three periods.

In the fourth quarter, the Blue Devils defense was gassed. Sandhills/Thedford added a three-yard touchdown run by Cobie Higgins and Cox got his sixth score of the night on a one-yard run up the middle in the final seconds of the game.

Wynot gained the runner-up medals and finished its 2023 eight-man football season with a school-best 13-1 record.

Wynot 6 0 6 0 —12 Sandhills 6 16 20 14 — 50 Wynot Sandhills-Thedford Rush yds 24-67 68-493 Pass yds 17-35-127 0-2-0 Total yds 194 493 Penalties 4-26 8-70 First Downs 11 29 Time of Poss 22:17 25:35 PASSING

Wynot - Dylan Heine, 17-34-127; Karter Pick, 0-1. S-T - Kyle Cox, 0-2-0.

RUSHING

Wynot - Kasen Koch, 6-43; Zach Foxhoven, 6-18; Dylan Heine, 12-6. S-T Kyle Cox 65-486; Coby Higgins, 3-7.

RECEIVING

Wynot - Carson Wieseler, 8-77; Joseph Sudbeck, 5-15; Chase Schroeder, 3-36; Alec Sudbeck, 1- -1.

TACKLES

Wynot - Carson Wieseler, 16; Chase Schroeder, 10; Kasen Koch, 10; Zack Foxhoven, 9; Dylan Heine, 9; Brennen Heimes, 9; Andrew Haberman, 8; Joseph Sudbeck, 5; Alec Sudbeck, 5. S-T - Rhett McFadden, 11; Kyle Cox, 10; Zeb Wilde, 10; Coby Higgins, 6; Ayden Hall, 5; Brady Dahlberg, 4.