Cedar quartet leads team to All Star football win
NORFOLK - Records were broken in the 10-year history of the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football game played at Memorial Field in Norfolk, June 10.
Norfolk Catholic’s Karter Kerkman broke the records but a quartet of Cedar Catholic Trojans led the way to a decisive “Red” team victory over the “White” team, 42-14, in the 10th annual game played here.
“It was a lot of fun to play in this game,” Cedar Catholic’s Jaxson Bernecker said. “It was great to compete against the best in the area and get to know the kids you had played against your entire high school career.”
Bernecker and his Cedar teammates, Carson and Grant Arens and Jay Steffen were instrumental in the “Red” team win.
Steffen was the defensive MVP for the “Red” squad, Bernecker caught a 21-yard scoring toss and the Arens boys caught a couple of aerials late in the first half to pretty much put the game away, even at that stage of the contest.
“The game was great,” said Steffen, who played in the Nebraska Shrine Bowl just a week before the NEN game. “The experience was fun, being able to control and contain that great group of offensive players. That’s really special.”
Steffen sacked “White” team quarterback Aiden Kuester from Neligh-Oakdale to force a turnover on downs late in the first quarter.
The game looked set for a backand-forth affair, but late in the opening half with the “Red”team up 28-7, the “Red” team got the ball back after a 57-yard punt from Battle Creek’s Will Hamar.
The “Red” team opened a drive at its own 18-yard line with 1:08 left in the half.
Quarterback, Abram Scholting from Pierce told his team they were going to score before the half, despite being out of timeouts.
Kerkman ran for 15 yards on the first couple of plays, then found Grant Arens as he came back to the ball for an 11-yard gain.
Scholting spiked the ball with 34 seconds left in the half to stop the clock, then hit Carson Arens for a 10-yard strike to set up the final touchdown of the opening half and make it 35-7 heading into the locker room after a strike to Wayne’s Sedjro Agoumba from 46 yards out.
After the “White” team scored in the final quarter, Bernecker got into the mix for the “Red” offense.
Scholting hit Bernecker from 21 yards out with 4:39 left in the game to end scoring on the afternoon with the “Red” team in front by the 42-14 final.
“It was a great way to finish out my career in high school,” Bernecker said. “This game was a lot of fun.”
Red 7 21 7 7 - 42 White 7 0 0 7 - 14 Scoring Summary: FIRST QUARTER
W: Aiden Kuester (Neligh-Oakdale) 18 run, Jake Licking (Norfolk High) kick, 9:02. R: Karter Kerkman (Norfolk Catholic) 2 run, Quinton Heineman (Pender) kick, 5:05.
SECOND QUARTER
R: Kerkman (Norfolk Catholic) 29 run, Heineman (Pender) kick, 10:26. R: Kerkman (Norfolk Catholic) 5 run, Heineman (Pender) kick, 2:30. R: Sedjro Agoumba (Wayne) 46 pass from Abram Scholting (Pierce), Heineman kick, :20.
THIRD QUARTER
R: Avery Overfelt (Homer) 5 run, Heineman kick, 2:28.
FOURTH QUARTER
W: Will Hamar (Battle Creek) 5 pass from Kuester (Neligh-Oakdale), Licking (Norfolk High) kick, 9:02. R: Jaxson Bernecker (Cedar Catholic) 21 pass from Scholting (Pierce), Heineman kick, 2:28.