Bo Meier blocked a Lincoln Northwest punt for a safety Monday to start the Blair Bears' week at Krantz Field.
The ninth-grader's freshman team hosted the Falcons in the first of three home football games across five days. The second came Tuesday as the seventh-grade Otte Blair Middle School squad hosted South Sioux City, and the last is today with the varsity Bears competing against Class B No. 2 Omaha Gross.
BHS is off to a 3-0 start with contested wins against Plattsmouth and Ralston after the team went 1-8 a year ago.
"It's fun," senior Kaden Sears said after the Bears' latest victory. "Good atmosphere."
A forfeit by Omaha Buena Vista allowed for more practice time ahead of the 42-3 win against Ralston, but BHS' next game with the Cougars is expected to be a much larger test.
"It's going to be a really good game," senior Seagan Packett-Trisdale said. "Gross has some good linemen. I'll give them that. But so do we."
The Bears' offensive line has helped produce 540 rushing yards through two games. Ethan Baessler (186 yards), Brock Templar (147) and Dane Larsen (114) have all run fro more than 100.
Passing-wise, junior Bode Soukup has completed 64 percent of his passes for 311 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. His top target has been Brady Brown, who' hauled in seven passes for 106 yards. J'Shawn Unger, meanwhile, has six grabs for 76.
Defensively, Sears, a Blair linebacker, has 17 total tackles with five for a loss of yardage. Baessler and Unger have intercepted passes, too.
Gross, meanwhile, is unbeaten with wins against Beatrice (41-7), Omaha Westview (63-14) and last week against Elkhorn, 21-14. The win against the Antlers was a statement game for the Cougars.
“That's a good team that we just played," senior Owen Brennan told the Omaha World-Herald after scoring the go-ahead, 37-yard touchdown run. "I think we're better and we showed it tonight, and some people have to watch out for us now.”
The Gross runner carried the ball just two times, filling in for the Cougars' most prolific rusher — Jake Garcia. Garcia ran 16 times for 148 yards against Elkhorn, while quarterback Colby Duncan threw the ball just six times for a total of 41.
Defensively, Brennan and Charlie Paladino led Gross with 12 total tackles apiece.
All of the aforementioned players will be at Krantz Field for the third Bears home game of the week — the biggest.
Fort Calhoun Pioneers (2-1) host Central City (2-1), 7 p.m. Friday
Both Fort Calhoun and Central City are 2-1 on the young season. The Pioneers have topped a pair of 0-3 teams in Nebraska City and Wyane, while the Bison have bested 1-2 Cozad and Holdrege after a season-opening loss to Ord.
Central City quarterback Derek Pfeifer is his team's top offensive weapon, throwing for 387 yards and three scores to go with his team-best 233 rushing yards. His top passing target is Ashton Gragg, who's caught 13 balls for 193 yards.
Defensively, the Bison's Jacob Kucera has 30 total tackles — 17 more than the second-leading tackler on his team.
FCHS quarterback Austin Welchert, meanwhile, is 33-for-60 passing this season with 609 yards, seven touchdowns and just one interception. His leading target is Grayson Bouwman, who has 16 receptions for 385 and five scores.
Avery Quinlan, Andrew Namuth and Sam Halford, meanwhile, are the Pioneers' leading tacklers. They have 17 apiece through three games.
Arlington Eagles (0-3) host Lincoln Christian Crusaders (2-1), 7 p.m. Friday
After the a close game to start the season against Raymond Central, the Eagles have struggled in their last two. They were outscored 108-14 against West Point-Beemer and Pierce and now face a 2-1 Lincoln Christian team that's bested Lincoln Lutheran (34-27) and Fremont Bergan (39-20), but also lost to Platteview (21-7).
AHS has scored just 24 points this season, but sophomore back Killian McIntosh scored 12 of them last week at Pierce. He, unofficially, has 141 rushing yards this fall, while quarterback Kaden Foust has 136 to go with his 97 passing.
