Seward's Max Peery (center) slows the Waverly ballcarrier during the Bluejays' season opener Aug. 24.
Davon Brees of Seward (9) fights through the Waverly tackle as Joseph Krause (3) and Colton Hill (55) watch the play unfold Aug. 24.
As with any season opener, the game had some highlights and some areas to work on.
On the highlight reel, Seward’s football team, ranked No. 8 going in by the Lincoln Journal-Star, got the 35-27 win over No. 5 Waverly Aug. 24. The Jays passed for 279 yards and scored three touchdowns on passes of at least 50 yards.
On the list of areas to improve are finishing the game and pass protection. Seward allowed 20 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting.
“We feel like if you play a good team in week one, they will expose some areas,” SHS Coach Jamie Opfer said. “The big issue is pass protection. We have the ability to do it. We are blessed to have a quarterback who’s a phenomenal player and a guy who can make plays.”
Seward quarterback Joseph Krause was 20-30 passing for 279 yards in the game. Reece Foreman was his favorite target, catching six passes for 68 yards. Carson Core caught five for 77 yards, and while Brett Meyer caught just two, both were for touchdowns.
Davon Brees anchored the ground game, picking up 65 yards on 14 carries and scoring once.
Opfer said his team’s experience will help it improve in week two.
“We have guys who know what they’re doing,” he said. “Now it’s time to coach them to get better.”
The Jays, which moved up to No. 5 in the rankings, have a long road trip Friday, Aug. 31, as they head west to Gering. Opfer said the Bulldogs have some nice players and are decent up front.
“If we play to our potential, we’ll be OK,” he said. “Every week we need to get better with what we do.”
Kick-off is set for 7 p.m. mountain time.
