The Seward football team came one point from winning its homecoming battle against Lincoln Pius X Oct. 9, falling 14-13.
Coach Jamie Opfer was pleased with the Bluejays’ defensive performance, holding Pius to 14 points in the game and none in the second half.
“I felt like we came out in the second half with a little renewed energy,” Opfer said.
The Jays got on the board in the third quarter on a 51-yard pass from Jace Knott to Owen Rodocker. Landon Pelster made the point-after to cut the lead to 14-7. In the fourth quarter, Knott connected with Brennan Burhoop for a 29-yard touchdown pass, but a penalty pushed the PAT attempt back 15 yards and the kick fell short.
“In football you typically have around 140-160 snaps, so from an outside perspective some people may think it comes down to one play,” Opfer said. “But that is never the case.”
He said Knott has done a good job at quarterback, playing tough and gritty and making positive plays. Barrett Wiesen, a senior lineman dealing with some injuries, continued to play well.
“He’s such a warrior on the field and had a big game defensively with 12 total tackles,” Opfer said.
Senior linebacker Henry Johnsen also had a good game.
“He plays extremely hard and we just love the juice he brings to our team each week,” Opfer said.
While the Jays weren’t able to get the running game going against Pius, Opfer said sophomore Carter Hanes has done a good job getting more carries.
“Our young guys are growing and we are getting better each week, but ultimatly were not able to do enough to get the win on Friday, but I’m still beyond proud of the fight we displayed on Friday,” Opfer said.
The Jays (1-6) head down Highway 34 Friday, Oct. 16, to play York (3-4). The Dukes are coming off a 49-13 loss to Gretna.
“It’s been a challenging year with injuries, but this is a resilient group, and we will continue to work each day to get where we need to be,” Opfer said.
