10
Tucker Vahle
Sports Reporter
Sports News
Below Senior Leighton Kier (3) runs the ball 20 yards for a first
Islander football team plays down to the semifinals
The 2014 Class A State
Football Playoffs ended
similarly to last year for Grand Island Senior
High. The first two games of this year’s playoffs
were not nearly as exciting as last year, but that
is not a bad thing. The 2013 season saw two
incredibly close games in Bellevue West and
Omaha Burke, but this year, the Islanders dominated Columbus in the first round.
Grand Island beat Columbus 40-0 on
Halloween, topping the team’s performance
earlier in the year when GISH won 56-19. The
defense played well, as is the custom, with a
shutout and an interception for a touchdown
by junior Matt Lamb. Scoring began with a
12-yard run for senior Pierce Almond after an
interception on the eight-yard line by junior
Adan Redwine, followed by the Lamb pick six.
In the second quarter, the Islander defense kept
Columbus on its own half of the field, leading
to two field goals by junior Juan Cayax from
21 and 35 yards. The second half began with
a halfback pass from senior Kevin Cahoy to
junior Keenan Ketteler for a 43-yard touchdown
on the first play. The final score was a 27-yard
run by senior Leighton Kier who ran for 150
yards on 16 carries for the game.
The Islanders learned they would face
Millard West, who beat Omaha Westside in the
first round, the only team Grand Island had lost
to on the season. The Islanders obviously prepared well for the team they would face on Nov.
7. On the second play of the game, from their
own 26-yard line, Grand Island tried a halfback
pass. Once again, Cahoy threw a long touchdown pass to Ketteler, setting the momentum in
the Islanders’ favor. The Grand Island defense
was the key to the game, especially on two
plays deep in Islander territory. The first was a
goal-line stand, where Millard West drove down
the field to the one-yard line with the powerrunning game but was stopped on fourth down,
where the Islanders took over. In the second
quarter, the defense came up big again when
they stopped the Wildcats on fourth and two
from the Grand Island 13-yard line. The Islanders scored their second touchdown on a sevenyard run from Kier after an 80-yard drive. The
ensuing Millard West punt was blocked by
Lamb, giving Grand Island the ball on the 19yard line. The Islanders capitalized on a 13-yard
run by Almond to end scoring in the first half.
Millard West scored a touchdown at the end of
the game, but it was too late to matter, setting
up a semifinals rematch with Omaha North.
Facing a formidable running back is
something few teams can handle, and when
he has a very good offensive line in front of
him, it is even harder. That is what the Islanders faced in Omaha North and Calvin Strong.
Strong’s abilities are known throughout the
state, but when North’s massive offensive line
opened up a hole every play, it was an uphill
battle the whole way. The game started off well
for Grand Island, when Strong fumbled, giving
the Islanders the ball. The Islanders soon scored
on an eight-yard pass to junior Brendan Barnes,
but this would begin the drought for Grand
Island scores. A solid defensive performance by
Omaha North was supplemented by Strong’s
touchdown runs of 54, 46, three, one, and one.
Two other Viking scores came by a running and
a passing touchdown. Fittingly, the final score
of the game came on a one-yard run by Almond
with about four minutes left.
Congratulations to the Islander football
team on another stellar season and trip to the
state semifinals.
Above Piece Almond prepares to throw a pass against Millard West. Courtesy photos John Swanson
down against Omaha North on Nov. 14. Courtesy photo
Middle Seniors Blaine Morrow (75) and Kevin Cahoy (12) rush to
stop North’s Calvin Strong. Bottom Seniors James Swanson (65),
Grant Bednar (58), Blaine Morrow (75) and junior Ryan Krowlikowski (53) block for Almond (2) against Columbus.