Gator backs run wild in rout of Omaha Northwest
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By LINCOLN ARNEAL / For the Lincoln Journal Star
OMAHA — After Lincoln North Star racked up 423 rushing yards in its season opener Friday, Navigator coach Mark Waller was left with a bit of a dilemma.
Too many good running backs, but only one football.
Four North Star backs combined for five touchdowns as the Gators defeated Omaha Northwest 55-0 at Omaha Burke Stadium.
“It’s a great problem to have,” Waller said of his talented backfield. “We have a lot of depth, and they all are great team players. They understand the situation and that they all are going to play, and they back each other up.”
Senior Michel Mikaya led the Gators with 118 rushing yards and a touchdown on eight carries. Senior Tyrone Lewis added 107 yards on eight rushes and two scores, while classmate Diego Green reached the end zone twice and finished with 62 yards. Even fullback John Tatum got into the running frenzy with 92 yards on three carries.
Lewis said he has no issues sharing the ball with his teammates.
“It’s a competition every day between the three of us,” Lewis said. “We know we are all good, and we trust each other come game time.”
While the running backs amassed the yards and touchdowns, Mikaya said all the credit goes to the offensive linemen. The Gators’ line also gave junior quarterback Joe Hartley plenty of time to complete five of his nine passes for 136 yards and two scores — both to Dillon Schrodt.
The offensive line’s dominance was most evident on Mikaya’s 42-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. After Mikaya received the handoff, the left tackle sealed off two defenders on the edge and Mikaya cut through a huge hole and scampered to the end zone untouched.
“The line just opened everything up,” Mikaya said. “Without my line, I ain’t nothing. Our line held us up for most of the game.”
Junior Kamal Ebrahim capped the scoring with a 10-yard run in the fourth quarter.
But the domination started in the first half, when North Star averaged more than 15 yards per play. That number dropped to 11.5 yards per snap by the end of the game after the Gators recorded 25 first downs.
Even when the Gators’ offense hiccuped with two fumbles — one on the second play of the game and the other on the first play of the second half — the defense bailed it out.
The Huskies got as close as the 20-yard line after the second turnover, but defensive tackle Caleb Vercellino picked off a screen pass to end the threat.
“That’s what we expect out of our defense,” Waller said. “When we turn the ball over, they got to step up and get a stop and get the momentum back.”
The Gators’ defense limited Northwest to 112 total yards while forcing four turnovers.
Despite the gaudy offensive numbers and posting a shutout, Waller said the Gators still have plenty of work to do before next week’s matchup with Lincoln Southwest.
“Overall we graded out OK, but we still got to get better,” Waller said. “We had a few missed blocks and a few missed tackles, but we can get better.”
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diablo wrote on August 30, 2008 12:30 pm:
lnsplayer wrote on August 30, 2008 1:48 pm:
if anything was excessively showy in that game it was our dominance, not the numbers.
north star completely overpowered and outplayed northwest, without letting up the entire game.
good stuff, boys. "
Student Trainer wrote on August 30, 2008 6:04 pm:
Mr. T wrote on September 1, 2008 2:22 pm:
Don wrote on September 3, 2008 7:11 am:
Proud Lincoln Fan wrote on September 4, 2008 1:43 pm: