Francis torches LSE in 45-14 Rockets win
Matt Thornton pointed at Tyler Francis as the Lincoln Northeast quarterback headed for the bus.
"That's my dude," said Thornton, the Rockets' senior tight end.
The thing is, any number of Northeast players could have said the same thing. Francis completed passes to seven players in the first half alone during a 45-14 victory against Lincoln Southeast on Friday in front of 2,500 fans at Seacrest Field.
Francis was a big part of the Rockets' success. He competed 13 of 15 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's very good," Southeast coach John Larsen said.
The game was at times weird, with the Rockets having interceptions fall into their hands, and at times a showing of balanced football.
Northeast looked nothing like it had in a 43-6 loss to Lincoln Southwest last week. That game was a comedy of errors and Northeast played without running back Porter Groves.
In the first half Friday, the Rockets’ execution was much improved:
* Northeast took a 17-7 first- quarter lead. Its first two scoring drives started with first-down completions of 29 and 39 yards.
* The second two Northeast scoring drives came following interceptions by Clayton Dean and Zach Olson.
* Things were going so good, Northeast even managed a trick play. Groves faked a toss sweep, then handed off to wide receiver Yusef Wade. Wade then pitched the ball back to Francis, who completed a 36-yard pass to Kayle Henderson. One play later, Groves scored from the 1-yard line to give the Rockets a 24-7 lead late in the first half.
"I don't think we could have hoped for anything more in the first half," said Thornton, who had four receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.
With interceptions on its opening two drives of the second half, Southeast never got close. The Knights (1-3) threw five interceptions.
"We had more mental breakdowns than I've ever seen in my life," said Larsen, the same statement Lincoln Northeast coach Dave Svehla made a week earlier in the loss against Southwest.
While several of the interceptions were opportunistic, the Rockets still capitalized.
"We've been close to interceptions a number of times this year, and haven't come up with them," Svehla said. "We felt like we earned those turnovers. We got them in bunches, which helped."
It also helps when you have a QB like Francis, who has thrown for 600 yards and seven touchdowns for Northeast (2-2). Friday, he wasn't aware he completed 85 percent of his passes.
"All I knew was the score," Francis said. "And that I felt good."
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
"That's my dude," said Thornton, the Rockets' senior tight end.
The thing is, any number of Northeast players could have said the same thing. Francis completed passes to seven players in the first half alone during a 45-14 victory against Lincoln Southeast on Friday in front of 2,500 fans at Seacrest Field.
Francis was a big part of the Rockets' success. He competed 13 of 15 passes for 257 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's very good," Southeast coach John Larsen said.
The game was at times weird, with the Rockets having interceptions fall into their hands, and at times a showing of balanced football.
Northeast looked nothing like it had in a 43-6 loss to Lincoln Southwest last week. That game was a comedy of errors and Northeast played without running back Porter Groves.
In the first half Friday, the Rockets’ execution was much improved:
* Northeast took a 17-7 first- quarter lead. Its first two scoring drives started with first-down completions of 29 and 39 yards.
* The second two Northeast scoring drives came following interceptions by Clayton Dean and Zach Olson.
* Things were going so good, Northeast even managed a trick play. Groves faked a toss sweep, then handed off to wide receiver Yusef Wade. Wade then pitched the ball back to Francis, who completed a 36-yard pass to Kayle Henderson. One play later, Groves scored from the 1-yard line to give the Rockets a 24-7 lead late in the first half.
"I don't think we could have hoped for anything more in the first half," said Thornton, who had four receptions for 103 yards and a touchdown.
With interceptions on its opening two drives of the second half, Southeast never got close. The Knights (1-3) threw five interceptions.
"We had more mental breakdowns than I've ever seen in my life," said Larsen, the same statement Lincoln Northeast coach Dave Svehla made a week earlier in the loss against Southwest.
While several of the interceptions were opportunistic, the Rockets still capitalized.
"We've been close to interceptions a number of times this year, and haven't come up with them," Svehla said. "We felt like we earned those turnovers. We got them in bunches, which helped."
It also helps when you have a QB like Francis, who has thrown for 600 yards and seven touchdowns for Northeast (2-2). Friday, he wasn't aware he completed 85 percent of his passes.
"All I knew was the score," Francis said. "And that I felt good."
Reach Brent C. Wagner at 473-7435 or bwagner@journalstar.com.
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