Breaking down the Class B state final
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By the Lincoln Journal Star
Here's what to look for in the Class B state football final.
No. 1 Offensive focal points: Justin Coleman isn’t a one-man show for Beatrice, but he’s certainly the focal point of the Orangeman offense. He lines up at quarterback, running back and receiver and has thrown for 732 yards, run for 1,336 and has 131 yards in catches. “When Justin is at quarterback, we’re running some spread stuff,” said Beatrice coach Bob Sexton. “But Garrett Bruhn has cranked it up down the stretch after finally getting healthy.” For Aurora, Jerry Lobeca has run for 1,487 yards and has 521 yard in receptions, and Tyler McDonald has thrown for 1,272. “Tyler distributes the ball well, to guys like Jerry, who can make big plays,” said Aurora coach Randy Huebert.
No. 2 Lessons from losses: Aurora lost to McCook 42-7 in the third week but then avenged that loss with a 37-33 win over the Bison in the semifinals. “That first game with them made us evaluate our program. We said we had to make some changes if we’re to compete at that level,” Huebert said. “It was changes that fit our personality and put us in better position for success, both on offense and defense.” Beatrice adjusted after losing to Waverly 41-14. “Aurora opened its offense since the McCook loss. For us, it was the opposite. We had been doing spread and lots of motion and after Waverly just hit us in the face, we needed to develop up front. We were a big-play team and needed to be able to get the three yards when you need it.”
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The believers
Of course they believed they’d be in the Class B football state championship game, said Aurora Athletic
Director Tim Huls.
“Maybe nobody else thought we’d beat McCook,” Huls said. “But you know, in the student body, certainly in the players, there was nothing said about how they beat us by 35 earlier this season. It was all about being excited to have a chance to play them again.”
Aurora shocked the high school football universe with a 37-33 upset of No. 1 McCook in the semifinals last Saturday to advance to tonight’s game with Beatrice.
“Deep down, I think we all felt we could compete with McCook,” said Aurora principal Doug Kittle. “The kids on the field never had a doubt. The fans, well, there were still Aurora fans standing there in the bleachers talking about what they just saw 90 minutes after it was over.”
So pregame ticket sales, the buzz in the hallways and in town have reached a peak not experienced in Aurora.
“We sent a softball team and a volleyball team to the state tournament and now, we’ve got our football team going,” said Huls. “The buildup for football, with three weeks of playoffs makes it pretty big around here.”
Huls said cheerleaders, the band and fans are worn a little thin with the state softball and volleyball tournaments and all the football playoff games.
“But there’s a different energy, a lot of fun and a lot of emotion about seeing good kids get a chance to play for a state championship,” he said. “Of course, we’re going to win.”
For Huls, the game is one of reunion.
Huls played alongside Beatrice offensive coordinator Travis Schuster for the Orangemen in 1991-93. Current Beatrice head coach Bob Sexton was the offensive coordinator for Huls and Schuster.
“We were 0-9 as sophomores, won three games as juniors and made the playoffs as seniors,” Huls said. “I was talking with Travis how I thought going through all that made us better people.”
” Ken Hambleton
No. 3 Old foe, new face: Over the years, Beatrice and Aurora have often played, but the two didn’t meet this year. “It will be nice to see someone different,” said Sexton, whose team had two rematches in the playoffs. Huebert agreed. “It’s nice not to repeat a game you had in the season. Beatrice has a lot of talent and speed,” he said. “But we did learn a lot from our trip to Alliance. “With a road trip like that, you get an indication of what kind of focus and desire you have to reach you goals. It was a good experience for us.”
— Ryly Jane Hambleton
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get r done wrote on November 22, 2008 9:46 am: