LINCOLN – Howells-Dodge overcame a slow starts to beat Cross County 42-12 in the Class D1 State Football Championship at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln on Monday morning.
The game was a rematch from earlier in the season, when the Jaguars beat the Cougars 40-38.
Both teams were seeking their first state championship in football.
The Jaguars started the game with the ball and threw an interception on their first drive, giving the Cougars the ball at their own 23.
After one first down, the Howells-Dodge forced a punt from Cross County.
The Jaguars started the drive on their own two yard line, and rove out to their 15 before losing the ball on a fumble. The play was initially not ruled a fumble, but a review by the referees overturned the call and gave Cross County the ball at the H-D 15.
Cross County drove down inside the Howells-Dodge one yard line when the Jaguars’ Blake Sindelar made arguably the play of the game.
Sindelar blitzed into the play and disrupted the handoff, causing a fumble, which the Jaguars recovered at their own three.
Howells-Dodge turned that into a 77-yard scoring drive following a 44-yard touchdown run by Levi Belina. The two-point conversion made the score 8-0 Jaguars with 11:52 to go in the second quarter.
The Jaguars would finish out the first half with two more scoring drives, a four-yard run by Lance Brester and a seven yard run from Belina.
Howells-Dodge led 20-0 at halftime.
Cross County started the third quarter with the ball and were forced to punt. Evan Haas blocked the punt for Howells-Dodge, giving the Jaguars first and goal at the Cougar nine yard line.
Belina raced in for a nine-yard scoring run, and Howells-Dodge led 26-0 with 10:29 in the third.
The Cougars were finally able to reach the end zone on their next possession, finishing off a 65-yard drive on a 13-yard TD pass from Shayden Lundstrom to Izaac Dickey. The two-point try missed, and the score was 26-6 Jaguars.
On their next drive, Howells-Dodge was forced to punt for the only time in the game.
Cross County was turned away on fourth down on its next possession.
After the turnover on downs, Howells-Dodge took over on the Cross County 28. The drive was capped off with a 16-yard TD run by Belina, his fourth of the game. The two-point conversion made it 34-6 Jaguars, which was the score after three quarters.
The Jaguars intercepted a Cross County pass at the Cougars’ 14 yard-line.
On a fourth and two from the Cross County six, the Jaguars brought out a little razzle dazzle, as Belina hit a wide open Gavin Nelson in the end zone for a six-yard touchdown on the halfback pass trick play. The Jaguars converted the two-point play, and now led 42-6 with 9:34 left to play.
Cross County added one more score late in the fourth quarter, a 24-yard pass from Haiden Hild to Cory Hollinger, making it 42-12 Howells-Dodge.
The Jaguars were able to run out the remaining 2:51, securing the 42-12 victory, and the state championship.
Howells-Dodge finished the game with 253 rushing yards.
Levi Belina carried 23 times for 153 yards and four touchdowns. Lance Brester added 11 carries for 55 yards and a score.
Blake Sindelar finished with nine total tackles, seven solo, a tackle for loss and a forced fumble. Jestin Bayer had nine tackles, eight solo, two TFL and a sack. Evan Haas had eight tackles, seven solo and a forced fumble.
The Jaguar defense forced three turnovers in the game, an interception and two fumbles.
With the win, Howells-Dodge ends the season at a perfect 13-0 and as the Class D1 football State Champions.
This is the first football state title for Howells-Dodge Consolidated.
Congratulations Jaguars!
