Holdrege, Neb. – The Cozad Haymakers traveled to Holdrege to take on the Dusters on Friday. Cozad took full control in the second half to put Holdrege away 41-0. Senior quarterback Noah Shoemaker gained two-thirds of the Haymakers’ offensive yards using his arm and legs to do so. While the offense increasingly turned up the pressure as the game went on, the defense held strong in the shutout win. Cozad held Holdrege under 100 total yards.
The first half was very competitive with the Duster defense applying plenty of pressure on Cozad. Early on, they were constantly finding their way into the backfield and caused Shoemaker to rush throws. The Haymaker run game was held in check throughout the first two quarters as well.
The Duster offense, however, had a lot of trouble finding their groove. Cozad’s defense was able to match the Duster’s intensity, preventing Holdrege from gaining a first down in the first half. The back-and-forth affair lasted until halftime with Cozad leading 14-0 thanks to a couple of short-drive opportunities. Despite the two-score lead, it didn’t feel like the Haymakers were in control.
The second half changed the feel of the game, especially heading into the fourth quarter. The Duster’s depleted defensive front was showing signs of fatigue, allowing Cozad to make more plays. Shoemaker used the extra time he was getting to find his receivers and help the Haymakers pull away. In the end, Cozad took the win while outgaining the Dusters by over 200 offensive yards.
The Haymakers improved to 6-2 and will host Minden on Friday, October 25.
The Dusters fell to 2-6, they will travel to Imperial to take on Chase County.
