Auburn starts fast, slows FCHS

Coach Shepardson's football team is 1-1

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Auburn forced the Fort Calhoun football team to pass Sept. 3.
The Bulldogs played man-to-man defense and took away the Pioneers' running game, slowing coach Adolph Shepardson's offense.
“We couldn't get it done,” he said.
So, when FCHS finally threatened to score late during the fourth quarter, they went for it. Quarterback Ty Hallberg sent the ball along to back Austin Welchert, who threw it to Zane Schwarz for a 22-yard score with just 1:36 left in the Pioneers' 28-6 home loss.
“Nobody wants to get shut out,” Shepardson said. “That's the worse thing in football, to get shutout.”
The game dropped Calhoun to 1-1, while Auburn improved to 1-1 after a one-point loss to No. 4 Ashland-Greenwood in the opener.
“We told our guys, this could be the best team we play this year,” Shepardson said of the Bulldogs. “They're just fast and physical, and really good.”
Auburn wasn't shy either. It scored 20 first-quarter points with Ryan Dixon runs doing most of the damage. The quarterback scored from 5 yards out just 2:44 into the game before breaking off a 66-yard touchdown romp with 7:25 still left in the opening quarter.
“We knew it was going to take time with a kid like Dixon. He's so slippery. You just can't emulate it in practice,” Shepardson said. “We just were hoping we wouldn't give up 20 before we, kind of, settled into his speed and their pace.”
After the first quarter, though, Fort Calhoun held the Bulldogs to just eight more points, six of which were scored on a 58-yard run by Dixon during the third. The Pioneers forced turnovers, too, with Jesse Hartline recovering a fumble and Welchert picking off an Auburn pass.
Offensively, though, FCHS just couldn't break through. Hallberg completed passes to Carsen Schwarz and Clint Dierks on a drive into Bulldog territory during the third quarter, but his team wouldn't score until its final offensive drive in the fourth. Two Grayson Bouwman catches, including an over-the-shoulder grab down the sideline, set up Welchert's toss to Schwarz for the Pioneers' only points.
Next, Fort Calhoun plays at Lincoln Christian (1-1 overall) tonight. The Crusaders beat Syracuse 35-6 in the opener, but lost to Lincoln Lutheran on Sept. 3.
“I think we've got a good shot to go on the road and get a win if we play well,” Shepardson said.

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