An animated student body joined its Blair High School football team on the Krantz Field turf after Friday night's homecoming game.
“I believe that we just won,” they chanted in unison, jumping up-and-down. “I believe that we just won!”
Senior quarterback Bode Soukup found it satisfying to hear and see.
“A hundred percent. Always,” he said. “It's definitely good to get a homecoming win under our belt after the last two or three years. We haven't won a homecoming game in awhile.”
The Bears routed Elkhorn Mount Michael on Friday, 42-7, for their first such win since 2020. Soukup threw four first-half touchdown passes to three different receivers as coach Bryan Soukup's squad improved to 3-2 with its third-straight win.
“Our line does a terrific job of giving us time to be able to throw the ball,” 5-foot-10, 185-pound receiver Brady Brown said. “And we have plenty of good receivers, so it's hard to just be able to have a defense focus on just one.”
The senior was the first BHS wideout on the receiving end of one of Soukup's touchdown strikes Friday. He caught the 37-yard pass less than 3 minutes into the game, easily reaching the end zone with a Knight giving chase.
“I kind of knew before the play, since they were running some man coverage, that a double move would get me wide open and that's exactly what it did,” Brown said. “I pretty much knew since I broke off the second time that it was going to be a house call.”
Just 2:34 later, Blair's junior running back — Brock Templar — caught a 54-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field for a 14-0 advantage after Blaise Baughman's second extra-point kick.
“When (Templar) can run and create space like that, and Brady runs a good route, all I have to do is throw the ball up,” Soukup said. “It's really a credit to those guys for running good routes. Obviously, it gets the offense going.”
Once the Bears got going during the first quarter against Mount Michael, they didn't stop. Brown's second touchdown catch — a 4-yarder — came with 1:46 still left in the opening 12 minutes.
Then, with 7:20 left before halftime, BHS' Ethan Baessler made his first trip into end zone on a 38-yard scoring play. Soukup stepped up into the pocket created by his offensive line, found his classmate for a short completion and watched as the sprinter found a way to score six second-quarter points.
“If the play is blown up, I'm always there for him to dump it down to,” Baessler said.
The Bears took their 28-0 lead into halftime, but turned the ball over on downs to start the third quarter. Mount Michael took advantage and scored its lone touchdown on a 26-yard pass, but the Knights' momentum didn't last long.
“Last couple of weeks, we've had a special teams touchdown every game and we wanted to keep it going this game,” Baessler said, referencing previous kick return TDs by both he and Ben Holcomb.
The senior caught the ensuing Mount Michael kick, initially returned it down the middle of the field and quickly bounced it out toward his own sideline. The 99-yard score broke a school record 96-yard return set by Skyer Luxa in 2006.
“Obviously, I went out there and got the job done,” Baessler. “I've got to thank all of my blockers — Crayton Macholan especially. He was the last guy down there.”
Ahead 35-7, Blair tallied one more touchdown before homecoming fireworks were set to fill the sky south of Krantz Field. Set up by a Macholan reception inside the 10-yard-line, Templar notched his first rushing touchdown of the game — and his second overall — from 4 yards out.
“Our coaches talked a lot about their D-line and how they're really good, but our line did a great job,” the Bears' lead back said. “There were lots of holes, a lot of alleys to run through. It really made my job pretty easy.”
After not earning a homecoming win in 2021 and 2022, BHS comfortably topped the Knights on Friday night. The victory set off a celebration the starting QB enjoyed “a hundred percent.”
BLAIR 42, ELKHORN MOUNT MICHAEL 7
EMM (1-4) 0 0 7 0 — 7
BHS (3-2) 21 7 14 0 — 42
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
B: Brady Brown 37-yard pass from Bode Soukup, Blaise Baughman PAT
B: Brock Templar 54-yard pass from Soukup, Baughman PAT
B: Brown 4-yard pass from Soukup, Baughman PAT
Second Quarter
B: Ethan Baessler 38-yard pass from Soukup, Baughman PAT
Third Quarter
MM: Nick Halpin 26-yard pass from Barett Sykora, Ethan Moline PAT
B: Baessler 99-yard kickoff return, Baughman PAT
B: Templar 4-yard run, Baughman PAT
