The 2024 Blair High School football season concluded Friday night at Krantz Field.
It's the same Krantz Field where the Bears earned each of its two wins this fall. It's also the same Krantz Field the senior class class said goodbye to after a 42-28 loss to Class B No. 2 Omaha Skutt.
“It hasn't really set in yet, but, I feel like, it's about to pretty soon,” 12th-grade quarterback Cooper Sorensen said, taking a look around his home field with red, agitated eyes. “I'm definitely going to stick out here a little longer and just take it in.”
At the end of a 2-7 season, the Bears embraced each other and their coaches after the last huddle. More folks joined them on the turf, too.
“All our friends and family are here after the game,” senior linebacker AJ Damme said. “It's a great thing.”
Even in defeat, BHS' supporters had several opportunities to cheer for their team against the Skyhawks. Down 14-0 during the first half, Sorensen connected with Andrew Smutny on the first of his three touchdown passes. It pulled their team within seven points, but Skutt still led 28-7 by halftime.
Still, though, the Bears put themselves out there and played for points until the end. Sorensen hit wide-open junior Hayden Daggett on a 75-yard score to open the third quarter before Blaise Baughman scored on a 12-yard run at 42-21 during the fourth.
The last touchdown of the 2024 season came on a long throw, too, after Blair built to it with a variety of trick plays involving pitches and flips of the ball back-and-forth. Sorensen's final scoring pass, though, was an accurate 51-yard strike to Daggett, who was interfered with, but scored anyway.
Music blared and the stadium lights flickered in celebration, while the student section jumped up-and-down even with the game all-but out of reach.
“It was nice to let it loose a little bit,” Sorensen said after the game.
His class opened its last high school football season in August with a rout of Lincoln Standing Bear at Krantz Field. Two weeks later, at home again, they upset Gretna 55-22.
“We all thought we were going to win, but not by 33,” Damme said. “It was a great feeling, for sure.”
Great feelings and moments extended past just the games at Krantz, though. Both Sorensen and Keenan Wyman said some of their favorite times were just coming out to practices every afternoon with their teammates.
“It's a blessing,” the QB said.
“It was a great environment,” Wyman added. “Every day we were working hard, getting better and having fun at the same time. That's all you can ask for.”
For the Class of 2025, though, Friday against Skutt signaled the end. It was emotional for many of them.
“It's obviously hard knowing I'll never be back here,” Wyman said of the moment. “Next time I get in, obviously, I'm not going to be on the field. I'm just going to be watching.”
Most people watch football at Krantz Field, but just some get to play. On Friday night, the Blair Bears played one last game in 2024.
No. 2 OMAHA SKUTT 42, BLAIR 28
SKUTT (8-1) 14 14 7 7 — 42
BHS (2-7) 0 7 7 14 — 28
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
S: Gage Guenther 10-yard run, Joe Kolega PAT
S: Lucas Heller 13-yard pass from Dylan Van Dyke, Kolega PAT
Second Quarter
B: Andrew Smutny 12-yard pass from Cooper Sorensen, Blaise Baughman PAT
S: Van Dyke 6-yard run, Kolega PAT
S: Wyatt Liebentritt 19-yard pass from Van Dyke, Kolega PAT
Third Quarter
B: Hayden Daggett 75-yard pass from Sorensen, Baughman PAT
S: Kolega 18-yard pass from Van Dyke, Kolega PAT
Fourth Quarter
S: Nate Christensen 30-yard pass from Van Dyke, Kolega PAT
B: Baughman 12-yard run, Baughman PAT
B: Daggett 51-yard pass from Sorensen, Baughman PAT
