It was a game to move on from in quick fashion as FortCalhoun fell 46-7 at Oakland-Craig on Friday night.
“To win at Oakland, on their home field, you’ve got to play really well,” Pioneers head coach Adolph Shepardson said. “You’ve gotta play mistake-free, physical football and we just weren’t able to match them.”
The lone score of the game for the road side came on a short touchdown reception by wideout Grayson Bouwman with just over 8 minutes left in the contest.
A game that was once within reach got ugly fast for Fort Calhoun as multiple mistakes stacked on top of one another over the last 5 minutes of the first half. With the Pioneers only down 12-0 at the end of the first quarter, Oakland-Craig was certainly imposing its will but had yet to deal a knockout blow. It eventually did with scores on special teams, defense and offense to head to the locker room at the break with a 34-0 lead.
First came a blocked punt that was recovered in the end zone by the Knights. Just over a minute later, a long pick-six by defensive back Carter Bousquet tacked on six more points. After turning the ball over on downs in their own territory, the Pioneers allowed a short touchdown run from Payton Novak with 25 ticks left on the first half clock.
The size and physicality of Oakland-Craig made a big difference in the game, as there were plays where Fort Calhoun was simply overmatched.
“It was a concern, game-planning and getting ready for it,” Shepardson said. “They’re just much bigger than we are.”
His team also played on Saturday the week before and had kids missing for a band trip on Wednesday. Going into a game against what Shepardson believes to be the best team on the schedule, you need all the preparation time you can get.
Still, it was only one game. The Pioneers lost game No. 2 of the season last year and went on to have a 7-2 campaign.
“We’re healthy and we can move on, and I think we’ve got a really good shot to still have a solid season,” Shepardson said. “One game isn’t gonna define you.
“Sometimes you need to see what it’s like against a top-notch program, have a little humble pie and get back to work.”
So, that’s exactly what the program is doing. The team will be back in its base defense today againt Wayne after mixing things up against the Knights, which will allow the players to play more fast and free than in Oakland.
Knights quarterback Braylon Anderson had just one pass fall incomplete, going 12-for-13 for 190 yards. He also carried the ball five times for 43 yards and a score, and running backs Jaxon Jorgensen and LJ McNeill combined for 123 yards and three scores.
Getting back to the basics is what will help the Pioneers to a bounce back win, said Shepardson acknowledging the need to run the ball better and be more physical up front so that the battle at the line of scrimmage can be won.
Quarterback Austin Welchert went 9-for-26 with 135 yards through the air against Oakland-Craig after a strong week one showing. So, a change of opponent should serve him and the rest of the team well.
Up next is the Wayne Blue Devils, who will head into tonight's 7 p.m. contest with an 0-2 record and a play style similar to Nebraska City — a team Shepardson believes his matches up well with.
In preparation for the game, the Pioneers' theme stayed consistent. Not a single minute of film was watched.
“We just moved on,” Shepardson said. “That game’s done. There’s not a lot to look at. You don’t want to dwell on it, you just want to move on and get to the next game.”
