Cougars to host Nebraska City squad in semifinal clash for the right to advance to D-1 title game Nov. 25
The Sandy Creek football team has, for the second straight season, reached the Class D-1 State Football Playoffs semifinal round, and like last year, the Cougars, as the top-seeded team of the class, will host a “final four” game on “The Hill” at Sandy Creek Friday, Nov. 15, beginning at 5 p.m.
The 11-0 Cougars will host the Knights of Lourdes Central out of Nebraska City.
Coming off of their 54-0 blowout win over the Shelby-Rising City Huskies, Sandy Creek comes into their clash with the Knights flying high and at full strength, outscoring their opposition this year 57.1-8.9 points per game. In the post-season alone, the Cougars have outscored their opponents 193-26, an average of 64.3-8.7.
In contrast, Lourdes Central Catholic comes into Friday’s bout scoring 45.5 points per game, but has allowed an average of 29.5 points per game during their 9-2 run this season.
The Knights come into the semifinals on a terror, after shredding Wisner-Piler 42-30 in the opening round. The Knights, who are the 12th seed in the post-season playoffs, upended the Dundy County/Stratton Tigers, the fifth seed, 34-30 on the Tigers’ home field in Benkelman.
This past Friday night, the Knights came from behind to defeat the Plainview Pirates in the last minute of their game in Nebraska City, winning 32-27 to advance to the Class D-1 final four.
No other information was available for Lourdes Central Catholic prior to the game.
OFFENSIVE COMPARISON
Sandy Creek’s offensive efforts this season have been nothing short of amazing. As a team, the Cougars have rolled up 4,340 yards of total offense, an average of 394.6 yards per game. Sandy Creek is extremely balanced through the air and on the ground, passing for 1,871 yards, an average of 170.1 yards per game, and running for another 2,469 yards, an average of 224.5 yards per game.
Senior Ethan Shaw leads the dominating offensive show for Sandy Creek, as Shaw has completed 91 of 140 passes for 1,849 yards. On the ground, Shaw has run for 1,331 yards on 150 carries, an average of 121 yards per game, and 8.9 yards per carry.
Following Shaw on the ground is freshman Kamerin Sealey, who has chewed up 385 yards on 37 carries, while seniors Ben Sullivan and Connor Rempe follow with 264 and 244 yards, respectively on the ground.
The Cougars’ aerial attack is led by Rempe with 761 yards on 32 catches, an average of 23.8 yards per catch, and 69.2 yards per game.
Sealey has hauled in 30 catches for 592 yards, while sophomore Wes Biltoft follows Sealey with 19 grabs covering 339 yards.
DEFENSIVE COMPARISON
Rempe and Biltoft surpassed the 100 tackle mark on the season this past week in the 54 point win over Shelby- Rising City, as Rempe now has 101 total tackles, and Biltoft 100. Rempe has 38 solo tackles and 63 assists to go along with two tackles for loss, while Biltoft has a team-leading 47 solo tackles, 53 assists, and nine tackles for loss.
Senior Hudson Devlin leads the category of tackles for loss this season with 14 and is followed by Biltoft’s nine, along with seven each for Shaw and Alston Clark.
Here is a more detailed peek at the pre-game numbers for the Cougars’ offensive and defensive leaders going into Friday’s semifinal round game: SC
Rush Att-Yds................................................. 275-2,469 Rush Yds Per Carry............................................. 9.0 Rush Yds Per Game.......................................... 224.5 Pass Comp-Att-Yds......................................93-142-1,871 Pass Yds/Catch...................................................20.1 Pass Yds/Game..................................................170.1 Total Offense.................................................... 4,340 Total Offense/Game......................................... 394.6
Sandy Creek’s 2024 Season...........................11-0 Johnson-Brock.................................................(W) 60-8 Shelby-Rising City............................................ (W) 28-6 Alma...............................................................(W) 71-14 Tri County........................................................ (W) 59-6 Thayer Central.................................................. (W) 43-8 Sutton.............................................................. (W) 59-0 Exeter-Milligan/Friend (EMF).........................(W) 58-22 Southern...........................................................(W) 57-8 PLAYOFFS
Niobrara-Verdigre.......................................... (W) 63-14 Sandhills Valley.............................................. (W) 76-12 Shelby-Rising City............................................(W) 54-0 Sandy Creek’s Individual Rushing Leaders: #2 Ethan Shaw..............150-1,331 (121.0/gm; 8.9/carry) #3 Kamerin Sealey............ 37-385 (35.0/gm; 10.4/carry) #29 Ben Sullivan..................33-264 (24.0/gm; 8.0/carry #1 Connor Rempe............ 20-244 (22.2/gm; 12.2/carry) Sandy Creek’s Individual Passing Leader: #2 Ethan Shaw..... 91-140-1,849 (20.3/comp; 168.1/gm) Sandy Creek’s Individual Receiving Leaders: #1 Connor Rempe............ 32-761 (23.8/catch; 69.2/gm) #3 Kamerin Sealey............30-592 (19.7/catch; 53.8/gm) #12 Wes Biltoft.................19-339 (17.8/catch; 30.8/gm) #9 Jacob Petr..........................4-76 (19.0/catch; 6.9/gm) #29 Ben Sullivan.....................5-56 (11.2/catch; 5.1/gm) Sandy Creek’s Individual Tackle Leaders: Solo Asst Total TFL #1 Connor Rempe...................38 63 101 2 #12 Wes Biltoft.......................47 53 100 9 #7 Alston Clark........................29 65 94 7 #2 Ethan Shaw........................37 44 81 7 #55 Hudson Devlin..................27 51 78 14 #68 Jack Watts........................18 47 65 6 #9 Jacob Petr..........................15 41 56 6 #3 Kamerin Sealey..................26 27 53 1 #13 Wyatt Hemberger............18 24 42 2 #17 Alex Watts........................20 20 40 2 #14 Coen Eitzmann..................9 30 39 1 #5 Wyatt Livgren....................10 19 29 0 #72 Josh Spray........................10 18 28 4 #58 Jackson Gerdes..................4 9 13 2 #51 Christian Shaw..................5 5 10 3 **TFL=Tackles for Loss Lourdes Central Catholic’s 2024 Season.......... 9-2 Falls City Sacred Heart.....................................(W) 60-8 Elmwood-Murdock......................................... (L) 46-42 Thayer Central................................................(W) 40-36 Freeman........................................................(W) 48-45 Omaha Christian Academy.............................(W) 84-22 Weeping Water.............................................. (W) 62-14 Johnson County Central...................................(L) 42-22 Johnson-Brock............................................... (W) 34-24 PLAYOFFS
Wisner-Pilger................................................. (W) 42-30 Dundy County/Stratton.................................(W) 34-30 Plainview....................................................... (W) 32-27 Lourdes CC’s Individual were unavailable.
