Watching the South Loup football team march from the school east to the football field on Friday, helmets in their left hands, eyes straight ahead is enough to give you goosebumps. The focus in their eyes, the purpose in their strides, the confidence radiating off them show why they are a top-ranked team in the state.

And that’s before they even step foot on the field. That is where the real fireworks show begins.

Friday night the Bobcats (4-0) hosted the Sandhills- Thedford Knights for Homecoming in Arnold. Last season the Bobcats had two regular season losses - one to the Knights. So this game was personal to most of the players. Not only was it a chance for redemption, but to prove they deserve to be the top-ranked team in Class D2. The Bobcats held on to come away with the win, 48-34.

The Bobcat offense was incredibly efficient during the first quarter, scoring 20 points to the Knights 6 points. Trey Connell easily found the end zone twice and assisted Cache Gracey with a 50-yard pass for a touchdown. Ethan Furne added a PAT for 2 points following Gracey’s touchdown.

The second half was a very lively game with both teams bringing the heat. The two traded scores back and forth until the clock ran out. The Bobcats kept the ball close to the cuff, rushing for 357 yards and only passing for 83 yards. The Knights only had 110 yards rushing and 182 passing.

Connell had an incredible second half, scoring four touchdowns - two each quarter - with Gracey and Harper Johnson each adding two points on PATs.

The Bobcat defense was on high alert, keeping the Knights out of the end zone for most of the first and all of the second quarters. The second half of the game was a bit more challenging for the Bobcat defense as senior Rio Remund seemed to be suffering from leg cramps.

Sophomore Crew Witthuhn was a standout with 16 tackles, followed by Remund with 11 tackles. Conner Paulsen and Connell each added another 10 tackles for the Bobcats.

Cont. Page 11 Connell not only scored six touchdowns on the night, he also ran for 313 yards and passed for 83 yards. He has already surpassed 600 yards for the season in four games and is ranked 4th in Class D2 and 8th in the state (all classes) for rushing.

Following their win over the Knights, the Bobcats remain the 1st ranked team in Class D2, and 1st overall of 8-man teams in the state. MaxPreps.com also has them ranked 10th in the nation in 8-man football.

Friday the Bobcats will travel to Dalton to take on the Leyton Warriors (1-2) at 2 p.m. central time.

Game stats:

Kyle Bloomer - 10 kickoff return yards Trey Connell - 83 yards passing; 313 yards rushing; 10 tackles; 1 fumble recovery; 1 punt; 36 points; 6 touchdowns Ethan Furne - 3 yards rushing; 5 tackles; 2 points; 1 PAT Cache Gracey - 83 yards receiving; 6 tackles; 8 points; 1 touchdown; 1 PAT Harper Johnson - 1 tackle; 2 points; 1 PAT Dylan Pandorf - 10 kickoff return yards; 3 tackles Conner Paulsen - 26 yards rushing; 10 tackles; 1 fumble recovery Rio Remund - 11 tackles Joey Sallach - 8 tackles AJ Starr - 15 yards rushing; 7 tackles Jamie Tickle - 1 tackle Crew Witthuhn - 16 tackles Lance Wooters - 1 tackle