Lincoln Southeast could do no wrong on its Homecoming night.
Even when an extra-point attempt went off-script, holder Brooks Gordon was able to maneuver away from Lincoln High defenders and pass to Caden Ward for two points.
The Knights needed a night like Friday after it was bruised for a 77-0 loss by Class A powerhouse Millard South last week, marking the worst loss in Southeast program history.
The response on Friday was strong, and it was led by Brecken Bokowski’s three touchdown runs and a stout defense that wouldn’t budge an inch against the run-heavy Links.
Add it up, and Southeast won 57-0 to improve to 3-3 on the season and keep its playoff aspirations in view. Southeast has games against North Platte (1-5) and Omaha Benson (3-3) before a regular-season finale against Lincoln East.
While Southeast did the bulk of its work on the ground, quarterback Gavin Semm connected with Brooks Gordon for a pretty 45-yard touchdown for the longest reception of the game.
Here are 3 things we learned from the game.
No letdown from Southeast
There was no time for the Knights to lick their wounds after a forgettable night against a team recognized nationally for its talent.
Southeast got right back to work, rallying behind its upperclassmen leadership to ensure one loss didn’t turn into another.
“We responded really well,” Southeast coach Ryan Gottula said. “We have great leaders and captains, and I knew that they were going to bounce back. Anytime you have a tough loss, you want to make sure that you don’t overreact, and you continue to do things that got you where you are as a program.”
More Mehta, please
Southeast likes getting the ball in the hands of Mason Mehta — and for good reason.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder is technically a junior, but the Knights showed creativity in handing the ball off to him on misdirection runs that went for chunk plays both times.
When Southeast was near the goal line, Mehta lined up at fullback and paved the way for Bokowski’s short touchdown runs.
“He’s a talented kid,” Gottula said. “You can get him the ball in the passing game. He runs it very well and has a great motor.”
Lincoln High’s run game
The Links weren’t about to abandon their run-first strategy despite the large deficit.
Andel Riyangow had to fight for every yard he gained Friday night, and on a couple of occasions, he almost broke through for a big gain. He had two runs of over 10 yards, showing burst and patience despite running behind an injury-riddled offensive line.
Southeast knew to expect the run and was up to the challenge.
“They’ve done a really good job running the football, so we knew it was going to be important for us to stop the run,” Gottula said. “I think our coaches had a good game plan to do that, and our kids executed it really well.”
Nate Head is the sports editor of the Journal Star. On Twitter @NateHead_LJS.
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