Coyotes Win Thriller, 39-38, In Semifinal

The number 1 ranked Potter-Dix Coyote Football team continued their historic season on Friday, holding off a late surge by the number 13 ranked Spalding Academy Shamrocks to punch their ticket to a State Championship game in Kearney, the first in the school's history. The Coyotes will face their biggest challenge of the year against the Cody-Kilgore Cowboys on Friday.

In Spalding, the teams started with chilly temperatures and gusting 30 mph winds which affected both teams.

After a failed onside kick resulted in a re-kick, the Coyotes started on their own 15 yard line. The Coyotes started with a big run by senior Jared Anton, breaking around the end and taking the ball deep into Shamrock territory. A personal foul call on the Shamrocks moved the ball even cloaser, and Potter-Dix had a first down on the 10 yard line. On the first play, sophomore Brayden Kasten faked a handoff to junior Luke Kasten, then dished the ball off to Anton who was going in the opposite direction. The misdirection worked, and Anton jaunted 10 yards into the end zone.

Senior Thomas Muldoon then tried an onside kick, but it only bounced about six yards into the wind, and the Shamrocks started with great field position. Senior quarterback Dawson Murphy connected with senior Dan Diessner with a pass, and he ran the ball all the way down to the Potter-Dix 10 yard line. After a two yard gain on first, Luke Kasten broke into the backfield on second down causing a fumble that was picked up by Anton, who then ran the ball all the way back for a touchdown, and after a failed extra point, the Coyotes were up 13-0. Potter-Dix then caught a huge break on the ensuing kickoff when Muldoon again tried an onside kick, but this time he blasted the ball into the Shamrock front line, and the ball bounced off the Shamrock front line player and right back into Muldoon's hands. After a pass by Luke Kasten and two runs by Anton, the Coyotes struck again when Luke Kasten ran the ball, stiff-arming tacklers then cutting back to the right side of the field for a 23 yard touchdown run, moving the score to 19-0 after a failed extra point.

Later, the Coyotes took advantage of the wind at their back when Luke Kasten threw a 39 yard pass to Muldoon who caught the ball at the goal line then stepped into the end zone for the touchdown. A blocked extra point attempt made the score 25-0, and it looked like the game was turning into a rout.

Later in the quarter, Murphy found junior Luke Leslie in the end zone for a five yard touchdown pass, and a good extra point kick made the score 25-8. But the Coyotes fired back, when Luke Kasten again broke out a big run and brought the ball down to the two yard line. Brayden Kasten then threw a two yard touchdown pass to Muldoon, moving the score to 31-8.

The third quarter opened with a big kickoff return by junior Braden Leslie that gave the Shamrocks great field position at the Coyotes' 23 yard line. A few plays later, Diessner ran about 10 yards, breaking tackles all the way, for a touchdown. After a successful extra point, the lead was narrowed to 31-16.

Later in the quarter, Murphy found Luke Leslie with a big 37 yard touchdown pass that moved the score to 31-24. Potter-Dix was clearly trying to drain as much clock as possible, to get them into the fourth quarter and the wind at their back. On fourth down of the Potter-Dix drive, the Shamrocks called a time out to force a punt into the wind. The Coyotes instead tried a fake punt, which resulted in a turnover on downs on the Potter-Dix 15 yard line.

Murphy was again able to cash in on a 12 yard touchdown run, but the extra point kick was no good, and the Shamrocks trailed by one at 31-30.

Potter-Dix later started on the Shamrocks 15 yard line, and were able to score on a third down blast up the middle by Jared Anton. Thomas Muldoon then made the clutch extra point try, giving the Coyotes a 39-30 lead. With a out two minutes left in regulation, the Shamrocks capitalized on another big kickoff return by Braden Leslie, and two plays later Murphy tossed a 29 yard touchdown pass to Leslie. But the previous extra point miss loomed large, and even with a good conversion, the Shamrocks trailed by one at 39-38. That would be the final score.

Luke Kasten rushed for 130 yards and a touch down on 14 attempts, and went 3-for-7 in the air for 56 yards and a touchdown. Jared Anton had 89 yards on 15 attempts, and scored two touchdowns. Thomas Muldoon had two touchdowns as well as a clutch extra point and onside kick recovery late in the game.

The Coyotes had only one penalty in the second half, and committed no turnovers in the game. They now move the State Championship game against Cody-Kilgore, who is also undefeated at 11-0. Last year the Cowboys traveled to Potter for the second round of the playoffs and overmatched the Coyotes, winning a lopsided 42-8 contest to knock Potter-Dix out of the playoffs.

The Coyotes look to return the favor on Friday, and earn their first State Title in Football.