Navigators survive roller coaster, hold off Bulldogs

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By TOM SIMONS / For the Lincoln Journal Star

If Lincoln North Star football coach Mark Waller looks in the mirror this morning and sees some gray hairs, there’s a good reason  — the roller coaster ride the Navigators went through before finally pulling out a 28-21 win against North Platte on Friday at Seacrest Field.

For most of the first quarter, North Star (5-1) looked unstoppable on offense and unmovable on defense. The Gators put together long scoring drives on each of their first two possessions, going 78 yards in nine plays to score on a 7-yard touchdown run by Tyrone Lewis and 62 yards in seven plays on a 19-yard lateral pass from Joe Hartley to Jerry Key.

With a minute and a half left in the first quarter, the Gators not only had a 14-0 lead, but were dominating statistically as well — 121 to 20 in total yards and 9 to 1 in first downs.

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North Platte senior Corey Serrano, 5, runs with the ball during the game against North Star Friday, October 3, 2008 at Seacrest Field. (William Lauer)

North Platte senior Corey Serrano, 5, runs with the ball during the game against North Star Friday, October 3, 2008 at Seacrest Field. (William Lauer)

But just when it appeared to be a rout, North Star lost track of North Platte quarterback Corey Serrano. The senior led the Bulldogs to touchdowns on three of their next four possessions to give North Platte (3-3, 0-2) the lead midway through the third quarter.

He scored the Bulldogs’ first touchdown on a 1-yard sneak on the second play of the second quarter, capping an eight-play, 80-yard drive in which he had a 30-yard completion to Jon Nielsen and a 39-yard run on consecutive plays.

Serrano set up the second touchdown with a 48-yard punt return to the North Star 37-yard line, followed three plays later with a 29-yard pass to Quinton Standage.

North Star helped the Bulldogs by bobbling the second-half kickoff out of bounds inside its 1. The Gators couldn’t pick up a first down and Serrano moved North Platte 50 yards in three plays to take a 21-14 lead on a 7-yard touchdown run by Nielsen with 7:58 left in the third quarter. Again, the score was set up by Serrano, this time with a 32-yard pass to Standage, who made an outstanding catch at the North Star 15.

But that was the end of the comeback for the Bulldogs. North Star tied the game at 21 on its next possession with a 1-yard run by Hartley with 3:30 left in the quarter, capping a nine-play, 80-yard drive.

The Gators regained the lead for good the next time they got the ball. Hartley directed a nine-play, 60-yard drive that ended with a 20-yard touchdown run by Lewis for a 28-21 lead with 9:16 left in the game.

Between those North Star possessions, Serrano appeared to injure an ankle and North Platte managed just 14 yards and one  first down over the final 18 minutes, while the Gators piled up 208 yards and 13 first downs.

“We came out and got off to a great start, then we had field-position problems in the second quarter and a penalty or two hurt us,” Waller said. “But out kids hung in there and we got our composure back, even though we got off to a terrible start in the second half with the ball at our 1-foot line.

“Our offensive line did a great job. They really stuck it out there and got a lot of movement. Our backs did a great job and our fullbacks did a great job.”

The offensive line and the fullbacks powered North Star to 417 total yards. Michel Mikaya had 168 yards rushing and Lewis 152.  The Gators also had 24 first downs and controlled the ball for more than 28 minutes.

Serrano rushed for 81 yards on 12 carries and completed 7 of 13 passes for 107 yards, with one interception.