Football: Junior Jays' backfield decks Rockets with a punishing one-two punch

LINCOLN — Omaha Creighton Prep's offense may have more than one gear this year.

The Junior Jays flashed two running backs Thursday night at overmatched Lincoln Northeast in a 41-12 season-opening win. Nick Mizaur churned out 114 yards and three touchdowns, and junior Richard Wynne scored twice on highlight-reel runs.

“Richard's a good player and a nice change-up from Nick,'' Prep coach Tom Jaworski said. “I want to mix it up on offense a little bit this year.''

A Seacrest Field crowd of 2,179 watched Top 10 No. 2 Prep spoil the Northeast coaching debut of Justin Smith, who coached Class C-2 Wakefield to state titles in 2006 and 2007. Jaworski said he obtained a game tape of one of those state finals to find out what might be in store against the Rockets.

Northeast didn't get to show much of its offense until it was in a 34-0 hole with 4:20 left in the first half. The first quarter, save for one drive-opening play by Prep, was played in Northeast's end of the field. The Rockets' initial first down followed Prep's fourth touchdown.

They lost two fumbles on kickoffs to add to the misery.

“It's been the same way in practice,'' Smith said. “Two good plays, one bad. Turnovers and special-teams mistakes, those just kill you. But those we can clean up.”

“Our quarterback (Tyler Francis) played well and I thought our linebackers, although undersized, did well in filling the gaps. When you have 230-pounders going against 170-pounders, it's going to wear on you.”

Omaha Creighton Prep (1-0)........14 20 7 0—41
Lincoln Northeast (0-1).....0 6 0 6—12

At Seacrest Field

P: Nick Mizaur 3 run (Adam Svoboda kick)

P: Cody Hobbs 3 run (Svoboda kick)

P: Mizaur 4 run (Svoboda kick)

P: Richard Wynne 22 run (Svoboda kick)

P: Wynne 14 run (PAT failed)

NE: Clayton Dean 35 pass from Tyler Francis (run failed)

P: Mizaur 7 run (Svoboda kick)

NE: Derek Hoodjer 1 run (run failed)

A: 2,179

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

• RUSHING: P, Mizaur 24-114, Wynne 7-57, Jim Suiter 4-30, Micah Wagner 4-21, Kelvin Brandt 1-4, Matt McLeay 3-2, Chase Dudziski 1-11, Svoboda 3-4, Hobbs 6-29. NE, Hoodjer 1-1, Corey Jones 1-24, Dylan Gushard 7-25, Batiste 1-1, Francis 5-minus 8, Dean 2-minus 5, J.D. Peterson 2-10.

• PASSING: P, Svoboda 4-6-0 68, McLeay 0-1-0 0. NE: Francis 7-17-0 106, Hoodjer 2-3-0 36.

• RECEIVING: P, Joe Trouba 2-50, Mizaur 1-4, Gage Rensch 1-14. NE, Dean 4-80, Gushard 1-18, Batiste 1-18, Dylan Riha 2-10, Andrew Broers 1-16.

Contact the writer:

444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com

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