• Video: See highlights of Wahoo Neumann's 24-0 victory over Falls City, as well as Boys Town's 41-0 win over Fort Calhoun:

O'NEILL, Neb. — Underclassmen make up half of Loomis' 28-man roster, but the Wolves faced a younger opponent Thursday and took advantage.

Two of Loomis' pups, freshman Josh Earsom and sophomore Kalen Anderson, each scored twice in a 50-14 victory in the first round of the Eight Man-2 playoffs.

The Wolves (6-3) never trailed on the muddy field. Anderson scored their first two touchdowns, on a 53-yard reception and a 64-yard kickoff return after St. Mary's (5-4) got a 1-yard touchdown from sophomore quarterback Tait Sibbel. It was 13-6, and the game was barely two minutes old.

“Momentum was really big on this field, which was soft in the middle,'' Loomis coach Denis Reese said. “We got some points early, while it was in pretty good shape.''

St. Mary's (5-4), has only five seniors and two juniors on its 28-player roster.

“We didn't play well today. We had missed tackles, and we couldn't keep our footing,'' Cardinals coach Tony Allen said. “It happens sometimes with young kids, but they are young, too. They just played better than we did.

“That's kind of been our story all year, the first quarter. We just don't come out well and against a good team like this, we dug too large a hole.''

Loomis took the lead to 22-6 on a 38-yard pass play from Alex Walton to Brian Szekely. It was 28-6 after Earsom's first touchdown. He led all rushers with 102 yards on 26 carries.

St. Mary's cut the lead to 28-14 on Sibbel's 9-yard touchdown with 1:30 left in the first half, then Walton threw a 17-yarder to Josh Holt to complete the Wolves' first possession of the second half. Touchdowns on their two possessions of the fourth quarter started the 35-point clock rule with 2½ minutes left.

“We have some kids a little beat up, some a little sick, but they did a great job today,'' Reese said.

Loomis (6-3)..............22 6 8 14—50

At O'Neill S.M. (5-4)..............6 8 0 0—14

L: Kalen Anderson 53 pass from Alex Walton (Anderson run)

O: Tait Sibbel 1 run (run failed)

L: Anderson 64 kickoff return (run failed)

L: Brian Szekely 38 pass from Walton (Josh Holt pass from Walton)

L: Josh Earsom 8 run (run failed)

O: Sibbel 9 run (Tanner Timmerman run)

L: Holt 17 pass from Walton (Earsom run)

L: Earsom 2 run (Anderson run)

L: Walton 2 run (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: L, Walton 4-23, Earsom 26-102, Toby Thompson 2-9, Anderson 14-45. O, Kyle Loecker 2-3, Tanner Timmerman 10-35, Sibbels 12-59, Tyler Timmerman 5-18.

PASSING: L, Walton 5-9-0 138. O, Sibbel 10-33-3 113.

RECEIVING: L, Anderson 2-76, Szekely 1-38, Holt 2-24. O, Tyler Timmerman 4-39, Ty Eiler 1-3, Tyler Timmerman 2-18, Tyler Stracke 1-32, David Shields 2-21.

Contact the writer:

444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com

• Video: See highlights of Wahoo Neumann's 24-0 victory over Falls City, as well as Boys Town's 41-0 win over Fort Calhoun:



• Video: Watch this week's High Schools Today Show as prep writers Stu Pospisil and Mike Patterson break down the Nebraska state football playoffs:

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