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BURWELL, Neb. — If Axtell indeed has found answers after an inconsistent regular season, the Wildcats could be headed for a return trip to the Eight Man-1 championship game.

The Wildcats trailed No. 4 Burwell 14-7 before pounding out four straight touchdowns for a 39-20 first-round victory on a misty Thursday night.

“It's been an up-and-down season and we know we have the players to get it done, but it's been tough to put it all together and win games sometimes,'' quarterback Spencer Fecht said. “Those drives show how hard we've been working. Our line really pushed them around.''

Axtell (7-2), which was ranked No. 1 for one week until losing to Silver Lake, advances to Wednesday's second round against Giltner. The Hornets gave the Wildcats their other loss.

Burwell (7-2) took its last lead on Grant Gebhardt's 8-yard touchdown run with 4:03 left in the first half. Normally a wide receiver, he became the Longhorns' tailback when coach Luke Gideon decided to run out of the I-formation on the wet field. Gebhardt opened the game with a 55-yard breakaway and ended with a game-high 122 yards.

The Wildcats, who lost a fumble inside the Burwell 10 late in the first quarter, tied the game on Fecht's 15-yard pass to James Clark and Casey Eggleston's extra-point kick with 12.1 seconds left in the first half.

“We started blocking much better, and I think we were tired of playing from behind,'' Fecht said. “We wanted to show how to play Axtell football.''

They opened the third quarter with a 14-play, 69-yard drive without throwing a pass. Fecht scored from the 2 after colliding in the backfield with Heath Anderbery. The Wildcats' leading rusher this season, Anderbery had 108 yards and a touchdown.

“We gave them a rash of power football. We found out we could run right at them and be effective,'' Axtell coach Kent Ropers said. “As long as we were in control of the ball, eating up the clock and moving toward the goal line we figured we would be in good shape.”

Axtell (7-2).........................................7 7 13 12—39

At Burwell (7-2).................................8 6 0 6—20

B: Grant Gebhardt 55 run (Cassius McClintic run)

A: Heath Anderbery 1 run (Casey Eggleston kick)

B: Gebhardt 8 run (run failed)

A: Jamie Clark 15 pass from Spencer Fecht (Eggleston kick)

A: Fecht 2 run (Eggleston kick)

A: Weston Gustafson 1 run (kick failed)

A: Gustafson 12 run (PAT failed)

B: McClintic 1 run (pass failed)

A: Blake Fahrenbruch 15 fumble return (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: A, Fecht 9-21, Anderbery 26-108, Gustafson 12-72. B, Gebhardt 14-122, McClintic 11-38, Brian Bird 3-minus 3.

PASSING: A, Fecht 4-6-1 112. B, McClintic 11-24-0 132.

RECEIVING: A, Gustafson 2-55, Clark 2-57. B, Bird 3-23, Grant Jeffres 2-30, Gebhardt 4-56, Mark Dearmont 2-23.

Contact the writer:

444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com

• 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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