• 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:
WAHOO, Neb. — Sean Lindgren scored four touchdowns Thursday night to help Wahoo hand its coach a long-awaited playoff win.
In the 29-0 Class C-1 victory that featured no completed passes, the Warriors outgained Capitol Conference rival Arlington by 199 yards and opened a 22-point halftime lead with a safety after a blocked punt, three Lindgren scoring runs and a recovered onside kick.
Coach Chad Fox has led six of his eight Wahoo teams to the state playoffs, but Thursday marked his first postseason win. The Warriors (6-3), whose last playoff win came in 1995, will travel across town for Wednesday's second round to face Wahoo Neumann, which defeated Wahoo 40-0 Oct. 2.
“We've been very close (to playoff wins) the last three years,” Fox said. “It's nice to finally get that playoff win, but we know there's a lot more out there for us. This is by no means mission accomplished.”
Lindgren, a 195-pound junior quarterback, scored his first touchdown on a 31-yard option keeper with 6:24 left in the first quarter. The six-play, 74-yard scoring drive featured a 27-yard run by Greg Milliken on an option play and came after Justin Lewandowski blocked an Arlington punt out of the end zone.
Milliken finished with 124 rushing yards on 20 carries, while Lindgren added 54 yards and Casey Nice rushed for 36.
Wahoo's offensive line — Derek Fiala, Branden Walling, Jamie Fiala, Colter Mattson, Sean Smith — and tight ends Derek Virgl and Cole Barry helped Wahoo to a 191-17 yard advantage at intermission by totaling twice as many snaps.
“They really got the momentum the first half, and that helps you pound the ball a little bit,” Arlington coach Steven Gubbels said. “They did a nice job playing the field conditions.”
Seth Stewart recovered a fumbled lateral pass by Arlington at the Eagle 39 and the Warriors went 61 yards in 12 plays to gain a 16-0 lead on Lindgren's 1-yard sneak for a touchdown. The drive featured a 13-yard run by Stewart, who stood on the Wahoo sideline in a boot after halftime.
Ethan Harders then bounced an onside kick just past the required 10 yards and Corey Davis recovered for Wahoo. Twelve plays later, Lindgren completed the 49-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth down.
“We were wanting to be more aggressive,” Fox said. “We told the kids in the huddle (before the kickoff), ‘We've told you to be aggressive, so we as coaches are going to be aggressive.' It's just going to dribble 10 yards. Our guys up front know who they have to take out.”
Arlington (5-4)..........0 0 0 0—0
At Wahoo (6-3) .................9 13 0 7—29
W: Safety when punt blocked out of end zone.
W: Sean Lindgren 31 run (Ethan Harders kick).
W: Lindgren 1 run (Harders kick).
W: Lindgren 1 run (kick failed).
W: Lindgren 9 run (Harders kick).
Individual STATISTICS
Rushing: A, Jared Maslowsky 15-54, Matt Ostrand 13-21. W, Milliken 20-124, Lindgren 12-54, Nice 8-56, Stewart 3-20, Christian Hohl 1-25.
Passing: A, Adam Dillenburg 0-8-0-0, Ostrand 0-2-0-0. W, Lindgren 0-2-0-0.
Receiving: none.
Contact the writer:
444-1201, sports@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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