SYRACUSE, Neb. — Class C-1 No. 1 Boys Town has recently added a new weapon to its arsenal, one it hardly needed during the regular season.

Call it the Cowboy comeback.

Top-ranked Boys Town rallied from a halftime deficit for the second straight game, outscoring fourth-ranked Syracuse by 14 points after the break for a 35-26 win in the quarterfinals of the C-1 playoffs. A rematch of last year’s semifinals wasn’t decided until the final minutes in front of a reporter-estimated 1,100.

“You got your money’s worth,” Boys Town coach Kevin Kush said.

Boys Town quarterback Kevin Barrett ran for 193 yards and five touchdowns, including four in the second half, as last year’s runner-up moved on to the semifinals. His 70-yard touchdown run in the final three minutes put the game away after Syracuse had gotten within 28-26.

“He was just kind of looking at us and saying ‘You know what, I’m going to take over here.’’’ Syracuse coach Rick Hordhues said. “And it’s kind of what he did. He just kind of took over. He just got stronger and stronger and stronger as the game went on.”

Nordhues’ group got out to a quick start, capitalizing on a pair of Boys Town turnovers to take a 12-0 lead.

“Twelve is not enough for Kevin Barrett and company,” Nordhues said.

And it wasn’t. Barrett capped a nine-play drive with a 4-yard scamper in the final three minutes of the second quarter to make it 12-7. He added touchdown runs of 4 and 15 yards on Boys Town’s second and third drives after the break to put it ahead 21-12.

The Rockets weren’t done.

Quarterback Adam Vogt eluded a heavy rush and found Austin Graham in the end zone for a 4-yard score on fourth down early in the fourth quarter. A two-point conversion throw from Vogt to Nick Reed brought the Rockets within one at 21-20.

The two teams traded scores, setting up a critical two-point conversion attempt with Syracuse trailing 28-26. Boys Town senior Devin Winston stepped up, knocking down Vogt’s pass to Reed in the back of the end zone.

“Actually I didn’t even see the guy behind me,” Winston said. “I just sort of jumped up toward the ball and tipped it. It was pretty intense.”

Barrett then took the ensuing offensive snap through a hole on the right side 70 yards to seal things for the Cowboys.

“Really, I just ran and wherever my line opened for me, that’s what I hit,” Barrett said.

The Boys Town defensive line, a group Kevin Kush called “the heart and soul” of his team, got pressure on Vogt much of the evening. The Cowboys registered 10 tackles for losses as Syracuse finished with five rushing yards, including minus-40 after the break.

“We took the run element out of the game,” Kush said. “Our kids responded.”

Boys Town (11-0) 071414—35

At Syracuse (10-1) 66014—26

S: Nick Reed 19 pass from Adam Vogt (run failed).

S: Mike Campbell 15 run (pass failed).

BT: Kevin Barrett 4 run (Roberto Zamora kick).

BT: Barrett 4 run (Zamora kick).

BT: Barrett 15 run (Zamora kick).

S: Austin Graham 4 pass from Vogt (Reed pass from Vogt).

BT: Barrett 15 run (Zamora kick).

S: Reed 26 pass from Vogt (pass failed).

BT: Barrett 70 run (Zamora kick).

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: BT, Kevin Barrett 16-193, Kevin Humphrey 8-31, Devin Winston 4-15, Nehemiah Wilkins 1-2 Team 3-minus 3 Total 29-240; S, Adam Vogt 24-minus 18, Sam Hillman 3-0, Mike Campbell 6-34 Team 1-minus 11 Total 34-5.

PASSING: BT, Barrett 5-17-0 54, Humphrey 0-1-1 0; S, Vogt 18-34-1 244.

RECEIVING: BT, Jahrod Phillips 3-20, Winston 1-minus 4, Wilkins 1-38; S, Austin Graham 9-51, Reed 9-193.

Contact the writer:

850-0781, nickrubek@hotmail.com

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