After long wait, Fremont-Mills sluggish in first loss

TABOR - Very few coaches smile after losses.

Even fewer call that same loss, “fun.”

But after three weeks of no football and uncertainty clouding the Fremont-Mills football team’s season due to a COVID-19 breakout at the school, just getting back on the field was a victory of sorts for Fremont-Mills head coach Jeremy Christiansen

“That was fun,” said the coach following his team’s 25-16 seesaw loss to Central Valley (Neb.) Friday in Tabor. “We haven’t played in a long time so we’ll take it.”

The loss did not factor in the Knights playoff seeding announced Saturday afternoon and served as essentially an exhibition game for both teams. Fremont-Mills will host Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (0-6) Friday in the Eight-person playoffs opening round.

The first half against the Central Valley Friday, the Eight-person, No. 4 ranked Knights (2-1) looked like a team that hadn’t taken a game-speed snap in three weeks.

The offense looked sluggish. The defense, which did play well most of the night, took some time to acclimate to the Nebraska D-2 Eight-Man No. 5 ranked Cougars’ run-based offense.

The Knights’ first two possessions ended with an  interception   and a turnover-on-downs after an attempted fake punt at their own 36 came up a yard short.

The Cougars wasted little time taking advantage of the good field position, marching inside the Knights’ 10 yard line on back-to-back plays of six and 19 yards. Four plays later, quarterback Ty Nekoliczak darted into the endzone from two yards out. They would miss the two-point conversion to make in 6-0 with 4:52 to go in the opening frame.

Fremont-Mills’ offensive woes would continue with both of their next two drives ended in turnovers on downs. Central Valley had little more success until late in the half.

Taking over on their own 30, the Cougars went on a 12 play drive that ate up more than five minutes of clock and was capped by another Nekoliczak QB keeper from 10 yards out. The Knight defense would again foil the two-point conversion by the Cougars took a 12-0 lead into halftime.

It wasn’t until the third quarter that Fremont-Mills appeared to shake off the rust.

In the third quarter, the Knights began to dig out of their two touchdown hole. After forcing a Cougar punt on the opening possession of the half, Seth Malcom got F-M on the board with a 55-yard touchdown on a third-and-25 from their own 25. The two-point conversion cut it 12-8 with over eight minutes to go in the third quarter.

The Knights would answer again to open the fourth quarter when Malcom, from a wildcat QB position, hit Paxten Van Houten on a nifty 14-yard TD pass. The two-points conversion gave F-M a 16-12.

The Cougars turned the ball over their following possession and with the momentum, the Knights appeared poised to salt away their lead with just over eight minutes to go. But after eating up nearly five minutes of clock, F-M’s drive stalled at the 36-yard line and they were forced to punt.

Central Valley wouldn’t waste the opportunity. Three plays later, Nekoliczak raced into the endzone from 30 yards out. Another missed two-point conversion made it 18-16 with just over two minutes to go.

The Knights would have one last chance to mount a potential game-winning drive but Cougar defensive back Carson Corman would end it when he stepped in front of a pass for an interception for a touchdown.

After the game, Christiansen admitted the layoff likely did factor in his team’s slow start.

“Obviously, they’re a good team over there,” Christian said of Central Valley. “I do think some timing was an issue but we played pretty well overall. That third quarter we just need to replicate that over and over. But we did start out sluggish and I hope we can get that taken care of.”

Christiansen couldn’t fault his defense – they held the Cougars offense to just 18 points and well below their season average in total yards.

“At halftime I told them the only thing wrong with our defense is the offense hasn’t helped you. We have to get some things taken care of up front and all the way around. This will make us better, there’s no doubt about it.”

The Knights finished with 228 yards, well below their average this season. Seth Malcom was the game’s leading rusher with 142 yards on 15 carries.

Christiansen didn’t hesitate to call the Cougars the best team he’s seen this season.

“Without a doubt,” he said. “They’re a very good football team. We’re glad to be able to pick up a game. Three weeks without a game is a long time.”