Football: Ogallala scores only in the first half, defeats Broken Bow 18-7 in High School Varsity Football on September 5th, 2025

(Photo credit: Dave Adamson, Images in Unsplash on Wix.com, Search "American Football")

By: Evan Troxel

The Broken Bow Indians lost at the Ogallala Indians on Friday night, September 5th, 2025, 7 to 18 at the Ogallala High School football field in Ogallala, Nebraska.

Broken Bow had penalties all game long and had trouble at times getting to the line of scrimmage before the start of a play quickly which made the American Football game never really close at all except at the very start of the game!

The weather was calm with not any wind and lots of blue sky to start the game at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time!

Zach Jackson scored the only touchdown for Broken Bow in the third quarter.

Edan Cain for Ogallala threw two touchdown passes of at least 28 yards in the first half! Sawyer Smith also had a rushing touchdown for Ogallala in the first half!

Zach Jackson went 3 of 8 for 18 yards and two interceptions.

Cain completed 9 of 16 passes for 119 yards.

After the opening kickoff, Broken Bow started with the football on their own 29 as they headed from west to east.

A pass interference flag on Ogallala's Tai Le I believe resulted in an automatic first down to start the game for Broken Bow at their own 43.

After a three yard run by Broken Bow's Adrian Gibbons, Broken Bow made their first penalty of the game...a delay of game penalty which put them back to their own 41.

Two plays later, Broken Bow's Aidan Markham had a nice run to the Ogallala 42, a run of 17 yards.

Zach Jackson, Broken Bow's quarterback then fumbled the next snap for a one yard gain to the Ogallala 41.

A run by Markham to the left got the football to the Ogallala 33.

A false start penalty pushed Broken Bow back again, and then Jackson threw his first official incompletion of the game.

Broken Bow then called timeout with 7:58 left in the first quarter, to prevent another delay of game penalty.

Ogallala then committed another pass interference, resulting in the football being placed at the Ogallala 23.

Then, Jackson threw another incompletion.

Two plays later Broken Bow's Ayden Clark ran to the Ogallala 16 from the Ogallala 14.

Fourth down.

Broken Bow ran to the Ogallala 15 and turned the ball over on downs.

No harm and no foul for Broken Bow, yet also...no points!

Ogallala's Kolby Nowak had a four-yard gain with 6:06 left in the first quarter and then Sawyer Smith ran to the right and was forced out of bounds at the Ogallala 31 for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

Trenton Northrup then ran for eight to the Ogallala 39 and then Ogallala's starting quarterback Edan Cain throw an incompletion.

Sawyer Smith then ran for three yards to the Ogallala 42.

Rhys Gilmore, the Ogallala freshman, then caught a pass on the right side for a gain of 12 to the Broken Bow 47.

Nowak then ran for three more and Gilmore then caught a pass from the Broken Bow 44 to the Broken Bow 33.

Smith then ran for 10 more to the Broken Bow 23. Trenton Northrup then lost two yards on a play going right to left.

Sawyer Smith then caught a 12-yard pass to get the football down to the Broken Bow eight yard line!

Smith then scored on the next play running right and getting barely across the goal line for the touchdown!

Ogallala's extra point attempt from Richard Handy was then blocked by Broken Bow and Ogallala didn't try an extra point attempt for the rest of the game!

So Ogallala scored and led 6-0 with 42 seconds left in the first quarter.

Broken Bow then had a pretty great kickoff return and I believe if Richard Handy (the Ogallala kicker) hadn't made the tackle, Broken Bow would have scored and tied the game at six.

But that didn't happen.

Broken Bow started at their own 43 and Aidan Markham ran to the Ogallala 49 and that was the end of the first quarter.

Broken Bow Indians 0, Ogallala Indians 6

Markham then ran to the Ogallala 47 on the left side and there was confusion momentarily from the officials about where the football should have been spotted.

On that play, Markham ran in the middle of the field and then got away from the Ogallala defenders and ran left and ran outside the numbers and it looked like he got inside the Ogallala 40 to the Ogallala 38 I believe, but I guess his knee must have been down at the Ogallala 47.

Markham also fumbled at the very end on the same play and I guess we will never know which team would have had possession if Markham's run to the Ogallala 38 (instead of the Ogallala 47) would have held up!

Also, the officials said he got a first down.

Broken Bow had another penalty, this time a false start.

Then another false start.

And another false start.

So the football got pushed back 15 yards all the way to the Broken Bow 37.

1st and 25 at the Broken Bow 37.

Ayden Clark ran for four yards to the Broken Bow 41.

Then, Zach Jackson threw an interception to Ogallala's Rhys Gilmore.

Gilmore caught the wobbly football on Ogallala's left side at the Ogallala 38 and ran all the way to the Broken Bow 44 for a gain of 18 yards and a net loss of field position for Ogallala of negative three yards.

But instead of Broken Bow keeping the football for the next play, Ogallala now had the football!

So there was 9:57 left in the first half and the second quarter.

Edan Cain, Ogallala's quarterback, completed a pass for no gain.

Sawyer Smith ran for three yards and then Cain threw another quick pass incompletion before he got decked by a Broken Bow defender.

Fourth down.

Broken Bow then went offsides committing another penalty and it became 4th and 2.

Sawyer Smith then ran to the Broken Bow 34 for a first down.

A one-yard run by Kolby Nowak and two incompletions brought up fourth down.

Then Broken Bow did it again.

Another offsides penalty.

So the football was at the Broken Bow 28.

Edan Cain then threw a deep pass in the middle of the field over the last defender's head and Trenton Northrup caught the pass and ran the last few yards into the end zone for the touchdown!

Broken Bow 0, Ogallala 12

Ogallala decided to go for two points and threw an incompletion on the right side to Rhys Gilmore near the goal line.

The pass was broken up and also slipped through Gilmore's fingers.

So Ogallala led 12-0 with 6:44 left in the second quarter.

Broken Bow got the football on their own 25-yard line after the Ogallala kickoff.

A run of two and four got the football to the Broken Bow 31.

Zach Jackson threw another incompletion and Broken Bow was forced to punt.

Ogallala started their next possession on their own 46-yard line.

So with 4:52 left in the 2nd quarter, Sawyer Smith ran to the Broken Bow 36, a gain of 18 yards!

Nowak and Northrup then ran to the Broken Bow 36 for no gain on both plays.

Ogallala was holding on the Northrup no gain play and so Broken Bow decided to accept the penalty).

(I was pretty sure when it happened that Broken Bow decided to decline the penalty, not accept it! But I guess it wouldn't make sense if they decline it based on my notes, because then Ogallala would have had a fifth down! Anyway, the point is, at some point in the game, Broken Bow declined a penalty which I thought they shouldn't have declined.)

Second down and 10 at the Broken Bow 46.

Nowak caught a pass to the right to the Broken Bow 42 and Northrup caught a pass on the left side to the Broken Bow 30.

Ogallala then called timeout with 1:32 left in the half before their fourth down play!

Edan Cain then threw a pass down the right sideline where Amaythian Clark caught the football at about the Broken Bow two-yard line and ran into the end zone for the touchdown!

Broken Bow 0, Ogallala 18

On the two-point play, Edan Cain then faked a pitch to the running back and got swallowed up in the middle of the football field probably at least three yards from the end zone.

Broken Bow then got the football back at their own 38 yard line with 1:16 left to go in the first half!

Jackson ran to the right for five yards.

Then Broken Bow took a long time to get to the line of scrimmage and ran to the left for three more!

Broken Bow then called timeout with 29.8 seconds to go in the half!

Markham got to the Ogallala 43 I guess (for a first down) and then Broken Bow threw an incompletion.

Timeout Broken Bow with 5.5 seconds left.

Jackson threw another incompletion on the left side for a quick pass play but overthrew the receiver.

Jackson then threw one to the right side and another bad and underthrown pass was intercepted by Edan Cain at about the Ogallala 10 yard line...I guess.

So at halftime Ogallala led 18-0.

Ogallala then started at their own 38 and went three and out!

Smith ran for two and then Edan Cain got sacked at the 36 and the 34 on back-to-back plays.

Ogallala I believe was called for holding on the play Cain got sacked back to the Ogallala 36.

Broken Bow declined that penalty.

Broken Bow then got the football back as Ogallala had to punt.

Broken Bow started from their own 46 with 9:37 left to go in the 3rd quarter.

Aidan Markham had two runs to get it to the Ogallala 46.

Then Broken Bow got it to the Ogallala 44 for a first down!

Ogallala then committed an offsides penalty.

Markham then ran for six to the Ogallala 33.

Jackson then ran to the Ogallala 22 for a first down.

Ogallala then called timeout with 6:49 left in the third quarter.

Ayden Clark then ran three straight plays for gains of four, eight and seven to get the football to the Ogallala 3-yard line!

Broken Bow's Zach Jackson then ran right and forward into the end zone in which I think only one Ogallala defender could barely even get a hand on him!

Broken Bow got a touchdown and were on the scoreboard!

Broken Bow then tried to go for two, but were called for an illegal substitution penalty.

So Broken Bow kicked the extra point and it was good!

Broken Bow 7, Ogallala 18

Ogallala got the football at their own 34 with 4:58 to go in the 3rd quarter.

Smith ran for five yards.

Then a false start pushed Ogallala back.

Nowak got to the Ogallala 37.

Cain threw another incompletion and Ogallala was forced to punt.

Broken Bow had the ball on their own 38 with 3:04 left to go in the 3rd.

Ogallala sack of Broken Bow quarterback Zach Jackson at the Broken Bow 33.

A timeout was called by Broken Bow with 2:17 to go in the third.

Ayden Clark caught the ball and got it to the Broken Bow 40 for a gain of 7 and Broken Bow was forced to punt.

Ogallala go the ball at their own 27 with 1:50 left in the third.

Cain lost three back to the 24.

Smith then ran left to the Ogallala 42 and a first down!

A personal foul on Ogallala pushed the ball back to the Ogallala 27.

Nowak then ran right to the 32, Smith ran left to the Ogallala 36 and a personal foul was called on Broken Bow.

Rhys Gilmore caught a pass to the Broken Bow 38 and that was the end of the third quarter.

Nowak and Smith ran to the 36 on back-to-back plays.

A timeout was called with 10:25 left in the 4th by Ogallala.

Cain ran to the Broken Bow 35 up the middle and Ogallala was forced to punt.

Ogallala committed a false start to push the ball back to the Broken Bow 39 and then the punt by Sawyer Smith which he kicked from the 50 yard-line rolled into the end zone for a touchback!

Broken Bow got the football on their own 20 with 9:18 left to go in the fourth quarter.

Three plays later, Cobe Wells caught a five yard pass for a first down to the 32. Jackson ran for five more yards and then he got sacked I believe by Blake Robb back to the 32.

Clark caught a pass to the Ogallala 38.

A timeout was called with 5:48 to go by Broken Bow I believe and not Ogallala.

Jackson needed to get to the Broken Bow 43 on fourth down for a first down for sure and he got to the Broken Bow 42.

Turnover on downs.

Ogallala then got the ball with 5:41 left in the fourth.

After two plays, Broken Bow called timeout with 4:41 left.

Cain threw an incompletion and Ogallala had to punt and it was downed at the Broken Bow 1-yard line, a perfect punt by Sawyer Smith in the north part of the field on the left side from Ogallala's perspective.

Broken Bow then had the ball with 4:25 left and they ran three plays and had to punt.

Ogallala got the ball with 2:23 left and Sawyer Smith ran four plays and ran out the clock and that was the end of the game!

Ogallala won 18-7.

Ogallala is now 1-1 while Broken Bow is 0-2.

Ogallala hosts Cozad next week while Broken Bow hosts the St. Paul Wildcats.