Gothenburg defeats Ogallala 35-22 in Varsity Football

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By: Evan Troxel

The Gothenburg Swedes defeated the Ogallala Indians 35-22 in High School American Football at the Varsity level in Ogallala, Nebraska, on Friday night, August 30th, 2024!

Gothenburg's Evan Johnson scored three rushing touchdowns in the first half and Gothenburg never relinquished the lead again after they took a 21-16 lead right before halftime.

Landon Mroczek and Preston Nichols also scored one touchdown each for Gothenburg.

Ogallala's Sawyer Smith scored two touchdowns while Kolby Nowak scored a touchdown.

After receiving the opening kickoff, to start the game at their own 20, Gothenburg had a one yard run on first down, an incompletion on 2nd down and then they had a completion for one yard on 3rd down and went three-and-out. Landon Mroczek (Gothenburg's quarterback) went 1 for 2 passing on the drive.

Ogallala then went nine plays and 42 yards as Sawyer Smith scored the first touchdown of the game (on the right side) from one yard out. (To be honest, I still don't actually know if that was Smith who scored the touchdown, but the public address announcer said it was Smith, so I'll just go with it).

Kolby Nowak then scored the two-point conversion after an offside's penalty on Gothenburg before the two-point try.

Gothenburg then started from their own 46 and Evan Johnson scored a 37-yard rushing touchdown going down the middle of the field and then breaking it open to the outside on the right just inside the right pylon of the east end zone. Dillon Floyd tacked on the point after touchdown kick for Gothenburg.

Gothenburg did that possession/drive in four plays for 54 yards.

It was Gothenburg seven, Ogallala eight at this point.

Gothenburg had 7 plays for 56 yards up to this point.

Ogallala then started on their own 26 and they went three and out and only gained a single yard on the drive before punting it away.

Gothenburg then started on their own 27 yard-line still in the first quarter.

Gothenburg had one of their first plays in the second quarter in which they started one play at their own 48 and they had a completion and then a fumble by Gothenburg's Preston Nichols which Gothenburg recovered for a gain of 17 to the Ogallala 35.

Evan Johnson again scored inside the left pylon this time in the west end zone. Gothenburg tacked on the point after touchdown and they led 14 to 8.

Gothenburg went 10 plays and 73 yards on the drive.

Ogallala started on their own 21 with 7:25 left in the second quarter and Sawyer Smith made a catch for 13 yards on the eighth play of the drive from the Gothenburg 44 to the Gothenburg 31.

Kolby Nowak then scored on the very next play on the left side of the field in the east end zone in which I believe he received the ball from Smith who received it from Ogallala's quarterback Edan Cain.

Ogallala got Gothenburg to jump offsides again on the two-point attempt and then Ogallala converted the two-point conversion.

Ogallala led 16 to 14 at that point.

Ogallala had 9 plays for 79 yards on the drive.

Gothenburg then had the ball on their own 36 and it was 1:50 until halftime.

Gothenburg got two completions on their third and fourth play of the drive, one play from their own 45 to the Ogallala 30 on a Preston Nichols reception. Then another completion to about the Ogallala two-yard line on a Jackson Schwanz reception.

Evan Johnson then scored again on the left side of the west end zone on third down with 8.8 left in the second quarter. Gothenburg again tacked on the PAT.

The drive was seven plays and 64 yards.

Ogallala's Kaode Brewer then got tackled at the Ogallala one-yard line on the kickoff after he had to go back to pick up the football after it landed about the Ogallala 10 and then rolled to the Ogallala one-yard line.

Edan Cain then did a quarterback sneak with 3.7 seconds left in the first half to get out of the end zone to avoid a safety.

So Gothenburg led 21-16 at halftime.

Ogallala started the 2nd Half on their own 24 yard line. On the second play of the drive, Ogallala got a giant play from a reception to Trenton Northrup from Edan Cain from the Ogallala 24 to the Gothenburg 33 on the right side.

Ogallala then lost a yard on the sixth play of the drive (on 1st down) from the Gothenburg 19 in which Cain fumbled the ball and had to recover it!

On the next play, Cain then officially got sacked on a play (I guess to me) that looked like it was supposed to be a passing play back to the Gothenburg 23.

Cain then threw an incompletion to Smith on third won on the right side and then Sawyer Smith threw a pass on the right side on fourth down to a teammate inside the 10 yard-line which was also incomplete.

So Ogallala turned the ball over on downs.

Gothenburg then had their next drive go from 6:49 left in the third quarter to early in the fourth quarter.

The drive went 15 plays and 77 yards.

Preston Nichols caught a ten-yard touchdown pass.

Gothenburg led 28 to 16 at that point.

Ogallala then got a great kickoff return all the way to the Gothenburg 34 with like 11:13 or 11:10 left in the 4th quarter.

Sawyer Smith scored from one yard out. Gothenburg again went offside on the two-point attempt.

Kaode Brewer then scored inside the left pylon in the east end zone on the two-point conversion, but a holding call negated the play.

Ogallala then failed to score on the two-point attempt and they trailed Gothenburg 28-22.

Gothenburg got the ball with 9:10 left in the 4th on their own 39.

Landon Mroczek then scored a 56 yard touchdown on the second play of the next drive for Gothenburg. The PAT was again successful.

Gothenburg led 35-22.