Knights take charge early for victory

A big first half propelled the Fremont Bergan football team to a 35-8 win over Yutan Friday night at Memorial Field in Fremont.

Riley Gross and Christian Victor each ran for two touchdowns as Class C2’s third-ranked Knights did all their scoring in the first half.

Junior Tanner Anderson finished off the Knights’ scoring with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.

"The coaches always tell me that when the quarterback rolls out that I always take the deepest guy," said Anderson who also added five PAT kicks. "He pretty much threw it right to me and then Christian (Victor) was the one that allowed me to score that touchdown because he threw the last block."

Bergan head coach Ron Beacom said his team needed a fast start.

"(Yutan) has done a lot of things in the last two weeks that really impressed me so we wanted to really come out and play hard from the opening kickoff and play for 48 minutes and I thought our kids did that," the coach said. "You just hope your kids play hard and continue to play better on a nightly basis."

Gross got the scoring started with a 7-yard scramble up the left side midway through the first quarter that capped a 13-play, 65-yard drive on the game’s opening possession.

Anderson put the Knights up 14-0 about three minutes later when he stepped in front of a Luke Steinkruger pass and tiptoed up the visiting sideline.

Gross added a 31-yard scamper up the left side three plays into the second quarter.

A minute and a half later Bergan’s defense forced a 3-and-out and Josh Boggs returned a Yutan punt to the Chieftains’ 25-yard line. Gross gained 10 yards on a keeper and the Victor covered 14 yards on the second play and then dove over the goal line on the third play of the drive to put Bergan ahead 28-0.

Another defensive stop forced a Yutan punt and on the very next play Victor took a handoff over the left guard, split two defenders and sprinted 66-yards for Bergan’s final TD of the evening with 6:16 remaining before halftime.

Some of Bergan’s starters played on its first drive of the second half but the reserves finished out the game.

"I was hoping the JV would play a lot because they work hard all week long and deserve to be rewarded," Anderson said.

Sophomore Jake Roll ran up the middle from 16-yards out on a quarterback keeper with 1:21 left in the third quarter to give the Chieftains their lone score. Brett Steinacher ran in the point after.

Bergan outgained Yutan in total yards 256 to 226. All but 27 of Bergan’s yards came in the first half.

Gross gained 94 yards on 11 carries while Victor gained 94 yards on eight carries. Quarterback Nick Paulson completed 5-of-8 passes for 56 yards after entering the game late in the second quarter. Boggs caught four balls for 51 yards.

Roll led Yutan with 68 yards rushing on 14 attempts and Steinacher gained 57 yards on 10 carries. Roll also passed for 54 yards on 4-of-11 passing.

Bergan (2-1) is at home next Friday when they host West Point Central Catholic for Homecoming. Yutan (0-4) hosts Weeping Water the same night.

Yutan 0 0 8 0 – 8

Bergan 14 21 0 0 – 35

Scoring

B - Riley Gross 7 run (Tanner Anderson kick)

B - Anderson 35 interception return (Anderson kick)

B - Gross 31 run (Anderson kick)

B - Christian Victor 1 run (Anderson kick)

B - Victor 66 run (Anderson kick)

Y - Jake Roll 12 run (Brett Steinacher run)

Team Statistics

Total yards - B 258, Y 226. Rushes-yards - B 29-195, Y 47-172. Passing yards - B 63, Y 54. Comp-Att-Int - B 9-18-1, Y 4-14-2.

Individual Statistics

RUSHING - B, Josh Boggs 2-18, Gross 11-94, Victor 8-94, Dylan Crytzer 3-9, Nick Paulson 4-(-20), Austin Dam 1-0; Y Nate Jones 14-19, Steinacher 10-57, Roll 14-68, Luke Steinkruger 3-0, Parker Rew 1-2, Jake Koenig 5-26.

PASSING - B, Gross 3-6-10-1, Paulson 5-8-56-0, Dam 1-4-(-3)-0; Y, Roll 4-11-54-1, Steinkruger 0-3-0-1.

RECEIVING - B, Austin Knupp 1-3, Victor 1-4, Boggs 4-51, Anderson 1-1, Jerry Dolejs 1-8, Crytzer 1-(-3); Y, Kody Liermann 3-51, Steinkruger 1-3.