The D-1 Crofton Warriors overcame the D-2 Bloomfield Bees 16 - 2 on the road in Bloomfield on Friday, September 1.
In the first quarter the Warriors had early success running the ball.
With 9:26 on the clock, sophomore Jace Panning (#10) was able to find the end zone for the Warriors’ first touchdown of the game. He would also go on to complete the two point-conversion, making the score now 8-0.
On the next play, Jr. Braxston Foxhoven (#83) kicked the ball off and Sr. Jack Droztmann (#22) ran down making the tackle that caused a fumble. A swarm of Bees tried to recover the ball, but the Warriors were able to secure it.
Tyler Slate, the Warriors’ special teams coach said, “That was huge! I think that was quite deflating for Bloomfield. Although we didn’t score on that drive, it kept their defense on the field, allowed us another offensive possession, and gave us momentum early in the game. Definitely gave us an advantage.”
In the 2nd quarter the Warriors had a miscue which turned into two points for a Bee’s safety. The score was then 8-2. That would be the only score Bloomfield would be able to find that night.
After halftime, both teams took the field in hopes of improving on the offensive side of the ball. Instead, both teams had a great defensive quarter, not allowing either team to find the end zone. In the middle of the fourth quarter, with the score still the same 8-2, Junior Wyatt Tramp (#35) was able to break free and run for a touchdown with 6:07 left in the game. He also punched in the two-point conversion. Which made the score 16-2 in favor of the Warriors. That touchdown would be the final score of the game.
This week's offensive player of the game was Panning with 80 rushing yards. The defensive player of the game was Foxhoven with 8 unassisted tackles and 3 assisted tackles with 25 yards of loss. Other players who had an impact on defense were senior Jace Foxhoven (#20) with 4 unassisted and 3 assisted tackles and Sr. Seth Pinkelman(#9) who had the game-ending interception.
The Bees had a strong punt return team. Bloomfield’s punt and kick returner Sr.Wiley Ziegler (#1) racked up 49 return yards.
“Wiley Ziegler is a dangerous returner. His ability to break tackles and make players miss is second to none in my opinion. Considering he broke the state’s all-time record in kick off returns for touchdowns in 8-man as a junior speaks volumes. He’s an excellent player,” said Slate.
Crofton led in all-purpose yards with 258, relying mostly on the run game with 251 rushing yards. Tramp led both teams in rushing yards with 150 yards on the ground. Bloomfield spread the ball around, having 114 all-purpose yards. The Bloomfield Bees had 71 rushing yards with Ziegler leading with 25 yards and Jr. Braeden Guenther (#17) not far behind with 24 yards. The Bees led in passing with 43 yards, Sr. Layne Warrior (#15) leading with 24 yards.
On Friday Sept 8, the Crofton Warriors will take on the Neligh-Oakdale Warriors in Neligh at 7 p.m.