Football season ends with first round playoff loss to Raiders

The Wauneta-Palisade football team’s season came to an end Thursday afternoon with an 8-38 loss to Lawrence-Nelson.
    The game got off to a promising start for the Broncos. After kicking to the Raiders, WP forced a three-and-out and took over on the Lawrence-Nelson 33-yard line.
    Dalton Harchelroad ran for five yards on the Broncos’ first play, but found little room on WP’s next two plays. Facing a fourth-and-four, Duncan Rector found Austen Rozelle open for a 14-yard gain. Two plays later, Rozelle shook off would-be tacklers in the backfield and lunged into the end zone for a 12-yard touchdown run. Rector hit Caid Doetker for the two-point conversion to give WP an 8-0 lead.
    The Raiders used the final 7:29 of the first quarter to drive down the field behind their rushing game.
    Lawrence-Nelson scored on the first play of the second quarter but failed to convert the extra point.
    WP drove deep into Raider territory on its next possession and thought it put points on the board after Rector’s 26-yard pass to Ben Anderjaska ended in the end zone.
    The referees had a different idea, however, calling illegal man downfield on the Broncos’ running back.
    The penalty backed WP up and the drive ended with a punt.
    Lawrence-Nelson answered with a touchdown to take an 8-12 lead. Both teams were unable to score over the final seven minutes of the first half.
    Lawrence-Nelson kept the clamps on the WP offense in the second half, while scoring on both its offensive possessions and right away in the fourth quarter.

To read the full story, subscribe to the e-edition online or call the Breeze at 308-394-5389 to subscribe to the print edition.