BDS survives scare from Kenesaw, advances to round three in triple overtime thriller

BRUNING, Neb. - It took three overtime periods and more than a little controversy and confusion, but #2-seed Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (10-0) is into the third round of the 2024 Nebraska D2 playoffs after escaping #15-seed Kenesaw (6-4) 56-54 in a simply thrilling game on Friday night in Bruning.  

In 2020, BDS beat Kenesaw twice, once in the regular season and again in the postseason, to cement an undefeated record and an eventual state championship. In 2021, Kenesaw returned the favor and authored the exact same story: the Blue Devils beat the Eagles twice and eventually were undefeated state champions. Now in 2024, BDS is on pace to make that history repeat again: BDS beat Kenesaw in the regular season and now has a second in the postseason, and the Eagles’ unbeaten record, and path to a state title, is intact. 

But Friday night certainly proved to be a rocky road. BDS trounced Kenesaw 56-18 in the regular season in mid-September and while the Eagles were anticipating a closer game the second time around, it’s hard to imagine that anyone would’ve anticipated what transpired on Friday night. Both teams held leads at different points but neither ever led by more than eight. In fact, Kenesaw took a 32-26 lead on a 44-yard run by Adam Denkert with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter before BDS tied the game on a Carson Loos scamper in the final minute. Loos had a chance to score with about a minute left but purposefully slid down in bounds to run more time off the clock, a risky gambit that paid off when Loos scored with 23 seconds to go. BDS had a chance to score a 2-point conversion to take a late lead but the Blue Devils denied it, sending the game into overtime tied at 32.  

That set up an extremely rare extra session for everyone involved. In a setup similar to modern college football rules, both teams are afforded a chance to possess the ball in every overtime period, and each drive begins with a 1st-and-10 from the 10-yard line. If the two teams remain tied after a possession each, the game extends to another period.  

And ultimately, it took three sessions of overtime to decide Friday’s game. Kenesaw got the ball first and scored courtesy of dynamic back Maddox Wagoner who then scored a 2-point conversion, and BDS answered through top tailback Carson Loos, who then also drove in for the critical conversion. 40-40 after one period.  

BDS then possessed the ball first in the second session, and quarterback Levi Kamler converted a rare pass to Trevor Nelson for the score before taking the conversion in himself. The Eagles had the lead, but the Blue Devils had the response: once again Wagoner punched in the touchdown and the conversion behind his excellent cadre of blockers. 48-48 after two periods.  

And then on a clear but cool night of November 1, controversy reigned. In the third period of overtime, Wagoner appeared to fumble the ball near the goal line and after a lengthy review the officials ruled that a Blue Devil player recovered the fumble in the end zone for a touchdown. Stunned, BDS recovered to stuff Denkert on the two-point try, setting the stage for the Eagles to respond. They did, but it was not without drama of their own: Kamler was hit on a rollout and somehow the ball ended up in the arms of Loos, who carried it the final five yards for the tying six points. Needing a conversion to win, Kamler laid it out to Loos in the right flat, and the Eagles’ top tailback did the rest, navigating across the goal line for the decisive two points. Finally, 56-54 after three periods and more than three hours of game time.  

A true survive and advance achieved, #2 BDS moves on into round three of the Nebraska 8-man playoffs, where they will face their toughest test yet: #7-seed Overton, which defeated #10-seed High Plains 32-20 earlier on Friday. That game has been confirmed for a 5 PM start time on Friday evening in Shickley, and you can listen to all the action live on Ol’ Red and online at olred995.com.