HUMBOLDT — Deception, speed and power are mainstays of a productive gridiron offense. Neodesha found all three in ample supply Friday night as the Blue Streaks dampened Humboldt’s homecoming 34-6.
It wasn’t that way in the first half, though, or early in the third period, when the Cubs appeared to have found their footing. But, from the middle of the third on, the game was Neodesha’s.
Humboldt opted early to test Neodesha’s offense, which had reeled off 127 points in its first three games en route to a 3-0 start, by deferring after winning the pre-game coin flip.
Neodesha settled in quickly and ripped off six first downs before its opening drive — it started at the Streaks’ 25 — stalled at the Cubs’ 17-yard line. A field goal attempt was errant and the Cubs gained four yards on two plays before an Anthony Doran pass was snatched, giving the visitors possession at the 31. Three plays and a penalty put the ball at the 23.
“We’ve got to step up and put pressure on them,” Humboldt head coach Logan Wyrick said. “We’ve just got to get better.”
Enter McKaydin Songer, a 220-pound bull of a back. He burst through the line, shook off a couple of defensive backs and gave Neodesha a 7-0 lead with 2:35 left in the first period.
The second quarter was an offensive melee. Punts of 51 and 55 yards by Doran — aided by the Streaks’ returner preferring to let them roll — kept Neodesha deep enough in its own territory that it was unable to sustain drives.
Humboldt’s best opportunity to break through came late in the second period when Jacob Haviland made a leaping interception to give Humboldt an opportunity at its 48 with 3:31 before half. A 10-yard pass play from Doran to Corey Whitcomb produced the Cubs’ initial first down. After a six-yard loss on another aerial, Rhett Smith forced the issue with a 25-yard scamper, which included a couple of nifty escapes from would-be tacklers.
Humboldt meandered to the 16, but a five-yard penalty pushed the Cubs back to the 21 and a bit of misdirection didn’t fool the Streaks, which turned the ball over at the Neodesha 22.
After a 20-minute break for half-time and the crowning of Tanner Orth and Haylie Yost as homecoming royalty, the Cubs seemed bent on reversing their first-half misfortunes.
On the first play from scrimmage Bryce Isaac darted 22 yards to the Streaks’ 39 and followed two plays later with a 34-yard scamper to the 5. Doran then dodged a pair of defenders near the goalline to put the Cubs within a point, 7-6. A pass attempt for two points just missed completion.
A fumble by Neodesha and a Doran pick ended possessions by each team before the Streaks scored on a 13-yard pass play. The point after made it 14-6. Four and a half minutes later, at 1:29 of the third, Neodesha opened its lead to 21-6 on a 14-yard pass play. It then padded the lead to 28-6, and essentially had the game iced, when quarterback Matt Shinkle dashed nine yards for a score with less than a minute gone in the fourth period.
Neodesha added an after-thought touchdown, with its starters still plying Humboldt’s artificial turf, with 1:07 left.
The Blue Streak defense was stifling most of the game, and several times sniffed out and stopped Cub plays before they could develop or reach the line of scrimmage.
Statistics give more than a glimpse of the fray. Unofficially, Neodesha piled up 293 yards rushing on 47 plays and completed 5 of 8 passes for 122 yards, giving it 415 total. Meanwhile, Humboldt managed just 122 yards from 28 rushes, and Doran completed six of 14 passes for 31 yards.
The loss leaves Humboldt at 2-2 on the season. Next Friday night the Cubs journey to Eureka.
Neodesha dashes Humboldt’s homecoming
