SK rebounds with Van Buren win

After a tough loss against one of their tougher opponents on the season, SK rebounded with a strong performance against Van Buren on Sept. 22.

After putting up a total of 20 points against Iowa City, Regina the week before, SK put up 19 straight points to start their game last Friday. JD Stout got things started with a 47-yard toss from the hands of Luke Greiner. The Cobras workhorse, Carson Crawford, continued the scoring with scoring runs of 46 yards and 21 yards.

The scoring was just getting underway with three more touchdowns to come in the first quarter. Van Buren broke their shutout with a long 67-yard pass. SK would go on to get a 14-yard run from Crawford and a 19-yard run from Stout for scores. SK scored those 14 points with less than a minute left in the first quarter.

"We did a great job on run blocking, pass blocking and getting the ball to our athletes who made big plays all night long," Cobras coach Jared Jensen said.

The Cobras picked up where they left off, with a two-yard running score by Cole Brenneman and a 60-yard dash from Stout, giving SK a 48-8 lead. The only score in the third quarter went to Van Buren, an 81-yard kickoff return for a score.

The scoring ended after three quarters with SK up 48-16, a lighting issue ending the game.

The Cobras totaled 500 yards on offense, 363 yards coming on the ground. Crawford was responsible for 166 yards on eight carries. Stout rushed for 110 yards on seven carries, and also hauled in 94 yards on two catches.

SK stood firm on defense in the three quarters of play, holding Van Buren to 168 offensive yards. Other than allowing one big passing play and having one breakdown on special teams, the Cobras frustrated the opponent.

"I thought we won the line of scrimmage, our linebackers read and ran well and our defensive backs did well in coverage," Jensen said. "Overall we felt very good about our defensive play."

Nobody had a standout game for SK, with Crawford tallying five tackles, four solo and two for a loss of yards. The Cobras did force one interception, caught by Hunter Wilson.

The Cobras came out and played inspired, having lost SK supporter Gene Brenneman. Gene was also Cole's father, making the short running score in the second quarter that much more memorable for the young man.

"We just needed another solid game to assure ourselves how good we can be," Jensen said. "In order to make the playoffs now, we have to win out. There is no room for error."

SK will return home where they will take play Columbus Junction on Sept. 29 for their Homecoming game.