The Briar Cliff football team battled Doane in a back-and-forth GPAC contest Saturday afternoon, falling 24-18 in overtime at Memorial Stadium and Papik Field in Crete, NE.
The Chargers opened the scoring with a 38-yard field goal from Sveinung Torring in the first quarter, giving Briar Cliff an early 3-0 lead. Doane answered with a field goal in the second quarter to even the score at 3-3.
Briar Cliff regained the lead late in the first half when Brock Saya rushed for a three-yard touchdown with 2:03 remaining in the second quarter. Torring added the extra point to send the Chargers into halftime ahead 10-3.
Doane cut into the lead in the third quarter in unusual fashion, returning a Saya interception 99 yards for a touchdown. The extra point was blocked by Dayton Harrell keeping the Chargers in front 10-9. The Tigers later added a field goal to take a 12-10 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Doane extended its advantage with a 48-yard field goal early in the fourth, but the Chargers answered with one of the biggest plays of the afternoon. Chase Thomas broke free for an 83-yard touchdown run, and Cormyc Guerrero completed the two-point conversion pass to put Briar Cliff ahead 18-15 with 8:50 remaining.
The Tigers tied the game at 18-18 with a 34-yard field goal late in regulation. Neither team could break the tie before the end of the fourth quarter, sending the contest to overtime.
Briar Cliff had a chance to take the lead in overtime, but Torring's 41-yard field goal attempt was blocked. Doane then scored on a three-yard rushing touchdown by Gage Friesen to secure the 24-18 victory.
Thomas led the Chargers' ground game with 172 rushing yards on 13 carries, averaging 13.2 yards per attempt, including the 83-yard touchdown run. Saya added 39 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Through the air, Saya completed 11 of 27 passes for 150 yards. Kymani Fleurme led the receiving corps with three catches for 40 yards, while Guerrero added two receptions for 39 yards. Dyson Fay contributed a 37-yard reception.
Defensively, Kyle Gibson led Briar Cliff with 10 total tackles, while Jayden Botteril and Cameron Cayou each recorded nine tackles. Ethan Dallen finished with 1.5 sacks for 19 yards lost, and Frankie Gonzalez added half a sack. Harrell also made a key special teams play by blocking Doane's extra-point attempt following the interception return.
The Chargers totaled 430 yards of offense including 280 rushing yards and 150 passing yards. Briar Cliff also recorded 18 first downs and held possession for 31:03.
The Chargers return to action Saturday, October 31, hosting Hastings. Kick-off is set for 1 p.m.
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