Football Recap: Hartington-Newcastle Starts Season with Win on the Road

Hartington-Newcastle had to kick off their season on the road on Friday, but they showed no ill effects. They blew past the Ainsworth Bulldogs 49-26. The Wildcats have seen this before: they got the W the last time they saw the Bulldogs, too.

Jason Heimes was nothing short of spectacular: he rushed for 229 yards and four touchdowns while picking up 9.2 yards per carry, and also picked up 69 receiving yards and one score. He showed off some serious burst, cutting through the defense on one rush that went for 50 yards. Austin Sudbeck was in the mix as well, providing Hartington-Newcastle with two TDs.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Hartington-Newcastle was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 317 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Ainsworth only rushed for 194 rushing yards.

Hartington-Newcastle didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Mason Krause and Brayden Lammers.

Ainsworth's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Chris Fernandez, who rushed for 90 yards and one score, and Jacob Ortner, who gained 129 total yards and a touchdown.

Coming up, Hartington-Newcastle will be defending their home field for the first time this season when they go up against Wakefield at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. As for Ainsworth, they are taking a road trip to square off against Sandhills/Thedford at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday.