Grand Island couldn't capitalize on their home-field advantage in their season opener. They received a blow on Friday as they fell 35-20 to the Lincoln Southeast Knights. The Islanders have struggled against the Knights recently, as their contest on Friday was their third consecutive lost matchup.
When it comes to explaining why Grand Island lost, don't look at Nelsyn Wheeler. Despite the final result, he rushed for 160 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.9 yards per carry, and also picked up 47 receiving yards. Wheeler was no stranger to the big play, taking off on a dash that went for 59 yards. Another player making a difference was Jalen Warren, who picked up 175 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Grand Island's defense was in the mix too, especially the secondary: they snagged two passes before it was all said and done. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Roman Devault. He also put in work on the defensive side of the ball, making four total tackles and defending a pass in addition to snagging two interceptions.
Lincoln Southeast's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cash Buettenback, who rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown while picking up 8.5 yards per carry. Tre Bollen was another key player, throwing for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Grand Island will challenge Kearney at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Both are at an even 5-5 against one another since August of 2015. As for Lincoln Southeast, they will square off against Lincoln Southwest at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Lincoln Southeast focused on turnovers this week as team gave up four on Friday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
