GOTHENBURG, Neb. -- In a yearly rivalry that dates back to the 1960s, the Cozad Haymakers and the Gothenburg Swedes battled Friday night.

The Swedes struck first on their home turf on their second drive of the game when quarterback Wes Geiken found wide receiver Tra Rossell for a 25-yard touchdown. Rossell would miss the PAT attempt putting them up by six.

On the next drive, the Haymakers would tie up the game with a 37-yard rushing touchdown from running back Cash Chytka. Jaden Cervantes would miss the PAT attempt keeping the game knotted at six.

In the second quarter, Gothenburg would strike again when Geiken would find Rossell in the endzone for a 12-yard touchdown. The Swedes would go for two but fail to convert making the score 12-6.

Cozad would tack on another touchdown when quarterback Noah Shoemaker found wide receiver Chord Chytka for a 20-yard score. The Haymakers converted on the PAT to take the lead 13-12 into half time.

Gothenburg would once again take the lead in the third quarter with a 46-yard touchdown from Kooper Koehn. The Swedes would go for two and convert to jump in front of Cozad 20-13.

Cozad opened the fourth quarter with a three-yard rushing touchdown from Dreu White but would fail to tie the game after missing the PAT. Gothenburg still led by one point, 20-19.

On the ensuing the drive, Gothenburg’s offense would take the field with around 10 minutes left in the quarter. The Swedes would run seven and a half minutes off the clock and march down to the Haymakers 25-yard-line before calling a timeout.

The first play after the timeout, Geiken would find Rossell for the receiver’s third touchdown of the game, a 24-yard strike. The Swedes would go for two but could not convert giving them a 26-19 lead.

With two and a half minutes left in the game, Chord Chytka would return the ensuing kickoff to the Gothenburg 35-yard line.

Cozad would tie the game up with a minute left in the fourth quarter when White would find the endzone on a three-yard run for his second score of the game. The Haymakers converted the PAT to tie the game up at 26.

In overtime, the Haymakers received the ball first and would score a touchdown in four plays with Shoemaker scrambling into the endzone on fourth down. Cervantes would make the extra point to put the Haymakers up 33-26.

The Swedes would not be able to score in overtime. Chord Chytka sealed the game for Cozad with an interception in the endzone on fourth down.

Cozad is back at home next week to face the Sidney Red Raiders while Gothenburg will travel to Holdrege to face the Dusters.

 

Cozad Stats:

N. Shoemaker: 5/11, 60 yds, 2 TD, 3 INT

Ca. Chytka: 24 carries, 191 yards, 1 TD

D. White: 9 carries, 24 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT

Ch. Chytka: 2 catches, 33 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT

E. Boryca: 18 tkls

Z. Gengenbach: 6 tkls, 1 sack

Gothenburg stats:

W. Geiken: 11/24, 172 yds, 4 TD, 2 INT

J. Daum: 17 carries, 70 yds

E. Johnson: 6 carries, 16 yds, 2 INT

T. Rossell: 4 catches, 81 yds, 3 TD