(Peru, Neb.) – With 12 seniors hanging up their cleats at the end of the game, the goal was to have the Bobcats have them go out with a winning note.  However, the Avila University (AU) Eagles had other thoughts as they pulled out a win over Peru State College (PSC) 26-23. 
 
With the win, the Eagles finished the season with a 4-7 record and went 4-5 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).  The Bobcats fell to 2-8 for the season and finished their first year in the HAAC with a 2-7 mark, putting them alone in eighth place in the ten-team league.  This was one spot lower than where the Bobcats were predicted to finish in the HAAC preseason poll.
 
First Half Action
 
After a scoreless first quarter, Avila put the first points on the board just into the second quarter with a 22-yard field goal at the 14:55 mark giving the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.
 
On the Bobcats' next possession, it only took PSC three plays, all rushes, to get their first touchdown of the game.  The 'Cats started on their own 23-yard line and Ryan Ludlow (Plattsmouth) got a first down with a 16-yard run.  Jacob Grobe (Oakland, Iowa) then scampered 48 yards to get the ball down to Avila's 13-yard line.  An Eagle penalty moved the ball down to the eight-yard line.  Ludlow took the ball in from there, which was followed by a Levi Cockle (Lincoln) PAT putting PSC up 7-3 with 13:34 to go in the first half.
 
The Eagles came right back on their next possession and went 53 yards in eight plays to take a 10-7 lead with 10:16 left in the half.
 
The 10-7 Eagle lead held up for the rest of the half as both teams held each other defensively.  The Bobcats did thwart one Avila scoring attempts as Zach Lempka (Sterling) got his hands on the Eagle 36-yard field goal attempt with just 34 ticks remaining in the second quarter.
 
Second Half Action
 
The Bobcats had the ball at the start of the second half and were moving the ball down the field on the Eagles before Avila picked off a Bobcat pass.  Avila then moved the ball down the field before the Bobcats stopped them on the 13-yard line.  Avila did put up a 30-yard field goal and increased their lead to 13-7 with 6:14 left in the third. 
 
A good kickoff return of 34 yards by Garret Campbell (Santee, Calif.) gave the Bobcats the ball on the Avila 47-yard line.  Unfortunately, Campbell's return was wasted as the Bobcats threw an interception that was returned for a 42-yard touchdown.  Avila was then up 20-7 with 4:59 left in the third. 
 
Peru State's next possession began at their own 28-yard line.  Two rushes by Grobe gave PSC a first down at PSC's 40-yard line.  On the next play, Antonio (Yo-Yo) Turner (Jasper, Fla.) scooted outside and went 60 yards down the sideline for a touchdown.  The PAT was no good leaving AU leading 20-13 with 3:35 remaining in the third.


 
Avila was not done scoring in the quarter.  On the PSC kickoff, an Eagle took the ball back 48 yards allowing Avila to start on the Bobcat 22-yard line.  The Bobcat defense stiffened and only allowed Avila to score a 33-yard field goal making it 23-13 with 1:15 left in the quarter.
 
A 36-yard kickoff return by Campbell got the Bobcats to the Eagles' 49-yard line.  Following two short gains on the ground, Grobe found Lance Steffen (Murdock) for a 43-yard td pass.  Cockle split the uprights and PSC had closed the game to 23-20 with 14:52 remaining in the contest.
 
The teams traded possessions before Gerald Bristol (Jennings, Fla.) intercepted an Eagle pass and took it back 19 yards to Avila's 26-yard line.  After three rushing attempts, Cockle hit a 36-yard field goal to knot the game at 23 each with 8:09 remaining.
 
Again, Avila came right back as they moved the ball down the field only to be stopped short by the 'Cats defense.  However, they were able to go on top with a 34-yard field goal to take a 26-23 lead with 4:45 left in the game.
 
On PSC's very next play, the Eagles intercepted a Bobcat pass and got the ball back.  Again, the Eagles moved the ball down the field, but Jeromy Hand (Valentine) came through with a quarterback sack for a loss of 15 yards putting AU out of field goal range.
 
With under a minute to play, the 'Cats were not able to put anything together and the Eagles got the ball back to seal the win.
 
Team Statistics
 
While the score was close, the first downs were not as Avila had 30 first downs compared to PSC's 14.  The Bobcats gained 249 yards on the ground, bolstered by Turner's and Grobe's long runs, compared to 132 for the Eagles.  Avila outgained the Bobcats 250 to 52 through the air.  The final offensive totals were Avila – 382 yards and PSC – 301 yards.
 
Avila won the turnover battle as they only gave up one interception.  PSC threw two interceptions and lost one fumble.
 
Offensive Individual Statistics
 
Grobe finished with 132 total yards as he had 89 yards on the ground on 12 attempts and threw the touchdown pass of 43 yards to Steffen.  Turner added 87 yards on the ground while Ludlow gained 50 yards on ten carries.  Both Turner and Ludlow had a rushing touchdown.
 
The Bobcats only completed two of 12 passing attempts with Steffen catching both for a total of 52 yards and one touchdown.
 
Kory Klover (Hebron) had four punts averaging 36 yards with one pinning the Eagles inside their own 20-yard line.
 
Campbell finished the game with 46 yards in kickoff returns and Turner finished with 33 yards.
 
Defensive Individual Statistics
 
Curtis Larsen (Plattsmouth) and Tony Traynor (Waterloo) led the Bobcats defensively with 11 and ten tackles respectively.  Larsen finished with four solo tackles, had one tackle for a loss of four and one-half yards, and one pass breakup.  Traynor had five unassisted tackles.
 
Preston Bruss (Bennet) and Adrian Lawson (Lincoln) added nine and seven tackles each.  Bruss had six solo tackles and had one quarterback sack for a loss of five yards.  Lawson had five unassisted tackles and two pass breakups.
 
Wade Halvorsen (Ravenna), Sydney Shepler (DeWitt), and Lempka each finished with six total tackles.  Halvorsen was credited with four solo tackles, a tackle for a loss of five yards and had one pass breakup.  Shepler also had a pass break-up and a tackle for a loss.  Lempka added the one blocked field goal.
 
Hand finished with one and one-half quarterback sacks totaling 18.5 yards for loss.  Bristol snagged the only Eagle interception taking it back for 19 yards. 
 
KNCY Player of the Game 
 
Turner was named the player of the game for his electrifying touchdown.  When asked by the broadcasters what he thought about his play, Turner said, “I saw the safety coming down on me and I knew if I could make a move on him, I could go the distance.  That's what happened.”  Turner shared how he became a Bobcat when asked and noted, “Peru found me.  My coach told me some football coaches were coming to recruit in Florida and we actually got to the place late.  Peru State was still there and after visiting with Coach Clark, I knew it would be a good place for me.”  Turner concluded by commenting, “Coming to college, I knew I had to be patient and then make the most of it when I got on the field.  The biggest difference of playing college versus high school is that some of those are some big ole boys, so I just have to get out around them.”
 
Coach Clark Comments
 
While obviously disappointed in the outcome, Coach Clark was proud of his team as they did not quit.  Clark said, “After playing really good defensively against a couple of the NAIA's top teams, it was disappointing to have a subpar defensive game.  Obviously, as coaches, we did not get them prepared as well as we should have.”  When asked about Avila and the program they have built, Clark noted, “Justin (Berna) has done a good job of getting Avila going this year.  They have worked hard to put together a good staff and program over the last couple of years.” 
 
Clark concluded by talking about plans for next year.  He finished by saying, “We will look to be more competitive in the HAAC next season.  Our intense recruiting begins next week as several of the assistants will be out on the road trying to find key players for key positions.  We know we need to do some work to shore up the offensive line so we will be looking at some jucos to see if we can find the right guys to bring in.”
 
Bobcat Seniors
 
Twelve Bobcat seniors' careers came when the game concluded.  Prior to the game, the seniors and their parents were recognized.  The twelve include:  Jake Mertens (Hastings), Halvorsen, Quentin Edelman (Sabetha, Kan.), Shepler, Cole Gottula (Franklin), Will Jackson (Omaha), Tony Bland (Bellevue), Colby Tucker (Caldwell, Texas), Troy Nelson (Valentine), Matt Carroll (Dorchester), Andrew Conn (Wausa),  and Andrew Diehl (Superior).