Centre Cougars lose to Axtell
It's been a difficult season for the Centre Cougars football team. Another game was added to the loss column Friday as they fell to Axtell, 62-26.
The Cougars scored the first touchdown with 8:42 remaining in the first quarter on a 26-yard run by Seth Jirak, to give the Cougars their only lead, 6-0. The pass for the extra-points failed.
Axtell scored the next three touchdowns, including two in the second quarter, and converted each time, giving Axtell an 18-point lead.
Keenan Geissert carried the ball 78 yards on a kick return for the second Centre touchdown. Jirak provided the PAT, closing the gap to 10 points.
After two more Axtell touchdowns in the third quarter, Jirak scored for Centre on a one-yard run. The PAT failed. The score at the end of the quarter was Axtell 38, Centre 20.
Geissert provided another kick return in the fourth quarter, this time for 75 yards, to score Centre's final touchdown. The conversion attempt failed.
Axtell added three touchdowns and six extra points in the fourth, resulting in a final score of 62-26.
Centre carried the ball 50 times for 184 yards; Axtell carried it 93 times for 262 yards.
Centre's passing game was shut down, with only three receptions out of 10 passes, for a total of 16 yards. Axtell completed 215 yards in the air.
Jirak was Centre's leading rusher, covering 80 yards in 19 carries. Andrew Hajek carried the ball 57 yards in 15 carries and passed for another 16 yards.
Brent Potocnik, Jirak, and Scott Peterson each received the ball one time for limited yardage.
Jirak led defensively with 10 unassisted and 10 assisted tackles.
The Cougars end their season Thursday at Junction City with a game against St. Xavier.
