Mixup works out for Howells

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BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

HOWELLS — The play to start the second half didn’t go exactly as diagrammed, but Howells coach Mike Speirs will take the result.

Clint Belina took a pitch around the right end and scooted into the clear within 5 yards. Then he was off for a 65-yard touchdown that sparked Howells to a 38-8 victory against Shelby on Monday night in the Class D-1 playoff quarterfinals.

Top-ranked Howells advanced to a semifinal matchup with Clarkson on Saturday.

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“We actually ran it wrong from what we called, but it ended up working out,” Speirs said. “It probably worked better the way our kids ran it than the way I called it.”

The Bobcats (11-0) turned to Belina again two possessions later after Shelby punted into the end zone. On first down, Belina burst up the middle, cleared the Shelby defensive front and raced 65 yards again for a score. The junior running back, who rushed 29 times for 272 yards, added a 44-yard run later in the period.

“That play to start the second half was huge for us,” Belina said. “We had some momentum going into halftime, but that made it a little more comfortable for us.

“The offensive line did an absolutely awesome job tonight. For as cold as it was and as good as their defense was — I think they had one of the best defenses we had this year — the offensive line did a great job tonight.”

In the rain and cold, the ball got away from both teams a lot — the teams fumbled eight times apiece — but none was more costly than the first of the game. Mitch Tomka scooped up a fumble by the Huskies and raced 14 yards for the first score of the game.

“That first one, where we were able to scoop and score, that was huge, because at that point, the game was kind of back and forth and to get a defensive score is big in a game like this,” Speirs said. “It put them in a position to have to catch up. And in Nebraska weather, it’s pretty hard to count on being able to pass.

“It was cold, so we wore sideline jackets. I told the kids that I’m past the stage of proving that we’re tough. Let’s be smarter. With the rain, we thought it was best to get them on the bus and warm them up a little bit at halftime.”

Howells made it 14-0 on the last play of the first quarter when Belina capped a seven-play drive with a 4-yard run. Quarterback Brian Prusa then kept the ball for the two-point conversion.

Shelby answered when workhorse Seth Houdersheldt scored on a 5-yard run and added the two-point conversion.

“Houdersheldt is such an explosive runner that you want to get to him behind the line of scrimmage,” Speirs said. “It’s like Belina. If he gets five yards down field, he turns into a real dangerous back.”

Howells’ defense held Shelby to 54 yards rushing on 45 carries, even though Houdersheldt had 77 yards on 29 rushes. The Huskies didn’t get a first down in the second half.

Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.