On Friday, October 6, the Hartington-Newcastle football team traveled to Laurel for district football action on a wet and soggy night. The Wildcats were unfazed by the conditions as they defeated the Bears 46-14 to move to 4-2 on the season.
Leading the Wildcat offense were two 100-yard rushers in juniors Ethan Koch (23 carries, 174 yards) and Turner Korth (15 carries, 166 yards). Koch scored 3 rushing touchdowns, while Korth punched in two of his own. Sophomore Shaye Morten was 5-7 through the air for 67 yards and a touchdown, and Korth was 2-4 for 35 yards. Junior Brenden Bennett hauled in his first career touchdown pass, while Lincoln McPhillips caught 4 passes for 79 yards.
Defensively, the Wildcats had a number of key contributors. Lincoln McPhillips added a defensive score on a fumble recovery early in the 3rd quarter, rumbling 44 yards after Caleb Kalin knocked the ball loose from a Bear runner. Ethan Koch had 11 tackles, 4 of them for a loss, along with 3 sacks. Ryan Koch had 15 tackles on the night, followed by Turner Korth with 13 tackles and an interception.
For the game, the Wildcats had 495 yards of offense on 59 plays, while the Bears managed 214 yards on 56 plays.
Next up for the Wildcats are the Cougars of Niobrara-Verdigre on Friday, October 13. Game time is 7:00 p.m., and the Wildcats will celebrate Parent's Night for the football team prior to the start of the game.