Waverly escapes Seward in overtime thriller; heads to Class B semifinals

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — The No. 1-seeded Waverly football team escaped No. 8 Seward in an overtime thriller Friday night, beating the Blue Jays 30-24 at Viking Stadium.

It was a back-and-forth battle all night long, starting with some tough Seward defense.

The Blue Jays forced two turnovers in the first quarter, taking an early 7-0 lead.

Waverly’s offense woke up in the second quarter, as Nathan Axmann cashed in a 9-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Seward immediately answered. Quarterback Kayson Salyer found Sam Sagehorn for a 65-yard touchdown pass to take a 14-7 lead.

On the next drive, the Vikings tied the game thanks to a 31-yard touchdown pass from Brockston Teply to Gavin McMillan, making the score 14-14.

A 35-yard field goal gave Waverly a 17-14 halftime lead.

The Blue Jays regained the lead in the second half with Salyer’s second rushing touchdown of the game, making the score 21-17 Seward.

Waverly turned to Axmann again in the third quarter, as he took the handoff 31 yards to give the Vikings the 24-21 lead.

Fast forward to overtime, Waverly’s Brady Schaefer picked off Salyer, and the Vikings walked it off with an Axmann touchdown rush.

Waverly will host Bennington next Friday for a chance to play for a Class B title.