Doniphan, NE - The Ord Chanticleers opened the Class C2 state playoffs explosively Friday night, overpowering Doniphan-Trumbull 63–30 at Chanticleer Stadium. Behind a punishing ground game and a relentless defensive effort, the Chanticleers turned a tight first half into a dominant second-half performance to advance to the quarterfinals.
Ord set the tone early when Jordan Williams scored on the first play from scrimmage on a 49 yard touchdown run. The Ord defense forced a 3-and-out and punt on the Cardinals' first drive, and the Chants capitalized on the next possession when Haydin Nelson dashed 19 yards for the opening touchdown. The Cardinals responded by adding a score, but Nelson struck again—this time on a 30-yard pass from Jordan Williams—to regain the lead. The Chanticleers had a 21–14 advantage after a fast-paced start to end the 1st quarter.
Doniphan-Trumbull briefly surged ahead in the second quarter with a kick return and two-point conversion, but Ord’s offense refused to slow down. Nelson added a 4-yard touchdown run, and from that point forward, it was all Chanticleers. Williams opened the third quarter with a 10-yard touchdown run before Beau Wells added back-to-back scores on runs of one and twelve yards. Williams later sprinted 24 yards for his second rushing touchdown of the night, and the defense capped the game when Hunter Winkelbauer intercepted a pass and returned it for a touchdown.
When the dust settled, the Chanticleers racked up an incredible 624 total yards, including 541 on the ground. Williams rushed for 323 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries while also throwing for 83 yards and a touchdown. Nelson added 118 rushing yards, 67 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns, while Wells powered through for 97 yards and two scores.
On defense, Ord forced three interceptions, held the Cardinals to just 12 rushing yards, and sacked the quarterback six times, four times by Caden Lytle. Winkelbauer’s 90-yard interception return sealed the win late in the fourth quarter. Colt Meyer made seven out of eight extra points and added a crucial two-point conversion.
“Our kids played with great heart and physicality tonight,” said Head Coach Nate Wells. “We faced some adversity early in the first half with some special team errors, but they kept their composure, trusted the plan, and responded with a complete team effort. That’s playoff football.”
With the victory, Ord improves to 7–3 on the season and advances to the second round of the Class C2 playoffs. The Chanticleers will go on the road next Friday night to Hartington to take on Cedar Catholic at 7:00 P.M.
Game Leaders
Ord Chanticleers
Passing: J. Williams - 5/10, 83 Yds 1 TD
Rushing: J. Williams - 26 Att, 323 Yds, 2 TD, H. Nelson - 11 Att, 118 Yds 2 TD, B. Wells - 20 Att, 97 Yds 2 TD, C. Meyer 1 Att, 3 Yds
Receiving: H. Nelson - 2 Rec, 67 Yds, 1 TD, C. Thompson - 2 Rec, 13 Yds, B. Wells - 1 Rec, 3 Yds
Tackling: H. Winkelbauer - 9 Tkls, C. Thompson - 9 Tkls, B. Wells - 7 Tkls, J. Williams - 5 Tkls, C. Lytle - 5 Tkls, 4 Scks, 4 Tfls, C. Meyer - 5 Tkls, 1 Sck, 2 Tfls, K. Nelson - 4 Tkls, 1 Tfl, L. Critel - 4 Tkls, L. Klein - 4 Tkls, 1 Sck, 2 Tfls
Takeaways: H. Winkelbauer - Int, K. Nelson - Int, L. Critel - Int
Kicking: C. Meyer - 7/8 Pats