Peabody-Burns falls to Osborne

Braxton Kyle carries the ball during the first quarter against Osborne Tuesday in Peabody-Burns? 66-44 bi-district playoff loss. Janae Rempel / Free PressThe Peabody-Burns football team?s season came to a close with a 66-44 loss to Osborne Tuesday in a Class 8-man, Division I bi-district playoff game.

As District 3 winners, the undefeated Warriors (9-0) were paired against defending state champion Osborne (8-1), the runners-up in District 4. Osborne?s only loss came at the hands of District 4 winner, undefeated Hanover last week.

The Bulldogs struck fast and often to start the game, needing only a combined five plays to score on three separate drives for a 24-0 lead with 5:16 left in the first quarter.

But the Warrior defense forced a turnover on downs on Osborne?s next possession, and Peabody-Burns got on the board on the first play from scrimmage on a 47-yard touchdown pass from Braxton Kyle to Austin Reynolds. Clayton Philpott caught Kyle?s two-point conversion pass to make it 24-8, a score that held to the end of the first quarter.

With momentum swinging the Warriors? way, the defense forced a Bulldog three-and-out. A 31-yard punt return by Kevin Baatrup set the Warriors up with a first-and-goal at the Osborne 5-yard line, and Peabody-Burns needed only two plays to score, this time on a 3-yard run by Kiefer Larsen to close the gap to 24-14 just one minute into the second period.

The Bulldogs answered with a score that extended their lead to 30-14, but on the first play of the Warriors? next drive, Philpott found running room around the right side for a 75-yard touchdown run to close the gap to 30-20.

The Bulldogs fumbled the ball away on first down, and on the next play, Kyle ran for an 11-yard score and added the two-point conversion. Suddenly, the Warriors were within 30-28 with 8:38 left in the half.

That was Peabody-Burns? last score of the half, however, as Osborne scored twice more before the break for a 44-28 halftime margin.

Osborne scored immediately after the break to increase its lead to 52-28, but the Warriors responded by putting together a 11-play, 65-yard scoring drive, capped by a 9-yard touchdown run by Baatrup. That made it 52-36 at the 4:01 mark.

The Bulldogs added a score as time expired in the third quarter on a 79-yard touchdown run, making the score 60-36 heading into the final quarter of play.

Osborne scored its final touchdown with 6:14 to go, and the Warriors answered back in two plays, cashing in on a 12-yard Philpott run. Philpott added the two-point conversion, bringing the score to the final, 66-44, with 5:37 left in the game.

With the loss, Peabody-Burns concludes the season with an overall record of 9-1.

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