Just win, baby

The big boss and I spent the final few moments of Friday’s Husker game huddled around the office’s small TV, hoping for a reversal of fortune from the last half decade. 
Nebraska pulled out a 14-13 win at Rutgers on a Friday night in an anything but easy scenario. An impressive second half defensive effort went alongside just enough offensively to get the win. 
Yet, the complaints were rampant. 
I get it. I watched the game back in its entirety afterwards, despite warnings against my mental health from friends. Even after watching the game all the way through, I felt no need to complain. 
Nebraska won the game.
One more time – Nebraska won the game. In every possible scenario in the past five seasons, the Huskers would have unfathomably lost that game. 
Why was this one different? I really have no idea. Is the curse of Frank Solich broken? I’m not sure, but we can all hope so. 
I heard the complaints. “What an ugly victory.” “That was the worst win I’ve ever seen.” “Can’t be happy about that one.”
Sure I can! I’m thrilled! Why? We won the game. 
I am so tired of watching my favorite team lose in the most shocking fashion. Hail Marys, on-side kicks, game-winning field goals.
At this point in my Husker fandom, I am so sick of “losing pretty.” Give me “winning ugly” eight days a week and twice on a Friday night in New Jersey. 
How many people thought Nebraska wouldn’t win another game after another shocking one-score loss to Georgia Southern, a former head coach out the door and Oklahoma on the doorstep?
Mickey Joseph is doing some incredible work with this team to even make them look competitive. It’s now a 3-3 Husker team that is tied for the lead in the Big Ten West. Would anybody believe that four weeks ago?
***
All the talk in the area is on the Aurora football team and rightly so. They’re undefeated and primed for another deep postseason run. 
But let’s take a minute and look at one of our other teams – the Hampton Hawks. 
The purple and gold are flashing success of old, sporting a 4-2 record, its best in more than a decade. The Hawks are in the conversation of a district championship and its two final games are arguably the biggest games Hampton will be part of in at least 10 years. 
Hampton is headed to St. Edward Friday night, a team that current Hawk head coach Jereme Jones called home back in the day. He’s excited to go back and judging what I saw from Hampton Friday night, they’re excited too. 
A win on Friday night against St. Edward and the Hawks will travel to Stuart the following Friday and play for a district championship. 
It’s been a lot of fun to cover the 2022 version of the Hawks. Hampton runs the ball and does so with physicality. Jack Bullis is a talented back who is quick and hard to bring down. Hampton can also hand the ball off to Evan Pankoke, who I refer to as “Pancake,” carrying the ball like a NFL fullback who is angry at the grass.  
We’ll be in St. Edward Friday night to see if the Hawks can take one step closer to a district title and a playoff berth. I wouldn’t miss it. 
RICHARD RHODEN can be reached at sports@hamilton.net.