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No. 3-ranked Cedar Catholic did nearly everything right against No. 2 Bishop Neumann in the C-2 quarterfinals Friday night — the Trojans controlled the ball and the clock. They bottled up Nebraska running back commit Conor Booth like few teams have in the second half.

And still, it was Booth celebrating with his teammates after the Cavaliers held on for a 24-21 win at Bishop Neumann High School.

"When you haven't made it past the first round in six years, it's pretty nice to be able to make the semis this year," Booth said. "It's something that you know when you lose in the first round every year. It's kind of heartbreaking, and being able to make it this far, especially with the team and the guys I've been playing football with for like 10 years now, it's special."

Booth, the state's leading rusher, once again put up special numbers. He finished with 34 carries for 259 yards and two touchdowns to push his season totals to 2,873 yards and 49 touchdowns.

But Booth had to work like he rarely does to get there. Both touchdowns came in the first half on runs of 48 and 63 yards. 

On a wet, slippery field at Bishop Neumann, the Cavaliers' offense was as simple as it gets — mostly Booth taking a direct snap, waiting for a crease to develop, and getting what he could behind the offensive line of Caleb Svoboda, Andrew Meduna, Jack Kuhfahl, Charles Toline, Matt Thulin and Jarred Cernik, and blocking backs Kamber Lechtenberg and Quin Schutt.

You know you're having a good year when two touchdowns is below average. But it marked the first time since Neumann's season opener against Norfolk Catholic that Booth didn't score at least three times.

It was also the first time since that opening-night loss that Neumann (10-1) was in a one-score game in the fourth quarter.

"They've been in about five games that were one score games in the fourth quarter. And there's a lot to be said about that," Neumann coach Jordan Roberts said of Cedar Catholic. "Learning how to win those games is a huge part of culture in football, and for us to come out on top in this game is really big for us."

The game wasn't decided until a wild final minute.

After Bishop Neumann ate up nearly eight minutes of the fourth quarter with a 13-play drive that ended on Cedar Catholic's 24-yard line with 42 second left, the Trojans miraculously got into position for a tying field goal.

With no timeouts left, quarterback Braeden Reifenrath moved Cedar Catholic (8-3) to the Neumann 38-yard line with three straight completions. A pass interference penalty on Neumann with no time on the clock gave the Trojans a shot at a 40-yard field goal. 

The kick, however, was wide left, setting off a wild Neumann celebration.

Reifenrath finished 20-for-23 for 166 yards and three touchdowns. One of his incompletions was a drop, and another was a spike to stop the clock on the final drive.

The third turned into the winning points for Neumann. After Alex Barry made a contested interception at the Cedar Catholic 32-yard line, four straight Booth runs set up Beau Fujan's 13-yard touchdown pass to Jake Rezak to make it 24-14 late in the third quarter.

It was the only pass Neumann completed all night.

Cedar Catholic scored with 8:29 left in the fourth to get within three before Neumann began its final, clock-eating drive.

"Obviously that's a really good team over there," Booth said. "And to come down to the wire like that, that's something you dream of."

The victory sends Bishop Neumann to the state semifinals for the first time since 2018. The Cavaliers will host Battle Creek, which scored 10 points in the final three minutes to upend Malcolm 30-27.