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After watching Marshfield and Henley walk away with the state championships in 2021 and 2023, respectively, it was finally time for Marist Catholic to come away with the crown on Saturday. The Spartans smothered Henley 30-6 on Saturday afternoon in Medford’s Spiegelberg Stadium for the team’s first state championship since 2009. The Spartans got on the board first, with a 34-yard field goal on the opening drive by Christian Guerrero. But that lead grew quickly, as Connor Harvey scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. Nick Hudson found Guerrero for a 43-yard touchdown pass to make it a 16-0 lead for Marist Catholic. Henley finally got on the board just before halftime, as Joe Janney delivered a 49-yard touchdown pass to make it 16-6. But Marist Catholic quickly got the momentum back, as Hudson found Aaron Bidwell for a 59-yard touchdown right after halftime to make it a 23-6 lead. The Spartans put the game away late with a 5-yard pass to CJ Giustina to make it 30-6. Subscribe to the High School Sports+ newsletter Sign up here to get exclusive news and insights from high school sports editor Nik Streng. -- Nik Streng covers high school sports in Oregon. Reach him at nstreng@oregonian.com or @NikStrengLINCOLN — Nebraska clinched its first bowl game berth since 2016 with a 44-25 win Saturday over Wisconsin at Memorial Stadium. Here are three takeaways: 1. Nebraska capitalized on mistakes that have gone against it throughout losing streak How Nebraska got in this position, needing Saturday’s 44-25 win over Wisconsin to clinch bowl eligibility for the first time in eight seasons, wasn’t a singular issue. It was a culmination of struggles on offense, a worn-down defense because of those struggles, undisciplined football and some bad bounces and luck. Sometimes when a team is in a rut like the Huskers have been, anything that can go wrong seems to find a way, and reversing those fortunes is the only way out. It wasn’t just that Nebraska’s offense was more than up to the task against a Badgers team that had allowed just seven points per game in first halves this season. Or its defense did just enough against a Badgers group missing its top wideout option. But those mistakes and bounces that have gone against the Huskers over the past month — and past decade — were happening to the team across the field on the other sideline. Nebraska took a 24-10 lead at halftime because of Wisconsin’s errors as much as the Huskers’ successes, and put its stamp on the game in the second to finally get that postseason monkey off of their shoulders. The Badgers missed two field goals, one of which came after a Janiran Bonner fumble inside of Nebraska’s own 20-yard line. The Badgers settled for three, but a delay of game negated a Nathanial Vakos field goal, and he missed his next attempt. He later missed another. In both cases, Nebraska drove down the field for touchdowns. Then it was Wisconsin's late-half execution, fumbling with 11 seconds left on first down after a Jahmal Banks touchdown catch, set up by a pass interference in the end zone, which allowed the Huskers to add a John Hohl 37-yard field goal before the half. A sequence like that is spirit-killing, and it was for Wisconsin. Nebraska wasn’t and won’t apologize for it, after those types of blunders have played out time and again against the Huskers over the past eight years, preventing them from finally breaking through. On Saturday, the Huskers made those plays, found a way and took the step forward as a program that has alluded them for years. 2. There is a full buy-in from Nebraska with Dana Holgorsen’s offense If there ever wasnproof that there is buy-in from Nebraska’s offense with new offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, check the blocking on both of the Huskers’ first-half touchdowns. Janiran Bonner and Dante Dowdell’s blocking sprung Heinrich Haarberg into the end zone on his five-yard touchdown run to put Nebraska up 7-0 and the combination of Luke Lindenmeyer and Jahmal Banks clearing a big hole at the line of scrimmage made it easy for Dante Dowdell’s 12-yard touchdown scamper. Holgorsen had praised Nebraska’s perimeter blocking following last week’s loss at USC. It took another step against Wisconsin. That’s a sign of a group of players taking coaching and improving on their game. As a whole, Nebraska’s offense looked significantly better in Week No. 2 under Holgorsen than in Los Angeles. That’s natural progression spending more practice time with a new coach. The Huskers played with balance, rushing for 180 yards and throwing for 293. Dylan Raiola finished 28-for-38 and a touchdown. With Rahmir Johnson out again, it was Emmett Johnson and Dante Dowdell’s backfield and the duo each had big moments helping Nebraska control the line of scrimmage. Johnson, who started the game led Nebraska with 113 yards on 16 carries, adding 85 receiving yards on six catches. Dowdell added 41 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries. Raiola made his living on quick passes and intermediate throws, building off that game plan installed against USC and cashing in with his five-yard touchdown pass to Banks to put the Huskers up, 21-10. Overall, there was more confidence. There was better execution. And two games into its coaching change, the Huskers' offense appears to be playing with a new purpose and attitude. 3. Huskers defense bends, but doesn’t break behind shaky secondary You could sense the “here we go, again" groans coming from the 86,00-plus in attendance at Memorial Stadium when Wisconsin went right down the field and tied the game at seven on a four-yard touchdown pass from Braedyn Locke to Bryson Green. Though there were moments where Nebraska's defense settled in, bent and didn't break, it was largely another poor night for the backend of the Blackshirts. Nebraska’s defensive backs struggled on that first drive, and it was a group effort, with Malcolm Hartzog and Isaac Gifford having bad moments and Marques Buford being on the wrong side of the touchdown pass. Ceyair Wright later got beat for a touchdown, a 24-yard catch by Green. Locke also picked on Blye Hill, who played the majority of the game for Hartzog, on a 58-yard touchdown pass to Vinny Anthony. Wisconsin finished the game with 407 yards, more than half through the air. Locke finished 20-for-30 for 292 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. Nebraska's defensive struggles to win one-on-one matchups on the outside will continue to be an emphasis heading into next week's regular season finale at Iowa