JOHNSON, Neb. — That play coach Brett Davis came up with during school on Tuesday turned out to be a dandy.

Johnson-Brock quarterback Grahm Butler switched roles and caught a 28-yard touchdown pass from backup QB Cody Baack as time expired in the first half. Johnson-Brock never trailed after that and upset top-ranked Bancroft-Rosalie 46-34 Tuesday in the Class D-1 playoffs.

The win sends seventh-ranked Johnson-Brock to the state semifinals for the first time in school history. What makes it even better is that Bancroft-Rosalie had knocked Johnson-Brock out of the playoffs the past two seasons with combined scores of 130-22.

Johnson-Brock called a timeout with one second remaining in the first half, and it seemed like as good as time as any for the new play. Butler split out wide and caught the pass falling into the end zone, putting the Eagles up 34-28 at the half.

Davis thought of the play during school, and had Baack try it out a few times during sixth-period gym class. The first time Butler and Baack tried the route together was during the pregame. Knowing how good the Panthers were up front, the play was designed to get Butler extra space to use his playmaking abilities.

“I said we might not need this, but just in case, and it proved to be the right call,” Davis said. “It was big to take the lead at halftime.”

Bancroft-Rosalie tied the game early in the fourth quarter before Butler added TD runs of 35- and 7 yards. Johnson-Brock did enough to slow an offense that had average 58 points in the playoffs and sealed the win by holding the Panthers without a yard on four downs inside the Eagles’ 9-yard line with two minutes left in the game.

The only 8-man quarterfinal matchup that included two unbeaten teams was a treat if you love offense. Three players rushed for over 100 yards and two others were close.

The Panthers hurt their chances with three interceptions and two fumbles, with three of those turnovers coming in the second half. Even worse was 100 yards worth of penalties, something coach John Cerny said was unlike his team.

Johnson-Brock has had a different star on offense during each round of the playoffs. This time it might have been all three members of the backfield. Butler rushed for 148 yards and three touchdowns along with his TD catch.

Hard-charging fullback Tyler Huey rushed for 164 yards and two scores. Running back Clint Damme had a 47-yard TD run in the first half, but only needed to be a decoy in the second half.

Johnson-Brock was more physical than the past two years when these teams met in the playoffs, Cerny said.

“We just couldn’t stop them,” he said.