GACC tops Nebraska Christian in opener

The GACC Football team topped Nebraska Christian 32-12 on the road Friday night.

The game was tied at 6 after one, and then the Bluejays blanked the Eagles 8-0 in the second quarter to take a 14-6 lead into the locker room.

GACC shutout Nebraska Christian 12-0 in the third quarter to go up 26-6 after three.

Both teams scored 6 points in the fourth quarter.

Jared Minnick had 255 yards rushing on 31 carries, including four touchdowns. Derek Petz was 5-11 passing for 48 yards and an interception.

Jadyn Smeal made 10 tackles while Noah Hass had 9.

The Bluejays racked up 373 yards of total offense, 315 of them rushing.

The defense gave up 172 yards of offense, 149 coming on the ground.

Very great performance from Minnick. He is definitely the key to GACC's success this season, in my opinion.

Coverage of high school football continues this Friday on 107.9 The Bull as the 1-0 Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays host the 0-1 Clarkson/Leigh Patriots in Beemer.

Head Coach Dave Ridder comments on scouting the Patriots. "They have some pretty good athletes and they like to use their running game to set up the pass," Ridder said. "Defensively they like to do some things to try to confuse you up front. So we have some things to work on."

I'd say slowing down Anthony Bruhn is absolutely critical to GACC's success.

This game figures to be a chess match between both coaches with both teams having that one star player.

Minnick was more impressive than Bruhn in Week 1 I would say, but Bruhn is still a very good player, and the Bluejays need to come up with a game plan to slow him down, if they haven't already.

Bruhn had 112 yards rushing and 107 yards passing in Clarkson/Leigh's loss to Pender last week so you know he can definitely get the job done.

I would say the biggest thing for GACC is slowing him down and forcing someone else to beat them.

That or if the Bluejays can keep everyone besides Bruhn in check, and just let Bruhn get his yards, then GACC could be okay that way too.

I would say it's going to take more than one player to knock off the Bluejays, and any team that beats GACC is a great team.

I don't know if the Patriots will be able to slow down Minnick, and I'm not sure if Clarkson/Leigh's offense can keep up with the Bluejays'.

If anything I expect this game to be a high scoring affair with a running clock perhaps.

I think GACC is just as good if not better than they were last year, but the Bluejays have to come ready to play just like they did last week.

This week is Clarkson/Leigh, and that's the only team that should be on GACC's mind and radar.

If the Bluejays focus in on and prepare well for the Patriots then everything else will take care of itself.

Kickoff Friday night is scheduled for 7:00, with the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Pregame Show at 6:40. Listen live on 107.9 The Bull, online at kticradio.com and on the free KTIC Radio app.

Clarkson/Leigh loses opener to Pender

The Clarkson/Leigh Football team came up on the short end of the stick Friday night, losing 46-20 at home to Pender.

The Patriots drew first blood as Anthony Bruhn hit Tommy McEvoy on a 41-yard pass to put Clarkson/Leigh up 6-0 in the 1st.

Following three straight Pendragon touchdowns, Bruhn hooked up with McEvoy again, this time from 62 yards out to draw Clarkson/Leigh within 8 at 20-12 in the second quarter.

The Patriots put up the rest of their points in the 4th quarter, recording a safety and a 26-yard TD run by Isaak Wiese that made it a 40-20 game in favor of Pender.

Bruhn was 3-14 passing for 107 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. He also ran the ball 18 times for 112 yards.

McEvoy caught all three passes, and accounted for all the receiving yardage and touchdowns.

Hector Mendoza made 9 tackles to lead the team.

Clarkson/Leigh totaled 312 yards of offense, including 205 on the ground.

The defense gave up 461 yards of offense, 266 coming on the ground.

It appears the Patriots played well enough offensively to win, it's just defense that was the issue.

Coverage of high school football continues this Friday on 107.9 The Bull as the 1-0 Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays host the 0-1 Clarkson/Leigh Patriots in Beemer.

Head Coach Jim Clarkson says limiting GACC's offensive time of possession will be a key to the game. "A big thing for us is we're gonna have to get off the field. We're gonna have to find a way to slow down their offense. They seem to, in their first game anyways, seem to be a little bit less multiple than they have been in years past. I suppose they're breaking in a new quarterback and stuff, but again they have those big guys that seem to pound right at you," Clarkson said. "So we gotta somehow find a way to get off the field. If we can do that and hopefully string together a couple long drives against them, that would give us a chance to be competitive in the game. And then who knows what happens."

I think it will be important for the Patriots to limit big plays and force the Bluejays to drive the length of the field.

I also think Clarkson/Leigh is going to need to catch some breaks and force turnovers to have a chance in this one.

The Patriot offense also can't afford to put the ball on the ground or throw it into the hands of a GACC player.

Clarkson/Leigh has to value the rock, and make sure they do everything they can to maximize their possessions.

I think it's going to take a near perfect and flawless game from the Patriots to win. The Bluejays are so tough, and can beat you in so many different ways.

One player in particular that Clarkson/Leigh has to focus on stopping, or at least slowing down, is Jared Minnick.

Minnick had 255 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns in GACC's win over Nebraska Christian last week, and is a handful to bring down.

Clarkson/Leigh got off on the wrong foot this past Friday night so perhaps the Patriots will get things turned around this week.

Clarkson/Leigh is going to need to play much better defensively than they did against Pender to avoid an 0-2 start, there's no doubt about it.

The Patriots are capable of winning though. Going into Beemer and winning is not easy, but it's not impossible. It's just going to take a tremendous team effort on Clarkson/Leigh's part.

The biggest thing for the Patriots is believe. Clarkson/Leigh has to play to win, and not play not to lose.

Kickoff Friday night is scheduled for 7:00, with the St. Francis Memorial Hospital Pregame Show at 6:40. Listen live on 107.9 The Bull, online at kticradio.com and on the free KTIC Radio app.

Scribner-Snyder falters in opener at Mead

The Scribner-Snyder Football team dropped their season opener at Mead Friday night, falling 48-26.

The Raiders led 14-12 after one, and won the second quarter 8-6 to take a 22-18 lead into the locker room.

Mead outscored the Trojans 20-8 in the third quarter to go up 42-26 at the end of three.

The Raiders blanked Scribner-Snyder 6-0 in the fourth quarter.

Austin Peters had 184 yards rushing on 19 carries, including 4 touchdowns. Sebastian Arnold carried the rock 28 times for 115 yards.

Peters racked up a team-high 11 tackles.

The Trojans had 338 yards of total offense, all on the ground.

The defense gave up 349 yards of total offense, including 183 through the air.

Scribner-Snyder got their yardage behind that big offensive line, but I think the Trojans may have worn down a bit due to their lack of depth.

Scribner-Snyder (0-1) travels to Bloomfield (1-0) to take on the Bees Thursday night.

Bloomfield won 14-6 at Wynot Friday night.

This figures to be a very difficult challenge for the Trojans, one Scribner-Snyder needs to be up for.

The Bees are obviously a very strong defensive team, but maybe not as great on offense so the Trojans need to step up their game defensively and run the ball the way they did against Mead.

Scribner-Snyder needs to run the ball effectively and chew up clock, and keep Bloomfield's offense off the field.

The Trojans' big guys up front give Scribner-Snyder a chance in every ball game they play in, in my opinion.

I don't think there's many teams on Scribner-Snyder's schedule, if any, that are going to slow down let alone stop the Trojans' run game.

Scribner-Snyder might need to be able to mix in some passing here and there though.

I mean do what you do best until someone stops it, which is run the ball, but to be a complete team I think the Trojans need to be able to put the ball in the air a little.

Scribner-Snyder has to play sound fundamental defense Thursday night, and must create turnovers and take care of the ball.

Limiting penalties and other mistakes will be crucial for the Trojans as well, in my opinion.

I don't think there's a lot of room for error for Scribner-Snyder in this game.

Wynot is a very good team, and Bloomfield beating them is a huge deal.

You can bet the Bees will be out to prove that they are for real, as if they haven't proved that already.

The Trojans have to go in there with a fierce mentality, and be ready to play and hit people. Scribner-Snyder can't back down from Bloomfield one bit.

The Bees pulled off a big win last week, but it's a new week, and the Trojans are definitely capable of going up there and finding a way to win.

Scribner-Snyder could also get blown out, but that may not happen given how solid the Trojans' running game is.

A solid performance Friday night could lead to good things the next two weeks when Scribner-Snyder is at home, in my opinion.

Howells-Dodge gets late stop to hold off East Butler

The Howells-Dodge Football Team won 26-20 at home over East Butler Friday night.

The game was tied at 6 after one before the Jaguars outscored the Tigers 14-6 in the second quarter to lead 20-12 at halftime.

Neither team scored in the third quarter. East Butler won the fourth quarter 8-6.

Senior Quarterback Dax VanLengen was 13-20 passing for 177 yards and two touchdowns.

Luke Rocheford made 4 catches for 62 yards, and scored once. Jordan Brichacek hauled in 4 passes for 56 yards, and scored once. Jon Yosten caught 4 passes for 51 yards.

Dylan Horejsi carried the ball 23 times for 89 yards.

Kade Hegemann racked up a team-high 22 tackles while Yosten made 20. Brichacek and Lane Hegemann made 12 apiece while Connor Blum totaled 10.

Howells-Dodge amassed 286 yards of offense, including 177 passing.

East Butler registered 388 yards of total offense, 249 of them rushing.

This was a great, great win for the Jaguars. Howells-Dodge definitely got their season started off on the right foot.

The Jaguars (1-0) take on Osmond (0-1) on the road Friday night.

The Tigers lost 54-6 at Humphrey St. Francis this past Friday night.

I figured Osmond would be tougher than they were in their opener so this game doesn't appear to be as difficult or tricky as I first thought it would be for Howells-Dodge.

With that said, the Jaguars have to prepare for and treat this game the same way they did East Butler.

Every team deserves equal preparation and attention, and Howells-Dodge has to go into Osmond and take care of business.

The Jaguars have to go in there and put the Tigers away early, and give Osmond no chance whatsoever.

VanLengen needs to have another big game passing, and Horejsi needs to have a good game running the ball. Breaking the 100-yard plateau would be great progress for him in this young season.

Howells-Dodge shouldn't be challenged over the course of the next month plus, but the Jaguars need to play well to stay sharp.

Howells-Dodge's schedule reminds me a lot of GACC's in that it's not overwhelmingly challenging yet there are still a few challenging contests with opportunities to stay sharp every week.

The Bluejays made it to last year's D-1 title game winning a tough game at home by 6 points so perhaps the Jaguars can do what GACC did a season ago.

Howells-Dodge has a chance to have a special season, and the Jaguars have to continue to play well each and every week, and be on top of their game week in and week in out.

The Jaguars need to take care of business early these next four weeks to rest starters and get backups playing experience.

You want to play starters long enough for them to stay sharp though so only when it is necessary to put backups in should the starters be pulled.

If the starters play 2-3 quarters the next 4 weeks then that should allow Howells-Dodge to be healthy and well rested for the end of the regular season and their upcoming playoff run, assuming there is one.

The Jaguars have a lot of good things going for them right now so they just need to stay on course and continue to play good ball and they should be just fine.

A win over Osmond would be another big step in the right direction for Howells-Dodge.

Pender wins first game of year over Clarkson/Leigh

The Pender Football Team got their season started off on the right foot, winning 46-20 at Clarkson/Leigh Friday night.

The Pendragons led 8-6 at the end of one, and outscored the Patriots 24-6 in the second quarter to lead 32-12 at halftime.

Pender added 8 more points in the 3rd quarter, and led 40-12 at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh won the fourth quarter 8-6.

Brady Oliver was 10-21 passing for 195 yards with 5 touchdowns and an interception. Oliver added 119 yards rushing on 11 carries. Korbin Hardenbrook carried the rock 13 times for 115 yards with a touchdown.

Tyler Nelson made 5 receptions for 85 yards, and scored twice. Jared Tyrell had 2 receptions for 64 yards, and scored once.

Jesse Thompson made 8 tackles while Oliver and Thompson had 7 apiece.

The Pendragons had 461 yards of total offense, including 266 on the ground. The defense surrendered 312 yards, 205 coming on the ground.

This was a great performance from Pender. The Pendragons really showed how good of a team they are, and really took the fight to the Patriots.

Pender (1-0) hosts Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing (1-0) Friday night.

The Renegades won 76-8 at Niobrara/Verdigre this past Friday.

This is going to be a very difficult game for the Pendragons, but I feel this is an opportunity for Pender to spring a big upset and turn some heads around the state.

CWCE is a great power, and beating them would be a tremendous accomplishment for this Pendragon program.

Pender played an exceptional second quarter against the Patriots, but I think it's going to take a complete four quarter game from the Pendragons in order to knock off the Renegades.

The Pendragons are no doubt going to need to play their best game of the year and out of their minds to win this game, in my opinion.

Oliver has to go off for Pender again, and Hardenbrook needs to turn in another 100+ yard game on the ground.

Getting two players over 100 yards rushing and one of those players almost 200 yards passing is a winning recipe.

Oliver and Hardenbrook appear to be a great one two duo and punch for this team, and I fully expect them to have solid games against CWCE as well.

If there's a team that can keep these two in check though it is the Renegades. That's a task that's much easier discussed than done though so we'll see if Oliver and Hardenbrook can repeat last week's efforts.

The Pendragons have to watch out for Daniel Libolt and Carter Croxen.

The Renegades had a more balanced rushing attack Friday night, and ran for 329 yards against Niobrara/Verdigre.

I think Pender was more impressive than CWCE though, and can definitely win this game.

A win over the Renegades would be a big statement win for the Pendragons, and would no doubt give Pender a huge boost of confidence as if they don't need anymore already.

The Pendragons were mighty impressive in Week 1, and I think Pender has what it takes to turn in another good performance this coming Friday night.

Whether it yields another win or not is yet to be seen, but regardless of the outcome I look for the Pendragons to play hard and compete well.

Winnebago falls in season opener to Wakefield

The season opener didn't go the way the Winnebago Football team would of liked as the Indians lost 64-36 at home to Wakefield Friday night.

It sounds like the Indians turned in a good performance on offense, but struggled on defense.

Winnebago (0-1) looks to get back on track Friday night when they take on Plainview (0-1) on the road.

The Pirates lost 50-20 at West Holt this past Friday night.

I think the Indians have a chance to do well in and win this game.

Winnebago did some nice things on offense last week, now it's just a matter of getting things ironed out defensively.

Plainview had their struggles on offense and defense too so this should be a good, entertaining ball game, and most likely a high scoring affair.

The Indians have to think they have a legitimate shot to win this game because they do, in my opinion.

I look for Winnebago to flip the script Friday night, and go out there and have a good showing.

Win or lose, I'm sure the Indians will play very hard, and give a tremendous effort.

Winnebago has to work on being physical at the line of scrimmage, and opening up holes in the run game as well as stopping the run.

The Indians have to be fierce competitors, and keep playing until the final whistle.

A game is never truly over until the final whistle is blown, and so Winnebago has to believe they're in games at all times.

Even if the Indians get down by a double digit deficit...they have to keep fighting and working hard no matter what.

If memory serves me correct Winnebago came back from a pretty large deficit against Cedar Bluffs a couple of years back so anything can happen.

That's why the Indians have to keep fighting and battling until the final whistle...you just never know what is going to happen in the game of football.

Winnebago is a very capable team, they just need to shore up defensive mistakes made last week.

The Indians have to go out there and tackle well, limit turnovers, execute on offense, run and pass the ball well, and limit big plays.

Making big plays would also help Winnebago out big time, in my opinion.

Tekamah-Herman downs Madison in season opener

The Tekamah-Herman Football team won their season opener Friday night, downing Madison 18-14 at home.

The Dragons struck first, and led 6-0 after one. The Tigers answered, nodding the game up at 6 at halftime.

Tekamah-Herman won the third quarter 12-8 to make up the final score. No one scored in the 4th quarter.

Gage Drummond had 51 yards rushing on 12 carries while Ethan Braniff carried the ball 12 times for 50 yards, and scored a touchdown.

Clay Beaumont was 3-4 through the air for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Brandon Schram was on the receiving end of all of that.

Drummond made a team-high 11 tackles while Blake Moore totaled 9. Chance Reusch and Tristan Metzger notched 8 and 7, respectively.

The Tigers amassed 179 yards of total offense, including 131 rushing.

This was a good win for Tekamah-Herman. Madison isn't Norfolk Catholic or Pierce by any means, but they're still a C-1 school, and that has to count for something.

The Tigers (1-0) host Ponca (1-0) Friday night.

The Indians downed Fremont Bergan 24-13 at home this past Friday night.

I figured Ponca would be good, but I was a little surprised they beat the Knights, especially by 11. I think Bergan could be overrated though.

Still the Indians are a force to be reckoned with, and Tekamah-Herman is going to have their hands full there's no doubt about it.

We'll see what happens, but I think this Friday night's game could be much different than this past Friday's game.

That doesn't mean the Tigers can't win...I'm just saying I think it's going to be much tougher given the caliber of opponent.

Tekamah-Herman has to be better on both sides of the ball if they want to knock off Ponca.

The Tigers need to be more physical, and must be ready to blow people off the ball.

I'm sure Tekamah-Herman would like to see Braniff and Drummond run for over 100 yards each instead of combine for over 100.

The Tigers are going to need more yards, points, and will need to allow around the same amount of points to knock off the Indians, in my opinion.

As nice as the opening season win was Tekamah-Herman has to be over it, and must be focused on and ready for Ponca.

The Tigers have to pay attention to detail in practice, and be ready to execute at a high level.

Tekamah-Herman has to iron out in any mistakes and kinks from game one, and be ready to correct those and make things happen Friday night.

The Tigers are on the road the next two weeks after this so Tekamah-Herman has to do everything they can to turn in a good performance to give themselves confidence and momentum for the North Bend Central and Doniphan-Trumbull contests.

There's only one opponent the Tigers should be focused on right now though, and that's Ponca.

Tekamah-Herman has to be ready to play a four quarter game, and make sure they do everything they possibly can to compete in and win the game.

Again, the Indians are a very good team so things figure to be tough for the Tigers, but anything can happen, and Tekamah-Herman is certainly capable of getting the job done and coming away with the win.

Wisner-Pilger blanked by Crofton in opening game of season

The Wisner-Pilger Football team lost 21-0 at home to Crofton Friday night.

It no doubt had to be a tough way for the Gators to start the season, but I thought Wisner-Pilger competed pretty well considering the Warriors are the defending Class C-2 State Runner-Up.

The Gators (0-1) face Stanton (0-1) on the road Friday night.

The Mustangs lost 33-13 at home to Elmwood-Murdock Friday night.

Stanton allowed 306 yards rushing and only had 86 yards rushing themselves.

I think Wisner-Pilger has a shot in this one if they can run the ball and stop the run.

Only giving up 21 points to Crofton is pretty good, but the Gators have to get the offense going.

You'll never win a game laying a goose egg, and that's simply something Wisner-Pilger can't afford to do again.

This is a rivalry game though, and anything can happen. You can bet both teams will come out ready to play hard, smashmouth football, and will no doubt turn in great performances.

There's a lot on the line in this game in terms of pride. Both squads got off to tough starts, and a second loss in as many weeks will no doubt be demoralizing to whoever doesn't win.

This is a must win for both teams really, and the Gators have to want it more than the Mustangs.

Stanton has had Wisner-Pilger's number lately so perhaps the Gators will get the Mustangs this year.

Keegan Ruskamp, Jayden Raabe, and others must have big games for Wisner-Pilger to be successful.

The Gators have to play physical, smashmouth, take it to you type football, and not back down from Stanton whatsoever.

This is Wisner-Pilger's chance to really do something. The game is at Stanton, but it would be a huge deal for the Gators to go into the Mustangs' house and come away with a victory.

Much easier said than done, but Wisner-Pilger has to simply believe, and go in to Stanton and play with confidence.

The Gators have to play to win, and find a way to get their offense going.

Wisner-Pilger isn't going to win if they don't score...simply put. But if the Gators can get their offense going then look out.

The potential and opportunity to win is there for Wisner Pilger...the Gators have to simply go out there and get the job done and make things happen.

This might be Wisner-Pilger's best shot at beating the Mustangs in quite some time.

Logan View starts year with win over Palmyra

The Logan View Football team kicked off the 2017 campaign with a 20-13 home win over Palmyra Friday night.

This was a solid win for the Raiders although I expected Logan View to be more dominant than they were.

The Raiders (1-0) travel out west on Friday to take on Central City (0-1).

The Bison lost 27-13 at home to Centennial this past Friday night.

I think this game is a huge and excellent opportunity for Logan View to pick up a big statement win.

When you talk about making the playoffs and taking your program to the next level...these are the types of games you want to win.

Winning this game would be a huge momentum booster heading into next week's home opener with Yutan.

The Raiders definitely have a chance to have a big season, and do some special things.

These next 2 or 3 games are very critical for Logan View in setting the tone for district play.

Getting back to the Central City game specifically...again a great opportunity for the Raiders that they need to capitalize on.

I don't think things will be easy for Logan View by any means, but I look for the Raiders to go out there and play a good game, and perhaps come away with a win.

The ride home would be much more jolly if Logan View is able to come away with a win.

The Raiders have to go out there with a business like attitude and play to win. Logan View has to be ready to play physical, smashmouth football for 4 quarters, and must be ready to outlast, ouhustle, outphysical, and outplay the Bison.

This is a huge game for the Logan View program, and the importance of going out there and playing well cannot be stated enough.

The Raiders just have to go out there and play their game, and give things their best shot.

If Logan View makes a mistake or commits some sort of silly penalty then so be it. Let it go and move on to the next play.

If you're the Raiders all you can ask for is to be in a position to win the game in the 4th quarter.

Hit hard and play for keeps....that's what Logan View has to do.

BRLD loses first game of year to Hartington Cedar Catholic

The BRLD Football team lost their season opener on Friday, falling 42-6 at Hartington Cedar Catholic.

It was definitely a difficult season opening loss for the Wolverines. I expected BRLD to compete than they did quite honestly.

The Wolverines (0-1) look to rebound Friday night when they take on Crofton (1-0) on the road.

The defending Class C-2 Runner-Up Warriors won 21-0 at Wisner-Pilger this past Friday night.

That's a win, but not a dominant win. I look for BRLD to compete better this Friday than they did last week.

I don't know if the Wolverines will win, but I think BRLD can be much more competitive against Crofton than they were Hartington Cedar Catholic.

The Wolverines just simply have to be better offensively and defensively than they were against the Trojans.

The Warriors are known for their power run game so BRLD has to be ready to match Crofton's physicality, and must be able to run the ball as well as stop the run.

The Wolverines have to step things up and forget about last week. The past is the past, and all BRLD can do now is move forward and improve.

The Hartington Cedar Catholic loss was no doubt disappointing and demoralizing, but the Wolverines have to pick themselves up and find a way to bounce back.

No one is going to feel sorry for BRLD so the only people that can change the Wolverines' fortunes is those a part of the program.

It's only the second week of the season and definitely not the time to panic, but BRLD needs to up their level of play significantly if they want to get back on track and not go on to have a disappointing 2017 campaign.

The schedule is very difficult to start off with so the Wolverines are definitely getting tested early and often to say the least.

I think these tough games and this tough schedule will only make BRLD a stronger team down the line.

You would of liked to have seen the Wolverines compete at a higher level and keep things closer with the Trojans, but I think things will only get better for BRLD from here on out.

Stanton drops opener to Elmwood-Murdock

Stanton lost 33-13 at home to Elmwood-Murdock in Friday night's season opener.

The Knights led 13-0 after one before the Mustangs scored 13 second quarter points to square the game away at 13 at halftime.

Elmwood-Murdock scored 6 points in the third quarter to lead 19-13 after three. The Knights added 14 in the 4th to make up the final score.

Marcus Spotanski was 6-14 passing for 78 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions.

Beau Wilke hauled in 2 passes for 40 yards, and carried the rock 10 times for 66 yards.

The Mustangs had 164 yards of total offense, 86 coming on the ground.

Stanton gave up 328 yards of total offense, including 306 rushing.

I must say I'm surprised the Mustangs gave up so many yards on the ground. It sounds like Stanton was outphysicaled at the line of scrimmage and worn down.

The Mustangs (0-1) host Wisner-Pilger (0-1) Friday night.

The Gators were shutout 21-0 at home by Crofton this past Friday night.

This could be a scary game for Stanton. What may have looked like a sure win to start the season doesn't look that way now, in my opinion.

Wisner-Pilger competed well with Crofton seeing as the Warriors are the defending Class C-2 Runner-Up.

The Gators really struggled on offense in the opener and much of last year, but Wisner-Pilger has a stout defense.

If the Mustangs aren't more physical and don't win the battle at the line of scrimmage then they could very well lose to their rivals Friday night.

The good news for Stanton is it's another home game.

This really is a must win for the Mustangs. There's no other way to put it.

The schedule is very, very challenging after this game, and I would say Stanton's last 7 games are tougher than their first two.

The Mustangs need to find an identity on offense, and step up and be physical up front.

Rushing for 86 yards and allowing 306 is very unStanton like, and the Mustangs need to resolve their issues quickly.

It's still early in the season, and there's a lot of time for Stanton to right the ship, but it's important for the Mustangs to play really well in this contest.

Friday night's game isn't just about beating a rival in Wisner-Pilger and picking up the 1st win of the season...it's much more than that.

This game could very well set the tone for the rest of the season for Stanton.

The Mustangs need to not only win this game, but win it big. Stanton needs to turn in an all around great performance to get on track.

Oakland-Craig hammers Malcolm in season opener

The Oakland-Craig Football team picked up a big 38-0 home win over Malcolm to open up the season Friday night.

The Knights did all their damage in the first 3 quarters, scoring 12 points in the 1st, 14 in the 2nd, and 12 more in the 3rd.

Jared Mulder was 9-15 passing for 231 yards and two touchdowns.

Garrett Seagren caught 6 balls for 183 yards and two scores. Kobe Benne hauled in 3 passes for 48 yards.

Ben Smith finished with 86 yards rushing on 12 carries, scoring once. Jefferson McNeil scored on a 65-yard run, his only rushing attempt of the game. Benne had 48 yards rushing on 4 attempts, and scored twice.

Robby Mayberry made 10 tackles while Tyson Harney had 9.

Oakland-Craig registered 521 yards of total offense, 290 coming on the ground.

It was a great team performance from the Knights. A performance that was to be expected given everyone Oakland-Craig brought back. Very impressive considering the Knights were without some players.

Oakland-Craig (1-0) takes on Battle Creek (1-0) on the road Friday night.

The Braves won 14-12 at then No. 1 Yutan this past Friday night.

Battle Creek beat the Knights twice last year, winning 21-12 in the regular season, and 49-21 in the playoffs.

You can bet the Braves will be out to get Oakland-Craig again, and more than likely have a lot of confidence and are riding a big high following last week's win.

Going into Battle Creek's house and winning is never easy, but if there's a team that can go in there and get the job done it's Oakland-Craig.

The Knights have to be clicking on all cylinders, and must have tremendous balance like they did against the Clippers.

You know Oakland-Craig can play defense seeing as they shutout Malcolm, but the same could be said for Battle Creek seeing as they held Yutan to just 12 points.

I look for this game to be a defensive slugfest with players like Seagren being the difference in the game for the Knights.

Big time players make big time plays in big games, and it's time for Seagren to shine and have another big game.

He was a huge part of Oakland-Craig's win Friday night as was Benne. Both accounted for a lot of production, and it made the difference for the Knights, in my opinion.

Those two players, Mulder, Evan Reinert, Smith, McNeil, and others all need to have big games for Oakland-Craig.

This should be a slugfest of a game, and I totally expect things to come down to the 4th quarter.

The Knights can definitely win, but it's not going to be easy.

I think what helps Oakland-Craig though is they'll no doubt be playing with a chip on their shoulder.

The Knights are in the same position that Battle Creek was last year in that the Braves were coming off a playoff loss to Oakland-Craig. Now the Knights are coming off a playoff loss to Battle Creek so we'll see how Oakland-Craig responds.

North Bend Central loses in OT to Louisville

North Bend Central came up just short against Louisville at home Friday night, falling 27-26 in overtime to the Lions.

The Tigers spotted Louisville a 13-0 first quarter lead before Austin Endorf tossed a 57-yard TD pass to Peter Emanuel with 6:55 left to go until halftime to make it a 13-6 game.

The Lions scored a back breaker of a touchdown with 49 seconds left until halftime though, and Louisville led 20-6 at halftime.

Endorf hit Ben Rolenc on a 16-yard TD pass late in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 20-14.

Endorf connected with Emanuel again from 32 yards out for his third touchdown pass of the evening, and the game was tied at 20.

The Tigers struck first in overtime Endorf threw his 4th TD pass to James Seymour from 10 yards out. The two-point conversion failed, however.

Louisville answered with a TD an extra point to win the game.

Endorf ended up going 20-41 with 298 yards and 4 touchdowns., breaking the school record for completions in a game, attempts in a game, and tying the record for TD's in a game. Emanuel hauled in 7 passes for 130 yards, and scored twice. Seymour caught 6 balls for 79 yards and the one TD.

Brock Ray finished with 10 tackles while John Emanuel registered 9.

North Bend Central tallied 341 yards of total offense, including 307 through the air.

The defense allowed 392 yards of offense, 225 of them passing.

Head Coach Ryan Stieren says his team simply had a rough start to what was a disappointing loss."We fought back and had plenty of opportunities to win the game but we just didn't make the plays to seal the game. In the early going, we gave a lot of big plays but we were able to adjust and shut them down in the 2nd half. Austin Endorf played a heck of a game at QB, he gave us a chance to win. It's tough to lose a close one like that but we have got to pick ourselves back up and prepare for West Point-Beemer."

I must say I was surprised the Tigers lost. I figured North Bend Central would win by a couple of touchdowns at least.

The Tigers (0-1) travel to West Point-Beemer (1-0) to take on the Cadets Friday night.

The Cadets routed Arlington 39-8 on the road this past Friday night.

West Point-Beemer won last year's game 19-13.

I think North Bend Central simply started off on the wrong foot in the first half of Friday's game.

It took the Tigers a while to get going, and ultimately the slow start proved to be costly.

I look for North Bend Central to start off much stronger this coming Friday night, and perhaps put up the game's first points of the game like the Eagles did to the Cadets last week.

What makes things tough for the Tigers though is the game is in West Point.

North Bend Central is going to have to simply suck things up and come out ready to play Friday night.

I think the Tigers have to show some semblance of a running game to have a chance in this one. North Bend Central has to be physical up front and run the ball, matching the Cadets' physicality.

By all means the Tigers should continue to air the ball out though. Endorf had a great game passing...I just don't know if putting the ball up 41 times a game is a recipe for a win.

I would maybe try and run the ball more and cut the number of passing attempts down, but that's just me.

West Point-Beemer hasn't really been tested through the air yet so we'll see how effective North Bend Central's passing game is.

I think the Tigers would probably like to see Endorf's throwing percentage increase. He was at about 50 percent this past week, but I'm guessing North Bend Central would like to see his percentage at 65 or 70 percent.

Making and not giving up big plays, plus being sound in the kicking game are the keys to a Tiger win, in my opinion.

West Point-Beemer crushes Arlington in season opener

Arlington-The West Point-Beemer Football team went into Arlington Friday night and came away with a big, 39-8 win over the Eagles.

Arlington struck first as Trevor Smailys scored from two yards out to cap a 15-play 65-yard drive on the Eagles' opening drive of the season.

It was all Cadets after that though as Hunter Pilakowski scored on a two-yard plunge with 9:35 left to go in the second quarter to make it an 8-7 game.

Kirby Hughes then scored from a yard out for West Point-Beemer with just under 5 minutes remaining until halftime to give the Cadets a 14-8 halftime lead.

Cole Hughes then connected with Chase Streeter on a 30-yard TD pass in the latter stages of the third quarter to give West Point-Beemer a 20-8 lead.

Moments later, Blake Anderson hit Ben Vander Griend from 20 yards out to put the Cadets up 27-8.

West Point-Beemer put the finishing touches on the win in the fourth quarter as Pilakowski scored his second touchdown from two yards out to make it a 33-8 game in favor of the Cadets.

The final West Point-Beemer touchdown was scored by Edgar Rodriguez with 2.7 seconds remaining in the game. That touchdown made up the final score.

Pilakowski amassed 159 yards rushing for the Cadets while Cole Hughes had 54 yards on 4 attempts.

The Cadets (1-0) had 383 yards of offense, 301 coming on the ground. Arlington (0-1) had 170 yards of total offense, including 150 rushing.

Head Coach Troy Schlueter says forcing four turnovers helped grab the win. "Just like always there's turnovers. You know something momentum's going to swing. I believe our goal coming into the game was we want 3 turnovers plus. Can't remember exactly how many we got, maybe we got 3 or 4. So when you win the turnover battle a lot of times good things happen, and sometimes things can get a little bit out of hand when that happens too so we were fortunate in that area for sure."

Schlueter says he wasn't too worried after Arlington opened the game with the 15-play 65-yard touchdown drive. "Well here's what we told the kids...we said hey last year they did that in 3 plays...this year it took them like 10. So if you make them earn everything that they're getting all game long we're going to have a good night. We felt like if we make them earn every yard it'd be a pretty tight ball game so we were proud about that actually."

Schuleter adds he knows how Arlington feels with a bunch of new guys on the squad this year. "They had a very experienced team last year, and took it to us pretty good. Which they should of done. You know what I mean that was good. And we felt like we had the same edge this year coming in. We returned 9 starters on offense and 7 on defense. So we felt pretty good coming in. I mean it's tough to get kids ready for a first game that have never started before. And I think they had maybe only two starters back. So Coach Gubbels has got a good head on his shoulders...he's a great guy. And I know they'll be a lot tougher in week 5 and 6 than they were tonight cause it's tough to get new guys ready."

This was a great win for West Point-Beemer. I must say I thought the Cadets were going to be good, but not this good. Very good win for West Point-Beemer. The Cadets definitely sent out a message to the rest of Class C-1 that they are for real and a force to be reckoned with, in my opinion.

West Point-Beemer hosts North Bend Central (0-1) this coming Friday night.

The Tigers lost 27-26 at home in overtime to Louisville this past Friday night.

I must say I was surprised North Bend Central fell to the Lions, but the Tigers started off slow, and that was the difference in the game from the looks of things.

So based on last week's results the Cadets should win, and win big, but it's a new week and a new game, and every week West Point-Beemer has to go out there and prove themselves.

I think the Cadets have already turned some heads, but the last thing West Point-Beemer can afford to do is get cocky and overconfident, and think they have the game won before they play it.

The Cadets have to come ready to play, and must bring the lunch pail for 4 quarters. North Bend Central is big, and you can bet the Tigers will come ready to play, and give West Point-Beemer their best shot.

I fully expect both teams to come ready to play Friday night, but there can only be one victor, and based on last week I have to give the edge to the Cadets.

North Bend Central showed they are a second half team though so West Point-Beemer has to play another complete 4 quarter game like they did against Arlington.

The Cadets were in an underdog role last week, and now they are a favorite, so it will be interesting to see what sort of impact, if any, that has on the game.

The biggest thing for West Point-Beemer is going out there and playing their game, and mistake free football.

The Cadets just have to do the same things they did against the Eagles, which includes creating turnovers and taking care of the ball.

West Point-Beemer went into their bag of tricks this past Friday, and had a lot of success.

The Cadets have to continue to run the ball effectively and sprinkle in the pass. West Point-Beemer's ability to have some sort of balance on offense is going to be critical to their future success, in my opinion.

North Bend Central looking to build off last year's success

Team: North Bend Central

Mascot: Tigers

Colors: Orange and Black

Class: C-1

Head Coach: Ryan Stieren (2nd season)

2016 record: 4-4

Returning Starters: 6 offense 6 defense

Overview:

North Bend Central returns 6 starters on both sides of the ball from last year's 4-4 squad. Head Coach Ryan Stieren says a couple of those returners are Joel Hines and Brock Ray. "Returning at Quarterback Joel Hines (5'9, 175 SR) this year, and he's a senior Quarterback, and he was our starter all year last year. So that's definitely nice to have. Got another year. And what we do offensively. And so I think his numbers should improve on last year, and he's a great leader for us. Other than that we got Brock Ray (5'10, 200) SR). Brock Ray's another solid player for us, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, he's going to move to center this year. We're a little bit light numbers wise on the offensive line so he's sacrificing for the team, which is awesome, and so he's done really really well there."

Stieren says Colton Mitties (5'10, 195 SR) is moving from tight end to fullback, and James Seymour (6'6, 245 SR) will start at tight end.

Other offensive linemen include seniors Jared Spiker (6'3, 255), Brendan Pojar (6'3, 210), Joe Bautista (5'11, 225), and Tyler Obershaw (5'9, 220), as well as juniors Jeremy Doernemann (5'10, 225), Zander Ziettlow (6'0, 250), and Trevor Nelson (5'10, 225), in addition to sophomore Cole Johnson (5'11, 190).

Wide receivers include John Emanuel (6'0, 170 JR), Peter Emanuel (6'1, 170 SR), and Brandon Wardman (5'10, 150 JR).

On defense, Ray, Mitties, Seymour, and Peter Emanuel will patrol things at linebacker.

Wardman and John Emanuel will see some time at defensive back, according to Stieren.

Hines and Jacob Ray are vying for the starting free safety spot.

The Tigers should have a lot of power and speed this season. North Bend Central has some big boys up front and some really nice players at the skill positions. I really think this Tigers' team could have a really nice year.

I think North Bend Central will fare at least the same as last year.

I don't see the Tigers going any worse than 4-4 this season. If anything, I see North Bend Central finishing 5-3.

The West Point-Beemer game will be big for the Tigers, in my opinion. That's the game that could decide if North Bend Central goes 4-4 or 5-3.

Season Outlook:

North Bend Central kicks off their season Friday night at home against Louisville. Stieren says his team has been working hard for and anticipating the start of this season. "Yeah I mean it's been a long haul. Since May we've been in the weightroom, and we've done the team camp in the summer time, and went off to a full contact camp. And we've done 7 on 7's. So it feels like we've been practicing for about 4 months."


The Tigers, who are in District C1-4 with David City Aquinas, Bishop Neumann, Wahoo, and David City, defeated Louisville 19-7 on the road in last year's season opener.

I don't know if North Bend Central will beat the Wahoo Schools and David City Aquinas this year, but I think the Tigers can definitely be more competitive against all three this season.

North Bend Central has to have a fire lit under them and play tenacious, nasty, physical, hard nosed, and aggressive football.

The Tigers have to be ready to hit hard and light people up.

Teams like Aquinas and Bishop Neumann and Wahoo know how to wrap up and hit people.

So North Bend Central has to be tough minded and try and emulate the types of things those teams do.

There's no reason the Tigers can't become one of those top teams that's feared in the area and throughout the state.

There was already so much improvement from 2015 to 2016 for North Bend Central, and I look for the Tigers to put an even better product on the field in 2017.

North Bend Central may not make the playoffs, but I think the Tigers can get pretty darn close to making it in if they don't earn a spot.

It's strange that North Bend Central doesn't play 9 games like the schedule is set up for Classes A through C-2, but perhaps the Tigers will earn a trip to the playoffs and at least play a 9th game.

It may seem like a long shot, but all the work these kids have put in this summer is going to pay off one way or another, in my opinion.

North Bend Central just has to stick with it, and continue to improve and play hard week in and week out, and let the winning and results take care of themselves.

2017 North Bend Central Tigers Football Schedule:

08/25/17 Louisville
09/01/17 @ West Point-Beemer
09/08/17 Tekamah-Herman
09/15/17 @ Madison
09/29/17 Wahoo
10/06/17 @ Aquinas Catholic
10/13/17 Bishop Neumann
10/20/17 @ David City

Pender ready to make noise again

Team: Pender

Mascot: Pendragons

Colors: Red and White

Class: D-1

Head Coach: Andy Welsh (3rd season)

2016 record: 4-5 (lost to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family in first round of playoffs)

Returning Starters: 5 offense 4 defense

Overview:

Pender looks to reach the postseason again this year after going 4-5 and appearing in the playoffs last season. Head Coach Andy Welsh's team brings back 5 starters on offense. "Returning starters on the offensive side we're going to return, our quarterback will be, he was a starting receiver last year, Brady Oliver (5'10, 170 SR). So there's one returning starter. Tyler Nelson (5'10, 175 SR) was the starting running back...he'll be receiver now. Jared Tyrell (5'9, 160 SR)...one of the starting running backs. Lane Heese (6'1, 185 SR) the starting lineman. Jesse Thompson (5'10, 220 SR) the starting lineman. We just had to move a couple guys around to a couple new spots, but return those five starters."

Welsh says junior Jaydon Jump (5'11, 185) will come in on the line, Korbin Hardenbrook (5'9, 165 SO) will start at running back, and Sam Mailoux will start as well.

There are 20 kids out for this year's team with 8 of them seniors, according to Welsh.

I fully expect the Pendragons to put a good, competitive product on the field this season. Pender is veteran laden with almost half their team made up of seniors so that should result in good things for the Pendragons.

Pender has had good seasons the last two years, and I don't see why the Pendragons can't and won't be good again.

Pender has to continue to work hard throughout the season though. The Pendragons can never be complacent with where they are as a team.

Pender has to keep grinding and fighting until the final whistle of every practice and game, and must continually improve, get better, and give it their all until there is no more football left to play.

The Pendragons return a good amount of kids from last year and should go on to have a fine season.

Obviously losing James Bensen and Dylan Roth, among others, hurts Pender, but the Pendragons should still be a solid bunch.

I look for Pender to be a tough out this year, and give people fits. I think the Pendragons will be a very solid team, and a threat to do something in the playoffs.

All in all, I look for Pender to play good, consistent football week in and week out, and give themselves a chance to win every game they play this season.

Season Outlook:

Pender and Clarkson/Leigh meet on the gridiron in both teams' season opener for the second year in a row. Welsh says it figures to be an intriguing game. "The thing we just don't really know what we're going to get from them. Last year (Bradley) Bunner was still healthy when they played us, and everything ran through him. And they still got some good players. They got some good athletes. They're always coached really well. So it'll be a tough game. It'll just be one of those games where we both hope we're prepared, and can adjust to whatever the other team throws at them. And see who can outlast the other, and hopefully we play a little more defense than we did last year."

The Patriots took last year's contest 58-50 in a high scoring affair in Pender.

I think this year's game will definitely be different in terms of how many points are scored, but the Pendragons have their work cut out for them in this game, especially with the game being at Clarkson/Leigh.

This is a big game for both teams, and one I'm sure Pender wants very badly.

Games against Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing, Wakefield, GACC, and Neligh-Oakdale don't figure to be easy either, but I think the Pendragons can step up and win some of these contests.

I look for Pender to go somewhere between 4-4 and 6-2.

Beating CWCE and GACC will be very difficult, same with Neligh-Oakdale, but I think all the other contests are very likely wins for the Pendragons, and Pender could definitely defeat the Warriors.

Wakefield is never easy because it is a rivalry game so don't expect the Pendragons to have an easy time against the Trojans either.

With all this said, this is Pender's chance to do something. The Pendragons have had some nice success the last two years, now it's time to take that next step and do something in the postseason all while making memories that will last a lifetime.

Perhaps Pender can get to the playoffs and win a game or two this year.

I think the Pendragons may have to at least go 6-2 to host a first round playoff game this year though.

Pender played Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family tough in the playoffs last year, and I'm sure the Pendragons would like another shot at a home playoff game.

We'll have to wait and see where the chips fall for Pender this year, but the Pendragons should expect to have another playoff like type season with a lot of success.

I would say worst case scenario Pender finishes 3-5, but I don't see that happening.

I look for the Pendragons to be good and a force to be reckoned with this season.

2017 Pender Pendragons Football Schedule:

08/25/17 @ Clarkson/Leigh
09/01/17 CWCE
09/15/17 @ Wakefield
09/22/17 Homer
09/29/17 @ Winnebago
10/06/17 Neligh-Oakdale
10/13/17 @ Omaha Nation
10/20/17 Guardian Angels Central Catholic

BRLD ready for year two of co-op and 11-man

Team: Bancroft-Rosalie-Lyons-Decatur

Mascot: Wolverines

Colors: Blue and Gold

Class: C-2

Head Coach: Dan Maresh

2016 record: 3-6

Returning Starters: 7 offense 6 defense

Overview:

The BRLD Football team returns 7 starters on offense and 6 on defense from last year's 3-6 team. Head Coach Dan Maresh says among the returners are a few offensive linemen and a skill position player. "We'll be returning our running back. He'll be a key piece in our offense this year as he had 800 yards last year. Especially early on in the season we'll be handing the ball to him to get everybody else settled down. We return a few linemen that definitely got a lot of playing time last year. And we'll reshuffle them around at positions, but we expect them to pick up right where they left off and be a strength there in the interior."

The running back is Jacob Zuhlke (5'9, 180 SR) while the linemen are juniors Nick Ronnfeldt (6'2, 220), Dustin Burgett (5'10, 220), and senior Tyler Kroger (6'2, 230).

Junior Seth Totten (6'1, 250) is another potential starter for the Wolverines while sophomore Will Gatzemeyer (5'10, 150) will start at Quarterback.

Koby Lyons (5'10, 180) is also expected to contribute in the offensive backfield at running back for BRLD.

Senior Trent Gatewood (5'10, 170), and Sophomores Jaxon Johnson (6'4, 200) and Darwin Snyder (5'8, 130) help make up the receiving corps.

The Wolverines lost some good players like Cole Christoffersen and others, but I look for BRLD to be good and competitive this season.

The Wolverines were competitive in every game they played in last year, and didn't really get blown out by anyone.

Sure they lost by double digits to Hartington Cedar Catholic and Crofton, but last time I checked those two teams are among the best in the state in C-2.

So I'd say BRLD held their own last season, and has a chance to do even better things this year. The Wolverines don't have an easy path there's no denying that, but I look for BRLD to be a hard nosed, physical football team this year that gives everyone on their schedule their best shot.

The Wolverines lost a tough game to Logan View to end last season, but BRLD will get their shot at redemption this year.

I would say losing that game had to be disappointing, but it's last year and in the past, and all the Wolverines can do now is move forward and prepare for this season.

Season Outlook:

BRLD opens up the season on Friday at Hartington Cedar Catholic. Maresh says the Trojans along with the next two teams the Wolverines play after that are powerhouses. "Yeah we start off with a real tough schedule there. Especially Hartington CC, they'll have a lot of kids out for football, and ready to compete and uphold that tradition that they've been building for years. And then Crofton...they know how to win and they know how to play tough physical football, so that'll be another challenge right afterwards. And then we go to a very athletic Ponca that comes to Bancroft. So we're going to find out a lot about our young kids real early."

The Wolverines lost to all three teams in the first year of the co-op last season.

I wouldn't expect BRLD to knock off the Trojans or Warriors, but I think the Wolverines can beat the Indians, especially with the game being in Bancroft.

BRLD only lost 43-36 to Ponca last year, and I think the Wolverines can find a way to beat the Indians this time around.

That would be a huge win for BRLD, but first things first, the Wolverines have to worry about and focus on Hartington Cedar Catholic.

You can bet the Trojans will be locked and loaded and ready to go Friday night. BRLD will be breaking in some new players, but a lot return so I expect the Wolverines to hold their own and compete.

BRLD is in District C2-3 with Logan View, Oakland-Craig, Fremont Bergan, Tekamah-Herman, and Wisner-Pilger.

I think the District will come down to Oakland-Craig and Bergan, but I would say the Wolverines are equal to Logan View in that they are either the 3rd or 4th best team in the District.

Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep Report says BRLD should have a strong run game this season. "They have a lot of people back. It's a team that's got some size in the line. It's a team that's got a chance to be able to move the ball on the ground."

Jensen projects the Wolverines to win 4 or 5 games this year.

BRLD might be a couple of years away from making the playoffs or winning a district title, so I look for the Wolverines to take some steps this year and win 4 or 5 games, just like Huskerland Bob projects.

I would say either 4-5 or 5-4 is likely for BRLD.

The Wolverines are good and talented, just not elite yet, in my opinion.

BRLD has good size and speed though, something you definitely need in Class C-2 Football.

I look for the Wolverines to compete with everyone on their schedule again, and perhaps surprise a team or two and upset them.

It wouldn't surprise me to see BRLD upset one or two of the powers on their schedule.

With that said, the Wolverines have to beat the teams they're supposed to and keep fighting and grinding throughout the season in order to be good.

2017 BRLD Wolverines Football Schedule:

08/25/17 @ Hartington Cedar Catholic
09/01/17 @ Crofton
09/08/17 Ponca
09/15/17 Omaha Brownell Talbot
09/22/17 @ Oakland-Craig
09/29/17 Tekamah-Herman
10/06/17 @ Wisner-Pilger
10/13/17 Archbishop Bergan
10/20/17 @ Logan View

Scribner-Snyder hoping to be competitive this season

Team: Scribner-Snyder

Mascot: Trojans

Colors: Red and White

Class: D-2

Head Coach: Anthony Ruzicka (7th season) (19-31 career record)

2016 record: 1-7

Returning Starters: 3 offense 5 defense

Overview:

Scribner-Snyder returns 3 offensive and 5 defensive starters from last year's 1-7 team. Head Coach Anthony Ruzicka tells KTIC Sports who the starting quarterback and fullback will be. "Quarterback we're going to try Austin Peters (6'0, 160). He started at tight end for us last year. He's a Junior. Very football smart. Good athlete. Has improved his running form very much. And he'll do well there. And Sebastian Arnold (6'0, 190) will step in at fullback. Probably will do a very large portion of the ball carrying for us I would think. He's about 190 pounds. And runs well. He's a hard runner. Goes downhill, nothing fancy. And he likes to hit and likes contact."

Ruzicka adds the Trojans have some size. "Strengths as far as offense we're going to be very big across the front line. If we played tonight from end to end we would be 265, 300-315 somewhere in there, 300 at the center, 180 at the guard, and 195 at the other tight end."

Ruzicka says the linemen are big and athletic too, not just big. They include Harrison Riggle (6'5, 300 SR), Hunter Adams (5'10, 185 SR), and Victor Zamora (5'10, 310 SR).

Another running back that returns is Josh McMillen (5'10, 145 SR).

15 kids are out for the team this year, and Ruzicka says 9-10 kids will be relied upon to play most of the time.

There are 4 freshmen and a sophomore out for the team.

He adds his squad won't have a lot of speed.

Ruzicka expects his team to win at least a couple of games with a chance to win 4.

I think a couple of wins is a definite for this team, and I think the Trojans can make the playoffs.

Scribner-Snyder has a tough schedule, but I see the size of Scribner-Snyder being able to wear down some opponents.

The Trojans must tackle well in space, and not allow big plays given the fact they don't have a lot of speed.

You can bet teams will try and run to the outside against Scribner-Snyder as opposed to the interior of their defense.

I'd say the Trojans' best bet is to spread out some guys on defense and rely on their big defensive linemen to control things in the trenches.

It's important for the Trojans to avoid injuries and stay healthy given their lack of depth and how many kids are out for the team.

Season Outlook:

Scribner-Snyder gets their season started on Friday at Mead. Ruzicka says the Raiders will be short on numbers and young for the most part. "Looking at what they return...I know they're going to be a little shorter on numbers again. I mean they had a really good senior class last year. They graduated a boatload of production. But I know Quinn, very very good player, gave us a lot of fits on running some of the jet sweep type stuff. He's fast, he's got good vision, he's a good athlete, he's going to be tough. But they're going to have to rely on a lot of the younger kids I think, and yeah on paper it looks like it should be a good game, and I think we'll be competitive with them. And so hopefully it's one we can get back this year."

Mead shutout Scribner-Snyder 63-0 in Scribner last year.

I definitely think Friday's game, and most of the Trojans' other games this year for that matter, will be closer than they were last year.

Scribner-Snyder got off to a slow start last year, and was inconsistent to say the least you could say.

I think the Trojans got better as the year went on though, and so I think Scribner-Snyder should be ready and firing on all cylinders to start this season.

I would expect the Trojans to have a strong showing in all of their games this year.

Scribner-Snyder is in District D2-3 with Humphrey St. Francis, Osceola, Cedar Bluffs, and Fullerton.

You can bet no district game will be easy, but I fully expect the Trojans to compete and give all four of those teams everything they have.

I think everyone on the Trojans' schedule will get Scribner-Snyder's best shot.

The Trojans ought to be able to smack and rough up some of their opponents at the very least.

I think the playoffs are a very likely possibility for Scribner-Snyder. Losing Jadyn Smeal to GACC definitely hurts, but if Peters and Arnold can run behind that big offensive line, and take care of the ball, the Trojans should go on to have a good season.

Scribner-Snyder has to execute, not commit silly penalties, and not turn the ball over though. The Trojans also must force turnovers themselves.

Scribner-Snyder is no doubt relying heavily on their top guys to produce, but if all 15 guys can find a way to make some sort of contribution every game and throughout the season...then the Trojans should be a tough out.

2017 Scribner-Snyder Trojans Football Schedule:

08/25/17 @ Mead
08/31/17 @ Bloomfield
09/08/17 Emerson-Hubbard
09/15/17 Winside
09/22/17 @ Fullerton
09/29/17 @ Humphrey St. Francis
10/13/17 Osceola
10/20/17 Cedar Bluffs

Oakland-Craig looking for more success

Team: Oakland-Craig

Mascot: Knights

Colors: Orange and White

Class: C-2

Head Coach: Joe Anderson (8th season) (56-19 record)

2016 record: 9-2 (lost to Battle Creek in State Quarterfinals)

Returning Starters: 8 offense 7 defense

Overview:

Oakland-Craig returns 8 starters on offense and 7 on defense from last year's 9-2 State Quarterfinal team. One of those players is Garrett Seagren (6'2, 180 WR/DB SR), according to Head Coach Joe Anderson. "Yeah Garrett's a great player. He's just a great all around athlete. He's an all-state basketball player. Last year he was an All-state football player for us. So if you look at the last two years he's had big years in receiving, and we expect more out of him on the offensive and defensive side of the ball. And he's definitely going to be one of our leaders of our team."

Seagren has compiled 775 yards receiving on 38 receptions with 11 touchdowns for the Knights.

Anderson adds Seagren is a very integral part of the team. "Garrett is a very explosive athlete. His combination of good speed, allusiveness, great hands, and leaping ability really make him hard to cover one on one. He has 1,375 yards receiving in his last two seasons. Also good leader back at safety, and very good punt returner. Great athlete who also excels on the basketball court."

Anderson says he expects big things out of the skill guys besides Seagren. "What's going to really compliment him is we have some other really good receivers. Kobe Benne (5'10, 165 WR/DB SR) had a really breakout year his first year playing football last year, and he's going to really do some big things. If people key on Garrett he's going to have a chance to make some big plays. Garrison Dodge (5'8, 160 WR/DB JR), Robby Mayberry (5'10, 170 RB/S JR) are some other guys that our Quarterback's been finding a way to get them the ball. Ben Smith (6'9, 160 RB SR) who's a kid in the backfield. Not a real big kid, but he had 300 or 400 or 500 yards last year. He looks really good from the backfield right now. He's a senior, a kid that's played a lot of football. Is just a tough kid."

Smith and Mayberry figure to shoulder more of the load at running back this season after All-Stater Hoss Smith was lost to graduation.

Returners on the offensive line include Marcos Quintero 5'10, 195 OL/DE SR), Tyson Harney (6'3, 220 OL/DL SR), and Cole Bures (6'3, 190 OL/DL JR). The Knights also have 260 pound JR Justyn Hale and 6'5 220 pounder Laurence Brands.

On defense, Oakland-Craig Wyatt Uhing (5'9, 160 JR) and Daniel Sechler (5'10, 175 JR) return at linebacker while Jefferson McNeill (5'11, 160 JR) will see some time at cornerback. Ian Lundquist (5'9, 170 SO) and Jared Mulder (5'11, 180 JR) are also expected to be in the mix at linebacker as well.

Anderson gives this assessment of his team. "Smith and Robby Mayberry give us some good experience at RB. Up front we are lead by Quintero. Harney and Bures also started all 11 games last year on the line. Hale and Brands give us two big bodies to plug into the missing spots. John Werner and Max Ward could also help there as well. Defensively our front three should be solid with Quintero (64 tackles), Hale, Harney and Bures. Uhing, Smith, Sechler all have starting experience at LB with Werner and Mulder ready to step in as well. Our DB return 4 guys with starting exp in Seagren, Mayberry, McNeill, and Benne. Overall it should be a solid year. We will still be relying on quite a few sophomores and juniors to step up as our senior class is not very big (5 kids). Our schedule will test us early in the year."

Season Outlook:

Oakland-Craig begins the season next Friday at home against Malcolm. Anderson says the Clippers are a solid team. "Yeah one game at a time. Malcolm's had a good program. So Coach Amen runs a really good program over there. They always have a winning record. So we're going to have to be ready to go in that first game you never know a lot of things can happen. Turnovers, penalties, and you never know what to expect in that first game."

The Knights won last year's game 34-3 in Malcolm.

I don't think Oakland-Craig will have a whole lot of trouble with the Clippers in the end, but the next two games could be very tricky.

The Knights have out of district games at Battle Creek and at home against defending Class C-2 Runner-up Crofton the following two weeks.

I think this Oakland-Craig team will be tested early, but look for the Knights to weather the storm and go on to have a fine season.

I think Oakland-Craig will hit their stride come District Play.

Oakland-Craig is in District C2-3 with Logan View, BRLD, Wisner-Pilger, Fremont Bergan, and Tekamah-Herman.

Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep Report  expects Oakland-Craig to contend for another District Title this year. "I think Oakland-Craig's going to be just fine. I think that's a district championship football team, but I got to tell ya...Bergan's going to be right on their heels. And there's a couple other local teams that got a chance to have nice seasons as well."

Jensen projects Oakland-Craig to win 7 games in the regular season and a playoff game.

I also feel the District will come down to Oakland-Craig and Fremont Bergan with Logan View in the mix.

All of Oakland-Craig's road games are very tricky this year. The Knights will definitely have to figure out a way to win at least a couple of games away from home to make the playoffs.

The good news for Oakland-Craig is they have a lot of experience and talent back. The Knights will use two quarterbacks in Evan Reinert and Mulder so I look for each of those players to perform at a high level.

Making the playoffs is never easy, especially in Class C-2 with the field being only 16 teams, but when it is all said and done I look for Oakland-Craig to be right there.

Losing Hoss Smith at running back definitely hurts, but I look for Ben Smith and Mayberry to pick up the slack and help lead this team to the playoffs.

The Knights definitely have their work cut out for them this year, but look for Oakland-Craig to have a typical Oakland-Craig like season, which is going 8-1 or 7-2, or something like that.

I think a first round playoff win is very possible for this team too, and the Knights might even be able to make it farther than the quarterfinals this time around.

2017 Oakland-Craig Knights Football Schedule:

08/25/17 Malcolm
09/01/17 @ Battle Creek
09/08/17 Crofton
09/15/17 @ Ponca
09/22/17 BRLD
09/29/17 Wisner-Pilger
10/06/17 @ Logan View
10/13/17 Tekamah-Herman
10/20/17 @ Archbishop Bergan

GACC looking for another big season

Team: Guardian Angels Central Catholic

Mascot: Bluejays

Colors: Blue and White

Class: D-1

Head Coach: Dave Ridder (15th season)

2016 record: 12-1 (Lost State Championship Game to Burwell)

Returning Starters: 3 offense 3 defense

Overview:

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Football Team aims to have another big season this year after finishing runner-up in Class D-1 a year ago. Head Coach Dave Ridder says the Bluejays bring back quite a bit of talent. "Derek Petz (5'9, 175) will be Quarterback, and (Jared) Minnick's (6'0, 180) back at running back. And we have Jacob Yosten (5'7, 240) and Michael Baumert (5'6, 190), and Jaden Rahn (210). And then Ross Klitz is back also, and we also have Casey Doernemann (6'4, 245) as a Sophomore, who played a lot last year as a freshman. We have some pretty good talented guys coming back. It's going to be a mix of sophomores, juniors, and seniors."

Teams like GACC don't rebuild, they simply reload. I think a lot of people underestimated the Bluejays last year, and they proved a lot of doubters wrong.

I look at this season as a similar type situation. I've been hearing from some that they don't expect GACC to do what they did last year. I would say the Bluejays have another opportunity to prove doubters wrong and have another fantastic season.

I think GACC will be a team that gets stronger as the season goes along, and will play their best football at the end of the season, and make another great postseason run.

The Bluejays graduated a lot from last year, there's no doubt about that, but GACC has a lot of pride and tradition, and always finds a way to be good.

I look for this year to be no exception. I think the Bluejays will put a quality product on the field just like they have for a long time prior.

Last year's motto was average ordinary guys so we'll see what GACC's motto or slogan is for this year.

One thing is for sure though...I fully expect the Bluejays to bring the lunch pail to work every day in practice and in games, and work their tails off throughout the season.

I'm sure GACC is hungry to get another shot at a state title after losing out in last year's game.

Season Outlook:

GACC, who went 12-1 last season, starts their year next Friday at Nebraska Christian.

Ridder says the Eagles are a hard nosed team. "Oh they're a good physical team, and they like to run the ball. Obviously a lot of teams like to run the ball. And I believe they have their Quarterback back, and he did a nice job for them last year. So we'll have some things we have to finish up with them, and I think we want to try to move the ball on the ground a little bit more this year than last."

The Bluejays won last year's game 28-14.

GACC has a couple of challenging games right off the bat against Nebraska Christian and Clarkson/Leigh. Road games against Nebraska City Lourdes and Pender could prove to be very difficult as well.

GACC had their tough games at home last year, and this year they are on the road so we shall see if that makes a difference.

Ridder says his team needs to play sound football week in and week out to make another playoff run. "We need the kids to be consistent and play well every game. And there's some games that might not be as challenged as much as we'd like, and those are the games that are tough where you have to make yourself better for when you get into that playoff run. And take care of the ball and play good defense. Anytime you play good defense you always have a chance to win things."

The Bluejays have made it to the quarterfinals or further in each of the last three seasons.

Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep Report expects GACC to reload this year. "We expect Guardian Angels to be right back to the trough this year. A state final might be a bit much to ask, but for one thing they've got Dave Ridder as their coach, and Dave knows his stuff, and he's worked that program over pretty well. I believe he's got three state finals on his resume."

Jensen projects the Bluejays to win another District Title and make the playoffs.

I would say the key to making that 4 years in a row is not taking the "cupcake" opponents lightly.

GACC has to respect every opponent, and work hard at getting better each and every week.

I'm sure the Bluejays would like to play a tougher schedule, but all GACC can do is play the hand they are dealt.

The Bluejays have to take things one game at a time and really focus in on who they are playing each week.

GACC can't look past anyone, and has to stay humble and committed to excellence.

With all this said, it's GACC, and I'm sure the Bluejays will find a way to be a great team once again this season.

GACC is in District D1-2 with Pender, Homer, Omaha Nation, and Winnebago.

2017 GACC Bluejays Football Schedule:

08/25/17 @ Nebraska Christian
09/01/17 Clarkson/Leigh
09/08/17 Plainview
09/15/17 @ Lourdes Central Catholic
09/22/17 Omaha Nation
10/06/17 @ Homer
10/13/17 Winnebago
10/20/17 @ Pender

Howells-Dodge eyeing big year

Team: Howells-Dodge

Mascot: Jaguars

Colors: Green, Black, Silver

Class: D-1

Head Coach: Mike Speirs (22nd season) (199-41 record)

2016 record: 7-3 (lost to Nebraska City Lourdes in Second Round of Playoffs)

Returning Starters: 6 offense 6 defense

Overview:

Howells-Dodge is expecting big things this year as the Jaguars return 6 starters on each side of the ball from last year's 7-3 playoff team. Head Coach Mike Speirs says three players return on the offensive line. "We've always kind of tried to build our teams in our offensive line, and that's nice we return three starters there in Ryan Macholan (6'2, 225 SR), starting at Center for his 3rd year. Lane Hegemann (6'3, 215 JR), will be starting at Guard. And then Kade Hegemann (5'11, 165), who's only a junior, but he's started since he was a freshman."

Speirs says the entire offensive backfield returns, including QB Dax VanLengen (6'2, 210 SR), Jordan Brichacek (5'11, 170 SR) at Fullback, and Dylan Horejsi (5'10, 175 JR) at Running Back.

Speirs adds the Jaguars returns all of their DB's, two defensive linemen, and one linebacker on defense.

This should be a monster year for Howells-Dodge. The Jaguars had a very good 2016 campaign, and quite honestly Howells-Dodge should be ready to rock and roll again.

You never want to get too ahead of yourself, but don't be surprised of the Jaguars are playing at Memorial Stadium come November.

Howells-Dodge has to be considered a legit favorite to make it to the Class D-1 title game, and win a state championship.

The Jaguars should be able to make a deep playoff run at the very least.

Expectations couldn't be any higher for Howells-Dodge. The Jaguars have to be humble and confident, but not over confident, about their chances of being a very good team this year.

Howells-Dodge has to work hard week in and week out, and do everything in their power to have a great season.

The sky is the limit for the Jaguars as far as I'm concerned. It could definitely be a banner year for the boys in Green, Silver, and Black.

It really could be Howells-Dodge's year. I truly believe that. This team is built to win, and built to win now. But again, the Jaguars have to remain humble.

Season Outlook:

Howells-Dodge begins the season on Friday, August 25th at home against East Butler. Speirs says his team will be challenged by the Tigers. "I really expect East Butler to be one of the top teams in D-1 this year. They return a ton of experience. They have some very talented kids. Their tight end/linebacker the Havlovic kid is probably as good as anybody in 8-man football. And then they couple him with their Quarterback, who last year we got lucky. He had been injured in 2015. So he'd come back, we played him first game back, after a year off, and maybe he was a little bit rusty. But he's a quality kid."

Speirs says East Butler returns all 8 starters from last year.

The Tigers figure to be a tough challenge as does Osmond, Neligh-Oakdale, Clarkson/Leigh, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

Bob Jensen of the Huskerland Prep Report feels the Jaguars can have an unbeaten regular season if they get past their opener with East Butler given all the talent and experience they bring back. "Howells-Dodge wins that I don't think they'll lose in the regular season. I think they just take it from there....they go 8-0. That's the way I see it. And there's a lot of experience on this team. There's a lot of good players at every level on the team. It isn't like they just got a good line and no backs. It isn't like they've got good linebackers but no secondary. They got good athletic strong kids at every level.

Jensen thinks Howells-Dodge will win at least a couple games in the playoffs.

We'll see what happens, but one thing is for sure...the Jaguars will be battle tested come playoff time assuming they make the playoffs.

I think Howells-Dodge has an opportunity to go undefeated in the regular season, but the Jaguars have to take things one game and one week at a time.

Howells-Dodge can't get too overconfident and cocky and too ahead of themselves.

The Jaguars have to be ready to work hard every day in practice, and in every game.

Howells-Dodge can't have anyone take a play off at any point in the season, although things like that do happen.

The Jaguars have to find a way to achieve the glory that great Howells and Dodge teams did in the past.

These are two very proud communities, and I'm sure it would mean a lot to both of them for Howells-Dodge to win a state championship this year.

The Howells Bobcats and Dodge Pirates had a ton of success from 2011 and before, but now it's time for the Howells-Dodge Jaguars to lay claim to fame, and have a great season that hopefully culminates in a state championship.

The schedule has it's challenges, but I look for Howells-Dodge to be a very tough team week in and week out.

I think you will see the Jaguars bring and play their best every week they take to the field, making it very difficult for teams to beat them.

Howells-Dodge was a very strong offensive team last year, and had some great defensive games. If the Jaguars can consistently turn in strong defensive performances this year though they should be in great shape to have an undefeated regular season and make a strong playoff push.

Howells-Dodge is in District D1-4 with Clarkson/Leigh, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Elgin Public/Pope John, and Neligh Oakdale.

Tough district, but the Jaguars have a really good chance of winning it, in my opinion.

2017 Howells-Dodge Jaguars Football Schedule:

08/25/17 East Butler
09/01/17 @ Osmond
09/08/17 @ Omaha Nation
09/22/17 Neligh-Oakdale
09/29/17 Elgin Public/Pope John
10/06/17 @ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
10/13/17 Homer
10/20/17 @ Clarkson/Leigh