It’s been a minute. Not an expert prognosis by any means, the purpose of a preseason Top 10 is to generate discussion about a forthcoming season. This is a best guess as to where teams stand heading into Week 0, which kicks off on August 19 with three games in Class A. District capsules are forthcoming.

Class A Preseason All State: Offense | Defense
Class A District Previews: District A-1 | District A-2 | District A-3 | District A-4 | District A-5 | District A-6

2022 Nebraska HS Football Preview: Class A Preseason Top 10

2022 Nebraska HS Football Class A Preseason Top 10
(* – Denotes title vacated by NSAA)

  1. Omaha Westside (12-1 – Class A runner-up) – Fueled with all the motivation in the world after falling short in two out of three seasons in the state title game but winning one in 2020, transfers will bolster an already promising roster. There will be some new pieces on offense, but Westside should be fine under first year head coach Paul Limongi. There are elite level talents all over the place including junior WR/DB Caleb Benning, and one of the best kickers in the nation with Tristan Alvano to boot. Watch out for Omaha Burke transfer Christian Jones, a talented sophomore LB with Power 5 offers already. WR/DB Jaylen Lloyd is another with gamebreaking potential after a stellar junior season in track and field.
  2. Gretna (12-1 – Class A state champions*) – With Oklahoma State pledge Zane Flores running the show, the sky is the limit for the Dragons. Good luck scoring on its defense, which allowed just three points in the last 11 quarters of the season en route to a victory in the Class A state title game. OL Mason Goldman and LB Korver Demma could be a late finds by a high level programs in the recruiting world, with Goldman already seeing Power 5 interest. The WR room is loaded led by Joe Roll, which ought to be a good thing for the best 2023 quarterback in Nebraska in Flores. Gretna has all the pieces to make yet another run at a state championship in 2022.
  3. Bellevue West (10-2 – Class A semifinalist) – With elite 2024 prospects QB Daniel Kaelin and WR Dae’Vonn Hall forming a dynamic duo on offense, the Thunderbirds are expected to be in the thick of the Class A race yet again. After putting up a whopping 50 points per game a year ago, the same sort of offensive production is not out of the question in 2022. If the offensive and defensive play to the level of their expectations, the Thunderbirds could win their third Class A state title in school history and first since 2019. A few transfers will help bolster the roster, including TE Cayden Echternach and RB/LB Jdyn Bullion.
  4. Elkhorn South (9-2 – Class A quarterfinalist) – The Storm have a somewhat favorable schedule and are absolutely loaded up front, led by Nebraska DL pledge Maverick Noonan. RB/DB Cole Ballard has All-State potential for the Storm and is a nice option to have as the focal point of the offense. QB Carson Rauner and DL Henry Prochaska are a pair of juniors to watch. Both have the talent to be Top 10 prospects in the state in the Class of 2024. The Storm have a legitimate chance to run the regular season slate with an unblemished record and have one of the best offensive and defensive lines in the state. If the role players elevate their game, the only team that beat Gretna on the field last fall has good things in store for this season.
  5. Omaha North (6-6 – Class A semifinalist) – Here they come again. Omaha North has an outside chance to win the whole thing if the stars align. A late surge after a shaky start saw the Vikings make a run to the quarterfinals. RB Te’Shaun Porter is one of the top returning rushers in the Cornhusker State. Sophomore QB Sebastian Circo already holds Power 5 offers and will be worth the price of admission, while fellow sophomore DL Tyson Terry is an elite level prospect who put FBS level tape together out of the gate as a freshman and has Power 5 offers. When you start to dig into the roster, there is talent all over the place for the Vikings.
  6. Millard South (9-1 – Class A first round) – Millard South enters the season highly motivated after running the table in the regular season a year ago before falling in the opening round to Omaha North as the top seed. Being this low at No. 6 is perhaps harsh. Keep an eye on WR/DB Brock Murtaugh and North Dakota TE/DE commit Lance Rucker. QB Camden Kozeal has the potential to have a huge year. The Patriots have solid youngsters coming up through the ranks, which could see this team push higher and the season wears on.
  7. Omaha Creighton Prep (7-3 – Class A first round) – A brutal early schedule might temporarily derail the Junior Jays, but this is a team that ought to be feared in November. Nebraska OL verbal Sam Sledge, RB Marty Brown, DL Rocco Marcelino, and DB John Pargo Jr. amongst top players in metro. Creighton Prep is another team that has all the motivation in the world heading into the 2021 season and is loaded with high level production from an outstanding senior class.
  8. Lincoln Southeast (5-5 – Class A first round) – Without a clear cut top ten team out of the Capital City, Southeast gets the nod due to its offensive line play led by Nebraska OL commit Gunnar Gottula and emerging junior Cooper Johnson. Keep an eye out for sophomore WR/DE Pierre Allen Jr. If Southeast is to climb in the rankings, its offense will need to improve from its 18.6 points per game from a year ago.
  9. Papillion-LaVista South (4-6 – Class A first round) – A wealth of returning experience should see the Titans through. Papio South’s roster is loaded with FCS and Division II level talent in key positions. RB/LB Devyn Jones and DL Ayden Barnby are the headliners. QB Brady Fitzpatrick showed success as a junior and returns to run the offense. The District A-3 draw has been harsh to the Titans, who are a legitimate threat to Gretna and Bellevue West
  10. Millard West (3-6 – Missed Playoffs) – A brutal schedule was a major reason why Millard West missed out on the postseason a year ago for the first time since 2006. Junior QB Brody Peterson and OL Zach Cross are the main men for the Wildcats. The two-time Class A state champions have a team that could get on a roll early on, which will put them in good position for a potential postseason run. OL/DL Barrett Von Deun, DB Kegan Mountain, and DB Brady Brau are talented holdovers on defense

Teams to Watch
Grand Island (7-4 – Class A quarterfinals) – College prospects on defense will give the Islanders a good shot at the postseason yet again.
Lincoln East (6-4 – Class A first round) – An outstanding offense in 2021 that featured Power 5 level prospect Malachi Coleman.
Lincoln Southwest (3-6 – Missed Playoffs) – There is a lot to like about the holdovers for the Silver Hawks, with college talent filling the roster in key positions with some up and comers sprinkled in.
Millard North (3-6 – Missed Playoffs) – Its old-school offense ran by underrated signal caller Charlie Quaintance with an outstanding offensive line could see the Mustangs push into the Top 10.
North Platte (7-4 – Class A quarterfinals) – The last one out for the preseason Top 10, the Bulldogs have plenty of firepower coming back on offense with Brock Roblee and Kolten Tilford.

2021 Class A Playoff Recap

First Round
Omaha North 49, Millard South 42
North Platte 24, Columbus 17
Gretna* 59, Lincoln East 42
Elkhorn South 35, Kearney 20
Bellevue West 63, Papillion-La Vista 26
Grand Island 30, Creighton Prep 28
Omaha Burke 21, Lincoln Southeast 3
Omaha Westside 49, Papillion-La Vista South 0

Quarterfinals
Omaha North 35, North Platte 34
Gretna* 14, Elkhorn South 7
Bellevue West 52, Grand Island 20
Omaha Westside 42, Omaha Burke 3

Semifinals
Gretna* 34, Omaha North 0
Omaha Westside 41, Bellevue West 26

Class A State Championship
Gretna* 7, Omaha Westside 3