Week 1 Preview

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Preseason Elite 33 Juniors (Class of 2025)
Week 0 Top Performers

NEBHSFB.com Game of the Week

No. 4 Omaha North at No. 2 Bellevue West (1-0)

This is one of your best shots as a local Nebraska football fan to see the most future Huskers on one stop pretty much all season. A total of five will be in action featuring Omaha North 2024 defensive back Donovan Jones and 2025 interior defensive lineman Tyson Terry along with the Bellevue West 2024 trio of quarterback Daniel Kaelin, Dae’Vonn Hall, and Isaiah McMorris. Bellevue West has a game under its belt, pulling away in the second half for a 27-14 win over Creighton Prep in Week 0. If you like to view ballers-in-waiting, there will be all over the field for both teams.

Seniors to watch for Omaha North are offensive lineman DeAndre Harper and defensive tackle S’Marious Henderson. Both are very large humans and legit college prospects. Offensive tackle Jacob Arop of Bellevue West and defensive back Asher Jenkins are a pair of underevaulated seniors to watch. Keep an eye on linebacker Dylan Sheard on Bellevue West’s defense, another undervalued prospect. Underclassmen are coming, led by the likes of Omaha North junior quarterback Sebastian Circo, junior wide receivers Titan Glassman,and Connor O’Neill, along with sophomores Champ Davis and B.J. Louis for head coach Larry Martin. Bellevue West has junior tight end prospect T.J. Whaley, and includes 2026 up and comers Kaprice Keith and Araf Evans Jr.

There are many more, but there are other games to get to. Have no worries, they are coming.

Omaha North has every chance in the world to open eyes around the state and get the road W.

If you do not have the ability to get there, Hudl TV has the game available HERE for $7.99.

Other Top 10 Games of Week 1

No. 6 Lincoln Southeast at No. 3 Elkhorn South (Moved to Friday at 4:00 p.m.)
– Originally scheduled to be the debut showing of Thursday Night Lights on KXVO Omaha this season, kickoff was moved to Friday to avoid the elevated temperatures from the week which are expected to cool slightly on Friday. Lincoln Southeast’s quarterback play was perhaps underestimated by certain outlets in Owen Baxter, while junior Cash Buettenback is basically a returning starter in the backfield. Strong, experienced line play led by Cooper Johnson will benefit the Knights. On defense, 2024 defensive back transfer Donald DeFrand Jr. and junior defensive lineman Pierre Allen Jr. are the headliners. For Elkhorn South, Holy Cross pledge Carson Rauner is one of the top signal callers in Class A. Watch out for junior Gavin Shanahan, while Nebraska commit Ashton Murphy will pave the way up front for the Storm along with Northern Illinois verbal Ben Gustafson. A senior to watch on the defensive line is Northwest Missouri State verbal Henry Prochazka.

No. 10 Papillion-La Vista at No. 8 Millard North (Thursday)
– Another interesting tilt featuring teams with good upcoming prospects who both finished with sub-.500 records. This could go either way. Papillion-La Vista features quarterback Tavien Pirtle, running back Payton Prestito, and Pittsburgh commit Eric Ingwerson. Millard North does not throw it often, but have strong junior class led by Nebraska pledge Caden VerMaas and Pierce Mooberry. Both teams will be solid up front, which might go a long way to determining the outcome. There is college talent everywhere on each roster, especially in the sophomore and junior classes.

No. 5 Millard South at Millard West
– Millard South’s team gained steam with good performances over the summer, while people perhaps should be a lot higher on Millard West. The Patriots will have senior Nolan Feller in the backfield along with 2026 prospects to watch in Jett Thomalla and Amarion Jackson on offense. Its defensive line is loaded, led by South Dakota State commit JR Lecuona, Plano East (TX) move-on Aidan Miller, and junior Adam Pugh. Brody Peterson brings a wealth of experience to the quarterback position for Millard West, while North Dakota State commit Jackson Williams is one of the top playmakers in the state. Indiana State commit Tyler Thaden leads the front. This is going to be one of the best games of the week. Millard West is no slouch, but the stars appear to be aligning for Millard South.

Class B No. 1 Bennington at Class B Np. 4 Omaha Skutt
– Bennington is riding a 26-game winning streak and coming off two straight Class B state championships with a huge test coming in the opener with five-time state champion Omaha Skutt. The Badgers will need to find some newcomers to produce on offense, but have North Dakota pledge Gunnar Lym coming back. Linebacker Sam Brummund leads the Skyhawks. With more questions than answers in Class B, Omaha Skutt can be a team that takes advantage.

Class B No. 5 Waverly at Class B No. 7 Elkhorn (8:00 p.m.)
– One of the best games of Week 1 in 2022, Elkhorn pulled out a 21-17 thriller on the road. Waverly returns running back Evan Kastens, who pushed 1,000 rushing yards last season for the Vikings. Elkhorn can hit you in many different ways, with junior Charlie Lamski being a player to watch for the Antlers. This game could be as good as last year’s.

Class C-1 No. 4 Aurora at Grand Island Northwest
– Aurora has lost in the state championship games in two straight seasons in two different classes. Enter 6’7 junior quarterback Booker Scheierman, who is a name to watch in the recruiting world. Northern Illinois tight end commit Joseph Stein leads the Vikings. Expect to see a plethora of aerial activity in this one.

Class C-1 No. 8 Minden at Class C-1 No. 7 Adams Central
– Minden is hoping for another push towards the postseason, led by college prospect Jake Ryan and defensive lineman Brycen Schwenka. Adams Central, who won the opener last season 28-7 leading to a 6-0 start, is led by running back Nick Conant, Jayden Teichmeier, and Lucas Gabriel. If Minden can get on a roll early, the Whippets will be an interesting team down the road.

Class C-2 No. 3 Oakland-Craig at Class C-2 No. 2 Norfolk Catholic
– Defending Class C-2 state champion Norfolk Catholic has a huge test in defense of its title with a talented Oakland-Craig squad coming to open the season. Oakland-Craig is led by junior quarterback Braylon Anderson and defensive lineman J.T. Brands. Norfolk Catholic features Brandon Kollars and lineman prospect Nolan Fennessey. Oakland-Craig, recent state champions in their own right, will not back down from the challenge of the defending champions.

Stanton at Riverside (Eight Man)
– This is about as big as it gets for preseason hype for an early Eight Man game. Stanton is loaded, featuring Mitchell Hupp along with juniors Becker Pohlman and Barrett Wilke ranked No. 2 in the Omaha World-Herald taking on preseason No. 4 Riverside. Riverside is already 1-0 on the campaign with a 38-20 Week 0 win over Summerland.