NEBHSFB.com State Playoffs Preview

The Top 10

1. Omaha Westside (9-0) 1
2. Millard South (8-1) 2
3. Elkhorn South (8-1) 3
4. Kearney (8-1) 5
5. Omaha North (7-2) 4
6. Bellevue West (6-3) 6
7. Gretna (7-2) 7
8. Millard West (7-2) 8
9. Papillion-La Vista (8-1) 9
10. Lincoln East (6-3) 10
Dropped Out: None
Outside Looking In:
Grand Island (5-4)
Lincoln Southeast (6-3)
Millard North (4-5)
Omaha Creighton Prep (4-5)

Playoff Pairings

Class A First Round
(Games Friday, October 27)

Omaha Creighton Prep (4-5) at Omaha Westside (9-0)
Bellevue West (6-3) at Papillion-La Vista (8-1)
Grand Island (5-4) at Kearney (8-1)
Millard North (4-5) at Millard West (7-2)

Lincoln North Star (5-4) at Millard South (8-1)
Omaha North (7-2) at Gretna (7-2)
Papillion-La Vista South (5-4) at Elkhorn South (8-1)
Lincoln East (6-3) at Lincoln Southeast (6-3)

The Favorite

Omaha Westside (9-0) – Led by the best high school football player in the state of Nebraska, Omaha Westside is considered the favorite to win its second straight Class A state title and third in five seasons. NEBHSFB.com Preseason Player of the Year QB Anthony Rezac (1,535 passing, 73.3 percent passing, 21 TD’s, 1 INT; 679 rushing, 11 yards per carry, 11 TD’s) has been as advertised. Others to mention: 1,000-yard rusher Jahmez Ross, Nebraska pledge Caleb Benning, junior elite level potential wide receiver Keynan Cotton, tight end Trevor Spady, a solid offensive line, a highly capable defensive line, National Top 150 junior linebacker Christian Jones, senior leader linebacker Beau Ryan, Notre Dame commit Teddy Rezac, and highly productive defensive back Jordon Hurst. Just to name a few. There are also others. State championships are the demand at Omaha Westside and its senior-led squad is laser focused, averaging 49.2 points per game while allowing just 4.4.

Contenders

Millard South (8-1) – Armed with super sophomores on offense and one of the top defensive lines in the state, the Patriots used the momentum of a successful offseason and translated it into wins on Friday nights as the culture builds at Millard South. Sophomore Jett Thomalla leads the state in passing with 2,098 yards and has thrown for 21 touchdowns. Senior Nolan Feller and sophomore Gabe Prucha are threats out of the backfield, while Amarion Jackson (796 receiving yards, 11 TD’s) is emerging as one of the top receivers in the state. Watch out for sophomore tight end Isaac Jensen. Its defensive line of South Dakota State pledge JR Lecuona and Aidan Miller is one of the better fronts in the state. If anybody is going to upset Westside, this is probably your best bet.

Elkhorn South (8-1) – Usually when your FCS commit quarterback goes down, it is cause for panic. Luckily for the Storm, junior Madden Riggs was a capable prospect waiting for his chance and has played well in his new role. Brady Bosquet is a big play threat averaging 9.4 yards per carry. Nebraska pledge Ashton Murphy, Northern Illinois commit Ben Gustafson, and Northwest Missouri State verbal Henry Prochazka are others to watch for the Storm. Elkhorn South has won seven straight games and 18 out of its last 20.

Kearney (8-1) – Recent Central Florida baseball commit Griffin Novacek leads the Bearcats at quarterback. The backfield is deep, the receiving corps led by Zander Reuling and Karter Lee are experienced with proven success, while junior linebackers Sawyer Schilke and Ryan Meier are lurking. If you see a Bertrand in the program, circle all of them. All of them can play. Kearney did enough to survive a 10-7 road test with first round opponent and local rival Grand Island. If this team gets rolling, watch out.

Omaha North (7-2) – Junior FBS prospect Sebastian Circo leads the Vikings offense, but as expected a running back emerged in fleet-footed sophomore Jaron Cannon. Loaded at wide receiver, sophomore Champ Davis, junior Connor O’Neill, and junior Titan Glassman are playmakers. De’Andre Harper leads the offensive front, while S’Marious Henderson and Nebraska commit Tyson Terry lead a fantastic defensive line. Nebraska pledge Donovan Jones is a big-time playmaker on defense for the Vikings, who are coming off a shutout loss to Elkhorn South.

Bellevue West (6-3) – The Thunderbirds have taken a lot of heat for a 2-3 start. Nebraska commits Danny Kaelin, Isaiah McMorris, and Dae’Vonn Hall have hardly seen the field together this season, which stunted Bellevue West’s start. Ben Goodwater is the leading receiver for the season. Four straight wins, including a win over Gretna, have the Thunderbirds on a roll. There are a host of sophomore to circle on your programs, including Araf Evans Jr. and defensive back standout Kaprice Keith.

Gretna (7-2) – If you are looking for a team to make a potential deep run in the playoffs, the Dragons are capable of pulling a surprise or two. A proud program, Alex Wilcoxson has filled the shoes of being the quarterback at Gretna and passed with flying colors. Isaiah Weber is a physical runner out of the backfield, who is boosted by a junior filled offensive line of Kalvin Janssen, Griffin Goldman, and Ben Meerian. Blake Hawkins has played his way onto recruiting radars with a stellar senior campaign.

Millard West (7-2) – After a one-point loss to Millard South to open the season, Millard West has taken care of business in big games against Omaha North and Millard North en route to a 7-2 mark. Brody Peterson provides senior leadership and steady hands at quarterback, while Bobby Joseph and Dale Hansen are the ones to watch out of the backfield. North Dakota State pledge Jackson Williams is one of the top receiving prospects in the state. North Dakota pledge Tyler Thaden leads the offensive front for the Wildcats.

Papillion-La Vista (8-1) – Harsh for the Monarchs to be a nine seed, but such is life in Omaha metro high school football. Payton Prestito (1,312 rushing yards, 18 TD’s) has put up an All-State level performance this season. Having junior Garin Maley, sophomore Landon Von Seggern, Dallas Hamilton, and Nebraska tight end commit Eric Ingwerson helps. The Monarchs are every bit capable of pulling off a shocker over Bellevue West in round one.

Lincoln East (6-3) – Major college baseball commit Jeter Worthley (1,396 passing, 17 TD’s; 498 rushing, 9 TD’s) is one of the better signal callers in Class A and capable of making plays for the Spartans. Wyoming pledge Dash Bauman is the top threat out of the backfield for Lincoln East. Baumann, major college baseball commit Troy Peltz, and Mi’kele Ford lead the defense.

Millard North (4-5) – It has been very much the tale of two seasons for the Mustangs. A brutal schedule got a hold of Millard North early, but the Evan Hansen led team has recovered and looks a different prospect as it did in September. Playmaking juniors Caden VerMass (committed to Nebraska) and Pierce Mooberry are ones to watch for the Mustangs. Mooberry’s move to stand up linebacker in recent weeks will draw attention in recruiting.

Lincoln Southeast (6-3) – The Knights have been an interesting case this season. A double-overtime loss to Lincoln East has kept the Knights out of the Top 10, but Lincoln Southeast owns wins over Top 10 teams Millard West and Papillion-La Vista. Freshman running back Kadin Logan has emerged as of late, while the offensive line is led by Cooper Johnson. Junior Pierre Allen Jr. and Cash Buettenback lead the defense.

Omaha Creighton Prep (4-5) – Creighton Prep continued to get better every week and will give rivals Westside a better shot than a 57-7 loss in Week 2. Coming off a 1-4 start, Creighton Prep righted the ship by winning crucial games down the stretch. The players to watch for Prep are junior quarterback Tony Coniglio, Iowa pledge Michael Burt, and elite level safety Zac McLeay (148 tackles, 3 TFL, INT). McLeay is one of the most underevaluated prospects in the state of Nebraska.

Grand Island (5-4) – Its offense has struggled at times this season, but a stout defense keeps the Islanders in almost every contest. Make sure you know where sophomore running back Nelsyn Wheeler is at all times. Wheeler is a potential gamebreaker. Justyce Hostetler is one of the most highly productive linebackers in the state. Senior leadership on defense makes Grand Island no pushover.

Papillion-La Vista South (5-4) – In a reload season, the Titans have done well to navigate its schedule to qualify for the playoffs. All four losses are to teams in the Class A Top 10. Wide receiver Royceon Skogerboe (625 receiving yards, 23.1 yards per catch, 10 TD’s) should be a consideration on All-State lists in the postseason. Sophomore running back Derek Jones is a name to watch. Leading a young defense is Keith Hamby and Ben Shafer.

Lincoln North Star (5-4) – North Star took a lot of hits on social media for its performance in a win over Omaha Benson, perhaps unfairly. North Star is in the process of trying to change its culture. Dean Donaldson leads the offense, with Jayden Potter and William Kon paving the way up front for the Navigators.