Nebraska HS Football: Week 7 Top Performers

Player of the Week

Ethan Shaw | Sandy Creek | QB
– Shaw accounted for 289 yards and seven touchdowns (four passing and three rushing) in a 58-22 win over last year’s Class D-1 state runner-up Exeter-Milligan/Friend. For the season, the 6’2, 195-pound senior has completed 63.4 percent of his passes for 1,190 yards and 20 touchdowns compared to just one interception while leading the Class D-1 No. 2 Cougars to a 7-0 start. Shaw also has 948 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns with six 100-yard games to his credit this season.

Team of the Week

Fremont Tigers
– Despite what social media and local newspapers tell you about an urgent scheduling problem in Class A, they still play the games and sometimes there is an upset. Fremont pulled off one of the bigger surprises in Class A since North Platte was the last team to beat Omaha Westside in 2022 with a 28-14 victory over Creighton Prep. Had Fremont been in a Class A-2 scheduling pod as many have suggested in a promotion/relegation system, the Tigers would have never had a chance to play Creighton Prep at all.

Junior quarterback Ayden Bohaboj accounted for three touchdowns and rushed for 156 yards to lead the Tigers. Brooks Eyler and Da’Varius Bell combined for 150 yards with Eyler adding a touchdown run as the Tigers rushed for 299 yards led by the blocking of Division II prospect Jackson Jones (6’5/305). Fremont’s defense had five sacks on the evening with Taten Winter recording two sacks, while junior defensive end Nolan Menning (6’4/225) has put together a breakout campaign with 21 tackes, 10 tackles for loss, and six sacks.

Fremont moved to 4-3 on the season and avenged a state championship game loss on the same field 38 years ago. As for Tigers upsets for somebody who left the area in 1995 for overseas and other states for over 25 years, the season-opening win over preseason No. 1 Grand Island in 1986 and a season-ending 6-0 win over eventual Class A state champion Lincoln Southeast at Seacrest Field in 1992 come to mind.

(Note: Heedum Field is not on the campus of Midland University. Midland owns the former Memorial Field, which is seven blocks away from the campus. The former Memorial Field has been home to the Tigers since the 1950’s.)

Class A

Cash Buettenback | Lincoln Southeast | RB/LB – Buettenback ran for 175 yards and two touchdowns in 35-28 victory over North Platte. Defensively, Buettenback recorded 15 tackles and a sack for the Knights.

Nate Collins, Dayton Collins, and Marcus Buchanan | Omaha Burke – Quarterback Nate Collins completed 18 of 30 passes for 399 yards and five touchdowns in a 69-39 loss to Norfolk. Dayton Collins caught five passes for 143 yards and two scores, while Buchanan chipped in with nine grabs for 141 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Bulldogs.

Mikey Gow | Omaha North | QB – Gow completed 10 of 14 passes for 242 yards and five touchdowns in a 48-7 win over South Sioux City.

Tay Tay Jenkins | Omaha Westside | RB – In a 45-3 win over previously unbeaten Elkhorn South, Jenkins rushed for 132 yards and a score while catching three passes for 127 yards and two touchdowns.

Derek Jones | Papillion-La Vista South | RB – Jones ran for 125 yards and three touchdowns in 77-14 victory over Omaha South.

B.J. Newsome and Tory Pittman III | Omaha Central – In a 27-7 win over Papillion-La Vista, Newsome completed 17 of 21 passes for 301 yards while accounting for three touchdowns (one passing, two rushing). Pittman, just. a sophomore, caught four passes for 135 yards and a score for the Eagles.

Alarion Russell| Omaha Bryan | RB – Russell rushed for 177 yards and five touchdowns on just 14 carries in a 54-7 victory over Omaha Benson.

Alonzo Torrez | North Platte | RB – Torrez rushed for 171 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-28 loss to Lincoln Southeast.

Class B

Cesar Cano | Lexington | RB – Cano rushed for 211 yards and two touchdowns in a 39-21 loss to Gering.

Tysen Fleishman | Bennington | DL – Fleishman recorded 7.5 tackles, three tackles for loss, a sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery and scored a defensive touchdown in a

Chase Grow | Gretna East | QB – The sophomore accounted for 244 yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in a 51-14 victory over Ralston. Seth Kraegel caught five passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns for the Griffins.

Rece Knight | Gering | QB – Knight completed 20 of 27 passes for 248 yards and four touchdowns in a 39-21 win over Lexington. Barron Williams caught nine passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns.

Michael Knudsen and Clay Gathye | Gretna – Knudsen accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) in a 51-14 win over Platteview while Gathye rushed for 171 yards and three scores for the Dragons.

Dez Smith | Scottsbluff | RB – Smith rushed for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-7 victory over Hastings. Scottsbluff broke open a 6-6 game at halftime with 35 second half points. Nate Kelley accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing) for the Bearcats.

Jett TInglehoff | Elkhorn North | RB – Tinglehoff rushed for 194 yards and caught a touchdown pass in a 28-21 win over Omaha Skutt.

Class C-1

Quinn Bailey | Chadron | RB – Bailey rushed for 222 yards and five touchdowns in a 54-12 victory over Alliance.

Kip Brigham | Wahoo | RB – Brigham only needed seven carries to rush for 183 yards in a 63-6 win over Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.

Alek Doty | Sidney | QB – Doty accounted for 378 yards and accounted for four touchdowns (three passing, one rushing) in a 35-12 win over Chase County. Doty rushed for 140 yards for the Red Raiders in the victory.

Nixon Ligouri and Brant Gulizia | Auburn – Ligouri ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns while Gulizia added 100 rushing yards and three scores in a 41-0 win over Fairbury.

Brady McGill | Omaha Roncalli | QB – The sophomore threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns in a narrow 29-27 loss to Ashland-Greenwood. Jackson Post caught five passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns to pace the Crimson Pride on offense.

Landon Mroczek | Gothenburg | QB – Mroczek threw for 167 yards and two touchdowns while adding 78 rushing yards and a score in 55-7 victory over Holdrege.

Cael Smith | Ashland-Greenwood | RB – Smith rushed for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a 29-27 win over Omaha Roncalli.

Jackson Sughroue | Adams Central | QB – Sughroue accounted for 307 yards and threw for a pair of touchdowns in a 29-26 upset win over Cozad.

Parker Zikmund | Central City | QB – Zikmund completed 16 of 18 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-7 win over Milford.

Class C-2

Ethan Ballard | Doniphan-Trumbull | QB – Ballard completed 15 of 20 passes for 312 yards and three touchdowns in a 49-27 win over Fillmore Central.

Brogan Benes | Boone Central | RB – The junior ran for 266 yards and three touchdowns in a 23-7 win over St. Paul.

Conor Booth | Wahoo Neumann | RB – The Nebraska pledge rushed for 232 yards and five touchdowns in a 50-0 victory over Conestoga.

Kyler Boyles | Superior | RB – Boyles rushed for 187 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-14 victory over Hastings St. Cecilia.

Trace Buechle | Valentine | QB – Buechle threw for three touchdowns in a 37-8 win over Amherst.

Adriane Garza | Mitchell |QB – Garza ran for 221 tough yards and four touchdowns on 41 carries in a 41-38 win over Kearney Catholic and also threw for a touchdown pass. Mitchell rushed for 327 yards on 68 carries in the victory.

Braxton Gilnes | Lincoln Lutheran | QB – Glines threw for 229 yards and five touchdowns in a 45-6 victory Palmyra. Koston Maul caught three touchdowns in the victory for the Warriors.

Max Hammond and Hayden Kelley| Norfolk Catholic – Hammond accounted for 126 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-21 victory over Oakland-Craig. Kelley swiped two passes to boost the Knights, who have won 33 straight games and back-to-back C-2 state championships.

Braeden Reifenrath | Cedar Catholic | QB – Reifenwrath, a University of Sioux Falls pledge, rushed for three touchdowns in a 49-14 win over Ponca.

Austin Schueler | Fremont Bergan | QB – In a 26-0 win over Tekamah-Herman, Schueler completed 18 of 29 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns. Junior tight end Gavin Baker caught five passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, while Cale Sheets had six grabs for 154 yards and a score to pace the Knights offense.

Jordan Williams | Ord | QB – Williams accounted for 232 yards and three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in a 44-0 win over Centura.

Class D-1

Braxton Bridger | Johnson-Brock | RB – The freshman only needed eight carries to run for 162 yards and three touchdowns in an 86-22 win over Omaha Christian Academy.

Cole Heimes | Hartington-Newcastle | QB – Heimes accounted for 346 yards and seven touchdowns (six rushing, one passing) in a 50-22 win over Boyd County.

Cameron Hlavac | David City | QB – In a 64-14 victory over Humphrey-Lindsay, Hlavac accounted for eight touchdowns (four passing, four rushing).

Owen Kneifl | Pender | RB – In a 59-11 win over Wakefield, Kneifl ran for 199 yards and four touchdowns. The Pendragons rushed for 464 yards and eight touchdowns on 30 carries as a team in the victory.

Carson McDonald and Bryson Plock| McCool Junction | QB – McDonald accounted for 298 yards and six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) in a 58-34 win over Centennial. Plock accounted for 207 yards and four touchdowns (two rushing, two receiving) for the Mustangs.

Paydon Rinkol | Twin River | RB – Rinkol rushed for 289 yards and five touchdowns on 16 carries in a 54-8 victory over Madison.

Chase Smith | West Point GACC | RB – Smith rushed for 202 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-26 win over Wisner-Pilger.

Sam Souerdyke | Thayer Central | RB – Souerdyke ran for 209 yards and four touchdowns in a 60-18 victory over Tri County.

Matthias Wagner | Summerland | RB – Just a sophomore, Wagner rushed for 250 yards and six touchdowns in a 59-14 win over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge.

Barrett Wilke | Stanton | QB – Wilke accounted for 250 yards and three touchdowns (two rushing, one passing) in a 48-28 win over Plainview. Becker Pohlman tacked on four rushing touchdowns for the Mustangs in the victory.

Class D-2

Cooper Arehart | Neligh-Oakdale | QB – Just a freshman, Arehart accounted for 425 yards and five touchdowns (four rushing, one passing) in a 36-32 loss to Elgin/Pope John.

Elijah Bergstrom | Axtell | RB -Bergstrom rushed for 272 yards and seven touchdowns on 27 carries in a 52-20 win over Elm Creek.

Calvin Carraher | Franklin | RB – Carraher ran for 355 yards and seven touchdowns in a 58-20 win over Blue Hill.

Kyle Cox | Sandhills/Thedford | QB – Cox accounted for 317 yards and seven touchdowns (four passing, three rushing) in a 76-6 win over Mullen.

Gage Friesen | High Plains | RB/LB – In a 47-20 win over Lawrence-Nelson, Friesen rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns while recording 20 tackles and an interception returned for a score.

Gavin Hardeman | Lyons-Decatur Northeast | RB – Hardeman ran for 248 yards and three touchdowns in a 54-42 loss to Bancroft-Rosalie. Landen Cooper added 221 rushing yards and a touchdown in a losing effort for the Cougars.

Morgan Kinney | Ainsworth | ATH – Kinney accounted for 283 yards and six touchdowns (three passing, three rushing) in a 60-26 win over Creighton.

Hayden Muirhead | Overton | QB – Muirhead accounted for 227 yards and rushed for three touchdowns in a 40-32 win over Cambridge.

Abram Norton | Cambridge | QB – The freshman threw for 235 yards and five touchdowns in a 40-32 loss to Overton.

Steve Orme | Deshler | RB – Orme rushed for 214 yards and three touchdowns in a 73-34 win over Nebraska Lutheran.

Jesse Reyes | Maxwell | QB – Reyes rushed for 209 yards and three touchdowns in a 66-28 win over Bayard.

Zaden Wolf | Central Valley | QB – Wolf accounted for 253 yards and seven touchdowns (five rushing, two passing) in a 66-0 win over Palmer.

Six Man

Houston Billeter | Southwest | QB – In a 41-39 win over Wauenta-Palisade, Billeter threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns.

Jett Farwell | Pawnee City | RB – Farwell rushed for 213 yards and four touchdowns in a 53-0 win over Sterling.

Kole Fornander | Garden County | QB – Fornander accounted for 251 total yards and five touchdowns (four passing, one rushing) in a 83-49 win over Leyton. Kade Collins caught four touchdowns to pace the Eagles on offense.

Maddox Jones | S-E-M | RB – Jones rushed for four touchdowns in a 44-21 win over Paxton.

Kayde Ramm | Stuart | QB – Ramm threw for five touchdowns in a 57-6 win over Hampton.

Dylan Raymer | Hay Springs | RB – Raymer ran for 151 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-19 win over Cody-Kilgore.

Kreyton Wiese | Wauenta-Palisade | RB – Wiese ran for 253 yards and four touchdowns in a 41-39 loss to Southwest.