2024 NSAA Class C-1 State Championship Game
Central City (11-1) vs. Wahoo (12-0)

When: Tuesday, November 26 – 2:45 PM
Where: Memorial Stadium – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
NSAA Football Finals HQ
TV/Stream: Nebraska Public Media
Radio: KZEN Central City | Saunders County Online | KTIC West Point

Central City Bison (11-1)
State Championships/Runner-Up: None
Head Coach: Troy Huebert (Interview with KMA Radio – Shenandoah, IA)
Distance to Memorial Stadium: 88 miles
Final NEBHSFB.com Regular Season Rank: No. 7
Offensive Average: 44.3| Defensive Average: 19.6

Central City
Rated No. 10 in the preseason by NEBHSFB.com coming off a 4-5 season in 2023, it appeared early on that Central City may exceed preseason prognostications. Its only blemish of the campaign came at the hands of Cozad in Week 5, 56-55 in overtime. Since then, the Bison have been rumbling with its explosive offense.

The emergence of junior quarterback Parker Zikmund is a major reason behind Central City’s surge to Lincoln. Zikmund leads Class C-1 in passing with 2,545 yards and 36 touchdowns. Fellow junior Corbin Kyes leads the Bison out of the backfield with 1,998 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. Leading the team in receiving is junior Wyatt Dent who covered 1,051 yards and hauled in 13 touchdowns on 74 receptions. Sophomore Turner Henke (6’2/195) tied for a team lead with 13 touchdown receptions.

Central City’s defense has shown signs of giving up a lot of points at times, but has performed much better in the postseason allowing just 11 points per game in three playoff games. Junior Connor Erickson leads the team in tackles with 76 while adding 10 tackles for loss. Linebacker Colter Lueders is another leader on defense after recording 62 tackles and 11.5 tackles for loss. As a team, Central City has intercepted 18 passes this season. Truman Ryan leads the team with six interceptions, while Creighton baseball signee Jakob Ruhl has swiped five passes.

Wahoo (11-1)
State Championships: 2019 | State Runner-Up: 2023
Head Coach: Chad Fox (Interview with KMA Radio – Shenandoah, IA)
Distance to Memorial Stadium: 31.4 miles
Final NEBHSFB.com Regular Season Rank: No. 1
Offensive Average: 52.8| Defensive Average: 6.7

Wahoo
After falling in last season’s state title game to Boone Central 12-0, Wahoo has been on a mission to get back to Memorial Stadium. By doing so, Wahoo’s dominance was eerily similar to its emphatic run to the 2019 state championship when it outscored opponents 612-54.

Operating the controls of an offense that averages 52.8 points per game, junior Jase Kaminski has been efficient with 1,491 passing yards and 13 touchdowns while completing 65.3 percent of his attempts. Junior Kip Brigham has been tough to tame, leading the team with 1,900 rushing yards and 34 touchdowns while averaging 13.5 yards per carry and also leading the team in receiving with 19 receptions for 473 yards and seven scores. Noah Bordovsky provides additional firepower out of the backfield with 762 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Jake Scanlon (6’0/240) and Eli Emerson (6’4/250) anchor the offensive line for Wahoo.

Wahoo has held its opponent to seven points or less nine times this season, including four shutouts. Braylon Iversen leads the team with 93 tackles and nine tackles for loss, while junior Harrison Krueger chipped in with 91 stops for the defense. A player to watch up front on defense is junior Eli Shada. Junior Kaden Christen leads the team with four interceptions.

Pick: Wahoo
– Wahoo is on a mission. Give a young Central City team credit for reaching the state title game. The Bison will be in the thick of the state championship race in 2025 if the team stays together. – Scott Hansen

Class C-1 Playoff Scores

Semifinals: Central City 29, Sidney 12; Wahoo 59, Auburn 7

Quarterfinals: Sidney 32, Chadron 8; Central City 19, Columbus Lakeview 7; Auburn 20, Ashland-Greenwood 19; Wahoo 53, Boys Town 14

First Round: Sidney 30, Omaha Roncalli 7; Chadron 42, Lincoln Christian 16; Columbus Lakeview 14, Columbus Scotus 7; Central City 49, Fort Calhoun 14; Ashland-Greenwood 39, Milford 16; Auburn 9, O’Neill 7; Wahoo 50, Douglas County West 0; Boys Town 27, Cozad 0