Omaha Skutt 'do-everything kid' Joe Kolega helps SkyHawk offense evolve, reach state semifinals
Back in the spring, Joe Kolega's coach said the Omaha Skutt senior could be the best wide receiver in Class B.
Kolega has backed up Matt Turman's belief and then some.
With a class-record 19 touchdown and 1,325 yards on 61 balls thrown by Dylan Van Dyke, Kolega has helped change the look of the SkyHawks' offense as they bid to return to the Class B championship game.
Class B's No. 1 team (10-1) visits undefeated, No. 3 Seward (11-0) for their semifinal at 7 p.m. Friday at Concordia University in Seward.
Kolega had modest numbers last year: 21 catches, 315 yards, three touchdowns. But Skutt's offense was different, run-oriented, with three backs each close to being a 1,000-yard rusher.
Without them and not having the same run blocking, Turman said, the offense has evolved into a passing attack. And Van Dyke, who had some experience as a fill-in starter last year, is blessed with a gifted high school receiver.
"Joe has incredible body control, so he's made a bunch of contested catches where he just like can float in the air. He has great, great hands,'' Turman said. "He dropped a pass in practice the other day and one of the sophomores was like, 'Oh, he's human, like the rest of us.'"
Kolega isn't a sprinter. Baseball is his spring sport. Turman wouldn't expect him to be in the 100-meter finals at state track.
"But he's really good with his body, and he's really good at creating separation just with his movements. So what (about speed)?,'' Turman said. "Yeah, he's just a pretty special kid."
Special enough that the 6-foot, 180-pounder is on the field for every play but for punts and punt returns. As a cornerback he has a team-high eight takeaways, six interceptions and two fumble recoveries.
"All year long, he's just been our do-everything kid. He'll catch a touchdown pass, jog over, kick the extra point, jog back and do our kickoffs and then jog over to where he plays corner," Turman said.
Kolega wouldn't have it any other way.
"Some people probably don't want to play both sides of the ball like that, but I enjoy it a lot. It kills me when I'm off the field,'' he said.
Are he and Van Dyke, who's broken school records with 2,803 yards and 35 touchdowns, Skutt's Mahomes and Kelce, players with a seemingly innate connection?
They have been on the same team since middle school.
"We've kind of always had that connection,'' Kolega said. "The more we're playing with each other, the better it gets. Yeah, it's great to see that all our work's paid off this year."
Football success has changed his route to college. It had been baseball. Like in football, he's a Swiss Army knife, plays everywhere but catcher.
He has offers from UNK and Wayne State.
"After this season in football, it's been kind of hard not to want to continue to pursue a football career,'' Kolega said.
Before then is the championship pursuit.
"Last chance,'' he said. "We haven't won one for the last three years. It would be especially memorable, from the team last year in the state championship coming back and winning, it would be huge."
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