Week Seven Friday Night Lights Football Heroes
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Dez Smith, Nate Kelly, Braxton Buford, Bluffs O-Line - Scottsbluff - In Scottsbluff's second-half explosion, resulting in a 41-6 victory over Hastings; Senior Dez Smith went over the 1000 yard rushing mark with 215 yards on 25 carries and touchdown runs of 60 and 32 yards. Brilliant junior QB Nate Kelly was also money, rushing for 98 yards on 15 carries with a 54 yard touchdown run. Kelly also completed 5 of 7passes for 81 yards through the air with two touchdown passes to Braxton Burford covering 23 and 4 yards.
That Scottsbluff Offensive was the best I've seen this season with #23 Braxton Burford (6-2, 200, Jr), Ryan Hinman (6-5, 270, Sr), #65 Julius Blanco (6-1, 235, Sr), Daylon Adams (5-11, 285, Soph), #78 Adain Haffner (6-3,300, Jr), #76 Chris Galindo (6-2, 320, Sr) and #21 Lucas Lively (6-3, 215, Jr) getting an incredible push on those patented Bluffs running plays.
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
Kip Brigham-Wahoo - The remarkable Wahoo junior had another unbelievable game in the Warriors 63-6 shallacking of Logan View/SS. Brigham had only SEVEN carries but gained 183 yards and 6 of his 7 touches were touchdown runs.
Kip had 1st quarter TD runs of 64, 1 and 35 yards, 2nd quarter scoring runs covering 1, 1 and 4 yards, then a 3rd quarter 68 yard TD dash at the 11:05 mark that ended his touches for the night.
Check out Kip's 7 game totals and it would be best to be sitting down for this. AND REMEMBER, he's a JUNIOR.
Rushing-1,070 yards on 64 carries (16.72 per touch) with 22 TDs. Receiving- 6 catches for 175 yards (29/catch), 2 TDs. Punt Returns- 6 for 201 yards (34/return), 2 TDs. Kick Returns- 3 for 187 yards (62/return), 1 TD. 27 Total Touchdowns. Tackles- 25 with one interception.
Good Lord!
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Brogan Benes, Cardinals "D"-Boone Central - 5-11, 185 pound senior ran 39 times for 266 yards and scored all 3 Boone Central TDs in their 23-7 victory over St. Paul. The big rushing night pushed Benes over the 1000 yards mark for the season (1,017 currently). While the Cardinals offense was fighting to overcome 4 interceptions, the Boone defense was limiting the Wildcats to 92 yards of total offense for the evening.
*Quinn Bailey-Chadron - The nation's third leading rusher, Quinn Bailey ran for 222 yards on 16 carries and five touchdowns in the Cardinals 54-12 victory over Alliance. That raises Quinn's 2024 rushing total to 1,928 yards and 25 touchdowns, and his Career Rushing total to a mind-boggling 5,418 yards and 71 touchdowns.
*Austin Scheuler-Fremont Bergan - Junior QB came up big in Bergan's 26-0 victory over Tekamah-Herman. Scheuler connected on 18 of 29 passes for 373 yards and 3 touchdowns in the win. Junior Gavin Baker grabbed 5 of Scheuler's passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns, while sophomore Cale Sheets had 6 receptions for 154 yards and one TD. The Archbishop Bergen defense was also big in this game, limiting Tekamah- Herman to 157 total yards. Austin Scheuler has now thrown for 1,463 yards and 16 TDs through 7 games this season.
*Isaiah Morgan-Omaha Bryan - The 5-11, 200 pound senior ran for 240 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries in Bryan's 54-7 victory over Omaha Benson. That raises his season rushing total 883 yards. With 117 more rushing yards, Morgan can become the first 1000 yard rusher for Omaha Bryan since Jeremy Wallace ( 1,171 yds) turned the trick back in 2007 for the Bears 3-7 playoff team.
*Ayden Bohoboj, Noah Sagehorn, Max Cooper, Morgan Moore-Fremont - How about those Fremont Tigers knocking off Creighton Prep 28-14 last Friday. Junior quarterback Aiden Bohoboj (boho boy) was a factor in this game, rushing 21 times for 156 yards and two touchdowns, Ayden also tossed a 30 yard TD pass to Noah Sagehorn, his only reception of the night.
Defensively, Max Cooper led the way for Fremont with 11 tackles, Morgan Monroe added ten stops, and Davarius Bell, Cole Hazen (Gage's grandson?), Nolan Manning, and Tayten Winter (2) all had sacks in the game.
*Will Gutz-Bennington - The sophomore RB ran for 143 yards on 24 carries and a pair of TDs in the Badgers 35-7 win over Elkhorn High. That keeps Bennington's winning streak intact, now standing at 46 straight.
*Jett Tinglehoff, Ethan Beachy, AJ Paladino-Elkhorn North - Tinglehoff jetted for 194 yards on 37 carries in Elkhorn North's 28-21 victory over Omaha Skutt, knocking the Skyhawks from the unbeaten ranks. QB Ethan Beachy completed 10 to 14 passes for 143 yards and 2 TDs. AJ Paladino had a 60 yard Pick 6 to seal the win over Skutt.
*Tay Tay Jenkins-Omaha Westside - Hey hey, Tay Tay had a Dual Threat Day in Omaha Westside 45-3 win over a fine Elkhorn South team. Jenkins rushed 14 times for 132 yards with a 65 yard TD in the mix. He also caught 3 passes for 127 yards with 2 TDs covering 49 and 76 yards.
*Evan Wiles, Caejon Suttles, Cam Walker-GI Northwest - Evan Wiles was the hero in Northwest's 10-7 victory over York, nailing a 43 yard field goal with just 1:05 remaining in the contest. Vikings QB Caejon Suttles completed 15 of 30 passes for 222 yards with a 67 yard touchdown pass to Cam Walker, who had eight catches for 116 yards.
*Brady McGill to Jackson Post-Omaha Roncalli - McGill to Post was a lethal pass/catch combination in the Crimson Prides 29-26 loss to Ashland Greenwood. Sophomore Brady McGill completed 14 of 31 passes for 284 yards and four touchdowns in the loss, while Jackson Post caught 5 of McGill's aerials for 134 yards and two touchdowns.
*Kyler Boyles-Superior- 5-9, 195, junior rushed for 187 yards on 22 carries and 5 touchdowns in the Wildcats 40-14 victory over Hastings St. Cecilia.
*Grayson Sack-GICC - Junior All-Stater threw for 255 yards and rushed for 128 in the Crusaders 45-6 win over Cross County. Sack threw touchdown passes to Graham Stava (39 yards) and Mason Vasquez (26 yards). The speedy Sack's touchdown run covered 71 yards.
*Brady Eichelberger-O'Neill - 5-9, 160 pound senior averaged 15 yards a carry in the Eagles 55-14 win over Schuyler. Eichelberger ran 9 times for 135 yards and two touchdowns as O'Neill stays undefeated and improves to 7-0. Good bloodlines here baby!
*Parker Zikmund, Corbin Kyes, Turner Hanke, Jakob Ruhl-Central City - The Bison looked like they had lots of fun in their 55-7 win over Milford last Friday. Sharpshooting junior quarterback Parker Zikman completed 14 of 16 passes for 245 yards and four touchdowns. Junior running back Corbin Kyes gained 150 yards and 13 carries and a touchdown. Turner Hanke caught 6 passes for 72 yards, 3 of which were TDs and Jacob Ruhl was a star on defense, picking off 2 passes, one of which was a 22 yard Pick 6. Central City is a dangerous football team.
*Ethan Ballard, Taylon Bennett, Chase Kaczor, Seth Schwarz-Doniphan-Trumbull - In Doniphan-Trumbull's 49-27 victory over Fillmore Central; QB Ethan Ballard completed 15 of 20 passes for a gigantic 312 yards and three touchdowns. Taylor Bennett caught 5 of Ballard's aerials for 118 yards and a touchdown while Chase Kaczor caught 2 passes for 100 yards with a touchdown. Defensively Seth Schwarz led the troops with 13 tackles, ten of which were solo stops.
*Cesar Cano-Lexington - Another big night for the Lexington star running back, as he rushed for 211 yards on 30 carries and two touchdowns in the Minutemen's 39-21 loss to Gering. That leaves Cano just 12 yards short of the coveted 1000 yard rushing mark. Cesar was also a force on defense, making five tackles and blocking a field goal.
*Rece Knight-Gering - In that win over Lexington, junior QB Rece Knight completed 20 of 27 passes for 248 yards and 4 TDs. Barron Williams caught 9 of Knight's passes for 111 yards and a pair of TDs, while Creighton Beals kept the ground attack going with was rushed for 108 yards on 11 carries and another pair of touchdowns. Beals also stood out on defense, making 12 tackles.
*Adriane Garza- Mitchell - The 5-10, 180 pound QB Garza, a wide receiver last year, had a huge night in Mitchell's 41-38 upset of 5th rated Kearney Catholic. Garza rambled for 221 yards on a grueling 41 carries with four touchdowns, completed 5 of 10 passes for 113 yards and a touchdown, and made 9 tackles and had an interception on defense. This Tigers defense miraculously survived a 21 for 29 and 373 yard/5 TD night by Kearney Catholic gunslinging QB Jared Bosshammer.
*****5,000 Yard Career Rusher*****
*Kyle Cox-Sandhills-Thedford - The Knights quarterback's 206 yards rushing in the Sandhills-Thedford's 76-6 win over Mullen raised his 43 game career rushing total to an amazing 5,014 yards. Cox becomes the 62nd running back in Nebraska prep FB history to hit the 5000 yard career rushing mark.
It was just another day at the office for Cox in the Mullen victory, racing for 206 yards on 14 carries and three touchdowns, completing 9 of 14 passes for 111 yards and four more scores, and making 16 tackles on defense. That brings Kyle's rushing total for the year to 1,298 yards with 24 TDs and his passing total to 737 yards with 14 touchdowns.
The Knights senior has crazy career numbers too. Cox has 5,014 yards rushing with 102 touchdowns, 3,247 passing yards with 53 touchdowns, 329 tackles with 23 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries. And his total yardage to date.... 8,454 yards.
**1000 Yard Rusher Alert** - 2nd Time Around
*Hunter Luther-Howells-Dodge - The imposing junior running back rushed for 160 yards on 9 carries with touchdown runs covering 75, 36, 6 yards in the Jags 50-6 win over Osceola. Luther, who ran for 1,827 yards with 27 touchdowns a year ago, is up to 1,152 yards with 18 touchdowns this season.
*Paydon Rinkol-Twin River - The 195 pound battering ram, Twin River's first 1000 yard rusher ever, rambled for 289 yards on 16 carries with 5 TDs in Titans 54-6 win over Madison. That raises Rinkol's season rushing total to 1,367 yards with 21 touchdowns.
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Calvin Carraher-Franklin - Sophomore quarterback broke the 1000 yard barrier in a big way in Franklin's 58-20 victory over Blue Hill. Carraher rushed for 355 yards and seven touchdowns on 20 carries in the big win. He also completed 8 of 15 passes for 116 yards and made eight tackles and had an interception on defense. Carrier is now at 1,205 yards rushing and 23 touchdowns for the 2-5 Flyers.
*Ethan Shaw, Kamerin Sealey, Connor Rempe-Sandy Creek - 8-Man One powerhouse Sandy Creek pulled off another impressive victory last Friday, this time with a 58-22 victory over EMF. All-State QB Ethan Shaw had another big evening, completing 10 of 15 passes for 183 yards and 4 TDs. Ethan also rushed for 106 yards on 16 carries and an additional 3 TDs and recorded 7 tackles on defense. Young Cameron Sealey caught 4 passes for 79 yards with a pair of scores and also made 9 tackles on defense,
Connor Rempe caught 2 passes for 38 yards, of course both went for touchdowns. Rempe was also a stud on defense, recording 19 tackles. Sandy Creek's defense also held Exeter-Milligan/Friend to 185 total yards in the game.
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Jace Schukar-Loomis - Another sophomore made his entry into the 2024 Bobby Mills 1000 Yard Club when Loomis took down Bertrand 44-6 Sophomore RB Jace Schukar raced for 100 yards on 18 carries with a pair of touchdowns, and caught 3 passes for 45 yards in the in the Wolves win. Schukar now has 1,095 yards on the year.
**1000 Yard Rusher** - 2nd Time Around
*William Cacy-Arapahoe - The All-State RB ran for 141 yards on 15 carries with touchdown runs of 58, 3 and 26 yards in Arapahoe's 51-12 victory over Hi-Line. That raised William Cacy's 2024 rushing total to 1,085. yards. You may recall that the awesome Cacy rushed for 1,241 yards and 24 touchdowns a year ago.
*Barrett Wilke, Becker Pohlman, Gatlin Davidson, Garrett Hansen-Stanton - In the Mustangs 48-28 victory over a good Plainview team: All stater Barrett Wilkie rushed 24 times for 145 yards and 2 TDs, completed 4 of 6 passes for 105 yards and one touchdown pass of 29 yards to Becker Pohlman, while making 13 stops defensively.
Speaking of the All-Stater Pohlman, Becker ran for 102 yards on 22 carries and 4 TDs and made 5 tackles on defense.. Two other defensive standouts were Gatlin Davidson, who led the way with 16 tackles. Garrett Hansen chipped in with 10 stops
*Sam Souerdyke- Thayer Central - Sensational Sam, one of 8-Man football's finest athletes during the past four seasons, rushed for 209 yards and 4 TDs on 14 carries in Thayer Central's 61-18 win over Tri-County. Souerdyke also had 6 tackles and 2 INTs in the game.
Here's the deal with Sam. He has 4,407 career rushing yards but missed two or three games his sophomore year because of injuries (which is part of the game) but had one taken game away this season due to a forfeit. SO, here's hoping that Sensational Sam gets at least two playoff games for an opportunity to hit that 5000 yard career rushing mark. If anybody deserves a shot at that, it's Sam Souuerdyke.
**1000 Yard Rusher Alert** - 2nd Time Around
*Elijah Bergstrom-Axtell - The 5-10, 175 pound Axtell star, a two time all district player, is now TWO TIME 1000 Yard Rusher after the Wildcats 52-20 victory over Elm Creek. Bergstrom exploded for 272 yards and SEVEN touchdowns on 26 carries in the Elm Creek victory, raising his 2024 rushing total to 1,103 yards with 20 touchdowns. Eli rushed for 1,073 yards last season.
Bergstrom has been on a tear in the last three weeks, all Axtell wins by the way, following an 0-4 start this season. In the last 3 weeks alone, Bergstrom has rushed for 654 yards and 14 touchdowns. Even more impressive is Bergstrom's last two weeks, as he bolted for 506 yards with 11 TDs for this surging 3-4 Axtell squad.
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Brock Jeannoutot-Bloomfield - Jeannoutot rushed for 125 yards on 27 carries with a 20 yard touchdown in the Bees exciting 20-16 victory over Niobrara Verdigre. With those 125 ground yards, Jeannoutot became Bloomfield's 41st running back to surpass the 1000 yard rushing barrier. Brock now has 1,065 yards this season. The Junior also made 11 tackles on defense, 3 of which were for losses.
By the way, Bloomfield high school's 41 Thousand Yard Rushers over the course of Nebraska high school football history, leads the entire state.
**1000 Yard Rusher Alert** - 2nd Time Around
*Gavin Hardeman, Landon Cooper-Lyons Decatur NE - Hardeman, the two time 1000 yard rusher ran for 248 yards and three touchdowns on 30 carries in Lyons-Decatur NE 54-42 loss to rival Bancroft-Rosalie. Hardeman also had 15 tackles with 9 solos on defense in the loss. A year ago Gavin rushed for 1,010 yards and currently sits at 1,012 yards with one game with Walthill remaining in the Regular season.
Not far off Hardeman's pace was Landon Cooper, who rushed for 221 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Cooper is also not far off Hardeman's season rushing pace, having run for 879 yards rushing with one regular season game to go. Can you say Dual 1000 Yard Rushers?
**1000 Yard Rusher Alert** - 2nd Time Around
*Hudson Hoffman-Boyd County - Hoffman did all he could in Boyd County's 50-22 loss to Hartington-Newcastle. The talented senior rushed 25 times for 115 yards with a 25 yard TD run, caught 3 passes for 54 yards with two additional scores and made 12 tackles on defense, 10 of which were solo stops. Hoffman's 115 rushing yards lifted him over the 1000 yard mark for the second straight season. Hoffman 's rushing total currently stands at 1,012 yards. You may also recall Hoffman rambled for 1,004 yards in 2023.
*1000 Yard Rusher Alert*
*Cole Heimes-Hartington-Newcastle - The sensational senior dual threat QB went wild in the Wildcats 50-22 victory over Boyd County. Heimes erupted for 255 yards and SIX TDs and completed 8 of 14 passes for 94 yards with an additional touchdown in the big win. Cole was equally effective on defense, making 13 tackles (8 solos) and picking off a pass. That raises Cole's offensive totals in 2024 to 1,009 yards rushing and 807 yards passing. This dude is GOOD!
*Houston Billeter-Southwest - Junior gunslinger completed 21 of 39 passes for 303 yards and three touchdowns in Southwest's 41-39 victory over Wauneta-Palisade. He also made 13 tackles on defense for the 4-2 Roughriders.
*Kreyton Wiese-Wauneta-Palisade - 6-2, 205 pound sophomore rambled for 253 yards on 31 carries with four touchdowns in the Broncos 41-39 loss to Southwest.
