District C1-6
Kearney Catholic
STARS
What you need to know about the challenge at Kearney Catholic is this - the Stars begin the season needing to replace to Husker recruited walk-ons. The Stars do return seven starters on offense and six on defense from last year's 7-3 playoff team.
"We were pretty good last year - losing two in overtime and to Boone (Central) by seven - and we return all our linemen and our starting quarterback," says head coach Dave Colling, a 1990 graduate of Kearney State College. "Our defense should be pretty salty and this is just a team full of hungry, competitive kids."
Any time you return all five of your linemen you have a leg up on the competition. And at Kearney Catholic it's a sizable leg as the Stars' returning starters include seniors Dennis Cabanting (6-1, 270), Nick Brungardt (6-5, 260), Nic Dowling (5-10, 210), Austin Arens (5-10, 210) and Collin Arredondo (6-4, 260). Adding depth is junior Andrew Harms (6-2, 220).
Senior John Masker (6-1, 190) returns at the controls on offense, last year passing for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 62% of his passes. Figure senior Nathan Howe (5-11, 190), who last year averaged six yards per attempt, will get a steady dose of carries as the team's new go-to back. Sophomore Brady Holtmeier (5-11, 180) could well make the jump to impact wide receiver.
Cabanting (60 tackles, 3 forced fumbles) is one of the best defensive linemen to come through the Kearney Catholic program, says Coach Colling, and he'll be joined in the D-line by Brungardt (39 tackles), Dowling, Arredondo, Arens and Harms. Howe (130 tackles) is a returning all-district linebacker, like Cabanting a 2014 all-state candidate, and will lead a set of linebackers which will include junior Creighton Hamik (6-1, 195).
Junior Bryce James (5-8, 165) will lead a secondary that will also include junior John Baack and Holtmeier could make an impact on defense, too.
The Stars have a pair of returning varsity kickers in senior Chase Murphy (6-0, 190) and junior Grant Buschkoetter (5-9, 175).
Kearney Catholic will be strong again in 2014, strong enough to win eight, maybe all nine, in the regular season and advance in the playoffs. That's strong.
Grand Island Central Catholic
CRUSADERS
After qualifying for the playoffs a tenth time in 11 seasons the Crusaders return seven starters on defense and five on offense from last year's 5-4 team.
"We need to have great leadership from a group of seniors who mostly have played two and three seasons and continue to work at getting stronger in the weight room," says GICC head coach Charlie Shoemaker, who has 63 career wins to his credit. "We return all five offensive linemen, two starting tight ends and a good group of running backs, so the running game should be a real strength for our team. Our defense should be solid if we can develop a secondary."
Biggest news within the program is senior Youhanna Gaifhan (6-4, 255), a Division I recruit who is a returning all-stater and four-year starter. Gaifhan starts at tight end on offense where last season he caught 22 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns; as you might imagine, he's also a devastating blocker.
Back at the other tight end is senior Joe Krajicek (5-11, 180) while back in the offensive line are seniors Christian Gappa (6-1, 200) and Levi Cornwell (5-10, 200) and juniors Josh Puncochar (5-10, 165), Austin Walton (5-10, 160) and Treyten Ruhl (6-4, 175).
Senior Brady Brokaw (5-7, 150) will settle in as the team's new starting quarterback with senior John Pfeifer (5-10, 180) at running back and senior Dillon Rork (6-1, 190) at fullback. Junior Nathan Boon (5-10, 165) and sophomore Chase Wenzl (5-10, 150) are lettermen who will lend depth to the running game.
Prospects at wide receiver include sophomore lettermen Aidan Anspauch (5-8, 140) and Collin Toner (6-0, 150).
Gaifhan (66 tackles) dominates the defensive line of scrimmage and Gappa, Puncochar, Walton, Cornwell and Ruhl all have experience in the defensive line. Pfeifer (62 tackles) is a returning all-district linebacker and leads a unit that will also include Krajicek (53 tackles) and Rork.
Brokaw (4 INTs, 2 FR) is a playmaking, all-district DB who leads as secondary that will include junior Nathan Boon (5-10, 165), Wenzl and Anspauch.
This has the makings of a really good team - good enough to win six in the regular season and be in the mix for a district title and playoff berth.
Holdrege
DUSTERS
Dropping from Class B to Class C-1, the Dusters return six starters on defense and four on offense from last year's 5-4 team which just missed the playoffs.
"It's an exciting time for our program, entering a new class with a new schedule. Our kids are looking forward to the challenge," says head coach Jason Hale, a 1987 graduate of William Penn (Iowa) University, and the winner of 95 games in his coaching career. "We have a good mix of returning players, starters and lettermen, but we have to replace a couple of starters in the line and build depth in both the offensive and defensive lines. We also need to replace a two-year starter at quarterback but we have three quality candidates to help fill the void."
Competing for the start at quarterback will be senior Kaden Rome (5-7, 160), junior letterman Caden Fritson and sophomore prospect Jackson Berney. Blessed with blazing speed - can you say 10.4 100 meters? - junior Cooper Rogers (5-11, 180) is an exciting prospect at running back, last year rushing for 376 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
At receiver senior Boe Barnett, who last year caught seven passes for 112 yards, will be one of the leaders.
A pair of returning all-district players will lead the offensive line, including rising junior Blake Schroeder (6-3, 220) and senior Trevor Smith (6-0, 220), with senior Chase Christensen (5-9, 200) another returning starter.
Rome (100 tackles, 5 TFL) and senior Tristan Colgrove (5-8, 195), who registered 100 tackles including 11 for loss, are an outstanding set of linebackers who will be joined by seniors Lane Cole (5-11, 195), who had 23 tackles, and Devin Smith (27 tackles, 4 TFL). Schroeder (88 tackles, 7 TFL) and Trevor Smith (30 tackles, 7 TFL) will anchor the defensive line.
The Dusters' drop to C-1 caused quite a stir and we expect them to compete for the district title, winning something like last year's five games, maybe six.
Central City
BISON
Six starters return on both offense and defense for the Bison, who were 2-6 last season in their first season with Troy Huebert as head coach.
"Our strength will be up front, where we return four starters on both offense and defense," says Huebert, a 2011 Hastings College graduate. "We also have a lot of young guys with varsity experience at our skill positions which is a positive for us coming into the season."
Junior Mitch Carlson (6-0, 155) settled into the starting quarterback role midway though last season and finished with 518 yards passing and five touchdowns. His best receiver is senior Thomas Geiger (5-10, 155), who last season hauled in a team high 18 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 121 yards and two scores. Junior lettermen Kordell Hamer (5-11, 150) and Brady Bamesberger (5-11, 155) will also be in the mix for some catches.
Junior Brad Schoch (6-0, 200) returns at fullback, where last year he proved a solid blocker and also caught nine passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Junior letterman Taylor Beck (5-9, 165) is expected to step into the starting running back role, with Geiger and senior Joe Hawthorne (6-2, 180) lining up in the slot and sometimes in the backfield.
Leading the offensive line will be senior all-state candidate Jerad Paup (6-3, 265), a four-year starter and a tremendously strong young man who is now 100 percent after a couple of shoulder surgeries in the offseason. Also back in the offensive line are seniors Trevor McDiffett (6-4, 200), Wyatt Janzen (6-2, 275) and Blaine Paup (6-3, 260). Junior letterman Nick McNeff (6-0, 215) will also see time in the line.
Schoch (112 tackles, 2 FR) is a three-year starter at middle linebacker and a returning all-district pick, with seniors Hawthorne (27 tackles, 2 FR) and Jonah Peterson (5-8, 165) joining him at that position and junior lettermen Beck and Blaine Nelson (5-10, 175) adding depth. Geiger (22 tackles) leads a secondary that will include Hamer and Bamesberger.
Jerad (22 tackles) and Blaine Paup (17 tackles) will lead a defensive front that will also include McDiffett, Janzen and McNeff.
Let's say the Bison take another step and win three games this season.
Minden
WHIPPETS
With five starters back on both sides of the ball the Whippets aim to improve upon last year's 2-7 mark.
"We have a large group of seniors to replace but the competition for those spots should raise our practice level," says Coach Shannon Lovin, who graduated from Hastings College in 1992. "We need to keep working hard to get stronger in order for us to be competitive but we will benefit from having a lot of last year's underclassmen play a great deal to injuries. It also helps being in our system a second season."
Junior Jonathan Miller (5-9, 175) was a starting wide receiver last year but will move to quarterback to start the 2014 season. In another move senior Bryson Holsten (6-1, 180) moves from tight end to running back, where sophomore Cody Stadler (5-9, 165) could add depth.
Seniors Nic Werner (6-0,165) and Matt Exstrom (6-0, 165) will give the Whippets a pair of veteran receivers, with junior Josiah Lovin (6-3, 170) another option.
Only one returner in the offensive line but he's a good one, senior Keith Bendix (6-0, 225), a three-year starter. Juniors Quenton Timm (5-10, 170), Robert Sloane (5-10, 170) and Phoenix Duffy (6-0, 230) and sophomore Keaton Hoffman (5-9, 200) will be asked to step into important roles in the offensive line.
Werner and Exstrom return in the secondary where Lovin, Stadler and sophomore lettermen Thomas Miller (5-7, 150) will get a chance to help. Jonathan Miller and Holsten return at linebacker while Bendix is the lone returning starter in the defensive line.
Junior Alexis Ciprian (5-8, 160) takes care of the kicking duties for the Whippets, last year booting 16 PATs and three field goals and punting for a 31.2 average.
Lots of young players and a tough schedule seems to equal a record similar to last year's for the Whippets.
St. Paul
WILDCATS
There's a new sheriff in St. Paul, sort of, where former Wausa head coach Rusty Fuller takes the reigns of a program that returns nine starters on defense and seven on offense from last year's disappointing 0-8 season.
"It will be a rebuilding year as we need to change the culture of the football program - seasons like 0-8 will not be acceptable," says Coach Fuller, a Peru State College graduate. "Expectations surrounding our program will be set high, yet achievable, and with the amount of returning experience we have on the roster I expect to see a lot of improvement from last season."
Senior Austin Helzer (5-9, 165) settles in as the team's quarterback with senior Taylor Wroblewski (5-10, 145) and senior Ryley Schulte (5-9, 180) also returning in the backfield. Senior Wyatt Stoltenberg (6-2, 160) is back as a starting wide receiver but depth at all those positions needs to be developed. Could be Elba transfer Ben Dush, a 5-11, 175-pound senior, could fill that bill.
Senior guard Matt Jameson (6-2, 190) and senior tackle Joey Jonak (5-11, 190) are back as starters in the line with juniors Quinton Hobbs (5-11, 180) and Shayne Damman (6-0, 200) and sophomore Dylan Price (5-8, 175) lettermen who will be in the mix for playing time. Returning at tight end are senior Jaydon Lassen (6-1, 150) and junior Turner Brouillette (5-10, 165).
Helzer, Dush and seniors Ryley Schulte (5-9, 180) and Dillon Paczosa (5-7, 130) will man the secondary with Wroblewski, Lassen and junior Daltyn Rother (5-9, 150) veterans at linebacker, with Price another candidate for playing time. Jonak at tackle and Stoltenberg and Jameson, both ends, will bring a veteran presence to the defensive line.
Last season was a wreck for the Wildcats but this is a program with a proud history of winning and they will be back. Maybe not this season but soon.
District C1-7
Cozad
HAYMAKERS
By the end of the playoffs the Haymakers proved to be the most dominant of our state champions, polishing off a 13-0 season which gave the program its second state title in history. Second-year head coach Brian Cargill returns three starters on both offense and defense.
"If believe we have a good core of kids but we lack at experience at the varsity level," says Coach Cargill, a 1999 graduate of UN-Kearney. "If our young kids develop as we hope throughout the season we have a shot at doing some good things."
An elusive and smart runner, senior Colin Wetovick (5-11, 190) last season rushed for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns and has the talent to push those numbers through the roof. Another brilliant athlete, senior Conor Young (6-3, 185), will move from wide receiver to quarterback and should establish himself as a top notch dual threat. Last season Young caught 19 passes for 509 yards (26.8 yards per) and seven touchdowns. Both are returning all-state players.
Junior Colt Leibhart (6-0, 235) suffered a shoulder injury last season but figures to be the front runner at fullback and junior Chase Dugan (6-2, 175) seems a good bet to establish himself as the team's go-to receiver.
Senior Dallas Maack (5-11, 240) is the lone returning starter in the offensive line and will lead a group that will include seniors Nate Lemmer (5-7, 215), Neil Henderson (5-9, 215) and Jon Lee (5-11, 275) and junior Jordan Henry (6-1, 200). Senior Jason Finnegan (6-3, 205) was a part-time starter at tight end last year and senior Mitch Wolf (6-5, 200) is another prospect at that position.
Wetovick was lights out at linebacker last season, finishing with 75 tackles, 15 of them for loss, to go with five sacks and five interceptions. Finnegan is another returning veteran at linebacker with senior letterman Austin Turek (5-11, 200) also in the mix. Maack (35 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks) will lead the D-line which will also include senior Mitchell Fischer (6-1, 250), Leibhart, Henry and Hendrickson.
Young (64 tackles, 4 TFL, 6 INTs) is a dynamic playmaker in the secondary and will lead a group that also includes Dugan, sophomore Cam Griffiths (5-9, 155) and junior Sam Cole (5-10, 160).
Probably no state title in the cards in 2014 but look for the Haymakers to win about six games and make the playoffs.
Gothenburg
SWEDES
With six starters back on offense and five on defense - including one of the headliners in Nebraska's Class of 2015 - look for the winning to continue at Gothenburg, where last season the Swedes were 8-3, reaching the state quarterfinals.
"We have some very talented players returning, including three three-year starters and all of them have been all-district," says Gothenburg head coach Craig Haake, who has compiled a 115-87 record in his 20 years at GHS. "Our offensive line will be our strength, and that's always a good thing, and on defense we should have good team speed and the secondary returns a lot of experience. We feel good about our team going into the season."
The big news on campus - and we mean big - is senior lineman Tanner Borchardt (6-9, 275), a returning all-stater and Division I recruiting target. Also back in the line is senior all-district center Dylan Folkers (6-2, 240), as well as senior Tyler Baker (6-2, 235) and senior tight end Dalton Sylvan (6-0, 210). Senior Levi Tripp (6-2, 255) and junior Alex Jorgensen (5-10, 215) also figure to play in the line.
The Swedes return a pair of quarterbacks who have started varsity games, including senior Jacob Clark (6-0, 160) and rising sophomore Dawson Graham (6-0, 160). Also back is the team's leading rusher from 2013, senior Zach Wolf (6-2, 190), another all-district player who last season gained 976 yards and scored nine touchdowns. Senior flanker Connor Schwanz (6-0, 180) is another returning starter and senior Jake Peterson (6-1, 165) will help at the skill positions.
Borchardt dominates the line of scrimmage in ways few players do and with him, Folkers and Baker returning the D-line looks like one of C-1's best for 2014. Sylvan (79 tackles, 2 FR) is the team's leading returning tackler and will be joined at linebacker by Wolf.
Graham (4 INTs) made a huge impact for a freshman and when you add Clark, Schwanz and Peterson to the mix you have what should be a very good secondary.
Gothenburg has reached the playoff quarterfinals each of the past three seasons and we see another good year for the Swedes, one with something like seven wins in the regular season and a playoff win or two.
Ord
CHANTICLEERS
It could simply be a matter of good fortune for the Chants in 2014, as with 10 starters back they have quality front line players - winning could come down to how fast quality depth develops. Last season head coach Mark Hagge's team finished 5-4, reaching the Class C-1 playoffs.
"Our roster numbers are starting to climb but we need to keep working hard in order to develop depth. We have the opportunity to be a pretty good football team if we avoid injuries," says Coach Hagge, a graduate of UN-Lincoln.
Senior Eli Hill (5-8, 175) moves into the starting running back position and he's a dangerous receiver, too, last year catching 25 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Tony Smith (5-9, 180) returns as the team's wingback and junior letterman Colton Zulkowski (6-3, 185) returns as a split end candidate.
Coach Hagge expects the quarterback position to be filled by committee, at least at the start of the season. Among the leading candidates are Hill and Smith.
Though it's a young group there is good experience in the Ord line thanks to the return of rising junior Cade Svoboda (6-2, 198), a returning all-district player, juniors Colin Koehlmoos (5-10, 170) and Garret Haggerty (6-0, 235) and sophomore Brooks Bechtold (5-11, 185) along with senior tight end John Radil (6-4, 215). Radil and Svoboda are especially strong leaders for the Chants, both of them two-way starters since they were freshman.
Senior Jesse Ritterbush (5-7, 165), who had 35 tackles in 2013, along with senior Nolan Gant (6-1, 175) and Koehlmoos return at linebacker with Smith (21 tackles, 3 TFL) and Zulkowski in the secondary. Radil (23 tackles, 3 TFL) and Svoboda give the Chants a pair of all-district players in the defensive line where Haggerty and junior Dakota Vanosdall (6-0, 240) will also return as starters.
There is an outstanding crop of young talent on this team. Look for the Chants to win six or seven games and make the playoffs.
Broken Bow
INDIANS
Youth will be served at perennially successful Broken Bow, where the Indians return just three starters on both sides of the ball from last year's 7-3 playoff team.
"We will be very young on both sides of the ball. Our strengths will be in our offensive and defensive lines and we have some younger skill players who will be good players but lack varsity experience," says head coach Mike Garner, who has won 103 games in his career.
Senior Tyler Yarrington (6-0, 200) is a two-year starter at tackle and will lead an offensive line which will also include senior Levi Clarke (5-11, 185), who started five games in 2012, with senior Noah Garey (6-2, 220) and junior Scott Davis (6-0, 260) likely candidates to start.
Junior Josey Evans (5-7, 140) is the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position and will be joined in the backfield by junior running back Tommy McCormick (6-0, 190) and senior Austin French (5-9, 150).
Senior tight end Austin Reynolds (6-1, 195) was the team's second leading receiver in 2013 and senior Tyrel Garner (6-2, 165) saw varsity action at split end last year. Senior Jacob Anderson (5-8, 160) and junior Travis Kleeb (5-8, 135) will also be part of the receiving corps.
Garey and Davis are returning starters in the defensive line with Yarrington and Reynolds also like to start in the D-line. French (3 FR) returns to lead a secondary that will include Garner and Evans, the latter who played nickel back last season.
There will be a new set of linebackers with Anderson a returning letterman at the position. Smith returns as the team's place kicker.
Few walkovers on the schedule, especially in a toughened district, so let's say the Indians win about half of their games in 2014.
O'Neill
EAGLES
Head coach Brock Eichelberger enters his fifth year at O'Neill and he will return five starters on offense and three on defense from last year's 3-5 team.
"Our strengths will be team chemistry and our work ethic. Our weakness will be a general youthfulness and inexperience in our line-up," says Coach Eichelberger, who has a 73-42 career record and previously led Ewing to its only state football title (2008). "We have a lot of new faces in the offensive and defensive lines but we are working hard to get stronger and more physical and we are looking forward to the challenge of a new season."
O'Neill running game will center around powerful senior David Fox (5-9, 190), who last season rushed for 729 yards and five touchdowns with senior Jose Lopez (5-7, 180) another veteran option. Senior Levi Ethington (5-9, 175) is a leading candidate at fullback with senior lettermen Cory Rowse (5-8, 160) and Kedron Koehler (5-8, 160) also in the mix.
Junior Tyson Hostert (6-2, 180) is an athletic wide receiver who last season caught 15 passes for 187 yards and a TD with senior John Marvin (5-7, 140) and junior Jacob Emme (5-11, 160) also in the mix at receiver.
Sophomore Chance Sholes (6-0, 185) is the team's only returning starter in the offensive line so senior Tanner Sawyer (5-9, 180), juniors Austin Hilker (5-8, 205) and Walker Liewer (6-2, 190) will be asked to play important roles up front. Returning at tight end, and giving the line some stability, is senior starter Amador Medina (6-1, 180).
Fox (100 tackles) is a returning all-district player - and defending state champion wrestler - and will lead a linebacker corps that will also include Ethington and Lopez with junior letterman Cordele Mathews, Rowse and Koehler among others bidding for playing time at that position.
Hostert, Emme (3 INTs) and Lopez return in the secondary with Sholes a returning starter in the defensive line. Look for sophomore Jake Young (6-1, 170) to be a factor on both sides of the ball.
We look for O'Neill to finish somewhere around the three wins they accumulated in 2013.
Valentine
BADGERS
This season marks the return of a local hero, at least to the football sideline, as former VHS standout Blake Beebout as head coach. His Badgers return seven starters on offense and six on defense from last year's 3-6 playoff team.
"We are returning some valuable experience but we will need to hit the ground running in terms of learning new schemes on both sides of the ball," says Coach Beebout, who is a 2007 graduate of UN-Kearney. "Barring injuries our offensive and defensive backfields should be very good. Our kids are anxious to work for their success."
Leading the Badgers will be senior all-district quarterback Brooks Coleman (5-9, 140), who is "smart, savvy and a good decision," says Coach Beebout. Senior James Hand (5-8,160) and junior Braxton Coleman (5-9, 180) are expected to play key roles as running backs and senior wide receiver Cameron Perrett (5-9, 145) is another returning skill player.
Leading the offensive line will be powerful senior Gunnar Hitchcock (6-1, 240) with senior Caleb Lamb (5-10, 200), junior Caden Billings (6-0, 230) and senior Quincy Eggleston (5-0, 220) other returning starters in that unit. Billings is a returning all-district player who has the potential to become a real difference maker on both sides of the ball. Two sophomore lettermen, Steven Shields (6-1, 210) and Taylor Long (6-1, 190), will also battle for playing time in the O-line.
Coleman, Hand and Perrett will give the team an athletic secondary and senior Brett Ohlman (6-0, 170) and junior Jake O'Kief (5-10, 155) are lettermen who should add depth in that unit. Braxton Coleman and Lamb return at linebacker where junior letterman Ethan Osnes (5-9, 155) could become a factor. Perrett basically disregards the fact he's 145 pounds to prove he's a great tackler, says Coach Beebout.
Hitchcock, Billings and Eggleston return in the defensive line with Shields and Long also battling for playing time.
Look for Valentine to win four or five games and be competitive within the district.
District C1-8
Chadron
CARDINALS
Following another playoff season - that's 11 in a row and 18 of 19 - the Cardinals return eight defensive starters and six on offense from last year's 6-3 team.
"With leadership from a good group of seniors and a strong tradition we expect to compete for a district title and a playoff berth," says head coach Mike Lecher.
One of the most dynamic offensive players in Class C-1, senior Jackson Dickerson (5-8, 160) is an all-state candidate who last season rushed for 947 yards and 15 touchdowns and also caught 24 passes for 478 yards and five TDs. You just don't see that kind of production from many running backs.
Senior Keenan Johnson (5-10, 190) returns at fullback after rushing for 359 yards and three TDs and junior Naleka Sayaloune (5-7, 185) will also be involved in the running attack. Athletic senior Willie Cogdill (5-10, 175) moves into the starting QB position where he should be an outstanding dual threat.
There is good depth at wide receiver, a unit led by seniors Von Sayaloune (5-6, 150), who last year caught 21 passes for 166 yards and a score, and Lane Jersild (5-9, 180), who added 18 catches for 206 yards. Senior Taylor Wild (6-0, 150) and junior Jayden Stick (5-7, 145) will also be in the mix.
Another positive for the Cardinals is the return of three senior starters in the line, including Alex Fritzler (6-1, 285), Tanner Kickland (5-11, 235) and Brad Cerny (5-8, 210).
Johnson (107 tackles, 2 INTs) is a returning all-district linebacker and Cogdill (89 tackles) also returns to that position while Fritzler, Kickland, Cerny and Naleka Sayaloune give the Cardinals a veteran defensive line. The secondary should be outstanding, thanks to the return of all-district performers Jersild (74 tackles) and Von Sayaloune (21 tackles) along with Dickerson (22 tackles, 3 INTs) and Wild, with senior letterman Tyler Reitz (5-10, 150) also bidding for playing time.
Chadron's opener against Sidney should be one of the Panhandle's best for 2014. That notwithstanding we see the Cardinals winning something like seven or eight in the regular season and competing for a district title and playoff berth. Again.
Chase County
LONGHORNS
Last season the Longhorns finished 3-6, reaching the Class C-1 playoffs, and now return five starters on defense and four on offense to start the 2014 season.
"We should be in good shape with our backs and receivers returning and we have some experience in the line we lack depth and will make building depth a priority on our team," says head coach Dan Lenners, a 1977 graduate of UN-Lincoln.
Guiding the Longhorns offense will be senior all-district pick Kelton Fisher (6-3, 215), an outstanding passer who last season threw for 1,116 yards and seven touchdowns. His primary target will be senior tight end Isaac Sorensen (6-2, 190), another all-district pick, who last year caught 18 passes for 335 yards
Senior Jeff Dickey (6-2, 190) returns at running back where he will be joined by a pair of sophomore prospects, Bryson Fisher (5-10, 180) and Dakota Wallin (6-1, 185).
Leading the offensive line will be senior Jacob Christensen (6-1, 190), though the line gets some help with the return of junior Eli Engbrecht (6-2, 205), who last season tore an ACL in the first game of the year but is now completely healthy. Senior Fred Kasselman (5-10, 190), sophomore Hunter Bartels (6-2, 220) and freshmen Jack Bauerle (6-1, 190) and Eli Hinojosa (6-1, 200) are candidates to earn playing time in the line.
Fisher will play safety on defense with junior Destyn Miller (6-3, 185), Bryson Fisher and freshman Caleb Weiss (6-1, 165) in line to round out the secondary. Sorensen and Dickey are returning starters at linebacker, where Wallin and Bauerle could help out, and senior Allen Smith (6-1, 210) leads a defensive line that will include Engbrecht, Bartels and Hinojosa.
There are some pieces here, among them some exciting young prospects, and Chase County is as winning program. Let's say the Longhorns five - six wouldn't be a shocker - and make a run at a playoff spot.
Ogallala
INDIANS
Another tradition of the fall - Ogallala makes the playoffs, making if 15 times in the past 16 years - sets the table for the 2014 season as the Indians return seven starters on defense and six on offense from last year's 4-5 team.
"We will build on the experience these kids have received the past two seasons. Our kids are working hard and could surprise some teams if we stay healthy and develop some depth across the board," says head coach Jeff McBride, who has compiled a 47-23 coaching record in his seven years at OHS. "Our line will be much more physical but we do need to replace some important skill players. Our kids are very coachable and willing to work and we have some good athletes who have a winning mentality.
"We are looking forward to the start of a new season."
The biggest news on campus is the return of senior Brody Cleveland (6-2, 215), a player with Division I potential, somebody the Huskers have an eye upon. He'll line up at fullback where last year he rushed for 338 yards and scored five touchdowns and also caught 12 passes for 157 yards. Big and strong, junior Brittan Hoppens (6-1, 185) will step in at quarterback while the running back race is crowded with senior Jon Hood (6-0, 160) and juniors Brandon Raffaeli (6-0, 185) and Jordan Cogdill (6-0, 190) as leading candidates for playing time.
There is also good size and experience in the offensive line thanks to the return of seniors Cole Beckius (6-4, 250) and Austin Clough (6-3, 250) and juniors Nick Rivas (6-1, 240), who's a returning all-district player, and Grant Packard (6-1, 240). Senior Kenny Carey (6-1, 225) is a leading candidate to snap up that final starting position in the interior and senior Will Parker (6-0, 200) returns at tight end.
Speedy senior Trenton Zink (6-0, 160) is the sort of talented athlete who could make some waves at wide receiver.
Cleveland (112 tackles) is an all-state caliber player and will lead a linebacker unit that will include Parker (37 tackles), Hoppens (35 tackles) and Cogdill. Zink (48 tackles, 3 INTs) is the playmaking leader of a secondary that includes Raffaeli (51 tackles) and Hood.
Clough (22 tackles) and Packard (37 tackles) are back in the defensive line with Beckius, Clough, Carey and perhaps senior Caleb Gill (5-10, 250) rounding out the rotation.
The first month of the season for the Indians is insane - defending champion Cozad, Kearney Catholic, formerly Class B Holdrege, Gothenburg, Chadron - but they aren't helpless. We peg them for something like last year's four wins, maybe more.
Gordon-Rushville
MUSTANGS
Lots of experience returning for the Mustangs - eight starters on defense, seven on offense - as they try to turn things around after a 2-6 mark a season ago.
"The strength of our team will be the skill positions, as we return everybody but one wide receiver, but the big void will be in the trenches where we graduated the bulk of our group," says Eric Roth, a 2010 Chadron State College graduate who enters his third year as GHS head coach.
Last season one of the more promising underclassmen in Class C-1, senior QB Tristan Tuma (6-0, 185) suffered through an injury-riddled campaign but still managed to pass for 645 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another 247 yards and a TD. While he was sidelined Colten Wolken, a 6-foot-tall, 175-pound junior, stepped in and passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Tuma will play QB, Wolken will get some snaps under center and play wide receiver in 2014.
Whoever's under center will have one of the Panhandle's best receivers to throw to, senior Lex Haller (6-1, 185), who last season pulled in 27 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Landon Belsky (6-0, 175) is also a veteran at wide receiver and junior Rhett Conroy (6-3, 190) will also be a factor after missing last season due to injury.
Gordon-Rushville will return its two leading rushers from last season, including junior Shane Child (5-11, 155), who rushed for 322 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Micah Scherbarth (5-10, 165), who gained 256 yards and scored four touchdowns. Junior Ethan Yauney (5-10, 185) is another option in the running game.
Three starters return in the offensive line, including seniors Brad Frandsen (5-11, 220), Ben Wegner (6-3, 225) and Wyatt Rosane (5-11, 180), with senior Dillon Holeman (5-10, 170) available after missing last season due to injury and senior Brice Stangle (6-2, 265) a letterman who should help.
Scherbarth (75 tackles, 5 TFL) was brilliant in his first season of football and will be joined at linebacker by Belsky (32 tackles), Yauney (24 tackles) and Tuma. Haller (47 tackles, 3 INTs) will lead a secondary that will include Child and Wolken while Rosane (21 tackles), Frandsen, Wegner and Conroy will round out the defensive front.
Locked into a district where there is great balance, look for the Mustangs to be improved and win three or four games.
Mitchell
TIGERS
Sometimes you pay the price for inexperience. Mitchell did that last year, losing all eight games, but the Tigers are hopeful entering the 2014 season, returning 10 starters on offense and nine on defense.
"We have a lot of returning experience, good speed, talented skill guys and a big line, a bunch of real high character kids," says Chris Bailey, who enters his fourth year as MHS head coach. "We need to put last year behind us, move on and learn how to win again."
Speedy junior Drew Gilliland (5-8, 150) is a returning all-district player and settles in again at quarterback where he will be joined by another all-district player, junior running back Braydon Wiedeman (5-10, 200). Sophomore speedster Abe Hernandez (5-10, 170) and sophomore Trenten Strawder (5-9, 200) are other candidates in the run game, as is sophomore transfer Christian Perez (6-0, 160).
Sophomore Seth Marcoe (5-8, 160) returns at wide receiver and the Tigers get a boost from the return of talented junior Colby Eberspecher (6-2, 200), who missed last season due to injury.
A returning all-district player, senior Garrett Sterkel (5-10, 215) will lead an offensive line that will include juniors Wyatt McMillen (5-10, 230), Justin Senkel (6-2, 230) and Cal Bosse (6-3, 230) and seniors Henry Adams (5-10, 215) and Thomas Riley (6-2, 240). Coach is right, that is one big line.
Gilliland, Marcoe, Hernandez and sophomore Daryn Walters (5-10, 150) give the secondary a veteran look while Sterkel leads the defensive line. Linebacker should be an area of team strength with Wiedeman, Eberspecher and Perez giving the Tigers good athletes at that key position.
Frankly, this doesn't read like the roster of a team that goes winless. We're calling for three wins but it seems like a team that could make some real headlines this season.
Kearney Catholic
STARS
What you need to know about the challenge at Kearney Catholic is this - the Stars begin the season needing to replace to Husker recruited walk-ons. The Stars do return seven starters on offense and six on defense from last year's 7-3 playoff team.
"We were pretty good last year - losing two in overtime and to Boone (Central) by seven - and we return all our linemen and our starting quarterback," says head coach Dave Colling, a 1990 graduate of Kearney State College. "Our defense should be pretty salty and this is just a team full of hungry, competitive kids."
Any time you return all five of your linemen you have a leg up on the competition. And at Kearney Catholic it's a sizable leg as the Stars' returning starters include seniors Dennis Cabanting (6-1, 270), Nick Brungardt (6-5, 260), Nic Dowling (5-10, 210), Austin Arens (5-10, 210) and Collin Arredondo (6-4, 260). Adding depth is junior Andrew Harms (6-2, 220).
Senior John Masker (6-1, 190) returns at the controls on offense, last year passing for 1,160 yards and 11 touchdowns, completing 62% of his passes. Figure senior Nathan Howe (5-11, 190), who last year averaged six yards per attempt, will get a steady dose of carries as the team's new go-to back. Sophomore Brady Holtmeier (5-11, 180) could well make the jump to impact wide receiver.
Cabanting (60 tackles, 3 forced fumbles) is one of the best defensive linemen to come through the Kearney Catholic program, says Coach Colling, and he'll be joined in the D-line by Brungardt (39 tackles), Dowling, Arredondo, Arens and Harms. Howe (130 tackles) is a returning all-district linebacker, like Cabanting a 2014 all-state candidate, and will lead a set of linebackers which will include junior Creighton Hamik (6-1, 195).
Junior Bryce James (5-8, 165) will lead a secondary that will also include junior John Baack and Holtmeier could make an impact on defense, too.
The Stars have a pair of returning varsity kickers in senior Chase Murphy (6-0, 190) and junior Grant Buschkoetter (5-9, 175).
Kearney Catholic will be strong again in 2014, strong enough to win eight, maybe all nine, in the regular season and advance in the playoffs. That's strong.
Grand Island Central Catholic
CRUSADERS
After qualifying for the playoffs a tenth time in 11 seasons the Crusaders return seven starters on defense and five on offense from last year's 5-4 team.
"We need to have great leadership from a group of seniors who mostly have played two and three seasons and continue to work at getting stronger in the weight room," says GICC head coach Charlie Shoemaker, who has 63 career wins to his credit. "We return all five offensive linemen, two starting tight ends and a good group of running backs, so the running game should be a real strength for our team. Our defense should be solid if we can develop a secondary."
Biggest news within the program is senior Youhanna Gaifhan (6-4, 255), a Division I recruit who is a returning all-stater and four-year starter. Gaifhan starts at tight end on offense where last season he caught 22 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns; as you might imagine, he's also a devastating blocker.
Back at the other tight end is senior Joe Krajicek (5-11, 180) while back in the offensive line are seniors Christian Gappa (6-1, 200) and Levi Cornwell (5-10, 200) and juniors Josh Puncochar (5-10, 165), Austin Walton (5-10, 160) and Treyten Ruhl (6-4, 175).
Senior Brady Brokaw (5-7, 150) will settle in as the team's new starting quarterback with senior John Pfeifer (5-10, 180) at running back and senior Dillon Rork (6-1, 190) at fullback. Junior Nathan Boon (5-10, 165) and sophomore Chase Wenzl (5-10, 150) are lettermen who will lend depth to the running game.
Prospects at wide receiver include sophomore lettermen Aidan Anspauch (5-8, 140) and Collin Toner (6-0, 150).
Gaifhan (66 tackles) dominates the defensive line of scrimmage and Gappa, Puncochar, Walton, Cornwell and Ruhl all have experience in the defensive line. Pfeifer (62 tackles) is a returning all-district linebacker and leads a unit that will also include Krajicek (53 tackles) and Rork.
Brokaw (4 INTs, 2 FR) is a playmaking, all-district DB who leads as secondary that will include junior Nathan Boon (5-10, 165), Wenzl and Anspauch.
This has the makings of a really good team - good enough to win six in the regular season and be in the mix for a district title and playoff berth.
Holdrege
DUSTERS
Dropping from Class B to Class C-1, the Dusters return six starters on defense and four on offense from last year's 5-4 team which just missed the playoffs.
"It's an exciting time for our program, entering a new class with a new schedule. Our kids are looking forward to the challenge," says head coach Jason Hale, a 1987 graduate of William Penn (Iowa) University, and the winner of 95 games in his coaching career. "We have a good mix of returning players, starters and lettermen, but we have to replace a couple of starters in the line and build depth in both the offensive and defensive lines. We also need to replace a two-year starter at quarterback but we have three quality candidates to help fill the void."
Competing for the start at quarterback will be senior Kaden Rome (5-7, 160), junior letterman Caden Fritson and sophomore prospect Jackson Berney. Blessed with blazing speed - can you say 10.4 100 meters? - junior Cooper Rogers (5-11, 180) is an exciting prospect at running back, last year rushing for 376 yards and scoring two touchdowns.
At receiver senior Boe Barnett, who last year caught seven passes for 112 yards, will be one of the leaders.
A pair of returning all-district players will lead the offensive line, including rising junior Blake Schroeder (6-3, 220) and senior Trevor Smith (6-0, 220), with senior Chase Christensen (5-9, 200) another returning starter.
Rome (100 tackles, 5 TFL) and senior Tristan Colgrove (5-8, 195), who registered 100 tackles including 11 for loss, are an outstanding set of linebackers who will be joined by seniors Lane Cole (5-11, 195), who had 23 tackles, and Devin Smith (27 tackles, 4 TFL). Schroeder (88 tackles, 7 TFL) and Trevor Smith (30 tackles, 7 TFL) will anchor the defensive line.
The Dusters' drop to C-1 caused quite a stir and we expect them to compete for the district title, winning something like last year's five games, maybe six.
Central City
BISON
Six starters return on both offense and defense for the Bison, who were 2-6 last season in their first season with Troy Huebert as head coach.
"Our strength will be up front, where we return four starters on both offense and defense," says Huebert, a 2011 Hastings College graduate. "We also have a lot of young guys with varsity experience at our skill positions which is a positive for us coming into the season."
Junior Mitch Carlson (6-0, 155) settled into the starting quarterback role midway though last season and finished with 518 yards passing and five touchdowns. His best receiver is senior Thomas Geiger (5-10, 155), who last season hauled in a team high 18 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 121 yards and two scores. Junior lettermen Kordell Hamer (5-11, 150) and Brady Bamesberger (5-11, 155) will also be in the mix for some catches.
Junior Brad Schoch (6-0, 200) returns at fullback, where last year he proved a solid blocker and also caught nine passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Junior letterman Taylor Beck (5-9, 165) is expected to step into the starting running back role, with Geiger and senior Joe Hawthorne (6-2, 180) lining up in the slot and sometimes in the backfield.
Leading the offensive line will be senior all-state candidate Jerad Paup (6-3, 265), a four-year starter and a tremendously strong young man who is now 100 percent after a couple of shoulder surgeries in the offseason. Also back in the offensive line are seniors Trevor McDiffett (6-4, 200), Wyatt Janzen (6-2, 275) and Blaine Paup (6-3, 260). Junior letterman Nick McNeff (6-0, 215) will also see time in the line.
Schoch (112 tackles, 2 FR) is a three-year starter at middle linebacker and a returning all-district pick, with seniors Hawthorne (27 tackles, 2 FR) and Jonah Peterson (5-8, 165) joining him at that position and junior lettermen Beck and Blaine Nelson (5-10, 175) adding depth. Geiger (22 tackles) leads a secondary that will include Hamer and Bamesberger.
Jerad (22 tackles) and Blaine Paup (17 tackles) will lead a defensive front that will also include McDiffett, Janzen and McNeff.
Let's say the Bison take another step and win three games this season.
Minden
WHIPPETS
With five starters back on both sides of the ball the Whippets aim to improve upon last year's 2-7 mark.
"We have a large group of seniors to replace but the competition for those spots should raise our practice level," says Coach Shannon Lovin, who graduated from Hastings College in 1992. "We need to keep working hard to get stronger in order for us to be competitive but we will benefit from having a lot of last year's underclassmen play a great deal to injuries. It also helps being in our system a second season."
Junior Jonathan Miller (5-9, 175) was a starting wide receiver last year but will move to quarterback to start the 2014 season. In another move senior Bryson Holsten (6-1, 180) moves from tight end to running back, where sophomore Cody Stadler (5-9, 165) could add depth.
Seniors Nic Werner (6-0,165) and Matt Exstrom (6-0, 165) will give the Whippets a pair of veteran receivers, with junior Josiah Lovin (6-3, 170) another option.
Only one returner in the offensive line but he's a good one, senior Keith Bendix (6-0, 225), a three-year starter. Juniors Quenton Timm (5-10, 170), Robert Sloane (5-10, 170) and Phoenix Duffy (6-0, 230) and sophomore Keaton Hoffman (5-9, 200) will be asked to step into important roles in the offensive line.
Werner and Exstrom return in the secondary where Lovin, Stadler and sophomore lettermen Thomas Miller (5-7, 150) will get a chance to help. Jonathan Miller and Holsten return at linebacker while Bendix is the lone returning starter in the defensive line.
Junior Alexis Ciprian (5-8, 160) takes care of the kicking duties for the Whippets, last year booting 16 PATs and three field goals and punting for a 31.2 average.
Lots of young players and a tough schedule seems to equal a record similar to last year's for the Whippets.
St. Paul
WILDCATS
There's a new sheriff in St. Paul, sort of, where former Wausa head coach Rusty Fuller takes the reigns of a program that returns nine starters on defense and seven on offense from last year's disappointing 0-8 season.
"It will be a rebuilding year as we need to change the culture of the football program - seasons like 0-8 will not be acceptable," says Coach Fuller, a Peru State College graduate. "Expectations surrounding our program will be set high, yet achievable, and with the amount of returning experience we have on the roster I expect to see a lot of improvement from last season."
Senior Austin Helzer (5-9, 165) settles in as the team's quarterback with senior Taylor Wroblewski (5-10, 145) and senior Ryley Schulte (5-9, 180) also returning in the backfield. Senior Wyatt Stoltenberg (6-2, 160) is back as a starting wide receiver but depth at all those positions needs to be developed. Could be Elba transfer Ben Dush, a 5-11, 175-pound senior, could fill that bill.
Senior guard Matt Jameson (6-2, 190) and senior tackle Joey Jonak (5-11, 190) are back as starters in the line with juniors Quinton Hobbs (5-11, 180) and Shayne Damman (6-0, 200) and sophomore Dylan Price (5-8, 175) lettermen who will be in the mix for playing time. Returning at tight end are senior Jaydon Lassen (6-1, 150) and junior Turner Brouillette (5-10, 165).
Helzer, Dush and seniors Ryley Schulte (5-9, 180) and Dillon Paczosa (5-7, 130) will man the secondary with Wroblewski, Lassen and junior Daltyn Rother (5-9, 150) veterans at linebacker, with Price another candidate for playing time. Jonak at tackle and Stoltenberg and Jameson, both ends, will bring a veteran presence to the defensive line.
Last season was a wreck for the Wildcats but this is a program with a proud history of winning and they will be back. Maybe not this season but soon.
District C1-7
Cozad
HAYMAKERS
By the end of the playoffs the Haymakers proved to be the most dominant of our state champions, polishing off a 13-0 season which gave the program its second state title in history. Second-year head coach Brian Cargill returns three starters on both offense and defense.
"If believe we have a good core of kids but we lack at experience at the varsity level," says Coach Cargill, a 1999 graduate of UN-Kearney. "If our young kids develop as we hope throughout the season we have a shot at doing some good things."
An elusive and smart runner, senior Colin Wetovick (5-11, 190) last season rushed for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns and has the talent to push those numbers through the roof. Another brilliant athlete, senior Conor Young (6-3, 185), will move from wide receiver to quarterback and should establish himself as a top notch dual threat. Last season Young caught 19 passes for 509 yards (26.8 yards per) and seven touchdowns. Both are returning all-state players.
Junior Colt Leibhart (6-0, 235) suffered a shoulder injury last season but figures to be the front runner at fullback and junior Chase Dugan (6-2, 175) seems a good bet to establish himself as the team's go-to receiver.
Senior Dallas Maack (5-11, 240) is the lone returning starter in the offensive line and will lead a group that will include seniors Nate Lemmer (5-7, 215), Neil Henderson (5-9, 215) and Jon Lee (5-11, 275) and junior Jordan Henry (6-1, 200). Senior Jason Finnegan (6-3, 205) was a part-time starter at tight end last year and senior Mitch Wolf (6-5, 200) is another prospect at that position.
Wetovick was lights out at linebacker last season, finishing with 75 tackles, 15 of them for loss, to go with five sacks and five interceptions. Finnegan is another returning veteran at linebacker with senior letterman Austin Turek (5-11, 200) also in the mix. Maack (35 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 sacks) will lead the D-line which will also include senior Mitchell Fischer (6-1, 250), Leibhart, Henry and Hendrickson.
Young (64 tackles, 4 TFL, 6 INTs) is a dynamic playmaker in the secondary and will lead a group that also includes Dugan, sophomore Cam Griffiths (5-9, 155) and junior Sam Cole (5-10, 160).
Probably no state title in the cards in 2014 but look for the Haymakers to win about six games and make the playoffs.
Gothenburg
SWEDES
With six starters back on offense and five on defense - including one of the headliners in Nebraska's Class of 2015 - look for the winning to continue at Gothenburg, where last season the Swedes were 8-3, reaching the state quarterfinals.
"We have some very talented players returning, including three three-year starters and all of them have been all-district," says Gothenburg head coach Craig Haake, who has compiled a 115-87 record in his 20 years at GHS. "Our offensive line will be our strength, and that's always a good thing, and on defense we should have good team speed and the secondary returns a lot of experience. We feel good about our team going into the season."
The big news on campus - and we mean big - is senior lineman Tanner Borchardt (6-9, 275), a returning all-stater and Division I recruiting target. Also back in the line is senior all-district center Dylan Folkers (6-2, 240), as well as senior Tyler Baker (6-2, 235) and senior tight end Dalton Sylvan (6-0, 210). Senior Levi Tripp (6-2, 255) and junior Alex Jorgensen (5-10, 215) also figure to play in the line.
The Swedes return a pair of quarterbacks who have started varsity games, including senior Jacob Clark (6-0, 160) and rising sophomore Dawson Graham (6-0, 160). Also back is the team's leading rusher from 2013, senior Zach Wolf (6-2, 190), another all-district player who last season gained 976 yards and scored nine touchdowns. Senior flanker Connor Schwanz (6-0, 180) is another returning starter and senior Jake Peterson (6-1, 165) will help at the skill positions.
Borchardt dominates the line of scrimmage in ways few players do and with him, Folkers and Baker returning the D-line looks like one of C-1's best for 2014. Sylvan (79 tackles, 2 FR) is the team's leading returning tackler and will be joined at linebacker by Wolf.
Graham (4 INTs) made a huge impact for a freshman and when you add Clark, Schwanz and Peterson to the mix you have what should be a very good secondary.
Gothenburg has reached the playoff quarterfinals each of the past three seasons and we see another good year for the Swedes, one with something like seven wins in the regular season and a playoff win or two.
Ord
CHANTICLEERS
It could simply be a matter of good fortune for the Chants in 2014, as with 10 starters back they have quality front line players - winning could come down to how fast quality depth develops. Last season head coach Mark Hagge's team finished 5-4, reaching the Class C-1 playoffs.
"Our roster numbers are starting to climb but we need to keep working hard in order to develop depth. We have the opportunity to be a pretty good football team if we avoid injuries," says Coach Hagge, a graduate of UN-Lincoln.
Senior Eli Hill (5-8, 175) moves into the starting running back position and he's a dangerous receiver, too, last year catching 25 passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Tony Smith (5-9, 180) returns as the team's wingback and junior letterman Colton Zulkowski (6-3, 185) returns as a split end candidate.
Coach Hagge expects the quarterback position to be filled by committee, at least at the start of the season. Among the leading candidates are Hill and Smith.
Though it's a young group there is good experience in the Ord line thanks to the return of rising junior Cade Svoboda (6-2, 198), a returning all-district player, juniors Colin Koehlmoos (5-10, 170) and Garret Haggerty (6-0, 235) and sophomore Brooks Bechtold (5-11, 185) along with senior tight end John Radil (6-4, 215). Radil and Svoboda are especially strong leaders for the Chants, both of them two-way starters since they were freshman.
Senior Jesse Ritterbush (5-7, 165), who had 35 tackles in 2013, along with senior Nolan Gant (6-1, 175) and Koehlmoos return at linebacker with Smith (21 tackles, 3 TFL) and Zulkowski in the secondary. Radil (23 tackles, 3 TFL) and Svoboda give the Chants a pair of all-district players in the defensive line where Haggerty and junior Dakota Vanosdall (6-0, 240) will also return as starters.
There is an outstanding crop of young talent on this team. Look for the Chants to win six or seven games and make the playoffs.
Broken Bow
INDIANS
Youth will be served at perennially successful Broken Bow, where the Indians return just three starters on both sides of the ball from last year's 7-3 playoff team.
"We will be very young on both sides of the ball. Our strengths will be in our offensive and defensive lines and we have some younger skill players who will be good players but lack varsity experience," says head coach Mike Garner, who has won 103 games in his career.
Senior Tyler Yarrington (6-0, 200) is a two-year starter at tackle and will lead an offensive line which will also include senior Levi Clarke (5-11, 185), who started five games in 2012, with senior Noah Garey (6-2, 220) and junior Scott Davis (6-0, 260) likely candidates to start.
Junior Josey Evans (5-7, 140) is the front-runner to take over the starting quarterback position and will be joined in the backfield by junior running back Tommy McCormick (6-0, 190) and senior Austin French (5-9, 150).
Senior tight end Austin Reynolds (6-1, 195) was the team's second leading receiver in 2013 and senior Tyrel Garner (6-2, 165) saw varsity action at split end last year. Senior Jacob Anderson (5-8, 160) and junior Travis Kleeb (5-8, 135) will also be part of the receiving corps.
Garey and Davis are returning starters in the defensive line with Yarrington and Reynolds also like to start in the D-line. French (3 FR) returns to lead a secondary that will include Garner and Evans, the latter who played nickel back last season.
There will be a new set of linebackers with Anderson a returning letterman at the position. Smith returns as the team's place kicker.
Few walkovers on the schedule, especially in a toughened district, so let's say the Indians win about half of their games in 2014.
O'Neill
EAGLES
Head coach Brock Eichelberger enters his fifth year at O'Neill and he will return five starters on offense and three on defense from last year's 3-5 team.
"Our strengths will be team chemistry and our work ethic. Our weakness will be a general youthfulness and inexperience in our line-up," says Coach Eichelberger, who has a 73-42 career record and previously led Ewing to its only state football title (2008). "We have a lot of new faces in the offensive and defensive lines but we are working hard to get stronger and more physical and we are looking forward to the challenge of a new season."
O'Neill running game will center around powerful senior David Fox (5-9, 190), who last season rushed for 729 yards and five touchdowns with senior Jose Lopez (5-7, 180) another veteran option. Senior Levi Ethington (5-9, 175) is a leading candidate at fullback with senior lettermen Cory Rowse (5-8, 160) and Kedron Koehler (5-8, 160) also in the mix.
Junior Tyson Hostert (6-2, 180) is an athletic wide receiver who last season caught 15 passes for 187 yards and a TD with senior John Marvin (5-7, 140) and junior Jacob Emme (5-11, 160) also in the mix at receiver.
Sophomore Chance Sholes (6-0, 185) is the team's only returning starter in the offensive line so senior Tanner Sawyer (5-9, 180), juniors Austin Hilker (5-8, 205) and Walker Liewer (6-2, 190) will be asked to play important roles up front. Returning at tight end, and giving the line some stability, is senior starter Amador Medina (6-1, 180).
Fox (100 tackles) is a returning all-district player - and defending state champion wrestler - and will lead a linebacker corps that will also include Ethington and Lopez with junior letterman Cordele Mathews, Rowse and Koehler among others bidding for playing time at that position.
Hostert, Emme (3 INTs) and Lopez return in the secondary with Sholes a returning starter in the defensive line. Look for sophomore Jake Young (6-1, 170) to be a factor on both sides of the ball.
We look for O'Neill to finish somewhere around the three wins they accumulated in 2013.
Valentine
BADGERS
This season marks the return of a local hero, at least to the football sideline, as former VHS standout Blake Beebout as head coach. His Badgers return seven starters on offense and six on defense from last year's 3-6 playoff team.
"We are returning some valuable experience but we will need to hit the ground running in terms of learning new schemes on both sides of the ball," says Coach Beebout, who is a 2007 graduate of UN-Kearney. "Barring injuries our offensive and defensive backfields should be very good. Our kids are anxious to work for their success."
Leading the Badgers will be senior all-district quarterback Brooks Coleman (5-9, 140), who is "smart, savvy and a good decision," says Coach Beebout. Senior James Hand (5-8,160) and junior Braxton Coleman (5-9, 180) are expected to play key roles as running backs and senior wide receiver Cameron Perrett (5-9, 145) is another returning skill player.
Leading the offensive line will be powerful senior Gunnar Hitchcock (6-1, 240) with senior Caleb Lamb (5-10, 200), junior Caden Billings (6-0, 230) and senior Quincy Eggleston (5-0, 220) other returning starters in that unit. Billings is a returning all-district player who has the potential to become a real difference maker on both sides of the ball. Two sophomore lettermen, Steven Shields (6-1, 210) and Taylor Long (6-1, 190), will also battle for playing time in the O-line.
Coleman, Hand and Perrett will give the team an athletic secondary and senior Brett Ohlman (6-0, 170) and junior Jake O'Kief (5-10, 155) are lettermen who should add depth in that unit. Braxton Coleman and Lamb return at linebacker where junior letterman Ethan Osnes (5-9, 155) could become a factor. Perrett basically disregards the fact he's 145 pounds to prove he's a great tackler, says Coach Beebout.
Hitchcock, Billings and Eggleston return in the defensive line with Shields and Long also battling for playing time.
Look for Valentine to win four or five games and be competitive within the district.
District C1-8
Chadron
CARDINALS
Following another playoff season - that's 11 in a row and 18 of 19 - the Cardinals return eight defensive starters and six on offense from last year's 6-3 team.
"With leadership from a good group of seniors and a strong tradition we expect to compete for a district title and a playoff berth," says head coach Mike Lecher.
One of the most dynamic offensive players in Class C-1, senior Jackson Dickerson (5-8, 160) is an all-state candidate who last season rushed for 947 yards and 15 touchdowns and also caught 24 passes for 478 yards and five TDs. You just don't see that kind of production from many running backs.
Senior Keenan Johnson (5-10, 190) returns at fullback after rushing for 359 yards and three TDs and junior Naleka Sayaloune (5-7, 185) will also be involved in the running attack. Athletic senior Willie Cogdill (5-10, 175) moves into the starting QB position where he should be an outstanding dual threat.
There is good depth at wide receiver, a unit led by seniors Von Sayaloune (5-6, 150), who last year caught 21 passes for 166 yards and a score, and Lane Jersild (5-9, 180), who added 18 catches for 206 yards. Senior Taylor Wild (6-0, 150) and junior Jayden Stick (5-7, 145) will also be in the mix.
Another positive for the Cardinals is the return of three senior starters in the line, including Alex Fritzler (6-1, 285), Tanner Kickland (5-11, 235) and Brad Cerny (5-8, 210).
Johnson (107 tackles, 2 INTs) is a returning all-district linebacker and Cogdill (89 tackles) also returns to that position while Fritzler, Kickland, Cerny and Naleka Sayaloune give the Cardinals a veteran defensive line. The secondary should be outstanding, thanks to the return of all-district performers Jersild (74 tackles) and Von Sayaloune (21 tackles) along with Dickerson (22 tackles, 3 INTs) and Wild, with senior letterman Tyler Reitz (5-10, 150) also bidding for playing time.
Chadron's opener against Sidney should be one of the Panhandle's best for 2014. That notwithstanding we see the Cardinals winning something like seven or eight in the regular season and competing for a district title and playoff berth. Again.
Chase County
LONGHORNS
Last season the Longhorns finished 3-6, reaching the Class C-1 playoffs, and now return five starters on defense and four on offense to start the 2014 season.
"We should be in good shape with our backs and receivers returning and we have some experience in the line we lack depth and will make building depth a priority on our team," says head coach Dan Lenners, a 1977 graduate of UN-Lincoln.
Guiding the Longhorns offense will be senior all-district pick Kelton Fisher (6-3, 215), an outstanding passer who last season threw for 1,116 yards and seven touchdowns. His primary target will be senior tight end Isaac Sorensen (6-2, 190), another all-district pick, who last year caught 18 passes for 335 yards
Senior Jeff Dickey (6-2, 190) returns at running back where he will be joined by a pair of sophomore prospects, Bryson Fisher (5-10, 180) and Dakota Wallin (6-1, 185).
Leading the offensive line will be senior Jacob Christensen (6-1, 190), though the line gets some help with the return of junior Eli Engbrecht (6-2, 205), who last season tore an ACL in the first game of the year but is now completely healthy. Senior Fred Kasselman (5-10, 190), sophomore Hunter Bartels (6-2, 220) and freshmen Jack Bauerle (6-1, 190) and Eli Hinojosa (6-1, 200) are candidates to earn playing time in the line.
Fisher will play safety on defense with junior Destyn Miller (6-3, 185), Bryson Fisher and freshman Caleb Weiss (6-1, 165) in line to round out the secondary. Sorensen and Dickey are returning starters at linebacker, where Wallin and Bauerle could help out, and senior Allen Smith (6-1, 210) leads a defensive line that will include Engbrecht, Bartels and Hinojosa.
There are some pieces here, among them some exciting young prospects, and Chase County is as winning program. Let's say the Longhorns five - six wouldn't be a shocker - and make a run at a playoff spot.
Ogallala
INDIANS
Another tradition of the fall - Ogallala makes the playoffs, making if 15 times in the past 16 years - sets the table for the 2014 season as the Indians return seven starters on defense and six on offense from last year's 4-5 team.
"We will build on the experience these kids have received the past two seasons. Our kids are working hard and could surprise some teams if we stay healthy and develop some depth across the board," says head coach Jeff McBride, who has compiled a 47-23 coaching record in his seven years at OHS. "Our line will be much more physical but we do need to replace some important skill players. Our kids are very coachable and willing to work and we have some good athletes who have a winning mentality.
"We are looking forward to the start of a new season."
The biggest news on campus is the return of senior Brody Cleveland (6-2, 215), a player with Division I potential, somebody the Huskers have an eye upon. He'll line up at fullback where last year he rushed for 338 yards and scored five touchdowns and also caught 12 passes for 157 yards. Big and strong, junior Brittan Hoppens (6-1, 185) will step in at quarterback while the running back race is crowded with senior Jon Hood (6-0, 160) and juniors Brandon Raffaeli (6-0, 185) and Jordan Cogdill (6-0, 190) as leading candidates for playing time.
There is also good size and experience in the offensive line thanks to the return of seniors Cole Beckius (6-4, 250) and Austin Clough (6-3, 250) and juniors Nick Rivas (6-1, 240), who's a returning all-district player, and Grant Packard (6-1, 240). Senior Kenny Carey (6-1, 225) is a leading candidate to snap up that final starting position in the interior and senior Will Parker (6-0, 200) returns at tight end.
Speedy senior Trenton Zink (6-0, 160) is the sort of talented athlete who could make some waves at wide receiver.
Cleveland (112 tackles) is an all-state caliber player and will lead a linebacker unit that will include Parker (37 tackles), Hoppens (35 tackles) and Cogdill. Zink (48 tackles, 3 INTs) is the playmaking leader of a secondary that includes Raffaeli (51 tackles) and Hood.
Clough (22 tackles) and Packard (37 tackles) are back in the defensive line with Beckius, Clough, Carey and perhaps senior Caleb Gill (5-10, 250) rounding out the rotation.
The first month of the season for the Indians is insane - defending champion Cozad, Kearney Catholic, formerly Class B Holdrege, Gothenburg, Chadron - but they aren't helpless. We peg them for something like last year's four wins, maybe more.
Gordon-Rushville
MUSTANGS
Lots of experience returning for the Mustangs - eight starters on defense, seven on offense - as they try to turn things around after a 2-6 mark a season ago.
"The strength of our team will be the skill positions, as we return everybody but one wide receiver, but the big void will be in the trenches where we graduated the bulk of our group," says Eric Roth, a 2010 Chadron State College graduate who enters his third year as GHS head coach.
Last season one of the more promising underclassmen in Class C-1, senior QB Tristan Tuma (6-0, 185) suffered through an injury-riddled campaign but still managed to pass for 645 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for another 247 yards and a TD. While he was sidelined Colten Wolken, a 6-foot-tall, 175-pound junior, stepped in and passed for 336 yards and two touchdowns. Tuma will play QB, Wolken will get some snaps under center and play wide receiver in 2014.
Whoever's under center will have one of the Panhandle's best receivers to throw to, senior Lex Haller (6-1, 185), who last season pulled in 27 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns. Senior Landon Belsky (6-0, 175) is also a veteran at wide receiver and junior Rhett Conroy (6-3, 190) will also be a factor after missing last season due to injury.
Gordon-Rushville will return its two leading rushers from last season, including junior Shane Child (5-11, 155), who rushed for 322 yards and two touchdowns, and senior Micah Scherbarth (5-10, 165), who gained 256 yards and scored four touchdowns. Junior Ethan Yauney (5-10, 185) is another option in the running game.
Three starters return in the offensive line, including seniors Brad Frandsen (5-11, 220), Ben Wegner (6-3, 225) and Wyatt Rosane (5-11, 180), with senior Dillon Holeman (5-10, 170) available after missing last season due to injury and senior Brice Stangle (6-2, 265) a letterman who should help.
Scherbarth (75 tackles, 5 TFL) was brilliant in his first season of football and will be joined at linebacker by Belsky (32 tackles), Yauney (24 tackles) and Tuma. Haller (47 tackles, 3 INTs) will lead a secondary that will include Child and Wolken while Rosane (21 tackles), Frandsen, Wegner and Conroy will round out the defensive front.
Locked into a district where there is great balance, look for the Mustangs to be improved and win three or four games.
Mitchell
TIGERS
Sometimes you pay the price for inexperience. Mitchell did that last year, losing all eight games, but the Tigers are hopeful entering the 2014 season, returning 10 starters on offense and nine on defense.
"We have a lot of returning experience, good speed, talented skill guys and a big line, a bunch of real high character kids," says Chris Bailey, who enters his fourth year as MHS head coach. "We need to put last year behind us, move on and learn how to win again."
Speedy junior Drew Gilliland (5-8, 150) is a returning all-district player and settles in again at quarterback where he will be joined by another all-district player, junior running back Braydon Wiedeman (5-10, 200). Sophomore speedster Abe Hernandez (5-10, 170) and sophomore Trenten Strawder (5-9, 200) are other candidates in the run game, as is sophomore transfer Christian Perez (6-0, 160).
Sophomore Seth Marcoe (5-8, 160) returns at wide receiver and the Tigers get a boost from the return of talented junior Colby Eberspecher (6-2, 200), who missed last season due to injury.
A returning all-district player, senior Garrett Sterkel (5-10, 215) will lead an offensive line that will include juniors Wyatt McMillen (5-10, 230), Justin Senkel (6-2, 230) and Cal Bosse (6-3, 230) and seniors Henry Adams (5-10, 215) and Thomas Riley (6-2, 240). Coach is right, that is one big line.
Gilliland, Marcoe, Hernandez and sophomore Daryn Walters (5-10, 150) give the secondary a veteran look while Sterkel leads the defensive line. Linebacker should be an area of team strength with Wiedeman, Eberspecher and Perez giving the Tigers good athletes at that key position.
Frankly, this doesn't read like the roster of a team that goes winless. We're calling for three wins but it seems like a team that could make some real headlines this season.
