SBLive Nebraska Power 25 – how they fared in Week 6
By Nathan Charles
The top team in the state goes out west and falls to a 2-3 opponent. The No. 3 team in the state trailed 37-14 with 7:09 remaining and wins 40-37. The new No. 5 suffers a home loss the week after upsetting the previous No. 5. Who saw all of that coming? What seemed like a three-team race in Class A has quickly become a much wider race. In Class B, continued jockeying among the top of the class has put Elkhorn back in the mix. In Class C-1, Aurora and Pierce still rule the day.
Feature photo: The Gretna football team awaits in the corner of the field at home prior to Friday night's wild 40-37 comeback win against Bellevue West. (Peter Burtnett, Twitter)
No. 1 Westside Lost 21-17 at No. 24 North Platte
The Warriors aren’t one to make excuses, but they were clearly not at their best early following a long bus ride. North Platte scored the first 14 points of the game and held that lead until 5:40 left in the third when Teddy Rezac caught a touchdown pass for a 14-14 tie. The Warriors took the lead on a field goal with 4:04 remaining in the game, but the Bulldogs put together a drive that included a 37-yard run by Kolten Tilford. Tilford capitalized from the 5 on the next play with 19 seconds left. Westside fell to 5-1.
No. 2 Elkhorn South Won 49-7 at Fremont
Cole Ballard broke the school’s single-game touchdown mark with six trips to the end zone in a fourth straight blowout win for the Storm. Elkhorn South scored 42 points in the first half, and Ballard had each of those six first-half touchdowns. The Storm improved to 6-0 and look poised to take over the top spot in the rankings.
No. 3 Gretna Won 40-37 vs. No. 6 Bellevue West
No matter what happens the rest of the season, or ever again in Gretna history for that matter, Friday’s win will live forever in the annals of Dragon Lore. Gretna led 14-0, trailed 37-14 with 7:09 left in the game then came all the way back for a game-winning field goal with 8 seconds remaining. Somehow, someway, the Dragons needed three touchdowns and two, two-point conversions in that final 7:09, made it happen, then got a fourth possession that led to the kick. An onside kick and a fourth-and-1 stop were just a few of the plays Gretna had to have in that span. Dragon quarterback Zane Flores was 24 of 40 passing for 376 yards, three passing touchdowns and added two rushing touchdowns. Gretna is 6-0.
No. 4 Omaha North Won 64-0 at Omaha Northwest
The Vikings capitalized on four Northwest fumbles and made seven tackles for loss during a dominant night for the defense. Teshaun Porter scored three rushing touchdowns while quarterback Sebastian Circo had two through the air. North won its fifth in a row and sits at 5-1.
No. 5 Kearney Lost 28-21 vs. No. 8 Grand Island
The Bearcats simply couldn’t solve the Grand Island running attack nor the Islanders’ rush defense. Grand Island held a 15-minute advantage in time of possession thanks to a 280-yard difference in rushing yards. Kearney quarterback Treyven Beckman pulled his team along with 246 yards passing on 16 of 26 with three touchdowns but didn’t have any help in the run game. The loss ruined the Bearcat’s 5-0 start.
No. 6 Bellevue West Lost 40-37 at No. 3 Gretna
The loss drops the Thunderbirds (4-3) to their highest loss total in eight years, and each of the three are full of plays that could have turned the outcome in Bellevue West’s favor. The loss to Westside included a 21-14 lead at halftime. Against Kearney, there were 11 fumbles and four lost that eventually led to a one-point defeat. Friday gave Bell West more than enough chances to end it with a 23-point lead and just 7:09 remaining. Failing to cover an onside kick, giving up two, two-point conversions, suffering a stop on fourth-and-1 – and those are just the most obvious. There are those four plays in particular but many more in the final seven-plus minutes that gave the T-Birds a chance to win.
No. 7 Bennington Won 45-7 at Blair
The Badgers had control from the start and poured on 28 points in the second quarter for a 42-0 halftime lead. Quarterback Trey Bird threw three touchdown passes to three different receivers and completed 65% of his throws. Bennington rose to 6-0 and hosts 1-5 Omaha Westview next.
No. 8 Grand Island Won 28-21 at No. 5 Kearney
The final score was only a margin of seven, but Grand Island (5-1) was clearly the aggressor all night long. On a rushing advantage of 304-24, Grand Island built a time of possession difference of more than 15 minutes and gradually ground Kearney into dust. Jace Chrisman rushed 15 times for 110 yards and a touchdown while Caleb Richardson also had 110 yards on 26 carries. A pair of special teams mistakes gave GI the ball in plus territory twice in the second quarter, and broke 7-7 then 14-14 ties. A 48-yard end around with 4:20 remaining in the third sealed the victory. Kearney had it last but needed to cover 85 yards in less than a minute with no timeous.
No. 9 Creighton Prep 55, Omaha Central 0
The Prep defense pitched a shutout for the second straight week, scored a touchdown on a pick-six and forced three turnovers. After losing three of their first four, the Bluejays (3-3) have won three in a row and have the chance to finish 6-3 with a district title. Unfortunately, how much Prep has come since early losses to Bellevue West and Westside is hard to tell against the likes of Burke, Central, Papio and Benson.
No. 10 Aurora won 54-14 at Minden
The Huskies put at least a temporary halt on the Minden Cinderella story with a 26-point first quarter and a 40-7 lead at halftime. Carlos Collazo continues to rewrite the Aurora record book, this time rushing for 299 yards. He had scoring runs of 47 and 65 in the first six minutes, had six touchdowns total and turned a catch into an 80-yard reception. Collazo has over 1,400 yards on the season and 24 touchdowns. Aurora is 6-0.
No. 11 Papillion-La Vista South won 66-8 at Omaha South
The Titans showed no rust after a week off, scoring 22 points in the first quarter then 27 in the second en route to a 49-0 halftime lead. A season-opening win at North Platte looks pretty good right now, but is that any indication where Papio South (5-1) sits for a final stretch that has Gretna and Bellevue West on the schedule?
No. 12 Southwest 17 Won 17-14 in OT vs. No. 14 Lincoln Southeast
The win for the Silver Hawks (5-1) gives them claim to the title of “Best Team in Lincoln” but more importantly picked up a district win in a race that looks like it’ll come down to three teams. Southeast led 7-0 at halftime before Southwest put together an 80-yard drive to start the second half. It was the first of three extended long drives between the two teams that left them deadlocked at 14-14. A fourth-down stop at the 2 by the Southwest defense earned the Silver Hawks a chance to win it with any score. John Hohl finished it on a 22-yard field goal.
No. 13 Lincoln East lost 22-21 at Millard South
There were still two quarters to play, but East will likely regret the final seconds of the first half for quite a while. The Spartans took a 21-13 lead on a 6-yard run by Dash Baumann with 52 seconds left in the first half then allowed a long kick return that set up the Patriot offense. A Millard South touchdown pass made it 21-19 at the break, then Patriot kicker Simon McLannan made his third field goal of the game for the win in the fourth quarter. East dropped to 3-3.
No. 14 Lincoln Southeast Lost 17-14 in OT at No. 12 Lincoln Southwest
Southeast scored the first points but lost senior lineman Gunna Gottula to a lower leg injury and struggled with consistency in the run game. The Knights ended with only 161 yards of offense and had -18 between the fourth quarter and overtime. Running back Max Buettenback came in with 432 yards rushing and eight touchdowns combined in the previous three weeks but was mostly held in check. He was stopped on a fourth-and-2 in overtime that gave the ball over to Southwest for the eventual game-winning field goal. Southeast heads into the final third of the season 3-3.
No. 15 Millard North Lost 41-13 vs. No. 23 Millard West
The Mustangs started on the right foot and led 10-0 but were then outscored 41-3 in the final three quarters. It seems the bloom is off the rose for Millard North, which has lost three straight after starting 1-2. Just a few weeks ago, Millard North enjoyed a lead over Westside at halftime. Now, the Mustangs are 2-4, 0-2 in district play and looking like the playoffs are slipping away.
No. 16 Scottsbluff Won 28-21 in OT at No. 19 Waverly
The Bearcats have now endured nearly 40 hours on the bus together but have turned three long road games into big wins. Scottsbluff never trailed but allowed Waverly to tie it 7-7, 14-14 and 21-21 before Braeden Stull scored on the first possession of overtime and the defense held Waverly on four straight plays. Sebastian Boyle carried it 22 carries for 124 yards while Stull picked up 90 on 23 carries. Both had two touchdowns. Scottsbluff is now 5-1 and in the driver’s seat for the district title.
No. 17 Pierce Won 54-20 vs. O’Neill
Keenan Valverde and Ben Brahmer provided a two-headed monster attack for the second time this season. Friday it was Valverde’s 233-yard rushing total combined with Brahmer’s 167-yard receiving night that were far too much for O’Neill. Those two also totaled 302 yards of offense two weeks ago in a win over Roncalli. Valverde found the end zone four times while Brahmer scored twice in the win over O’Neill. Pierce is 6-0.
No. 18 Omaha Gross won 45-3 at Plattsmouth
Jake Garcia opened the scoring with a 56-yard touchdown run 55 seconds into the first quarter and Gross was off to the races. The Cougars added a scoop and score later in the first then two Colby Duncan touchdown passes for a 28-0 halftime lead. Duncan added two more scores with his feet after halftime.
No. 19 Waverly Lost 28-21 in OT vs. Scottsbluff
The Waverly defense set itself apart last week as the best in Class B but couldn’t get off the field against Scottsbluff. The Bearcats had long drives that covered 65 and 80 yards, recovered a fumble at the Vikings' 30 for a short field and the first points of the game then stonewalled the Vikings on four chances from the 10 in overtime.
No. 20 Millard South 22, No. 13 Lincoln East 21
A touchdown right before half then the only points of the second half on a field goal earned the Patriots a much-needed 22-21 district win on Thursday night. Lincoln East went up 21-13 with under a minute remaining in the first half then gave up a long kickoff return that set up a Millard South touchdown pass. Defenses then dictated the action in the second half until the Patriots put together a fourth-quarter drive that ended with Simon McLannan kicking his third field goal of the night for the winning points. Millard South improved to 3-3 and is in the driver seat for a district title if it can upset Westside in two weeks.
No. 21 Elkhorn Won 49-35 vs. No. 25 Elkhorn North
Elkhorn had a response every time Elkhorn North seemed to seize momentum. As if that wasn’t frustrating enough, the Antlers continually gashed the Wolves for big plays all night. Elkhorn answered North’s first touchdown in two plays, scored on the ensuing kickoff after Elkhorn North’s second touchdown drive then grabbed the lead for good following an interception and a short field. The Antler defense limited the Wolves' ground game to just 41 yards and picked off two passes. Elkhorns touchdowns were on plays of 69, 95 (kickoff return), 43, 8, 77, 13 and 61. Elkhorn is now 4-2.
No. 22 Lincoln High Lost 9-7 vs. North Star
An ugly, defensive battle with limited possessions likely wasn’t what a high-powered Lincoln High offense was looking for. The Links led 7-0 at halftime then gave up a short field and a touchdown drive following an interception to start the third quarter. North Star tried for two when Lincoln High was offside on the initial PAT kick, but the Links stuffed it. The Navigators then halted a Links drive on fourth-and-5 from the 39 with 8:15 remaining in the game and put together a 41-yard drive with 8:15 left for the eventual game-winning field goal.
No. 23 Millard West Won 41-13 at No. 12 Millard North
Suddenly, the Wildcats have evened their record to 3-3 after starting 1-3. Unlike the first two wins, which came via shutout against winless Burke and 2-4 South Sioux, Millard West trialed 10-0 in this one. By the end of the game, it looked like the Wildcats had spotted the Mustangs charity points. Millard West scored 41 of the next 44 and outscored Millard North 21-0 after halftime. The Wildcats might have become the favorite in the district after the victory.
No. 24 North Platte Won 21-17 vs. Westside
There were likely few who gave the Bulldogs much of a chance against the Warriors. North Platte came out with that exact chip-on-the-shoulder attitude and made it their type of game. They had the first 14 points, capitalized on a short punt out of bounds and made it 14-0 when Kolten Tilford busted a 58-yard run to the end zone. Westside had the next 17 points but North Platte put together a drive that started with 4:04 left in the game. Tilford found the goal line with 19 seconds left for the win. North Platte was once 0-2 then 2-3 and looked dead in the water. The win over No. 1 vaulted the Bulldogs up to seventh in the latest Class A points standings.
No. 25 Elkhorn North Lost 49-35 at Elkhorn
More composure early on might have been the key to a different outcome for Elkhorn North. Allowing a tying touchdown in two plays after going up 7-0 then giving up a kickoff return touchdown moments after regaining the lead 14-7 will haunt the Wolves as they look back on this one. Elkhorn North dropped to 4-2 and faces a final slate of opponents whose combined record is 13-5.
