SBLive Nebraska Power 25 — how they fared in Week 7
By Nathan Charles
Each of the top three teams faced a top-25 showdown this week but weren’t significantly challenged in any of them. Aurora knocked off one of the final remaining unbeatens in Class C-1. Bennington continues to look like the best of Class B. Millard South and Millard West continue to climb after tough starts to the season.
No. 1 Elkhorn South defeated No. 5 Grand Island 423
The Storm blitzed the Islanders from the get-go and won their fifth in a row by 30 or more points. Elkhorn South had scoring plays on a 37-yard pass, 84-yard run and 4-yard run before the game was 12 minutes old. It was 28-0 when GI finally got on the board with 3:14 left in the first half. Cole Ballard ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns while quarterback Carson Rauner had 294 total yards of offense and touchdowns through the air and with his legs. The Storm are 7-0.
No. 2 Gretna defeated No. 11 Papillion-La Vista South 41-27
The Dragons led 27-6 but were staring at a potential tie late in the third quarter when defensive end Korver Demma intercepted a deflected pass and took it 40 yards for a touchdown. That play shifted momentum back to Gretna after Papio South took a three-touchdown lead into the break. Demma also recovered a fumble on the next drive that led to a Zane Flores touchdown pass moments later. The win essentially gives Gretna the district title with only Omaha South left to play in district competition. If the Dragons can finish off the last two games it’ll be their first unbeaten regular season in Class A and third in the last decade. Gretna is now 7-0.
No. 3 Westside defeated No. 7 Kearney 42-14
It started in Omaha and finished in Papillion. Westside owned a 21-7 lead when a smoking electrical panel in a restroom indicated a transformer was about to blow. The remainder of the game was moved to Papio South. Quarterback Anthony Rezac threw for three touchdowns while both he and Jahmez Ross rushed for 100. Westside improved to 6-1 and responded to last week’s road loss at North Platte with the first 21 points of the game.
No. 4 Omaha North defeated Fremont 42-0
Running Back Teshaun Porter and quarterback Sebastian Sisco continued to be too much for opposing defenses. Porter rushed for 113 yards and three touchdowns while Sisco matched him with three passing touchdowns. The defense gave up just 54 total yards and forced two turnovers. The Vikings are 6-1.
No. 5 Grand Island lost 42-3 at No. 1 Elkhorn South
A tough road win at a rival then another road trip makes for difficult circumstances. But The Islanders no doubt expected more out of themselves than falling into a 28-0 hole. But, overall, the result probably has more to do with Elkhorn South than Grand Island. The Storm created big plays early and generated the type of momentum that few teams can withstand.
No. 6 Bennington defeated Omaha Westview 70-0
The Badger defense greeted Westview with fumble recoveries and a pick-six on the first two possessions. That early spark was followed by two offensive touchdowns and a 28-0 lead through the first quarter. Bennington added three second-quarter touchdowns and ran its record to a perfect 8-0.
No. 7 Kearney lost 42-14 at Westside
The Bearcats were in the unenviable position of facing the previous No. 1 the week after it suffered its first loss and had a perfect season ruined. Westside turned that motivation into the first three touchdowns of the night and an easy win. Quarterback Treyven Beckman kept a solid season going throwing for 256 yards on a completion percentage of 58%, but he had no help from a running game that averaged 1.7 yards on 32 carries. Kearney is 5-2.
No. 8 Bellevue West defeated Bellevue East 49-0
The T-Birds took out the frustration from a season of tough losses on their city rivals. Quarterback Danny Kaelin threw a pair of touchdown passes to both Isaiah McMorris and Ben Goodwater while running back CJ Gauff found the end zone twice. Defensively, Bell West held Bell East under 100 yards of offense and forced two turnovers. The Thunderbirds are 5-3 ahead of a week off.
No. 9 Creighton Prep was idle
The Junior Jays are 4-3 with games at Papillion-La Vista and home against Benson remaining.
No. 10 Aurora defeated Adams Central 41-7
Adams Central entered the night as one of the four final unbeaten teams in Class C-1. The Patriots left humbled like every other Aurora opponent this season. It didn’t help that Adams Central turned it over twice in the first quarter. That led to a 21-0 deficit before the end of the first quarter. Aurora running back Carlos Collazo piled up 190 yards on 15 carries with three touchdowns. The Huskies are 7-0.
No. 11 Papillion-La Vista South lost 41-27 to No. 2 Gretna
A pick-six then a fumble on successive drives will likely get much of the attention but were it not for a 21-point deficit at halftime, none of that would have mattered. Papio South couldn’t contain Gretna quarterback Zane Flores, but not in the way he normally carves up defenses. Thursday it was his legs and three rushing touchdowns in the first quarter that put the Titans in a hole. Papio South quarterback Sam Schuler threw for a career-high 292 yards in the loss. The Storm are now 5-2 and have suffered both losses to the top two teams in the SBLive Power 25.
No. 12 North Platte defeated Lincoln Northeast 56-7
A long trip out east following an upset of the previous No. 1 might normally be a recipe for a letdown. North Platte ensured that wouldn’t happen right away when it took the opening kickoff and went 80 yards in seven plays for a 7-0 lead. The Bulldogs scored on every possession of the first half and had 49 points on the board before Northeast finally found the end zone about halfway through the fourth quarter. Brock Roblee scored the first two North Platte touchdowns, three other Bulldogs had touchdowns as well and backup quarterback Eli Broman took advantage of playing time with three touchdowns of his own. North Platte is 4-3 and finishes up with home games against Norfolk and Papillion-La Vista.
No. 13 Lincoln Southwest defeated South Sioux City 49-7
Cal Newell put the rout in motion with a pair of first-quarter touchdown runs and the Silver Hawks improved to 6-1. Southwest was just 24 yards away from 400 total on the ground, averaged 8.7 yards on 43 carries and generated 153 passing yards. The defense had six tackles for loss, three sacks and forced three turnovers. Newell had 125 rush yards on just seven carries.
No. 14 Millard South defeated Columbus 49-7
It wasn’t as easy, at least initially, as the final score may indicate. Millard South fumbled on its first play from scrimmage then gave up a Columbus scoring drive. The Discoverers used that early momentum to hang around and head into halftime down just 10-7. But from there, the Patriots started four straight drives at midfield or in Discoverer territory. Millard South capitalized with touchdowns on each, 27 points in the third quarter and scored on five straight drives overall. The Patriots are back above .500 at 4-3, face No. 3 Westside next week in a non-district game then can wrap up a district title with a win over Lincoln High in Week 9.
No. 15 Millard West defeated Lincoln Southeast 17-16
It was a 3-3 game in the fourth that saw both teams score a pair of touchdowns. But it was a blocked extra point on Southeast’s potential game-tying score that proved to be the difference. The Wildcats followed that up with an onside recovery for a win. Millard West is back in the driver’s seat for the district after a 1-3 start.
No. 16 Lincoln East defeated No. 24 Lincoln High 28-7
A halftime tie gave way to 21 straight points for the Spartans and a bounce back win following a tough one-point loss to Millard South. East running back Dash Bauman scored two rushing touchdowns and another on defense when he gave the Spartans some breathing room on a pick-six late in the third quarter. Bauman carried the ball 21 times for 123 yards and made four tackles, plus recovered a fumble, in addition to his interception. Lincoln East improved to 4-3.
No. 17 Lincoln Southeast lost 17-16 at. No. 15 Millard West
Southeast did what it wanted to in terms of game plan – 385 total yards, 5.4 per carry and 127 for Max Buettenback on 16 carries. Buetteback had both Southeast touchdowns in the fourth after the game went into a 3-3 tie at halftime. But in defensive showdowns, it's often a special teams play that makes the difference. A blocked extra point drops Southeast to 3-4, 1-2 in district play and makes the last two games must-win.
No. 18 Scottsbluff defeated Hastings 35-0
The Bearcats held the Tigers to negative yards rushing defensively while putting together a balanced attack on offense that included three rushing touchdowns for Sebastien Boyle and two passing by quarterback Braeden Stull. Scottsbluff had over 370 yards of offense overall. The Bearcats led 21-0 late in the first quarter and took a 28-0 lead into halftime. Scottsbluff is 6-1.
No. 19 Pierce defeated Central City 56-35
The Bison were the second team this season to score 35 points on the Bluejays but also the second to do so and still lose by three touchdowns. Keenan Valverde followed up last week’s 233-yard performance with 221 and three touchdowns. Tight end Ben Brahmer caught three passes for 106 and three scores. Quarterback Abe Scholting was 8 for 10 passing for 132 and those three touchdown throws to Brahmer. The Bluejays are 7-0.
No. 20 Omaha Gross defeated Norris 42-14
Gross generated one of its most balanced games of the season. Quarterback Colby Duncan threw for 179 yards while Jake Garcia had 215 rushing. Together those two led the Cougars to over 430 yards of offense, 9.6 per carry on the ground and 14.9 per completion through the air. Garcia found the end zone three times on a night Gross had four different backs score a touchdown. The Cougars are 7-0.
No. 21 Elkhorn defeated Blair 31-21
The Antlers scored the only two touchdowns of the first quarter and led 21-0 with 5:44 remaining in the first half when Connor Hunt crossed the goal line on a quarterback sneak. It all seemed in order until Blair answered with a score before halftime and had the game tied 21-21 at 7:17 of the third quarter. Elkhorn responded with the next 10 points and improved to 5-2.
No. 22 Millard North defeated Omaha Bryan 50-17
The Mustang defense picked off two passes and held Bryan to 69 yards rushing. Offensively, Caden Veermas rushed for 183 yards and four touchdowns. Millard North racked up 330 yards on the ground and came within a game (3-4) of .500.
No. 23 Waverly defeated Lincoln Pius 38-8
The Vikings turned to the air attack and quarterback Trey Jackson. He responded with four touchdown passes. Defensively, Waverly held Pius QB Cole Skorupa to 4 of 18 throwing and forced five punts. The Vikings are 5-2.
No. 24 Lincoln High lost 28-7 to No. 16 Lincoln East.
The Links just couldn’t get the offense going against a stout Spartan defense and caused their own problems that included a pick-six, another interception and a fumble. The offense managed just 3.9 yards per carry on 28 rushes and had just 54 yards through the air. It was the second straight game Lincoln High was held to single digits and the second straight loss that left the Links at 3-4 and 0-2 in district play. The playoffs look to be a long shot.
No. 25 Elkhorn North defeated Mount Michael 27-24
The Wolves were tested in a road contest a week after a tough loss to Elkhorn. Senior running back Josh Basilevac answered the test with 150 yards rushing on 23 carries and a touchdown. Overall he had 275 yards of offense. Elkhorn North led 20-10 going into the fourth, saw that lead cut to three with a Mount Michael scoring drive but answered immediately on the next possession. Elkhorn North is 5-2 and in position for its first-ever trip to the postseason.
