By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Two quarterbacks from the Cornhusker State will continue their aerial assault toward the state record books this weekend.
The days of 3 yards and a cloud of dust in Huskerland are closer to becoming a distant memory. Thanks to the transformation of Bill Callahan's West Coast Offense at Nebraska, plenty of high schools are starting to reserve their spot on the aerial bandwagon. Look no further than Fairbury and Fremont for examples.
In Class B, junior quarterback Lee Horky's target is 2,486 yards, set by Chadron's Mike Wahlstrom in 1998, and in Class C-2 Fremont Bergan's Joey Spellerberg needs only 1,738 more yards to eclipse Tecumseh's DanThies' record-setting mark in 1996 (record set at 2,311 yards).
Through three games for, Horky has thrown for 862 yards and 13 touchdowns, an averageof 287.3 yards per game. Continuing on his current clip, Horky would need Fairbury to qualify for playoffs. If he continues at his current pace in touchdown passes, he would shatter the current record of 33 byWahlstrom.
Throw the ball all over the Memorial Field turf in Fremont is something Bergan fans are not used to. Bergan's success goes back to the days of head coach Joe Vojtech, who typically ran a wishbone offense and led the Knights to the Class C-1 state final in 1990, before losing to Geneva (now Fillmore Central).
Head coach Ron Beacom debuted a new spread, five-receiver offense in the season opener against Elmwood-Murdock, hardly a cupcake on the Class C-2 schedule. Spellerberg shredded Elmwood-Murdock for 219 yards and a touchdown. In his second game last week against Arlington, Spellerberg upped the ante with 354 yards and five touchdowns.
For Spellerberg, his average is 286.5 through two games. He has six touchdown passes and will need to pick up the pace, much like his output of five last week,to push the record of 30 set by Thies.
MaxPreps Nebraska Game of the Week: Millard North vs. Millard West
Just when Millard North thought it had enough to handle in the battle for supremacy in Millard from Millard South, Millard West is tapping on the shoulder of both football giants. For the second time already this season, Millard's Buell Stadium will host another cross-suburban barnburner when Millard North and Millard West lock heads on Friday.
Millard North has bounced back as expected from its opening loss to Millard South, mauling Papillion-LaVista and Grand Island in its two games since.
Make no mistake; Millard North likes to run the football. A lot. In three games, Millard North averages 335.3 yards per game, while it has thrown for just 122 yards total.
Quarterback Nick Failla leads the potent running back, rushing for 434 yards and five touchdowns. Fullback Rob Pirnie has rushed for 449 yards and four touchdowns on just 45 carries, a 9.9 per carry average. For good measure, Millard North has a fierce defense led by Nebraska commit Sean Fisher. Fisher also sees time on offense for the Mustangs.
Millard West'sforte' is an offense that puts up 409 yards per game. The fifth-ranked Wildcats are 3-0, all impressive victories over Creighton Prep,Lincoln Southwest, and Omaha North. Jesse VerVelde commands the Wildcat offense, hooking up with receiver Jake Drwal for 278 yards and five touchdowns already this season. Running back Tyler Davis has also been steady for Millard West with breakout game of 132 yards rushing coming last week against Omaha North.
Another Headliner: Millard South at Kearney
For Millard South, sophomore sensation Bronson Marsh has been flawless for the Patriots. The sophomore has thrown for 200 yards or more twice already this season as his Patriots have rolled to a 3-0 record and a number two ranking.
Without a doubt, the hot hand at receiver has been Ty Kildow. Heading into last Thursday's win at Bellevue East, Kildow averaged nearly 30 yards per catch. In the victory over Bellevue East, Kildow sealed the 19-7 victory by hooking up with Marsh for a 29-yard touchdown. Millard Southis ranked first in Class A in total offense.
The daunting prospect of needing to contain both Kildow and Vondrae Tostenson must hold off until next autumn. Before the Bellevue East game, Tostenson had season-ending surgery on his knee.
Millard South must make the grueling 175-mile journey on Interstate-80 towards Kearney to face a team that bested them twice last season.
Kearney, the defending Class A champions, are back for another deep playoff run. Running back Rustin Dring has been solid for the Bearcats,averaging a tad over 100 yards per game and five touchdowns.
The combination of quarterback Zach Follmer and Brett Maher have produced some big plays. Already in Kearney's 3-0 start, Follmer and Maher have hooked up for touchdown passes of 90 and 75 yards. Maher is also the best kicker in Nebraska.
Week 3 Predictions by Scott Hansen
Week 2: 73-19 (.793)
Self-Prognosis: After a terrible first crack at predictions Husker-style, pretty solid rebound.
Season: 91-30 (.752)
Class A
#1 Omaha Westside 29, North Platte 7
#2 Millard South 28, #4 Kearney 27
#3 Omaha Central 33, Omaha Bryan 14
#6 Millard North 41, #5 Millard West 34
#7 Lincoln Southwest 28, Omaha North 18
#8 Bellevue West 28, #9 Lincoln North Star 21
#10 Lincoln East 28, Omaha Benson 14
Norfolk 27, Grand Island 21
Omaha Creighton Prep 21, Lincoln Southeast 10
Bellevue East 21, Lincoln High 6
Omaha Northwest 13, Omaha South 10
Columbus 42, Fremont 31
Lincoln Northeast 20, Omaha Burke 13
Papillion-LaVista South 21, Papillion-LaVista 20
Class B
#1 McCook 21, Aurora 8
#2 Crete 42, Blair 7
#3 Omaha Skutt 31, #10 Lincoln Pius X 28
#4 Elkhorn 42, York 14
#5 Omaha Gross 37, Omaha Roncalli 13
Ralston 26, #6 Beatrice 21
#7 Fairbury 35, Grand Island Northwest 14
#8 Waverly 28, Springfield Platteview 14
#9 Norris 27, Seward 21
Wayne 21, South Sioux City 7
Hastings 20, Holdrege 14
Fort Morgan (Colo.) 24, Scottsbluff 19
Sidney 14, Cozad 7
Nebraska City 14, Plattsmouth 13
Elkhorn Mount Michael 21, Gretna 20
Alliance 21, Torrington (Wyo.) 12
Ogallala 28, Lexington 7
Gering 20, Wheatland (Wyo.) 12
Class C-1
#1 Hastings St. Cecilia 52, St. Paul 7
#2 Norfolk Catholic 27, Columbus Lakeview 21
#3 Pierce 49, O'Neill 7
#4 Chadron 30, Douglas (Wyo.) 13
#5 Wahoo Bishop Neumann 30, Syracuse 7
#6 Ashland-Greenwood 35, Bennington 7
#7 Boys Town 34, Murray Conestoga 7
#8 Auburn 45, Utica Centennial 7
#9 Hastings Adams Central 44, Cairo Centura 13
Columbus Scotus 42, #10 Boone Central 34
Ainsworth 21, Ord 14
Lincoln Lutheran 19, Milford 7
Fort Calhoun 14, Douglas County West 13
Madison 45, Battle Creek 7
Central City 19, Fillmore Central 14
Yutan 30, Logan View 7
David City 9, Twin River 7
West Point-Beemer 34, Wisner-Pilger 14
Broken Bow 19, Southern Valley 13
Malcolm 22, Raymond Central 7
Falls City 21, Wymore Southern 0
Wahoo 17, Lincoln Christian 13
Grand Island Central Catholic 28, Wood River 8
Chase County 20, Kimball 6
Mitchell 27, Morrill 14
Arlington 14, North Bend Central 13
Class C-2
#1 Howells 49, Scribner-Snyder 7
#2 Wakefield 31, #9 Creighton 13
#3 Fremont Archbishop Bergan 35, Weeping Water 7
#4 East Butler 34, Palmyra 6
#5 Perkins County 33, Southwest 7
#6 Laurel-Concord 21, Plainview 13
#7 West Point Central Catholic 34, Pender 14
#8 Elmwood-Murdock 42, Tri County 13
#10 Cambridge 21, Franklin 7
Sandy Creek 21, Thayer Central 14
Homer 42, Lyons-Decatur Northeast 7
David City Aquinas 30, Friend 14
Sutherland 36, Bayard 14
Garden County 27, Bridgeport 14
Stanton 28, Osceola 7
Neligh-Oakdale 14, Osceola 10
Burwell 22, Atkinson West Holt 7
Kearney Catholic 35, Elm Creek 6
Doniphan-Trumbull 7, Sutton 6
Hemingford 16, Gordon-Rushville 12
Ravenna 24, Heartland 21
Cross County 48, Fullerton 9
Ponca 7, Randolph 6
Hershey 27, North Platte St. Patrick's 21
Oakland-Craig 52, Tekamah-Herman 14
Louisville 24, Tecumseh 12
Superior 21, Wilber-Clatonia 14
Blue Hill 20, Loup City 6
Hartington Cedar Catholic 30, Lutheran-Northeast 13