By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
In Nebraska's largest class, the high school football season gets started a week earlier thanks to nine regular season games. Class A teams from across the state also were afforded the opportunity to begin practice a week earlier, and they got started with two-a-days on August 7.
Classes B through C-2 will have 25 games on the opening week slate. All of those teams will have an off-week sprinkled in through the season at various points.
There also will be eight games in Classes D-1 and D-2, which make up the eight-man teams in the state.
Class B defending champion Crete is the feature team getting an early start as they host Seward. Class C-1 2006 runner-up Valentine also will open the season at home against O'Neill.
Games of the Week
Millard North at Millard South
Last season, Millard North entered the season as the top-ranked team according to the Omaha World-Herald, while Millard South was coming off a 7-4 season and a loss in the quarterfinals of the Class A playoffs.
Millard South got a leg up on its suburban Omaha rivals with a 34-21 victory. The Patriots got off to a 21-0 lead and never looked back. It was their first victory over the Mustangs in a decade.
Millard South receiver Ty Kildow hauled in a 57-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Casey Hauptman to put the Patriots up 14-0. Kildow is regarded as one of the top talents in the Cornhusker state heading into his junior season.
The Patriots have received another boost in transfer Vondrae Tostenson from Creighton Prep. Tostenson is one of the top wide receivers nationally in the Class of 2009 and hauled in seven touchdown receptions last season as a Junior Jay. As a ninth-grade, Tostenson caught six touchdowns at Omaha Central.
Millard North is not to be taken lightly. The Mustangs finished last season with an 8-4 mark and bowed out in the Class A semifinals with a narrow loss to Omaha Westside, 22-21.
Defensive back Sean Fisher, linebacker Eric Ringbolm, and defensive lineman Ben Homer anchor a defense that promises to be one of the best in the state. As for the offensive side of the ball, Millard North should have no problems reloading after key losses due to graduation from an offense that averaged over 300 rushing yards per game last season.
Omaha Central at Omaha North
There likely will not be more Division I prospects on display in any game around the state the entire year. Central against North promises to be a hotly-contested battle between two the top teams, on paper, in Class A.
Omaha Central have a returning quarterback in Chris Griffin, along with a pair of can't-miss running backs in seniors Ronnell Grixby and Terrell Mayhue. As a sophomore, Grixby rushed for over 1,000 yards before making his mark on defense as a junior. Mayhue rushed for over 400 yards and six touchdowns last season.
Shaun Prater has already committed to Iowa, while twin brother Shane is on the radar of some Big XII schools.
Omaha North must replace two big-time talents in quarterback Philip Bates (Iowa State) and wide receiver Niles Paul (Nebraska). The Vikings might need to turn to defense to ease the transition.
Defensive tackle Nick Phillips, defensive end DeAndre Harris, and linebacker Terenell Boston are the senior leaders from a defense that allowed just 225.8 yards per game last season. Junior offensive lineman James Davis and sophomore running back Ron Coleman are looking to make a splash for the Vikings in 2007.
Week "0" Schedule
Class A Thursday
Norfolk at Kearney
Lincoln North Star at Lincoln Northeast
Fremont at Omaha Northwest
Class A Friday
Millard North at Millard South
Omaha Central at Omaha North
Lincoln High at Grand Island
Lincoln East at Lincoln Southeast
Columbus at North Platte
Bellevue East at Bellevue West
Omaha Benson at Papillion-LV South
Millard West at Omaha Creighton Prep
Omaha Westside at Omaha Burke
Omaha South at Omaha Bryan
Papillion-LaVista at Lincoln Southwest
Other Games Friday
Aurora at Schuyler
Seward at Crete
Fairbury at Fillmore Central
Alliance at York
Murray Conestoga at Weeping Water
Lincoln Lutheran at Raymond Central
Milford at Bishop Neumann (Wahoo)
David City at Madison
Crofton at Wisner-Pilger
O'Neill at Valentine
Broken Bow at Ord
Gothenburg at Gibbon
Bridgeport at Morrill
Southwest at Bayard
North Platte St. Patrick at Hemingford
Howells at Louisville
Elmwood-Murdock at Archbishop Bergan (Fremont)
Sutton at Malcolm
Wilber Clatonia at Palmyra
Loup City at Amherst
Cambridge at Garden County
Perkins County at Elm Creek
Eight-Man Games Friday
Freeman at Lewiston
Falls City Sacred Heart at Pawnee
Alma at Bertrand
Loomis at Eustis-Farnam
Southeast Consolidated at Charter Oak-Ute (Iowa)
Arnold at Brady
Stapleton at Maywood
Wallace at Thedford
Scott Hansen: maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net