By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
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For those in Nebraska, you can't take a stroll down high school football's memory lane without mentioning Lincoln Southeast head coach Chuck Mizerski.
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After Fremont ended playoff aspirations for Southeast Oct. 19 with a blocked extra-point in overtime, a tearful Mizerski announced his retirement from the Southeast hot seat.
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Mizerski was installed as the head coach at Southeast in 1979, replacing former Nebraska and current Ohio University head coach Frank Solich. Mizerski wentÿ 230-71-1 in his 27-year run at Southeast.
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The Knights won six Class A (large-school) state championships under the tutelage of Mizerski. The run started in 1991, when Lincoln Southeast defeated Omaha Creighton Prep 21-7. Southeast barely made the state playoffs, then an eight-team format, that year.
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In a schedule thrown into chaos due to an ice storm that struck Eastern Nebraska, the Knights took to the road five days later than scheduled against the same Fremont team that abruptly ended his reign at Southeast. A frozen patch of grass awaited the Knights at Memorial Field, which oddly enough hosted two other games featuring Omaha schools the same day.
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In bitterly cold temperatures, Southeast and Fremont were involved in a defensive stalemate. The game went to overtime, and Southeast's Jon Hesse kicked a short field goal to take a 10-6 lead.
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On the first play of Fremont's first overtime possession, Southeast nearly let one slip by.ÿ Fremont running back Nate Bock was stoned by the Southeast defense at the one-yard line, where the ball popped loose. Southeast smothered the frozen pigskin to end the game and was playoff bound.
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In the first round, top-seeded Grand Island awaited. Southeast upset the Islanders, using its typical formula of great defense and steady offense. In the semifinals, Southeast outlasted Omaha Westside, 20-14.ÿ
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Creighton Prep was a familiar foe to Mizerski and his Knights. The Junior Jays defeated Southeast in the Class A title game in 1988 and 1989, and had won six of the past seven titles dating back to 1983.
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Southeast shocked previously undefeated Creighton Prep on the artificial turf at Al Caniglia Field in Omaha, 21-7. Mizerski finally had his state title.
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Mizerski commanded Southeast to five more titles in his career. Probably the most dominating team was in 1997, when Southeast finished 13-0.
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Southeast also fielded an outstanding team in 1992 led by Hesse, who was a major part of three national championships at Nebraska, as well as owning a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos. Eventual Notre Dame recruit Ty Goode was the offensive sparkplug nobody could stop. The Knights lost to Kansas City Rockhurst that season, and were upset by the same pesky Fremont Tigers to end the regular season.
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Mizerski's three others state titles came in 1998, 2000, and 2002.
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When Lincoln's two newest schools, Southwest and North Star opened in 2002 and 2003, Southeast's dominance was challenged. Overnight, the two newest schools had World Class facilities. It has paid off for Southwest, who is currently 9-0 and ranked No. 1 heading into the first round of the Class A playoffs.
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State Championship Games Scores Under Mizerski
2002 - Lincoln Southeast (12-1) 7, Millard North (12-1) 6
2000 - Lincoln Southeast (13-0) 14, Omaha Creighton Prep (12-1) 7 OT
1998 - Lincoln Southeast (12-1) 23, Millard West (11-2) 7
1997 - Lincoln Southeast (13-0) 33, Papillion-La Vista (10-3) 14
1992 - Lincoln Southeast (10-2) 17, Lincoln High (10-2) 0
1991 - Lincoln Southeast (9-3) 21, Omaha Creighton Prep (11-1) 7
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State Playoff Appearances under Mizerski
1979 - Fremont L 20-23
1984 - Omaha Creighton Prep W 14-0, Omaha Burke L 14-7
1985 - Omaha Creighton Prep L 29-6
1986 - Fremont L 20-0
1987 - Omaha Westside L 14-3
1988 - Grand Island W 7-3, Omaha Central W 13-12, Omaha Creighton Prep L 24-21
1989 - South Sioux City W 21-0, Grand Island W 17-9, Omaha Creighton Prep L 17-8
1991 - Grand Island W 7-0, Omaha Westside W 20-14, Omaha Creighton Prep W 21-7
1992 - Alliance W 28-7, Columbus W 23-6, Lincoln High W 17-0
1993 - Lincoln Pius X W 29-7, Omaha Creighton Prep W 29-20, Hastings L 14-7
1995 - Millard South L 27-7
1996 - Omaha Benson W 28-7, Fremont W 21-0, Millard South L 10-0
1997 - Omaha Burke W 31-7, Omaha Benson W 45-21, Millard South W 42-7, Papillion-La Vista W 33-14
1998 - Grand Island W 41-0, Papillion-La Vista W 35-6, Millard North W 14-9, Millard West W 23-7
1999 - Fremont W 49-7, Millard West L 31-7
2000 - Lincoln East W 35-13, Papillion-La Vista W 9-0, Columbus W 28-0, Omaha Creighton Prep W 14-7 OT
2001 - Lincoln Northeast W 42-0, Omaha Creighton Prep W 21-10, Millard West L 42-0
2002 - Papilllion-La Vista W 17-0, Norfolk W 30-15, Kearney W 41-15, Millard North W 7-6
2003 - Millard South L 28-14
2005 - Millard North L 49-0