2016 Nebraska Preseason Football Fab 5, presented by the Army National Guard

Video: Jack Begley's highlights vs. Millard West
See the Millard North star in action


1. Millard North (Omaha)
Head coach: Fred Petito
2015 record: 11-2
Team preview

With 22 state football playoff appearances under its belt, and five Class A state championships since 2003 (including 2015), Millard North is one of those football programs that has to be taken into consideration when determining which football team will win it all. Throw in the return of senior defensive backs Jack Begley (6-foot-3, 210 pounds), who a year ago landed on everyone's first team all state football team, as well as Dylan Price (6-0, 180), and Petito's defending state champion Mustangs have a pair of terrific football players with whom to build another stout defense around.

Running interference up front, on both or either sides of the line, will be seniors Cody Ritterbush (6-1, 275), Mason Bogacz (6-1, 275), Justin Pedersen (6-4, 270) and Brady Doblar (6-1, 220). Senior running back Andrew Wine (6-2, 200) and senior receiver Aaron Gerdes (6-0, 180) are ready to play catch with either Price or junior Cade Elwood (5-11, 180).

See last season's Nebraska computer rankings presented by the Army National Guard

2. Millard West (Omaha)
Head coach: Kirk Peterson
2015 record: 12-1
Team preview

Trailing 21-0 going into the final quarter to the crosstown rival Mustangs, Millard West rallied with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns and nearly sent the Nebraska big school state title game into overtime. However, a Mustang fumble at the Millard North 3-yard line on the game's final play left the Wildcats just short of the school's third state title and a perfect record.

With plenty of state championship hardware of their own, and four offensive starters and eight defensive regulars returning, Peterson's Wildcats are sure to be back in the hunt again. Josh Wallace (6-1, 180) and Carter Wilken (5-9, 180) return to lead the secondary once again, while Sammy Scharff (6-2, 200) and Nate Ruzicka (6-0, 190) will man the linebacking corps. Up front on the stop side of the ball, Zach Wendt (5-11, 225) and Nate Watkins (6-3, 230) are ready to go. The offensive line returns seniors Tanner Kalb (6-0, 240) and Alex Dukart (6-0, 230). Senior receiver Shae Wyatt (5-11, 170) also returns after catching 48 balls for 632 yards and nine scores a year ago.

See the MaxPreps national football videos page

3. Elkhorn South
Head coach: Guy Rosenberg
2015 record: 13-0
Team preview Any discussion of defending Class B state champion Elkhorn South's prospects of repeating begin with the talents of junior running back Moses Bryant (5-11, 190), who has accumulated over 2,300 yards on 304 carries and has scored 34 touchdowns on the ground during his two-year career on the gridiron. The two-time Class B all-stater is also dangerous out of the backfield catching the football, adding another 453 yards on 33 catches and three more scores to his resume. Also returning for Rosenberg is running back Brayton Haley (6-0, 190), who ran for 776 yards of his own and caught 22 passes for 327 yards and has scored 17 additional touchdowns. Braden Wright (6-2, 185) will once again run the offense after rushing for 834 yards and 10 touchdowns a year ago, and throwing for another 1,167 yards and 14 scores.

Senior receiver Matt Slominski (6-3, 200) is set to play catch with Wright, while the offensive line returns senior regulars Dixon Loeffler (6-3, 270), Luke Ziepke (6-1, 285) and Max Guenther (6-3, 225). Senior linebacker Coleman Anderson (6-0, 220) and senior defensive end Evan Peterson (6-1, 230) return to lead a defense that Storm fans hope will equal or improve on the 2015 edition that held foes to 13.8 points an outing.

See the MaxPreps Nebraska football photos page

4. Bellevue West
Head coach: Michael Huffman
2015 finish: 11-1
Team preview

With the return of eight starters from an offense that lit up Nebraska Class A scoreboards to the tune of 619 points a year ago, it's probably pretty safe to assume that the Thunderbirds are going to do more of the same in 2016. Look for Huffman's squad to run the football more this fall with the return of big school all-state running back Jaylin Bradley (6-0, 180) and returning starters Tyler Ciurej (6-4, 300), Sam Vanderslice (6-0, 247), AJ Forbes (6-3, 280), Nate Frazier (6-0, 215) and Ty Reynolds (6-4, 225) up front. Evan Kieser (6-1, 165) is expected to replace all-state signal caller Jadyn Kowalski.

The defense was tremendous a season ago, allowing just more than 16 points an outing. Five regulars return from Huffman's stop troops, including Ciurej, linebacker Luke Diego Galvan (5-10, 195) and strong safety Kevin Ponec (5-9, 185).

See the MaxPreps Nebraska high school football playoff brackets

5. Bishop Neumann (Wahoo)
Head coach: Tim Turman
2015 finish: 8-3

Senior Central Florida commit Noah Vedral (6-2, 184) earned first team all-state honors as an athlete from Nebraska's "1,000-yard Guy," Bobby Mills, and claimed the same honors as a defensive back from the Associated Press and the Cornhusker State's two major newspapers, the Omaha World Herald and the Lincoln Journal Star. Being able to place a player with that kind of versatility on the football field may help the Cavaliers take the step from playoff contender to Class C1 state champion.

However, Turman isn't relying solely on Vedral for postseason success. Senior linebacker Theo Blum (6-1, 195) returns following an all-state season in 2015, and Reid Jurgensmeier (6-3, 195) will attempt to better last year's 35-catch, 468-yard and eight-touchdown performance, while Trevin Rezac (5-9, 180) is ready to do his thing on both sides of the football at fullback and middle linebacker. Bishop Neumann is a program that has made 24 appearances in the Nebraska state football playoffs and has been to the final eight times, winning titles in 1977, 2002 and 2003. The Cavaliers have posted a 47-21 record in postseason play.