Video: Early Contenders: Top 10 Quarterbacks Football Editor Zack Poff looks at the 10 best gunslingers for next season.
Eight football seasons have come and gone since Andy Means' 2009 Millard South squad ran the tables and outscored 13 foes 614-198 on its way to the Class A state championship. Featuring All-Staters Gary Hiatt, Bronson Marsh, Quentin Urban and Joey Felici, Millard South bullied its way through the Class A playoff field in 2009 and now stands as Nebraska's best prep football team since MaxPreps started ranking high school football teams in 2004.
Over the past 14 seasons, no other Nebraska 11-Man football team has posted a higher MaxPreps power ranking than Millard South's 59.2, which landed the Patriots in the No. 38 spot nationally that year.
Marsh unloaded on crosstown rival Millard West in the 45-17 state championship win, running for 157 yards, a score, and throwing for 101 yards to break Nebraska football coach Scott Frost's 11-man career passing mark in the process. After the win Marsh told the Omaha World Herald that he was going to do whatever the team needed. The senior signal caller/defensive back also picked off a pass.
"We didn't do a very good job tackling in the second half and once that happened, I knew we were in trouble," Wildcat coach Kirk Peterson told the Omaha World Herald following the championship contest. "They weren't going to take their foot off the gas.
"They were better than everybody this year. There was no fluke. They had the best player, they had the best team."
Only seven football programs are represented this week. Along with Millard South, Omaha North and Pierce played their way into the Top 5 at No. 2 and No. 4 respectively. Norfolk Catholic and Crete each grabbed two spots in this week's Top 10, as did Elkhorn South. The Knights played their way into the No. 3 and No. 6 spots, Crete earned the No. 5 and No. 9 rungs and Elkhorn South played its way into the No. 8 and No. 10 spots.
Jeff Bellar's Knights earned the highest national ranking of any of the teams listed in this week's Top 10. Norfolk Catholic went 13-0 in 2005 and finished No. 18 nationally.
Nebraska's Top 10 11-man football teams since 2004
Millard South has a legacy of greatness as the 2009 team is considered the best in Nebraska since 2004.
File photo by Samuel Mfinanga
Andy Means
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 614-198
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (38th)
2009 Patriots Greats: Gary Hiatt, Bronson Marsh, Quentin Urban, Joey Felici
2. Omaha North (2014)Head Coach: Larry Martin
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 614-148
Rankings: Class A (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (113th)
2014 Vikings Greats: Marquise Lewis, Michael Decker, Calvin Strong, Cole Bixler, Jason Martin, Markell Vaughn, DeValon Whitcomb
3. Norfolk Catholic (2005)Head Coach: Jeff Bellar
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 469-90
Rankings: Nebraska (1st), Nationally (18th)
2005 Knights Greats: Ben Lacrosse, Aaron Schulte, Eric Pieper, Bryce Miller, Calvin Thor, Beau Simpson
4. Pierce (2007)Head Coach: Mark Brahmer
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 624-143
Rankings: Nebraska (1st), Nationally (43rd)
2007 Bluejays Greats: Josh Weber, Eric Koehlmoos, Corey Woslager
5. Crete (2007)Head Coach: Chuck McGinnis
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 425-99
Rankings: Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (53rd)
2007 Cardinals Greats: John Levorson, Shane Renner, Marcus Smith, Cody Wockenfuss, Trevor Florendo, Dylan Gammel
6. Norfolk Catholic (2004)Head Coach: Jeff Bellar
Overall Record: 12-1
Scoring Differential: 494-175
Rankings: Nebraska (1st), Nationally (19th)
2004 Knights Greats: Ricky Distefano, Aaron Lund, Tyler Sudbeck, Jacob Ludemann
7. Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion) (2014)Head Coach: Arnold Johnson
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 543-166
Rankings: Class C1 (1st), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (217th)
2014 Cardinals Greats: Michael Lipker, Wyatt Mazour, Travis Kennedy, Zac Glidden, Keaton Henry
8. Elkhorn South (Omaha) (2015)Head Coach: Guy Rosenberg
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 541-180
Rankings: Class B (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (242nd)
2015 Storm Greats: Moses Bryant, Shane Henderson, Braden Wright, Kohlton Bingham, Tanner Meyo
9. Crete (2006)Head Coach: Chuck McGinnis
Overall Record: 12-1
Scoring Differential: 431-112
Rankings: Nebraska (1st), Nationally (63rd)
2006 Cardinals Greats: Alex Seyfert, John Levorson,
10. Elkhorn South (2016)Head Coach: Guy Rosenberg
Overall Record: 13-0
Scoring Differential: 540-198
Rankings: Class B (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (240th)
2016 Storm Greats: Dixon Loeffler, Braden Wright, Moses Bryant, Cole Anderson
The next five: Omaha Skutt Catholic (2014), Columbus Scotus (2015), Millard North (2012), Millard West (2008), Crete (2010)
