Nebraska High Football Championship Previews - Class C-1

O'Neill (Blue jerseys) is one of two teams to knock of powerful Aquinas. The other, Bishop Neumann. *(photo by Bobby Mills)

Nebraska High Football Championship Previews

Class C-1

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2:45 am @ Memorial Stadium, Lincoln

Wahoo Neumann (11-1) vs. O'Neill (12-0)

To will be honest with you, after I saw O'Neill blast Boone Central/NG 38-0 back on September 9th, I projected the Eagles would meet Wahoo Neumann in the C-1 Finals.

And so it is.

There is no secret I like this O'Neill football team. I said anyone that can beat Aquinas can win it all. Only problem with this deal is that Bishop Neumann beat Aquinas too.

Seems we are back to square one so how about a look at the team stat leaders for each team?

Most sports scribes chose Neumann as their pre-season football favorite in 2016. Part of this pick was due to the Cavaliers State C-1 basketball title last march with the same outstanding cast of athletes returning for football.

Division One, Central Florida recruit Noah Vedral has done an incredible job directing this Neumann team this fall. The handsome senior is certainly dual-threat Quarterback, but Noah has not had run a ton this season.

Vedral is a deadeye with his cannon arm, completing 122 of his 187 attempts (65%) for 1,814 yards and 20 TDs. Noah has rushed 118 times for 665 yards and 12 additional scores and it really makes me wonder if and when he might just run 20 times.

Vedral did just that on the wet Aquinas field and was held to 48 yards on 21 carries. So what does he do, turns around and hits 14 of 19 passes for 178 yards and 2 TDs, the longest going for only 29 yards.

When Vedral does decide to fire that cannon, his favorite target is Reid Jurgensmeier, who has 43 receptions for a monster 800 yards and 10 scores.

Hard running Trevin Rezac heads up the ground game with his 1,031 big ones and 13 TDs and has been known to sneak out of the backfield and catch a touchdown pass. Scotus may not have been ready for his two receptions the night I was there.

At 190 pound, Rezac is about a difficult to bring down as I've seen.

Things get really frightening when you look at the Cavalier defense. It seems every single position is manned by a highly experienced veteran. I've seen this bunch play twice and I certainly didn't see a weak link.

And you thought Wilber-Clatonia had a slew of tackles for losses this year? Bishop Neumann's total of 66 just makes your head spin. Who leads the parade? Well, senior hulking junior DT Evan Welsh (6-2, 240) leads the way with 16 of 'em, but really, just pick your poison here. DE Andrew Klement (5-11, 185) has 9 as well as the other DE Caden Johnson (6-2, 245 Sophomore), All-State LB Theo Blum has 7, and junior Nate Konecky, another listed as a defensive end, has 6.

All in all, 14 Neumann players have invited themselves opposing backfields for a little Czech greeting.

The Cavs have also pirated 18 enemy passes, the lead thief being All-State Hoops player, Jaxon Simons. You see, it is not a sin to steal at Neumann as long as it's on the football field.

The Bishop Neumann "D" has also recovered 11 fumbles and blocked 3 punts. Big Andrew Klement has 2 of those, one big coming in that Kearney Catholic semifinal tilt.

By the way, it doesn't hurt either to have the venerable Tim Turman for a head coach. The amazing Coach T has logged 293 wins in 36 seasons at Neumann with only 150 losses. He's had a few kids that are just a "little" successful too. One is directing the Omaha Skutt football team in the Class B Final.

You may know Matt Turman?

The O'Neill Eagles. What can you say about a team that has believed they could get to Lincoln from day one? They remind of so many Championship caliber teams I've witnessed over the years. An inseparable, impossible to break football family that has no true star. No "I" in this group of Eagles, friends.

I do know that there are about 12 O'Neill opponents that would disagree that this Eagles team does not have a star.

It all starts for this team with brilliant head coach, Brock Eichelberger. This man already won a State Title with Ewing back in 2008 and was simply one of the toughest son-of-a-guns I ever saw play 8-Man football.

Eichelberger was not only a two-time 1000 yard rusher for Beemer back in the day, but a vicious defender who consumed a half pound of 10 penny nails for his breakfast each morning. The man still looks like he could play today and the smart-as-a-whip has this team believing they can beat anybody.

This O'Neill has bought into Eichelberger's plan hook, line and sinker my friends.

It's extremely difficult not to place that label on junior Quarterback Alex Thramer, the Ewing product who has reached passing perfection this fall with No interceptions. That's right, a hundred ninety four passes launched and not one pick....not one.

Thramer (the "h" is not pronounced) has completed 126 of those 194 aerials for 1,969 yards and 26 touchdowns. The thing about the 6-3, 180 pound QB is the fact he very rarely, if ever, gets sacked. Thramer is so evasive and slippery as an eel when being pursued by a defender in that Eagle backfield.

And boy does Thramer ever have some receivers to choose from when he decides to uncork the pass.

Junior Junior Justin Appleby (6-2, 175) leads the way for the Eagles receiving corps with 40 catches, 707 yards and 11 TDs. That's 17 yards every time Appleby hauls in one of Thramer's aerials.

Justin's junior classmate, Wyatt Liewer, the man who made the Miracle Grab that beat Aquinas, is next in line with 33 receptions, 566 yards and 8 scores. The slender Liewer, who reaches 6-3, but tips the scales at a generous 160 pounds, comes from a family of big folks....his Dad was a Husker if you recall. But Wyatt is not big boned, but is very athletic and plays with no fear and a heart the size of O'Neill itself.

Bryce Heiser, a 190 pound senior, is next in line with 344 yards receiving yards (5 TDs) and you can't leave Thompson alone coming out of the backfield either (167 YDs/1 TD)

O'Neill can also throw a bevy of running backs at you. The powerful, Bailey Thompson, the 190 pounder with the rock-solid build, leads the ground game with his 884 yards and 10 TDs. Three other RBs have surpassed the 300 yard mark for the season. Jake Young (433/2 TDs), 185 pound junior Shayne Campbell (356 YDs/5 Tds) and of course Alex Thramer (339 YDs/6 TDs)

And you thought Thramer didn't run? Sure he does.

Like Neumann, O'Neill has several players deserving of All-State status. I told you about the Cavaliers 66 tackles for losses? Check this out......O'Neill has 79 stops behind the line.

I'm not sure how the Irish folks say "Welcome To Our House", but here are the O'Neill fellas that lead that phrase, which translates to "Tackles for Loss."

6'6", 205 pound Defensive tackle Jason Hahlbeck leads the way with 16, Nose Tackle Chance Sholes (6-1, 215 Sr.) is next in line with 13 stops behind the line.

Bryce Heiser has 10 of those friendly little visits to the opponent's backfield, 6-4, 190 DT Corbin Dean has 9.5 TFL, and 6-7, 195 pound Tyler Regan, another basketball standout who plays defensive tackle (yeah!), follows with 8 and a half tackles for losses.

Linebacker Jake Young is the leading tackler on this O'Neill team with 140 stops. Hahlbeck has registered an even hundred tackles, while LB Shayne Campbell has 94, Bryce Heiser follows with 92, and Spencer Davis, a 160 pound sophomore, has made 90 stops.

The Eagles have also pirated 13 passes, recovered 11 fumbles and blocked a punt this fall. Tyler Regan is also an All-State punter, averaging nearly 40 yards a boot with superior hang time.

My take on this game: O'Neill is on a mission, but Wahoo Neumann is the real deal and it will not be easy to top this seasoned group of athletes that have been on the big stage before......but.....

Remember last March at The Pinnacle Sports Center when the O'Neill basketball led Neumann after three quarters? There will be no stage fright for these Eagles Tuesday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

Another thing I've noticed after watching O'Neill 3 times thus far, is that both the offensive and defensive their lines are very underrated. If these guys want to grind it out on offense, they can and will. That Eagle "D" line is better than you can imagine too.

But.......if you think the Bishop Neumann defense, run or pass, is not one of the best in C-1, check the stats below. No weaknesses.

If I were coaching against Bishop Neumann: Watch that Wahoo tape a hundred times, prevent Vedral from making a living off that QB draw and throw in some blitz packages. Keep the pressure on #11, and clog up the middle when they have the ball.

If I were coaching against O'Neill: Honestly, I would be scratching my head, but maybe short passes underneath the coverage? Call Noah Vedral's number to run the ball at least 15 times and make certain Reid Jurgensmeier is a major player in the aerial game.

Finally, here is the scoop on both teams including Points scored, Rushing, Passing and Total Offense statistics.....These are per game averages:

..................................PTS Scored....Rushing Yards....Passing Yards...Total Offense

Bishop Neumann..........38.4..................207.8................113.0..................320.8

Opponents....................10.3.....................92.3..................86.7.................179.0

..................................PTS Scored....Rushing Yards....Passing Yards...Total Offense

O'Neill...........................30.2...................198.1...............164.1..................362.2

Opponents.....................9.6...................118.8.................90.4...................209.2

Bishop Neumann (11-1).....................................................O'Neill (12-0)_

14 Norfolk Catholic 7...................................................45 GICC 0_

34 Columbus Scotus 14...............................................14 Ord 0_

42 Syracuse 0...............................................................38 Boone Central/NG 0___

49 Milford-Dorchester 10...........................................36 Columbus Lakeview 14_

21 David City Aquinas 14............................................43 West Point-Beemer 7__

23 Boys Town 13.........................................................26 Norfolk Catholic 21____

70 David City 6.............................................................34 Pierce_14_

56 North Bend Central 0.............................................1 Madison 0 (Forfeit)___

0 Wahoo 21 (loss).....................................................38 Wayne 14_

49 Syracuse 0...............................................................45 Columbus Lakeview 20