Week Seven Friday Night Lights football Heroes - Part 2

*Simon Otte (ATH) - York - My question? How talented is Simon Otte? The guy missed two full games, comes back to break the Dukes single game tackles record, then goes off for 338 yards on 36 carries against a very good Aurora team in a driving rainstorm. Otte scored on a couple of 3 yard runs in the 3rd quarter that gave York a 35-20 cushion at the time.

The amazing Duke senior had only 70 yards at the half, but gashed the Huskie defense for a mind-boggling 217 yards in that third stanza alone. Otte never relented in the 4th quarter, adding a 9 yard touchdown as the Dukes pulled away to post a 51-20 victory over their bitter rivals.

So, in only five games, Simon has rushed for 920 yards on just 108 touches and 8 TDs. He is also a recognizable force at middle linebacker, where he earned All-State status a year ago.

Simon Otte is listed at 6-2, 180 pounds but almost appears slim in stature when he lines up in that RB slot in the Dukes backfield. But every single football team in Class B knows how strong and freakishly talented this dude is.

Honestly, not enough words to describe him, but I will add that his offensive line, as always, is absolutely top notch. And in the Aurora game, Masry Mapieu wasn’t even at full strength, nursing an ankle injury. One of those men up front that stood out to me was 275 pound Jaiden Verhage. I merely stepped out of the way when Mr. Verhage strolled by me on the sidelines.

*Brody Belt (RB) - Millard West - Notched his fourth 200+ rushing game of the year in the Wildcats 49-7 win over North Platte. Belt scorched the Platters defense for 212 yards on 17 carries and five TDs. Brody scored on runs covering 28, 5, 10 39 and 76 yards as Millard West raced to a 42-0 halftime advantage.

Brody Belt is Class A’s most dangerous RB whenever he touches the football. Despite having only 97 carries through 7 games this fall, Brody has racked up 1,253 yards on those 97 touches. The Millard West O-Line seals off the outside so efficiently, it takes Belt only an instant to shoot to the outside and kick in the afterburners.

There are only a handful of Nebraska prep runners that can pull off what Brody Belt does. I call them the “Straight-Ahead Flyers Fraternity”. That means once this kind of back breaks to the outside and gets the sidelines, they never, ever think about cutting back against the grain. They are just that confident in their speed. I’m speaking of runners like Norfolk Catholic’s Dylan Kautz, Cal Narber of Aurora or sensational sophomore Jacob Kaiser of Hartington Cedar Catholic. Those boys just make that corner and fly.

Let’s hope Kirk Peterson’s Wildcats can make a deep run in the playoffs so more folks can see Brody Belt. It’s worth driving a long ways to see this kid perform.

*Dylan Gentrup (QB), Levi Krueger (RB) - Boone Central/Newman Grove - Here is another pair that Friday’s miserable weather suited to a tee. You turn these two loose in a ground attack, pounding and pounding away relentlessly with the rush, and you have problems if you are on the opposite side of the line. The victim last week was Adams Central, who scored first then saw the Cardinals reel off 49 unanswered points to get the 49-7 win.

Last Friday amidst the sheets and sheets of driving rain, Dylan Gentrup kept it 16 times for 216 yards and 3 TDs. His backfield mate, Levi Krueger toted the wet pigskin 25 times for 179 yards and 4 scores.

So dominant was the duo of Gentrup and Krueger, the stats show, between the two of them, they gained 395 of the Cardinals 404 rushing yards and accounted for 41 of the 47 rushes for the night.

For the season Gentrup, who rushed and threw for over a 1000 yards last year, has thrown for 1,193 yards (12 TDs) and rushed for another 859 yards and 13 scores. Kreuger, the hard running senior, has 830 yards and 12 TDs through seven games.

This Boone Central/NG football team is a senior-laden bunch that could and will make some noise in the rugged C-1 playoff picture.

*Jacob Tracy (RB/LB), Wyatt Kee (WR/LB) - Gibbon - Both came up huge in the Buffaloes 30-7 win over a resurgent Wood River team. Throw in the fact that these two teams are bitter rivals, it just magnifies what Tracy and Kee pulled off last Friday.

Tracy, a 1000 yard rusher a year ago, toted the wet ball 40 times for 255 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tracy had a pair of 4 yard scoring runs and a sparkling 90 yard TD sprint that really hurt the Eagles.

Both Tracy and Wyatt Kee were monsters on defense with the sure-tackling Kee leading the way. Wyatt recorded 11 solo tackles and 5 assists for 16 total stops. He also recovered two fumbles and had a QB sack. Jacob Tracy, Kee’s partner at linebacker, chipped in 13 tackles to help keep Wood River at bay.

Jacob Tracy’s big night elevated his 7 game rushing total to 984 yards (11 TDs). Wyatt Kee’s defensive totals thus far include 83 total tackles, 61 of which are solos. Kee also has 6 TFL, 3 sacks and 4 fumble recoveries.

Did you realize that Wyatt Kee has made 449 career tackles (273 solos) in 37 games? That’s 12 stops every time he puts on the pads. Kee has also caused 10 fumbles and recovered 10 fumbles. Find me another Class C-2 defender that can top those career tackle stats. Incredible.

*Adam Cooper (RB), Fletcher Bydalek (OG/DT) - GI Northwest - The 6-0, 250 pound Bydalek helped blow the holes open and Cooper bolted through and around ‘em for 187 yards on 36 carries and a touchdown in the Vikings come from behind 35-21 win over Seward.

Bydalek, who also made 4 stops on defense in the Seward contest, has been a mainstay in that Northwest line for the past two seasons, providing great run blocking and steady pass protection for Carter Terry.

Sophomore Ty Heaton was the leader on defense or the Vikings in the rainstorm, making 13 tackles. Blake Westerby was right behind with 12 stops.

Cooper, the hard running 165 pound junior, has added a much needed lift in that Northwest backfield and a necessary balance to Carter Terry’s aerial game. Adam Cooper has already rushed for 736 yards and 7 TDs this year and frankly has made the Vikings a contender in Class B. Terry’s passing simply cannot do it all, although he has two of the Class B’s top receivers in Riley Schliep and Brady Glause.

*James Burks (RB) - Omaha Burke - Logged his third consecutive 100+ rushing night in the Bulldogs 49-28 loss to Omaha North Friday afternoon. Burks ran for 142 yards on 27 carries and scored 3 times for Omaha Burke. That raises the 5-9, 170 pound junior’s season rushing total to 986 yards (19 TDs), including 587 the past three games with 9 scores.

Despite throwing 3 INTs, Burke QB Tyler Chadwick still hit 13 of 23 passes for 219 yards. That included a touchdown toss to Xavier Watts, who caught 5 passes for 86 yards. Husker recruit Chris Hickman had 3 receptions for 99 yards.

On the defensive side of the football, Husker pledge Nick Henrich had 16 tackles, while Daniel Davis added 14.

*Preston Walker (QB), Devon Walker (RB) - Elm Creek - The Walker boys were tough on Overton last week. In Elm Creek’s 44-28 win over the Eagles. Preston, the junior QB, completed 11 of 16 passes for 134 yards and a TD and added 30 yards 12 carries in the win.

Older bro Devon, a 1000 yard runner in 2016 for the Buffaloes, ran 17 times for 95 yards and a TD, plus picked off a pass, turning it into a 70 yard Pick 6.

Coach Jace Duland’s well balanced Elm Creek squad is now 5-1 and just crashed the World-Herald D-1 ratings at No. 9 this week.

*Destiny Mueller (K) - Gering - Girls soccer standout booted a 37 yard field goal to notch Gering’s only points in a 40-3 loss to Scottsbluff. The junior has hit two field goals this season for the Bulldogs.

*TJ Mawhiney (QB), Shamar Wiley, Kaisonn Koester - Pawnee City - Trio of runners accounted for 442 rushing yards in Pawnee City’s 50-18 win over Sterling. Mawhiney led the way with 172 yards on 22 carries and TD runs of 5, 4, 1 and 2 yards. Wiley was next with 163 yards on 25 totes and Koester completed the 100 yard trio with 107 yards on 18 touches with touchdown runs of 6 and 5 yards, plus a 10 yard TD pass to Andrew Davis.

*Triston Stephens (QB) - Doniphan-Trumbull - 6-1, 175 pound senior ripped Southern Valley for 214 yards on 42 carries and all three touchdowns in the Cardinals 21-0 win.

Stephens, who apparently missed two games earlier in the season, has rushed for 655 yards and 8 TDs in just 5 games this season. He has also made 54 tackles in those five outings for the 4-3 Cardinals.

*Tyson Burr (RB) - Kenesaw - Ran for 189 yards on 19 carries and scored 4 TDs in the Blue Devils 61-9 route of McCool Junction. Burr, who ran for 1,022 yards in 2016, is up to 766 yards for the undefeated and 5th rated (D-1) Kenesaw.

*John Christensen (QB) - B D S - Junior QB was big time in Class D-2’s Battle of the Year with Falls City Sacred Heart. Christensen not only toted the ball 20 times for 102 yards, but connected on 11 of 19 passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns in the 23-14 BDS victory.

Christensen’s two touchdown passes were snagged by Caden Norder (58 yards) and Garrett Schardt (20 yards). Norder also reached the end zone on a 30 yard run.