Nebraska High School Football’s Returning 1000 Yard Passers for 2020.

Posted Friday, July 10, 2020, at 11:55 PM

Many eyes around the state this Fall will be focused on future Husker quarterback prospect Heinrich Haarberg of Kearney Catholic.

Hastings High’s rifle-armed Jarrett Synek leads a returning group of 34 quarterbacks who threw for over a thousand yards in 2019. The 6-0, 192 pound Blond Bomber is the only quarterback returning for his 2020 season that threw for over 2,000 yards a year ago.

Synek, who is a rollout specialist, completed 163 of his 288 pass attempts (56.6%) for a whopping 2,524 yards and 29 touchdowns while suffering only 4 interceptions. The Tiger trigger man also set an 11-Man record for most touchdown passes in a single game, when he fired NINE scoring tosses in a 64-56 win over Beatrice on October 18th a year ago.

The list also includes three of the finest Dual-Threat QBs in the state in Cole Payton of Omaha Westside, Heinrich Haarberg of Kearney Catholic and Millard South’s TJ Urban, who passed AND rushed for over a thousand yards in 2019.

The speedy Haarberg is a Nebraska recruit while Cole Payton committed to North Dakota State in early May of this year.

There is also a pair of returning quarterbacks who threw for over a 1000 yards as freshman. Most impressive is Zane Flores of Gretna, who earned his stripes in the rugged world of Omaha Metro Class A football. The other is 8-Man football’s Luke Carritt of Mead, who tossed 14 scoring passes with only 4 picks.

A pair of 1000 yard receivers will also be back for their senior seasons. From the 6-Man football ranks is GI Heartland Lutheran’s Quinston Larsen, also a 1000 yard rusher, and Julien Hearn of Neligh-Oakdale, who competes in 8-Man football.

*2020’s Thousand Yard Passers*

Jarrett Synek, Hastings - 2,524 Yards, 29 TDs

Bryce Hanna, Arthur County - (Jr.) 1,990 Yards, 33 TDs

Cole Payton, Omaha Westside - 1,986 Yards, 24 TDs, 874 Rushing Yards with 16 TDs

Logan Wiedel, Thayer Central - 1,912 Yards, 30 TDs

Hunter Haughton, Fullerton (now Johnson County Central) - 1,875Yards, 33 TDs

Heinrich Haarberg, Kearney Catholic - 1,869 Yards, 23 TDs

Jack Cooper, Fremont - 1,812 - (16 Tds/5 Ints/61.0%)

Caleb Fossenbarger, Johnson-Brock - 1,780 Yards, 29 TDs

Russell Martinez, Grand Island Central Catholic - 1,576 Yards, 11 TDs

Ty Nekoliczak, Central Valley - 1,479 Yards, 20 TDs

Gavin Sheen, Wilcox-Hildreth - 1,447 Yards, 24 TDs

Cooper Gierhan, Centennial - 1,428 Yards, 10 TDs

Zach Smith, Ord - 1,423 Yards, 14 TDs

Braedyn Ollendick, Elkhorn Valley - 1,418 Yards, 16 TDs

Josh Duitsman, Lincoln Lutheran (Jr.) - 1,402 Yards, 19 TDs

Caleb Allen, Ainsworth - 1,380 Yards, 23 TDs

DJ McGarvie, Lincoln North Star - 1,302 Yards, 8 TDs

Braden Benes, Boone Central (Jr.) - 1,293 Yards, 10 TDs

Zane Flores, Gretna (Soph.) - 1,238 Yards, 7 TDs

Barak Birch, Burwell - 1,232 Yards, 17 TDs

TJ Urban, Millard South - 1,223 Yards, 10 TDs plus 1,285 Yards Rushing (17 TDs)

Conner Schutz, Elwood - 1,218 Yards, 19 TDs

Mason Walsh, O’Neill - 1,203 Yards, 5 TDs

Christiano Barrientos, Omaha South - 1,156 Yards, 17 TDs

Ruger Reimers, Palmer - 1,108 Yards, 14 TDs

Luke Carritt, Mead (Soph.) - 1,094 Yards, 14 TDs

CJ Fleeman, Columbus - 1,087 Yards, 4 TDs

Jack Kildow, Bayard - 1,071 Yards, 15 TDs

Caleb Kearnes, Homer - 1,055 Yards, 16 TDs

Conner Phillips, Sandhills Valley - 1,031 Yards, 17 TDs

Kyle Ingwerson, Papillion-LaVista (Jr.) - 1,026 Yards, 6 TDs

Cooper Ebeling-Diller-Odell (Jr.) - 1,013 Yards, 13 TDs

Dolan Pospichal, North Central - 1,003 Yards, 5 TDs

Cayden Cunningham, Norfolk Catholic - 1,000 Yards, 14 TDs

*1000 Yard Receivers*

Quinston Larsen, Grand Island Heartland Lutheran - 1,328 Yards, 19 TDs, 1,039 Rushing Yards (16 TDs)

Julien Hearn, Neligh-Oakdale - 1,160 Yards, 20 TDs