Running For a 1000, and Into Forever (A history of the Bobby Mills 1000 Yard Club) - The “E” schools.

We now list all the 1000 yard rushers from the Nebraska prep football programs beginning with the letter “E”.

I’m thinking it may be a safe bet to say LaVane Johnson was the best running back in the purple and gold clad EAGLE Eagles 8-Man football history. It took the NEMFCA Hall-of-Fame selection just 159 carries to reach that 1,848 yard rushing mark. In 9 games, Johnson scored 33 touchdowns, made 20 conversions, passed for 303 yards, made 115 unassisted tackles and averaged 35 a punt. And LaVane’s reward for this outstanding season…..a football scholarship to the University of Nebraska.

EAGLE -1 - (Closed in 1966)

LaVane Johnson - 1,848 - (1959)

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The Makovicka brothers occupy 8 of the 15 spots on East Butler’s list of 1000 yard rushers. Jeff started it all in 1989 and Justin completed the Makovicka era of excellence in 2007. In the aftermath lies the incredible statistic that no family of runners may ever top, and that’s the 15,676 combined rushing yards Jeff, Joel, Justin and Jordan accounted for during their illustrious careers.

When conversing about East Butler 1000 yard rushers, don’t forget Darth Tesinsky, who reeled off three straight thousand yard rushing seasons (1994-1996).

EAST BUTLER-15

Jordan Makovicka - 1,951 - (2006, Jr)

Jordan Makovicka - 1,912 - (2007, Sr)

Jeff Makovicka - 1,831 - (1989, Jr)

Justin Makovicka - 1,601 - (2004, Jr)

Joel Makovicka - 1,588 - (1992, Sr)

Justin Makovicka - 1,582 - (2005, Sr)

Skyler Ratkovec - 1,500 - (2015)

Joel Makovicka - 1,490 - (1993, Jr)

Darth Tesinsky - 1,457 - (1994, Soph)

Darth Tesinsky - 1,288 - (1996, Sr)

Jeff Makovicka - 1,245 - (1990, Sr)

Dustin Valenti - 1,185 - (1999)

Andrew Pierce - 1,151 - (2010)

Dalton Bohac - 1,109 - (2017)

Darth Tesinsky East Butler 1,090 - (1995, Jr)

ELBA-4

Marc Wells - 2,039 - (1997)

Jeff Ambrose - 1,818 - (1996)

Brad Lassen - 1,663 - (1988, Sr)

Brad Lassen - 1,063 - (1987, Jr)

ELGIN HIGH-9 - (together with Pope John now)

Kent Beckman - 1,748 - (1975)

Heith Wilkinson - 1,569 - (1989, Sr)

Duane Cornett - 1,381 - (1996)

Lloyd Meis - 1,316 - (1976)

Brandon Miller - 1,313 - (1996)

Chad Sullivan - 1,310 - (1994)

Heith Wilkinson - 1,244 - (1988, Jr)

Andrew Bauer - 1,219 - (2007, Jr)

Andrew Bauer - 1,054 - (2008, Sr)

ELGIN POPE JOHN-9 - (Merged/W Elgin High now)

Craig Moser - 1,641 - (1985)

Ben Kuhlman - 1,513 - (2003, Sr)

Adam Veik 1,410 - (1999)

Brian Selting - 1,394 - (2001)

Ben Kuhlman - 1,212 - (2002, Jr)

Matt Kuhlman - 1,172 - (2000)

Mike Tagel - 1,098 - (1990)

Josh Petsche - 1,075 - (1998)

Brian Selting - 1,000 - (2000, Jr)

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I thought Ross Schindler was very good, but the night I saw Andrew Fangman of Elgin Public/Pope John play against Clearwater-Orchard impressed me even more, and that was during a playoff, season ending loss. Fangman had superior vision, like eyes in the back of his head. Such a terrific RB.

ELGIN/ELGIN POPE JOHN-4

Andrew Fangman - 2,439 - (2015)

Ross Schindler - 1,425 - (2011, Jr)

Ross Schindler - 1,254 - (2012, Sr)

Jack Wemhoff - 1,030 - (2020, Soph) - {Still Active}

ELK CREEK -1 (Closed in 1984) {Colors: Red/White, later Red/Black} [Nickname-Antlers]

Joel Dunekacke - 1,265 - (1971)

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Another list of thousand yarders that looks like a Who’s Who of running backs. The remarkable running of Greg Hayes and Patrick Brockley left me in a haze back in the late 1980s and they were both robbed of healthy junior seasons for the Elkhorn Antlers. Big Jay Moore went on to be a ferocious Tight End for the Huskers. Graham Nabity led his Antlers to a Class B championship in 2011 and Aiden Young chose the right season to break out as he led his Elkhorn squad to a state championship last November. The legendary Mark Wortman knew what he was doing alright.

ELKHORN HIGH-16

Greg Hays - 2,186 - (1989, Sr)

Jay Moore - 1,742 - (2000)

Travis Bailey - 1,681 - (2006)

Graham Nabity - 1,535 - (2011)

Aiden Young - 1,482 - (2020)

Marcus Shanahan - 1,241 - (2004)

Chase Hazlewood - 1,224 - (2014)

Patrick Brockley - 1,211 - (1990, Soph)

Kurt VonTersch - 1,169 - (1998)

Derrick Johnson - 1,103 - (1992)

Greg Hays - 1,089 - (1987, Soph)

Trey Sachs - 1,079 - (2016)

Trevor Roach - 1,042 - (2009)

Patrick Brockley - 1,030 - (1992, Sr)

Dane Eccles - 1,025 - (2009)

Jeremy Meyer - 1,025 - (2010)

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No grey area here as Jeff Jamrog stands out like a shining star to this guy. His performance in the Mount Michael’s Class B championship win over O’Neill convinced me the dude could play…..and apparently coach the game of football as well.

ELKHORN MT. MICHAEL-7

John Dustin - 1,827 - (1996)

Jeff Jamrog - 1,460 - (1982)

Zach Nelson - 1,357 - (1978)

Matt Plooster - 1,321 - (1998)

Jim Delong - 1,170 - (1977)

Jackson Ramold - 1,120 - (2019)

Mike Noble - 1,118 - (1986)

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Moses Bryant! Being a marked man nearly his entire career didn’t seem to matter for the native of the West African nation of Sierra Leone. The fact that Moses Bryant cracked the 1000 yard rushing mark his freshman and sophomore seasons is remarkable considering all the different positions he played in those Elkhorn South offensive sets. During Bryant’s four year playing career for super coach Guy Rosenberg, the Storm compiled a 43-5 record with a pair of Class B Championships (2015, 2016) when the team went 13-0 each season.

ELKHORN SOUTH - 6

Moses Bryant - 1,688 - (2016, Jr)

Moses Bryant - 1,399 - (2017, Sr) - {5,454 Career Yards/28th all-time}

Eli Hustad - 1,307 - (2019)

Moses Bryant - 1,186 - (2014, Freshman)

Moses Bryant - 1,181 - (2015, Soph)

Cooper Jewett - 1,074 - (2018)

ELKHORN VALLEY-7

Bryce Potter - 1,949 - (2011)

Drew Rautenberg - 1,797 - (2010)

Trent Fields - 1,120 - (1997)

Taylor Hanson - 1,086 - (2012)

Tim Banyon - 1,016 - (1983)

Trent Field - 1,015 - (1996)

Ryan Thompson - 1,011 - (2000)

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The 5-10, 175 pound Christian Best was as good as it gets in a single season as far as Elm Creek football is concerned. Best averaged TEN yards a carry despite toting the ball 237 times in 2014. Forty one rushing touchdowns was nothing to sneeze at either. Xavier Perez was awfully talented as well, rambling for 3,675 career yards with a pair of thousand yard campaigns thrown in there. Perez was as shift as it gets.

ELM CREEK - 12

Christian Best - 2,335 - (2014)

Xavier Perez - 1,719 - (2020, Sr)

Derek Foster - 1,388 - (2009, Sr)

Patrick Worthing - 1,262 - (1959)

Derek Foster - 1,189 - 2008

Zach Crowley - 1,147 - (2012)

Xavier Perez - 1,062 - (2018, Soph)

Jason Florell - 1,049 - (1999)

Matt Meier - 1,034 - (1980)

Doug Burkey - 1,026 - (1995)

Alex Young - 1,001 - (2004)

Devon Walker - 1,000 - (2016, Jr)

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For some reason I had the opportunity to see both Wenzel and Scott Rorie play in person for Elmwood High. Both were excellent runners but never had the opportunity to shine in the playoffs, which included just 8 teams per class back in their time.

ELMWOOD HIGH-4 {Last graduating class/1990}[Blue/White/Pirates]

Mike Wenzel - 1,341 - (1979, Jr)

Mike Wenzel - 1,285 - (1980, Sr)

Scott Rorie - 1,223 - (1981)

Gary Bornemeier - 1,127 - (1973)

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Drake Spohr was one of the toughest 8-Man football players I have ever seen live during the 2010-2020 era. The dude was equally as talented defensively and was one of the finest all-around athletes to have played for Elmwood-Murdock.

ELMWOOD-MURDOCK-7

Drake Spohr - 1,703 - (2019, Sr)

Jared Drake - 1,152 - (2020)

Justin Drake - 1,151 - (2016)

Drake Sophr - 1,126 - (2018, Jr)

Adam Neels - 1,122 - (2010)

Brandon Minch - 1,096 - (2003)

Tyler Roseno - 1,001 - (2004)

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Rich history here with legendary NEMFCA Hall-of-Famer Cory Hall getting things going for the Elwood Pirates during his brilliant career that stretched from 1984-1987. During that span, Cory Hall ran for 5,151 rushing yards, still ranked 17th All-Time on the 8-Man Career Rushing list.

Shannon Poggendorf, who is currently a top notch high school basketball official, was one of the better Elwood backs I ever saw live. The Franzen boys, along with Kern Gydesen (whom I watched in 1982) were also very impressive runners.

ELWOOD-17

Kayle Barnes - 2,016 - (2008)

Shannon Poggendorf - 1,906 - (1991)

Cory Hall - 1,868 - (1986, Jr)

Kern Gydesen - 1,660 - (1982)

Scott Franzen - 1,517 - (1990)

D.J. O'Donnell - 1,507 - (1997, Sr)

Bryson Mahlberg - 1,454 - (2007)

D.J. O'Donnell - 1,329 - (1996, Jr)

Jerry Remmenga - 1,303 - (1981)

Tim Franzen - 1,272 - (1993)

Cory Hall - 1,222 - (1985, Soph)

Cory Hall - 1,164 - (1987, Sr)

Billie Smith - 1,153 - (2014)

Tim Franzen - 1,127 - (1994)

Louis Benavidez - 1,108 - (2007)

Dager Hatch - 1,088 - (1992)

Brady Vancura - 1,044 - (2001)

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Those two Fuscher boys were very fine football players for Emerson-Hubbard, especially Dean, who I saw in 1983

EMERSON-HUBBARD - 12

Dean Fuscher - 1,889 - (1983, Sr)

Terry Daum - 1,666 - (1985)

Tyler Haberman - 1,430 - (2015)

Dean Fuscher - 1,245 - (1982, Jr)

Russ Fuscher - 1,170 - (1977, Sr)

Nolan Belt - 1,078 - (2019)

Todd Servine - 1,074 - (2009)

Nathan Hogan - 1,059 - (2014)

Todd Pflantz - 1,052 - (1979)

Chad Jepson - 1,033 - 1990

Bill Paulsen - 1,022 - (1983)

Russ Fuscher - 1,005 - (1976, Jr)

EUSTIS-1 {Orange and Black/Tigers}

Kurt Kugler - 1,085 - (1976)

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Put Christian Timm in a 6-Man football setting with Eustis-Farnum and he gains somewhere in the vicinity of, ohhh…... 2,962 yards.

EUSTIS-FARNUM-13 - (Currently w/Elwood to form Hi-Line)

Christian Timm - 2,962* - (2018, Sr) {*Played 6-Man in 2018}

Steve Hugunin - 1,585 - (1998)

Tony Klein - 1,377 - (1993)

Chris Cochrane - 1,371 - (2000)

Jason Strong - 1,346 - (1996)

Christian Timm - 1,346 - (2017, Jr)

Mike Kohl - 1,325 - (1999)

Austin Bastianos - 1,183 - (2016)

Ben McNally - 1,091 - (2006)

Dakotah Hueftle - 1,078 - (2003, Sr)

Colton Stubbs - 1,045 - 2019, Freshman) {Still Active for Hi-Line}

Dakotah Heuftle - 1,019 - (2002, Jr)

Terry Bellamy - 1,018 - (1992)

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Brett Kazor, baby! No doubt about it here. What an athlete for the Ewing Tigers.

EWING-9 {Orange and Black/Tigers}

Greg Jorgensen - 1,662 - (1997)

Brett Kaczor - 1,209 - (2008, Sr)

Beau Fry - 1,161 - (2008)

Jeff Peed - 1,151 - (1992)

Trevor Switzer - 1,125 - (2006, Sr)

Trevor Switzer - 1,104 - (2005, Jr)

Jerry Vandersnick - 1,064 - (1975)

Brett Kaczor - 1,062 - (2007, Jr)

Jeff Tomjack - 1,058 - (1980)

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Football coach is not a great fan of mine (?????, never met the man) but the guy can flat out coach, especially defense. When Exeter-Milligan appeared in those three straight 8-Man championship games at Memorial Stadium in 2012, 2013, 2014, I cannot recall ever seeing teamwide form tackling such as was displayed in ALL THREE of those contests. The team won a D-1 title in 2013, added a D-2 championship the next season and featured a super athlete named Kyle Jensen.

EXETER-MILLIGAN - 7

Kyle Jensen - 2,438 - (2014)

Edwen Baptista - 1,731 - (2018) - {played for Exeter/Milligan/Friend}

Trevor Luzum - 1,541 - (2016)

Zack Lock - 1,364 - (2004)

Kelen Walford - 1,086 - (2007)

James Sluka - 1,041 - (2013)

Sean Maxon - 1,033 - (2015)