Four Bison players, Arapahoe's Dillon Breining sign with UNK football team

Courtesy Arapahoe High School senior Dillon Breinig, seated, signed a letter of intent last week to play football at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. In back, from left: Cooper Breinig (brother), Kelly and Dennis Breinig (parents) and Daren Hatch (Arapahoe head football coach). [Click to enlarge]

KEARNEY -- University of Nebraska-Kearney head football coach Darrell Morris announced today the names of 32 high school seniors, and one transfer, who will suit up for the Lopers in the fall.

The group includes 26 Nebraska natives and seven players from Colorado.

UNK got four players from powerhouse McCook High School, Arapahoe's Dillon Breining and two players from Cherokee Trail (Colo.), Grand Island Senior, Lexington, North Platte and Norfolk Catholic High Schools.

By position, UNK went heavy on defense this recruiting season, picking up 20 players on that side of the ball. That group breaks down to six linebackers, six defensive linemen, four defensive ends and four defensive backs.

Offensively, the Lopers got a total of 12 players, including five linemen, three running backs, two receivers, a tight end and a quarterback.

Finally, UNK picked up a kicker in Chadron native Bill Margrave. The last four starting kickers for UNK, dating back to 1996, have each finished their careers with over 200 points. Geoff Carnahan (267) was the latest to do so.

As usual, UNK kept it in the family, getting three players whose brothers are already playing for the Lopers. That trio includes Michael Cooley (brother, Nick, is a redshirt freshman QB), Cole Kruger (brother, Heath, is a junior offensive linemen) and Jake Morten (brother, Cory, a sophomore d-end).

The Lopers also picked up three players who earned first-team All-Nebraska honors from the Omaha World Herald. McCook's Matt Berry was tabbed by the paper as a defensive back, thanks to his four interceptions, but will play receiver for UNK.Scoring 28 touchdowns, he went over 1,000 yards rushing and passing and was also a threat in kick returns.

Cory Serrano, of North Platte, was a first-team selection at punter but will be a quarterback for the Lopers. The 6-foot Serrano played one-year at QB for the Bulldogs, accounting for 23 TD's and having over 2,000 yards of total offense. Finally, Braden Taylor was a three-year starter at linebacker for the Grand Island Islanders. He finished his prep career with 354 total tackles, including 214 solo stops.

Among other newcomers, Boys Town linemen Sandi Stanback was a second-team All-Nebraska pick while fellow linemen Dominique Washington of Gateway H.S. (Aurora, Colo.) was selected to the Class 5A (largest Class in Colorado) second-team by the Rocky Mountain News. Also earning second-team 5A honors, as an athlete, was Cherokee Trail product Antoine Jones. He projects as running for the Lopers.

The one transfer is defensive linemen Justin Thiel (Adams Central), who redshirted at Nebraska-Omaha last season. He'll be the fourth ex-Patriot on the 2009 Lopers.

UNK went 7-4 in 2008, tying for second place in the RMAC (7-2). The Lopers, who begin spring practice in March, will return virtually its entire offense from last year's team and will have five starters back from one of the RMAC's top defenses.

The complete list is below. All-state honors are from the Omaha World Herald and Rocky Mountain News.

2009 UNK Football Class

Niko Allen (RB/Hybrid Back, 5-5, 145, Centennial, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.)

Taylor Averzano (S, 5-10, 185, Lakewood, Colo./Wheat Ridge H.S.)

Matt Berry, (WR, 5-10, 160, McCook/McCook H.S.); First-team All-Nebraska & First-team Class B

Matthew Bicskei (DE 6-1, 215, Omaha/Omaha Burke H.S.)

Dillon Breinig (DE, 6-3, 215, Arapahoe/Arapahoe H.S.); First-team Eight Man-1 & First-team Kearney Hub All-Region

Andrew Clark (DE, 6-3, 220, Lexington/Lexington H.S.); Honorable Mention Class B

Michael Cooley (OLB, 5-11, 185, Morrill/Morrill H.S.)

Dillon Goltl (WR, 6-0, 170, McCook/McCook H.S.); First-team Class B

Ben Harger (DL, 6-2, 235, Parker, Colo./Ponderosa H.S.)

Zach Horan (RB, 5-7, 155, Centennial, Colo./Grandview H.S.); Honorable Mention Class 5A

Antoine Jones (RB, 5-8, 195, Centennial, Colo./Cherokee Trail H.S.) Second-team Class 5A

Cody Karr (OLB, 6-1, 205, Ayr/Blue Hill H.S.); First-team Class C2 & Honorary co-captain of C2 team

Brett Klein (DE, 6-2, 195, Scottsbluff/Scottsbluff H.S.)

Mitch Kobza (ILB, 6-2, 215, Polk/High Plains H.S.); Honorable mention Class C2

Cole Kruger (OL, 6-0, 250, Grand Island/Grand Island H.S); Honorable mention Class A

Cody Krull (LB, 6-2, 205, Minden/Minden); First-team Class C1 & First-team Kearney Hub All-Region

Riley Larsen (DL, 6-2, 250, Hastings/Adams Central H.S.); Honorable mention Class B

Bill Margrave (K, 5-10, 140, Chadron/Chadron H.S.)

Kevin McCance (DL, 6-4, 315, Lexington/Lexington H.S.); Honorable mention Class B

Jake Morten (ILB, 6-1, 223, Loomis/Loomis H.S.)

Garrett Rockey (DL, 5-10, 220, Norfolk/Norfolk Catholic H.S.)

Aaron Ruppert (TE, 6-5, 215, McCook/McCook H.S.); Honorable mention Class B

Stephen Rush (DB, 5-8, 160, Merna/Anselmo-Merna H.S.)

Corey Serrano (QB, 6-0, 204, North Platte/North Platte H.S.); First-team All-Nebraska & First-team Class A

Sandi Stanback (DT, 6-2, 300, Boys Town/Boys Town H.S.); Second-team All-Nebraska & First-team Class C1

Braden Taylor (DB, 5-10, 200, Grand Island/Grand Island H.S.); First-team All-Nebraska & First-team Class A

Bryce Taylor (CB, 5-9, 165, Highlands Ranch, Colo./Mountain Vista H.S.)

Justin Thiel (DT, 5-11, 295, Hastings/Adams Central H.S.); Honorable mention Class C1 (2007) & redshirt at UNO in 2008

Joe Vetrovsky (C, 6-3, 280, McCook/McCook H.S.); First-team Class B

Drew Wagner (LB, 6-0, 190, Madison/Madison H.S.); First-team Class C1 & one of 22 Nebraskans to rush for 5,00 yards in a prep career

Dominique Washington (OT, 6-5, 270, Aurora, Colo./Gateway H.S.); Second-team Class 5A

Jason Windham (OG, 6-2, 300, North Platte/North Platte H.S.)

Jason Wilcox (OL, 6-1, 270, Norfolk/Norfolk Catholic H.S.); Honorable mention Class C1