High School Football kicks off in 25 days.

McCook head coach Jeff Gross

Once the calendar turns to August the butterflies start to churn for this guy. You know it's close when you realize all high school football teams, regardless of class, can begin fall practice a week from today. That's right, next Monday August 12 marks the beginning of the 2013 football season.

Millard North, Omaha Gross, Norfolk Catholic, David City Aquinas, Elgin/Elgin Pope John, and Giltner prepare to defend their state championships and a whole slew of contenders will be lining up to attempt the dethroning.

Today we take look at some of the huge match-ups slated for Week 0. Fasten the seat belts and come along for the ride. Heaven is only 25 days away.

If only there were a way to be two places at once on Thursday, August 29th. I've often thought of sending my wife to one of the games but at 4'11" tall on the sidelines they may mistake her for a mascot. Besides, she couldn't see over anybody. (Sorry Bakes)

1st week head-bangers:

Thursday, August 29:

Millard North @ Millard South: Can't get things started better than this. Mustangs won last year's nail biter 12-10. These two Class A strongholds met for the State Title back in 2010. Millard South's only two losses that season were to Freddy Petito's Mustangs. Will Husker recruit Clay Fisher be the starting QB for Millard North? The Patriots return Anthony Cloyd at quarterback and the dangerous Quentin Williams at RB. Cloyd threw for 1,797 yards and 14 td's a year ago and the fleet, swivel-hipped Williams rushed for 820 yards on only 82 carries. Amazing stat on Williams is that he scored a TD every 6th time he touched the ball. Defenses have to keep any eye on Cloyd as a runner too. He ran for 586 yards on 148 touches and hit pay dirt an amazing 13 times. Both defenses rate in the top 10 as far as I'm concerned. Buell Stadium will be rockin' on this night.

Columbus Lakeview @ Norfolk Catholic: Oh Mama, what an opening C-1 game! Lakeview will feature one of the best quarterbacks in high school football in sharpshooter Jack Shadley while Catholic will have to replace all-state QB Jordan Bellar. These two offenses may be the most explosive in a class that is just bursting at the seams with teams that can light up the scoreboard. All Shadley has done the past 2 seasons is pass for 3,893 yards and 37 touchdowns. Is the 6,000 yard career mark that far away? The Knights still have a 1000 yard runner in Jackson Love and speed burning Norfolk High transfer in Keegan Ehlers. Besides, Norfolk Catholic has been a top notch almost every season since Jeff Bellar took over. I just may make those sidelines in Norfolk for this baby.

Friday, August 30:

Lincoln SE @ Millard West: 'Cats are waiting for payback. Millard West has one of the most electrifying players in all of football in Ross Drwal. Having Stanford lineman recruit Harrison Phillips doesn't hurt either. Add WR Skyler Monaghan, who has 1,818 receiving yards in the last 2 seasons and you have a scary offense. MW coach Kirk Peterson is also one of the best around. Speaking of D-1 recruits, Southeast has TWO Husker bound players in Luke Gifford and D.J. Foster. The Knights defense will be goooood. Big thing here will be replacing all-state QB Najee Jackson. This will be a terrific contest. Drwal is just something else.

Omaha Burke @ Creighton Prep: Talk about payback. You don't suppose the Bulldogs remember 2012, when they were blowing a 28-3 halftime lead to then unranked Prep, then losing 31-28 in OT do you? Oh Mother-of-Mercy did that ever wake Burke up. Many of the same faces return for this one. I could say Prep may have the home field advantage this time around but the Junior Jays play all their home game at Burke Stadium....so much for home field in ths one. Prep returns QB Easton Stick, a great drop back passer....2,057 yards worth in 2012. And Stick has his favorite target R.J. Urzandowski to run under his bombs. R. J. was numero uno in receiving in Class A with 1,903 yards and 13 TDs.

Urzandowski is also a light-it-up kick returner (726 yds in 2012) who can turn the tide in a close game. Burke has a splendid runner in Logan Gier who is a speed merchant with marvelous vision. Gier gained 828-88 a year ago. Looks to me like Blake Esmick will take the QB reins this fall. The 'Dogs should have one of the top defenses in "A" Trey Carr has already committed to South Dakota State and is a dandy. Great opener.

Omaha Skutt @ Gretna: I saw this one a year ago and Skutt made a 30-7 laugher out it. Dragons have not forgotten this one and 6-6, 250 lineman Mick Stoltenburg (a recent Husker recruit) will make sure Skutt knows he's there. Gretna likes to run the ball and can split it three ways. Whatever you do, keep an eye on Skutt's #23, Dakota Krejci-Smith. Blink and you miss him though. Krejci-Smith is only 5-8, 150 pounds but has covered the 100 meters in :10.6 and nearly broke several long runs for touchdowns a year ago. Better get to the corner before he does.

McCook @ Aurora: This game need absolutely no hype. Year after year this is a premier match-up between two of Class B's proudest programs. Both teams were hit by graduation, but the Huskies have a returning 1000 yard back in hard running Brock Reichardt (1,056 yds) and have a TD machine in fullback Eli Bricker. Looks like the Bison were hit hard by graduation, losing Austin Cherry, Jake Schlager etc. but don't let that fool you. Head coach Jeff Gross is one of the best in the biz and always has a top notch product on the football field any time of year. Huskies won a year ago 26-13.

Norris @ York: Oooooohhh what an initial test for state runner-up Norris. York coach Glen Snodgrass has the Dukes back to being a Class B toughie after beating Scottsbluff and nearly knocking off powerful Elkhorn in the playoffs last season. Dukes should have won that baby. I know, Norris has no lineman returning, but QB Jackson Reetz (Husker Baseball recruit) is back and can do it all. Norris may very well have the ultimate all-star coaching staff. Seems like every retired football coach goes to Norris to help out Jim Jacobsen. Jack Guggenmos is there, Gary DeBohr..wow! York has a nifty QB in Linden Kaliff (1,594 yds) and an all-state basketball receiver in Ty Danielson (712 rec. yds) and a swift back in Evan Neville. Sterling coaching match-up here.

Boys Town @ Lincoln Christian: Ok, sometimes Boys Town is not sure what (whom) they will have from one year to the next, but the fact the Cowboys have qualified for the playoffs 13 of the last 15 years makes you realize this team is for real almost every season. Head coach Kevin Kush is as good as it gets too. And Lincoln Christian......oh my. The Crusaders are up from C-2 this year but still have some studs. Take Logan Power for instance. The 6-4, 210 pound QB completed 132-225 passes for 1,744 yards and 22 scores. He also rushed for 563 yards (6tds) and led the defense with 139 tackles and 7.5 sacks. Running back Ben Plambeck rambled for 1,280 yards and 12 scores and was one of the most vicious linebackers I saw a year ago. Leighton Chicoine snared 52 passes for 680 yards (9 tds). But as good as this team was in 2012, they allowed 385 yards a game. Boys Town surely knows that. Look for the scoreboard to blow a circuit in this game.

Fullerton @ Humphrey St. Francis: Ok, you think I'm crazy. This Fullerton team is pretty feisty. They will be much improved and coach Ryan Haughton has these kids playing great fundamental football. Junior Garrett Sonderup was a thousand yard rusher as a sophomore and the Warrior defense may just give some of these D-2 powerhouses a run for their money. St. Francis will have a lot of new faces but the Flyers suited up 26 for the State Championship game in 2012 and those reserves get plenty of playing time. 5-9, 185 pound RB/LB J.J. Oltmer is as tough as they come. Oltmer battered opposing defenses to the tune of 1,588 yards a year ago and sent a good number of tacklers headed to the medicine cabinet for some headache relief. Flyers have a tradition to die for.

High Plains @ Palmer: With Kordell Glause at QB, the Tigers will growl on offense. Palmer has some beefy lineman (Brett Santin, Heath McClennan) so their defense should be very good too. High Plains lost QB Tanner Fate, but has underclassmen that know how to win (see basketball). Logan Engel will take over at QB and Logan Fleming will carry the rushing load (824 in 2012) and is a real receiver threat out of the backfield. Don't forget Cole Klingsporn either. As I said, this team knows how to win and can score in a hurry. I hope Palmer's scoreboard is warmed up for this game.

Randolph @ Elgin/Pope John: Two time defending champ Elgin/Pope John not only lost every starter but junior RB/LB Kyle Heithoff, but has to replace now departed head coach Carlie Wells. Don't get the crying towel out just yet. Defensive coordinator Randy Eisenhauer takes over the reins and knows how to make it go. "If they can't score on ya, they can't beat ya." Every time I saw this team play I just marveled at their defensive skills. Alex Pelster will quarterback this year but that famous blitzing 3-4 defense will make this bunch very good. I like this Randolph team. 2 very good defensive players in Seth Lackas and Dylan Loberg. You do not want to get in Lackas way when he's leading a sweep as a blocker. The Cardinals have a very nice RB in junior Dylan Roberg who rushed for 1,107 yards a year ago. Randolph has a schedule that is very difficult to manage. One week it is an opponent that they can handle by 50, the next week it's Howells-Dodge or Elgin Pope John. Feast of famine....tough way to play.