Week 6 Friday Night Heroes - Part 1

Oakland-Craig's Nick Arlt hit the 1000 yard rushing mark for the 3rd season in a row Friday night.

Every season just about now, 1000 yard rushers start to emerge. This year is no exception. I had the opportunity to see Sutton's Noah Johnson last Friday in Doniphan-Trumbull. Johnson ran outside maybe one time all evening and still gained 240 yards against a tough, sure tackling Cardinal defense. He's the real deal and so is his offensive line.

Once again, Part 1 of 2 folks. So many outstanding performances.

*Jeff Hall-Gibbon - (5-8, 150, RB/LB) #12 - Running back with a QB's number blitzed Centura with 190 yards on 18 carries and 3 touchdowns as the Buffaloes blasted Centura 55-7. Hall ran for his third 100+ game this season and has gained 385 yards in the past 2 weeks. Gibbon improved to 5-1 for the year as Hall's rushing total swelled to 737 for 2014. Gibbon's head man, Mark McLaughlin might be one of the finest young coaches in 11-Man football.

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Kyle Jensen-Exeter-Milligan - (5-9, 205 RB/LB) - Two time all-state player had a normal day at the office as he ran for 227 yards on just 9 touches in a 66-24 win at Lawrence-Nelson. Jensen scored five times on runs of 52, 48, 46, 5, and 47 yard runs. For the season, Jensen has rushed for 1,152 yards on only 80 carries. That's 14.4 yards per carry. Top that one if you can. This Friday is the 8-Man match-up dream game when last year's State Champions of 8-Man football clash in Milligan. It's defending D-2 champion Falls City Sacred Heart vs. reigning D-1 champ Exeter-Milligan. Wow!

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Christian Best-Elm Creek - (5-9, 165, RB/MLB, ATH) #22 - Took nearly every one of Best's 41 carries for the Buffaloes to hang on and beat Arapahoe 42-36. Best rambled for 240 yards and scored on 24 and 14 yard runs in the win, increasing his season total to 1,130 yards, best in D-1.

His Arapahoe counterpart, Brennan Kellar rushed for 121 yards on 22 tries and scored TDs on 3, 65, and 3 yard runs. Elm Creek QB Nic Crowley sat out the game with an injury and is still listed day to day. Gage Hubbard was a capable fill in at QB for Crowley in the contest.

*Calvin Strong-Omaha North - The Vikings turned to the South Dakota University commit when they needed it last Friday against rival Omaha Central. Strong responded with 228 big ones on 37 totes and TD runs of 9, 3 and 34 yards in North's 35-28 victory. Strong increased his season total rushing to 925 yards and career total to.....are you ready for this....6,046 yards! Omaha Central sophomore QB Jordan Flowers, son of former Nebraska fotball great Leodis Flowers, continued to mature at his position by completing 10 of 20 passes for 172 yards and 3 TDs in the loss. Two of Flowers scoring tosses went to Husker commit Daishon Neal, the 6'-7" phenom.

*Ty Johnson-Grand Island Northwest - (5-11, 185, RB/OLB) #5 - Rushed for 157 yards on 41 carries in the Vikings heartbreaking 32-31 loss to Sidney. Johnson also completed a HB pass for 38 yards as he increased his season rushing total to 691 yards. This is Ty's 4th straight game over a hundred ground yards and his 41 carries are more than the previous 2 weeks combined.

*Seyler Monroe-Silver Lake - Exploded for 237 yards on only 14 carries and 5 Tds in a 66-0 whitewashing of a very good Wilcox-Hildreth team. Seyler, who ran for 1,089 yards a year ago, was part of a 459 yard Silver Lake rushing attack against Wil-Hill in the 6-Man game.

*Wyatt Mazour-Boone Central/Newman Grove - Was a shining star just like a year ago against Pierce. Mazour rushed 200 yards on 24 carries and scored 3 Tds and was 10 of 18 passing for 196 yards and another 3 scores in the 49-21 win. Mazour has run for 844 yards thus far this year and passed for 886 yards (54% completion rate) and 12 Tds with only 4 picks in 2014.

*Chase Nelson-Beatrice - (6-0, 165, RB/DB) #12 - Took over the leading rushing chores for the Omaha Gross game and responded with 158 yards on 15 carries and 2 touchdowns in the Orangemen's 42-6 win. Nelson, running in the shadows of 1000 yarder Jessop Workman, has quietly rushed for 550 yards this fall. Workman did rush for 97 yards on 17 touches and a TD in the game, increasing his season total to 658. Orange may be a better team with carries split this way.

*Lathan Maibaum-Crofton - (5-11, 140, RB/CB, Sophomore) #22 Probably had the game of his life in a 44-26 loss to Lutheran High NE last week. Maibaum escaped for 220 yards on 19 carries and shocked the Eagles with long distance TD dashes of 80 and 91 yards plus a 7 yard run. Maibaum does have 512 yards this season but his previous high game was 102 yards on 20 totes in a loss to Ponca.

*Nate Stolze, Ryan Brand, and Derek Adams-Lutheran High NE - Adams ran for 93 yards on 9 carries and scored TDs on runs of 13 and 45 yards in the 44-26 Crofton win. Stolze added 87 yards on 9 touches and scored on runs of 53, 6 yards, and caught a 17 yard pass for another TD. Stolze also booted a 47 yard field goal in the game. Derek Adams ran for 84 yards on 18 totes and the Eagles knew it was going to be good day when Hunter Spier returned the opening kick-off 97 yards for a touchdown. Lutheran High NE won 44-26.

*Chance Stevenson-Seward - (6-1, 180, RB/CB/MLB) #21 - Carried the ball 26 times for 176 yards and 3 scores (23, 4, 1 runs) in the 'Jays 45-14 win over Norris. The big outburst swelled the junior runner's season rushing total to 439 yards.

*Tayib Toussaint-Wayne - (5-7, 160, WR/TB/CB) #23 - Exploded for the 2nd time this season in Wayne's 29-0 win against Madison. Toussaint escaped for 279 yards on 20 carries and as his season ground total increased to 653 yards for the 3-3 Blue Devils. Toussaint transferred from Florida to Wayne this season. Wonder if he plays basketball?

*NOAH JOHNSON-Sutton - 240 yards on 32 mostly up-the-gut carries in the Mustangs 34-0 win at Doniphan-Trumbull. Johnson scored on a couple of 1 yard runs, a 33 yard dash and a 15 yard 1st quarter score. Johnson leads the state with 1,703 yards and 28 touchdowns and is still averaging 11.9 yards a pop. Tackle him one on one.....haven't seen it too many times this season.

*Garrett Sonderup-Fullerton - Two time 1000 yard rusher, compact, tough, elusive and lighten quick, rushed for 263 yards on 19 carries in a Warrior 58-14 win over a good Clarkson-Leigh squad. Sonderup scored SIX TDs on runs of 29, 48, 26, 2, and 59 yards. He also took a 74 yard kick-off to the house for another. Sonderup now has gained 884 yards to date and will brace for regular season games with Nebraska Christian, Howells-Dodge, and High Plains to close that end of things. Those last 2 games are in Fullerton and are on THURSDAYS. I'm there.

*Hunter Smith-Omaha Skutt - Smith and the Sky Hawks rebounded from the Blair loss with a 38-6 thumping of a nice Lincoln Pius X team on the road. Smith tore up the 'Bolts with 210 yards on 17 touches and and had Td runs of 42, 33 and 3 yards. Smith and his Skutt buddies play #1 Gretna next Friday. Hunter now has run for 899 yards this fall.

*Coby Cassidy-Burwell - As consistent as clockwork with his running. In last week's 32-22 win over a vastly improved Ansley-Litchfield, Cassidy ran for 130 yards on 25 totes and scored 3 touchdowns, one of which was a 65 yard kick-off return. Cassidy has 590 rushing yards for the year to date.

*Schnitzler Boys-Kenesaw - They were at it again last Friday afternoon but not for long. Kenesaw bolted to an 80-8 halftime lead enroute to a 86-8 win against an over matched Lincoln Parkview Christian team. Austin, the senior, had 113 yards on 5 carries. Two of the runs went for Tds of 1 and 43 yards. He also caught a 48 yard TD pass and retunred a kick 65 yards for a 4th score. Junior brother Preston ran for 95 yards on only 3 touches and ALL THREE went for TDs on runs of 68, 23 and 40 yards. Austin now has run for 780 yards in 2014. Preston's total on the ground is at 673.

*Brenden Heckenlively and Jordan Stoller-Falls City - Heckenlively, a 6-1, 200 senior ran for 129 yards on 11 tries and scored 4 times on runs of 50, 24, 5, and 25 yards in a 49-12 win over Louisville. Stoller, a 160 senior and a 1000 yard rusher for the Tigers a year ago, rushed for 118 yards on 10 carries in the victory. Falls City is now 5-1.

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Trent Geiser-Anselmo-Merna - Hit the 1000 yard mark for the second time in his career by bolting for 234 yards on 36 carries and 4 Tds in a 34-29 thrilling win over Sandhills-Thedford. Geiser now has 1,220 yards for 2014 and has scored 22 touchdowns for the unbeaten Coyotes. This kid is GOOD.

***Three Time 1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Nick Arlt-Oakland-Craig - The one and only ran for 286 yards on 33 carries and hit paydirt 5 times in O/C's 44-14 win against Stanton. Arlt increased his season total to 1,115 yards and his illustrious career rushing total to an amazing 4,543 yards.

*Nathan Howe-Kearney Catholic - (6-0, 185, RB/MLB) #27 - 152 yards on 30 carries and 2 Tds in a 35-14 win at Central City. That increased Howe's season rushing total to a C-1 leading 916 yards. Kearney Catholic will be running on the field I used to take care of here in Grand Island against GICC this Friday. The Stars have a very, very good football team friends.

*Austin Hemphill, Emmitt Knight-Gretna - Hemphill, a 225 pound FB, ran for 116 yards on 11 carries and scored a TD on a 60 yard run in the #1 Dragons 45-14 win over Plattsmouth. Knight matched Hemphill's total but took one less carry and he scored on a 70 yard run the the "W". This Gretna team is sooooo balanced.

*Jordan Zautke-Battle Creek - Had 160 yards on 25 carries in an impressive 36-14 win over a very fine Hartington Cedar Catholic football team. The 175 pounder has run for 799 yards this fall for the number 1 Braves and also averages 16 yards per punt return and 22 per kick run back. Battle Creek is looking pretty strong in C-2 friends.

*Keshawn Camacho and Ty Brown-Henderson Heartland - FB Camacho scored 4 times and ran for 116 yards on 11 carries in a Husky 50-34 win at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family. Camacho had runs of 40, 22 and 9 yards and grabbed a 5 yard TD pass from Jordan Heinrichs in the contest. Brown took rushing honors with his 134 yards on 15 carries and 2 TDs (15, 12 runs) Brown now has an even-steven 700 yards this season. Camacho is at 375. 4 year QB starter Jordan Heinrichs has run for 525 in 2014.

*Gaige Marshall-Hershey - 168 yards, 20 touches, and 3 touchdowns in the Panther's 38-0 win over Bayard. Marshall is edging ever so close to his second straight 1000 yard campaign with 960 for a 2014 total thus far. That makes 13 consecutive 100 yard rushing games for Marshall. Is this a C-2 record? 11-Man record is 19.

*Ethan Skinner-Hemingford - 171 yards on 12 carries and 5 Tds in a 72-16 win over Morrill. Hemingford jumped out to a 72-0 halftime lead. Skinner has 988 yards so far this year and 4,442 career rushing yards and 86 Tds! Skinner is 12 yards away from his 3rd 1000 yard season. But honestly, I want you to think about this. How many 2nd halves has this guy, or his starting buddies hit the field in this season, or last season for that matter? When I was a kid I thought about how much fun that would be to steamroll everybody, but how much kick is it to play half of football game every week? Can't be helped, I realize. And if you think this will hurt Hemingford when the playoffs come around...........I think not. They've been there, done that.

*Cody Stratmann-Wynot - (5-8, 150, WR/FS, Junior) #23 - Hold the phone! Wynot never runs the ball. This guy carried only 8 times a year ago for 71 yards. Stratman caught 45 passes for 751 big ones. Last season the entire team only rushed for 1,580 yards.....passed for 3,704. Well, last week Stratmann rushed for 186 yards on 30 carries and scored 5 touchdowns as the Blue Devils bested a very top notch Emerson-Hubbard team 40-26. I think Stratmann and Wynot are getting the hang of this running game. Cody has run for 834 yards this season, 741 coming the last 3 games. Who said you have to live by the pass.

Part 2 to follow.............................