Week 8 High School Football Heroes - Part 2 of 3.

McCool Junction's Chance Chrisman (#22) fights through a hold to make the tackle. This young man's play defines what high school football is all about.

*Jacob Matthew-Millard North - (6-2, 230, FB, Junior) - Big guy helped the Mustangs rebound from a 21-3 halftime deficit by running for 140 yards on 28 carries. Matthew scored 3 touchdowns as Millard North beat highly regarded Papillion La Vista South 24-21. The bullish junior now has 850 yards on 139 totes for the year. Adrian Kellogg chipped in 91 yards on only 7 carries in the win and scored on a 26 yard dash. Kellogg, a 185 pound junior, has rushed for 649 yards on only 52 tries this fall. That's 12.5 per tote, friends. Papio South's very good Tristen Fairchild led the way for the Titans with 109 yards on 20 carries and a 24 yard TD. Fairchild has 1,104 yards and 17 TDs this season.

*Lincoln East Pass defense - Spartans picked off 2 more passes in their 35-21 win over Lincoln SE, which clinched a playoff spot for them. On the year, that East secondary has pirated 15 enemy throws, led by the Metcalf boys. Bryson Metcalf, a 5-7, 170 senior (#7), has picked off 6 passes this season and Brandon (Brother/twin?) has swiped 4. Classmate Branden Carpenter (5-11, 190) has stolen 2 along with Braden Kleinschmidt, another senior. It would be safe to call this group opportunistic to say the least. Lincoln East is another team that would not be a bargain 1st round playoff draw.

*Tony Meusch-David City - Had 133 yards on 31 carries in a 40-13 loss to Columbus Lakeview. Meusch has run for 689 yards (6 games) against a brutal slate this fall and averages 25 carries an outing. Not too bad for a team that has only one win and Meusch knows he's going to get the ball a ton against some very good defenses. I like this guy.

*Austin Conklin-Cedar Bluffs - (6-0, 180, WR/CB, Junior) #80 - Hauled in 6 receptions for 121 yards, helping the Wildcats to a thrilling 42-38 win over Nebraska City Lourdes. In the waning moments of the game, Cedar Bluffs QB Mavrick Sukstorf took two steps back, launched a rainbow pass to Conklin, who stretched himself horizontally to the field and hauled in the 21 yard game win. Just like an NFL highlight reel fellas.

*Ryan Becker, James Kaiser, Tristen Steffen-Hartington Cedar Catholic - Trio got it done in a 41-13 win over Lutheran High NE of Norfolk. Becker, a two year 1000 yard runner, rushed for 144 yards on 12 carries and scored on 62 and 35 yard runs. The efficient Kaiser connected on 7 of 10 passes for 212 yards a 4 TD strikes. Steffen grabbed 4 of those Kaiser tosses for 149 yards and 3 scores. Steffen's TD receptions covered 55, 35, and 29 yards. The multi-talented Becker also made 18 tackles in the game. 15 were solos. Strange stat in this game was that LHNE ran 64 offensive plays compared to Cedar's 45. Ryan Becker has now run for 927 yards this season and is on track to being a 3 year 1000 yard man. James Kaiser has thrown for 935 yards and 12 scores while Tristen Steffen has caught 15 of 21 passes targeted his way for 404 yards and 6 scores.

*Christian Best-Elm Creek- In a 47-14 drubbing of Axtell, Best carried only 9 times but ran for 161 yards and 3 Tds on runs of 58, 16, and 52 yards. Best now has 1,430 yards for the season (23 Tds) and still leads D-1 in the rushing catagory.

*Trevor Polvicka-Lincoln Parkview Christian - Escaped for 246 yards on 17 carries and 5 touchdowns in the Patriots 62-0 route of an undermanned Lewiston squad. Polvicka, the QB, has run for 1,257 yards and 15 scores this fall and will close out his career with a killer assignment against Falls City Sacred Heart this week. By the way, Polvicka has thrown for 625 yards, scored 160 points, made 56 tackles, of which 40 were solos. He also has 4 interceptions. Not just a runner by any means.

*Chance Chrisman-McCool Junction - (5-11, 180, RB/LB) #22 - This is one pure football player through and through, sports fans. In a 39-12 loss to powerful BDS, Chrisman rushed for 179 yards on 33 carries and scored a TD. Chance Chrisman has seen it all during his high school career at McCool. Chrisman started for the Mustangs at linbacker as a freshman and earned all-district 1st team honors. He was also the teams 2nd leading rusher. His team went 7-1 and lost a 62-59 hearbreaker to Friend in the 1st round of the D-1 playoffs. His sophomore season, playing in the shadow of 3-time all-state/1000 yarder Jac Bailey, he still managed 626 yards and was again all-district LB. His team lost to a brutally good Guardian Angels CC team 26-0 in the 1st round of the playoffs. Last season, with only 3 starters back plus himself, Chrisman still rushed for 1,012 yards, scored 13 Tds, leading his team to the playoffs (54-14 loss to Randolph). This season, McCool's starting QB, a 1000 yard passer, transfers to York, leaving only Chrisman and one other starter coming back. Despite losing all 7 games this fall, Chance Chrisman has run for 947 yards and scored 8 TDs. On defense he has made an unheard of 96 tackles in 6 games, averaged 26 yards on kick returns (1 TD), and all this against the likes of BDS, Friend and Fullerton. If I were picking an 8-Man all-star football team, Chrisman would be one of my 1st choices.

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert-2nd Time Around***

*Brenden Pelster-Chambers/Wheeler Central (CWC)- (5-10, 170, QB/LB, Junior) #12 - In a 56-15 "W" over Osmond, Pelster rushed 14 times for 161 yards and 5 touchdowns. He also completed 5 of 6 passes for 145 yards and 3 more scores. He must think he's Alex Kunz of Stuart. For the year, Pelster has rushed for 1,033 yards and 21 Tds. He has thrown for 644 yards and 8 Tds with NO interceptions. On the defensive side of things he has 61 tackles, 5 for losses, and picked off 3 passes. You "ain't heard nothin' yet". He is the team's punter and averages 42.3 yards a kick. That's college stuff. This year is no fluke folks. Last season as a sophomore, Brenden Pelster rushed for 1,285 yards and 13 Tds, passed for an additonal 843 yards and 16 more scores, made 109 tackles (59 Solos), had 14 tackles for losses, averaged 37 yards a punt, had an average of 19 yards every kick return and 10 yards per punt runback. Can you think of anything else this young man could have done for CWC? No, not drive the bus.....have to come up with something better than that.

*Gabe Haney-Hyannis - Was a beast with the pigskin against Arthur County in the 'Horns 71-32 triumph. Haney toted the pig only 13 times but gained 286 yards and scored 7 touchdowns. To date, Haney has run for 1,308 yards and crossed the goal line 24 times. Gabe has been in on 82 tackles (42 solo), intercepted 2 passes and recovered 2 fumbles. Haney also averages 18 yards a kick return.

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Austin Schnitzler-Kenesaw - Battering ram senior was a menace to Bertrand in a 73-30 pounding of the Vikings. Austin bolted for 222 big ones on 22 carries and hit pay dirt 4 times. For the season, Austin Schnitzler has run for 1,067 yards on only 95 carries (11.2/carry). He has scored 21 touchdowns. "Little" brother Preston, a 180 pound junior, has gained 923 yards on the season on only 90 tries and rushed for 183 yards on 17 carries in that Bertrand contest. Preston should eclipse the 1000 yard mark this week Thursday against a good Elwood squad. This season since the opening game loss to Exeter-Milligan, the Blue Devils have scored 418 points and averaged 69.7 PPG. In the past 3 weeks alone, Kenesaw has averaged 78 points an outing and shorted out 3 scoreboards. By the way, if Preston hits the 1000 yard mark, that will make all three of head coach Craig Schnitzler's sons 1000 yard rushers. Told you that Schnitzler name was magic.

***1000 Yard Rusher Alert***

*Gideon Monette-Mullen - Eclipsed the 1000 yard plateau with his 105 yard effort against Brady. The Broncos lost the game 48-16 but Monette raised his season total to 1,040 yards with 12 Tds.

*Wyatt Tremayne-Homer - Through thin and through thin Tremayne comes up with either yards, tackles, or both. In a 50-14 loss to a very tough Oakland-Craig team, Tramayne still made 11 tackles on defense, giving him 114 for the season....80 have been all by himself. Wyatt is still the 3rd leading rusher in a talented pool of Class C-2 running backs (Noah Johnson-Sutton, Nick Arlt-Oakland-Craig etc.) having gained 1,308 yards through 8 games. Tremayne closes out his career at Ponca this Friday. Another player I would have on my dream team.