W-P Bronco, Hayes Center Card into Eight-Man Hall of Fame

HASTINGS, Neb. — The Hall of Fame is presented by the Nebraska Eight-Man Football Coaches Association and sponsored by Cornerstone Bank. The purpose of the Hall of Fame is to celebrate the history, growth, and success of Nebraska Eight-Man Football.

TWO coaches and Thirteen players have been named to the 2026 NEMFCA Eight-Man Football Hall of Fame. They will be inducted during ceremonies held on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at The Osborne Family Sports Complex on the campus of Hastings College in Hastings, NE.

The Wall of Fame will be unveiled at 2:30 p.m. in the lobby of the Lynn Ferrell Arena and the inductions will take place during halftime of the 49th annual Sertoma Eight-Man All-Star Game. Kickoff for the game will be 6:00 p.m.

The Class of 2026 includes: Players- Adam Broders (Bloomfield) Ben Ideus (Lewiston), Brett Kaczor (Ewing), Clint Belina (Howells), Justin Swedburg (Axtell), Kole Ficken (Bruning-Davenport), Lance Thorell (Loomis), Mark Olsen (Hampton), Nate Most (Giltner), Shannon Messersmith (Hayes Center), Taylor Dixon (Wauneta-Palisade) Family Legacy- Jerry and Rich Mlinar (Greeley), Coaches- Steve Colfack (Butte/Bertrand), and Mike Speirs (Howells/Howells-Dodge).

Taylor Dixon

From 2004 to 2007, Taylor had an outstanding career for the Broncos while playing for legendary Coach Randy Geier. As a dual-threat quarterback on offense and ‘downhill’ linebacker on defense, he led his team to four consecutive playoff appearances, including deep runs in both his junior (semi-finals) and senior (quarterfinals) campaigns. In that span, his career totals of 2,845 passing yards (36 TD’s) and 4,482 rushing yards (63 TD’s) propelled the entire football program to state-wide prominence. Along the way, Taylor was named 1st Team All-Area 3-times, 1st Team All-District 3-times and 1st Team All-State linebacker on two occasions. In the summer of 2008, he was selected to play in the Eight Man All-Star Game, the Western Nebraska All-Star Game and was also honored as the most valuable offensive player of the Kansas vs. Nebraska All-Star Game. Taylor then moved on to Lincoln as a preferred walk-on for the Cornhuskers- where he became a letter-winner and a member of the Brook Beringer Citizenship Team. He is most proud of his family, teammates, and coaches giving him the opportunity to show that it’s possible to go from playing Eight-Man Football in Southwest Nebraska to our state’s highest level at the University of Nebraska. The NEMFCA is honored to welcome him into the Hall of Fame Class of 2026

Shannon Messersmith

From 1985 to 1988, Shannon was a dynamic all-around athlete for the Cardinals, becoming one of the all-time great players for Hall of Fame Coach Jim Cole in the process. In his decorated four-year career, he amassed 4,124 rushing yards, scored over 400 Points, and added 500+ tackles on Defense. Along the way, he helped Hayes Center to multiple playoff appearances and as a senior, he led the team all the way to the 1988 State Semi-Finals. As a playmaker on both sides of the ball, Shannon was named 1st Team All-Conference, 1st Team All-Area, and 1st Team All-State on multiple occasions. Then in the summer of 1989, he was also selected to play for the West All-Stars in the 12th Annual Eight-Man All Star Game. These experiences later inspired him to return to the Eight-Man ranks at Wallace High School, where he proudly coached the football team for 15 seasons- making 4 state playoff appearances along the way. His proudest moments as a player and coach were always found in the immense display of small-town community pride that accompanies Nebraska Eight-Man Football. The NEMFCA is honored to now welcome him into the Hall of Fame Class of 2026