October: Where Culture and Toughness Wins

best read with a good game plan

You may have not been watching high school games on Friday night and that’s okay. But, scroll down and see what you missed. As October passes the halfway point, it’s easy to see who is climbing to the top of the list as title contenders. And, it’s not just football, you name the sport and you see it.

We have hit the busy season. You’ll continued to see our work on the Nebraska School Activities Association website over the coming weeks — preview and recaps of each state championship. That could also mean Newsletter delivery comes at different times, too.

But, we’ll do our best to bring you the best stories of the fall from here on out. A sprint to Thanksgiving Week is in order. Hop on, we can’t wait for you to join us.

🏈🎩 Magic Men

THE SHADOW OF THE INTERSTATE, JUST PAST EXIT 409 — There’s magic on Friday nights.

It’s a fact inarguable as gravity — the same gravity briefly defied by the football that had just left Landry Maahs’s right foot as it sailed through the north uprights at Viking Stadium to give No. 1 Waverly a 45-42 win over No. 2 Norris in the best game this state has seen this season.

There’s magic in high school football, and you usually don’t have to wait around too long to see it.

And sometimes you sit and watch it your whole life before you see something like you did Friday.

How else can you explain it?

How else can you explain Waverly — one of the best teams in the state — after having survived 47 minutes and 57 seconds of football that produced almost 1,100 total yards of offense, nine second-half touchdowns and enough momentum changes to make you consider taking up smoking, bringing in the junior varsity kicker with three seconds left in a tie game against its biggest rival?

How else can you explain Maahs, a sophomore who had never kicked in a varsity game before Friday. A sophomore who had, get this, gone 0-for-4 on field goals in a JV game against Norris just four days prior. A sophomore who said he “blacked out” through three timeouts — one by his own team and two more by Norris — and a Titan offsides penalty made him wait a bit longer before he drilled a 24-yarder that made him the victim of a team-wide dogpile near the Waverly sideline.

You can’t explain that. And Maahs didn’t even try.

“I wasn’t even thinking about anything,” Maahs said. “I’m glad we did it against the opponent we were facing. And I’m glad I got the opportunity to show what I was capable of.”

And how do you explain it from the other side? GAME HIGHLIGHTS

For Norris (7-1), it’s been black magic when it comes to playing Waverly.

Friday night marked the Vikings’ 11th straight win in the series that dates back to the 1960s. Seven of those 11 wins have been by one score, including the last three. Waverly leads the all-time series 35-22-2. More than half the Vikings’ wins against Norris, 18, have been by a touchdown or less. A touchdown or less! Eighteen times!

How do you quantify something like that?

How do you measure the psychological toll of a history that the players in these games are, maybe, only vaguely aware of?

For Norris, it was weighed by the extended expletive screamed by one of the Titans after going through the handshake line.

No one could blame him for doing it, of course. The scream carried the weight that comes with bitter disappointment.

What more could the Titans have done? This year looked like it would be the one in which the streak would end. A new coach, 31-year-old Trevor Sedlacek, had brought new energy. The season started with a head-shaking 49-3 win over defending champion Omaha Skutt on opening night. It continued through the dominance of the next six weeks as the Titans rolled over one team after another.

Norris came into the game having given up 35 points to Gretna in a win, and 17 total to the other six teams it had beaten. The Titans finally had a rugged defense to go with their flashy offense.

You want a guy who would have been an unlikely hero?

Norris senior receiver Kyson Gana came into Friday with three catches for 96 yards and one touchdown in seven games.

You wanna know what he did? Scored touchdowns on his first three catches. Then caught a 32-yarder to convert a third down. Then caught a fourth touchdown. Gana finished with five catches for 242 yards and four scores. His first three catches covered 194 yards.

How does that happen?

Magic.

People, we haven’t even talked about how Waverly’s Gavin McMillan picked off three passes, including one with 22 seconds left near midfield, as Norris tried to get itself in position for its own potential game-winning field goal, to give the Vikings their chance.

We haven’t even talked about how Brockston Teply, Waverly’s transfer quarterback whose most important job is to turn and hand the ball to Nathan Axmann, threw for 307 yards in the second half to finish with 375.

We haven’t talked about Axmann, because he just did what he does: 28 carries, 211 yards, two TDs. A 79-yard touchdown catch on everyone’s favorite play, the wheel route. A whole bunch of high-speed collisions with various Norris defenders.

We haven’t talked about the brilliant Evan Greenfield, who is going to have a huge basketball season for Norris, chucking it for 304 yards while mostly running for his life, and running in a two-point conversion with eight minutes left to tie the game at 35.

“That ranks right up there,” Waverly coach Reed Manstedt said. “I’m just really proud of the resilience of our team. We consistently answered the call. We’d get down, we’d come back, and then we’d get a stop, and then our offense would go score, and the next thing you know, they would go score.”

Manstedt is an extremely smart guy, with a really good team, an 8-0 team, and he did his best to explain what he had just seen.

But you can’t really explain it all. Because you can’t explain magic.

— Chris Basnett has been in Nebraska prep sports for most of his adult life. His free agent contract with Harvest Sports might cover his popcorn on the sidelines. But, we love high school sports enough to keep bringing the stories. Catch Baz with us the rest of the fall (and longer, we hope).

Something else that’s magic? The Good Life Golf “Big Red” hats. Our Friday Night Drive game of the week is fueled in 2025 by Good Life Golf. Harvest Sports readers can take 15% off of their order by using the code HARVEST15 at checkout and if you order two or more hats, the shipping is free.

“Discipline, drive, and dedication. Competitive spirit. A commitment to constant improvement. These qualities make great athletes and coaches. They also make great financial advisors. Northwestern Mutual advisors educate clients to make important decisions to live differently and achieve their goals of financial security. Learn more about joining our team. Karges Financial Group and the Great Plains District are proud supporters of Nebraska high school athletics.

🏈🚗 An Epic Trip

Each week will take a trip around the state and highlight some big games that you may or may not have seen. It’s an “Epic Trip” powered by EPIC Team Camps.

All The Scores

CLASS A: Statement win over Omaha Westside over unbeaten Creighton Prep, 52-20. Limongi + Mike | Millard North 14, No. 7 Omaha Central 7. | We didn’t leave Kearney for dead did we? Cats 10-0 over Columbus. 

CLASS B: After early deficit, kick return touchdown sparks Badgers over Skutt, 31-14. | No. 9 Scottsbluff 21, No. 10 McCook 7.

CLASS C-1: Five shutouts in eight outings for top-ranked Wahoo as they blanked No. 10 Fort Calhoun, 35-0. | Lakeview and O’Neill are winners and head to an 8-0 showdown next week. | Aurora and Central City. District title game. As good as it gets next week. 

CLASS C-2: Rivalry games are the best. Battle Creek (2-6) takes No. 2 Norfolk Catholic to the horn, 24-22. | GICC rolling. The ‘Saders take down No. 4 Boone Central 37-0. | Down 20-0 at the half, Wood River edges Superior 42-41. A pair of 7-1 teams next Friday when they face Doniphan-Trumbull.

EIGHT-MAN: Only classics in Howells. On Friday, H-D and Archangels played a late November game. 40-32 for the Jags. No missed conversions. | First round playoff matchups out today.

SIX-MAN: A statement win for Southwest, 65-30 over SEM.

HIGHLIGHTS: 10/11 Sports Overtime

12 years. Seven states. Over 15,000 miles, 16,000 shirts, 1,000 teams and 125 camps. EPIC Football Camps are ready to make your team better in the summer. In the 12 years since they founded, Nebraskan’s Scott Trimble and Jeremy Epp’s camps have produced 18 state champions and 28 more finalists.

🏈🏈 The Lights Went Out

“I hope them Friday night lights stay on; I hope them backroad tires keep burning; I hope that line out the church stays long; I hope them ole turn rows keep turning.” — from Small Forever by George Birge and Brantley Gilbert

It’s a day — a night, maybe — that many small towns in Nebraska have faced over the years. The fact that stares them straight in the eye that it’s time. That who you are can no longer support football on your own.

It’s just that it’s never been my town. Hampton, population 432. Same sign, ever since the day we moved there on a warm July day in 1985, so dad could coach football in the toughest little 8-man conference in the state.

But it was our time last night. And, sometimes you are grateful that you get to say goodbye. These Hawks will co-op with Heartland next year. They’ve already done it in everything else; they’ll be on the basketball court together soon enough.

Football, however, has been our own this fall.

These current Hawks — who are ranked 8th in the nebpreps Coaches Poll — moved to 6-1 with a 73-20 beat down of Ansley/Litchfield here on Friday. Over 100 former players — state finalists and dad’s guys and my buddies and many in between — making the trip here to say one last goodbye.

How these small towns change was evident on both sides of the field on Friday. I remember vividly “coach” taking me to my first state championship game in 1985 — Ansley against Bancroft-Rosalie at the city park in Ansley along Highway 2.

“I didn’t think about football very much this week,” Hampton coach Jereme Jones admits to me after the game. His players didn’t seem phased much, sprinting to a 42-7 halftime lead before they honored the former Hawks on the field.

“Probably didn’t think about this game until about 5:30. So much to get organized and plan.”

There wasn’t much to start with in Hampton this fall; 12 or 13 players Jones estimated. The Hawks, who have played six-man since 2016, have been decimated this year by season-ending injuries.

“I think we are going to be down to eight healthy guys after tonight,” Jones said. And, the playoffs — believe it or not — are coming for this final group. They sit on the fringe of turning these lights on one more time. A home playoff game.

“The goal was the playoffs. We thought we could be a team that had a chance to be 7-1. But, I thought we’d have Wyatt (Dose) at quarterback. I thought we’d have Noah (Miller) at center. I thought we’d have Kyler (Rojewski). He played tonight with a torn ligament in his thumb and he’s got to have surgery next week, so he’ll be done.”

No matter. These Hawks are still fighting in mid-October. It’s just how we’ve always done it.

So, Landen Rojewski — a sophomore — caught four touchdown passes from Landen Hanson — also a sophomore — and also ran for scores of 33 and 8 yards. Hampton never gave the Spartans a chance. Hanson, the backup, I guess, threw for six touchdowns and 245 yards on the night.

“They just keep stepping up,” Jones said. “I love these guys. They just give me everything they have every day.”

That’s how it is in Hampton. A village that raised me and so many others. And, while some have chosen to stay, others have gone to many other places and been successful. Many of us buoyed by the lessons we learned on the football field down 5th Street, where the sun set behind a barren corn field on Friday night.

And, while it may have taken the team and the purple jerseys with it for the final time it won’t ever take the lessons of hard work and togetherness and community and fighting for the guy next you.

Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to turn the lights off.

— Tony Chapman, Harvest Sports founder

OrthoNebraska believes creating the best experience for each patient begins by listening to their healthcare needs, lifestyle and goals to create truly personalized care. At OrthoNebraska, patients are able to see an orthopedic specialist same day across multiple locations, leading to a quick diagnosis and faster return to the things they love. Whether it be sidelining injury or just a desire to perform better, athletes benefit from the comprehensive care and an easier, more confident road to recovery and competing at their best. OrthoNebraska is your team behind the team and a proud supporter of Nebraska high school athletics.

🗓🗓 The Rest of the Story

SOFTBALL: The state softball finals are set for Monday at the University of Nebraska’s Bowlin Stadium. At noon, the Class C game features Hastings St. Cecilia and Central City, who lost their opener on Wednesday, and roared back for four straight wins including back-to-back wins against defending champion Bishop Neumann. In Class A, it’s Millard North and Lincoln Southwest in the nightcap, while top-seeded Northwest gets defending champion Beatrice in Class B at 3:30. THE BRACKETS

GIRLS GOLF: The first NSAA state recap is here. Your girls golf state champions were Omaha Marian (Class A), Omaha Duchesne (Class B) and Minden (Class C). Individual champions were Molly Goc (Columbus; Class A), Julia Messere (Aurora; Class B) and Kaylynn Jorgensen (Minden; Class C). FULL RECAP

CROSS COUNTRY: The state cross country meet is set for next Friday at Kearney Country Club. We will have a full preview on the NSAA website later this week. Here are all the qualifiers. And, a pre-district “Nerdsletter” from the Prep Running Nerd to keep you in the postseason spirit.

BOYS TENNIS: Hunter Nelson? All-timer. The Lincoln East senior capped a 139-0 career at the Class A state meet yesterday and the Spartans were again team champions winning three of four brackets. Full recap later today on the NSAA website.

VOLLEYBALL: How good will the Class B state tournament be this year? Judging by Elkhorn North’s win over previously unbeaten Norris, really good. Reagan Walraff — Big Game Chain | D-1, No. 2 Amherst over No. 1 Overton in the FKC final. | And, Sharon Zavala Court. 1,777 wins. No other words needed.

The Newsletter remains free to our readers thanks to our Harvest Partners and their support of our content. Please thank OrthoNebraska, Northwestern Mutual — Nathan Karges as well as Striv AV and Striv Education for their support of Nebraska high school athletics.