Measuring Stick

So many big games in week two of the high school football season that we won’t really know where to start. But we’ll give it our best shot. Our little Saturday trip around the state, if you will. Every kind of football from our group on September 1st — follow us on Instagram and Twitter — for photos of six-man, eight-man and 11-man action.

Coffee? Diet Coke? Something different? Grab your beverage (and a bagel, maybe); let’s get you caught up on everything Nebraska sports. Well, almost everything. We’ll be back for THAT on Sunday.

Also, follow our Dante Boelhower on YouTube. We’ll have a video recap of each Friday Night Drive game during the season. Here’s our first trip to Ord, America. 

History Lesson

EAST HILL PARK: If you have been to a York Duke football game over the past decade-plus since Glen Snodgrass has been the head coach you know that most of the time, they are not a beauty pageant.

Or a video game. Or a popularity contest as if the coach (and his staff and players) feel the need to impress you. Whoever, you are. There are no style points.

Just a whole bunch of wins. A 2017 state championship. A 2013 state finals appearance (they honored that team on Friday night). Playing AGAINST them is probably a little like going in for a root canal.

York 21, Hastings 0. Game thread, if you dare.

“York will make you make mistakes,” Hastings coach Charlie Shoemaker told us after the game.

Cheering FOR them, even in a ho-hum win like on Friday, is a bit probably more joyful.

The coach likes this 2023 version, too. Even coming off last year’s 8-3 campaign that ended in the Class B quarterfinals. Just a bunch of kids who work hard and like making plays.

“You know a lot of times, we just kind of tell the kids to win their one-on-one battles, because we sure aren’t going to scheme everything right all the time,” the coach said. “And, we have a good bunch of competitors.”

Many coaches — at all levels — would be happy to use that quote.

The coach even admitted Friday, that he was getting a little too cute with his play calling into the third quarter. And then, boom. Amid all the Duke stops on defense two big offensive plays that turned 7-0 lead into a yawner.

First a play action rifle from sophomore quarterback Emmitt Dirks to Carter Stenger for 72 yards. 2:09 left in the third quarter.

Then, a Hastings drive to the Duke 3 and that defense — oh, that defense — led by Seth Erickson and others, with a big goal-to-go stop. And on the next play, Erickson through a beautiful seem on the right side of the line for an 87-yard score.

You’d have thought Vince Lombardi drew it in chalk on the blackboard.

Bigger tests await the Dukes. No. 1 Bennington (28 straight wins) come to town next week. Just know this, you’ll have to beat York they aren’t going to give it to you.

The Rest of Friday

FLY WITH US: Most expected a dandy in Boone County after 300,000+ votes landed the Class C-1, No. 1 Boone Central and No. 2 Aurora game the Pinnacle Bank Game-of-the-Week. After halftime, the Cardinals turned it into a yawner.

Leading 14-7 at the half, Boone broke the game open in the second half outscoring the Huskies — finalists in 2022 — 28-0 after the break. Parker Borer had himself a night with four touchdowns for the Cardinals who have demolished their first two opponents (good teams, mind you) 90-7.

RIDING THE METRO: Another big Payton Prestito game. Another big Papillion-LaVista win as the Monarchs take down crosstown rival Papio South, 28-7. Game thread // Prestito post-game

Love the uniforms? Hate the uniforms? Millard South Boyz likely don’t care what you think after they rolled past No. 3 Elkhorn South 33-0. Jacob Padilla game thread.

THURSDAY NIGHT: A big 24-19 win for Creighton Prep at they took down No. 9 Millard North with a “goal-to-go” stand in the final minute. HIGHLIGHTS 

CHAMPS > CHANTS: In the other 1 vs. 2 matchup of the night, defending Class C-2 champion (second ranked) Norfolk Catholic cruised to a 31-14 win over top-ranked Ord on Friday night. The Chants scored first, but then allowed a kick return and punt return for touchdowns and could never recover. Nick Benes game thread.

THE FUN STUFF: Jack Poppe House Call. Gretna East, HOME GAME HISTORY. Lincoln East, comeback mayhem. New Husker Conner Booth had a football game on Friday.

ALL THE SCORES 

Quick Hitters

RUNNING (IN THE DARK AND OTHER PLACES): One of the official “cross country season has started” meets is the Augustana Twilight Meet in Sioux Falls.

In the boys high school race Fremont and Creighton Prep — favorites to dual for a state title — went 1, 2 in the team race and defending state champion Juan Gonzalez of Fremont was the individual champion with Prep’s Dennis Chapman finishing third. York’s Kassidy Stuckey was the top in-state performer in the girls race, placing fifth. RESULTS FOR WEEK OF 8/26

Berlyn Schutz from Lincoln East, remember her? She won the women’s collegiate race for Nebraska too. And, oh, Carson Noecker won the men’s race. Not a bad night in Sioux Falls.

BIG SOFTBALL WEEKEND: The NFCA Kaiti Williams Memorial Softball Invite is taking place at Papillion Landing this weekend with a full slate of action that began Friday and continues today. The event is co-hosted by Papio South and Millard North with 24 teams in eight pools of three competing Friday, with bracket play in three divisions on Saturday. Four Missouri teams and one each from Colorado and Oklahoma are in the event. SATURDAY’S BRACKETS: GOLD BRACKET // SILVER // BRONZE

MORE: ALL THE SCORES // NSAA POWER POINTS // NEBPREPS.COM COACHES POLL 

GOING LOW: It was a big day on Tuesday for the Lincoln Southwest girls’ golf team. One of the Class A favorites posted team score of 297 at Woodland Hills during the Lincoln Pius X Invite with Eden Larson taking medalist honors with a 68. They won in Grand Island on Friday, too.

Also, on Tuesday at Meadowlark Hills in Kearney defending Class C champion Broken Bow had medalist Camryn Johnson (75) and a team score of 345 to win the Kearney Catholic Invite.

Girl Power

HISTORY LESSON, 10TH AND VINE — Forgive me, here. I was going to go to bed. It’s 9:58 on Wednesday night and I feel like writing instead.

The Chapman girls have SPORTS on Thursday. Yeah, sports. One will run. One will watch teammates golf — injuries always stink.

All we ask of sports is that they teach them how to be a better person, a better student, a better friend. That their coaches push them to be the best they can be. For them to reach to achieve something maybe they didn’t think they could.

Read our full reaction to Volleyball Day in Nebraska here.

Parting Shot: A Friday in Pictures

EVERY KIND OF FOOTBALL: Some more shots from our team as we were at 6-man, 8-man and 11-man games. It doesn’t get much better than football Friday in Nebraska. Enjoy (and share the Newsletter with a friend) and come back and see us again on Sunday for The Rear View Mirror and the next Newsletter on Wednesday.