Scouting Report: Bellevue West vs. Millard South
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Overview: This game was another highly-anticipated matchup between #1 Bellevue West and #2 Millard South. Arguably the two deepest rosters in the state clashed and provided some fireworks for the crowd. It started as a heavyweight bout between two sluggers,…
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This game was another highly-anticipated matchup between #1 Bellevue West and #2 Millard South. Arguably the two deepest rosters in the state clashed and provided some fireworks for the crowd. It started as a heavyweight bout between two sluggers, and both teams were going back and forth with touchdown drives. An early TD run by Christian Nash Christian Nash 6'0" | 220 lbs | RB Millard South | 2022 State NE opened the scoring flood gates and madness ensued. Bellevue West responded with a 76 yard LJ Richardson LJ Richardson 6'1" | 215 lbs | RB Bellevue West | 2022 State NE run, Gage Stenger Gage Stenger 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Millard South | 2022 State NE found Jake Gassaway Jake Gassaway 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Millard South | 2022 State NE for a 70 yard house call, followed by a 67 yard BOMB to Oklahoma commit Kaden Helms Kaden Helms 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Bellevue West | 2022 State NE . If you thought it stopped there just wait; Gage Stenger Gage Stenger 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Millard South | 2022 State NE took it in himself from 60 yards out, C/O ’24 stud Dae’Vonn Hall Dae’Vonn Hall 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Bellevue West | 2024 State NE decided to get in on the scoring with a 56 yard score, in which Christian Nash Christian Nash 6'0" | 220 lbs | RB Millard South | 2022 State NE took it home from 69 yards out. After the half, both defenses came out a little stiffer and slowed the opposing offenses down. Two solid scoring drives and an opportunistic turnover helped Millard South pull away to a 42-28 win. Millard’s defense ended up being the difference in this ball game; they were able to come away with a few more stops and applied pressure in the pass and run game. Lance Rucker, Jr Lecuona, Phillip Meckna, and the rest of the defense did a great job collapsing the pocket and forcing the B West QBs outside or to run. Great effort by both teams and certainly a matchup I’m sure we’ll see again in November.
MVP: Gage Stenger Gage Stenger 6'2" | 190 lbs | ATH Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
QB/S
6’3″ 200 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
- Gage continues to show out during his senior campaign and is starting to look like the best player in the state this season,
- Then #1 Bellevue West had no answer for Stenger, defensively. He ran all over the field and was continuously seeking contact and lowering his shoulder.
- He did a great job in coverage and run support. He made some great tackles at/or behind the line and was able to break up some passes with some hard hits.
- Stenger really looked like the best player on the field all night.
Kaden Helms Kaden Helms 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
TE
6’6″ 210 lbs
- Kaden continues to show that he is who they say he is.
- Dangerous deep-threat with too much size for DBs to attempt to cover him.
- He had two long receptions where he showed his ability to go and make the difficult catches. The touchdown pass was slightly ahead of him, but he made adjustments and came down with it.
Jake Gassaway Jake Gassaway 6'2" | 195 lbs | LB Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
LB/WR
6’3″ 215 lbs
- Jake is a HEAVY hitter and loves to bring the pain with every tackle.
- His athleticism and solid frame gives him the ability to blanket TEs and WRs in coverage.
- Have to love his potential at receiver as well. He has excellent hands and burst to take passes to the house.
LJ Richardson LJ Richardson 6'1" | 215 lbs | RB Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
RB
6’1″ 210 lbs
- The more I watch LJ run, the more I wonder why more schools haven’t offered him.
- He’s a violent runner that welcomes contact and will dish out stiff arms to anyone who wants one.
- Richardson has a solid base which makes him hard to bring down, often requiring a few defenders to bring him down.
What looked like near disaster turned into a 76 yard TD pass from @DanielKaelin5 to @LJRichardson__
Bell West ties it up 7-7 after the @Hunter10Brown PAT pic.twitter.com/ZGMyNVf6RV
— Oscar Galindo (@PRZ_OscarG) September 17, 2021
Justin Gassaway (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
WR/DB
6’1″ 185 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
- Justin is a prospect I consider to be very underrated as both a WR/DB.
- As a DB, he’s very disciplined in his coverage and his ability to play the run. He is swift and can keep up with WRs. When it comes to tackling, he shows good technique and strength.
- Sneaky WR can slip into the soft spots in coverage and come down with some clutch grabs.
Dae’Vonn Hall Dae’Vonn Hall 6'2" | 175 lbs | WR Bellevue West | 2024 State NE (Class of 2024 – Bellevue West)
WR
6’2″ 180 lbs
- Dae’Vonn’s route running is impressive to watch. He is very silky smooth in his movements and can create separation ver well.
- Hall has some burners on him and has underrated vision. He can see the whole field and find open running lanes for some YAC.
- He is an excellent blocker as well.
- He does all the little things that make you stand out.
Bellevue West fighting back with this connection from @JohannsenLukas to @DaevonnHall for their 2nd touchdown connection of the night.
The score is 42-28 with 3:41 left in 4Q pic.twitter.com/ZVTgqMbRaV
— Oscar Galindo (@PRZ_OscarG) September 17, 2021
Antrell Taylor Antrell Taylor 5'9" | 165 lbs | ATH Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
WR/DB
5’9″ 165 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
- Athletic, athletic, athletic. (Nebraska Wrestling Commit)
- Taylor is an outstanding receiver that can rack up the YAC with his speed and shiftiness.
- He is also an outstanding returner on punts and kickoffs.
- He sees the whole field and makes smart cuts.
Micah Riley-Ducker Micah Riley-Ducker 6'6" | 240 lbs | TE Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
TE
6’6″ 230 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
- Big, physical target that can catch over the middle, go long, or move the chains on short downs – All-around playmaker.
- He can lay some DEVASTATING blocks in the run game. His size and physicality make him almost like an extension of the O-Line.
- Tough player to bring down on the first contact, and it looks like he embraces it—tough dude.
Micah Riley-Ducker made this one-handed snag look easy✋👀@micah_r_d | #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/w7bjfmu6bD
— Matt Foster (@MattFosterTV) September 11, 2021
Christian Nash Christian Nash 6'0" | 220 lbs | RB Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
RB/LB
6’0 220 lbs
- Insane acceleration and burst! Once he turns the corner and can turn on the jets, forget about catching him.
- Tackling him is a whole different task in itself. Physical and runs with excellent pad level and is a solid 220 lbs, Nash is a beast.
- As a linebacker, he is very active and can fly around the whole field. He has great sideline-to-sideline
Luke Johannsen Luke Johannsen 6'2" | 190 lbs | QB Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
QB
6’2″ 190 lbs
- One thing I noticed in Luke’s game is his pocket awareness and mobility. The Millard South defense was applying consistent pressure, yet Luke was able to elude and escape potential sacks.
- He also does a good job tucking the ball and gaining yards on the ground on broken-down plays- he makes smart decisions.
- He has a nice deep ball. He hit Kaden Helms Kaden Helms 6'6" | 220 lbs | TE Bellevue West | 2022 State NE on a deep pass downfield and was able to place it in a good spot for the big target to snag.
Brock Murtough (Class of 2023 – Millard South)
WR/DB
6’2″ 180 lbs
- Very underrated ’23 WR with great route running abilities and can create separation.
- He had an incredible catch (:10 clip below) that showed his concentration and hands as he had two defenders around him.
- Solid DB with great instincts and is a physical tackler.
- Overall, a prospect that is making strides as a player should begin to get some serious looks on the recruiting trail.
Preston Ames Preston Ames 6'0" | 185 lbs | DB Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
DB
6’0″ 180 lbs
- Preston has really been showing out this season and has developed as a DB. Comparing junior and senior clips, you can see a more decisive back willing to get physical.
- He trusts his abilities and will go and make a play on the ball. Ames has been racking up the PBU’s this year against some tough receivers.
Notable Players:
Simon McClannon (Class of 2023 – Millard South)
K/P
6’0″ 160 lbs
Hunter Brown Hunter Brown 6'2" | 210 lbs | K Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
K/P
6’2″ 210 lbs
Phil Meckna (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
OL/DL
6’2″ 215 lbs
Kellen Steuben (Class of 2023 – Bellevue West)
OL
6’2″ 250 lbs
Lance Rucker (Class of 2023 – Millard South)
TE/DL
6’3″ 200 lbs
Jayden Roberts Jayden Roberts 5'9" | 200 lbs | LB Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
LB
5’9″ 160 lbs
Cole Renken Cole Renken 6'5" | 250 lbs | OL Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
OL/DL
6’5″ 250 lbs
Henry Rickels Henry Rickels 6'4" | 275 lbs | OL Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
OL
6’4″ 285 lbs
Jonah Matthews Jonah Matthews 6'4" | 260 lbs | DL Millard South | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
OL/DL
6’4″ 210 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Arden Jenkins Arden Jenkins 6'0" | 255 lbs | DL Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
DL
5’11″ 255 lbs
Josh Wilson (Class of 2022 – Millard South)
DB/WR
6’1″ 170 lbs
Daniel Kaelin Daniel Kaelin 6'3" | 195 lbs | QB Bellevue West | 2024 State NE (Class of 2024 – Bellevue West)
QB
6’2″ 195 lbs
Cam Kozeal (Class of 2023 – Millard South)
DB/QB
5’11″ 185 lbs
Hudl | Twitter
Kyrell Jordan Kyrell Jordan 5'8" | 160 lbs | WR Bellevue West | 2023 State NE (Class of 2023 – Bellevue West)
WR
5’8″ 160 lbs
JR Lecuona (Class of 2024 – Millard South)
OL/DL
6’2″ 235 lbs
Caden Camese Caden Camese 6'2" | 280 lbs | DL Bellevue West | 2022 State NE (Class of 2022 – Bellevue West)
DL
6’2″ 290 lbs