Class B Top 10 Power Rankings (Spring Edition)

In continuation with my class power rankings, here are my top 10 returning squads for 2022. My criteria for this list rely on; players lost, returning players, and how the team finished their season. I didn’t factor in schedules because it is still early, and I want to focus on “player power.” After watching which players stand out in camps and which players begin to rise the recruiting ranks, I will revisit these power rankings before the start of summer and then again before the season starts. I encourage all feedback, which prompts some (friendly) discourse and builds up some hype for football season.

1. Elkhorn Antlers The seniors on this squad were sophomores when the Antlers went on their state championship run in 2020 and stepped into bigger roles on last year’s team that made it to the semi-finals before running into the eventual state champion Bennington. Once again, they lose a lot of key players like , Mikey Hart, Hank Kroger, etc., but the returning group is full of outstanding players. The biggest name coming back is star DL/OL Aidan Betz, who should dominate in the trenches for the Antlers. QB Conor Hunt also comes back with a pretty impressive skill set as a dual-threat QB and will be able to continue his chemistry with up-and-coming C . Keep an eye out for Cole and Tanner Houck to make an impact as well, who are both lengthy athletes that are versatile. Cooper Fedde and Jackson Roberts will also be huge contributors next year. Overall, there may be a few struggles here and there as they get acclimated in some spots, but the Antlers coaches should have these guys fired up in week 1. 2. Scottsbluff Bearcats This is a team that you I am watching closely going into 2022 considering Bearcats were one of the toughest teams to play in 2021. Although they lose EDGE beast and other great starters, they have several key returners at many important positions. The backfield of dual-threat QB and RB will be quite the rushing duo to defend. They also bring back a very strong core of defensive players with , , , , and to name a few. They did lose a few starters on the offensive line, but have patched that up in a big way with the addition of transfer OT , who is currently a 3-star OL prospect. should continue to develop as a center and so will other players on the OL. I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Bearcats as one of the last two teams standing in Lincoln. 3. Bennington Badgers This seems really low for a team that just steamrolled their way through their Class B schedule on their way to their first Class B football championship since 1989. However, when looking at the amount of departures, it’s hard to put them ahead of teams with more established starters at key positions. The loss of record-shattering RB is huge, add in all 5 of their starting OL, 1,000 yard receiver , LB trio of , & , and talented two-way athletes like Mitch Anderson and ... it could look a little overwhelming. However, I’m not pulling the panic alarm just yet because they still have a ton of players that should step up. Starting QB is a baller and will continue being a highly-efficient passer. They also have a ton of versatile players like , , , , and that will help move the sticks, or prevent them from being moved. As mentioned before, the OL is taking its biggest loss, but I’ve seen picture of the Bennington weight room and I think who ever they put up front will probably be big and mean. Don’t overlook a repeat! 4. Skutt Catholic Sky Hawks Skutt Catholic is a team that is always a threat to win the state championship. As a matter of fact, they were one game away from making it back to the championship game. The biggest question for the Sky Hawks would be at the QB position, with star QB headed to Wyoming. It’s looking like it could be Bennett Turman, but youngster will also be looking to challenge for the QB1 spot. Skutt brings back a stable of running backs that should form one of the best rushing teams in class B. , , and is a very impressive group of runners. will be an excellent security valve over the middle for whichever QB lines up under center, while Joe Connelly and provide outside targets for the . Defensively, Joshua Buck looked impressive as an OLB/DE type role, and Sam Brummund looks like he will turn into a thumper for the Sky Hawks. Lots of talent on this team. 5. Plattsmouth Blue Devils Plattsmouth fielded an elite team in 2021 with an explosive running offense and a hard-hitting opportunistic defense. Meneses’ 2,000+ rushing yards will be severely missed, but sophomore is looking like he is ready to step right up to the plate. The defense also lost a good amount of talent with the departures of , , , and Cameron Aughenbaugh who were all highly productive. and will be the cornerstones of the defense with several great rotational players stepping into bigger roles. Kevin Sohl looks like a promising LB and should ease the loss of older brother . 6. Waverly Vikings Waverly seems to always be right in the thick of the Class B playoff picture. 2022 should be no different as the Vikings bring back a strong 2023 class and many hungry youngsters. QB showed tons of promise in his starts while senior Murray was out. Jackson will have some impressive targets with and Samuel Schernikau, who are both on the brink of breaking out. One of the most interesting players is , a TE/LB with strong hands, physical, and very gritty. He’ll be joined by fellow linebackers Caleb Axmann and Austin Neddenriep, who could be a sleeper. Preston Harms, Evan Kastens, and Cody Johnson will make a tough running trio to stop. The Vikings always play hard and physical, and I expect them to come out the gate angry after a bitter end to their season. 7. York Dukes York is another team that can play physical, downhill football. RB Seth Erickson and unique prospect should continue the Duke ground and pound attack. York does have some very impressive big men with Jude Collingham, , Carter, Culotta, and Samson Broumley all being fearless on both side of the trenches. One interesting prospect to keep an eye on is Leyton Snodgrass, the 6’5" freshman who could see more varsity time in his sophomore year and could open see a huge rise in his stock. Carter Stenger, Clayton Pinneo, and Garrett Ivey look like great up-and-coming players. 8. McCook Bison McCook returns a really good 2023 class that saw several players take over starting roles during their junior seasons. For starters they return their QB1, RB1, and WR1, from last year in , , and , respectively. Dugger’s ability to make plays on his legs will be an additional wrinkle to the Bison offense. is OL/DL to watch this year, and so will tackle Tucker Martinez-Conroy, who has great size and a mean streak. The Bison also return 2 of their top 3 tacklers from last year in Alex Anthony and Garrett Kaps, who will continue to be as destructive in 2022. Eloy Carbajal and Layton Bortner will also step into bigger roles and deliver breakout seasons. The Bison have the making of a dark-horse team in Class B. 9. Gross Catholic Gross Catholic’s team from last year seems to have laid the foundation for the 2022 team, which I think will be a force. who is one of the most underrated backs in the 2023 class, will be back as RB1 for the Cougars. He will have the luxury of running behind a beefed-up O-line featuring maulers and , and will see Daniel Wilson, Sam Canova, and Ryan Weiss all in position to step up on the OL. QB Colby Duncan will have Jackson Drake and Ben Rice as receiving targets. Ethan Le, Owen Brennan, and Thomas Gilbert are all smart, rangy players that will be x-factors for the Cougar's defense. 10. Grand Island Northwest Vikings Class B is difficult to navigate because of how many quality teams there are and how hard all these teams seem to play. Northwest is a great example of this because they always field a bruising physical squad. The 2022 team looks like it might involve some fireworks in the passing game. Presumed starter has quite the arm on him, and he has speedy receiver Travin Harring and Tyler Douglass to launch the ball to. Defensively, the Vikings return a good chunk of their production, including the pass-rush machine who had 19 tackles for loss and seven sacks in 2021. He will be joined on the DL by Cooper Garrett and Owen Harb. , , Alex Korte, and Nick Carkoski are a formidable group in the secondary. Having a talented and experienced core group of players like this will greatly benefit the Vikings. Just Missed the Cut: Norris

Lots of great returning players, but had to say farewell to a very talented 2022 class. Cooper Cerny Cooper Cerny 6'3" | 180 lbs | TE Norris | 2023 State NE and Hunter Davis Hunter Davis 6'6" | 320 lbs | DL Norris | 2023 State NE are going to be two big names to watch.

Beatrice

Similar to Norris, they lose a great group of 2022 players. Deegan Nelson Deegan Nelson 5'10" | 190 lbs | RB Beatrice | 2023 State NE is a beast and will continue to run rampant next year.

Seward

New QB under center, but he will have plenty of weapons around him.

Lexington

Maybe this is a little hometown bias, but maybe the Minutemen finished the season playing some tough defense. Very young team. Jackson Konrad and Jase Carpenter Jase Carpenter ATH Lexington | 2023 NE are going to be names to look out for.