PRZNE Week 0 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>WAKE UP it's time for FOOTBALL! We are officially at the doorstep of the 2022 Nebraska High School football season, and we are blowing down the door with some elite Week 0 matchups. If you happened to miss the memo, check out my quick preview of 4 of this week's most exciting games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Game of the Week:</span></strong> (#4) Bellevue West @ (#3) Creighton Prep </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Is there a better way to kick off the season than a Top 5 Class A matchup on Week 0? Every game is a must-win in a 9-game schedule, but for these two teams starting off 1-0 would be huge considering the gauntlet each team will face in the upcoming weeks. Bellevue West will be playing North, Burke, Westside, and Kearney in each of the following weeks. Creighton Prep will not have it any easier with upcoming matchups with Westside, Millard North, Gretna, Millard West, and Burke. Each team will have some questions going into the game. Bellevue West will have a revamped offensive line, along with new QB [player_tooltip player_id='169899' first='Daniel' last='Kaelin'] in the backfield, which could lead to some chemistry concerns. This should be softened by the loads of offensive weapons that should be able to get open and make plays for the young QB. Top-ranked 2024 prospect [player_tooltip player_id='169896' first='Dae'Vonn' last='Hall'] looked the part of a 4-star prospect as a sophomore and should continue his dominance in year 3. [player_tooltip player_id='180286' first='Kyrell' last='Jordan'], [player_tooltip player_id='330253' first='Gio' last='Contreras'], [player_tooltip player_id='245871' first='Ben' last='Goodwater'], [player_tooltip player_id='226961' first='Cayden' last='Echternach'], and [player_tooltip player_id='250689' first='Isaiah' last='McMorris'] will also all be in the fold of this high-octane offense. Creighton Prep also has a very talented roster with a big, strong offensive line and the best running back in the state, Marty Brown. What could be the difference in this matchup is the offensive line play which would benefit Creighton Prep. Prep's OL features Husker-commit [player_tooltip player_id='227028' first='Sam' last='Sledge'], Princeton-commit [player_tooltip player_id='227047' first='Rocco' last='Marcelino'] (DL), [player_tooltip player_id='330237' first='Cole' last='Jarrett'], [player_tooltip player_id='330239' first='Christian' last='Lewis'], and some nice depth players. The Jr. Jays biggest question will be how new starting QB [player_tooltip player_id='245854' first='Dean' last='Donaldson'] will lead the offense. Which new QB1 will lead their team to their first top 5 win of the season? Will Kaelin and the T-Bird arsenal blow past the Jay defense? Or will Dean, Marty, and their big, bad offensive line control the tempo of the game?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(#8) North Platte @ Papillion La Vista South</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a sleeper Class A matchup featuring two playoff teams from last year. North Platte graduated a talented 2022 class and will come into the game with questions at various spots. However, they do have solidified stars at key positions. [player_tooltip player_id='227546' first='Brock' last='Roblee'] will be tough running the ball and will look to duplicate last year's success. [player_tooltip player_id='227074' first='Caleb' last='Kinkaid'] and [player_tooltip player_id='227051' first='Kolten' last='Tilford'] are two versatile defensive players that will keep offenses on their toes. Kinkaid is a DE/OLB edge rusher that had a breakout year as a junior and comes into the season as one of the top sack leaders. Tilford will be a pivotal two-way player for the Bulldogs that should be an all-purpose machine on offense and a smart center-fielder on defense. Papio South is a team that I have just outside of the top 10 and a win over the Bulldogs would be a huge statement that the Titans are for real. South will match the Bulldog's tough running style with their own beast back in [player_tooltip player_id='225758' first='Devyn' last='Jones'] who has been a consistent runner through his prep career. The strength of the Titans will be in the trenches and their front seven. Players like [player_tooltip player_id='227020' first='Ayden' last='Barnby'], [player_tooltip player_id='305156' first='Trace' last='Marco'], [player_tooltip player_id='330232' first='Broden' last='Bahl'], [player_tooltip player_id='305157' first='Matthew' last='Thompson'], [player_tooltip player_id='227024' first='Henri' last='Supenski'], and so many more that will be part of a tough front seven. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Columbus @ Fremont</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is another matchup between two playoff contenders with a lot of great players on the field. Columbus is coming off of a 7-2 season that ended in a first-round playoff loss. RB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='234296' first='Liam' last='Blaser'] will be the driving force behind the Discoverer's offense with his strong, power running style and a thumper in the middle of the defense. Columbus has sneaky big size on their offensive line with players like [player_tooltip player_id='234297' first='Santos' last='Gonzalez'] and [player_tooltip player_id='250285' first='Joel' last='Thomas']. Fremont is looking to come out hot and make it back to the playoffs after narrowly missing out last season. QB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='397808' first='Hudson' last='Cunnings'] will be starting his first year under center and should be an interesting prospect to keep tabs on as the season progresses. Fellow LB [player_tooltip player_id='226998' first='Benny' last='Alfaro'] is a punishing inside linebacker with great pursuit and high effort, he'll be among the leaders in tackles by season's end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(#1) North Platte St. Pats vs. Bridgeport</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A matchup between two teams that made the jump from C2 to D1 8-man football. North Platte St. Pat's enters the season as a major favorite to win D1 after their 7-1 regular season last year. The question will be how they will adjust to the change in personnel. The Irish have a relatively young squad, but they also have nice size as well. Brecken Erickson and Seth Engler will be two bruising blockers up front. Having an athletic dual-threat QB like Jackson Roberts will make the transition easier. He could be in line for a huge year. Bridgeport will be looking to change their fortune after a 2-7 season last year. The Bulldogs will have some nice, versatile pieces on their squad to help bring them back into contention. [player_tooltip player_id='227065' first='Kason' last='Loomis'] is a bulldozer at both running back and linebacker who rushed for 1,000 yards and racked up nearly 100 total tackles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:separator {"className":"is-style-wide"} --> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide"/> <!-- /wp:separator --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Make sure to follow @PrepRedzoneNE on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with all your Nebraska prep recruiting news.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->