Nemaha Central Thunder and Lightning Defense Dialed In

Every off-season coaches look at the ebb and flow of the program and take stock of who is departing, who is coming in and most importantly, who returns for the coming season. Especially the starters and guys who played a lot the prior season. The inevitable question becomes do we reload or fine tune?   For Nemaha Central it was obvious early on that no reload or retrenching effort would be required for this team. The Thunder return almost all the starters and a host of defensive ballers who played significant time last year.   And, we are not talking about just any team either. This is a team coming off a state runner-up performance last fall and is winner of two of the last three state championships while piling up a jaw-dropping 37-2 record along the way.   If that isn't motive enough to bring them back hungrier than ever, the fact that the only two losses in the last three years took place last year in the first and last games of the season should be enough to do the trick. The final loss of the year was particularly painful as they took a 28-20 lead with under two minutes remaining, only to give up a pair of scores in the final minutes to lose to Southeast of Saline on a last-second TD pass, 36-28.   That loss has laid heavy on the minds of players and coaches this off-season. And for good reason, as that is a particularly aggravating way to lose. Especially if you are used to winning championships.   For this team it was gut-check time and Defensive Coordinator Mark Mayberry was ready to use this opportunity to help his team transcend to the next level. The team has responded in the off-season with a stone-cold, locked-in approach to flipping the script in 2025.   This team was already positioned well with a full cast of returning ballers so the approach is more about fine-tuning as opposed to developing players. The development process is still in place as it is a never-ending thing, but for this coming year the emphasis will be more about extracting top performances from returning stars and supplemental players.   This weekend I blocked off the time to take a look and see what all the excitement was about. And, I am impressed with everything about this team - the defensive approach, the returning personnel, the scheming and blitz/stunt curveballs at their disposal in the 3-5 look, as well as the overall coaching and leadership of the program.   It is a perfect storm of sorts coming together at the right time and place, driving an approaching season for the ages.   Hyperbole? Maybe, but not likely.   In this report, the third in a series on top returning defensive units, we are taking a quick look at the Thunder defense to provide a high-level look at the guys getting ready to bring the defensive hammer this fall.   So, without further adieu, let's take a look at what these guys look like rolling into the 2025 season:   Background: As mentioned above, last year the Thunder experienced the only losses the program has absorbed in the past three years, so there was no need to go overboard on generating momentum for this year. Anytime a team loses their final game of the year in the last seconds of a championship game, the drive is already there. Last fall, starting with a rare loss in game one, they regrouped to rip off 11 straight wins to make it back to the title game. Fast forward to the summer of '25 and the Thunder return not only most of last year's starters, but quite a few players who saw significant time last year. This year's team will roll into game one with 16-20 guys who can be used interchangeably within the defensive structure. Nemaha attacks with a lightning-fast 3-5-3 defense that enables them to aggressively swarm the ball. The 3-5 can be a lethal defense used in the right hands and with the personnel to make it sizzle. And sizzle they will, as they are loaded at all three levels, with a powerful defensive line, a group of cutthroat linebackers and a versatile, athletic secondary.   Key Stat: I looked at a lot of defensive units from last year – all the state champs at each level as well as numerous playoff and other top teams – and the returning Thunder defense is one of the most prolific in the state. Last year as a defense they piled up 1,043 total tackles in 13 games, averaging right at 80 a game. And, with only three players graduating, they return 806 tackles from last year, a jaw-dropping 77% of all the tackles made in 2024. The top six returning ballers on defense piled up an astounding 468 tackles, more than many teams ended up with in total. The 77% returning is the highest returning number I have seen yet and that is with a fairly significant sample size so far.   Defense Overview: in this section we will look at all three levels of the 3-5-3 defense, starting with the Defensive Line.   D-Line: The Thunder line up with a base three-man front, but are flexible enough to shift to an even front or load the box if needed. The front line of the defense is a crucial piece in making this defense effective, as they are coached to eat up space and keep blockers off the guys behind them so the rest of the defense can ruthlessly attack the ball. Returning three starters and four guys who rotated in quite a bit last year, the brick wall up front will be a formidable group. In particular, the following players will be key:   Hendryx Wahl, 6'3, 305, DL, '26. The man mountain in the middle is a nose tackle coming off a productive season last fall when he was in on 70 tackles, had eight tackles for loss and a sack. He is the anchor in the middle and using his powerful frame and weaponized hands, he crushes plays trying to run in the middle. He is primed for a standout year.   Daniel Childress, 6'0, 235, DL, '26. Along side Wahl in the trenches, this guy is a wrecking ball of a defender, racking up 72 tackles and seven tackles for a loss last fall. Look for him to be even more of a force this fall.   Other Key DL Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1530389' first='Levi' last='Thomas']; '28; Eli Sudbeck, '26; Deryk Rosenberger, '27; Brendan Holthaus, '26; and Lavin Stallbaumer, '26.   Linebackers: the Thunder linebackers are arguably the strength of the defense and are loaded across the board. The three interior linebackers combined for 170 tackles last fall, while the two hybrid athletes playing the outside linebacker spots were active as well, combining for 150 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and picked off six passes. With five heat-seeking missiles at their disposal and being used in both a creative and destructive manner in a variety of stunts and blitz calls, these guys are a battle-hardened presence along the second level of defense. In particular, the following players will be key:   [player_tooltip player_id='1585162' first='Jack' last='Macke'], 6'3, 195, ATH, 88 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, three interceptions. He is a versatile athlete with good size and skills who plays one of the hybrid outside linebacker positions. With his length and quickness he is a ball buster coming off the edge to drill the quarterback in the backfield, cut off RB's trying to hit the perimeter or sink into coverage and shut down the passing game in his zone or in man coverage. This guy is a baller and is going to light it up this fall.   [player_tooltip player_id='780500' first='Carter' last='Hajek'], 5'11, 215, ATH, 71 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, three interceptions. Speaking of ballers, as the face of the team and arguably one of the best overall football players in the state, he plays the other hybrid linebacker spot and is a dominator who can hit blockers in the mouth and stuff gaps or drop into coverage as a ballhawk in coverage. On the other side of the ball he is the predominant player in the state, carrying the ball a state-leading 374 times for 2,382 yards rushing. For the year he had 3,537 yards in total offense and 53 touchdowns. And, amazingly, he is almost bullet proof, carrying the ball that many times and also playing defense, and has not been injured. This guy is an apex predator on either side of the ball and is going to have a dominating 2025.   Kamden Schmidt, 6'0, 180, Inside LB, '26, 78 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack. As one of the top inside linebackers on the team he uses his excellent instincts and quickness reading the play to deliver a blow and essentially shut down the running game between the tackles. This guy is positioned for a big senior season.   Other Key LB's: Kanin Sudbeck, '26, 57 tackles, eight tackles for loss; Sullivan Havercamp, 6'0, 180, '28, 31 tackles; Kyler Granstrom, '28.   Secondary: the Thunder operate out of a base three-deep secondary that can be adjusted to other coverages and personnel groupings as needed depending on what the opposition throws their way. With three starters returning and three who played a lot last year, these guys are going to be a smothering, stingy unit who can mix it up to put the clamps on whatever offense they are facing. Playing a couple of lock-down cornerbacks and an athletic free safety these guys are going to challenge offenses all year.   [player_tooltip player_id='1229114' first='Caleb' last='Strathman'], 6'0, 175, DB. 90 tackles, four interceptions. As the leading returning tackler on the team he also led the team in interceptions with four from his safety position. As a two-way star in the making, he was a force on offense as a dangerous receiver who hauled in 41 passes, piled up 700+ total yards and scored seven touchdowns. Get your popcorn ready, this guy is going to put on a show this fall.   Jayden Seitz, '26, 6'0, 175, DB, '26. 51 tackles, two tackles for loss, one interception.   Mason Schultejans, 5'11, 165, DB, '27. 42 tackles, one interception.   Other Key DB's: Layton Thomas, '26, Caleb Hynek, '27, Carter Stallbaumer, '28.   In conclusion, get out and see these guys in action this fall – you will not be disappointed.   As a reminder, if you run across any teams or players flying under the radar give me a shout via DM on X.    And, as usual…   Keep grindin'

Every off-season coaches look at the ebb and flow of the program and take stock of who is departing, who is coming in and most importantly, who returns for the coming season. Especially the starters and guys who played a lot the prior season. The inevitable question becomes do we reload or fine tune?