PRZNE Friday Night Lights Recap (Week 1)

Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code: OscarGalindo30 in the coupon code area.   As part of my plan for more comprehensive in-season coverage, I want to do weekly reactions to Thursday and Friday night games. In this “recap” article, I will make my rounds across the state discussing scores, breakout performances, surprising upsets, and more. Here are my reactions from the Week 1 Friday Night Lights slate of games. Information from the games is still being reported, so I apologize for any inaccuracies in the stats, information, etc.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Class A   Columbus 31 def. Norfolk 10   Creighton Prep 42 def. De Smet Jesuit (MO) 35   Fremont 40 def. Bellevue East 7   #10 Kearney 38 def. North Platte 0   Lincoln 15 def. Omaha Bryan 14   Lincoln North Star 14 def. Lincoln Southwest 10   Lincoln Northeast 58 def. Omaha Northwest 6   #1 Millard South 49 def. Arbor View (NV) 7   Omaha Burke 45 def. Omaha Benson 9   #4 Omaha Central 29 def. #7 Bellevue West 28   Omaha Westview 52 def. Omaha South 0   Papillion-La Vista South 41 def. Papillion-La Vista 14   Class A had several interesting matchups around the state (and out of it) in Week 1, including Nebraska's top-ranked Millard South traveling to Nevada to battle the highly-ranked Arbor View Aggies. The Millard South's arsenal of weapons, led by Alabama-commit [player_tooltip player_id='476963' first='Jett' last='Thomalla'], proved to be too much as he connected with Iowa State Commit [player_tooltip player_id='487568' first='Amarion' last='Jackson'] for 154 yards & 3 TDs, Fresno State commit [player_tooltip player_id='487608' first='Dallas' last='Gaius-Anyaegbu'] for 58 yards & a TD, and Mizzou commit [player_tooltip player_id='487573' first='Isaac' last='Jensen'] for a 16-yard TD. Minnesota State-Mankato commit [player_tooltip player_id='487606' first='Daxton' last='Williams'] popped on defense with six tackles, two TFLs, and two sacks. The lone Class A Top-10 matchup on Friday night featured the #4 Omaha Central Eagles visiting the #7 Bellevue West Thunderbirds. Late in the 4th quarter, it looked like Bellevue West was poised to walk away with the win, holding a 28-12 lead, before the Eagles came surging back with a physical run game and a defense that stiffened up. The final result was Central's Robin Vargas-Pablo kicking the game-winning field goal in his first-ever football game to deliver the win, 29-28. On a rare Saturday game, Creighton Prep made a massive statement against De Smet Jesuit of Missouri, pulling off a 42-35 victory. #10 Kearney had a shutout 38-0 win over North Platte, while Class A contenders Omaha Westview (W 52-0 v South) and Papio South (W 41-14 v Papio LV) also broke out for big wins in their season openers.   Class B   #1 Elkhorn North 46 def. Lincoln Pius X 0   Gering 42 def. Torrington (WY) 15   #8 Gretna 51 def. Elkhorn High 30   #6 Gretna East 24 def. #3 Seward 21   Lexington 14 def. Holdrege 3   Lincoln Standing Bear 24 def. Blair 21   #10 McCook 41 def. Beatrice 15   #9 Norris 49 def. #2 Skutt Catholic 3   Platteview 30 def. Crete 27   Ralston 42 def. Lincoln Northwest 20   #7 Scottsbluff 41 def. Northwest 19   Plattsmouth 55 def. Omaha Buena Vista 6   #5 Waverly 21 def. #4 Bennington 19   Class B had several surprising outcomes, including both teams from last year's championship game starting 0-1. #9 Norris pulled off a massive upset, not just in the fact that they knocked off last year's champs, but in the dominant fashion that they did it with a 49-3 win over #2 Skutt Catholic. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1085202' first='Evan' last='Greenfield'] was efficient in his first start at QB, completing 10/12 of his passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns to go with an additional score on the ground. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='779708' first='Markus' last='Nelson'] also played a key role with 22 carries for 176 yards and three rushing touchdowns. #5 Waverly beat #4 Bennington after falling just short to the Badgers during their recent dynasty run. It was a gritty battle, but senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='488222' first='Nathan' last='Axmann']'s 268 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns were the difference as the Vikings edged the Badgers 21-19. #6 Gretna East held on to win 24-21 against #3 Seward in a gritty back-and-forth game. #7 Scottsbluff opened the season with a convincing 41-19 victory over Grand Island Northwest. Our preseason #1 Elkhorn North also had a statement Week 1 win as they blanked Lincoln Pius X 46-0 behind [player_tooltip player_id='795746' first='Ethan' last='Beachy']'s 219 yards, five-touchdown performance, and a strong showing from their LB duo of [player_tooltip player_id='488116' first='Jase' last='Reynolds'] (6 tackles, 1.5 TFL, & a sack) and [player_tooltip player_id='1114606' first='Barry' last='Fries'] (6 tackles & an INT).   Class C1   Alliance 72 def. Gordon-Rushville 24   #4 Ashland-Greenwood 48 def. #8 DC West 0   Boys Town 41 def. Wilber-Clatonia 7   #2 Central City 38 def. #9 Ord (Class C2) 7   Chadron 12 def. Broken Bow 6   #5 Columbus Lakeview 38 def. Omaha Gross Catholic 9   Fort Calhoun 49 def. Arlington 6   Falls City 22 def. Palmyra 21   Gothenburg 28 def. Ogallala 11   Louisville 54 def. Schuyler 0   Minden 44 def. Adams Central 22   Mount Michael Benedictine 35 def. Auburn 0   #7 O' Neill 48 def. Valentine 26   Omaha Concordia 36 def. Omaha Brownell Talbot 14   #10 Omaha Roncalli Catholic 20 def. Wayne 2   #9 Pierce 27 def. Aurora 21   #6 Scotus Central Catholic 49 def. Aquinas Catholic 7   #3 Sidney 35 def. Cozad 0   #1 Wahoo 55 def. Nebraska City 0   Yuma (CO) 21 def. Chase County 7   Class C1 saw most of the preseason Top 10 teams handle business on Friday Night. #1 Wahoo (W 55-0 v Nebraska City), #2 Central City (W 38-7 v Ord), #3 Sidney (W 35-0 over Cozad), #5 Columbus Lakeview (W 38-9 v Gross Catholic), #6 Scotus Central Catholic (W 49-7 v Aquinas), and #7 O'Neill (W 48-26) all flexed their muscle in Week 1 by winning their games handedly by double digits. The lone Top 10 matchup in this class resulted in #4 Ashland-Greenwood making a huge statement before next week's clash against #1 Wahoo with a convincing 48-0 win over #8 DC West. QB [player_tooltip player_id='1395928' first='Derek' last='Tonjes'] was very impressive with his 234 yards and four passing touchdowns while going 10 for 12 on passing attempts. Senior Cal Kissinger was on the receiving end of three of those touchdowns, recording a total of five receptions for 139 yards. #9 Pierce was pushed to the limit by an Aurora team that is just on the fringe of being "ranked," and narrowly walked away 1-0 with a 27-21 win. Senior RB [player_tooltip player_id='796576' first='Kaiden' last='Fritz']'s monster game with 28 carries, 235 rushing yards, and two touchdowns helped power the 'Jays over the Huskies.   Class C2   Archbishop Bergan 42 def. Conestoga 3   #2 Bishop Neumann 21 def. #1 Norfolk Catholic 14   #8 Cedar Catholic 21 def. #7 Boone Central 14   Cross County 35 def. #4 Battle Creek 14   #10 Doniphan-Trumbull 36 def. Amherst 7   #6 Grand Island Central Catholic 44 def. Hastings St. Cecilia 0   Hershey 54 def. Gibbon 0   #3 Kearney Catholic 37 def. St. Paul 14   Lincoln Lutheran 34 def. Lincoln Christian 12   Malcolm 49 def. North Bend Central 8   Mitchell 44 def. Wheatland (WY) 14   #5 Raymond Central 42 def. Fillmore Central 7   Tekamah-Herman 22 def. Ponca 21   Syracuse 32 def. Milford 20   West Point-Beemer 14 def. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 0   Yutan 28 def. South Sioux City (Class A) 0   Class C2 featured a couple of big-time upsets in Week 1. The first one was #2 Bishop Neumann avenging their only two losses from last season, including the state championship, against #1 Norfolk Catholic. Bishop Neumann's 21-14 win over Norfolk Catholic snapped the Knights' 39-game winning streak. Cross County also delivered a shocker with their impressive 35-14 win over #4 Battle Creek. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1405214' first='Tyion' last='Francis'] was pivotal in this win for the Cougars, recording 100 total yards and a rushing touchdown. In another battle of ranked teams, #8 Cedar Catholic pulled off the upset over #7 Boone Central in a close 21-14 victory. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1115003' first='Breiton' last='Whitmire']'s 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns lifted the Trojans over the Cardinals. #3 Kearney Catholic (W 37-14 v St. Paul), #5 Raymond Central (W 42-7 v Fillmore Central), and # 6 GICC (W 44-0 v St. Cecilia) all opened up the season with strong showings.   Class D1   Arcadia-Loup City 30 def. Hi-Line 14   Boyd County 68 def. North Central 24   #7 Bridgeport 44 def. North Platte St. Patrick's 28   David City 54 def. Centennial 20   EMF 32 def. Clarkson/Leigh 6   East Butler 74 def. Nebraska Lutheran 28   Elkhorn Valley 12 def. West Holt 6   Guardian Angels Central Catholic 21 def. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 8   Hartington-Newcastle 49 def. Ainsworth 26   Johnson County Central 52 def. Tri County 12   Kimball 44 def. Hyannis 24   Lourdes Central Catholic 56 def. Falls City Sacred Heart 14   Omaha Christian Academy 42 def. Madison 30   Mead 22 def. Weeping Water 14   #8 Plainview 29 def. Pender 26   Ravenna 64 def. Alma 26   #3 Sandy Creek 56 def. #6 Johnson-Brock 26   #4 Shelby-Rising City 54 def. Freeman 8   Southern 50 def. Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer 26   Summerland 51 def. NG/SE 0   Sutton 62 def. McCool Junction 34   #9 Thayer Central 66 def. Heartland 14   Twin River 74 def. Giltner 20   Wausa-Osmond 62 def. Wakefield 14   Class D1 experienced some shake-up on Thursday night with the upsets of #5 Stanton and #10 South Loup, but Friday Night seemed to play out as predicted for the most part. #3 Sandy Creek kicked off their title defense against #6 Johnson-Brock. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1590722' first='Kamerin' last='Sealey'] had a breakout performance in his first start at QB, recording 191 passing yards (10/16), 191 rushing yards, a passing touchdown, four rushing touchdowns, and a 56-26 win over the Eagles. #4 Shelby-Rising City also opened up with a commanding victory, defeating the Freeman Falcons 54-8 behind junior [player_tooltip player_id='1699843' first='Carter' last='Eickmeier']'s 164 rushing yards and four scores. #8 Plainview survived a scare against Pender, barely edging them out 29-26 for the win. #7 Bridgeport took down perennial playoff contender NP St. Patrick's in impressive fashion with a final score of 44-28. #9 Thayer Central defeated Heartland 66-14. The only huge shocker for D1 on Friday night came at the hands of a surging Class D2 team (read below).   Class D2   Anselmo-Merna 36 def. Sandhills/Thedford 34   #1 Archangels Catholic 54 def. Winside 0   Bancroft-Rosalie 42 def. TCNE (Tri County Northeast) 22   Bayard 52 def. Morrill 12   Bertrand 30 def. Kenesaw 26   Burwell 47 def. Elgin Public/Pope John 12   CWC 36 def. Randolph 0   Cambridge 68 def. Arapahoe 16   Cedar Bluffs 52 def. Walthill 14   #2 Central Valley 44 def. #10 Riverside 0   Creighton 54 def. Niobrara/Verdigre 22   Deshler 42 def. Osceola 36   Elm Creek 30 def. Pleasanton 19   Elmwood-Murdock 30 def. #5 BDS 16   Franklin 60 def. Southern Valley 34   Fullerton 56 def. Palmer 16   High Plains Community 16 def. Nebraska Christian 8   #9 Hitchcock County 54 def. Brady 6   #3 Howells-Dodge 28 def. #8 Lawrence-Nelson 24   #7 Loomis 46 def. Blue Hill 0   Lyons-Decatur Northeast 42 def. Homer 40   Maxwell 44 def. Sutherland 28   Neligh-Oakdale 34 def. Humphrey-Lindsay 30   Overton 67 def. Axtell 22   #5 St. Mary's 18 def. Twin Loup 13   Wilcox-Hildreth 60 def. Maywood-Hayes Center 12   #4 Wynot 78 def. #2 Crofton (Class D1) 76   Class D2 looks like a huge toss-up this season with multiple legit contenders across the state. One game that stood out big time was the result of #4 Wynot against Class D1's #2 Crofton. In what looks like a basketball score, the Blue Devils defeated the Crofton Warriors 78-76 in a 4OT barn-burner. Senior QB [player_tooltip player_id='1869970' first='Devin' last='Brummer'] was electric through the air, completing 23 of 27 pass attempts for 335 yards and a whopping seven touchdowns. He had two receivers go well over the 100-yard mark in Kotner Koch (11 receptions and 149 yards) and [player_tooltip player_id='1870073' first='Braylon' last='Hans'] (132 yards & 3 TDs). The two top-ranked teams in D2 pitched shutouts against their Week 1 opponents, with #1 Archangels Catholic beating Winside 54-0 and #2 Central Valley defeating #10 Riverside 44-0. #3 Howells-Dodge narrowly escaped #8 Lawrence-Nelson in a tough, but impressive 28-24 win. #5 St. Mary's was also in a tight game against Twin Loup, eventually holding on for the 18-13 win. #7 Loomis (W 46-0 v Blue Hill) and #9 Hitchcock County (W 54-6 v Brady) each had big wins to open the season.   Class D6   Diller-Odell 81 def. Harvard 0   #3 Garden County 79 def. Crawford 25   Hampton 43 def. Parkview Christian 14   Lewiston 69 def. Santee 7   Leyton 36 def. Fleming (CO) 20   #6 Pawnee City 28 def. Meridian 22   Sterling 44 def. Dorchester 25   #1 Stuart 75 def. Cody-Kilgore 8   #2 Sumner-Eddyville-Miller 44 def. Ansley-Litchfield 12   Wallace 44 def. #4 Arthur County 36   Wauneta-Palisade 44 def. South Platte 28   Class D6 features a shorter schedule compared to 11 and 8-man, so some teams started Week 1 with a bye. Now, from the teams that did play, most of the ranked teams won their season openers, some with more comfortable margins than others. Reigning 6-man champions, Stuart, kicked off their run at back-to-back titles with a dominant 75-8 win over Cody-Kilgore. #2 SEM (W 44-12 v Ansley-Litchfield) and #3 Garden County (W 79-25 v Crawford) also started 1-0 and stay right on Stuart's heels in the 6-man FB race. The biggest shock in D6 came from Wallace's upset over #4 Arthur County. Wallace, a team just on the fringe of the Top 10, showed they more than belonged with 379 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns as a team. #6 Pawnee survived a tight game with a 28-22 victory over Meridian.   <hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity" />   Make sure to follow @PRZ_OscarG for more news on Nebraska and Iowa HS recruiting.

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