Nevada won a state championship last season with a senior-dominated lineup. The Cubs boasted playmakers all around the formation in every phase, but if you watched them in person at all during the year it was obvious that controlling the trenches was the key to the crown. While they’ll need to replace a lot of the up-front production following graduation losses, guys like Happe return to form a strong foundation. The sophomore came up with 31.0 tackles (14 solo) last season. He had 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Happe is a physical linebacker that stands out for his broad base of skills. As we can see when watching his 11th-grade highlight video, there’s tight coverage and strong run support. The athleticism, agility and physicality also play well on special teams.

Nevada received a bulk of its contributions from seniors on the way to winning the Class 3A state championship this past fall. The Cubs will bring back guys that were key members of the title run, however. The sophomore Happe falls into the category. He recorded 31.0 tackles, 14 of which were solo stops. Happe proved disruptive with 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. A non-district highlight video offers up evidence of his versatility as a linebacker. He makes plays lining up off the edge or shifting to the middle of the defense’s second level. Happe is fast to the football and physical upon arrival, finishing plays with sound tackling technique. He runs well sideline to sideline and in a straight line.