Some new and some very familiar teams win 2024 state titles
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
The 50th NSAA football playoffs came to an end at Memorial Stadium on Monday, November 25 and Tuesday, November 26 with two 8-man and four 11-man state championship games, concluding Tuesday evening as Omaha Skutt Catholic outlasted three-time defending champion Bennington, 29-26.
It ended a classic few days of games where six other state champions were crowned: Millard South (Class A), Wahoo (Class C-1), Norfolk Catholic (Class C-2), Sandy Creek (Class D-1), Central Valley (Class D-2) and Stuart (Class D-6).
Below is a game recap of each contest.
Class A: Patriot defense powers way to first state title since 2009
In a game that many thought could turn into an offensive showcase it was the Millard South defense that stole the show in a 27-10 win in the Class A state championship on Monday night.
Aside from Tay Tay Jenkins’ 63-yard touchdown run that gave Omaha Westside a 10-6 halftime lead, the Patriot defense held the Warriors to 102 yards on 55 plays. They sacked Westside quarterback Braylon Warren seven times in the contest and he was 8-for-18 passing for just 51 yards.
“It wasn’t our prettiest performance, but they all count the same,” Millard South coach Ty Wisdom said. “They gutted it out and found a way.”
The Patriots finally found a groove on offense taking the lead in the third quarter when Aamir Hill caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jett Thomalla which capped a 99-yard scoring drive. It was aided by a facemask penalty on Westside on a third down play deep in Patriot territory that would have ended the drive.
South threatened to put the game out of reach on their next drive but Westside held and the Patriots then missed a 30-yard field goal. On the ensuing possession, the Warrior defense made their biggest play.
On fourth-and-2 from their own 28 with 7:30 left, Westside opted to go for the first down and Warren was bottled up by Daxton Williams and Easton Villotta for a 1-yard loss. Hill caught an 11-yard pass 90 seconds later and the Patriots were in control.
Hill finished the game with 15 touches for 164 yards and three touchdowns, all in the second half. His 81-yard run with 2:16 left put the game out of reach.
COACH SPEAK: “I am really proud of our kids. Just a great group,” Wisdom said. “They are so fun to be around. We will enjoy this for a few days; build off of it. And then try to run it back.”
NOTEWORTHY: Millard South won their third state championship in school history and first since 2009… Omaha Westside’s Class A record 32-game win streak came to an end in the loss… Westside played the game without head coach Paul Limongi who was hospitalized over the weekend prior to the game… The Patriots won their 12th straight after an opening weekend loss to Basha (AZ), which is ranked 36th nationally by MaxPreps and will play for the “Open Division” state championship on Saturday.
Class B: Skutt survives Badger comeback for state title
As good as their regular season game was, when Omaha Skutt ended Bennington’s 46-game win streak in a 38-30 win, the state final game was better while following nearly the same script in Skutt’s 29-26 win over the Badgers.
A big Skutt lead, just like the first? Yes. The Skyhawks led 21-6 at the half.
A strong second half comeback from the never-say-die Badgers? Sure thing. They forged ahead 26-21 on the opening play of the fourth quarter on Kyler Lauridsen’s 34-yard run on an option play.
“Just like the first time we played them,” Skutt coach Matt Turman said. “They are a champion program and we told our kids we’d have to knock them out. We didn’t get the knockout punch. They made their comeback which we knew they would.”
But, it was Skutt’s answer, again, that won them the game and this time, the state championship.
It was Dylan Van Dyke running for his life – mostly – and keeping plays alive until he could find an open receiver. In total, it was 13 plays and 80 yards, culminating when he connected with Joe Kolega for a 19-yards score before running in the conversion.
After the teams then traded a fumble and an interception, Bennington marched the field – 13 plays and 76 yards – before the Skutt defense made one final stop at their 21 yard line with 30 seconds left to secure the title.
COACH SPEAK: “We are a rushing team. But I just told our coaches that we are just going to do whatever we have to do and that’s what we did. They are so good against the run, we just said why bang our head against the wall if we don’t have to.” – Skutt coach Matt Turman on rushing for 7 yards and passing for 380 in the game.
NOTEWORTHY: Van Dyke and Kolega each set state records. Van Dyke with 3,457 yards passing this season and Kolega for receptions (82) and yards (1,634) and 20 touchdowns… Lauridsen – a defensive stalwart for the Badgers – carried a heavy load in the finals; 29 carries for 218 yards and four touchdowns. He had 28 carries on the season coming into the game… “It didn’t fall our way tonight. But, nothing will change the way I feel about this team. I am as proud of this trophy as the other ones.” – Bennington coach Kam Lenhardt after the Badgers three-year title run ended.
Class C-1: Picked off — Wahoo intercepts it’s way to title over Central City
In the 2023 state championship game, Wahoo failed to score in a 12-0 loss to Boone Central.
A year later, the Warriors capped an impressive season with a 47-7 state finals win and the most ever points in a season in Class C-1. While the offense took a bit to get untracked it was the seven interceptions from the Warrior defense that stole the show.
“Our defense really set the table for us,” Wahoo coach Chad Fox said. “We haven’t had that many takeaways (in a game) but we needed them because we turned it over a few times too.”
Scoreless through the first 19 minutes, defensive back Landon Fye appropriately opened the scoring with a 33-yard scoop and score of a backwards pass. The Warriors got a two-score lead when Kip Brigham scored on a 5-yard run just before half.
After Central City — playing in their first-ever state final — got within 20-7 on an 87-yard pass from Parker Zikmund to Turner Hanke, it was all Warriors.
Wahoo held the Bison to 178 yards of offense and forced eight total turnovers, a Class C-1 title game record. Brigham ran for 133 yards and two scores as the Warriors clinched their second state championship.
COACH SPEAK: “Really proud of the kids,” Fox said. “They did a great job all year. It’s not often you see teenagers focused for 15 straight weeks. We had had a target on our back, everyone picked them to be No. 1 at the beginning of the year. They didn’t flinch one time.”
NOTEWORTHY: Wahoo outscored their playoff opponents 209-28 and allowed 14 points or more just three times in 13 contests… Brigham finished the season with 2,033 yards, but on just 156 carries; a 12.3 yards per carry average… Central City had won five playoff games in school history prior to this run… Zikmund ended the season with 2,545 yards passing and running back Corbin Kyes, whose season ended in the first half with a knee injury, had 1,998 yards rushing.
Class C-2: Knights bounce Neumann; get third straight title
While the start was slow for Norfolk Catholic in the Class C-2 state championship, the end result was both familiar and sweet at the same time. The Knights, with a 27-13 win over Bishop Neumann, won their third straight Class C-2 title and 39th consecutive game.
Neumann scored first on Nebraska commit Conor Booth’s 6-yard run before NC answered right before half in the two-minute drill. Quarterback Max Hammond led the 8-play, 74-yard drive that took just 1:13 when he fired a 9-yard pass to Trevin Sukup for a 7-6 lead at the break.
“Neumann is a fantastic football team and I don’t know that we played as well as we could have in the first half,” NC coach Jeff Bellar said. “We had some drops that we don’t normally have but we were more complete in the second half. We relaxed more and sometimes that is hard to do.
“We regrouped and played a good second half.”
The Knights put the game away in the final 12 minutes. Sukup went 29 yards with 8:02 left and then, after a defensive stop, Hammond connected with Callen Marshall for a 62-yard score with 4:10 left that put the game on ice.
Marshall was 12-for-18 passing for 158 yards and two touchdowns while Sukup added 142 yards on 23 carries on the ground. Hampered by an injury suffered in the semifinals, the Knights held Booth to 49 yards on 15 carries.
COACH SPEAK: “I am just getting old,” Bellar said of his 12th state title and NC’s record 13th. “They are all special because they are all different. A different unit. Some of these guys helped us last year, but a lot of new faces stepped up.”
NOTEWORTHY: Norfolk Catholic became the fourth Class C-2 team in the playoff era to win three straight state titles (Grant, twice; Cambridge). No team has won four consecutive… With 39 straight wins, an unbeaten regular season in 2025 would tie Cambridge for the longest win streak in the class at 48… Bellar – the state’s all-time win leader – is now 419-77 in his career… Booth finished the season with 2,956 yards, breaking Noah Johnson’s (Sutton) season class record.
Class D-1: First title is sweet for Sandy Creek
The two-point conversion is sometimes the play that decides an 8-man football game. In a Class D-1 classic between Stanton and Sandy Creek, it was certainly the difference.
Sandy Creek capped their 13-0 season with a 44-42 win over the defending champion Mustangs by converting on four conversions to Stanton’s three to claim their first state title in school history. But, oh there was so much else.
No one deserved to lose, really.
“What an unbelievable team,” Sandy Creek coach Andrew Kuta said of Stanton. “They play the game the right way. They are physical and relentless. I couldn’t be more proud of the perseverance our guys showed, down two scores early.
“We just thought if we could just hang in there and take advantage of a couple opportunities if we got them we would have a chance.”
Stanton jumped to a 20-6 lead early with the help of a recovered onside kick. But, SC came back to tie on a 36-yard Ethan Shaw run and a 54-yard reception by Connor Rempe after the Cougars’ Hudson Devlin recovered a fumble.
SC reversed their 28-20 halftime deficit with third quarter touchdown passes from Shaw to Wes Biltoft and then to Rempe again.
Stanton’s Barrett Wilke — who had five touchdowns and 248 yards rushing — tied the game at 36 with 6:52 left in the third quarter but SC quickly countered with Shaw’s 7-yard run.
When Stanton scored with 9:48 left on Wilke’s 3-yard run, Rempe’s tackle on the edge during the conversion play proved the difference. He later brought down Wilke on fourth down with 4:07 left before the Cougars ran out the clock.
COACH SPEAK: “I couldn’t be more proud of what (our seniors) came in and did,” Kuta said. “They came into a program that was 3-6 for three years in a row. Making the transition to 8-man was difficult for all of us – we had so much to learn. They continued to persevere. I just couldn’t be happier for those guys.”
NOTEWORTHY: Shaw finished the season with 67 total touchdowns (37 passing, 30 rushing), 2,026 yards passing and 1,698 rushing… Wilke and Becker Pohlman combined for 4,361 yards rushing on the season… It was the first-ever state finals football appearance for Sandy Creek.
Class D-2: Hot start propels Central Valley to first state championship
Central Valley left little to chance in their rematch with neighbor Riverside in the Class D-2 state championship game.
The Cougars scored on their first six possessions offensively and forced four turnovers in jumping to a 46-6 halftime lead before winning the title 52-12, with the second half played under the running clock rule.
“It was a great start,” Central Valley coach Chip Bartos said. “The kids came into the postseason with extra determination, extra motivation to do everything in their power for us to be successful. I really like this feeling, it’s a pretty special feeling.”
CV scored on the opening possession of the contest and after stopping Riverside on their first try quarterback Zaden Wolf ripped off a 41-yard touchdown run.
After a three-and-out, Wolf added a 60-yard touchdown run and the route was on when Riverside fumbled on their next play from scrimmage. Grady Kelly’s 1-yard run capped a 9-play, 30-yard drive that made the score 32-0 with 11:25 left in the second quarter. The Cougars even added a pair of pick-six interceptions from Gunner Vanosdall and Boston Wood.
Central Valley — which had defeated Riverside in the first game of the season 50-42 — outgained the Chargers just 289-234, but needed only 39 plays on offense.
Wolf ran for 153 yards on 13 carries and Kelly added 92 yards in 15 attempts. The Cougars completed just one pass. Charger quarterback Larry Diessner threw for 113 yards and two touchdowns, but was intercepted three times.
COACH SPEAK: “We were able to get the hands on the ball, get pressure on the quarterback and make big plays like that,” Bartos said of the pair of interceptions. “The offense got us going and then the defense maintained it for the rest of the game.”
NOTEWORTHY: Central Valley won their first state title in consolidated school history. The three previous schools that make up CV – Wolbach, Greeley and North Loup-Scotia – had combined for four titles… After his electric state final appearance, Cougar quarterback Zaden Wolf donned a sport coat for the Class A game as he was honored with the NSAA Believers and Achievers Award… Riverside won eight straight after a 2-2 start that included losses to CV and Archangels Catholic, which was also a semifinalist… It was the first ever eight-man state title game that pitted two teams from the same conference.
Class D-6: With late score, Stuart makes history
In week two of the regular season, defending six-man champion SEM scored late to edge Stuart, 36-33. In the state final at Nebraska-Kearney’s Cope Stadium, the third-seeded Broncos reversed the script and secured their first state championship with a 42-38 upset of the Mustangs.
Leading 38-36 and with the ball near midfield, SEM faced a fourth down. A first down likely wins the game. As the Mustangs rolled the dice, Gavynn Mustion intercepted Chance Daake’s pass and returned it to the 15-yard line. Three plays later, Stuart quarterback Kayde Ramm scrambled in from the 4 with 20 seconds left.
“We figured they would go for it (on fourth down), but we weren’t sure what kind of play they would run,” Stuart head coach Colin Schurman said. “We told our defensive backs to be ready for play action. Gavynn played it perfectly.”
Ramm’s run was the culmination of a classic duel.
Stuart had 317 yards on 54 plays. SEM had 318 yards on 49 plays. Each team punted twice. Stuart lead time of possession 20:07-19:53. But, still what lingered was the lone turnover of the game, which set up the game winner.
Maddox Jones led SEM with 116 yards on 22 carries and he scored three times, the first two giving SEM a 16-0 lead. Stuart fought back to within 24-16 at the half, scoring late when Drew Schmaderer took a “hook and lateral” pitch from Ben Paxton with 43 seconds left in the second quarter.
When Owen Littau scored on the opening drive of the second half, it tied the contest and put the game in back-and-forth mode to the end.
COACH SPEAK: “It was the longest 1:39 of my life. But we just did what we did all year. We tried to get the ball to Kayde and let him throw it or run it. I kind of ripped into (Kayde) at halftime that he was being a little too unselfish and that he needed to run the ball a little bit more,” Schurman said of the final scoring drive.
NOTEWORTHY: It was the first state championship in school history in a boys sport for Stuart… “I am so happy for our kids,” Schurman said. SEM had defeated Stuart five straight times including earlier in the season, twice in 2023 and in regular season games in 2021 and 2022…The Mustangs had a 23-game win streak snapped.
Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.