Breaking down the Class A state final
Here’s a look at the Class A state football final.
No. 1.
Making adjustments: Millard South’s rejuvenated team has won six straight games and avenged two of its three losses. “We made some scheme changes, not big ones, and personnel changes, not huge ones, just enough to make a difference,” said Patriots coach Andy Means. “We sat down with the captains and got the ship back going.” Trailing Elkhorn 19-0 in the first round of the playoffs, Millard South switched to a no-huddle offense and scored just before halftime. Since then, the Patriots have scored 94 points. “When we won in 1995, our losses were to Papillion and Millard North and we avenged them in the semifinals and final,” said Means. “You don’t get many do-overs in life and now we’re getting another chance.”
No. 2 Millard West has a prolific offense, averaging 427.8 yards a game. “I keep my head out of offense. Seth Turman does a great job of running our offense,” said coach Kirk Peterson. “Offense is not my makeup. I can’t think that way.” Nate Hauptman has thrown for 1,517, 565 of them to Tyler Niederklein, and Class A sprint champion Kohlman Adema-Schulte has rushed for 1,340. “They’ll spread you out. They get the ball to their playmakers, have a ton of formations and motion,” said Means. “Pressure helps against any team that throws and one of our things this season is the development of the defensive line.”
High-powered attack:
No. 3 Millard South was preseason No. 1 before tumbling with its three losses. Millard West is undefeated, ranked second and beat the Patriots 15-12 in the regular season. “We took kind of a round-about way to the final,” Means said. Peterson admitted this is a surprise. “Last year, we had such a good team and lost in the semifinals in overtime,” he said. “I’m the most pessimistic guy in the building. When we checked out equipment, I said we might win two or three games. But this year has more paralleled the 2001 season (the Wildcats’ championship year).”
Role reversals:
— Ryly Jane Hambleton
No. 1.
Making adjustments: Millard South’s rejuvenated team has won six straight games and avenged two of its three losses. “We made some scheme changes, not big ones, and personnel changes, not huge ones, just enough to make a difference,” said Patriots coach Andy Means. “We sat down with the captains and got the ship back going.” Trailing Elkhorn 19-0 in the first round of the playoffs, Millard South switched to a no-huddle offense and scored just before halftime. Since then, the Patriots have scored 94 points. “When we won in 1995, our losses were to Papillion and Millard North and we avenged them in the semifinals and final,” said Means. “You don’t get many do-overs in life and now we’re getting another chance.”
No. 2 Millard West has a prolific offense, averaging 427.8 yards a game. “I keep my head out of offense. Seth Turman does a great job of running our offense,” said coach Kirk Peterson. “Offense is not my makeup. I can’t think that way.” Nate Hauptman has thrown for 1,517, 565 of them to Tyler Niederklein, and Class A sprint champion Kohlman Adema-Schulte has rushed for 1,340. “They’ll spread you out. They get the ball to their playmakers, have a ton of formations and motion,” said Means. “Pressure helps against any team that throws and one of our things this season is the development of the defensive line.”
High-powered attack:
No. 3 Millard South was preseason No. 1 before tumbling with its three losses. Millard West is undefeated, ranked second and beat the Patriots 15-12 in the regular season. “We took kind of a round-about way to the final,” Means said. Peterson admitted this is a surprise. “Last year, we had such a good team and lost in the semifinals in overtime,” he said. “I’m the most pessimistic guy in the building. When we checked out equipment, I said we might win two or three games. But this year has more paralleled the 2001 season (the Wildcats’ championship year).”
Role reversals:
— Ryly Jane Hambleton
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