HASTINGS — The running back headliner’s last fall played the big game – 11-man football.
And, for good measure.
Sutton’s Noah Johnson – a Nebraska preferred walk-on – averaged nearly 300 yards per contest while running for 2,892 yards in ten games for the Mustangs. And, Omaha North’s Calvin Strong – a South Dakota commit – ran for 2,358 yards as he led the Vikings to their second consecutive Class A state title.
Johnson led the state in rushing and Strong was fifth. The rest of the top-ten? Seven 8-man players and Oakland-Craig’s Nick Arlt who ran for 2,274 yards.
Of those seven, six will play in the Sertoma 8-Man All-Star Game at Hastings College that kicks off Saturday at 1:30. The only one missing, Exeter-Milligan’s Kyle Jensen was selected but is not playing after suffering a hand injury during the Shrine Bowl.
The level of talent at the 38th annual contest is not lost on the participants, including Hemingford’s Ethan Skinner who ran for 2,695 yards in the Bobcats state championship season.
“The level of talent here this week has just been unbelievable,” Skinner said after practice on Thursday night. “Some of played in the west Nebraska All-Star game last week and I think just about any of our guys here could have played in that game.”
Skinner, who will play his final game before pursuing a veterinary career at the University of Wyoming, will team with Maxwell back Jaylon Sturdivant as part of a duo that ran for over 5,500 yards last fall. Sturdivant ran from 2,823 yards as Maxwell advanced to the D-2 semifinals.
West head coach Lance Howitt will also have the luxury of his 1,500 yard rusher Alex Kunz at quarterback. In addition, Elm Creek back Christian Best (2,335 yards) will also see time for the West on offense.
“It’s not very often you get this much talent together,” Howitt said. “We will have one of the best runners in the state playing defense for us.”
With all the talent put together it will take some special players on both sides the ball to stop opposing offenses. And both teams will employ runners to slow down the other team.
For Howitt and the West they have Anselmo-Merna’s Trent Geiser (2,430 yards) playing in the defensive backfield and the East team has 1,000 yard rushers Jesse Faltys (Howells-Dodge) and Carson Huenefeld (Nebraska Christian) playing linebacker to slow down the West side.
For Fullerton running back Garrett Sonderup, he is excited to play his final 8-man game before heading to Doane College in the fall. He said the action in the smaller game should make it fun for the fans to watch as well.
“I think sometimes, 8-man football gets a little bit of a bad wrap,” said Sonderup who ran for over 5,000 yards in his career and 2,319 last fall as the Warriors went 10-1. “People in 11-man think it’s not football and we just throw it around.
“It is a little more unpredictable game. It will be fast paced with great athletes and it will be fun to watch.”
Sonderup has no slouch in his backfield as well. He’ll team with Humphery St. Francis back JJ Oltmer (1,978 yards) and the East plans to play a pair of all-state quarterbacks in BDS’ Grant Norder and Giltner’s Ben Hinrichs.
East coach Blair Kalin likes his teams potential on offense as well.
“You’d like to think you with the amount of talent you have you could go out and win a few games during the season with these guys,” Kalin said. “But this game should be fun, there are great players on both sides.”
Recently, the game has gone through streaks of each side winning. Since 2000, the East holds an 8-7 lead, but both squads have had six game winning streaks. The East ended a West run last year with a 38-14 win and leads the all-time series 20-17.
Watch the game LIVE tomorrow at 1:30pm here.
