Thursday night lights are back! We got a great game at Buell Stadium in Omaha on Thursday when the No. 4 ranked Millard West Wildcats took on the No. 6 Elkhorn South Storm in a top ten matchup to kick the season off. The Storm took the game 30-28 with a game-winning field goal from Carson Crouch with nine seconds left in the game.
Short FG is good for @ESStormFootball to give them the 30-28 lead with 9 seconds left in the game. #nebpreps pic.twitter.com/xtr84yDWgk
— Greg Smith (@GregSmithHV) August 28, 2020
The game featured Huskers’ 2021 4-star offensive tackle commit Teddy Prochazka who stars for Elkhorn South.
Here are my five thoughts on the game.
Great to Have Football
Even though I went into the night knowing things would feel and look different than normal, it was still jarring to see. There was not the usual crowd for a game like this early in the season. No student sections were allowed for either team. The band didn’t perform during the pregame festivities. Yet it was still a lot of fun to just be out seeing high school football again. The players certainly enjoyed themselves and are making the most of the opportunity.
Heat Played a Role
There are usually a couple things you can count on during these early season matchups. The heat being a factor and sloppy football as teams get back in the swing of playing in real games are two of those things.
I was pleasantly surprised at how clean the football was, especially since every team playing was disrupted in some way by COVID-19. Still, the high temperature did play a role. Fatigue set in early for both teams and there was a lot of cramping going on. The majority of that was from Elkhorn South. There will be plenty of players on the search for liquids after that game.
Star Missing in Action
One of the players I was most looking forward to seeing in action Thursday night was Elkhorn South star linebacker Makhi Nelson-Douglas. The recent Northern Illinois commit led the Storm with 10 sacks in 2019. He is poised for a breakout senior season.
We found out after the game that he had to sit out of the game because he had contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. It was huge for Elkhorn South to battle through and win the game without a key cog in their defense.
Bo Wieseler was Everywhere
The senior athlete (5-11, 200) did a little bit of everything for Elkhorn South on Thursday night. He ran the ball well from his running back position and did his part to keep the chains moving. Wiessler also played well on defense, getting in on several tackles all the game. His strong play on defense was needed in the absence of Nelson-Douglas. It will be tough on opposing offenses when the pair is back on the field together soon.
Prochazka Looks Like a Big Ten Lineman
Listed at 6-foot-9 and 300 pounds, the 4-star Huskers offensive line commit certainly looks the part. He’s an imposing player for high school players to match up against with every play. In addition to holding down the left tackle spot for the Storm, he also plays quite a bit of defense. His size alone makes him disruptive on defense but offensive line is where his future is. Prochazka helped his team control the line of scrimmage on Thursday night.
While he’s added good weight, Prochazka wasn’t in midseason form just yet. I’m excited to see him down the road this season when he’s got a few games under his belt.
Greg is the Recruiting Analyst for Hail Varsity and has covered Husker athletics since 2013. He has always had a passion for sports while growing up in the Chicago area. As he got older and had to hang up his cleats and sneakers, he realized his passion for sports went beyond just watching and attending games. He has covered many events from the Rose Bowl to championship boxing matches. If he’s not talking sports, he’s hovering over his grill. He is married to an amazing woman, Kim, and they have a dog that barks when Greg yells at the TV during games.
