Nate Most needs one completion tonight, maybe two, to be the first passer in state high school history to throw for 7,000 yards in his career.

And if Giltner can defeat Axtell for the second time this season in the second-round Eight Man-1 playoff game, Most will have a chance to be the first to throw 100 touchdown passes.

Most enters tonight’s 6:30 game at Axtell with 2,074 yards and 39 touchdowns this season, increasing his eight-man records to 6,984 yards and 95 touchdowns. He topped the all-class yardage mark of 6,793 by Scott Frost of Wood River against Silver Lake in the final regular-season game.

“It’s been pretty cool, knowing how big Scott Frost was,’’ Most said. “I’d certainly like to thank the lines and the receivers I’ve been around, because they all contributed to this. I’m glad, though, to get (the records) over with before getting into the playoffs so we’re not thinking about them.’’

Frost, who played 11-man high school football, started every game of his four-year high school career. Most, on the other hand, played fullback as a freshman until a midseason position switch.

“He’s smart in school. His ACT is in the 30s,’’ Hornets coach Jeff Ashby said. “And he’s very smart with the football.’’

Ashby, who became Most’s coach in his sophomore year, installed an offense styled after the University of Houston’s to use Most’s throwing skills. As a sophomore and junior, Most threw for 4,513 yards and 49 touchdowns.

He’s a better quarterback now, his coach said, although it took time for him to round into shape this fall after a broken wrist on his throwing arm. The injury happened in April during track season, when Most caught a hurdle and landed on the wrist. He then sprained the healing wrist during the summer while playing Legion baseball.

“I had to use part of the season to get my arm speed back up,’’ he said. “But having the wrist broken, I concentrated during the summer on a lot of leg lifts, and I’m able to run harder.’’

A more mobile quarterback is keeping defenses off-balance, Ashby said, and opening up passing lanes for the Hornets’ receiving corps that includes Shay Hinrichs, Cody Schacht and Luke Richards.

“Nate wasn’t getting through his progressions fast enough early in the season, because of the time he missed, and guys were wide open,” Ashby said. “But it came together for him about the fourth game of the year.

“He’s taking care of the football better, too. He threw an interception in the rain the other night. It was only his fourth of the season and first since we played (now-No. 1) Palmer the second game of the season.’’

Division II teams are swarming over the 6-foot, 200-pounder, Ashby said, with the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Wayne State, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Northwest Missouri State showing strong interest. The coach said national recruiting expert Jeremy Crabtree told him Most could be a low- to mid-level Division I player.

“But in talking to his dad, we know there’s probably not an NFL career for him so why not go somewhere to where he can play quite a bit,’’ Ashby said. “Nate wants to go into pharmacy school, and that will be the main thing, where he can play football and get the education to get to the (University of Nebraska) Med Center.’’

Contact the writer:

444-1041, stu.pospisil@owh.com