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The Pinnacle Bank Game of the Week features No. 1 Bellevue West versus No. 4 Elkhorn South. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday at Bellevue West's Fairman Field.
The two teams met twice last season, and Bellevue West won both games — 38-3 in the regular season and 38-31 in the quarterfinals of the state playoffs.
"Elkhorn South is a really good football team that combines good size, good speed and good coaching to create a fantastic opponent for Friday night," Bellevue West coach Michael Huffman said. "We are excited to throw all the chips in and see how it plays out."
Both teams have rolled to 3-0 records to start the season. Bellevue West has outscored its three opponents 177-9, and Elkhorn South has outscored opponents 134-34.​
"Bellevue West threatens the whole field on offense and has multiple playmakers." Elkhorn South coach Guy Rosenberg said. "On defense they have excellent team speed and pursue well. We're excited for the challenge. It should be a great atmosphere for football."
Bellevue West is led offensively by senior running back Jay Ducker, a Northern Illinois commit who has rushed for 509 yards and nine touchdowns on 27 carries. He also has four catches for 41 yards and one touchdown. Nebraska commit Zavier Betts is off to a blistering start of his own with 11 catches for 386 yards and five touchdowns.
Elkhorn South has some firepower of its own. Senior running back Eli Hustad is off to a strong start and is the lead back for the Storm. Senior Blaze Doxzon and sophomore Ben Warren are threats out of the backfield as well.
Linebackers for both teams will have their hands full.
Elkhorn South senior Jack Paradis is the leader in the middle for the Storm. Opposite Paradis at middle linebacker is junior Bo Wieseler. Sophomore Koy Wilke will only get better with more experience. Junior Makhi Nelson-Douglas has the speed and strength to disrupt the Bellevue West attack.
Bellevue West will need big plays from junior linebacker Ryan Rogers and junior strong safety Jack McDonnell, who is the team's leading tackler with 24 total tackles and five for loss. ​
The two quarterbacks are undervalued when talking about the best in the state. Both are a threat on the ground and through the air.
Bellevue West senior Nate Glantz has a blistering 65% completion rate and is yet to throw an interception. Storm quarterback Elliott Brown complied over 1,000 yards in 2018 and is more of a running threat than a passing threat.
With two good coaching staffs, it is likely that other options offensively will be need to make plays.
After missing the first three games due to a foot injury, South Dakota State commit Nate Sullivan will make his season debut for Bellevue West. Sullivan will provide even more firepower to the T-Bird offense and will rotate in at safety.
Junior Keagan Johnson is off to a strong start for the T-Birds. The two-way player is second on the team with 10 receptions and three touchdowns, and he's versatile enough to play both safety and cornerback.
Two big-bodied sophomore receivers — Kaden Helms and Micah Riley — are threats from the slot.
Along with Hustad and Brown, the Storm will likely rely on an emerging group of playmaking wide receivers. Junior slot receiver Guy Hunt and junior Zach Michener are more than capable of making plays to open up the Storm offense.
"Offensively they utilize deception and big-bodied lineman to create running lanes and throw just enough to keep you honest," Huffman said.
Elkhorn South has one of the better offensive lines in the state, led by three juniors. Along with 6-foot-9, 285-pound tackle Teddy Prochazka, center Isaac Zatechka and Cooper Taylor started as sophomores last season.
Bellevue West's line will have a challenge, but a strong group of seniors — Thomas Ault, TJ Griffin, Kameron Kodat, and Caden Lind — have the experience advantage. Sophomore Henry Rickels has developed nicely and provides strong depth for the T-Birds.
Photos: Division I basketball and football recruits in Nebraska for the 2020 class
These are the basketball and football players from Nebraska in the 2020 class who have at least one Division I scholarship offer. Did we miss anyone? Let us know by sending an email to mike.sautter@owh.com
1 of 45
Zavier Betts, Bellevue West
Committed: Nebraska
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Will Swanson, Papillion-La Vista South
Committed: Kansas State
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Xavier Watts, Omaha Burke
Committed: Notre Dame
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Isaac Gifford, Lincoln Southeast
Offers: Oregon State, Air Force, Army, Colorado State, New Mexico State, Wyoming, Northern Iowa
ELSIE STORMBERG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Joey Braasch, Columbus
Committed:Â Wyoming
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Jay Ducker, Bellevue West
Committed: Northern Illinois
JULIA NAGY/THE WORLD-HERALD
Kohl Herbolsheimer, Millard South
Committed: Wyoming
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Caleb Robinson, Omaha Burke
Committed: Wyoming
RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Teivis Tuioti, Lincoln Southeast
Committed: Nevada
ELSIE STORMBERG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Ty Hahn, Johnson-Brock
Offers:Â Wyoming, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, South Dakota State, Western Illinois
BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Bryce Kitrell, Ashland-Greenwood
Offers: Ohio
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Blake Anderson, Omaha Skutt
Committed: Northern Iowa
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Isaac Appleget, Lincoln Southeast
Committed: South Dakota State
ELSIE STORMBERG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Dalys Beanum, Millard West
Committed: South Dakota State
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Abe Hoskins, Omaha Central
Committed: South Dakota State
REBECCA S. GRATZ/THE WORLD-HERALD
Tyson Gordon, Omaha Skutt
Committed: North Dakota State
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Kason Kelley, Millard North
Committed: North Dakota
Z LONG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Miko Maessner, Kearney
Committed: Princeton
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
Kaedyn Odermann, Millard West
Committed: Harvard
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Chase Perchal, Millard South
Committed:Â North Dakota
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Marques Sigle, Omaha North
Committed: North Dakota State
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Nate Sullivan, Bellevue West
Committed: South Dakota State
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
Wyatt Seagren, Oakland-Craig
Committed: South Dakota State
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Mason Armstead, Omaha Creighton Prep
Offers: Dartmouth, Harvard, North Dakota, Northern Iowa, Princeton, South Dakota State, Stetson, Yale, Youngstown State
CHRIS MACHIAN/THE WORLD-HERALD
Thomas Ault, Bellevue West
Offers: Youngstown State
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Sam Clarkson, Scottsbluff
Offers: Northern Colorado
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Grant McKinsey, Lincoln Southwest
Offers: Southeast Missouri State
ELSIE STORMBERG/THE WORLD-HERALD
Paxton Swanson. Platteview
Offers: South Dakota, Western Illinois
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE
Isaiah Harris, Millard South
Committed: Nebraska walk-on (had D-I scholarship offer from North Dakota)
KAYLA WOLF/THE WORLD-HERALD
Ashton Hausmann, Norris
Committed: Nebraska walk-on (had D-I scholarship offer from Incarnate Word)
MIKE SAUTTER/THE WORLD-HERALD
Grant Tagge, Omaha Westside
Committed: Nebraska walk-on (had D-I scholarship offers from Northern Illinois and South Dakota State)
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Please keep it clean, turn off CAPS LOCK and don't threaten anyone. Be truthful, nice and proactive. And share with us - we love to hear eyewitness accounts.