Nebraska鈥檚 top-ranked high school football team loaded with potential to end 38-year title drought
OMAHA, Neb. (BVM) 鈥� Omaha Westside鈥檚 football program has been close to ending its long state title drought before. The Warriors reached the championship game in 2006, 2013 and last year, only to fall short of winning it all for the first time since earning back-to-back titles in 1981 and 1982.聽
They set the expectation of winning the final game of the season every year, but this one might be their best shot yet. Westside has all of the experience and talent a team could want, including four standout senior difference-makers who are already committed to Division I college programs, and as the No. 1 high school football team in Nebraska heading into the season.
鈥淲e try not to worry about the expectations,鈥� Westside head coach Brett Froendt said, 鈥渂ut we have high expectations ourselves and we just have to focus on ourselves the best we can. Of course that鈥檚 coach speak, but Thursday night we鈥檒l find out where we are.鈥�
That night of Aug. 27, the Warriors will play their opener at home against Creighton Prep, and it could be the start of a special season for a team that has plenty of reason to believe it will see a lot of success this fall.聽
One of the biggest reasons for Westside to feel confident is the return of Avante Dickerson, a senior two-way star who鈥檚 considered the best player in the state and is rated as the No. 47 overall recruit among for the Class of 2021. The Minnesota commit is a shutdown cornerback who鈥檚 only allowed one touchdown pass in his high school career and he鈥檚 also a dynamic playmaker on offense for the Warriors, who utilize him out of the backfield, at wideout and in the slot.
鈥淚f you have a corner who can lock a receiver down that makes your whole defense better and that鈥檚 what he鈥檚 been able to do,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淥ffensively, he gives us a lot of ability because we move him to three different positions so it鈥檚 difficult to match up against him. … That value is limitless and his talents are even better this year so we鈥檙e excited to see what he can do.鈥�
Froendt鈥檚 offense will be led by the same quarterback for the third year in a row, a luxury most teams don鈥檛 have. Even fewer teams have a dual-threat QB like senior Cole Payton. The North Dakota State recruit rushed for over 850 yards and 15 touchdowns while also passing for nearly 2,000 yards and 24 TDs for the Warriors last season.
鈥淎nytime you have a third-year quarterback, that鈥檚 pretty special,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 grown athletically, he鈥檚 a man and he鈥檚 a great leader of our football team so that鈥檚 comforting coming in. He鈥檚 been under fire. He鈥檚 been in the biggest games under the brightest lights and that鈥檚 the position you want that guy in.鈥�
Westside鈥檚 third returning all-state player is two-way senior lineman Cade Haberman. The 6-foot-2, 270-pound Northern Illinois commit anchors both the offensive and defensive lines for the Warriors. He鈥檚 also a two-time state runner-up wrestler.
鈥淭he kid鈥檚 a grappler and we made a playoff run last year because we moved him to different positions on the defensive line and he鈥檚 without question the best lineman in the state in my opinion,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淗e went up against the best last year and did very well. He鈥檚 incredibly valuable and we鈥檒l use him on both sides of the ball as much as we can.鈥澛�
The Warriors will do the same with senior Koby Bretz, a standout 6-foot-3, 180-pound wide receiver and defensive back who recently committed to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Froendt considers Bretz to be one of his most valuable players because of what he provides with his speed, range and athleticism on offense and defense.
鈥淥ffensively, to be able to highball a football to catch a ball and to work the space in the secondary, he鈥檚 just special,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淲e haven鈥檛 seen his athleticism with that size around this school since I鈥檝e been here in 30 years. He鈥檚 an exciting player and he鈥檚 going to have a great football season.鈥�
It could be a great season for the Warriors, but it will undoubtedly be a unique one considering the circumstances of playing football amid an ongoing pandemic. Fifteen states have decided not to play high school football this fall, but Nebraska, which hosted the Shrine Bowl last month 鈥� the first football game to be held since the COVID-19 outbreak 鈥� is among the many states moving forward with the plan to play under new safety guidelines.
鈥淓verything we do in practice, before and after, pre-game, during the game, everything is altered and that鈥檚 been a big adjustment for coaches and players,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be a totally different experience playing a great prep game in front of 500 people instead of six or seven thousand and we have to adjust our mindset to that. It鈥檚 been a difficult process to plan, it鈥檚 been a difficult process to execute, but in the end, the kids just want to play football and that鈥檚 what we鈥檙e going to do and we鈥檙e very fortunate to be doing that.鈥�
Like all football programs playing this fall, Westside hopes to be fortunate enough to complete its entire season without interruption. But not every team possesses the Warriors鈥� potential, which could lead to the end of a 38-year state title drought.
鈥淭he expectation of our program is to get there and win it, so we let the team know that early on,鈥� Froendt said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important that every team knows the history and the expectations and the kids want a title for the school and the community. Everybody said we finished one game away, but we鈥檙e 13 games away so we have a lot of work to do.鈥�
