BROKEN BOW-Michael and Tia Jilg welcomed baby Alle into the world on November 2. Alle looked healthy upon returning home from the hospital. However, a week later the Broken Bow couple received a phone call informing them that their seemingly healthy baby girl tested positive for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). This means Alle's blood cells did not produce an immune system for her body. Alle is now in need of a bone marrow transplant. Alle and mother Tia are in isolation at an Omaha hospital awaiting the next step. KCNI/KBBN spoke with Michael Tilg to get an update on this "emotional roller coaster," as he described it. “Basically what it is her blood cells didn't produce an immune system for her. In some cases it can be fatal. It's such a rare disease that between the 100,000 and 400,000 children that are born every year, only one to 40 of them are diagnosed with SCID," Michael Jilg said. Because Alle is prone to sickness and infection, the entire family must take extra precautions to avoid contracting airborne viruses. The family wears gloves and masks within the first 48 hours of being at the hospital and often when away from the hospital just to be safe. The Broken Bow Lions Club held a special event on December 2 to raise funds for the Jilg family. The Lions hosted a meal and auction in exchange for free-will donations. "It was a very humbling experience. You always think, you know, things like this aren't going to happen to me and you go to help support other people. You know, with the support we had from the Broken Bow community and the surrounding areas and you know, from people showing up and donating items, and the Lions Club putting on a meal for us, it touches the heart that's for sure," Jilg continued. "Yeah it's just a very humbling experience that you get from a smaller community, the people that are praying and supporting people." The timeline is still unclear as the family awaits a bone marrow match. “We're still waiting on some tests. They had to do some blood tests and send off to Cincinnati to get back for her genetics and what the genetics will show then is what type of chemotherapy she has to endure and to see if she is healthy enough to do it right now or if we'll have to wait a little bit," said Jilg. "As far as the donor is standing, our team has told us that they have a very good list of 10 out of 10 matches of non-related donors so it would be coming from the national registry, throughout the world, so it would be nationally and internationally. Right now the process is they've got to start making phone calls to those other registries so they can contact those potential donors. Then from there they have to see if the donor is healthy, you know, still willing to donate. If they are, they have to go through basically like a general physical to make sure they're in good healthy standing. And at that time figure out what time they'd actually be donating the bone marrow," Jilg said. Tia and Michael have three older kids in Broken Bow who are staying with grandparents. Michael will soon have to go back to work and has been driving back and forth between Broken Bow and Omaha. Michael said they appreciate the activities hosted by the hospital and the support of family and friends. He said the whole experience has been an emotional roller coaster and expressed the difficulty of the family being a part, especially this time of year. "We'd like to thank everybody for the support they've shown our whole entire family-the prayers for Alle especially. And you know we've gotten meals from people to help with my parents for feeding the kids. It's just a true blessing where we live," Jilg said. KCNI/KBBN will continue to follow Alle Jilg's story and show our support on behalf of the community.

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) - Three people died after a driver collided nearly head-on with another vehicle on I-480 early Sunday morning, police said. Omaha police got a personal injury accident call just before 1 a.m. Sunday on I-480 southbound to the JFK southbound/I-80 eastbound on-ramps. A preliminary investigation reveals a 2014 Chevy Cruze was going northbound in the southbound lanes of JFK when it hit another vehicle nearly head-on. Three people were killed in the crash. Two were in one vehicle, and one person was in the other without a seat belt. Nebraska State Patrol and the State Department of Roads were on scene to assist with the closure. Lanes were closed for about six hours. Omaha police told our sister station WOWT 6 News that the traffic unit is working to identify the three victims. All three were adult men. An autopsy is scheduled for Sunday morning. Names will be released when next of kin has been notified.

LINCOLN, Neb. - A pair of overnight fires in Lincoln sent two people to the hospital and left several displaced. The first fire was called in shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday at the 2600 block of N 5th St., near 5th St. and Nance Ave. Lincoln Fire and Rescue Capt. Rick Schneider said the residents were able to escape without injury. Capt. Schneider said the cause is believed to have been electrical, but an investigation is still ongoing. The fire is being ruled as accidental. Capt. Schneider said the fire caused an estimated $100,000 in damage. At about 2:40 a.m. Sunday, Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were called to a fire at Raintree Apartments at the 100 block of N 32nd St. LFR Capt. Rick Schneider said two people were transported to the hospital to be evaluated. Crews are still investigating to determine the cause of the fire, and Capt. Schneider said the fire caused an estimated $130,000 in damage. No other injuries were reported.

LINCOLN - As friends and family in Nebraska mourn the death of Sydney Loofe, residents of an Iowa farm town are mystified that a one-time star athlete from there is involved in the tragic and bizarre case. Bailey Boswell, 23, is one of two "persons of interest" being held for questioning in the death of Loofe, who disappeared after going on a date with Boswell on Nov. 15. The date was arranged through the online dating service Tinder. Boswell grew up in Leon, Iowa, a community of 2,000 about an hour's drive south of Des Moines, just north of the Missouri state line. She is remembered as a popular and friendly kid from a good family. She was a standout athlete who once scored 25 points in a basketball game and is listed as a member of the fastest 200-meter relay team in Central Decatur Community Schools history. But after graduating from high school in 2012, her life took a wrong turn, said a former neighbor. Court records and her own videotaped statements indicate she was involved with drugs. "She got into a bad crowd," said Madison Blades, who works at the local Casey's convenience store in Leon. "She kind of went on a bad path." More recently, Boswell and a male accomplice, 51-year-old Aubrey Trail - the other "person of interest" in the Loofe case - have been charged with crimes involving passing bad checks at antiques shops. In April the pair presented themselves as high rollers at an antiques auction in Pennsylvania and walked away with $28,000 in gold and silver coins purchased with a bad check, an antiques dealer said. Now, law enforcement officials suspect they were involved in a series of similar rip-offs across the country that might add up to $300,000 or more. The two were first identified by Lincoln police as persons of interest in the Loofe case on Nov. 28. The next day, Boswell posted a video on social media with Trail in which they denied involvement in the disappearance of Loofe. She said Loofe, 24, was dropped off at a friend's house after she and Boswell drove around town, smoking marijuana and stronger marijuana derivatives called "wax" and "shatter." "I just want the family to know I'm truly sorry. I didn't have anything to do with this," Boswell said in the video, posted Nov. 29. "I hope Sydney is found, too," she said, calling her "a sweet, amazing girl." The case took a grim turn Monday when a body, believed to be Loofe's, was discovered in a remote farm field in Clay County, Nebraska. More than 27,000 people have followed a "Finding Sydney Loofe" page on Facebook. But while officials have released few details, more is becoming known about Boswell and Trail. The two had a very public reaction to being named "persons of interest," going on social media to defend themselves. "Weird" and "strange" were two words that a veteran Lincoln police investigator used to describe their posts. In videos, they denied involvement, complained about authorities "chasing us around like dogs" and tried to shift blame to police, who they said didn't respond to their phone calls. In a later video, they announced plans to turn themselves in. Boswell and Trail were taken into custody near Branson, Missouri, on Nov. 30. "To me, they were kind of acting like Bonnie and Clyde, or James Dean - a 'rebel without a cause,' " said Larry Barksdale, who teaches forensic science courses at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He said he'd never seen such brazen posts in any past case. Trail has a criminal record that includes two stints in Nebraska prisons for forgery and passing bad checks in Pierce and Dawson Counties. On the video, he also said he had been sought for crimes in Minnesota. "I'm a thief but I'll be goddamned, I've never killed anyone in my whole life," Trail said. Pierce County Sheriff Rick Eberhardt said he remembered Trail, "and not in a good way," before he was sent to prison. Representatives at antiques shops and malls in Omaha; Lincoln; Falls City, Nebraska; and Hiawatha, Kansas; said that Trail had frequented their shops. Most said they were aware of his record of using bad checks. Antique toys and advertising signs were his favorites, said one dealer. Another said he arrived once with two young women. In recent months, according to court files, it appears that Trail was working with Boswell in the antiques trade. In April the two put on "a pretty good show" at an antique coin auction in York County, Pennsylvania, after sending several inquiries about the rules of participating in the auction. Boswell showed up dressed in high heels, stylish slacks and a blouse that covered her extensive tattoos. Trail - who initially portrayed himself as Boswell's father - sported a walking cane, a sweater vest and a chauffeur's hat. "They presented themselves as high rollers," said Scott Wehrly of Wehrly's Auction in Pennsylvania. The couple produced a letter from a bank in Leon indicating that they had money to bid and that they were "players," he said. But the letter, as well as the $28,298 check provided by Boswell for antique gold and silver coins, were frauds. "They were very professional," Wehrly said. "I bet they sold (the coins) and had a heck of a party." Trooper Tyler Stepanchick of the Pennsylvania State Police said the two are suspected in theft and bad check cases from several states totaling between $300,000 and $500,000. In Pennsylvania, Boswell is charged with three felony theft and bad check charges. She posted $7,500 in bail and is scheduled for a court appearance in February. Court files in Pennsylvania indicate the Farmer's Bank in Leon also reported that Boswell passed a fraudulent check of $15,391 in Kansas. On Friday, Boswell and Trail were charged in federal court with unlawful transportation of stolen goods valued at $5,000 or more from Hiawatha, Kansas, to Nebraska. Also Friday, Lincoln police posted a request for information on a Facebook page that focuses on crimes involving coins and collectors. The post said Boswell and Trail were suspected in a counterfeit coin case in Lincoln in June, as well as other cases in Iowa, Utah, the central Plains and in the southeastern U.S., including Tennessee. "We are also looking for additional victims," the post stated. In Wilber, Nebraska, the last place that a cell tower received a ping from Loofe's cellphone, Boswell and Trail rented the basement of a house just yards from the town's high school. The two had lived there for at least the past six months but were a mystery to most people in town. One neighbor, Alex Schettler, said he noticed the two arguing a couple of times as they hurried to leave. He also said they didn't return his friendly waves. "I just thought 'That's not very Wilber-like,' " he said. Clerks at the local convenience store said Boswell would come in alone most of the time, buy cigarettes, and prepay for gas. She dressed nicely, they said, and had manicured nails. In Leon, Boswell was known as a girl who liked to dress up and wear false eyelashes. She had only one minor infraction during high school: failure to use a seat belt. After high school she moved to northern Missouri. There, she had a child with a former high school football player. In February 2016 she filed a protection order against the father, who was living with her in Trenton, Missouri, alleging emotional and physical abuse. The toddler now lives with her parents in Leon. In April 2016 she was arrested for possession of marijuana and use of drug paraphernalia in Lincoln, then failed to appear for a court hearing in May. How Boswell became involved with a man twice her age remains unclear. In Wilber, people who saw Trail and Boswell together assumed they were father and daughter - until they saw them holding hands. In Pennsylvania, officials there believed they were engaged. In Leon, Blades, Boswell's former neighbor, said people thought she would go to college and maybe play basketball. Instead, Boswell faces criminal charges in Nebraska and Pennsylvania, as well as questions about a woman's disappearance and death. "In high school, she really didn't seem like that kind of person," Blades said. Tinder 'fully cooperating' with investigation of Syndey Loofe's death LINCOLN - An FBI spokesman said Friday that speculation about sex trafficking or other motives that might have led to Sydney Loofe's death is just that. "I've heard a lot of things going around, but it's all speculative at this point," said FBI spokesman Huston Pullen. Loofe, 24, of Lincoln disappeared after going on a date with Bailey Boswell on Nov. 15. The two women met on Tinder, and the dating site said it's "fully cooperating" with the FBI. Boswell, 23, and Aubrey Trail, 51, are in custody as "persons of interest" in the case. In one homemade video, Trail said Boswell had a separate phone to access Tinder. Authorities in sex trafficking say that having multiple cellphones or disposable phones is not uncommon for those involved in that activity, and that using a separate phone for such dates makes it harder to trace. However, authorities have not announced any connection to sex trafficking in the Loofe case. Meanwhile, Pullen said law enforcement teams were out Friday combing ditches for evidence west of Wilber, where Trail and Boswell last lived in a basement apartment. Small evidence flags were visible along Highway 41 west of Wilber on Saturday. Similar flags that had lined a gravel road where a body believed to be Loofe's was found north of the village of Edgar had been removed by Saturday. Dozens of law enforcement officers, including some from the FBI, combed the two areas beginning Nov. 27 and had planted the flags, presumably as evidence markers. Janet Haney of rural Edgar said some evidence was recovered from a marsh on her farm. "The more I hear about (the case), the more scared I get," Haney said Saturday. Pullen said that some details are not being revealed to maintain the integrity of the investigation.

Farmers clean up their equipment after harvest each year. This year, some are also polishing their résumés. The situation facing corn and soybean growers has southeast Nebraska farmer Steve Sugden looking for an off-farm job to help support his family. That includes his wife, a schoolteacher; his daughter, a University of Nebraska junior; and twin sons, freshmen in high school. The low prices farmers are fetching for their crops don't cover business costs at many operations. Average monthly prices for corn have been below $3.50 a bushel for over a year now; farmers received over $7 and in some cases over $8 in 2012 and 2013. Meanwhile, Sugden said, family living expenses haven't come down; just consider the cost of car insurance for those three young drivers, he said. "The numbers don't lie," Sugden said. Sugden said he has farming in his blood, and he's not planning a farm sale, choosing to keep the land his family owns free and clear instead of using it as collateral on a loan to pay for next year's farm operations. Sugden said he's at a crossroads. He has company. Eastern Nebraska farm auctioneers said they aren't seeing an uptick in farm sales driven by financial stress, but farm finance experts said Corn Belt farmers and their bankers do face another winter of tough decisions if they want to renew operating loans and keep farming next year. Farm income plunged for three straight years from 2014, and only a slight uptick is expected this year, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in November. Crop revenue continues to fall, however. Livestock sales are growing. The picture can be dramatically different from one farm to the next, depending on the size of the farm, the type of crops or livestock raised, the climate and soil, marketing decisions and financial fundamentals. As many as half of farmers and ranchers are profitable this year, Nebraska Farm Bureau economist Jay Rempe said. About a third are breaking even, he said, and the rest are "really struggling." Across the nation, the median farm income will drop, to a loss of nearly $1,100 in 2017. In other words, most farms will lose money. And next year, belt-tightening is likely to continue, as economists' forecasts call for no meaningful increases in crop prices. One of the reasons for stagnant low prices: There is a glut of grain on the market. And U.S. farmers this coming spring are expected to plant still more acres than they did this year of corn and soybeans. Competition also is growing globally. So there's no reason to expect prices to rise, economists say. Tina Barrett, executive director of Nebraska Farm Business, which consults with farmers on accounting, agreed with the Farm Bureau that there's a lot of variance from farm to farm. Some producers are doing well and merely have to focus on careful cost control, while neighbors are struggling, with loans maxed out. Those people might not be able to secure operating money for 2018, she said. Adding to the trouble were high winds that hit Nebraska cornfields in October, knocking ears of corn to the ground before they could be harvested, and putting a big dent in the amount of corn many had to show for their season's labor, Barrett said. One northeast Nebraska banker said the wind claimed as much as 50 percent of yields in some fields. Many farmers will have to make changes to their businesses and get creative to survive, Barrett said. That might include selling equipment needed for certain farm work, and paying a contractor to do that work instead of continuing to make payments on the equipment. Or it might mean not renewing leases on some rented acres, as Sugden has chosen to do. Agribusiness analysts at lender Rabobank offered other strategies in a report this month. Those include farming on contract for a specific buyer, such as a food processor; converting to more profitable organic crops; adding acres to spread out costs; or adopting new cost-saving technologies and business management tools. Now is the time for farmers to evolve their businesses, Rabobank said, with growers expected to face low returns for the next five years. "A last option is to sell, close down the farm, or temporarily exit farming," the report said. That could drive further farm consolidation. Thinking through those decisions is uncomfortable but necessary, Barrett said. Sugden's situation has gotten tighter because his available land shrank. He chose not to keep leasing most of the 1,200 acres he'd been farming, after the owners asked more for it, citing high property taxes. But it won't pay the bills to farm just the remaining 450 acres, he said. With less land, he loses economies of scale, so costs are more per acre, and even if each acre is profitable, the total income is less. Sugden said he isn't willing to bet the farm on the chance of higher prices to cover his costs. So now he's looking for work in Lincoln or Omaha, pitching his military experience and agribusiness education. If he ends up with a short commute, he might keep farming his remaining land himself on the side. If not, he could rent it out. In any case, he listed his combine for sale, no longer able to justify the expense, which he said rose from $19 an acre to $50 an acre, given his smaller acreage. Other Nebraska and Iowa farmers are taking similarly hard looks at their businesses and at the larger economic issues that are pressuring profits. High property taxes are a target for the Nebraska Farm Bureau. In Custer County, Casey Cooksley and his family farm land that goes back five generations, a source of pride and also pressure during a downturn. "That's always in the back of your mind: How do we get through the troubled times like they did?" he said. Cooksley, who also works as an agronomist for a seed company, said his family planted soybeans for the first time in decades this year, looking for a more profitable crop, part of a larger trend of U.S. farmers planting more soybean acres. (Soybeans fetch less than $9.50 a bushel today, down from more than $15 in mid-2013.) For next year, they're considering raising beef without added hormones, so it will qualify for new markets. Others in his area are planting field peas, a newer crop for Nebraska that's been gaining in acres. And the Cooksleys are holding the line on equipment purchases, deciding this year not to buy a newer planter after all. It's not just weak prices that farmers are wrestling with. There's plenty of uncertainty to keep them up at night, said Brad Lubben, an agriculture policy and economics professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. There's President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw the U.S. from the North American Free Trade Agreement. Farm groups say that would squelch demand and drive prices lower yet. Congress is due to debate the next installment of the every-five-years farm bill, which funds commodity payments and crop insurance programs. Some regulatory issues regarding farm pollution are still up in the air, as are questions about how the tax bills in Congress will be resolved. Farmers can feel they're fighting an uphill battle, with little they can control, said Kelly Nieuwenhuis, who farms near Primghar in northwest Iowa and is active in Iowa corn and ethanol promotion groups. He tries to control what he can on the farm. He and his brothers have bought no new equipment in the past three years. They continue to invest in quality seeds and fertilizer, trying to produce the best possible crop. Owning their own farmland provides equity they can leverage for an operating loan. Two MidAmerican Energy wind turbines installed on their land in 2016 brought $22,500 this year, a help but not much compared with his total operating budget. Farmers have to be looking for new sources of income, he said. Without an improvement in markets, he sees "thinning the herd" ahead, with more farmers looking for new jobs, and younger farmers challenged to gain a foothold. "There's a point in time where something's going to have to give," he said.

Thomas M. McLaughlin died on Tuesday, just days after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 7-year-old and less than a week after he shot himself outside his Ashland home. The 70-year-old was scheduled to be sentenced in February and faced 15 years to life in prison. He was also awaiting trial on five counts of sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Saunders County. McLaughlin's wife of seven years, Linda McLaughlin, filed for divorce at the end of November. "All of this has been horrible," Linda McLaughlin said, adding that she wants him to be remembered as a church member, an Eagle Scout, an architect, an artist, a father and a grandfather. "Up until this last year, he had a lot of people who loved him and some still do. I'm just really, really sorry that this happened and that people were hurt. If there was anyway I could undo all of this, I absolutely would." After McLaughlin didn't show up for court on Nov. 29, a Saunders County sheriff's deputy went to check on McLaughlin and found him lying outside his home with a gunshot wound to the head. He was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy in extremely critical condition. The next day, a judge in Douglas County refused the defense attorney's motion to declare a mistrial, ruling that by shooting himself, McLaughlin had essentially waived his right to testify or be present in court. Jurors were not told that the defendant had shot himself and deliberated for about three hours before finding him guilty of two counts of sexually assaulting a child. Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine said the victims "were very courageous to come forward." "It's heartbreaking to have to see these two young girls go through this - first the trial and now this," he said. "He ended everything by ending his own life." Services for McLaughlin were held Saturday at United Methodist Church in Ashland.

CLASS A Offense WR Zavier Betts, Bellevue West, 6-3, 190, So. WR Zion Perry, Lincoln High, 5-7, 165, Sr. OL AJ Forbes, Bellevue West, 6-3, 280, Sr. OL Mehki Butler, Omaha North, 6-4, 295, Jr. OL Tyler Reynolds, Bellevue West, 6-4, 250, Sr. OL Dan Sunderman, Millard South, 6-4, 265, Sr. OL Ryan Bena, Omaha Creighton Prep, 6-4, 265, Jr. QB Kanon Koster, Kearney, 6-3, 210, Sr. RB Milton Sargbah, Omaha North, 5-7, 160, Sr. RB Zander Gray, Omaha North, 6-1, 235, Jr. RB James Burks, Omaha Burke, 5-11, 170, Jr. K Tyson Cooney, Millard South, 6-2, 180, Sr. Defense DL Chris Hickman, Omaha Burke, 6-6, 210, Jr. DL Lee Herrington, Kearney, 6-2, 290, Sr. DL Bryson Williams, Lincoln Southeast, 6-3, 295, Sr. LB Kohlten Keezer, Grand Island, 6-2, 205, Sr. LB Chris Cassidy, Lincoln Pius X, 6-1, 225, Sr. LB Nick Henrich, Omaha Burke, 6-4, 210, Jr. LB AJ Johnson, Millard West, 6-0, 200, Sr. DB Cantrel Mumphrey, Omaha North, 5-7, 175, Sr. DB Isaiah Stalbird, Kearney, 6-0, 196, Sr. DB Vernon Johnson, Omaha North, 5-10, 160, Sr. DB Marcus Vaughn-Jones, Creighton Prep, 6-3, 185, Sr. A/P Bryson Krull, North Platte, 6-5, 220, Sr. CLASS B Offense WR Brady Danielson, York, 6-3, 195, Jr. WR Cade Reichardt, Aurora, 5-11, 170, Sr. OL Hunter Hays, McCook, 6-3, 285, Sr. OL Bronson Titus, Holdrege, 5-11, 255, Sr. OL Kyle Hruby, Omaha Skutt, 6-0, 250, Sr. OL Noah Meneses, Plattsmouth, 6-1, 250, Sr. OL Masry Mapieu, York, 6-4, 290, Sr. QB Michael Koch, Columbus, 6-4, 190, Sr. RB Moses Bryant, Elkhorn South, 5-11, 195, Sr. RB Tanner Tierney, Gretna, 5-11, 180, Sr. RB Garrett Snodgrass, York, 6-3, 217, Jr. K Kortlan Franke, Gretna, 5-11, 160, Sr. Defense DL Bryce Stai, Norris, 6-4, 250, Sr. DL Garrett Nelson, Scottsbluff, 6-3, 250, Jr. DL Morgan Bartman, Gretna, 6-6, 240, Sr. LB Simon Otte, York, 6-1, 185, Sr. LB Jake Archer, Omaha Skutt, 6-1, 205, Sr. LB Cal Narber, Aurora, 5-11, 168, Sr. LB Cameron Jurgens, Beatrice, 6-4, 250, Sr. LB Joey Johnson, Gretna, 6-3, 220, Sr. DB Alex Rodgers, Omaha Roncalli, 6-1, 180, Jr. DB Mick Williams, Elkhorn South, 6-1, 175, Sr. DB Jackson Gordon, Omaha Skutt, 6-1, 160, Sr. A/P Austin Schultz, Norris, 5-10, 180, Sr. CLASS C-1 Offense WR Wyatt Liewer, O'Neill, 6-4, 175, Sr. WR Brett Kaiser, Kearney Catholic, 6-3, 200, Sr. OL Ethan Piper, Norfolk Catholic, 6-4, 275, Jr. OL Joe Teten, Norfolk Catholic, 6-4, 250, Jr. OL Evan Welsh, Wahoo Neumann, 6-2, 260, Sr. OL Alex Lindsay, Pierce, 6-3, 235, Sr. OL Trent Grizzle, Fairbury, 6-3, 240, Sr. QB Matt Masker, Kearney Catholic, 6-2, 218, Sr. RB Dylan Kautz, Norfolk Catholic, 5-9, 175, Jr. RB Dylan Egr, Wahoo, 5-9, 170, Sr. RB Drake Gilliland, Mitchell, 5-11, 195, Sr. K Caleb Hoyt, Kearney Catholic, 6-1, 175, Sr. Defense DL Jessie Sullivan, Boone Central/NG, 6-5, 255, Sr. DL Kyle Ruth, David City Aquinas, 6-2, 220, Sr. DL Gerald Smith, Boys Town, 6-3, 205, Sr. LB Collin Tinker, Pierce, 5-11, 175, Sr. LB Sam Kolterman, Wahoo, 6-0, 195, Jr. LB Levi Krueger, Boone Central/NG, 5-11, 205, Sr. LB Jacob Johnson, Fairbury, 5-11, 195, Sr. DB Dylan Gentrup, Boone Central/NG, 6-1, 195, Sr. DB Adam Wasserman, Fairbury, 6-1, 190, Sr. DB Ti'jaih Davis, Boys Town, 6-1, 175, Sr. DB Chase Clausen, Norfolk Catholic, 6-2, 175, Sr. A/P Cameron Quick, Wahoo, 6-3, 190, Sr. CLASS C-2 Offense WR Garrett Seagren, Oakland-Craig, 6-2, 190, Sr. WR Logan Kreizel, Lincoln Lutheran, 6-3, 205, Sr. OL Jadyn Stuart, Yutan, 6-3, 270, Sr. OL Andrew Lutt, Battle Creek, 6-5, 230, Sr. OL Caleb Marlatt, Elmwood-Murdock, 6-4, 278, Sr. OL Rex Becker, Hartington Cedar Catholic, 6-0, 240, So. OL Seth Knapp, Norfolk Lutheran, 6-0, 275, Sr. QB Wyatt Ehlers, Centennial, 6-0, 180, Jr. RB Bryland Menicucci, Yutan, 5-9, 150, Sr. RB Tige Calleroz, Arcadia-Loup City, 5-10, 200, Sr. RB James Schroll, North Platte St. Patrick's, 5-9, 185, Sr. K Josh Kalkwarf, Wilber-Clatonia, 6-0, 175, Sr. Defense DL Colton Feist, Yutan, 6-3, 230, Sr. DL Caleb Cast, Centennial, 6-3, 220, Jr. DL Ethan Poppe, Crofton, 5-8, 195, Sr. DL Hunter Kocian, St. Paul, 5-9, 225, Sr. LB DJ Stephen, Valentine, 6-0, 200, Sr. LB Tucker Quinn, Arcadia-Loup City, 5-10, 190, Jr. LB Jake Prochaska, Centennial, 6-1, 190, Sr. DB Nolan Baker, Arcadia-Loup City, 6-0, 150, Sr. DB Stone Kraft, Battle Creek, 5-11, 150, Sr. DB Jackson Hirschfeld, Centennial, 6-0, 170, Jr. DB Dalton Tremayne, Ponca, 5-11, 165, Sr. A/P Wyatt Kee, Gibbon, 6-0, 205, Sr. EIGHT MAN-1 Offense WR Trevor Havlovic, East Butler, 6-2, 205, Sr. WR Ty Hahn, Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 175, So. OL Marshall Still, South Loup, 6-2, 220, Sr. OL Ryan Macholan, Howells-Dodge, 6-2, 220, Sr. OL Levi Stacken, Creighton, 6-0, 220, Sr. QB Dalton Bohac, East Butler, 5-10, 160, Sr. RB Daniel Libolt, CWCE, 5-10, 175, Sr. RB Landon Lenz, Medicine Valley, 5-8, 155, Sr. A/K Sheldon Johnsen, Medicine Valley, 5-10, 240, Sr. Defense DL Brandon Rezac, East Butler, 5-10, 215, Sr. DL Caden Houghtelling, Cambridge, 6-5, 245, Sr. LB Ben Bohling, Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 210, Sr. LB Blake Schwarz, South Loup, 5-10, 180, Sr. LB Bryce Zimmerer, Creighton, 5-10, 175, Sr. DB Camden Robley, East Butler, 6-1, 175, Sr. DB Charles Johnson, Perkins County, 6-3, 175, Sr. DB Jack Rush, South Loup, 6-4, 180, Sr. A/P Phalen Sanford, Dundy County-Stratton, 6-0, 190, Sr. EIGHT MAN-2 Offense WR Garrett Schardt, BDS, 6-3, 185, Sr. WR Andrew Wendland, Crawford, 5-10, 165, Jr. OL Theo Rohrer, Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-3, 220, Sr. OL Roper Chandler, Paxton, 6-3, 230, Sr. OL Kevin Bruening, Wynot, 6-3, 255, Sr. QB John Christensen, BDS, 6-1, 205, Jr. RB Alex Horky, Twin Loup, 5-9, 175, Sr. RB Quinten Moles, Bloomfield, 5-9, 190, Sr. K Joe Mackin, Blue Hill, 5-8, 140, Jr. Defense DL Karson Dickson, BDS, 6-4, 210, Sr. DL Tell Spies, Mullen, 6-3, 250, Sr. DB Spencer Keefe, Twin Loup, 6-4, 215, Sr. LB Holden Stengel, BDS, 6-1, 225, Sr. LB Lane Deisley, Blue Hill, 6-2, 215, Sr. DB Lane Edis, Mullen, 5-9, 170, Jr. DB Caden Norder, BDS, 5-10, 190, Sr. DB Christian Harring, Falls City Sacred Heart, 5-10, 170, Sr. A/P Drew Bippes, Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 165, Jr. SIX MAN Selected by the Nebraska Six Man Coaches Association Offense E Grant Hansen, Deshler, 6-2, 170, Sr. E Mathew Bloom, Spalding Academy, 6-6, 198, Jr. C Riley Swerczek, Riverside, 5-10, 180, Sr. QB Peyton Dubbert, Deshler, 6-0, 175, Jr. RB AJ Jenkins, Wilcox-Hildreth, 6-1, 175, Jr. RB Tucker Scherbarth, Harvard, 5-7, 145, Sr. RB Trent Reed, Hay Springs, 5-7, 170, Jr. K Ray Nierman, Harvard, 6-2, 175, Sr. Defense DL Mark Thurston, Silver Lake, 5-9, 190, Sr. DL Reno Hunt, Hyannis, 5-11, 175, Jr. DL Joseph Bloom, Riverside, 6-5, 180, Jr. DL Colton Leslie, Spalding Academy, 5-9, 185, Jr. DB Ty Martinsen, Riverside, 5-10, 175, Jr. DB Jayden Callahan, Harvard, 6-2, 180, Sr. DB Garrett Egger, Cody-Kilgore, 6-0, 180, Sr. K Kaleb Gonzales, Minatare, 5-8, 140, So. * * * Honorable mention CLASS A Bellevue East: Jack Gilbert. Bellevue West: Malec Roum, Jalen Powell, Austin Shook, Evan Kieser, Shane Smith, Cedric Johnson, Matt Koenigsman. Fremont: Riley Harms, Jake Sellon, Colin Lottman. Grand Island: Laylaway Thoe, Jaryyn Francl, Gerard Dunning, Cole Evans, Will Nordhues, Tyler Sextro, Javier Cruz. Kearney: Tyler Atchison, Miko Maessner, Nathan Murray, Hunter Novacek, Will Jorgensen, Josh Ray. Lincoln East: Braden Sellon, Blake Ingemells. Lincoln High: Cedric Case, Garrett Hoagland, Jack Buchanan, CJ Jones, Morgan Perry, Darius Luff. Lincoln North Star: Jonah Housh, Luke Reimer, Gavyn Leitschuck, Anthony Kirby. Lincoln Northeast: Jakobi Rose, Caleb Kyes. Lincoln Pius X: Zach Kerkman, Noah McCashland, Joe Dworak, Austin Jablonski, Josh Andreasen, Joey Pynes. Lincoln Southeast: Grant Detlefsen, Isaac Gifford, Jack Strong, Calvin Kyker. Lincoln Southwest: Justin Holm, Collin Shefke, Taevyn Grixby, Caden McCormack, Cameron Piper. Millard North: Dylan Dittman, Noah Mick, Brandon Eastlack, Cam Wiemers, Thomas Kopcho, Nick Morrison, Jadus Ellis, Cade Elwood, Brian LaPerriere, Jackson Creek. Millard South: Kohl Herbolsheimer, Andy Reel, Ryan Lawrence, Jacob Thompson. Millard West: Giavonni Guido, Tyler Bandiera, Josh Lasauskas, Hunter Schnuerle, Connor Ekborg, Matt Sorich, Jaden Cover. Norfolk: Ryan Schommer, MJ Montgomery, Jordan Price, Zack James, Cooper Caskey. North Platte: Kyle Zimbelman. Omaha Bryan: JaPreece Lilly, Shawn Jackson, Antoine Curtis, LaMondre Perkins, Darnelle Policarpe, Desmond Prusia. Omaha Burke: Andrew Rheiner, Xavier Watts, Dylan Sales, Tyler Chadwick, Justin Clark-Wagner, Darnel Davis, Tanner Kryneski, Brian Berrera, Gio Mainor, Bobby Murray. Omaha Central: Jalen Harris, Jake Cimino. Omaha Creighton Prep: Tom Searl, Nickthanel Wells, Trendell Dawkins, Jack Hasz, Steven Krawczyk. Omaha North: Syriuz Pittman, Alex Williford, DeAndre Butts, Desmond Brown, Jameson Officer-Thurston, Malachi O'Neal. Omaha Northwest: Travis Thompson, Raschon Rush, Cameron Purvis. Omaha South: Caperion Hill, Prince Baldwin. Omaha Westside: Jaden Kohls, Dylan Plautz, Tyson Guzman, Jackson Bush. Papillion-La Vista: Conner Barnett, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Dueling, Malique Barnes, Jerome Barnes. Papillion-La Vista South: Krisian Shad, Chase Norblade. CLASS B Aurora: Baylor Scheierman. Beatrice: David Duncan, Dillon Buss, Trevor Schmale, Andrew Mahoney. Bennington: Jacob Wageman, Zach Wullenwaber, Nate Rupprecht, Cooper Prososki. Blair: Dalton Lewis, Quincy Nichols, Colton Kesling, Will Yost, Chris Zanotto, Zane Tilson, Dalton Ryan, Andy Straube. Columbus: Caleb Esch, Jordan Troutman, Cameron Barnes, Garrett Krumland, Carson Zwingman. Crete: Jonah Weyand, Zach Muff, Ethan Mach. Elkhorn: Grant Kwapniowski, Jacob Pickering, Cole Alfrey, Bret Lange. Elkhorn Mount Michael: Garrett Hustedt. Elkhorn South: Cole Hanafan, Jake Knott, Jared Jennings, Carson Pilkington, Will Reetz, Markus Case. Gering: Cody Ybarra, Albin Borjesson, Jacob Rocheleau, Garrett W. Conn. Grand Island Northwest: Carter Terry, Fletcher Bydalek, Riley Schleip, Brady Glause, Blake Westerby. Gretna: Connor Fee, Chase Mackling, Tyler Sullivan, Caden Opfer, Eli Spale, Cade Mueller, Noah Burghardt. Hastings: Connor Laux, Damen Pape, Luke Wilkie, McClean Witte. Holdrege: Prestin Melroy, Alex Wells, Hunter Brenn. Lexington: Logen Callahan, Ethan Woehrle, Oracio Corona, Jake Leger. McCook: DJ Gross, Kaleb Taylor, Zach Schlager, Colin Giron, Gabe Sehnert, Camryn Berry. Norris: Gus Woeppel, Zach Argo, Tyler Ruhl, Dawson Dorn, Cade Argo. Omaha Gross: Luke Johnson, Connor Weis. Omaha Roncalli: Casey Keating, Logan McGill. Omaha Skutt: Sam Heffron, Ryan Trout, Ben Altman, Blake Anderson, Jake Zeplin. Platteview: Jacob Romsa. Plattsmouth: Trevor Nielsen, Sam West, Kirkland Haswell, Connor Pohlmeier. Ralston: Devin Merkuris, Nate Sailors, Nick Wilke. Schuyler: Caleb Novak, Jesus Maganda. Scottsbluff: Chris Busby, Keegan Reifschneider, Elijah Salinas, Noah Bruner, Luke Ferguson. Seward: Joseph Krause, Connor Ruth, Brett Myer, Carson Core. Sidney: Zach Pettit, Derek Robb, Coby Haas, Jon Smith, Ryan Onstott. Waverly: Rhett Jordon, Jay Adams, Logan Scheulke, Dalton Neemann, Alex Schmailzl, Thatcher Kozal, Kaleb Canoyer, Hunter Lee. York: Noah Stafursky, Jorre Luther, Tyler Cast, Doug Lazo, Ben Mohorn, Dylan Rahder. CLASS C-1 Adams Central: Evan Johnson, Landon Weber, Gabe Conant, Leif Spady, Nolan Barry. Arlington: Jackson Borgman, Caleb Caskey. Ashland-Greenwood: Bryce Kitrell, Erik Pike. Auburn: Baily Darnell, Michael Lombardi, Robert Liles, Drew Dixon. Boone Central/Newman Grove: Cody Nelson, Caden Ranslem, Will Frey, Jon Merten. Boys Town: Dashawn Bates, Romeo Wright. Broken Bow: Treyvon Brooks, Mason McMeen, Kevin Linn, Grayson Garey. Chase County: Kadin Vrbas, Eli Hinojosa, Evan Fisher, Scott Wheeler, Parker Dillon. Columbus Lakeview: Jacob Frenzen, Nolan Viergutz, Brock Foltz, Cody Thompson, Isaac Dreifurst. Cozad: Nate Smock, Ian Branham, Adam Cole. David City: Colin Vandenberg, Matt Eilers. David City Aquinas: Gavin Rech, Tyler Vavrina, Kyle Petree, Anthony Buresh, Zach Chromy. Douglas County West: Spencer Hays, Peyton Weiss. Fairbury: Cayman DeBoer, Zach Reikofski, Zach Holes. Falls City: Rudy Vrtiska. Fort Calhoun: Zach Imig, Chandler Bendorf, Jamie Warner. Gordon-Rushville: Korby Campbell. Gothenburg: Bennett Folkers, Owen Geiken, Patrick Hudson, Vincent Nichols. Grand Island Central Catholic: Jacob Herbek, Tommy McFarland, Jonah Bales. Kearney Catholic: Eli Richter, Christian Richter. Lincoln Christian: Treyson Bigler, Max McEwen.Madison: Gabe Romero, Ryan Haskell. Milford-Dorchester: Mitch Wingard, Sam Copley, Jacob Bitterman, Jesse Beel, Nate Mensik. Mitchell: Riley Reisig, Ian Carrier Jr. Norfolk Catholic: Levi Krueger, Kelby Schaefer, Evan Smith, Payton Love, Joey Otero. North Bend: Brock Ray, Austin Endorf, John Emanuel, Peter Emanuel. Ogallala: Jimmy Ryan, Dylan Zink, Trey Rezac, Cameron Raffaeli. O'Neill: Alex Thramer, Shayne Campbell, Spencer Davis. Ord: Garrett Bundy, Ethan Gabriel, Jesse Ulrich, Nate Wells. Pierce: Ryder Fuchs, Dalton Freeman, Brett Tinker, Cody Yawn. Raymond Central: Jackson Fowler. Southern: Braden Kluver. Syracuse: Caleb Lefferdink, Logan Mueller. Wahoo: Tucker Hancock, Billy Hancock, Brendan Lacey, Jack Sutton. Wahoo Neumann: Caden Johnson, Zach Meduna, Eli Vedral, Nate Konecky. Wayne: Mason Lee, Ryan Jaixen, Beau Bowers, Juan Vergara, Justin Dean, Casey Koenig, Brennan O'Reilly, Zane Jackson. West Point-Beemer: Hunter Pilakowski, Blake Anderson, Cole Hughes, Ben Vander Griend, Kade Hughes. CLASS C-2 Arcadia/Loup City: Peyton Lambrecht, Jakub Jerabek, Macrae Maschka, Tyson Trotter. Battle Creek: Ryan Brauer, Weston Johnson, Blake Heller. Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur: Tyler Kroger, Dustin Burgett, William Gatzmeyer. Bridgeport: Marce Vasquez, Logan Coalson. Centennial: Reece Foreman, Quinn Butzke, Gavin Avery, Kalten Bauers, Heath Haberman, Max Tomes. Central City: Ethan DeBoer, Dale Jones, Noah Carlson, Tucker Schneiderheinz, Koby Brandenburg. Crofton: Jaden Janssen, Noah Lancaster. Doniphan-Trumbull: Logan Schuldt, Jordan Spilinek, Caleb Schuppan. Elmwood-Murdock: Austin Meisinger, Gavyn Florell, Payton Frahm. Fillmore Central: Riley Moses, Kole Karcher, Jacob Stoner. Freeman: Lane Cacek, Jacob Gramann, Tyler Adams, Blake Kastanek. Fremont Bergan: Dylan Kucera, Kolby Boggs, Nick Herink. Gibbon: Jacob Tracy, Wyatt Kee, Tyric Beattie, Gerardo Raymundo, Lane Brown. Hartington Cedar Catholic: Jacob Keiser, Ian Rohan, Josh Pinkelmann, Jackson Eickhoff, Jason Becker. Hershey: Easton Clark, McKade Smith. Lincoln Lutheran: Cole Schaedel, James Lavicky, Ethan Rickords, Colby Bliss, Cayden Bergt. Logan View: Nolan Miller, Nathan Taylor, Jacob Polk, Brady Hull, Eric French. Norfolk Lutheran: Korrell Koehlmoos, Matt Becker, Tyler Brand, Seth Knapp. North Platte St. Patrick's: Ben Vyzourek, Jayden Brosius. Oakland-Craig: Kobe Benne, Marcos Quintero, Evan Reinert, Ben Smith. Palmyra: Koby Dillon, Drew Bessey, Bryce Becker, London Hornsby. Ponca: Joel Watchorn, Logan Kingsbury, Connor Day, Jayde Reid, Michael Hegge, Colton Krusemark, Gage McGill. St. Paul: Tanner Wroblewski, Carson Morgan, Wyatt Placke, Eli Larson. Sandy Creek: Conner Crumbless. Shelby-Rising City: Brenden Johnston, Mason Schleis, Nick Vavricek. Southern Valley: AJ Weatherwax, Chase Becker. Stanton: Beau Wilke, Ashton Flood. Sutton: Brett Simonsen, James Griess, Chandler Stone, Garrett Nuss, Cameron Kleinschmidt. Valentine: Brayden Fowler, James Bachelor, Jordan Kelber, Wyatt Hitchcock, Kooper Reece, Dylan Lurz, Lane McGinley. Wilber-Clatonia: Cooper Bates, Colton Rezabek, Carson Bates, Bradley Pomajzl. Wood River: Alex Rodenbaugh, Grant Gannon. Yutan: Chase Perchal, Allan Leahy, Clayton Nelson, Cole Egr. EIGHT MAN-1 Alma: David Ehrke, Kaleb Kindler, Cooper Wright. Amherst: Holden Eckhout. Bertrand: Wyatt Wilken, Jordan Holen. Burwell: Thomas Hughes, Ryan Dawe, Jayden Owens, Jase Williams. Cambridge: Taten Benson. Clarkson/Leigh: Jacob Gall, Austin Bruhn. Clearwater-Orchard: Creston Bertschinger, Jacob Long, Clay Thiele. Creighton: Derek Wortman, Noah Lilly, Brady Brockhaus, Ted Fanta, Travis Tyler. Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing: Trevor Klabenes, Ethan Naughtin, Joshua Klabenes. East Butler: Jacob Janak, Carter Stara. Elgin/Pope John: Liem Heithoff. Elm Creek: Austin Geis, Lathan Jonak, Preston Walker, Anthony Quintana. Hartington-Newcastle: Ethan Koch, Lincoln McPhillips, Alex Kneifl. Hemingford: Justin Davis, Conner Swanson, Kage Jespersen. High Plains: Keaton Van Housen, Dylan Soule. Howells-Dodge: Lane Hegemann, Dylan Horejsi, Jon Yosten, Kade Hegemann, Jordan Brichacek, Dax Van Lengen, Connor Blum. Humphrey/Holy Family: Ashton Dohmen, Brock Wiese. Johnson-Brock: Ben Bohling, Cole Fossenbarger. Kenesaw: Stephen Duffy, Daniel Duffy, Tyson Burr, Dalton Olsen, Taylor Pulver, Ryan Denkert. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge: Izac Reifenrath. Medicine Valley: Ryan Klintworth, Chase Newcomb. Nebraska Christian: Luke Swanson, Toby Watson, Jake Twogood. Nebraska City Lourdes: James Mason, Thomas Ragland, Andrew Aldana, Thomas Carpenter, Daniel Perdomo. Nebraska Lutheran: Marco Machado, Ben Riegsecker, Kyle Richert. Neligh-Oakdale: Austin Rice, Andrew Herley, Nate Buck. Overton: Drake Davenport, Schuyler Brown, Josh Araujo, Ryan Lauby. Palmer: Spencer Wichmann. Pender: Brady Oliver, Jared Tyrrel, Jaydon Jump. Perkins County: Colton Heinemann, Jack Kennicutt, Domonic Wendell, Tyson Patrick. Plainview: Matt Hoffmann, Micah Williams, Jake Lingenfelter. South Loup: Gavin Robertson, Cole Gracey. Superior: Chase Morris, Hunter Healy, Adam Balar. Sutherland: Adam Taylor, Bennett Floyd. Thayer Central: Isaiah Keilwitz, Keith Hergott, Seth Mumford, Phillip Price. Tri County: Philip Jacob, Cooper Smith. Wakefield: Solomon Peitz, Julio Sanchez, Noah Lamprecht. West Holt: Mason Lofquist, Mason Hale, Bryce Kerkman. West Point Guardian Angels CC: Mike Baumert, Jared Minnick, Jacob Yosten, Jaden Smeal. EIGHT MAN-2 Allen: Kyle Smith. Anselmo-Merna: Dawson Duryea, Chase Miller, Cameron Downey, Seth Miller. Ansley/Litchfield: Justin Bailey, Jaden Jones. Arapahoe: Gentry Anderson, Cooper Schutz, Jacob Pruitt, Carson Schroeder. Bloomfield: Michael Castanada, Jared Hornback, Brantson Gieselman, Trenton Holz. Blue Hill: Maccoy Menke, Trent Kort, Ethan Sharp, John Rouse, Trent Karr. Brady: Colton Lovitt, T.J. Roe. Bruning-Davenport/Shickley: Thomas Mick. Crawford: Blaine Flack. Elkhorn Valley: Josh McFarland, Prestin Vondra. Emerson-Hubbard: Josh Sebade, Blake Eriksen, Jacob Kneifl. Eustis-Farnam: Colton Thompson, Christian Timm. Exeter-Milligan: Joey Bartu. Falls City Sacred Heart: Brandon Scheitel, Brady Keller, Jake Hoy, Sam Arnold, Tristan Keitley. Friend: Logan Pfeiffer, Edwen Baptista, Darren Segner, Kolby Houlden. Fullerton: Kole Prososki, Hunter Friend, TJ Dubas, CJ Pickrel. Garden County: Nic Koppman, Blake McCormick. Giltner: Josh Hinrichs, Brodi Hansen, Will Reeson, Alex Goracke, Rees Lyon. Humphrey St. Francis: Nolan Kosch, Pierce Eisenmenger, Riley Huettner, Dylan Wemhoff, Trevor Pfeifer, Jarrett Weidner. Lawrence-Nelson: Lane Heikkinen, Anders Jensen, Kyle Golay, Peyton Drudik. Leyton: Josh Kruse, Dominick Russ. Maxwell: Will Huffman, Matt Walker, Drew Hazen, Dawson Heinzen. Mead: Cole Zima, Josh Quinn, Aidan Mongan. Meridian: Tybor Smith, Garrett Klipp, Micah Noel. Mullen: Luke Christen, Matthew Stichka, Zachary Sweet. North Central: Griffin Smith, Walker Shaw, Colton Munger, Jakob Heerten, Tristen Tarell. O'Neill St. Mary's: Grady Semin. Osceola: Caden Theis, Brennan Bryan, Garrett Fisher, Tristin Johnston. Pawnee City: Andrew Davis, Kaisonn Koester. Paxton: Dawson Helmer, Lane Blackwell, Ryan Fox, Treyton Hebblethwait. Pleasanton: Tyler Pawloski, Jakson Keaschall, Travis Tolles. Randolph: Mason Nordhues. Sandhills/Thedford: Tyler Swisher, Cauy Pokorny, Riggin Anderson, Nolan Marten. Sterling: Ben Hier. Twin Loup: Hunter Kraus, Rowdy Oxford, Joe Kruml, Braden Strohl. Wauneta-Palisade: Cash Yearous, Caid Doetker. Weeping Water: Slater Mozena, Lucas Buller. Winside: Brandon Watters, Koby Ellis, Michael Jensen. Wynot: Lucas Thingstad. SIX MAN Arthur County: Isaac Buitron, Trevan Rut, Colton Storer. Cody-Kilgore: Robert Hooper, Brody Davis, Tyler Ravenscroft. Deshler: Brady Fangmeyer, Derrick Buescher, Hutch Finke. Elba: Brody Buckendahl, Raphael Moerchen. Elwood: Caleb Werger, Aaron Clouse, Raul Clouse. Harvard: Auston Bell, David Reazola. Hay Springs: Bryce Running Hawk, Kaelob Marx, Thomas Scherbarth. Hyannis: Jackson Davis, Zane Musgrave, Trystin Gielissen. Maywood/Hayes Center: Keegan Dibbern. Minatare: Ephroen Lovato. Red Cloud: Wes Vance. Riverside: Trey Carraher, Michael Bernt. St. Edward: Trevor Rasmussen, Jesse Osantowski. Silver Lake: Johnny Borgman, Mark Thurston, Reid Parr, Artur Santini. Sioux County: Jordan Buhr, Tristan Hunter. South Platte: Joey Spencer. Spalding Academy: Paul Diessner, Dan Carraher, Spencer Leslie, Christon Lopez. Walthill: Tavion Brown. Wilcox-Hildreth: Clayton Nichols, Bryce Tobiassen.

The director of the new "Star Wars" movie got his start in film with a picture shot in Omaha, set in Omaha and about Omaha. In fact, the movie was literally called "Omaha." Since working on "Omaha," Rian Johnson has established himself as a filmmaker to watch with his work in "Brick," "Looper" and three of the best episodes of "Breaking Bad." Now the 43-year-old director has landed "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," a film that has inspired so much faith in Johnson that Disney has signed him to make a whole new "Star Wars" trilogy as well. It's a rare vote of confidence from the studio, which has fired the majority of its "Star Wars" directors since reviving the franchise. Suffice it to say, Johnson's profile is pretty high right now. But long ago, before he took over the biggest movie franchise in the galaxy, Johnson worked as a lowly production assistant for the 1995 film "Omaha (The Movie)." (Production assistants do a lot, actually. The role carries a grab bag of tasks and responsibilities that help keep productions running smoothly.) "Omaha" was a tiny movie, a micro-budgeted road-trip romcom shot mostly in Nebraska. It was the directorial debut of Omaha native Dan Mirvish, and Johnson's first IMDb credit. Johnson is currently far, far away and could not be reached for comment. But Mirvish, who now lives in L.A., recalls working with the future "Star Wars" filmmaker. He recounted the experience, in fact, in his recently published book, "The Cheerful Subversive's Guide to Independent Filmmaking." When Mirvish was a grad student at the University of Southern California, he met a "plucky high school kid" who lived in the L.A. suburb of Chatsworth. The kid, Steve Yedlin, brought along his buddy - an "equally precocious lad" named Rian Johnson. Johnson was born in Maryland, but his family moved to California when he was young. The two high schoolers would stop by USC on the weekends to see if any grad student projects needed additional camera assistants. Before Johnson and Yedlin even attended USC themselves, Mirvish said, they had a pretty solid grasp on filmmaking (at least the camerawork portion of it). "It was clear even then that these guys were talented and worked well together as a team," Mirvish said. They've never stopped working together. Yedlin is Johnson's longtime cinematographer, all the way up to "The Last Jedi" and likely beyond. Back in the mid-'90s, Mirvish was making "Omaha" and needed to do one day of shooting in L.A. The crew was allowed to shoot on the Paramount lot, where they were filming a scene with Michael Scott, a former KETV news anchor who at that time was a correspondent for "Entertainment Tonight." Mirvish needed extra hands. And he knew where he could find two talented aspiring filmmakers. Yedlin worked as a camera assistant, and Johnson as a production assistant. "If you see (the 'Omaha') end credits," Mirvish wrote, "you'll see that I spelled Rian's name with a 'y.' Oops." Despite the name gaffe, Mirvish and Johnson stayed friends. Mirvish later submitted "Omaha (The Movie)" to Sundance, which rejected the film, spurring Mirvish to co-found his own fest, Slamdance Film Festival, in 1995. Slamdance did accept "Omaha (The Movie)." The Park City, Utah, fest is still running. The second year of Slamdance, the fest accepted Yedlin and Johnson's short film debut, "Evil Demon Golf Ball from Hell!!!" And the year after that, Mirvish recruited Johnson to be a programmer for the festival. Around the time of the fest, Johnson showed Mirvish "a brilliant little high school noir script he was working on, called 'Brick.' " That movie (starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt) would take years to get off the ground, but Johnson eventually got it made. The film scored great reviews and launched a career that is probably just getting started. It was clear to Mirvish, all those years ago when they first worked together, that Johnson had the right stuff. "(He's) humble, gracious, generous and an ingenious director who's got an amazing knack for where to put the camera," Mirvish said of Johnson, "but also how to get the most out of actors." He knew Johnson was good. But landing-a-"Star-Wars"-movie good? No one could have guessed that. Johnson's "The Last Jedi," which opens Thursday, cost hundreds of millions of dollars to produce and promote and is expected to be the highest-grossing movie of 2017, further boosting the unfathomable profits of the most popular film franchise in this or any other universe. But his career started with a movie called "Omaha," which cost about $38,000 to make. micah.mertes@owh.com, 402-444-3182, twitter.com/micahmertes * * * Out of 'Omaha' Not even counting the "Star Wars" director, great things have come out of "Omaha (The Movie)": » Dan Mirvish has been working in film ever since he directed "Omaha (The Movie)," most recently on "Bernard and Huey," a dramedy written by Jules Feiffer. A further Omaha-y connection: One of the leads of "Bernard and Huey" is Jim Rash, who won a screenwriting Oscar alongside Alexander Payne for penning "The Descendants." » Jon Bokenkamp, the Nebraska native who would go on to create NBC's "The Blacklist," first worked as an assistant editor on "Omaha." » The film's talent stretched all the way to the U.S. Senate and a presidential administration. Ben Nelson starred as himself in "Omaha," and Chuck Hagel helped the movie get made. They each hold a credit on the film. The year after "Omaha" was released, Nelson and Hagel ran against each other for a Senate seat. Hagel won, but Nelson picked up the other seat four years later. Each man would go on to serve multiple terms in the Senate, and Hagel would serve as secretary of defense under President Barack Obama. But before then, each had a small part in a weird little film that would give an early break to the future director of a "Star Wars" movie.

On a Friday in late February 2012, Reggie Johnson arrived at the north Omaha office of the landlord who dominates the city's Section 8 housing program. Johnson, then an employee of the Omaha Housing Authority, was to have lunch with Lafi Jafari, who owns 165 rental properties that provide a federally subsidized place to live for some of the city's poorest residents. Before Johnson could leave the landlord's office, however, Jafari's secretary stunned him with a question. MaryLou Gruttemeyer, who is known as "Ted," asked if he was wearing a wire. Then she patted him down. There was no wire. But later when he spoke with Gruttemeyer he would be using one, under the direction of federal law enforcement agents. Recordings of those conversations would become the underpinning of a bribery conspiracy indictment returned against Jafari and Gruttemeyer in U.S. District Court. The bribery case unfolding in the federal courthouse in downtown Omaha involves a strikingly small amount of money, $2,098 in alleged bribes over three years. During roughly that same time period, from 2012 to 2014, Jafari received substantial federal rent payments of about $2.1 million. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FBI spent about four years investigating Jafari and Gruttemeyer, and a grand jury returned an indictment in November 2016. Initially the probe was done without telling others at OHA, as agents explored whether the alleged corruption had spread further. No one at the agency has been indicted. Details of the case have emerged publicly in recent weeks during court hearings as attorneys for Jafari and Gruttemeyer seek dismissal of the case. They argue that Johnson, at the behest of the government, cajoled and coerced their clients into the actions that landed them in court. The case began with the February 2012 lunch at Tussey's restaurant in the Florence area, a meeting that a HUD agent described in court testimony. Johnson and Jafari chatted about the landlord's relationships with mayors and OHA executive directors. At one point, the agent testified, Jafari leaned back, closed the blinds next to their table and put a half-inch-thick envelope on it. In it was $500. A good share of the cash was in two-dollar bills, a characteristic of at least three of the alleged payments. Take your family out for a nice dinner, the landlord instructed. Jafari did not ask for anything in return. Johnson would not use the money to go out to eat. Instead, he called an agent at HUD's Office of Inspector General in Kansas City to report the meeting. At the time, Johnson was OHA's first program integrity specialist. He had previously been an assistant inspector general for the Army at Fort Riley, Kansas. HUD opened an investigation that led to Jafari and Gruttemeyer's indictment on six counts each of paying a bribe to an agent of an organization receiving federal funds and one count each of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Jafari also was indicted on one count of making false statements to HUD agents. He is accused of telling them that he had never provided anything of value to an OHA employee and did not know Johnson. Jafari and Gruttemeyer have pleaded not guilty. In seeking the case's dismissal, the defendants' attorneys, Jerry Hug and Brent Bloom, have argued that investigators' actions constitute "outrageous government conduct," a legal standard. That defense relies in part on an undisputed fact: Federal investigators twice directed Johnson to ask Gruttemeyer for money in exchange for performing favors for the rental company. However, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jan Sharp noted that Johnson made the requests after receiving unsolicited money on three occasions. U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Bazis is expected to rule on the dismissal request in February. If the judge allows the case to proceed, Jafari and Gruttemeyer potentially face heavy fines and substantial prison time. The indictment alleges Jafari or Gruttemeyer gave a total of about $2,100 to Johnson over five occasions. Four of those were arranged meetings, and three of those were recorded. In one instance, for example, Johnson carried a key fob that contained a camera. The FBI also instructed him how to record telephone conversations. Gruttemeyer held broad responsibilities at Jafari's company, including being present at inspections, collecting rent and going to court eviction proceedings. She also is in a relationship with Jafari, her attorney said. Gruttemeyer handed Johnson envelopes of cash four times, the indictment alleges. Jafari is accused of providing an envelope on one occasion, at the February 2012 lunch meeting. OHA provides housing to people with low to moderate incomes. In the Section 8 program, federal rent subsides are directed to private landlords. At 74, Jafari is the city's largest Section 8 landlord and has been in the rental business for decades. At the time of Jafari's indictment a year ago, about 100 families lived in properties in north Omaha owned by either Jafari or his company, MM&L International Corp. A substantial share were in the Minne Lusa area, where Jafari lives. Following the indictment, HUD suspended Jafari's Section 8 eligibility in February, and OHA began suspending payments to him as leases expired, house by house. As of early November, 31 families remained in Jafari-connected properties, said Judith Carlin, OHA's chief executive officer. Jafari has challenged HUD's order suspending his eligibility, and is suing OHA to resume rental payments. Beyond surreptitious audio and video recordings, HUD tracked mail sent to Jafari. For at least a month the U.S. Postal Service gave investigators copies of the outsides of envelopes mailed to Jafari, a practice known as a mail cover. The investigation was kept from senior OHA officials. "We did not know at that point where this could lead, whether … anyone else within the housing authority might be taking bribes from other people," testified a now-retired HUD special agent, Karen Gleich. HUD investigators' suspicions were fueled by something they heard in an interview with the director of Section 8 in Omaha, testified HUD Special Agent Kris Kanakares. He said that the supervisor in the Omaha OHA office told him that one of her employees admitted to receiving referral fees from Jafari. OHA ethics guidelines forbid employees from recommending a landlord to a tenant in exchange for money. That employee was either fired or resigned, Kanakares testified. Carlin, the OHA chief executive officer, said she had no knowledge of the alleged incident because the employee left before Carlin arrived at the agency. Most of Johnson's meetings with Jafari and Gruttemeyer were arranged. But there also was an unplanned encounter referred to by attorneys as "The Cracker Barrel Incident." Johnson and his wife, Linda, ran into Jafari and Gruttemeyer at the Council Bluffs restaurant after a weekend breakfast in the summer of 2013. As the Johnsons were leaving, Gruttemeyer approached their vehicle and offered an envelope to Johnson's wife through the passenger window. Linda Johnson, who had been ill for years and died of cancer in October 2016, accepted it. The envelope was filled with $200 in two-dollar bills. It is not clear what ultimately happened with that money. Kanakares testified that it appears that Johnson's wife spent it, while Johnson said the couple turned it over to investigators. Bloom, Gruttemeyer's attorney, questioned what happened to it. "That money was never recovered?" Bloom asked. "No, it was not," Kanakares said. " 'Cause Mrs. Johnson spent it, right?" Bloom asked. "That's my understanding. Yes," Kanakares said. At a hearing on Wednesday, Johnson said, "I recall me telling my wife 'Baby, you can't take that money.' … I did not want my wife to know any of the stuff that was going on. I didn't want her implicated in this thing." He testified that law enforcement agents came to the couple's home to retrieve the money. He said he wasn't certain, but he believes they came that same night. An element of Jafari and Gruttemeyer's defense is that they were disliked by some OHA employees. In a motion, the defendants' attorneys wrote that OHA employees, "without basis for their opinion" had described Jafari as "evil" or "shrewd" in interviews with federal investigators. "The race and ethnic origin of Jafari and Gruttemeyer, as well as the relative success of Jafari in his business dealings made them an object of suspicion and derision for OHA employees and caused OHA employees to suspect Jafari, Gruttemeyer, and MM&L International," the attorneys wrote. Jafari, a Palestinian who spent his youth in Jordan, decorated his office with photographs from his younger days as a track athlete. Gruttemeyer is from the Philippines and has lived in the United States since 1985. The defendants' attorneys have argued that there was an "OHA whisper campaign" that was intended to impugn Jafari and Gruttemeyer's characters to HUD investigators. Another leg of the defense is that Johnson had a forceful physical presence that helped induce a reluctant Gruttemeyer to offer him money. "He's a big guy. A big man who works out," Bloom said Wednesday of Johnson, who is about 5-foot-10 and at the time weighed about 210 pounds. "Mrs. Gruttemeyer is a very small, older woman." Gruttemeyer is 58, Johnson is 55. The defense attorneys described the government investigative efforts as "hounding, bullying, pestering and coercive." Some of the alleged bribes were not accompanied with a specific request, and that, too, is among the central questions raised by defense attorneys. However, a Creighton University School of Law professor said the law does not require a prosecutor to demonstrate a quid pro quo to prove conspiracy to commit bribery. "The government just has to prove, by giving the money, the defendant intended to influence the housing authority," Patrick Borchers said. "In general, the government doesn't have to prove there was an agreement." In February 2015, Johnson asked Gruttemeyer for one last envelope of money. It was Johnson's last day as an OHA employee - he would be taking the job he still holds, managing the Omaha police vehicle impound lot. Johnson had discovered during an investigation that Jafari had received federal rent payments for a tenant who had moved out of a Crown Point Avenue rental, a HUD agent testified. At HUD's direction, Johnson told Gruttemeyer he could cover up the results of his investigation. On the line was about $6,200 in rent overpayments that Jafari would have to pay back. Johnson went to the MM&L office where it had started three years earlier. He walked up stairs to a patio, where Gruttemeyer stood. Gruttemeyer remained suspicious of Johnson, he testified. She spoke in a low tone and held up a handwritten sign with three questions: Can we do this out here? Is $700 enough? Can I trust you?

The 2018 Heisman Trophy race could be wide open. There will be no returning winner, with Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield becoming the first senior to win the award since 2006. Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2016 winner and a finalist this year, is a junior likely to jump to the NFL. The most likely finalist to return is Stanford running back Bryce Love, though he also is a junior who could declare for the NFL draft. Penn State's Saquon Barkley finished fourth in the voting, but don't expect the junior to be back. Barkley is a possible top-five pick. The fifth-place finisher, Rashaad Penny of San Diego State, is a senior. Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold entered this season as the Heisman favorite, but too many interceptions took him out of the running. Whether Darnold jumps to the NFL is not quite so clear. If he returns, he will again receive Heisman hype. It could be a good year for a dark horse to emerge, but here are some players who will enter 2018 with Heisman buzz: Quarterbacks who bypass the draft Fifteen of the past 18 Heisman winners have been QBs, so there is good chance another will win it next season. Darnold is one of several underclassmen quarterbacks who might decide to enter the NFL draft. But if they do return to school, they would be a good bet to enter the Heisman race. The most prominent are Jarrett Stidham of Auburn, Will Grier of West Virginia and Drew Lock of Missouri. Travis Etienne RB, Clemson Returning starting quarterback Kelly Bryant will get a lot of attention. Etienne, though, has a chance to be a special running back. He is averaging 7.2 yards per carry as a freshman. The talent is there for a huge sophomore season. It's just a matter of touches on what always figures to be a team with lots of good options in the backfield. Nick Fitzgerald QB, Mississippi State New coach Joe Moorhead's offense helped Trace McSorley put up some gaudy numbers at Penn State the past two seasons (6,842 yards passing, 55 TD passes and 18 rushing touchdowns). Fitzgerald, if he fully recovers from a foot injury, is a lot like McSorley - just a lot bigger at 6-foot-5, 230 pounds. He needs to become a more accurate passer, but Fitzgerald has run for 2,359 yards and 30 touchdowns the past two seasons. The potential is there for big stats. Justin Herbert QB, Oregon Herbert was on his way to a big sophomore year when he broke his collarbone midway through this season. Without him, the Ducks went 1-4. In the seven games he played, Herbert passed for 1,750 yards and 13 touchdowns and added five rushing touchdowns. The 6-6, 220-pound Herbert could be working his way toward becoming the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. McKenzie Milton QB, Central Florida Milton has a lot of Mayfield in his game, with an ability to turn a broken play into a huge gain. He will have a new coach next year in Josh Heupel, but theoretically that should not slow down the Knights' offense that was put together by new Husker coach Scott Frost. Heupel was offensive coordinator at Missouri this season and helped Lock lead the nation in touchdown passes with 43. Milton finished eighth in this year's Heisman voting. Jonathan Taylor RB, Wisconsin The freshman tailback is third in the nation in rushing at 1,847 yards and 142.08 per game. No team is more committed to the run than Wisconsin. Taylor will be the favorite to lead the nation in rushing next year and likely the focal point of the Badgers' offense. Taylor finished sixth in the voting, and depending on what the juniors do ahead of him, he could be the highest-placing returnee. Others to watch Cam Akers, RB, Florida State J.K. Dobbins, RB, Ohio State Justice Hill, RB, Oklahoma State Jalen Hurts, QB, Alabama JD Spielman, WR, Nebraska Khalil Tate, QB, Arizona

Jaron Woodyard received an offer from the Huskers on Dec. 3, 2017. One week later, he accepted. He was one of the first recruits to receive an offer from Nebraska after Scott Frost became the Huskers' football coach. Woodyard is a junior college prospect at Arizona Western. He took his official visit to Nebraska the weekend of Dec. 9. Nebraska running backs coach Ryan Held visited Arizona Western on Dec. 5.

Nebraska on Monday swept the Big Ten women's basketball weekly awards. Husker sophomore Hannah Whitish was named player of the week after averaging 29.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.5 steals as NU won at Kansas and Drake. The 5-foot-9 point guard from Barneveld, Wisconsin, helped Nebraska rally from a 13-point first-half deficit at KU, scoring 25 of her 29 points after halftime. NU's Kate Cain was selected as Big Ten freshman of the week for the third time this season. The 6-5 center from Middletown, New York, blocked nine more shots in the two games - pushing her season total to 34 - and also finished the Drake win with career highs of 19 points and 14 rebounds. Nebraska had lost 14 straight true road games before the wins at Kansas and Drake. The Huskers (7-3) travel to San Jose State on Sunday.

Susan Littlefield reports.

COLUMBUS, Neb. - A Columbus woman who police say robbed a Columbus bar at gunpoint, will be sentenced to prison next month. 30-year-old Malinda Honea was found guilty of using a firearm to commit a felony and faces five to 50 years in prison on the conviction. Court records say Honea robbed the Avenue Bar in Columbus at gun point in August, taking over $600. She reached a plea deal with prosecutors last month that dropped a robbery and meth charge. Honea will be sentenced on January 5th in Platte County District court.

OMAHA - Most people know of the Dehner Boot Co. and the products they've produced since the 1870's. But many people might not know that the company calls Omaha home as they continue to thrive into the present day. Watch the video for their story.

COLUMBUS, Neb. - An SUV that was taken in Columbus, was found in Duncan on Sunday morning. According to the Columbus Police Department, they received an early morning on Sunday call about a stolen 1999 Chevy Blazer that was parked on a residential street in Columbus. Later that morning, the Platte County Sheriff's Office found the vehicle just southeast of Duncan on 280th Ave. CPD is still investigating the incident and more information may be available later in the week.

FREMONT - The Fremont City Council will consider the resignation of a city employee at their regular Tuesday meeting. At the end of the council's regular agenda they will consider the resignation of City Attorney Paul Payne. Payne officially resigned on December 6th. According to City Administrator Brian Newton someone is appointed by the mayor to the position of City Attorney. He says after the council meeting a notice will be posted for the position, and any applicants can send in resumes and be interviewed. With Payne's resignation the city will be in need of temporary legal services until the appointment of a new City Attorney. Newton says the council's agenda also includes a resolution for the mayor to execute an Inter-Local Agreement with Dodge County for temporary legal services. “We have a draft of an Inter-Local Agreement between Dodge County and the City of Fremont to be able to use County Attorney Oliver Glass in the interim period,” explained Newton. “We really appreciate Dodge County being able to step up and help us out.” Glass will be in attendance at the council's meeting on Tuesday. Also at the regular council meeting there will be a public hearing to consider the schedule of assessments for Paving District No. 550 located on the west side of Johnson Road between Peterson Avenue and 16th Street. Later on the regular agenda is a resolution to authorize the levying of the assessments. There will also be a resolution to potentially authorize staff to work with legal counsel to develop an Inter-Local Agreement with Fremont Public Schools regarding a jointly owned parcel of land on the southwest corner of Military Avenue and Johnson Road. A study session will begin at 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday before the council meeting, which will begin at 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

LINCOLN - The Nebraska Republican National Committeewoman has resigned in response to the committee's support of Roy Moore. Joyce Simmons announced her resignation today in protest of the committee financially supporting Roy Moore, a GOP Senate nominee in Alabama. Moore was recently accused of sexual misconduct. He's also been accused of pursuing underage girls, including one as young as 14-years-old when he was in his 30s. The RNC first withdrew its support after the allegations against Moore surfaced last month. But that support was later reinvested after President Donald Trump gave an endorsement for Moore. The committee has recently sent $170,000 to the Alabama Republican Party. Simmons has said she strongly disagrees with the financial support given to Moore. Richard Shelby, Alabama's senior Republican senator said in a recent interview that he believed his state deserved better than Moore and that he refused to vote for him. Senator Bob Krist of Omaha praised Simmons for her protest. "Thanks to Joyce Simmons for standing up to the GOP Party Bosses. In case you missed it, she resigned today from her post as Nebraska GOP National Committeewoman in protest of the committee's financial support for Roy Moore,” said Senator Krist. “Government should represent 'We, the people' - not the Party Bosses or those who can buy access to power. Principal over partisanship." Simmons was quoted in an email she had sent to her party colleagues saying, “I will miss so many of you that I knew well; and wish I could have continued my service to the national Republican Party that I used to know well."

COLUMBUS, Neb. - A Columbus man accused of leading police on a drunken, 15-mile, high speed chase is due in court next week. 27-year-old Christopher Sky is charged with among other things, first offense DUI and willful reckless driving. According to police and court records, in mid-November a speeding Sky refused a police order to pull over and instead sped up-hitting speeds over 100 MPH along Highway 81 until his car wound up in a ditch where Sky was slumped over and bleeding from the wrist. Police say he told them he injected “a large amount of methamphetamine.” He is scheduled to appear in Platte County Court Dec. 20th.

COLUMBUS, Neb. - A Columbus man charged with theft and resisting arrest in September, will be back in court next week. 23-year-old Davis Harrington is accused of stealing money from his roommate's wallet and trying get away from police during his arrest. Court records say Harrington's roommate told the Columbus Police that Harrington took hundreds of dollars out of his wallet. While CPD attempted to arrest Harrington, court documents say he kept trying to walk away and would not walk to the police car after being cuffed. Police say they found $490 in cash on Harrington when they arrested him. He is charged with misdemeanor theft. Harrington has been convicted resisting arrest twice, which allows prosecutors to charge him with a felony.