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Bellevue West Looking to Prove They are Best Team in Nebraska

Everything you need to know about the Millard West vs Bellevue West Omaha HS football matchup - Friday, October 9th at 7:00 pm CT.

millard west vs bellevue west
Game Overview

The Millard West Wildcats take on the undefeated Bellevue West Thunderbirds in a Nebraska Class A matchup – Friday, October 9th at 7:00 pm CT.

Here’s how to watch Millard West vs Bellevue West
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This is the first time since 2006 that Millard West comes into a game unranked in Nebraska Class A. The Wildcats fell to 1-4 after Friday’s 26-25 loss to Lincoln East. It was a heartbreaking defeat for Millard West, as the Spartans scored the go-ahead touchdown with 44 seconds left in the game. Three of Wildcats’ losses are by a total of 6 points.

Depending on who you ask, the best team in Nebraska may be Bellevue West. Max Preps ranks them #1 in the state but Omaha World-Herald lists them at #2 in Class A, just behind Omaha Westside. The Thunderbirds are also the defending Nebraska Class A state champion and own a 16 game winning streak.

The problem for the Thunderbirds is they have only played three games this season due to complications from COVID-19. In all three games, the Thunderbirds soundly defeated their opponents and have scored an average of 50 points per game. The last time Bellevue West played was a 49-14 victory over Kearney on September 25th.

Players to Watch

The Bellevue West offense is lead by several outstanding players including QB Luke Johannsen, WR Keagan Johnson and RB L.J. Richardson. However, that’s not even close to the total amount of firepower available to the Thunderbirds offense.

Johannsen is a first-year QB starter for the Thunderbirds after transferring from Bellevue East. In his last two games, Johannsen threw for 258 yards/3 TDs against Millard South and 352 yards/2 TD’s against Kearney. The 6’2″/180 junior is surrounded by some of the top high school offensive players in the state of Nebraska.

3-star WR Keagan Johnson is ranked by ESPN as the #3 overall Nebraska prospect and #37 wide receiver in the country. In his last game, Johnson caught eight passes for 181 yards/2 TD’s. He added two rushing touchdowns to help lead the Thunderbirds to a 49-14 victory. Johnson is committed to the University of Iowa.

Adding even more headaches for opposing defenses are TE Micah Riley and WR Kaden Helms. At 6’5″, both junior receivers provide another huge target for Johannsen. Riley has a bunch of offers including Nebraska, Auburn, Michigan, Minnesota and Penn State. Helms has offers from Nebraska, Minnesota and Iowa State.

So far this season, the Belleview West running attack has been unstoppable. Junior running back L.J. Richardson (6’1″/220 lbs) has gashed opponents for 521 yards and six touchdowns over the last two games.

The Millard West ground and pound game is led by running back Nathan Pederson. The 5’7″/170 lb. junior scampered for nearly 300 yards rushing in last weeks 26-25 loss to Lincoln East. In that game, Pederson also contributed with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Pederson has 640 yards/6 TD’s on the season.

Stay in the Loop
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To get the latest recruiting buzz, listen to the Over the Middle weekly podcast featuring high school football recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree, available on iTunesStitcher or wherever you get your podcasts.