@HuskerlandBob Sez: This story originally appeared early in the 2023 regular season, shortly after Conor gave his verbal commit to the Huskers, signing up for real just a few days ago.

As a senior in 2024 Conor again proved to be a monster talent, rushing for 2,956 and 50 touchdowns, both new Class C-2 records, leading his Bishop Neumann team to the Class C-2 state final.

That all still lie ahead for Conor when we spoke in September of 2023...

**************************************************************************************

It’s hard to say. Not that it’s hard to say, but it’s hard to tell. You know, which is his favorite.

Growing up Conor Booth has played a ton of baseball and a fair share of football, turning out to be pretty good at both of them. You’d have to be pretty good at both of them to go D-1, right?

But when you ask the Bishop Neumann junior which is his favorite sport to play he talks around the subject some, praising and professing his love for both games. Lots to like about both of them, he says, but it is also “sort of an up and down situation” where at one moment baseball is his favorite, at another football takes the lead.

In the end, like a good parent does with their children, he loves them both the same.

“In baseball I enjoy getting hits, of course, but I also enjoy the energy and the that comes with the game, especially from the dugout where we are cheering each other on,” says Conor, who assures us he has a quality chatter rap. “In football I love the way it is such a team game, a brotherhood, and a selfless sport where you have to sacrifice for your teammates and they do the same for you. If feels like family.”

Good thing Conor is good at both sports, since he’ll be playing them at the University of Nebraska. Earlier this summer he verbally accepted a football scholarship offer from the Huskers, which also comes with the freedom to compete in baseball. Back home we call that a “dream scenario.”

And he had help.

“Coach (Jordan) Roberts handled all the recruiting, reaching out to Nebraska to get things started, then I went to a camp last summer and did my thing,” says Conor, who lit it up at that camp, BTW. “A week later the offer came and it was a surreal moment for me. Coach Ruhle was honest and open in our discussion about playing both sports. He told me it was my life and he was all for me trying baseball, with the idea maybe later I’d be excelling at one more than the other and stick to one sport.”

And another thing. He wasn’t recruited as a fullback. It’s reported all over the place Conor Booth, Bishop Neumann junior, was recruited to play fullback for the Huskers, but that’s not how Conor, all 6-foot-1 and 217 pounds of him, saw it. An all-stater in both sports, when he takes his turn on the Huskers baseball team it will be as an outfielder, but he’s open to a position change, saying he’s just grateful for the opportunity to compete.

* One of the most remarkable stats of last season was this - 13.4 yards per carry. That was Conor’s number during the 2022 season, one in which he carried the ball only 72 times. Really? “We run a triple option and a lot of times other teams would defend it so that I wasn’t the best option,” says Conor, though while he’s saying that I am thinking, yes you were. “My teammates do a great job, it doesn’t have to always be me carrying the ball.”

Maybe. But just think if it was. Granted, he’s getting the ball much more often this season - 26 carries through two games - and cashing in his chances, big time. Those 26 carries have resulted in 443 yards - 17 YPC! - and nine touchdowns, with 313 of those yards coming last week against Lincoln Lutheran (the team that knocked Neumann out of the last year’s playoffs), with over 200 of that coming in the firs quarter alone.

Not bad, kid, not bad at all...

Born in Wichita, Kansas, Conor and his family moved to Wahoo when he was “two or three” and he’s come up through the ranks of the Wahoo youth football program, always on track to attend high school at Bishop Neumann. He has two younger sisters, and for fun he likes to spend time at the lake in the summer, and also spending time with his friends playing games, competing, in spikeball and cornhole, riding 4-wheelers and driving around town, talking things out.

He’s an exceptional student, holding a 3.9 GPA and membership in the National Honor Society, saying he works hard for his grades because they are important to him. As for his college study major, that’s still up in the air.

Last season the Cavaliers enjoyed one of the best seasons in a while, going 8-1 in the regular season, then advancing in the playoffs. They have picked up steam in these opening weeks of the 2023 season, winning their first two games by a total score of 117-10 in advance of Friday’s game at Grand Island Central Catholic (1-1).

“What I like the most about our team is how we have bonded, seniors, juniors and sophomores even, and really made this a team. The potential for our team is really high and we want to take things farther than we did last year. I believe we can.”