Class C-2 State Title Game Preview: Norfolk Catholic v. Ord

There is certainly an air of a familiarity to the Class C-2 state football final. And for defending state champion Norfolk Catholic, perhaps comfort. Perhaps.

Oh, don’t go getting all crazy about how I said Norfolk Catholic was all comfortable, lazy even, as next Tuesday’s game against Ord approaches. That is not what I said. But let’s face it, the Knights have won their last four meetings with Ord, including last year’s 38-6 thrashing in the state semifinals. This September Ord played Norfolk Catholic the closest is has since pre-COVID, losing by 17.

You get the idea.

Of course next Tuesday is a brand new day and the story could take some crazy turns; that’s what happens with really good football teams play each other. No. 1 seed Norfolk Catholic (12-0), winner of 25 in a row, will face No. 3 Ord (10-2) in a game set to kick off at 2:45 p.m.

Norfolk Catholic has steamrolled its playoff competition, beating Aquinas, 42-12, and Kearney Catholic, 55-7, before last week’s running clock, 42-7 win over previously unbeaten Fillmore Central. NC’s Jeff Bellar, our state’s all-time winningest high school football coach, points to the basics as the primary reason for his team’s most recent runaway success.

“We have played well in the postseason. Our kicking game has given us good field position and we have been able to score early in each of our playoff games,” says Coach Bellar. “Our team has had good senior leadership all year long. Our defense has improved very much since the start of the season, and on offense our line has improved and they are playing well as a unit.”

There are a lot of familiar names in the Norfolk Catholic lineup, players who played major roles in last year’s state title run. Among them is quarterback Carter Janssen, who has enjoyed a brilliant senior season, passing for 1,091 yards and 12 TDs and rushing for another 937 yards and 14 TDs. Leading rusher for the Knights is senior running back Brandon Kollars, a power runner who has piled up 1,0003 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Adding some added depth to the rushing attack is sophomore Nathan Timmerman, who has gained 491 yards and scored 11 TDs, while senior Sam Speidel (17 catches, 265 yards, 2 TDs) and senior tight end Clayton Carney (12 catches, 194 yards, 4 TDs) are the team’s leading receivers.

Senior Nolan Fennessy, the future Husker, anchors both Norfolk Catholic lines, having recorded 81 total tackles, four sacks and two kick blocks on defense. Senior Mason Weidner (93 tackles), Kollars (91 tackles) and senior Max Hammond (71 tackles) are a tremendous set of linebackers for the Knights, while junior DB Hayden Kelley (63 tackles, 7 INTs) leads the secondary.

Hammond is a dependable place kicker, crucial in a game like this, having converted 67 PATs and two field goals.

“Ord played very well against us in our first game, the game was closer than the score indicates,” says Coach Bellar. “They are very well coached and have a three-year starter at QB. He really runs their offense well. We will have to be sound on defense, offense and in the kicking game if we want to win the game.”

Eleven state titles in, you figure the guy knows what he’s talking about.

* Ranked No. 1 in the preseason Ord had those two early losses but has played progressively better as the season went along, really stomping on the gas in the playoffs. The Chants have beaten Hartington Cedar Catholic (18-13), Mitchell (47-21) and red-hot Yutan (28-6) to get this The Big Game.

“We keep getting better each week throughout the playoffs. The same happened during the regular season but confidence is such a powerful weapon in football and we keep gaining more and more of it,” says Ord head coach Nate Wells, who has led the Chanticleers to a pair of state finals, winning the Class C-2 title in 2020. “We knew the Yutan game was going to be really physical. I like the way they play. Unfortunately for Yutan, the (Derek) Wacker kid did not play. I feel bad for him. Nobody had been able to run the ball effectively enough on them since the Neumann game, but our line did a great job, Trent (McCain) and Dylan (Hurlburt) made some plays, and our defense was stellar again, allowing just the one score in the second half.”

Hurlburt is the team’s three-year starter at quarterback, and after missing basically all of last season he was again his old prolific self, passing for 1,493 yards and 18 TDs and rushing for another 1,050 yards and 18 TDs. McCain is a machine, this eason rushing for 1,495 yards and 19 TDs, and also leading the team in tackles with 115 total, including 15 for loss and six sacks.

Ord has a productive passing game that features senior wide receiver Blake Hinrichs, who had 28 catches for 439 yards and seven TDs, and senior tight end Talan Bruha, who has 24 receptions for 256 yards and a TD. Bruha is also a big-play defender (13 TFLs, 2 INT, 2 FR) and an all-state caliber place kicker.

Anchoring both lines for the Chanticleers is burly junior Jed Boettcher, who on defense finished with 61 tackles, including nine for loss.

“Our mental and physical toughness is a strength of this team. Trust is another strength as is leadership with so many seniors,” says Coach Wells. “We have had great leadership all year but I thought at the beginning of the year we needed to get tougher and trust our teammates to do their job on every play. We had tough guys, mainly just talking about the entire team playing that way. Iron sharpens iron.”

And those guys have played a lot of great football over the years, especially the seniors. “I am very proud of our seniors,” says Coach Wells. “They are the winningest class in our school’s history, going 42-6 in their four years. They were state champs in ‘20, semifinalists in ‘21 and ‘22, and have a chance to play for the state championship this year. We knew a long time ago that this group was special. Unfortunately, some of them got banged up last year and weren’t able to finish the year. That’s football though.

“They have been successful since they began playing youth sports and the team leaders on our state championship team were great leaders for our seniors now. Our seniors have continued to grow our culture and model the positive standards that we have in our program to our school and team.”

Which is very nice, all of it. But then again four of the six losses suffered by Ord’s seniors have come to Norfolk Catholic. It’s a big state, making that an even more remarkable stat.

“After beating Norfolk Catholic in our first meeting ever in 2020, they have had our number. Norfolk Catholic is the gold standard program in our state, and Coach Bellar is a legend,” says Coach Wells. “Their teams are always so disciplined and fundamental. They have great athletes who can run and their line play is always great. They are playing their best football now and have improved throughout the year. Our goal is to play the best game we’ve played all year. Being physical isn’t going to be a problem for us, our kids will be that. We just have to be smarter and more disciplined. Special teams and ball security are going to be really important for us in this game.”

As the Chanticleers enter another state final they have, and have had, a lot of hands in the pot.

“We have had a great run at Ord over the past few years. It takes a village,” says Coach Wells, though technically, with a population of 2,100, Ord is a city. I know Coach, picky, picky...“We have so many great players, teams, and coaches who built our great foundation. I want all the people in our community to take pride in what our kids have accomplished.”