There’s little hotter in Huskerland high school football than when Norfolk Catholic gets hot. And last November the Knights were smokin’.
Defending another state title - that makes 12 in school history - there was, as usual, every reason to believe the Knights would again be in the state championship mix. There were talented and veteran challengers - Ord opened the season as Class C-2’s No. 1-ranked team, Oakland-Craig, Battle Creek and Yutan had some guys, Fillmore Central was the breakthrough team in the class - but when all was said and done it was the Knights who were the kings.
Like a lion in the wild Norfolk Catholic wasted little time in establishing its dominance in the opening weeks of the 2023 season, beating both Oakland-Craig (37-14) and Ord (31-14). There was that epic, stormy night at Battle Creek in late September where the Braves almost got it done, falling 24-19, but the Knight survived the challenge and closed out the regular season with a 41-0 whitewash of Cedar Catholic, the 2022 state runner-up. These Knights, they meant business.
And we hadn’t even gotten to the good part yet.
Once the playoffs began NC took it to an even higher level, blasting Aquinas (42-14) and Kearney Catholic (55-7) in the opening rounds, then bringing the curtain down on Fillmore’s Cinderella season, 42-7. That left a rematch with Ord in the final and from the start it was all NC all the time, winning the game 41-3.
“We stayed healthy and got better as the season went on,” says NC head coach Jeff Bellar. You know, the guy with the 400-plus wins and 11 state titles. “That team had good experience back in the O-line and QB, and also in the defensive line and at linebacker. Key spots where we had good, veteran players.”
In 2024 Norfolk Catholic will return a good core of proven veterans on defense - all three DBs, a linebacker and two linemen. “We will also have good experience returning in the backfield and receivers on offense, but we will need to develop a quarterback and some offensive linemen,” says Coach Bellar. My guess is, he will.
Leading into the season the Knights will maintain their usual, simple plan for success, including a ton of weight room work and a single team camp in July. Again, expect that to work out.
Norfolk Catholic will again open the season with consecutive challenging games, including those against Bishop Neumann and 2023 C-1 state champion Boone Central, and later will get to join in the fun that is part of being locked into the insanely tough C2-4 district. You know, the one where it’s Norfolk Catholic, Battle Creek, Oakland-Craig and Cedar Catholic, among others?
“I believe our schedule will be very difficult, but hopefully that will motivate us to work hard in preparation,” says Coach Bellar. Again, you expect that to again be the case.
