The state saw several high-level athletic performances across all classes over the past school year.
Hayden Frank is the 2023 Journal Star boys athlete of the year. Here's a look at a few other notable performances.
Ben Brahmer, Pierce
Brahmer, now at Iowa State, was a first-team Super-State pick after setting the Nebraska 11-man season receiving record with 1,525 yards during Pierce's unbeaten championship season. He also set a C-1 record for receiving touchdowns with 21, and C-1 career records of 3,511 yards and 45 touchdowns.
In Pierce's 42-14 win over Aurora for the C-1 title, Brahmer had 11 catches for an 11-man record 249 yards and three touchdowns
In basketball, the 6-foot-6 forward earned first-team C-1 all-state honors after averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per game for a Pierce squad that went 23-4 and qualified for the state tournament.
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Brahmer qualified for state in four events during track season, finishing seventh in the Class B boys shot put and eighth in the 110-meter high hurdles.
Landon Ternus, Columbus Lakeview
It was a spectacular senior year for Ternus.
He rushed for 1,099 yards and 14 touchdowns on 8.3 yards per carry in football, then turned to wrestling, where he went 45-0 with 38 pins while winning the Class B title at 220 pounds.
Ternus captured the state's attention in the spring when he was a district champion in three events and runner-up in another in track.
At state, he won the Class B shot put with a throw of 61-7¾, finished seventh in the 100-meter dash, and also competed in the 200 and shot put.
Ternus will continue his football career this fall as a walk-on fullback at Nebraska.
Cam Kozeal, Millard South
Kozeal, a Vanderbilt commit, is likely to hear his name called in the upcoming Major League Baseball draft after hitting .433 and ranking near the top of Class A in several statistical categories.
He played for the U.S. under-18 national team last fall, missing several football games, but was all-state caliber when he was on the gridiron. Kozeal threw for 1,863 yards and ran for 770 in eight games as Millard South's quarterback.
Jaylen Lloyd, Omaha Westside
Injuries hampered Lloyd a bit, especially during track, but he was still among the state's elite in two sports.
In football, Lloyd caught 44 passes for 784 yards and five touchdowns during Omaha Westside's Class A championship season, averaging nearly 18 yards per catch.
A prep national champion in the long jump who also recorded a 50-foot triple jump last summer, Lloyd won the all-class gold in both events during track season despite being slowed by injury.
Lloyd will play football and run track at Nebraska.
Sam Cappos, Lincoln East
An all-city offensive lineman as a senior on East's football team, Cappos has been among the top track athletes in the state for the past three seasons.
He won all-class gold in the shot put with a meet-record throw of 63 feet, 9¾ inches, and led the state most of the season in that event. He was also one of the top discus throwers in Nebraska, trading the state lead with Papio South's Caiden Fredrick and Bellevue West's J'dyn Bullion before eventually settling for third in that event at state.
Cappos will compete in the throws at Arizona State.
Trey Bird, Bennington
Bird threw for 2,409 yards and 33 touchdowns while rushing for 364 yards and four touchdowns during Bennington's second-straight undefeated Class B state championship season in football. The Badgers went 25-0 with Bird as their starting quarterback.
Bird was a first-team Class B all-state pick on the gridiron.
The winning continued in basketball, where Bird was Bennington's leading scorer at 16.1 points per game while leading the Badgers to the state tournament and earning second-team Class B all-state honors.
In the spring, Bird qualified for the state track meet in the long jump.
How each member of the 2022 Super-State first-team offense earned their spot
𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩-𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙪𝙥𝙚𝙧-𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚
Offense football Super-State. Front row from left, Isaiah McMorris (Bellevue West), Te’Shaun Porter (Omaha North), Jaylen Lloyd (Omaha Westside), Marty Brown (Creighton Prep), Cole Ballard (Elkhorn South). Back row from left, Zane Flores (Gretna), Tristan Alvano (Omaha Westside), Mason Goldman (Gretna), Sam Sledge (Creighton Prep), Gunnar Gottula (Lincoln Southeast) and Anthony Rezac Omaha Westside). Monday, Dec. 5, 2022, in Omaha.
𝙌𝘽 𝙕𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨
Gretna | 6-3 | 195 | Sr. | College: Oklahoma State
A four-year starter, Flores was thrown into the fire as a freshman before developing into one of the top quarterback prospects the state has ever seen. He threw for a state-record 9,163 career yards, and wowed nearly everyone who watched him with his arm strength and accuracy. And despite a loss in his final game, Flores went out with a flourish — he threw for 414 yards, a state championship game record, in Gretna's 43-41 loss to Omaha Westside.
𝙍𝘽 𝙏𝙚’𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙪𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧
Omaha North | 5-11 | 200 | Sr. | College: Northwest Missouri State
Porter's 1,532 yards and 22 touchdowns were second in Class A, while his 153.2-yards per game average led Nebraska's largest class. He also threw a 45-yard touchdown pass against Millard West for good measure. The latest in a long line of great Omaha North running backs.
𝙍𝘽 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙙
Elkhorn South | 6-0 | 190 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
The touchdown machine scored 38 times in 2022, with his 32 rushing scores far and away the most in Class A. Ballard averaged nearly 10 yards per carry while leading the Storm to the state quarterfinals, and he showed his versatility by catching 14 passes for 275 yards and four more scores. Tied with teammate Maverick Noonan for the most all-state nominations from Class A coaches in the Journal Star's balloting.
𝙍𝘽 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣
Creighton Prep | 6-1 | 210 | Sr. | College: North Dakota State
If Creighton Prep's offensive line was the best in the state, then Brown was perhaps the most punishing back. Despite missing a game due to injury, Brown ran for 1,408 yards and 15 touchdowns while powering the Junior Jays to the state semifinals against the toughest schedule in the state. Brown will play at the top FCS program in the nation at North Dakota State alongside his brother Ahmar, who will be a linebacker for the Bison.
𝙒𝙍 𝙄𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙖𝙝 𝙈𝙘𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙨
Bellevue West | 6-0 | 170 | Jr. | College: Undecided
McMorris' 90 catches shattered the Class A record by 11, while his 1,297 yards were 67 shy of the Class A mark. In a program rich with talented pass catchers in its history, McMorris stands out. The junior holds offers from six Power 5 programs, including Nebraska.
𝙒𝙍 𝙅𝙖𝙮𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝙇𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙙
Omaha Westside | 5-11 | 160 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
Unmatched speed made Lloyd one of the top deep threats in the state, with 44 catches for 784 yards and five touchdowns, and turned him into a top-end football recruit in addition to one of the top high school sprinters in the country.
𝙊𝙇 𝙎𝙖𝙢 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚
Creighton Prep | 6-4 | 280 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
A two-time Super-State pick, Sledge was the anchor on a road-grading Creighton Prep line considered among the best in the state. He'll follow his father, Bob, a Nebraska Football Hall of Fame inductee, and play at Nebraska.
𝙊𝙇 𝙂𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙧 𝙂𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙪𝙡𝙖
Lincoln Southeast | 6-6 | 290 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
A recent photo on social media tells the story: In it, Gottula is standing between new Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule and assistant Ed Foley. Behind Gottula you can see, just barely, a full-sized Christmas tree. Gottula's frame makes him a tantalizing college prospect, and he put it to good use during Southeast's playoff season.
𝙊𝙇 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙂𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙢𝙖𝙣
Gretna | 6-6 | 255 | Sr. | College: Undecided
Another repeat selection to the Super-State team, Goldman holds offers from six Power 5 programs and a host of others. He added an offer from Nebraska in October.
𝙊𝙇 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙠 𝙆𝙣𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙤𝙣
Scottsbluff | 6-7 | 295 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
The massive (6-foot-7, 295-pound) Knutson paved the way for a Scottsbluff offense that rushed for 314 yards per game on the way to a Class B state semifinal appearance. Nebraska's new coaching staff considered him an important enough addition that Matt Rhule recently flew to Scottsbluff to meet Knutson in his home.
𝙊𝙇 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙗 𝙋𝙮𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢
Omaha Central | 6-6 | 290 | Jr. | College: Undecided
Yet another in-state lineman with a host of Power 5 offers, Pyfrom saw his recruitment explode in 2022. The junior also plays basketball for the Eagles.
𝘼𝙏𝙃 𝘼𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙯𝙖𝙘
Omaha Westside | 6-3 | 190 | Jr. | College: Undecided
While Zane Flores and Bellevue West's Daniel Kaelin got most of the headlines when it came to high school quarterbacks in Nebraska, it was Rezac who went a combined 3-0 against those two while leading Westside to the Class A title. He threw for 2,239 yards and 19 touchdowns, ran for 1,118 yards and 19 more scores, and led the game-winning drive in the final seconds of the state championship game.
𝙆 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣 𝘼𝙡𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙤
Omaha Westside | 6-2 | 185 | Sr. | College: Nebraska
Alvano's performance in the state championship game will live forever — five field goals, one from 50 yards, and the game-winning 45-yarder at the final gun. His 16 field goals in 2022 are a state record. And his ability to put nearly every kickoff into the end zone meant Westside's defense almost always started with a field position advantage.
Alvano's performance in the state championship game will live forever — five field goals, one from 50 yards, and the game-winning 45-yarder at the final gun. His 16 field goals in 2022 are a state record. And his ability to put nearly every kickoff into the end zone meant Westside's defense almost always started with a field position advantage.
