Running For a 1000, and Into Forever (A history of the Bobby Mills 1000 Yard Club) - The Beginning of the “C” schools.

We now list all the 1000 yard rushers from the Nebraska prep football programs beginning with the letter “C”.

The CALLAWAY BEARS. Ironically, another that I saw every thousand yard rusher play live except for Tim Wood. Loved Monte Birnie because 1) He was on my first ever 1000 Yard Club and 2) He was just smooth as glass when he ran. Von Grove was a tough running back, Robbie Keeney was just plain tough and then there was the great Casey Cozad, who was not only the 1st freshman I ever recorded to break the 1000 yard rushing mark. Had it not been for an injury his sophomore season that kept him sidelined for a few games, Casey would have been a four-time thousand yard rusher.

*CALLAWAY-12 - (Merged w/Arnold to form South Loup) Monte Birnie - 1,570 - (1975)

Von Grove - 1,335 - (1993, Sr)

Von Grove - 1,293 - (1992, Jr)

Jeff Ridder - 1,244 - (1982)

Tim Wood - 1,234 - (1983)

Brandon Smith - 1,186 - (2001)

Rob Keeney - 1,138 - (2007, Jr)

Casey Cozad - 1,064 - (1995, Freshman)..{1st ever Freshman 1000 yarder}

Ky Myers - 1,054 - (2005)

Casey Cozad - 1,042 - (1997, Jr)

Casey Cozad - 1,030 - 1998, Sr)

Rob Keeney- 1,026 - (2008, Sr)

Talk about a Thousand Yard Rushing Factory! It seemed like an annual event when Danny Keyser’s Cambridge team would stop to practice on the field I took care of at field at Grand Island Senior High on his way to in a C-2 state title game in Lincoln. SO many highly talented running backs who enjoyed a brutal blocking offensive line back in the day.

My favorite though, goes way back to my playing at the McCook Elks for 5 days every month with Dad’s band. It gave me the opportunity to see the sensational Tim Peterson, who was literally impossible to stop one on one. We’re talking about the late 1970’s here friends.

Pretty tough to beat Lance Shifflet and Eric Streit, but a young man who did a bunch on his own was Taten Benson, a tall, powerful runner, who could cart the mail right up the gut 35 times a game and still have juice left in the tank during the late stages of the contest. Incredible runner.

*CAMBRIDGE-23

Lance Shifflet - 2,103 - (2007)

Eric Streit - 1,784 - (1996, Sr)

Taten Benson - 1,695 - (2016, Jr)

Tim Peterson - 1,650 - (1978, Jr)

Kraig Young - 1,516 - (1993, Jr)

Brad Lewis - 1,500 - (1986)

Eric Streit - 1,483 - (1997, Sr)

Tim Peterson - 1,476 - (1979, Sr)

Kraig Young - 1,436 - (1994, Sr)

Ethan Long - 1,390 - (2010)

Taten Benson - 1,379 - (2017, Sr)

Virgil Banzahf - 1,341 - (1988)

Trevor Kubik - 1,278 - (1987)

Gus Peterson - 1,259 - (2009)..{Tim Peterson’s Son}

Matt Sexton - 1,190 - (2003, Sr)

Barry Hilton - 1,188 - (1998)

Brady Koch - 1,182 - (2000)

Charlie Shoemaker - 1,170 - (1992)

Ethan Long - 1,167 - (2011)

Daniel Witte - 1,115 - (2001)

Anthony Lytle - 1,090 - (2005, Sr)

Matt Sexton - 1,028 - (2002, Jr)

Anthony Lytle - 1,006 - (2004, Jr)

*CAMPBELL-1 (CLOSED)

Tim Schmidt - 1,126 - (1991)

I will never forget seeing 3-time thousand yard rusher Ben Hansen. Back in the early 2000’s CEDAR BLUFFS ended up in a football district (2004/05 that included teams like Palmer, High Plains, Shelby and Nebraska Christian, which made it easy to see the talented Ben Hansen live. What a player! On a sad note, I’m not sure Clarance Thurlow returned for his senior season to follow up that 2000 yard junior campaign.

*CEDAR BLUFFS-11

Clarance Thurlow - 2,018 - (1974, Jr)

Ben Hansen - 1,482 - (2001, Sr)

Ryan Alston - 1,337 - (1997)

Ben Hansen - 1,302 - (2000, Jr)

Hank Schollmeyer - 1,256- (1976)

Matt Schere - 1,161 - (1975)

Brendon Jorgenson - 1,148 - (2008)

Seth Callahan - 1,053 - (2004)

Ben Hutchinson - 1,047 - (1977)

Cody Haynes - 1,001 - (1997)

Ben Hansen - 1,239 - (1999, Soph)

Tim Kayton may have pulled off an exclusive in 1976 when he rushed for 1,065 yards for a CEDAR RAPIDS squad that was winless that year. I’m not sure ever running across that in all the years I’ve been doing this.

*CEDAR RAPIDS-11 - (with Spalding High to form Riverside)

Greg Roan - 1,500 - (1981)

Mark Swerczek - 1,466-(2009)

Josh Wozny - 1,382 - (2002)

Brad Zoucha - 1,349 - (1992)

Derek Hutchinsen - 1,313 - (1993)

Bill Buettner - 1,287 - (1983, Sr)

Jason Ritterbush - 1,189 - (1987)

Charles Dresch - 1,067 - (1986)

Tim Kayton - 1,065 - (1976)

Bill Buettner - 1,037 - (1982, Jr)

Terry Ahlers - 1,003 - (1978)

*CENTENNIAL-10

Davon Brees - 1,347 - (2019, Sr)

Jon Ernst - 1,326 - (1989)

Ryan O'Hare - 1,278 - (1990, Jr)

Tanner Dey - 1,275 - (2010)

Danny Wullenwaber - 1,270 - (1980)

Gavin Avery - 1,141 - (2017)

Barry Leif - 1,113 - (1977)

Eric Scheele - 1,068 - (2004)

Ryan O'Hare - 1,024 - (1991, Sr)

Ryan Schlueter - 1,017 - (2016)

The remarkable talents of the uncomparable JOE GEREN may have been overshadowed by a three year span of running backs that will go down as some of the best in history (Gale Sayers, Kent McCloughan, Bobby Williams, Bobby Hohn etc) Despite that, three time 1000 yard rusher Joe Geren literally did anything he wanted on the gridiron while compiling 4,604 career yards for CENTRAL CITY.

The speedy, elusive Central City flash never received his proper due during his playing days in my opinion BUT, one thing Mr. Geren and I did verify before he passed…..the fact he rushed for 4,604 yards during his career, which was unheard of back in that day. The late Mr. Geren also passed on some of those rich gridiron bloodlines to his son Craig, who was a Super-State quarterback for Grand Island in 1987.

*CENTRAL CITY-6

Joe Geren - 1,548 - (1959, Jr)

Joe Geren - 1,317 - (1960, Sr)

Sam Kuck - 1,311 - (2007)

Joe Geren- 1,196 - (1958, Soph)

Joe McMahon - 1,103 - (2001)

Andy Benson - 1,035 - (2004)

*CENTRAL VALLEY-1

Jackson McIntyre - 1,172 - (2018)

*CENTURA - 5

Travis Holcomb - 1,288 - (2015)

Kaleb Johnson - 1,106 - (2016)

Levi Rosenquist - 1,106 - (2014)

Jose Guzman - 1,104 - (2016)

Austin Casperson - 1,047 - (2011)

Tyler Ruhl - 1,038 - (2018, Jr)

*CHADRON-9

Jeff Mueller - 1,581 - (1985)

Omar Rogers - 1,485 - (1987)

Will Brown - 1,274 - (2009)

Doug French - 1,218 - (1980)

Mike Coomes - 1,180 - (1988)

John Ritzen - 1,139 - (2005)

Rex Stahla - 1,061 - (1981)

Logan Tiensvold - 1,048 - (2017)

Jackson Dickerson - 1,015 - (2014)

*CHAMBERS-16 - (merged with Wheeler Central to form CWC)

Ross Tomjack - 1,767 - (1991)

Tracy McConnell - 1,683 - (1984)

Matt Hoffman - 1,496 - (2009)

Jason Cameron - 1,496 - (2007)

Daniel Libolt - 1,485 - (2017, Sr) {CWC that year}

Stephen Franssen - 1,405 - (2007, Sr)

Brenden Pelster - 1,312 - (2014, Jr)

Brenden Pelster - 1,300 - (2013, Soph)

Wyatt Wagner - 1,233 - (2019, Sr) {CWCE that year}

Stefan Franssen - 1,152 - (2006, Sr)

Daniel Libolt - 1,115 - (2015, Jr) {CWC that year}

Brian Baker - 1,104 - (1994)

Nicholas Waldo - 1,097 - (1995)

Andy Johansen - 1,076 - (1991)

Greg Olson - 1,059 - (2013)

Mike Strong - 1,023 - (2001)

Craig Hoffman - 1,013 - (1982)

Doug Fick - 1,003 - (2001)

*CHAPPELL-11 - (merged with Lodgepole to form Creek Valley) Tim Johnson - 1,784 - (1990)

Matthew Strostka - 1,597 - (1997, Sr)

Matthew Strostka - 1,446 - (1996, Jr)

Shannon Northcutt - 1,384 - (1991, Soph)

Shannon Northcutt - 1,301 - (1993, Sr)

Matt Guenin - 1,220 - (1985)

Perry Wilber - 1,148 - (1989)

Luke Johnson - 1,083 - (2001)

Steve Akeson - 1,081 - (1982)

Dean Johnson - 1,080 - (1987)

Bill Bennett - 1,063 - (1980)

*CHASE COUNTY-12

Eric Fuehrer - 1,906 - (2000, Sr)

Matt May - 1,698 - (2005)

Eric Fuehrer - 1,645 - (1999, Jr)

Aaron Fuehrer - 1,452 - (2004)

Matt May - 1,380 - (2006)

Bryson Fisher - 1,346 - 2015, Jr)

Bryson Fisher - 1,238- 2016, Sr)

Dirk Dinnel - 1,152 - (1989)

Neil Fuehrer - 1,148 - (1997)

Mitch Vires - 1,110 - (1996)

Jeff Dickey - 1,028 - (2014)

Brandon Lemberg - 1,020 - (1990)

*CLARKS-9 - (merged w/Polk, Hordville to form High Plains)

Brian Pollard - 1,397 - (1987)

Jerry Sundberg - 1,230 - (1983, Sr)

Brent Ksiazek - 1,142 - (1988)

Duke Retzlaff - 1,094 - (1996)

Jerry Sundberg - 1,086 - (1982, Jr)

Ken Reiken - 1,046 - (1976)

Troy Engel - 1,033 - (1994)

Nick Hannappel - 1,004 - (1986)

Greg Douglas - 1000+ - (1969)

*CLARKSON - 17 - (merged with Leigh in 2012 to form Clarkson/Leigh)

Aaron Konicek - 1,741 - (2006, Sr)

Tommy McEvoy - 1,708 - (2018, Soph) {Clarkson/Leigh}

Greg Schmitz - 1,590 - (1985, Sr)

Michael Konicek - 1,436 - (2007, Jr)

Trent Sayers - 1,396 - (1992)

Bradley Bunner - 1,338 - (2015) {Clarkson/Leigh}

Kobe Paprocki - 1,311 - (2015) {Clarkson/Leigh}

Aaron Konicek - 1,298 - (2005, Jr)

Michael Konicek - 1,196 - (2008, Sr)

Jared Steffensmeier - 1,187 - (2011)

Pat Kucera - 1,176 - (2010)

Jordan Gall - 1,164 - (2009)

Jerod Gall - 1,124 - (1998, Sr)

Ryan Bos - 1,100 - (2011)

Jerod Gall - 1,085 - (1997, Jr)

Greg Schmitz - 1,022 - (1984, Jr)

Chris Konicek - 1,010 - (2014) {Clarkson/Leigh}