Class D-2 (Eight-Man) Football Championship Game Preview.

*Monday, November 22nd, Memorial Stadium/UNL, 2:30 PM

Kenesaw (12-0) vs. Sandhills-Thedford (12-0)

*Kenesaw coaching staff: Head Coach: Craig Schnitzler, Asst: Chuck Roe, Casey Olson, Christian Kroos.

*Sandhills-Thedford staff: Head Coach: Josh Deines, Asst: Tyson Cox, Andrew Christen, Cade Pokorny.

*Last Year’s Playoffs-Kenesaw lost to eventual D-2 Champion BDS 60-27 in the Quarterfinals. Sandhills-Thedford was defeated by BDS 36-28 in the D-2 Championship game at Shickley.

Team Statistics;

*Rushing Yards: Kenesaw - 334.0, Sandhills-Thedford 292.8

*Passing Yards: Kenesaw - 77.3 Sandhills-Thedford 52.3

*Total Yards: Kenesaw-411.3, Cody-Kilgore-345.1

Individual Statistics;

*Kenesaw*:

*Passing: #10 Tyson Denkert 36 of 61 (59%) for 816 yards/13 TDs, 3 INTs.

*Rushing: #10 Tyson Denkert-2,245-265 (8.5)/49 TDs, #13 Trey Kennedy 925-117 (7.9)/19 TDs

*Receiving: #21 Lane Kelley 17 catches for 402 yards/7 TDs, #25 Sean Duffy 7-227/2 TDs, #33 Joel Katzberg 9-154/4 TDs.

*Tackles: #6 Nick Kuehn-121 Total (42 solos, 79 assists with 1 sack/1, 1 FR), Sean Duffy-102 (41/61), #70 Eli Jensen-87 (18/69, 2.5 TFL, 1 INT, 3 FR).

**(After some serious digging, I found that unofficially, Kenesaw has allowed just 909 yards rushing and 1,293 passing yards in 12 games. That is 2,202 total yards, an average of 183.5 yards a game given up by this Kenesaw defense. For a team known for it’s high powered offense, that 183 yards/per game on defense is awfully stingy and should still be 2nd best in D-2.)**

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*Sandhills-Thedford*:

*Passing: #24 Reece Zutavern 26-44 (59.1%) for 526 yards/12 TDs/2 INTs.

*Rushing: #21 Trae Hickman-1,209-150 (8.1)/27 TDs, #22 Dane Pokorny 1,203-123 (9.8)/23 TDs, #24 Reece Zutavern-632-44 (14.4) 12 TDs.

*Receiving: #30 Drew McIntosh 11 for 255 yards/5 TDs, #12 Seth Scranton 8 for 180/4 TDs

*Tackles: #30 Drew McIntosh-94 Total (48/46 with 11 sacks, 2 FR), #24 Reece Zutavern-90 (47/43, 5 sacks, 2 blocked kicks, 3 FR), #22 Dane Pokorny-88 (38/50, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 2 FR), #5 Kyle Cox 82 (42/40, 4 INTs, 1 FR).

(**The Sandhills-Thedford defense has allowed just 996 total rushing yards and 895 passing yards to opponents through 12 games in 2021, giving up only 157 yards per game to opponents.**)

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Team Records:

Kenesaw (12-0)

58 Axtell 24

47 Loomis 0

70 Fullerton 20

68 Giltner 12

75 Lawrence-Nelson 6

52 BDS 14

58 Blue Hill 7

72 Palmer 20

*Playoffs

56 Medicine Valley 0

62 Falls City Sacred Heart 56

70 Humphrey St. Francis 40

36 BDS 6

Sandhills-Thedford

Kenesaw 720 - 205 Opponents

(Kenesaw 60.0 ppg - Opponents 17.1 ppg)

Sandhills-Thedford (12-0)

52 Mullen 14

36 Morrill 8

65 Hyannis 0

45 Twin Loup 0

61 South Loup 16

55 Ansley/Litchfield 6

56 Sandhills Valley 0

77 Pleasanton 18

*Playoffs

60 Lawrence-Nelson 20

36 Mead 6

46 Osceola 14

52 Elgin Public/Pope John 8

Kenesaw

Sandhills-Thedford 662 - 110 Opponents

(Sandhills-Thedford 55.2 ppg - Opponents 9.2 ppg)

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…….This D-2 title game may be the most anticipated matchup in next week’s NSAA 2021 Football Championships at Memorial Stadium. It’s the high powered offense of the Kenesaw Blue Devils against the seemingly immovable defense of Sandhills-Thedford.

Now, let’s be clear that there is nothing wrong with a Kenesaw defense, which has given up an unofficial 183 yards and 17 points a game.

Sandhills-Thedford, who lost to BDS in last year's D-2 championship 36-27, feel like they have unfinished business to take care of, but must contend with a Kenesaw team that mowed down traditional 8-Man legendary, powerhouse programs, Falls City Sacred Heart and Humphrey St. Francis along the way. Then, to top things off, the Blue Devils dispatched defending state champion BDS for the second time this season to gain a spot in this title game.

The way both of these teams play defense, you should be able to hear the brutal hits all the way up to the sixth floor press box if the windows are open for this mid-afternoon clash.

There will be so much “star” power on that Memorial Stadium turf during this game it will make your head spin. Kenesaw will have the probable D-2 Player-of-the Year, Tyson Denkert, FB/LB Trey Kennedy, Nick Kuehn, Sean Duffy and Eli Jensen, while those rough, tough Knights counter with Reece Zutavern (State Class D 182 pound wrestling champion), Dane Pokorny, Trae Hickman, Drew McIntosh and Kyle Cox.

There are so many questions floating around concerning this monumental clash, and I’m certainly not the man to offer the answers, but here are a few I’ve heard all season long in anticipation of this meeting.

*Can anyone come close to shutting down Kenesaw’s Tyson Denkert?

*Will Trey Kennedy play a bigger role for the Blue Devils in this one.

*Can Kenesaw control the Knights three-headed offensive monster of Reece Zutavern, Trae Hickman and Dane Pokorny?

*Will the passing game play an important role in this battle of ground attack giants?

*Will a turnover or big special teams play be the difference in this one? (Keep in mind Sandhills-Thedford has placekicker Alvaro Ferran in their arsenal. Ferran has converted 18 of 20 PATS and was 4 of 5 on FIELD GOAL attempts this season with a longest boot of 37 yards.)

*Which team (if any) will run out of gas first in a physical battle of this magnitude?

*Who would be the favorite should this game turn out to be a high scoring affair?

*Which team would hold the upper hand in a good old low scoring, defensive slobber-knocker?

THIS should be one heck of an Eight-Man football game!