HOL In-State Tour Anonymous feedback: Best coach, player and team
HuskerOnline hosted its annual In-State Tour in Omaha and Lincoln and had 22 coaches and 136 players from across Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa fill out anonymous questionnaires.
The questions varied between coaches and players and ranged from the number of multi-sport athletes to which coach got the most out of his team and the best players.
Not all of the coaches and players submitted a questionnaire but HuskerOnline will be running several features based on their responses.
In this installment, we will be reviewing the coaches' answers to the coach that got the most out of their team in 2021, the school with the best talent pool and who the players said were the best player and team they've played against.
What high school coach did the best job of getting the most out of their football team in 2021? (coaches)
Omaha North's Larry Martin received the most votes with four. Martin led the Vikings to wins in six of their final seven games, including playoff wins over Millard South and North Platte. The Vikings were not able to play a football season in 2020 due to Omaha Public Schools making the decision to cancel all fall sports. They were the only school district in Nebraska that elected not to have athletics in the fall of 2020, which didn't allow Martin to have his team in organized training until later in 2021.
Gretna's Mike Kayl, who won the Class A championship game, received three votes. Aurora coach Kyle Peterson also got three votes. The Huskies made it to the Class B championship game but lost to Bennington for the second time that season.
Coaches that received one vote: Brett Froendt (Westside), Ricky Tullos (Bryan), James Patterson (Omaha South), Paul Limongi (Burke), Mark Macke (Lincoln High), Brandon Cool (Kearney), Jeff Tomlin (Grand Island), Todd Rice (North Platte), Kam Lenhart (Bennington), Judson Hall (Scottsbluff), Andrew Carlson (Battle Creek), Russ Plager (Wayne), Ryan Thompson (Ashland) and Nate Wells (Ord)
Who is the best player you've ever played against in a high school game?
It was a close one but Millard South's Gage Stenger, who is now a Husker, received the most votes for the best player with 12 votes. Omaha Westside quarterback Cole Payton, now at North Dakota State, came in a close second with 11 votes.
Oklahoma tight end signee Kaden Helms, who goes to Bellevue West, received eight votes. Outside linebacker Devon Jackson, who is from Burke and signed with Oregon, got six votes.
Players with five votes: LJ Richardson (2022 Bellevue West RB), Maverick Noonan (2023 Elkhorn South Edge), Zane Flores (2023 Gretna QB), Gunnar Gottula (2023 Lincoln Southeast OL) and Dylan Mostek (2022 Bennington RB).
Players with four votes: Teddy Prochazka (2021 Elkhorn South OL), Dae'vonn Hall (2024 Bellevue West WR), Aidan Hall (2023 Harlan (Iowa) WR), Elijah Larson (2021 St. Paul LB) and Christian Nash (2022 Millard South RB)
2022 quarterback Noah Walters from Lincoln East and 2025 DE Pierre Allen Jr. from Lincoln Southeast each got three votes.
Other players that received votes: Malachi Coleman, Beni Ngoyi, Lance Rucker, Jake Appleget, Cash Buettenback, Antrell Taylor, Orlando Hernandez, Tommy Stevens, Vince Genatone, Gege -Crayton, Cade Haberman, Tyson Money and Will Hubert
What is the best team you have played against in your high school career?
Just like Gage Stenger was voted the best player, Millard South was voted the best team. The Patriots received 26 votes. Bellevue West was right behind them with 21 votes.
Omaha Westside and Gretna tied for third as they both received 16 votes. Elkhorn South received nine votes and Bennington took the cake in Class B with 10 votes.
Other schools that received votes: Lincoln Southeast (6), Creighton Prep (6), Harlan (Iowa) (6), Ord (4), Wahoo (3), Lincoln East (2), Burke (1), North Platte (1), Ashland Greenwood (1), Lincoln High (1)