2022 is the 19th year of the HuskerOnline In-State Tour. Every February since 2004, HuskerOnline profiles the top up-and-coming prospects in the state of Nebraska.
This year our In-State Tour was broken up into two events in Omaha and Lincoln as we profiled all the top prospects in the state.
Our next stop of the 2022 In-State Tour takes us to Class C-2 state champion Fremont Archbishop Bergan.
2022 In-State Tour: Gretna | Elkhorn South | Omaha North | Elkhorn | Omaha Burke | Scottsbluff | Omaha Westside | Bellevue West | Omaha Central | Creighton Prep | Pierce | GI Northwest | Lincoln East | Millard South | Lewis Central | Papillion-La Vista | Omaha Skutt | Lincoln High | Lincoln Southwest
Head coach: Seth Mruz
2021 record: 13-0 (Class C-2 state champions)
Season rewind: "We had a lot of great players, a great senior class. We had just a really talented senior class that had been starting for three and four years. Just executed at a high level, stayed healthy enough to maintain our depth. Kids wanted it after being runner-up after their junior year, came back and came back really focused, worked really hard over the off-season, and just took a game-by-game approach and it was fun to watch. It was fun to be a part of. I just roll them out there and hopefully, I don't screw it up."
Kade McIntyre is Class C's best for the class of 2023
Mruz on ATH Kade McIntyre: "He's long, he's explosive. He's got great hands, great ball skills in the air. He knows how to use his body to high point the ball. He's got the speed and ability of a slot receiver but he's got all of it in a big man big, wide receiver, big target body. He's physical. I've never seen a kid stock block like this before. I know colleges are having a tough time figuring out where they want to put him whether it be an outside linebacker or a defensive end, wide receiver or tight end, but the nice part is you have options and that's what he brings to the table. He's only going get bigger and stronger and faster from here."
McIntyre's take: "Really, for me, I think the thing that separates me from a lot of receivers now is just my physicality. I've always played the linebacker position and been one of those guys that just wants to hit. I like hitting people.
"A lot of coaches I've been talking to say they see me at both positions (linebacker and receiver). Really, it's just coming down to where they think I will best fit in their programs or just asking me what I would prefer."
Recruiting: McIntyre's older brother Koa signed with Wyoming a year ago. McIntyre already has an early offer from the Cowboys, along with North Dakota State and South Dakota. He's also being recruited by Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State and South Dakota State.
By the numbers: McIntyre was an All-State selection in both 2020 and 2021, leading Archbishop Bergan to the Class C-2 in 2021 and a runner-up finish in 2020.
This past season, he had 37 catches for 873 yards and 14 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he had 29 catches for 472 yards and five touchdowns.
At 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, McIntyre ran 11.0 electronically in the 100-meter dash as a sophomore. He has a 300-pound bench max, a 425-pound squat max, a 33-inch vertical and has been clocked at 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
In the classroom, McIntyre carries a 3.5 GPA.
Mruz on kicker Alex Langenfeld: "We had to convince him to try football as an eighth-grader. He was coming into high school. I'm like, "'You want to try kicking because we haven't really had a consistent kicking game for a while and I just wanted to make extra points?' He came in and we went out to kick and he goes, 'I've never kicked a football before,' we go out to the field and he starts rocking them from 30 yards, 40 yards. I'm like, 'Okay, we got something going here.' He's loved it so far.
"He shows up to practice a couple of days a week while he continues his club soccer circuit that he does all year round and has really become a weapon for us. He can kick it out of the end zone. He specializes in line drive kicks, squib kicks, onside kicks. We really started to use it as a weapon for us. I know I talked to you in the state championship game about that for a while there, we weren't very good at kick coverage. We use lobs and squibs to try to just not give up a touchdown and sometimes, we get turnovers out of it."
Landenfeld's take: "In warm-ups last year, I kicked a 60 yarder and practices I've kicked a 55 yarder.
"I come once a week to practices. I don't do anything during the summer, I don't do anything during the spring, I basically just show up and I do it in the games.
"My best two things probably were the squibs and onside kicks. The first couple of games this season, we were able to get a lot of them. As we started blowing out more teams, I started doing less of them and more kicking it downfield. My top two best things would definitely be onsides and squibs."
By the numbers: Langenfeld was the Class C-2 All-State kicker. He only practices one to two days a week for Fremont Bergan. He spends the rest of his time playing for the Gretna Elite Academy Soccer Club in the fall.
Langenfeld already holds the Class C-2 record for most extra points in a career, connecting on 140-of-155. He was 4-of-7 on field goals. He also holds the Bergan school record, connecting on a 44-yard field goal in a game.
Langenfeld carries a 3.97 GPA in the classroom.
Mruz on ATH Cooper Weitzel: "He's a great dual-threat quarterback. He's been working with Ryan Williams, who's a quarterback coach at Midland University. He was the OC at Midland for a while, was a quarterback and coach up at North Dakota State for a while. We're lucky to have his resources in the region and he's been working with him the last two years and Cooper's just been behind Koa (McIntyre). It's just the unfortunate thing for him at quarterback but when he goes in at quarterback, there's not a drop-off.
"He knows how to command the offense and he runs super well. He's easily a low 4.7 to high 4.6 guy. He's got great agility, throws the ball well. He's a baseball player too. We're excited about him to finally take the leading role and throw it up to Kade."
By the numbers: Weitzel will be a three-year starter at cornerback for Fremont Bergan in 2022, and was regarded as their best coverage guy in 2021.
He is expected to move into the quarterback role this year on offense. Over his career, he is 31-of-49 for 405 yards and five touchdowns as Koa McIntyre's back-up. He also has 50 carries for 297 yards rushing and two touchdowns. He was second on the team a year ago in solo tackles with 30.
Weitzel carries a 3.0 GPA in the classroom.
Mruz on OL Clay Hedges: "He's got great feet for a huge guy. He's lean right now. He's got long arms, he's a wrestler. Two-time state qualifier in wrestling. He moves well and used his well. You can just tell that he locks people out. He's great on defense. He was a starter probably half the games this year due to some injuries on the offensive line. Started a couple games as a freshman, even when we were having an injury bug hit us. He's a strong stout kid that's only going to get bigger. He could probably get into the 280-290 range very easily and be a tremendous athlete."
By the numbers: Hedges will be Fremont Bergan's best player up-front. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, he has a 475-pound squat max and a 32-inch vertical. In the spring, he also plays baseball.
In the classroom, Hedges carries a 4.0 GPA.