On Friday, Sept. 27, the Millard West Wildcats made the 120+ mile trip westward in a matchup against the Grand Island Islanders at Grand Island Memorial Stadium.
These two sides last met in the second round of the 2023 Class A state football playoffs where Millard West cruised to a 31-7 victory thanks to fluidity in the passing game. This year, both sides had been struggling and both were desperate for a win sitting at 0-4 on their respective seasons.
The game started with a bang as the Islanders attempted a deep pass on the very first play from scrimmage. However, Millard West sophomore cornerback Colton Williams made an impressive read, leaping up to secure the interception. This pivotal play set the tone for the Wildcats and provided an opportunity for the Millard West offense to take the field with an early boost, hoping to improve on their struggles from the previous week.
“When the opportunity came, I just made a play on the ball,” Williams said. “Going into the game I knew that I was going to get opportunities to make key plays on the ball. I had also watched film on their past games to see their tendencies.”
From the start, the Wildcat offense was on a mission. Several quick and short passes along with a balanced run game allowed the Wildcats to drive down the field fluidly. As the Wildcats entered the redzone, senior quarterback David James Schiemann connected on a slant with his classmate wide receiver, Michael Coleman for a 14-yard touchdown, putting the Wildcats up 7-0 early.
On the following drive, the Islanders responded with determination, beginning with a powerful 28-yard run from junior running back Nelsyn Wheeler on 2nd and 10. This set the stage for a 34-yard touchdown pass thanks to a wide receiver screen to senior Riley Holling, who benefited from multiple key blocks, allowing him to race into the end zone and level the score at seven a piece.
The ensuing kickoff was caught near the goal line by junior running back Kamron Caldwell, who accidentally stepped out of bounds at the 4-yard line. As quarterback Schiemann took the snap, he was forced out of the pocket and into the end zone. Miraculously evading multiple would-be Islanders, he spotted senior wide receiver Michael Coleman sprinting toward the sideline. Schiemann delivered a precise pass to Coleman, who shifted past the remaining defenders to complete a stunning 96-yard touchdown, regaining the lead for Millard West at 14-7.
“I was focused coming into the game and prepared to win,” Coleman said. “I feel my performance was good and helped out our offense in the beginning of the game. We all believed in each other and our coaches so we knew we were better than what our record showed.”
The Islanders looked to continue the scoring trend and relied on the run game for most of their next drive. Wheeler began with a first-down run on the opening play followed by several shorter rushing attempts. A well-executed read option pushed the ball up to around the 29-yard line, putting the Islanders in a promising position. The Wildcat defense would respond quickly with a sack by senior defensive end Daniel Greenlee, while junior Ethan Amenyah disrupted a reverse passing play. Ultimately, the Islanders turned the ball over on downs, falling short by just one yard of the line to gain.
The Wildcats’ next drive got off to a slow start due to multiple flags, putting them in a tough position. On 2nd and 19, Schiemann continued to shine in the passing game, connecting with senior running back Jake Blackman. Blackman made an impressive run after the catch, gaining over 20 yards and helping the Wildcats end the first quarter at their own 39.
The Wildcats’ drive would stall following the break, leading them to punt the ball away. As the Islanders took over in their own territory, the Wildcat defense flipped the script by forcing a fumble on second down. Senior linebacker Jayden Sime pounced on the loose ball, recovering it and setting the Wildcat offense up at the Islanders’ 29-yard line.
An initial first down moved the Wildcats up to the Islanders’ 16-yard line. On 2nd and 10, junior quarterback Logan Kracht rolled out to the left and scampered into the end zone, extending the Wildcat lead to 20 and making the score 27-7.
The Islanders’ offense went three-and-out on their next possession at their own 18-yard line and would only be able to muster a 23-yard punt that landed at their own 41. The Wildcat offense began to rotate in more depth players, with junior wide receiver Lane Mostek gaining 20 yards on a jet sweep. This was followed by a reverse to senior wide receiver Bradyn Johnson, who completed the drive with a 21-yard touchdown run making the score 35-7 Wildcats.
Grand Island’s drive went three-and-out after an initial first down, resulting in a punt recovered near the 30-yard line by the Wildcats, as junior quarterback Gus Dalhouser would enter the game. The Wildcats’ drive would follow suit, ending in a punt. The snap sailed over senior punter Josh Lima’s head but was recovered and took a fortunate bounce, miraculously landing at the Islanders’ 19-yard line.
Williams returned the punt near the 40-yard line, but multiple flags on the play resulted in Millard West starting from their own 47. With 27 seconds left and in hurry-up mode, an incomplete pass to Coleman stopped the clock. Millard West used the stoppage and were able to produce a 39-yard touchdown pass to Mostek down the gut of the field with just 7 seconds remaining, extending the score to 42-7 for Millard West at halftime.
Due to the 35-point deficit, the second half featured a running clock, with Millard West receiving the ball to start. The Wildcats continued to find success with their short passing game, but their drive ultimately stalled, leading to a punt and giving the Islanders their first possession of the half.
The Islanders managed to pick up a few first downs, advancing all the way to the Millard West 36-yard line before their turnover troubles struck again. A pass intended for the end zone sailed over multiple Islanders and right into the hands of Williams, who recorded his second interception of the game.
As the clock wound down toward the conclusion of the third quarter, the Wildcat offense continued to rely on short and checkdown passes, resulting in no change of the score heading into the final quarter of play.
The Wildcats removed most of their starters to begin the fourth quarter, focusing on draining the clock. After a lengthy drive, they attempted to convert on a fourth-and-short but were unable to advance after the snap went awry. Both sides would then go three-and-out on their subsequent drives.
Grand Island made a final effort to put points on the board after taking over near midfield. A deep pass down the sideline was contested and nearly intercepted by a Wildcat defender but ultimately slipped into the hands of the Islander receiver, who waltzed into the end zone, bringing the score down to 42-14 Wildcats.
“Coming off the tough first four games we knew we had to bounce back,” Schiemann said. “We had a good week of practice leading up to this game and the score shows. We just got to keep working hard every week to keep our playoff hopes alive.”
Millard West then drained the remaining minutes off the clock, coasting to their first win of the year and improving their record to 1-4. Following this victory, the Wildcats climbed back into the top 10 of the NebPreps coaches poll, securing the 10th spot. With the second half of their schedule still ahead, the Wildcats now look forward to the back-end of their schedule where they’ll take on other struggling teams like (1-4) Bellevue East and (1-4) Omaha Northwest. You can tune in to catch the home action on the Wildcat Sports Network.
