GRAND ISLAND — Class A No. 10-rated Millard West erupted for 35 unanswered points and built a 42-7 halftime lead on its way to a 42-14 victory over Grand Island Friday night at Memorial Stadium.
Coming into the contest with identical 0-4 records, both squads were looking to get their season off to a fresh start in the District A-6 opener after playing difficult early season schedules. With the score tied 7-7, it was quarterback DJ Schiemann’s 93-yard touchdown pass to Michael Coleman with 5:53 that opened the floodgates for the Wildcats.
Millard West (1-4) then added 28 second-quarter points to take control. Jake Blackman scored on a 45-yard reception, Logan Kracht had a 16-yard TD run, Brady Johnson rushed for a score from 19 yards out and Lane Mostek capped the Wildcats’ scoring explosion with a 39-yard TD catch.
The passing game was dominant for Millard West, which finished with 362 of its 433 total yards through the air. Schiemann was ultra efficient, completing 12 of 15 pass attempts for 303 yards and four TDs before taking a seat for the second half.
Coleman finished with four receptions for 138 yards to lead all Wildcat receivers. Mostek caught five balls for 90 yards and Blackman had three receptions for 88 yards for Millard West, which beat Grand Island 31-7 in the quarterfinals of last year’s Class A state football playoffs.
Plagued by injuries this season, Grand Island was without starting quarterback Gavin Semm against Millard West. Evan Jones performed well in his first start with the Islanders, going 12 of 23 through the air for 158 yards with two TDs and an interception.
Riley Holling had a team-high four catches for Grand Island, including a 34-yard TD reception from Jones that tied the score at 7-7 with 6:43 left in the first quarter. Victor Fisher added three receptions for 74 yards, including an acrobatic 47-yard scoring grab where he jumped high into the air and tipped the ball to himself before collecting it to score.
Nelsyn Wheeler finished with 74 yards rushing on 13 attempts for the Islanders. Grand Island finished with 248 yards of total offense (160 passing and 88 rushing).
Despite its 0-5 start, Grand Island still has an opportunity to claim its 12th consecutive berth in the state playoffs by winning its final four district games, starting with next Thursday’s contest at Omaha Westview. After that, the Islanders face Lincoln North Star, Bellevue East and Omaha Northwest.
