In the past four years the Elkhorn North football program has been on top of mountains, as well as in the deepest parts of the valley. In their first two seasons the Wolves had a combined record of 2-16 and had no state appearances.
After the underclassman had developed their skills under the coaching of Sam Stanley the Wolves saw a switch. In the following seasons the Wolves made it to the playoffs and were a competitive force.
In the 2023 season the Wolves season ended in the semi-finals loss, 30-6 to Bennington. This year they strived to put up a fight.
“We lost a lot of seniors and I knew a lot of guys were going to have to step up and become leaders,” junior Barry Fries said. “I was worried we wouldn’t have the leadership we had in years past.”
In the summer the Wolves have a tough, but worthwhile schedule. They had heavy conditioning and lifting Monday through Thursday mornings.
“In the summers we work hard together at morning weights to prepare us to work hard on the field,” senior captain Nathan Kudrna said.
On Aug. 30 the Wolves faced Pius X to kick off the season. Going into the last quarter, the Wolves were tied 21-21. Senior Jackson Crom kicked a game-winning field goal and helped the team get off to a good start to their season.
The following week the Wolves breezed past York High School with a 34-0 victory. Junior quarterback Ethan Beachy recorded 310 pass yards and 4 touchdowns, and Alex Uchtman had 4 receptions for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns.
With the momentum from their previous wins the Wolves went into their game against the Ralston Rams with confidence. In a 49-7 win the Wolves kept their team morale high. Uchtman stood out once again with two catches for 128 receiving yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
“We used the momentum from the Pius game early in the year to play pretty well,” offensive coordinator Anthony Dunn said. “Our defense was playing lights out and the offense began to find their rhythm.”
On Sept. 19, the Wolves matched up against Gretna High School. This year the Dragons made the switch from Class A to Class B and were projected to be a tough opponent.
The Wolves got off to a great start with a 35-0 lead at half time, and in the end they won 42-7. Senior running back Jett Tinglehoff had three touchdowns and Beachy had four passing touchdowns.
In week five the Wolves played Blair High School. They won 21-7 and Tinglehoff had a standout game recording all three of the Wolves touchdowns.
The rivalry between the Wolves and the Elkhorn High Antlers runs deep. In the Oct. 4 match up, the Antlers came out victorious and the Wolves were given their first loss of the season.
“Losing to Elkhorn High made us hungry to win every game for the rest of the season,” senior Gabe Brabec said.
On Oct. 11 the Wolves prepared to face the Omaha Skutt Catholic Skyhawks. The Skyhawks were undefeated and the 2023 Class B runner-ups. The Wolves had never beat them in school history. The game was down to the wire but the Wolves came out on top. Tinglehoff recorded 204 total yards and senior AJ Paladino had a Pick 6.
“[Beating Skutt] gave us confidence we could beat any team if we played our game,” Uchtman said.
On Oct. 18 the Wolves battled against Gretna East High School and barely pulled off the victory 31-27.
In their match up against the defending state champions, Bennington High School, the Wolves fell 20-6. Junior Jase Reynolds recorded a 30 yard touchdown. Headed into the post-season playoffs, the Wolves were 7-2.
“It fueled a fire in the team to work harder at practices, and see results in games,” senior Sam Huff said.
In the first round of playoffs the Wolves and Antlers faced off again. The Wolves worked even harder because of their loss and won 35-14.
The Wolves advanced into the second round, and made a seven hour trip to Scottsbluff. Despite the heavy rain and frigid weather the Wolves took an easy 30-6 victory.
“The team’s morale was at an all time high after our win against Scottsbluff,” Reynolds said. “Our trip brought us together.”
In their final game against Bennignton the Wolves fought but lost 16-7, and at that moment their season was over.
“We measure our success by whether or not we were able to maximize our potential, and I absolutely think we did,” Dunn said. “Our kids gave us everything they had and more.”
The Wolves dealt with numerous injuries over the season. Fries and Parker Thomas shattered their thumbs, Zach Wolfe was out due to back problems, Huff tore a ligament in his shoulder, Kudrna suffered a severe ankle sprain, Johnny Tran tore his MCL, and Ben Hanson battled concussions. These injuries hindered the Wolves ability to perform at their highest level. Despite these setbacks, the Wolves came out with a winning record.
Congratulations to the Wolves football team on their hard fought season!
