The Omaha North Vikings are taking a road trip to take on the Bellevue West Thunderbirds at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. The two teams are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Bellevue West will square off against a team with plenty of momentum: Omaha North extended their winning streak to three on Friday. The Vikings took their contest with ease, bagging a 56-0 victory over South Sioux City. Given the Vikings' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska football rankings (they are ranked 15th, while the Cardinals are ranked 121st) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
It was another big night for Jaron Cannon, who rushed for 68 yards and two scores on only five carries.
Special teams also deserves some recognition, posting 14 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Kordai Richard, who ran a punt back for a touchdown.
Omaha North's defense stepped up as well, laying out the QB four times. That dominant display was truly a team effort as four different players picked up one apiece. They received some extra help from Marcus Riley, whose fumble return for a touchdown made for one of the most unforgettable moments.
Meanwhile, Bellevue West humbled Lincoln Southwest with a 44-7 victory. With the Thunderbirds ahead 44-7 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Bellevue West's win came from a few key players Omaha North will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Will Anderson, who threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns while picking up 11.3 yards per attempt. His passing game has become a key predictor of Bellevue West's success: the team is undefeated when his passer rating is 110 or higher, but only 0-3 otherwise. Demarkus Robinson was another key player, rushing for 112 yards and one TD on only eight carries.
Bellevue West now has a winning record of 4-3. As for Omaha North, their record is now 5-2.
Omaha North strolled past Bellevue West in their previous meeting back in October of 2024 by a score of 32-14. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Vikings since the team won't have the home-field advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
