No. 2 Arbor View suffers blowout loss to Nebraska power — PHOTOS
Arbor View got a firsthand look at why Millard South is considered the top high school football program in Nebraska.
The Aggies, ranked No. 2 in the Review-Journal’s Class 5A rankings, fell behind early and had no answers for Millard South of Omaha, and suffered a 49-7 defeat Friday night at Arbor View.
“We didn’t match them physically and they beat us in all three phases,” first-year Arbor View coach Sam Norris said. “They beat us in special teams, they got two (punt) blocks. We couldn’t move the ball consistently offensively, we couldn’t protect the quarterback. We struggled, but we’re going to fight.”
Arbor View also got a close-up look at four-star Millard South quarterback Jett Thomalla, who is committed to Alabama. He threw four first-half touchdown passes and led the Patriots (1-0) to touchdowns on six of the team’s seven first-half drives.
That put Arbor View (0-2) behind 42-7 at halftime. A 76-yard touchdown pass from Thomalla to Iowa State commit Amarrion Jackson with 4:56 left in the second quarter triggered the running clock.
Arbor View managed just 134 yards of total offense for the game and quarterback Thaddeus Thatcher was sacked seven times. Thatcher, a Utah commit, completed 12 of 23 passes for 105 yards.
“We struggled in all three phases and the coaches struggled, I take this as a head coach, as a leader,” Norris said. “It’s my job to get these men and these players in the right position. I’m excited about that opportunity. We don’t tuck our tails away from adversity. We got to let this sting and fight and do this thing together.”
Things didn’t get off to a great start for Arbor View. After the Aggies went three-and-out on the game’s first drive, Millard South blocked a punt that set the Patriots up with a short field. Two plays later, Thomalla hit Jackson on a 12-yard TD pass to put Millard South on the board less than 90 seconds into the game.
The rout was on. A 3-yard touchdown run from Nelsyn Wheeler and a 17-yard score from Thomalla to Isaac Jensen put the Patriots ahead 21-0 with 4:40 left in the first quarter.
Arbor View put together its best drive late in the first quarter. The Aggies benefited from a targeting penalty and Millard South pass interference to put the ball at the Patriots’ 21-yard line. Then, on third-and-16, Thatcher tucked the ball while under pressure and raced 27 yards for a touchdown to put the Aggies on the board, but they trailed 21-7 with 1:41 left in the first quarter.
But Millard South kept scoring. The Patriots added TDs on a 6-yard run from Gabe Prucha, and got a miraculous catch after Thomalla’s pass went through Jensen’s hands and deflected right to Dallas Gaius-Anyaegbu in the endzone for a touchdown.
Thomalla completed 18 of 28 passes for 238 yards and five touchdowns for Millard South, which is the top-ranked team in Nebraska by MaxPreps. He threw an 8-yard pass to Jackson in the fourth quarter for the game’s final score.
(Thomalla) “is talented and good, but his five guys up front did a good job protecting him,” Norris said. “That’s the name of the game, in the trenches. Their offensive line did a good job protecting him and allow him to be the good athlete he is.”
Sacramento State commit Jayden Williams had three catches for 42 yards for Arbor View, and Idaho State commit Teddy Johsnon forced and recovered a fumble late in the third quarter, but the Aggies went three-and-out on the ensuing drive.
“This is an opportunity for us as a staff to evaluate some things,” Norris said. “Where we need to get better as a staff for preparation and putting these kids in a position to make plays, and how we can be better at empowering these young men and getting them to execute on the field. We lost all three phases.”
Arbor View next plays Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. at Lincoln (California), which is considered the top team in San Diego. The Aggies won a 45-44 nailbiter at Lincoln last year. Norris said the team will take time to process the loss and use it as an opportunity to improve in its final game against an out-of-state opponent.
“You can’t just throw this (game) away,” Norris said. “You need to process this as a staff and as players. We got to process this to see where we got to get better.”
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.
