LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's fight song begins, “There is no place like Nebraska.” When it comes to volleyball, those words never rang more true than Wednesday night.

The Cornhuskers laid claim to the world record for largest attendance at a women's sporting event with 92,003 filling Memorial Stadium for their volleyball match against Omaha.

The university took aim at the record last spring when it announced it would hold a daylong celebration of a sport that enjoys immense popularity in this state of fewer than 2 million.

“We took a chance by playing in Memorial Stadium, and to go for the record and break it. ... I don’t think anybody could have envisioned that when this whole thing started,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “It feels like a great accomplishment for this sport called volleyball played by women. It’s a state treasure. We proved it.”

The event began with an exhibition between in-state Division II powers Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State and was followed by the Huskers' three-set sweep of Omaha in a regular-season match. Country artist Scotty McCreery performed afterward.

The previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-womens-soccer-sports-soccer-barcelona-0abf21b88c76e5183fda8cc4ac03244a">attendance record was 91,648, set during a Champions League soccer match</a>&nbsp;when Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 at the Camp Nou Stadium in 2022.

Memorial Stadium's official capacity is just over 85,000 for football, but that number was higher for this event because there were seats and standing room on the field.

Fans in red and white started their tailgate parties outside the stadium hours before first serve of an exhibition Wayne State won in three sets. The stadium was one-quarter full at the start of that match and gradually filled to capacity as players for Omaha and Nebraska were warming up.

There was a flyover during the national anthem and, minutes before first serve, Cook led his Huskers into the stadium to the Tunnel Walk, the longtime tradition of the football team. Synchronized chants of “Go Big Red!” were heard all around.

Conditions were 83 degrees, clear skies and a south wind listed at 4-mph at court level with gusts that sometimes moved the ball in unpredictable ways.

Though 91,648 was widely acknowledged as the women’s sports attendance record, at least one match at the unofficial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mundo-women71.html">1971 Women’s World Cup in Mexico City reportedly drew 110,000 people.</a>

The American record attendance for a women’s sporting event had been 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup soccer final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California — the game where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/sports/soccer/23seconds.html">Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt</a>&nbsp;after scoring the decisive penalty shot for the U.S. win.

The NCAA does not track attendance across all sports, but associate director of media coordination and statistics Jeff Williams said a crowd of 90,000-plus was easily among the largest for a non-football game. A 2010 outdoor&nbsp;<a href="https://collegehockeyinc.com/stats/boxes11.php?mmicmsu1.d11">hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor drew more than 113,000 fans.</a>

A message seeking comment from officials of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/">Guinness World Records</a>&nbsp;was not immediately returned.

Nebraska has sold out 306 consecutive regular-season matches. (Wednesday's event won't count toward the streak because it is not being held on the team's Devaney Center court.) The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since 2013, and eight of the top nine crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved Nebraska.

Nebraska has won five national championships in volleyball, and its program is one of the few in Division I women's sports that turns a profit — $1 million last year, according to athletic department CFO Doug Ewald.

“This is a statement on Title IX, and having two daughters of my own, what Title IX has done for women's sports is huge,” fan Troy Pfannenstiel of Omaha said before the matches.

Chancellor Rodney Bennett canceled classes for the day. NCAA President Charlie Baker, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti were on hand, as was Gov. Jim Pillen. So were Husker volleyball players who were part of iconic coach Terry Pettit's teams over four decades. High school teams from across a state stretching 430 miles border to border were excused from classes to attend.

There are 75 women from the state of Nebraska who are on Division I volleyball rosters this season. At 44 players per million in population, the state trails only Hawaii (67 per million) in Division I players produced per capita, according to volleyball statistician and historian Rich Kern of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.richkern.com/vb/FreePage.asp">RichKern.com.</a>

“You don’t think you’re going to be part of a world record event, and seeing how much everyone supports volleyball and wanted to be part of that record is awesome to see,” Omaha's Shayla McCormick said.

Volleyball has surpassed basketball as the No. 1 girls high school team sport in the United States. It’s long been No. 1 in Nebraska.

About 7,000 girls play high school volleyball in the state. Volleyball has been played in varying forms in Nebraska since the early 1900s. For many years, girls volleyball matches were warmup acts for boys basketball games. Volleyball became a sanctioned sport in 1972 and took off in the late 1970s when Pettit invited many of the state’s high school coaches to work at his camps in Lincoln.

Pettit also conducted so-called “satellite” clinics in small towns across the state. In a place where boys grow up dreaming of becoming Cornhusker football players, many girls are equally passionate about some day playing volleyball for a Nebraska team that annually ranks among the nation’s elite.

Ella Beck, 10, came with a group from tiny Pierce to see her first college volleyball match and root for her favorite player, setter Lexi Rodriguez.

Neveah Kehr, 10, came with her mom, Nicki, from Bismarck, North Dakota, to be part of the event. Nicki graduated from Nebraska, and she brought up her daughter watching the Huskers on television.

Neveah wore the No. 5 jersey of middle blocker Bekka Allick at a pep rally before the matches and, with more than 1,000 fans cheering, was invited to walk to where the players stood and was introduced to the woman she called her idol.

Neveah teared up, and Bekka gave her a hug.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693453778144.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's fight song begins, “There is no place like Nebraska.” When it comes to volleyball, those words never rang more true than Wednesday night.The Cornhuskers laid claim to the world record for largest attendance at a women's sporting event with 92,003 filling Memorial Stadium for their volleyball match against Omaha.The university took aim at the record last spring when it announced it would hold a daylong celebration of a sport that enjoys immense popularity in this state of fewer than 2 million.“We took a chance by playing in Memorial Stadium, and to go for the record and break it. ... I don’t think anybody could have envisioned that when this whole thing started,” Nebraska coach John Cook said. “It feels like a great accomplishment for this sport called volleyball played by women. It’s a state treasure. We proved it.”The event began with an exhibition between in-state Division II powers Nebraska-Kearney and Wayne State and was followed by the Huskers' three-set sweep of Omaha in a regular-season match. Country artist Scotty McCreery performed afterward.The previous&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/winter-olympics-womens-soccer-sports-soccer-barcelona-0abf21b88c76e5183fda8cc4ac03244a">attendance record was 91,648, set during a Champions League soccer match</a>&nbsp;when Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 5-2 at the Camp Nou Stadium in 2022.Memorial Stadium's official capacity is just over 85,000 for football, but that number was higher for this event because there were seats and standing room on the field.Fans in red and white started their tailgate parties outside the stadium hours before first serve of an exhibition Wayne State won in three sets. The stadium was one-quarter full at the start of that match and gradually filled to capacity as players for Omaha and Nebraska were warming up.There was a flyover during the national anthem and, minutes before first serve, Cook led his Huskers into the stadium to the Tunnel Walk, the longtime tradition of the football team. Synchronized chants of “Go Big Red!” were heard all around.Conditions were 83 degrees, clear skies and a south wind listed at 4-mph at court level with gusts that sometimes moved the ball in unpredictable ways.Though 91,648 was widely acknowledged as the women’s sports attendance record, at least one match at the unofficial&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mundo-women71.html">1971 Women’s World Cup in Mexico City reportedly drew 110,000 people.</a>The American record attendance for a women’s sporting event had been 90,185 for the 1999 World Cup soccer final between the United States and China at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California — the game where&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/23/sports/soccer/23seconds.html">Brandi Chastain ripped off her shirt</a>&nbsp;after scoring the decisive penalty shot for the U.S. win.The NCAA does not track attendance across all sports, but associate director of media coordination and statistics Jeff Williams said a crowd of 90,000-plus was easily among the largest for a non-football game. A 2010 outdoor&nbsp;<a href="https://collegehockeyinc.com/stats/boxes11.php?mmicmsu1.d11">hockey game between Michigan and Michigan State at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor drew more than 113,000 fans.</a>A message seeking comment from officials of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/">Guinness World Records</a>&nbsp;was not immediately returned.Nebraska has sold out 306 consecutive regular-season matches. (Wednesday's event won't count toward the streak because it is not being held on the team's Devaney Center court.) The Huskers have led the nation in attendance every season since 2013, and eight of the top nine crowds in NCAA volleyball history are matches that have involved Nebraska.Nebraska has won five national championships in volleyball, and its program is one of the few in Division I women's sports that turns a profit — $1 million last year, according to athletic department CFO Doug Ewald.“This is a statement on Title IX, and having two daughters of my own, what Title IX has done for women's sports is huge,” fan Troy Pfannenstiel of Omaha said before the matches.Chancellor Rodney Bennett canceled classes for the day. NCAA President Charlie Baker, Big Ten Commissioner Tony Petitti were on hand, as was Gov. Jim Pillen. So were Husker volleyball players who were part of iconic coach Terry Pettit's teams over four decades. High school teams from across a state stretching 430 miles border to border were excused from classes to attend.There are 75 women from the state of Nebraska who are on Division I volleyball rosters this season. At 44 players per million in population, the state trails only Hawaii (67 per million) in Division I players produced per capita, according to volleyball statistician and historian Rich Kern of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.richkern.com/vb/FreePage.asp">RichKern.com.</a>“You don’t think you’re going to be part of a world record event, and seeing how much everyone supports volleyball and wanted to be part of that record is awesome to see,” Omaha's Shayla McCormick said.Volleyball has surpassed basketball as the No. 1 girls high school team sport in the United States. It’s long been No. 1 in Nebraska.About 7,000 girls play high school volleyball in the state. Volleyball has been played in varying forms in Nebraska since the early 1900s. For many years, girls volleyball matches were warmup acts for boys basketball games. Volleyball became a sanctioned sport in 1972 and took off in the late 1970s when Pettit invited many of the state’s high school coaches to work at his camps in Lincoln.Pettit also conducted so-called “satellite” clinics in small towns across the state. In a place where boys grow up dreaming of becoming Cornhusker football players, many girls are equally passionate about some day playing volleyball for a Nebraska team that annually ranks among the nation’s elite.Ella Beck, 10, came with a group from tiny Pierce to see her first college volleyball match and root for her favorite player, setter Lexi Rodriguez.Neveah Kehr, 10, came with her mom, Nicki, from Bismarck, North Dakota, to be part of the event. Nicki graduated from Nebraska, and she brought up her daughter watching the Huskers on television.Neveah wore the No. 5 jersey of middle blocker Bekka Allick at a pep rally before the matches and, with more than 1,000 fans cheering, was invited to walk to where the players stood and was introduced to the woman she called her idol.Neveah teared up, and Bekka gave her a hug.

🏐 Husker fans set new world record with 92,003 at match in Memorial Stadium

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Chadron State College football team hopes to get its season off to a rousing start when it plays the Quincy Hawks at Quincy, Ill., on the banks of the Mississippi River on Thursday, Sept. 1.&nbsp; 

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, and the game can be heard live on Double Q Country radio, 97.5 FM / 105.9 FM, panhandlepost.com and through the Panhandle Post App.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The game was arranged last spring when neither of the head coaches, Jay Long of Chadron State and Gary Bass of Quincy, could find a closer opponent for their season-opener.&nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Long said he can’t make any guarantees about this year’s team, but he’s excited about the season and knows the Eagles will play hard.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The teams have some similarities.&nbsp; Both are coming off disappointing seasons. The Eagles had a 3-8 record last fall and the Hawks were 4-7.&nbsp; Each has just five seniors on its list of probable starters.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Because of injuries, Chadron State was forced to start three different quarterbacks last season. The one who played the most, senior Heath Beemiller, is expected to start the opener. Offensive Coordinator Micah Smith said Beemiller has shaken off the injuries and become more consistent.&nbsp;

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We have a lot of good playmakers among our receivers and running backs. We’ll try to get the ball to them in space,” Smith said.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The offensive line leader is center Michael DeCamillis, who will be the starting for the fifth consecutive season, including 2020, when the Eagles bucked the national trend and played four games despite COVID 19. DeCamillis was second-team all-conference last fall and is one of the six co-captains that the players elected last week. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Eagles’ defense will feature a strong front line, where nine players are expected to rotate and play physical football.&nbsp; The group includes&nbsp;Hunter O’Connor, who, as a sophomore last fall, finished with 60 total tackles, 24 of them for minus yards, including 16 quarterback sacks that led NCAA II through the regular season and broke the CSC single-season record.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senior linebacker Joey Geil long ago established the reputation for playing hard and making big plays.&nbsp; Defensive Coordinator Clint Sasse believes redshirt freshman Reed Henkel is from the same mold.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “A year ago Reed was on the scout team, but he had a great spring, a great off-season and has made huge strides,” Sasse said.

The secondary has several newcomers, but Sasse says they are talented and will provide excellent depth. A big plus is the return of cornerback Jahvonte "JJ" Hair, who sustained a broken leg in last year’s season opener. Sasse often talks about the “high football IQ” of this year’s group and believes they are “well prepared and ready for anything.”&nbsp;

Not a whole lot is known about the Quincy Hawks, but they have some players with impressive numbers.

They have a new quarterback in Drake Davis, a transfer from Northern Michigan, where in 17 games the past three years, he completed 227 of 371 passes for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with 12 interceptions.&nbsp; He also ran for 546 yards and six TDs.

The Hawks return their top receiver from a year ago in senior Jason Lawrence, who caught 51 passes for 818 yards and nine scores. Their defensive leader is Peyton Plunkett, a 6-3, 237-pound senior who had eight sacks among his 18 tackles for minus yards last fall and also forced six fumbles.

The Eagles will play their second game at home starting at noon on Saturday, Sept. 9 against the Augustana Vikings.&nbsp; At halftime of that game, the 1989 and 1990 teams, both of which were nationally ranked in the top 10 and were the first from CSC to qualify for the playoffs while be inducted into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1693407219947.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Chadron State College football team hopes to get its season off to a rousing start when it plays the Quincy Hawks at Quincy, Ill., on the banks of the Mississippi River on Thursday, Sept. 1.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Kickoff will be at 5 p.m. Mountain Time, and the game can be heard live on Double Q Country radio, 97.5 FM / 105.9 FM, panhandlepost.com and through the Panhandle Post App.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The game was arranged last spring when neither of the head coaches, Jay Long of Chadron State and Gary Bass of Quincy, could find a closer opponent for their season-opener.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Long said he can’t make any guarantees about this year’s team, but he’s excited about the season and knows the Eagles will play hard.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The teams have some similarities.&nbsp; Both are coming off disappointing seasons. The Eagles had a 3-8 record last fall and the Hawks were 4-7.&nbsp; Each has just five seniors on its list of probable starters.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Because of injuries, Chadron State was forced to start three different quarterbacks last season. The one who played the most, senior Heath Beemiller, is expected to start the opener. Offensive Coordinator Micah Smith said Beemiller has shaken off the injuries and become more consistent.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We have a lot of good playmakers among our receivers and running backs. We’ll try to get the ball to them in space,” Smith said.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The offensive line leader is center Michael DeCamillis, who will be the starting for the fifth consecutive season, including 2020, when the Eagles bucked the national trend and played four games despite COVID 19. DeCamillis was second-team all-conference last fall and is one of the six co-captains that the players elected last week. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The Eagles’ defense will feature a strong front line, where nine players are expected to rotate and play physical football.&nbsp; The group includes&nbsp;Hunter O’Connor, who, as a sophomore last fall, finished with 60 total tackles, 24 of them for minus yards, including 16 quarterback sacks that led NCAA II through the regular season and broke the CSC single-season record.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Senior linebacker Joey Geil long ago established the reputation for playing hard and making big plays.&nbsp; Defensive Coordinator Clint Sasse believes redshirt freshman Reed Henkel is from the same mold.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; “A year ago Reed was on the scout team, but he had a great spring, a great off-season and has made huge strides,” Sasse said.The secondary has several newcomers, but Sasse says they are talented and will provide excellent depth. A big plus is the return of cornerback Jahvonte "JJ" Hair, who sustained a broken leg in last year’s season opener. Sasse often talks about the “high football IQ” of this year’s group and believes they are “well prepared and ready for anything.”&nbsp;Not a whole lot is known about the Quincy Hawks, but they have some players with impressive numbers.They have a new quarterback in Drake Davis, a transfer from Northern Michigan, where in 17 games the past three years, he completed 227 of 371 passes for 2,412 yards and 16 touchdowns to go with 12 interceptions.&nbsp; He also ran for 546 yards and six TDs.The Hawks return their top receiver from a year ago in senior Jason Lawrence, who caught 51 passes for 818 yards and nine scores. Their defensive leader is Peyton Plunkett, a 6-3, 237-pound senior who had eight sacks among his 18 tackles for minus yards last fall and also forced six fumbles.The Eagles will play their second game at home starting at noon on Saturday, Sept. 9 against the Augustana Vikings.&nbsp; At halftime of that game, the 1989 and 1990 teams, both of which were nationally ranked in the top 10 and were the first from CSC to qualify for the playoffs while be inducted into the CSC Athletic Hall of Fame.

Chadron State opens season Thursday night: Con Marshall's Game Preview

<h2>Softball</h2>Hershey VS Bayard6-0, 15-5

Area sports scores from August 28th

<h2>Volleyball</h2>Sandhills/Thedford VS Arthur CountyWallace VS Arthur CountyWallace VS Sandhills/ThedfordGarden County VS Banner CountyHay Springs VS Garden CountySouthern Valley VS GothenburgOgallala VS HersheyMedicine Valley VS Hi-LineCozad VS LexingtonChase County VS McCookMinden VS Chase CountySutherland VS PaxtonBrady VS South PlattePerkins County VS BradyPerkins County VS South Platte&nbsp;<h2>Softball</h2>Holyoke, CO VS Chase County doubleheaderMcCook VS CozadAlliance VS GeringGICC VS North Platte doubleheaderGothenburg VS Ord

Sports schedule for August 29th

Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White met with members of the media following Monday’s practice. White discussed the execution and speed of the defense going into this Thursday’s game and also addressed the flexibility of the defense.&nbsp;

“The young men have done everything asked of them,” White said. “It’s been going well, and it can always be better in terms of the coaching staff, teaching or getting rid of the confusion on my end. The process is still ongoing. We tweaked stuff. We put in new things, but at a certain point it’s about eliminating problems and letting them play fast.”

White discussed what it takes to receive a Blackshirt for this year’s defense.

“Consistency,” he said. “Who’s been the most consistent guy and I think Chief (Borders) stood out. His attitude, his efforts, and again, that’s the cool part when you get to reward the effort. Talent. You put that to the side because all the guys are talented. We’re highlighting the effort and the attitude.”

He also spoke on the versatility of the defense this season.

“Coach Dvoracek has done a great job of moving the guys around,” White said. “He’s done a good job of teaching to the point where Javin (Wright) is starting to show up and make a lot of plays. They’ve been intertwining their skill sets so we can put guys at any one spot during the game.”

The Huskers will return to the practice field on Tuesday as they prep for the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 31 at Minnesota.

<div><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/a6jsnOH9-Qhb3tgnY.html" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Foley Psr 8-28 Cam 1" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>Nebraska defensive coordinator Tony White met with members of the media following Monday’s practice. White discussed the execution and speed of the defense going into this Thursday’s game and also addressed the flexibility of the defense.&nbsp;“The young men have done everything asked of them,” White said. “It’s been going well, and it can always be better in terms of the coaching staff, teaching or getting rid of the confusion on my end. The process is still ongoing. We tweaked stuff. We put in new things, but at a certain point it’s about eliminating problems and letting them play fast.”White discussed what it takes to receive a Blackshirt for this year’s defense.“Consistency,” he said. “Who’s been the most consistent guy and I think Chief (Borders) stood out. His attitude, his efforts, and again, that’s the cool part when you get to reward the effort. Talent. You put that to the side because all the guys are talented. We’re highlighting the effort and the attitude.”He also spoke on the versatility of the defense this season.“Coach Dvoracek has done a great job of moving the guys around,” White said. “He’s done a good job of teaching to the point where Javin (Wright) is starting to show up and make a lot of plays. They’ve been intertwining their skill sets so we can put guys at any one spot during the game.”The Huskers will return to the practice field on Tuesday as they prep for the season opener on Thursday, Aug. 31 at Minnesota.

Husker practice report from Monday

The Broken Bow football team will open its season tonight when the play host to Boone Central at Mark Russell Field.&nbsp; The Indians finished 5-5 overall last season and qualified for the C1 state playoffs for the second consecutive year.&nbsp; Speaking at the annual Broken Bow Athletic Booster Club fall sports kickoff, head coach Carlie Wells said he has been pleased with the progression of their offense heading into the opener.

“I really think offensively we are ahead of where we are defensively.&nbsp; I don’t know if it’s just defense or what.&nbsp; Our kids have really done a good job with all the new formations that we’re running and how we’re pulling and those things and communicating well.&nbsp; We’re just a little ahead of defensively and I think part of that is because we haven’t been able to give them a good look.&nbsp; We haven’t been able to simulate the speed of the game yet.”

Boone Central is coming off a 9-3 season a year ago and enters, according to some publications, as the preseason #1 team in Class C1.

Tonight’s game will be broadcast on KCNI 96.3 FM and kcni1280.com.&nbsp; Coverage begins with the Custer Federal State Bank Friday Night Lights pregame show at 6 with kickoff scheduled for 7.

The Broken Bow football team will open its season tonight when the play host to Boone Central at Mark Russell Field.&nbsp; The Indians finished 5-5 overall last season and qualified for the C1 state playoffs for the second consecutive year.&nbsp; Speaking at the annual Broken Bow Athletic Booster Club fall sports kickoff, head coach Carlie Wells said he has been pleased with the progression of their offense heading into the opener.“I really think offensively we are ahead of where we are defensively.&nbsp; I don’t know if it’s just defense or what.&nbsp; Our kids have really done a good job with all the new formations that we’re running and how we’re pulling and those things and communicating well.&nbsp; We’re just a little ahead of defensively and I think part of that is because we haven’t been able to give them a good look.&nbsp; We haven’t been able to simulate the speed of the game yet.”Boone Central is coming off a 9-3 season a year ago and enters, according to some publications, as the preseason #1 team in Class C1.Tonight’s game will be broadcast on KCNI 96.3 FM and kcni1280.com.&nbsp; Coverage begins with the Custer Federal State Bank Friday Night Lights pregame show at 6 with kickoff scheduled for 7.