Local players selected for NEN All-Star football classic

Three football players with ties to area schools have been selected for the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Classic.

OC's Eli Macke will join Clay Curtis of Royal, who plays for the Creighton Bulldogs and Josh Klabenes, of the CWCE Renegades, in the June 13 classic.

The game will be played at Veteran's Memorial Field in Norfolk. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 p.m.

Mike Sunderman, president of the event's board of directors stated the board will continue to plan for the game. A final decision will be made closer to that date.

Faith Regional Health Services of Norfolk is the game's title sponsor.

Curtis will play on the red squad.

He will be joined by Creighton athletes Thad Hazen, SamVan Metre and Brayden Zimmerer; Jacob Aitken and Jacob Ngeleka, South Sioux City; Ashtin Arens, Cammeron Bettenhausen and Alex Lammers, Norfolk Catholic; Blake Bartos, Tyrus Eischeid and Cade Janke, Wayne; Rex Becker, Peyton Haahr, Eric Hoesing and Jacob Keiser, Hartington Cedar Catholic; Dylan Dendinger and Shaye Morten, Hartington-Newcastle; Evan Donner, Wakefield; Dalton Freeman, Kage Heisinger, Carson Oestreich and Brett Tinker, Pierce; Benjamin Gebhardt, Jaxson Kant and Tanner Koss, Lutheran High Northeast; Jacob Huerta, Homer; Logan Johnson, Bloomfield; Andy Knapp and Jarrin Sage, Crofton; Brandon Kniefl, Ponca; Robbie Lovejoy, Winnebago; and Joseph Seger and Benjamin Slaymaker, West Holt.

Macke and Klabenes will suit up for the white squad.

Others on the squad will include Laurence Brands, Blake Johnson and Ian Lundquist, Oakland Craig; Bryce Classen, Humphrey; Kolby Dean, O'Neill; Evan Foltz, Trevor Pfeifer, Taylor Wemhoff and Dylan Wemhoff, Humphrey St. Francis; Colby Heller, Wisner-Pilger; Jacob Hoffman, Plainview; Jake Jensen, Cole Long, Jace Monday and Brayden Splater, Norfolk; Slate Kraft, Dylan Mettler and Luke Stueve, Battle Creek; Luke Kramer, Bancroft-Rosalie; Alex Miller, Logan View; Kaleb Pofahl, Neligh-Oakdale; Conor Ramold, Pope John Central Catholic; Luke Rocheford and Carter Throener, Howells-Dodge; Chase Thieman, Boone Central; Isaak Wiese, Clarkson and Ben Wilke, Stanton.

Steve Neptune, of West Holt High School, will head the red team. His assistants will feature by Justin Jordan, Lutheran High Northeast; Joe Kvidera, Emerson-Hubbard; Chris Nemetz, West Holt; Colin Schurman, Stuart and Cody Volk, Pender.

Dan Maresh of Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur will lead the white squad. His staff will include Mason Alitz and T.J Hilsinger of BRLD, Shon King of Norfolk Public, Rusty Rautenberg of Elkhorn Valley and David Stricklin of Humphrey St. Francis.

Officials for this year's game include Bryan Daum, referee, Battle Creek; Jeff Keagle, umpire, Wakefield; Chris Barry, head linesman, Battle Creek; Brian Chapman, line judge, Battle Creek and Nate Hahne, back judge, Norfolk.