5 Things To Know - NENE All-Star Football Classic

All-star season continues this week for area athletes as they travel to Norfolk for the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Classic. Now in its fifth year, the annual classic has quickly grown into the premier all-star game for local gridiron stars. Few all-star football games bring as much talent and preparation to the field as this one.

1. The who and when
The Fifth Annual Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Classic will take place on Saturday, June 10 at Veteran's Memorial Park in Norfolk. Kick off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Neligh-Oakdale's record-breaking seniors Grant White, Tyson Belitz and Chris Bentley will be joined by Elgin Public/Pope John's Chad Bode on the White Team under the tutelage of Osmond Head Coach Rod Brummels.

2. How's the weather?
It can't be overstated enough; bring the water. Game day for the Classic has a history of being a scorcher and this year doesn't look to be any different. The early forecast for Saturday shows temperatures in the low 90's and 20 to 30 mile per hour winds. The real challenge will be the humidity, as levels are expected to reach more than 55 percent on the day. 

3. The Warrior farewell tour comes to a close
While all three still have all-star games to take part in this summer, Neligh-Oakdale's trio of White, Belitz and Bentley will join forces for the last time on a football field this weekend. After record-setting careers on the gridiron, including one of the best seasons in school history during their senior year, the Warriors hope to finish with a win before heading their separate ways for college. All three are more than capable on both sides of the ball, but look for their prolific offensive talent to be on display in the all-star game.

4. Bode's redemption
Elgin Public/Pope John's Chad Bode entered his senior season with high expectations both inside and outside of the Wolfpack program. Unfortunately, an injury early in the first game of the season robbed him of five of the remaining seven games of his final year of ball. He was so talented, however, that he still led the Wolfpack in offense and was able to be selected to various all-star games. This week will finally be his chance to show his skills in a championship-like atmosphere, something he deserved to do all season.

5. Records will fall
Partially because the Classic is so young and partially because of the slew of talent taking part, it is pretty much a tradition for records to be set in the Northeast Nebraska All-Star Football Classic. Last year, five team and eight individual records were broken during the contest. This year, expect more of the same. With high-caliber athletes such as White, Belitz, Bentley, Bode and various others from across the area, as well as members of two state finalist teams - Crofton and O'Neill - this game will not be short on excitement and incredible performances. The only question is who will get the ball enough to set the records first?