O’Neill – The O’Neill Junior High football program completed a spectacular season this fall, fueled by commitment, competition, and a winning culture that runs deep throughout the school.
The A-Team finished the year with a perfect 6-0 record, showcasing incredible dominance by scoring 234 points while allowing a mere 34 points over six games. The B-Team mirrored that success with an outstanding 5-1 season, falling in a tight 14-8 contest to Battle Creek in their finale.
Junior High Coach Seth Kallhoff attributes the program’s success to the players’ passion for the game and their disciplined approach.
“We just have a bunch of guys that love football,” Coach Kallhoff stated. “They compete every day in practice and bought into the team aspect of doing your job while trusting your teammates to do theirs.”
This commitment to the “team aspect” was evident in both teams’ remarkable defensive statistics. Allowing opponents an average of under 6 points per game is a testament to every player carrying out their assignments and relying on the player next to them.
| A Team Scores | B Team Scores |
| Vs. Wayne: 42-8 | Vs. Wayne: 24-0 |
| Vs. Valentine 36-6 | Vs. Valentine: 12-0 |
| Vs. Pierce: 40-12 | Vs. Pierce: 42-0 |
| Vs. Crofton: 36-8 | Vs. Crofton: 16-12 |
| Vs. Ord: 42-0 | Vs. Ord: 22-0 |
| Vs. Battle Creek: 38-0 | Vs. Battle Creek: 8-14 |
The triumphs on the junior high field are not isolated events but are instead part of a larger trend within the O’Neill Football Program. Coach Kallhoff highlighted how success at the high school level has created a standard of excellence for younger athletes.
“Our High School team having success has bled into our Junior High and Elementary,” Kallhoff noted. “We want O’Neill football to be relevant every year.”
This unified philosophy ensures that athletes are developing the necessary skills, character, and winning mentality from a young age. The combined 11-1 program record for the junior high teams this fall strongly suggests that the future of O’Neill football is in capable hands.
The season now concludes, but the lessons learned about hard work, trust, and competition will serve these young Eagles well as they aim to keep the tradition of O’Neill football relevant for years to come.
(Front Row) Jace Pritchett, Hayden Neuheisel, Brigham Stepp, Alex LeFever, Will Jensen, Hugh York, Hoyt Wrede, Jase Sanders, Grayson Ferris, Noah Wiekamp (Middle) Jasper York, Charlie Kellum, Parker Peterson, Tyce Parks, Pierce Wiseman, Rylan Hoefer, Dominic Krysl, Clayton Hansen, Jaret Corkle, Jace Corkle, Brody Spencer, (Back) Michael Cafaro, Ryder Crooker, Dylan Kaup, Paxton Mathews, Nolan Jessen, Noah Kaiser, Zeb Young, Pierson Classen, Blake Bohlender, Cooper Foree, and Dominic Aboyade-Cole. (Not Pictured) Aidan Krause, Coach Kallhoff, Coach Spader, and Coach Ehlers.
