Levorson values lessons learned from sports
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BY RYLY JANE HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star
CRETE — The black-and-white ink drawings on the wall are in stark contrast to the splash of color elsewhere in the room that documents the athletic accomplishments of John Levorson.
But the drawings help to complete the picture of the Crete senior.
An outstanding athlete, it’s no surprise that when Levorson chose subjects to draw this year in school, he included a soccer player and a basketball player driving to the hoop.
Grand Island
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 5-11, 175. Year -- senior. College -- undecided; has academic scholarship at Nebraska-Omaha.
SPORTS: Football -- first-team Super-State punter, he averaged 42.3 yards per punt and had three travel more than 70 yards; also started at linebacker and had 115 tackles and was team captain. Basketball -- averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists and was honorable mention all-state. Baseball -- second-team Super-State catcher; hit .383, drove in 20 runs and scored 36; called all the pitches for the Islanders and had rocket for an arm.
JARRELL CRAYTON
Bellevue East
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-6, 200. Year -- junior.
SPORTS: Football -- first year of prep football, played wide receiver, six catches for 137 yards and one touchdown, solid blocker. Basketball -- first-team Super-State and Class A all-state; averaged 18 points and more than 11 rebounds a game, setting a school record with 289 rebounds; in the state tournament, he averaged 24.3 points and 15.3 rebounds, pulling down 20 in the semifinals. Soccer -- went out for soccer for first time, playing goalkeeper.
KASH KALKOWSKI
Grand Island
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-1, 190. Year -- senior. College -- Nebraska, signed in baseball.
SPORTS: Basketball -- averaged 6.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 steals for the Islanders and hit 53 percent from the field and 63 percent from the free-throw line. Baseball -- first-team Super-State and honorary captain, the right-hander had a 6-2 record with a 1.74 earned-run average, struck out 65 in 55 innings and recorded three saves; picked up two wins and a save in the state tournament to lead G.I. to its first title; played shortstop when not on the mound; hit .471 with 32 runs batted in; named Nebraska Gatorade player of the year.
ERIC KOEHLMOOS
Pierce
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-1, 185. Year -- junior.
SPORTS: Football -- second-team Super-State running back, Class C-2 all-state running back and honorary captain; rushed 160 times for 1,326 yards and 34 touchdowns, completed 54 percent of his passes for 695 yards and seven touchdowns; also was a brutal defender. Basketball -- Class C-1 first-team all-state, averaged 15 points and three rebounds and was a dominating presence on the court. Track -- ran on Pierce’s 400 and 1,600 meter relays, which both finished fourth at the state track meet; also ran the sprints.
BRETT MAHER
Kearney
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-1, 160. Year -- senior. College -- Nebraska, football walkon
SPORTS: Football -- first-team Super-State kicker and Class A all-state kicker, connecting on 41 of 46 extra points and was 8-for-14 on field goals; in his first year as receiver, he caught 40 passes for 775 yards (19.4 per catch) and 10 touchdowns; also played defense and averaged 41.2 yards on punts. Basketball -- averaged 11.5 points and 3.7 rebounds, helping the Bearcats to state. Track -- won the all-class Gold Medal and the Class A pole vault after a season-best of 16-2, which was a state record and state meet record, and won the all-class Gold and Class A in the long jump with a leap of 22-103/4.
BRYSON MAHLBERG
Elwood
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-1, 170. Year -- senior. College -- Doane College, track.
SPORTS: Football -- Class D-1 all-state as an athlete; a quarterback, he rushed for 1,454 yards and 34 touchdowns, was 73 for 123 passing for 1,356 yards and 21 TDs and finished with 2,799 career rushing yards and 4,744 passing; also played defensive back. Basketball -- first-team Class D-1 all-state, averaging 26.3 points and 7.7 rebounds and finished as school career scoring leader. Track -- finished second in the Class D 300-meter hurdles, third in the 110 hurdles, eighth in the high jump and competed in the long jump at the state meet.
COLE PENSICK
Lincoln Northeast
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-2, 250. Year -- junior. College -- committed to Nebraska football scholarship.
SPORTS: Football -- first-team Super-State offensive lineman, he anchored the offensive line to pave the way for a 1,400 rusher; benched 370 and did middle 500s in the squat last fall; was second-team Super-State as a sophomore. Wrestling -- finished fifth in the Class A 285-pound division in his first year of wrestling. Track -- won the all-class Gold Medal and Class A gold in the shot put with a put of 57-101/4.
JENS SCHOLL
Deshler
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-4, 175. Year -- senior. College -- Doane College, basketball and track.
SPORTS: Cross Country -- won the Class D state title, running the 5,000 meters in 17:03.26. Basketball -- was first-team Class C-2 all-state, averaging 21.1 points and 10.9 rebounds; had 17 double-doubles and averaged 4.5 steals and 2.1 blocked shots. Track -- won titles in the Class C 800 (1:57.32), 1,600 (4:33.23) and 3,200 (9:57.03) meters at the state meet.
JOEY SPELLERBERG
Archbishop Bergan
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-1, 205. Year -- senior. College -- Nebraska, golf.
SPORTS: Football -- Class C-2 all-state quarterback, was 197 for 306 passing (64.4 percent) for 2,546 yards and 29 touchdowns; had 70 tackles, one fumble recovery and two interceptions on defense. Basketball -- played on Class D-1 state championship team, averaging 6.5 points and 2.3 rebounds. Golf -- Class D state champion, shooting 76-77-153 at Kearney’s Meadowlark Hills.
JESSE VER VELDE
Millard West
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 5-11, 170. Year -- senior. College -- Northwest Missouri State, football.
SPORTS: Football -- first-team Super-State, he rushed for 712 yards (5.9 per carry) and 10 touchdowns and was 110 for 192 passing (57 percent) with 18 touchdowns and 1,897 yards to lead the Wildcats to the semifinals of the playoffs. Baseball -- second-team Super-State as designated hitter; stepped up to play catcher when there was no one returning at that spot; threw out 48 percent of runners attempting to steal, hit .402, scoring 35 runs, driving in 28 runs and had 13 doubles, a triple and 12 stolen bases.
KENDALL WEHRLE
Papillion-LaVista South
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-6, 180. Year -- senior. College -- Arkansas, baseball scholarship.
SPORTS: Basketball -- third-team Super-State and second-team Class A all-state, he haveraged 18.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game; first 1,000-point scorer in school history (1,078) and had 409 career rebounds and 107 steals. Baseball -- a two-time first-team Super-Stater, he is an outstanding infielder with a rocket for an arm; hit .476 with 36 runs batted in and was 5-3 on the mound as the Titans’ ace.
KEVIN ZOZ
Elmwood-Murdock
VITAL STATISTICS: Height, weight -- 6-0, 173. Year -- senior. College -- Morningside College, basketball.
SPORTS: Football -- Class C-2 all-state defensive back with six interceptions and 49 tackles; at quarterback, he passed for more than 1,300 yards, completing 89 of 138 passes, also punted and was the place-kicker. Basketball -- first-team Class C-2 all-state, averaged 18 points and three rebounds; was a four-year starter. Golf -- competed at the state meet.
But two others reveal more about Levorson. You can practically hear the wolf howling, and he captured the desperation and loneliness of Quasimodo, the Hunchback of Notre Dame.
“Sometimes, it’s relaxing to draw. Sometimes, I just can’t make it work,” said Levorson.
That drive for perfection is also clear in Levorson’s athletic life. The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder was an honorary captain of the Super-State football team this year after leading Crete to back-to-back Class B state titles. He was honored as an athlete for all his contributions and was the Class B all-state quarterback. For the second straight year, he was second-team Super-State in basketball. This spring, he cleared a state-best 6-71/4 in the high jump before an injury kept him out of the state meet.
And now he is honored as the Journal Star boys’ Prep Athlete of the Year.
“Playing sports has helped make me the kind of person I am. I learned things from sports that I can use my entire life,” said Levorson, who is a Nebraska football scholarship recruit. “There are a lot of life lessons you learn from sports.
“It never crossed my mind living a life without playing sports.”
He didn’t choose football over all the other sports until he got to high school.
“Originally, basketball was my thing. I quit playing baseball so I could devote my summers to basketball,” he said. “I was planning on playing basketball in college until I started playing varsity football.
“Nothing matches experiencing Friday nights, playing football. There’s nothing better than Friday night football games.”
His presence was a factor for three years for the Cardinal football team.
“John led by example. The kids expected him to make plays, and he did,” said coach Chuck McGinnis. “You could explain a play to him, and with just one repetition, he seemed to have it down. He understands the game.”
He also appreciates his teammates.
“There are 11 people on the field and you need every one doing their part to be successful. I might be the one running the ball into the end zone, but not without 10 other guys doing their job. The guy who makes the block deserves credit for allowing me to score.”
Both McGinnis and Levorson said a switch to the wishbone offense wasn’t a problem.
“John knows that Cody (Wockenfuss) and Marcus (Smith) and Trevor (Florendo) and the offensive line made him better,” said McGinnis.
“With the wishbone, we’d get Cody and Trevor and me on the field at the same time,” said Levorson. “It wasn’t that hard to adapt to it. We ran a lot of the same plays.”
Levorson’s stats more than support that. He rushed for 1,158 yards (10.1 per carry) and completed 55 percent of his passes for 738 yards. The previous year, he had 753 rushing and 1,312 passing.
And on defense, which he said is likely where he’ll end up with the Huskers, Levorson had just as big an impact. He had 92 tackles, 41 of them unassisted, six interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
In basketball, he averaged 16.6 points and 7.6 rebounds a game, moving from the swing position he was accustomed to playing to point guard. He also averaged 4.1 assists and 3.2 steals per game.
Levorson said sports can be humbling.
“You have to be prepared for failure before you step on the football field. You can fail every play,” he said. “That’s something you have to know, that bad things are going to happen.
“But I have a really short memory when it comes to sports. I forget the play we just had. Once it’s over, I’m back to the huddle to think about the next play. You have time to think about mistakes in football. In basketball, it’s all a lot quicker and you’re already on the other end of the floor.”
So is there anything John Levorson can’t do?
“I’m a terrible bowler. That’s probably the worst. I’m also a terrible golfer,” he said. “I don’t have the patience to practice and get better.”
In addition to his drawing, Levorson also plays acoustic guitar (he’d like to get an electric one) and occasionally tinkers on the piano.
“I didn’t suffer taking piano lessons. I enjoy playing some,” he said. “I started playing guitar two years ago. I think wanting to be in a band comes for anybody who plays guitar. Maybe after college, I’ll start a band.”
Levorson, who will take summer school classes at Nebraska, said he plans on a math or science-oriented major, perhaps engineering or architecture.
“I would have picked Nebraska over any school in the world,” he said
Reach Ryly Jane Hambleton at 473-7314 or rhambleton@journalstar.com.
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This kid is clearly a winner, why no mention of a scholarship offer? If not, you'd better pray he walks on...If I was Doc Sadler I'd be in the hunt,too, the way things are with HuskerHoops... "