Standout running back boosts Nevada on way to district championship

On November 10th, the Nevada Tigers will be hosting Carl Junction for the Class 4 District 7 championship game tonight.

Head coach Wes Beachler of Nevada shared his pleasantly surprising experience after graduating nine all-conference athletes in the Big 8 and three all-state players from last year’s team.

A large part of their success was thanks to senior running back Jack Cheaney, who has carried the ball 161 times this year for 1,823 yards and added 144 yards as a receiver. Cheaney has an impressive 29 total touchdowns this year, 27 of which are from rushing.

“Clearly, Jack Cheaney has been a huge surprise for us,” Beachler mentioned. “We knew he was talented last year as a sophomore.”

Beachler also emphasized the importance of the offensive line and the linebacker group, particularly senior Henry Campbell and Talan Chandler, who is committed to play college football at Colorado University under Deion Sanders.

The coach also acknowledged the competition, mentioning that both teams, Nevada and Carl Junction, have faced tough schedules and are well-prepared for the district championship.

“The thing that stands out about Nevada this year is the teamwork,” Beachler said. “The Tigers have continued to embrace a team-first mentality rather than putting individuals first, and that’s something I’ve noticed about this group for the past four seasons.”

After Cheaney, there are three other ball carriers who have rushed for more than 400 yards. Senior Dezmon Robinson and Brice Budd are over 500 yards, with 534 and 520, respectively. Junior Gabriel Smith adds 404 yards and seven touchdowns.

Looking ahead, Cheaney is just 33 yards away from 2,000 combined in rushing and receiving. Additionally, he is only 177 yards away from reaching 2,000 yards in rushing alone and just 25 more yards to break a single-season record at Nevada, which was set by Avious Steadman during his junior season back in 2021.