Millard North High School
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Millard North High School opened in 1981 and is now the largest of the three Millard Public High Schools in Omaha, Nebraska. It is located at 1010 South 144th Street. The school's head administrator is Dr. Rick Werkheiser. As of 2006, Millard North is carrying out construction scheduled for completion in 2007 so that it can fully accommodate its large student body.
Famous alumni include Eric Crouch, former University of Nebraska quarterback and winner of the Heisman Trophy in 2001 and Adam Shada, a University of Iowa cornerback expected to challenge for the honor in 2007.
Contents |
Millard North is the only high school in the state of Nebraska to carry the International Baccalaureate Program. The International Baccalaureate Program, or the IB Program, starts in Middle school and is carried through Millard North Middle School into Millard North High School. It is also one of two schools in the Omaha area to offer five foreign languages. (French, Spanish, German, Latin, and Japanese).
Millard North prides itself on being one of the top academic school in Nebraska. It offers many different diploma paths, and offers many fun and challenging Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Students at Millard North can choose many different classes, from Law Studies to Statistics.
Millard North has a very competitive music program. Its band and Orchestra consistently receive high honors at competitions. MN's choir program is also very successful.
The Millard North Mustangs football team played in the Nebraska high school state championship game in four consecutive years: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, taking the title in '03 and '05. In two of those four years, the Mustangs led the entire nation in rushing yards. The 2005 team finished with the third best rushing total by a team in one season in high school football history, with 2 - 2000 yard rushers (HB Corey Young, QB Jeff Tarpinian) and 1 - 1000 yard rusher (FB Paul Homer). The 2006 Mustangs' quest for a fifth consecutive championship appearance ended with a last-minute loss to Omaha Westside in the semifinals.
Millard North football players are known for superb careers at the collegiate level. Heisman trophy winner Eric Crouch (University of Nebraska) is a former Mustang. Currently, the Mustangs have several alumni playing at Division I schools. QB Jeff Tarpinian (University of Iowa), CB Adam Shada (University of Iowa), K Andruw Martz (University of Buffalo), FB Paul Homer (University of Washington) ,WR Tyler Wegener (Winona State University), RB Corey Young (University of Nebraska), T.J O'Leary (University of Nebraska) and FB Judd Davies (University of Nebraska).
Millard North currently has the largest forensics team in the state of Nebraska. The team has had eight 2nd place state titles and has won the state competition twice. In 2006 the Millard North Speech team was runner-up in the Class A speech competition. Freddy Krueger also visits the team around Halloween. The team regularly places in Nebraska speech competitions and has been consecutively ranked among the best teams.
On November 3rd, 2006, the ninth seeded Mustangs faced off against the #1 seed Lincoln Southwest High School in the second round of the state playoffs.
The first half was dominated by the Silverhawks as they went up 21-0 at half-time. In the first half, the Mustangs found big plays to be few and far between, while the Silverhawks seemed to move up and down the field at will.
The third quarter showed small signs of things to come as Millard North's defense began to dominate. At the beginning of the 4th quarter, Millard North scored a touchdown to bring the score to 21-7. Millard North's defense then held Lincoln Southwest to a three and out. Millard North drove down the field, completing a crucial 4th down pass, and scored a second fourth quarter touchdown. On the following kickoff, a mob of Millard North players stripped Southwest's return man. The fumble was recovered by junior Levi Bross. This resulted in another Millard North touchdown. The Mustangs then forced a turnover and with 5 seconds remaining in regulation attempted a game-winning field goal. The field goal was blocked by Lincoln Southwest and the game went into overtime.
In overtime Millard North started their offense on the 10 yard line. The drive to the end zone stalled, and Millard North kicked a field goal, taking their first lead of the game at 24-21. The Mustang defense kept the Silverhawks from going 10 yards and forced them to attempt a field goal. The field goal was made and a second overtime was played.
The Silverhawks scored a touchdown in the second overtime and kicked the PAT. Millard North matched the efforts and forced a third overtime with the score at 31-31. Again, Millard North and Lincoln Southwest found the end zone and the score went to 38-38 for the fourth overtime.
In the fourth overtime Lincoln Southwest struck the end zone again and kicked the PAT to go up 45-38. Millard North then scored a touchdown on an option play. The ensuing PAT was deflected by Lincoln Southwest, but went through the uprights despite the change in flight path, forcing a 5th overtime at a score of 45-45.
A Millard North touchdown pass seemingly ensured the Millard North sidelines and fans that Millard North could not possibly lose the game, however their joy turned into cautious optimism as the PAT was blocked and Millard North clung to a 51-45 lead.
Lincoln Southwest then had the ball spotted at the 10 yard line, a touchdown likely winning the game for Southwest. The running and passing attacks of Lincoln Southwest stalled and the Silverhawks were forced to convert a 4th and goal from the 8 yard line. Lincoln Southwest's quarterback rolled out to the open side of the field, and threw a sideline pass into the end zone. A diving Millard North cornerback changed the flight path of the ball and the pass slipped in and out of the hands of the intended receiver.
Millard North students jumped over the guard railing and rushed to the field in celebration as Millard North players ripped off their helmets and thrust them into the air while joining mass of humanity at midfield. Flags were unraveled in the middle of the mob, and the mob had to be broken up so the two teams could shake hands and have team meetings.
Because the game was not selected as the Cox game of the week, the entirety of the game was not shown on television. However, WOWT News at 10 caught portions of the 3rd overtime and the final two plays and the ensuing madness on live television. MN 99 NEWS also captured the whole game on film and showed the highlights the next school day. The game tape, however, is available on DVD through the Millard North Booster Club.
- Millard North was supposed to be the location for Election (1999 film), but the Millard School Board thought the movie was too obscene to be filmed there.[1] References to "Millard High" can be seen in the original drafts of Alexander Payne's script for Election.[2]
- Millard North High School official website
- Millard North Alumni Website
- Nebraska State Activities Association Website
- Official School Website
- [1] Internet Movie Database - Trivia for
Election
- [2] The Daily Script - "Election" - Third Draft