KFBCA Top 11: Holden Bass

The Kansas Football Coaches Association picked their All-State teams in early December, including the All-Class Top 11. Kansas Pregame is providing capsules for each of the Top 11 selections. Check out Nemaha Central offensive and defensive lineman Holden Bass' capsule below, the first of the KFBCA Top 11 capsules for 2023. For a look at the complete 2023 KFBCA All-State teams click here.

Nemaha Central captured their second straight state title and third in five seasons after beating Hoisington 28-14 in the 2A state championship in late November and capping a 26-game win streak for the senior class of 2024.

At the forefront of that senior class is senior Holden Bass, a 6-4, 290 pound offensive and defensive lineman committed to K-State as a preferred walk-on.

Bass entered high school as Nemaha Central was coming off its first state title in program history the year prior. The Thunder won the 2019 2A state championship over Rossville in a 19-0 defensive display that capped an 11-2 season.

Warren Seitz, who spent 10 seasons as the head coach in Seneca, coached Bass as a freshman and both the team and gentile giant of a freshman saw success. The Thunder went 8-3, losing in the state semifinals against eventual champs Rossville. Bass saw varsity time on both sides of the ball, recording 29 tackles defensively.

Prior to Bass’ sophomore season, Seitz took a job at Versailles (Mo.) High School and was replaced by first year head coach Michael Glatzcak, a native of Centralia and the son of former Panther coach Larry Glatzcak.

The Thunder went 7-3 in Glatzcak’s inaugural season and again were knocked out of the playoffs by Rossville, this time in the second round. 

Bass saw improvements in his numbers on the defensive side of the ball, recording 52 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, a pass deflection, and a fumble recovery.  The sophomore earned All-State honors as well as a nod as a Sports in Kansas Defensive Player of the Year nominee.

Offensively, Bass cleared the way for 3,166 yards of total offense and 45 offensive touchdowns in 10 games.

“Holden's biggest strength as a football player is his explosiveness,” Glatzcak said. “Holden is a two-way player that excels at both offensive line and defensive line. His explosiveness on the defensive side I think separates him from others. He can take on and defeat double teams, control his gap at will, and can run down a sweep to the sideline from the defensive line position.” 

The Thunder’s two-year run began in Bass’ junior season as Nemaha Central won all but one of their games by double-digits, a 35-28 season opener against powerhouse Holton, which avenged a last-second field goal loss to the Wildcats in 2021.

After dominating their first round matchup against Pleasant Ridge 74-6, Bass and company got payback on Rossville with a 36-13 win in the second round. From there the Thunder won a 44-20 matchup with Humboldt, a 30-14 contest with Sabetha, and then handled Kingman 33-17 in the state title game.

Bass was a monster on both sides of the ball, recording 66 tackles, 11 tackles-for-loss, five sacks, three pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.

On the other side of the ball he paved the way for 4,854 yards of total offense and 79 TDs.

The junior again received All-State honors and a nomination as SIK DPOY, and saw a continued upward trend in interest from college recruiters.

Having already established himself and his team as the best in the state during his junior campaign, Bass could have hit autopilot as a senior, but that was far from the case.

“Holden has been a great football player all four years,” Glatczak said. “Between his junior and senior year he really flipped that switch and played with a chip on his shoulder. He played with that killer instinct every single play all game.”

In spite of the graduation of a strong group of skill players and much of the back half of their defense from 2022, the Thunder were even more dominant this fall, allowing just six points in their first nine matchups and winning each of their games by double digits. Spanning from Week 2 through their first round playoff win they outscored opponents 333-0, with 517-67 point difference on the season overall.

Bass won Sports in Kansas 2A DPOY after recording 113 tackles, 20 tackles-for-loss, and three pass deflections and earned All-State honors on both sides of the ball. Bass teamed with classmates Abe Hillbert and Joshua Gonzalez to provide one of the most fearsome trios in the trenches in the state.

Nemaha Central had another dominant offensive performance as well, gaining 4,353 yards and scoring 65 TDs behind the protection of one of the state’s best offensive lines.

Bass was also a key locker room presence for the Thunder.

“Holden is a fantastic leader on and off the field,” Bass said. “He showed up every day this summer not only to better himself but to better his teammates also. He is a great leader in his position group. Whenever we struggled up front, he re-grouped his guys and went to work.”

In December, Bass made the decision to actualize his dream of being a Division I football player by committing to K-State to continue his football career over Northwest Missouri State and a long list of Division II powerhouse programs. He plans to study Pre-Physical Therapy in his time as a Wildcat.