Brady Nenow, Jays headed to playoffs
· Yahoo Sports
Oct. 29—JAMESTOWN — Brady Nenow has got at least one game left in a Jamestown High School football uniform.
Nenow, the senior quarterback for the Blue Jays, and his teammates will be playing in the 2026 NDHSAA Division AA Football State Playoffs beginning this week.
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The Blue Jays will face Kindred in the opening round of playoffs on Friday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Kindred High School.
Nenow started playing football when he was around 8 years old.
"I got into football because I was inspired by my older brother who was a quarterback," Nenow said.
This season is the senior's second year of playing varsity football. Nenow earned the starting quarterback role last season.
"My first career start was intense," Nenow said. "I was nervous all the way up to game time and didn't really know what to expect. That game was a back and forth game that we had to fight through adversity and taught me a lot. Coming away with the win gave me all the confidence that I was a varsity caliber quarterback and that I could succeed."
A top-caliber quarterback isn't immune to injuries. In game No. 2 of the season Nenow suffered a hit that broke three bones in his foot.
"Being injured last year was definitely a learning curve," Nenow said. "My role changed from being a leader not just on the field, but off as well. It was tough to see our team losing games, but I never lost hope. I never took my injury as something that would stop me from what I was doing. It was just a setback that I knew I could overcome. I was always there with my teammates whenever they needed me. I was always on the front line of the sideline cheering my teammates on because I was still a Blue Jay and cared about the squad on the field.
"I knew that even though I was hurt, I still had a great opportunity to show who I am," he said. "This injury taught me a lot about leadership and the different ways I could express it. It was a great time to find who I really was. It also taught me more about overcoming adversity. My mindset changed to "how am I going to get better from this" and "what am I going to do to continue to succeed and take the next step.'"
Taking the next step required Nenow to train — hard.
"With the injury, there was many parts of my game that I needed to not only relearn, but to improve," Nenow said. "Footwork was the biggest challenge and it was all because of just learning that my foot is OK and that I can use it again. Getting me back into the football form was my main goal for this off-season.
"As a team, we also spent a large amount of time in the weight room together doing workouts with coach to get us stronger, quicker and sharper," he said. "With our off-season training, injury prevention has been a big highlight. You look at other teams and see they are down on a number of guys, but our squad has had little injuries and it all ties back to our training."
Nenow was named the starter at the beginning of the season. Karson Schmidt — the Jays quarterback for eight and a half games in 2025 — was named the backup.
"Getting the starting spot back was an honor," Nenow said. "Me and Karson Schmidt worked together all off-season and continued to try to get better," Nenow said. "Our goal was never to beat one another out of the starting spot, instead, it was to improve one another and get us both ready so that when one of our names were called, we were ready. Me and Karson have a great bond with each other and we don't take anything personal. We tell each other what we need to work on. We take things week by week for the spot. In my mind, it is never guaranteed. He is one of the best players to work with on the team."
Nenow said the first game of the year — a home game against Wahpeton — was a mixture of many different feelings.
"I was super grateful to be back on the field with my teammates, but also very nervous knowing that I hadn't played a real game in a full year. I went in with a mindset to just win the game," Nenow said. "I wasn't going to worry about what my stats were or how efficient I was, I just wanted to leave the field 1-0. My teammates spoke so much confidence in me and i couldn't be more appreciative of them. They had my back."
Comparing the the first game of the year, Nenow said he feels settled into his spot. Through the regular season, Nenow has passed for 1,513 yards and 10 touchdowns. He currently holds a 60.17 completion percentage. He has averaged 168.11 yards per game.
"I have to give almost all the credit for my success to my teammates," Nenow said. "Without them I wouldn't be where I am today. My entire offensive line has been the main reason I have had success without them, I don't think I would be where I am today. My wide receivers have also been a huge part. They seem to always find a way to make a play out of my mistakes, such as a bad ball or a bad read. I also have to give credit to my coaches. They have been a huge part of my improvement on and off the field."
The Blue Jays started the year with a 36-33 comeback win against Wahpeton. The victory was followed by five losses before the team defeated Watford City 37-28 on Oct. 9. The Jays were up 26-0 on Minot North the next week but wound up falling 34-26 to the Sentinels.
Nenow and the Jays ended the season with a gritty 7-2 win over St. Mary's last week to qualify for the playoffs.
"Our entire team looks settled in," Nenow said. "We have found some information that drives us to improve and continue to grow. Our team as a whole has been much more confident with how we play and it shows on the field."
Kindred is the No. 1 seed out of the East Region.
"People can expect that we are going to give it all we got," Nenow said. "Yes, we have Kindred as our first matchup, but fans can expect that we aren't going to shy away. Every single one of us know in the locker room that we have a golden opportunity to do something truly remarkable. Getting into the playoffs wasn't the prettiest way, but everyone had belief that we could make it. Our losses have not changed our mindset on how we play, nor has it changed our goals."
Even if the Jays don't make it past the 9-0 Vikings, Nenow said the 2026 season has already been for Jamestown.
"Us learning about adversity and overcoming it has been a big success," Nenow said. "The main goal we are reaching to cap the season off with is the Dakota Bowl. Our goal never changed throughout the season and that has been one of them. Nobody wants to fall short and our group is going to give it everything we have to not do so."