Nebraska's toughest eight-man/six-man football districts

Using the MaxPreps Nebraska Football Rankings, presented by the Army National Guard, we calculated the average power rating for each district, and that calculation is the basis for this week's Top 10.

It does make sense that any district featuring a top-ranked team would have the upper hand at weighing in as a Top 10 district, but that's not the case in the eight-man and six-man ranks this season. Both, Class D1's Creighton and D-6's Harvard (six-man), missed the cut, along with their respective districts.

Class D2 top 10 programs Bloomfield and Randolph have been battling it out for supremacy in the D2-3 district, and to date, the Bees reign supreme with two opponents remaining on their schedule. The Cardinals rank 10th in Class D2, while Allen (17th, D2), which is still in the hunt for the title, Hartington-Newcastle (18th, D2), Wynot (21st, D2) and Wausa (27th, D2) fill out the rest of the Cornhusker State's top eight-man/six-man district.

The D1-8, last year's fourth toughest district, moves up two spots to second in 2018 as Burwell (2nd, D1) and South Loup (3rd, D1) battle it out for the driver's seat Friday. Arcadia-Loup City (15th, D1), Amherst (20th, D1), Ansley-Litchfield (22nd, D1) and Elm Creek (26th, D1) round out the Cornhusker State's second best small school district. The D2-8, D2-4 and D2-5 districts round out the Top 5 in the Nos. 3-4-5 spots respectively.

While none of the six-man districts made this week's Top 10, it does not mean they weren't well represented. The D6-6 and D6-2 districts lead the way for Nebraska's smallest classification, coming in at No. 18 and No. 19, respectively.

Below, listed on the top line, is the district that is being ranked, its average MaxPreps computer power rating and the district's collective won-loss record. Listed on the second line and beyond is the MaxPreps classification ranking for each team competing in that district as well as the name of the school and that school's won-loss record in parenthesis.

Nebraska's toughest eight-man/six-man football districts

1. D2-3 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (43.37) | Collective Record (24-12)
No. 4 Bloomfield (6-0), No. 10 Randolph (5-1), No. 17 Allen (5-1), No. 18 Hartington-Newcastle (Hartington) (4-2), No. 21 Wynot (2-4), No. 27 Wausa (2-4).

2. D1-8 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (43.08) | Collective Record (22-14)
No. 2 Burwell (6-0), No. 3 South Loup (Arnold) (6-0), No. 15 Arcadia/Loup City (Arcadia) (2-4), No. 20 Amherst (3-3), No. 22 Ansley/Litchfield (Ansley) (3-3), No. 26 Elm Creek (2-4).

3. D2-8 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (39.74) | Collective Record (21-9)
No. 7 Mullen (6-0), No. 13 Sandhills/Thedford (Dunning) (5-1), No. 14 Medicine Valley (Curtis) (4-2), No. 29 Brady (3-3), No. 33 Maxwell (3-3).

4. D2-4 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (34.60) | Collective Record (19-17)
No. 1 Riverside (Cedar Rapids) (6-0), No. 6 St. Francis (Humphrey) (6-0), No. 19 Osmond (4-2), No. 25 Plainview (2-4), No. 38 Winside (0-6), No. 43 Elgin/Pope John (Elgin) (1-5).

5. D2-5 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (31.08) | Collective Record (17-19)
No. 3 Clearwater/Orchard (Clearwater) (5-1), No. 12 Central Valley (Greeley) (4-2), No. 31 St. Mary's (O'Neill) (2-4), No. 32 Stuart (2-4), No. 35 Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing (Chambers) (3-3), No. 36 Twin Loup (Sargent) (1-5).

6. D2-1 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (27.10) | Collective Record (21-15)
No. 5 Johnson-Brock (Johnson) (6-0), No. 9 Sacred Heart (Falls City) (6-0), No. 22 Meridian (Daykin) (5-1), No. 23 Diller-Odell (Odell) (3-3), No. 42 Parkview Christian (Lincoln) (1-5), No. 49 Pawnee City (0-6).

7. D1-6 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (24.92) | Collective Record (20-16)
No. 9 Nebraska Christian (Central City) (6-0), No. 11 Fullerton (4-2), No. 12 Ravenna (5-1), No. 33 Shelton (3-3), No. 40 Palmer (1-5), No. 46 Heartland (Henderson) (1-5).

8. D1-3 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (24.76) | Collective Record (15-15)
No. 4 Exeter-Milligan/Friend (Exeter) (6-0), No. 18 Cross County (Stromsburg) (4-2), No. 23 Osceola/High Plains (Osceola) (3-3), No. 39 East Butler (Brainard) (1-5), No. 50 Nebraska Lutheran (Waco) (1-5).

9. D1-5 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (22.98) | Collective Record (18-18)
No. 7 Lutheran-Northeast (Norfolk) (5-1), No. 14 Howells-Dodge (Howells) (4-2), No. 21 Neligh-Oakdale (Neligh) (3-3), No. 25 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (Laurel) (3-3), No. 44 Elkhorn Valley (Tilden) (2-4), No. 53 Madison (1-5).

10. D2-6 District | Average MaxPreps Power Rating (22.10) | Collective Record (17-19)
No. 2 Kenesaw (6-0), No. 16 Lawrence-Nelson (Nelson) (3-3), No. 26 Axtell (4-2), No. 28 Giltner (3-3), No. 45 Blue Hill (1-5), No. 51 Franklin (0-6).