Nebraska Top 10 high school football games for September 2014

As the 2014 football season gets ready to kick off fulltime this weekend in Nebraska, a classic rivalry will come to a boiling point when Columbus Scotus travels to David City Aquinas to battle the Monarchs. And Syracuse finds itself in a huge battle for survival, especially for this early in the season.

But these aren't the only terrific battles going on in September. Below is a full slate of contests, ranked from one to 10, according to their importance and entertainment value.


1. Bellevue West at Omaha North, Sept. 18
Probably the top two teams in Nebraska. If you hanker for football contests that include a ton of talent, this is the game for you. Calvin Strong, Michael Decker and Jason Martin clash with Bellevue West's C.J. Johnson … Need I say more?

2. Giltner at Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (Bruning), Sept. 12
If you're a fan of 8-Man football, you'll want to catch this clash. The Eagles open with Blue Hill and then host Giltner, a D-2 favorite, a week later. BDS already has a 66-0 win over Harvard under its belt.

3. Cozad at Gothenburg, Sept. 26
Cozad handily knocked off Gothenburg twice a year ago, outscoring the Swedes 53-9. But anything goes in this barnburner. The Haymakers should be favored again in three weeks.

4. Omaha Central at Creighton Prep (Omaha), Sept. 11
These two schools combined have made 55 playoff appearances, and this season their battle will go a long way in deciding the district title. Central and Creighton Prep each opened the season with wins and my gut says both will sport 2-0 marks heading into their bout.

5. McCook at Aurora, Sept. 26
After falling to Aurora 22-7 in the season opener a year ago, McCook flipped the outcome on the Huskies in the Class B quarterfinals, 24-15. It's been a while since either team has won a title, but both are annual invitees into postseason play. McCook has made the playoffs 14 straight years, while Aurora has qualified in each of the last 10 state football playoffs.

6. Scotus (Columbus) at Aquinas (David City), Sept. 5
Only 24 miles separates these two Class C powers that have been whipping up one of the classic rivalries in the state. The Class C1 Shamrocks haven't upended their C2 counterparts from Aquinas since a 28-0 win in 2008 to open the season.

7. Omaha Westside at Grand Island, Sept. 26
Both of these clubs made deep runs in the Class A playoffs a year ago, and both lost quite a bit of talent. This is a key battle for both schools. The Islanders are probably the favorite at this time with the return of signal caller Pierce Almond. Grand Island outlasted Kearney 35-28 opening week, while Westside fell to Bellevue West, 41-0.

8. Syracuse at Ashland-Greenwood, September 5
Bishop Neumann squeaked out a 30-29 season opening win over the Rockets, making Syracuse's tussle with Ashland-Greenwood an almost must-win contest. Rocket two-way lineman Matthew Clark could be a difference-maker in this game. The Blue Jays return 11 starters after finishing as the 2013 Class C-2 state runners-up. Syracuse returns five regulars on each side of the ball from a team that bowed out of the 2013 playoffs following a 25-21 second round loss to Columbus Lakeview.

9. St. Patrick's (North Platte) at Hershey, Sept. 26
Both of these schools made the playoffs a year ago and both return all kinds of talent and experience. Hershey has made it to the playoffs the last two seasons and returns 13 regulars from a year ago. Fifteen starters return for North Platte St. Patricks' after the Irish made it to the quarterfinals or deeper for the fourth straight season a year ago.

10. Kearney Catholic at Cozad, Sept. 19
Kearney Catholic may have finished the 2013 season with a 7-3 mark, but it did give defending C-1 champion Cozad (13-0) the scare of its season before falling, 27-20. The Stars hope to take another step after falling short to the Haymakers.

Honorable Mention

September 5 – St. Cecilia (Hastings) at Hershey, Benson (Omaha) at Pius X (Lincoln), Millard West (Omaha) at Millard North (Omaha), Blue Hill at BDS, Bellevue West at Papillion-LaVista South (Papillion), Oakland-Craig (Oakland) at Battle Creek.

September 12 – David City Aquinas at Lutheran-Northeast (Norfolk) (Sept. 13), Norfolk Catholic at Bishop Neumann (Wahoo).

September 19 – Lincoln Southwest @ Millard North, Sidney at McCook, Blue Hill at Heartland (Henderson).

September 26 – Doniphan-Trumbull at Hastings St. Cecilia, Ogallala at Chadron.