Video: 305-pounds of beast mode
See Spencer Quinn of Wayne (NY), a 305-pound defensive lineman, make the
tackle, strip the ball find the end zone.
Some Nebraska high school football teams have taken to heart the cliché: "To be the best, you've got to beat the best." And while some programs have met that theory with plenty of success, many have not.
As we dove into our 11-Man and 6-Man/8-Man Nebraska high school football computer rankings and sifted through our strength of schedule data, we discovered that some of the Cornhusker State's premier football programs play schedules that match their level of play.
Class B third-ranked Omaha Skutt Catholic has easily played the top 11-Man schedule to this point in the season and the Skyhawks have put together a 5-2 record in the process. Top-ranked Elkhorn South and second-ranked Gretna are the only Skutt Catholic opponents to get the better of them.
The Skyhawks, whose opponents have produced a 32-17 record, have reeled off back-to-back wins since dropping a 24-7 decision on Sept. 22 to Gretna to fall to 3-2.
The Storm also found a spot in this week's Top 10, while at the same time bullying its opposition. Elkhorn South (7-0) claimed the No. 8 spot. Pierce has gone 4-3 against the state's second toughest 11-Man schedule and defending Class C1 state champion O'Neill (2-5) is in the midst of tackling the third roughest slate.
In the 6-Man and 8-Man ranks, Ainsworth stands 3-3 on the season while facing the small school classification's healthiest schedule. Nebraska Christian and Brainard East Butler stake a claim to the second and third strongest schedules, respectively, while Giltner and Burwell round out the Top 5 of Nebraska's sturdiest small school slates.
In terms of opponent's winning percentages, David City is competing against the top slate among our 11-Man Top 10s, while Nebraska Christian holds down the same honor in the 6-Man/8-Man ranks. Only Classes B and C1, in our 11-Man Top 10, and Classes D1 and D2 in the 6-Man/8-Man ranks are represented in this week's Top 10s.
Class A's Papillion-LaVista South has gone head-to-head with 11-Man's 14th best schedule, while Class C2 Battle Creek has tackled the 15th roughest schedule in the big school ranks, to date. In 6-Man, Wausa is in the midst of battling the Cornhusker State's 20th best small school football schedule.
Check out our Top 10 Nebraska football programs that own the toughest schedules in both 11-Man and 6-Man/8-Man football. We have listed the school, (school's record through last weekend), opponent's combined record and MaxPreps' strength of schedule rating.
Nebraska's Top 10 toughest 11-Man football schedules
1.
Skutt Catholic (Omaha), 32-17, 31.6
2.
Pierce (4-3), 31-18, 29.5
3.
O'Neill (2-5), 32-17, 27.6
4.
Crete (1-6), 29-20, 27.0
5.
Elkhorn (4-3), 28-21, 27.0
6.
Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion) (5-2), 31-18, 26.2
7.
Gering (1-6), 33-16, 23.6
8.
Elkhorn South (Omaha) (7-0), 27-22, 23.4
9.
Scotus (Columbus) (2-5), 29-20, 23.2
10.
David City (0-7), 36-13, 23.0
Nebraska's Top 10 toughest 6-Man/8-Man football schedules
1.
Ainsworth (3-3), 23-14, 36.7
2.
Nebraska Christian (Central City) (2-5), 31-12, 36.0
3.
East Butler (Brainard) (4-2), 26-13, 35.7
4.
Giltner (3-3), 26-12, 34.5
5.
Burwell (4-2), 20-18, 33.0
6.
Osceola (3-4), 30-13, 31.5
7.
West Holt (Atkinson) (5-1), 18-18, 31.3
8.
Palmer (5-2), 21-22, 30.3
9.
North Central (Bassett) (4-2), 21-17, 29.4
10.
Wynot (4-2), 22-14, 29.2
