The Gretna Dragons will head out to challenge the Norris Titans at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Gretna has given up an average of 28.1 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.
Gretna is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Nebraska's top teams: Gretna East, who was ranked eighth at the time (Gretna was ranked 21st). The Dragons fell 35-28 to the Griffins on Friday. While the Dragons had to settle for second, they closed the game well in the third quarter, where they outscored the Griffins 14-7.
Bryce Lakers
| 10/24/25 @ Gretna East | 152 |
| 10/17/25 vs Ralston | 123 |
| 10/10/25 @ Platteview | 154 |
| 10/03/25 vs Plattsmouth | 43 |
| 09/26/25 vs Bennington | 36 |
| + 4 more games |
Loss or not, Gretna got some senior leadership from Michael Knudsen and Bryce Lakers. Knudsen threw for 333 yards and three TDs, while Lakers picked up 152 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns. With that strong performance, Lakers is now averaging an impressive 102.4 receiving yards per game.
Meanwhile, Norris got the win against Elkhorn on Friday by a conclusive 42-19. The Titans might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won seven matchups by 23 points or more this season.
Gretna better keep an eye on Markus Nelson. He was instrumental in Norris' win, rushing for 168 yards and four scores while picking up 9.9 yards per carry. What's more, he's the contest marked his third straight with at least 132. Evan Greenfield helped out on the ground, rushing for 81 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Norris was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 311 rushing yards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Elkhorn only rushed for 134.
Norris didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Kyson Gana and Chris Garner Jr..
Norris' record now sits at 8-1. As for Gretna, their defeat was their first in the district, dropping their district record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 5-4.
The upcoming game will be a clash of competing strengths. Gretna has relied on air attacks this season and has averaged 277 passing yards per game. Norris, on the other hand, has relied on a stout run game: they average 241.2 rushing yards per game. So which strategy will prevail on Friday? There's only one way to find out.
Gretna lost to Norris on the road by a decisive 52-35 margin in their previous meeting back in September. Can the Dragons avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
