Trent Kisker and Drew Scott scored third- and fourth-quarter touchdowns, respectively, allowing Hitchcock County to rebound in the second half for a 22-12 win over Howells-Dodge in the Class D2 state football championship last fall.
The second-half comeback powered the Falcons to Hitchcock County's first state football championship and allowed Randall Rath's club to garner a high enough MaxPreps power ranking to climb ahead of Johnson-Brock as the Cornhusker State's top 8-man or 6-man football team over the past decade.
Trailing 12-8 at intermission, the Falcons began their rally early in the second half when Kisker reeled in a Keynan Gaston aerial and scored from 45 yards out. Scott, however, waited until 58-seconds remained in the contest before putting the Falcons up for the first time in the second half and sealing the win on his 14th carry.
Although the champions were limited to 187 yards of total offense, Rath's Falcons treated the defending state champion Jaguars to a second half shutout and held Mike Speirs' club to just 245 yards of offense.
Not only is last year's Hitchcock County squad the best small school team in Nebraska over the past decade, the championship win of a year ago allows Kisker and Scott and company to proclaim themselves as the best Cornhusker State Eight-Man club since 2004 when MaxPreps started ranking football teams in Nebraska.
With their 2022 power ranking of 90.0, the Falcons are the only Nebraska school to score higher than the 80s.
Johnson-Brock's (88.0) 2018 Class D2 state champions are considered the runner-up in this week's Top 10 while Humphrey St. Francis' 2019 edition claimed the Class D2 state championship and is nestled into the No. 3 spot this week with an 87.1 power ranking.
Creighton's 2018 Class D1 state champions posted an 85.9 and sits fourth this week with Howells-Dodge (2021) and Howells-Dodge (2022) taking up the next two spots to round out the Top 6.
Humphrey St. Francis leads the way this week after landing its 2018 and 2019 football teams in the Top 10 and placing the 2015 Flyer edition in the Top 15. Howells-Dodge and Bruning-Davenport/Shickley placed two clubs each in the Top 15 while eight other schools snuck in one representative apiece.
Nebraska's Top 10 8/6-man football teams since 2013
1. Hitchcock County (Trenton) (2022)
Head Coach: Randall Rath
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 90.0
Scoring Differential: 604-64
Rankings: Class D2 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (5th)
2022 Falcon Greats: Keynan Gaston, Trent Kisker, Keegan Shuler, Kolyn Gaston, Drew Scott, Mason Schilke, Tanner O'Brien.
2. Johnson-Brock (Johnson) (2018)
Head Coach: Mitch Roberts
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 88.0
Scoring Differential: 856-215
Rankings: Class D2 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (6th)
2018 Eagle Greats: Ty Hahn, Kaden Glynn, Cole Fossenbarger, Seth Moerer, Dylan Rowe, Shane Westhart.
3. St. Francis (Humphrey) (2019) Head Coach: Eric Kessler
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 87.1
Scoring Differential: 780-124
Rankings: Class D2 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (8th)
2019 Flyer Greats: Dylan Wemhoff, Kolbe Classen, Trevor Pfeifer, Taylor Wemhoff, Evan Foltz, Landon Kush.
4. Creighton (2018) Head Coach: Zac Kliment
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 85.9
Scoring Differential: 797-287
Rankings: Class D1 (1st), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (10th)
2018 Bulldog Greats: Brayden Zimmerer, Bryce Zimmerer, Travis Tyler.
5. Howells-Dodge (Howells) (2021) Head Coach: Mike Speirs
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 85.1
Scoring Differential: 626-197
Rankings: Class D1 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (15th)
2021 Jaguar Greats: Levi Belina, Rj Bayer, Aandy Dominguez, Jestin Bayer, Lance Brester, Gavin Nelson, Blake Sindelar.
6. Howells-Dodge (2022)Head Coach: Mike Speirs
Overall Record: 12-1
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 82.8
Scoring Differential: 614-142
Rankings: Class D2 (2nd), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (11th)
2022 Jaguar Greats: Cole Grovijohn, Lance Brester, Aandy Dominguez, Jestin Bayer, Colton Klosen, Connor Kreikemeier.
7. Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (Bruning) (2017) Head Coach: Christopher Ardissono
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 81.0
Scoring Differential: 668-202
Rankings: Class D2 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (16th)
2017 Eagle Greats: Garrett Schardt, John Christensen, Karson Dickson, Holden Stengel, Caden Norder, Thomas Mick.
8. Humphrey St. Francis (2018)Head Coach: Eric Kessler
Overall Record: 11-1
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 76.1
Scoring Differential: 629-242
Rankings: Class D2 (2nd), Nebraska (3rd), Nationally (18th)
2018 Flyer Greats: Dylan Wemhoff, Jarrett Weidner, Trevor Pfeifer.
9. Cross County (Stromsburg) (2021)Head Coach: Hayden DeLano
Overall Record: 11-2
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 75.0
Scoring Differential: 724-282
Rankings: Class D1 (2nd), Nebraska (2nd), Nationally (26th)
2021 Cougar Greats: Damon Mickey, Alex Noyd, Carter Seim, Cory Hollinger, Shayden Lundstrom, Haiden Hild, Colby Bolton.
10. Hemingford (2014)Head Coach: Jordan Haas
Overall Record: 13-0
MaxPreps Power Ranking: 74.3
Scoring Differential: 804-167
Rankings: Class D1 (1st), Nebraska (1st), Nationally (13th)
2017 Eagle Greats: Tanner Benge, Ethan Skinner, Mathew Davis, Colt Foster, Matt Wood, Brady Turek, Denton Payne, Jameson Wood.
The next five: Humphrey St. Francis (2015),
Dundy County-Stratton (Benkelman) (2020),
Sacred Heart (Falls City) (2019),
East Butler (Brainard) (2017), Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (2015).
