Nebraska's top October high school football games

A major upset last weekend may have raised questions as to whether defending Class B champion Omaha Skutt Catholic is still the favorite to repeat, but it didn't change the SkyHawks' ability to get the job done. Skutt faces off with undefeated Gretna next weekend for an opportunity to get its mojo back.

In other action, Norfolk Catholic squares off with Mid-State Conference rival Boone Central/Newman Grove to determine which squad will carry momentum and a district title into the postseason. The 8-man ranks also have a huge battle coming up in a week when defending D-2 champion Falls City Sacred Heart travels to Exeter-Milligan to tackle the 2013 D-1 champion. That game may determine which of these powers is the top 8-man football team in 2014.

But these aren't the only terrific battles going on in October. Below is a full slate of contests, ranked from 1 to 10, according to their importance and entertainment value.


1. Class B No. 1 Skutt Catholic (Omaha) (4-1) at Class B No. 6 Gretna (5-0) – Oct. 10
Following losses to MaxPreps' No. 2 Elkhorn (24-14), No. 6 Gretna (23-21) and No. 9 Seward (38-17), Blair bounced Platteview 40-0. Then they did the unthinkable last weekend by blasting No. 1 and defending Class B champion Omaha Skutt Catholic 45-28. Gretna, meanwhile, has reeled off five straight wins by a combined 205-91 count collectively. A week from Friday these two juggernauts face off. Did Blair unearth a kink in the SkyHawks' proverbial armor? Stay tuned. Better yet, load up the car and head to Gretna on Oct. 10.

2. Class C-1 No. 3 Norfolk Catholic (5-0) at Class C-1 No. 1 Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion) (5-0) – Oct. 23
Boone Central-Newman Grove edged the Knights 28-22 to snap a nine-game skid to Norfolk Catholic in week three last season, and then upended their Mid-State Conference rival in the state quarterfinals, 34-16. Now it's game on. The rivalry of these two northeast Nebraska powers just keeps growing. And with both teams in the statewide limelight, each of these battles means that much more.

3. 8-man No. 6 Sacred Heart (Falls City) (3-1) at 8-man No. 2 Exeter-Milligan (Exeter) (4-0) – Oct. 10
Exeter-Milligan edged Hemingford, 20-18, for the 8-man-1 title a year ago. The Irish, meanwhile, destroyed Stuart 63-14 in the 8 man-2 title bout. Two defending champions, battling it out. Does it get any bigger than this?

4. Class A No. 3 Creighton Prep (Omaha) (4-1) at Class A No. 2 Bellevue West (4-1) – Oct. 17
Two weeks ago, Bellevue West fell to defending Class A champion Omaha North, 62-21. Last weekend, the Junior Jays lost to the Vikings, 47-14. This battle allows one of these two power programs to get a huge win over a very good football team.

5. Class B No. 2 Elkhorn (5-0) at Class B No. 3 Elkhorn South (5-0) – Oct. 10
With Blair's blasting of Omaha Skutt Catholic last weekend, only three Class B schools can boast of a clean slate to this point in the season. Gretna is one of those programs, and these crosstown rivals are the other two. The winner not only gains Elkhorn bragging rights, but the front seat to a district title as well.

6. Class A No. 1 Omaha North (5-0) at Class A No. 10 Omaha Central (4-1) – Oct. 3
Since falling to Creighton Prep in week three, the Eagles have won two in a row. Now it's time to get after the big boys again. The Eagles may be the only obstacle standing between the Vikings and an undefeated season. If you're a fan of the running game, check this battle out. Tre Sanders leads the Eagles with 876 yards on the ground on 109 carries and 12 touchdowns – and everybody knows about 3,000 yard rusher Calvin Strong of North. Strong has gained 696 yards to date, averaging 174 yards an outing, and has eight touchdowns.

7. 8-man No. 13 Howells-Dodge (3-1) at 8-man No. 1 Creighton (4-0) – Oct. 10
Creighton upended the Jaguars 48-30 in the 8-man-1 quarterfinals a year ago, delaying Howells-Dodge's hopes of getting back into the state championship winner's circle. Howells, which won nine state titles from 2000-2010, punched its ticket to the state playoffs 13 straight seasons before joining forces with former Cornhusker Conference rival Dodge, which has six state titles of its own. The Jaguars have since added two more postseason runs, bringing the total to 15 for Howells. Creighton is in the midst of a 12-season playoff run of its own, making the state championship game in 2002 and 2010. This game features two northeast Nebraska powers banging heads on the gridiron, a typical Friday under the lights in the Cornhusker State.

8. Class C-2 No. 5 Cedar Catholic (Hartington) (4-1) at Class C-2 No. 1 Battle Creek (5-0) – Oct. 3
Hartington Cedar Catholic's 7-0 season-opening loss to David City Aquinas is all that's keeping both of these powers from going into this weekend's tussle undefeated. The Trojans enter the battle ranked fifth in MaxPreps' Class C-2 power rankings, while Battle Creek carries the No. 1 tag. The Braves, who are averaging almost 303 yards on the ground, are led by Jordan Zautke's 635 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.

9. Class C-1 No. 16 Falls City (4-1) at Class C-1 No. 10 Syracuse (3-2) – Oct. 17
Syracuse went into the 2014 season with high hopes, but lost its first two games to Bishop Neumann (30-29) and Ashland-Greenwood (28-13). Now, the Rockets are in the midst of a three game winning streak, including a 42-0 trouncing of Johnson County Central last weekend. Falls City's only loss is to Ashland-Greenwood, and the Tigers serve as a larger-than-life obstacle standing between the Rockets and a district title, while entertaining district title aspirations of their own. Falls City has played its way into the postseason in each of the last two seasons, while the Rockets have played beyond the regular season at the conclusion of 12 straight campaigns.

10. Class B No. 8 Scottsbluff (4-1) at Class B No. 5 Sidney (4-1) – Oct. 10
Sidney took part in the Nebraska State Football Playoffs for the first time since 1994 a year ago, earning a win, its first in the playoffs since 1993. Now that the Red Raiders got a taste of winning in the playoffs, they are searching for more. Scottsbluff, meanwhile, carries a four-year postseason streak into this behemoth of a football game. Sidney brings in a strong ground game led by Chance Anglin's 551 yards in four games and eight touchdowns, while Ty Benson, who has 668 yards rushing on 91 carries, hopes to run Scottsbluff into the postseason. Two great teams with two great running games. What more could you ask for?

Honorable Mention Games
Oct. 2 – Norfolk at Millard West (Omaha).
Oct. 3– Diller-Odell (Odell) at Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (Bruning), Pierce at Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion), Sutton at Doniphan-Trumbull (Doniphan), St. Mary's (O'Neill) at Randolph, Guardian Angels Central Catholic (West Point) at Scribner-Snyder (Scribner).

Oct. 9 – Bellevue West at Millard North (Omaha).
Oct. 10 – Humphrey/Holy Family (Humphrey) at Clarkson/Leigh (Clarkson), Beatrice at Crete, Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (Bruning) at Friend, Kearney Catholic at Grand Island Central Catholic, Milford/Dorchester (Milford) at Raymond Central, Aurora at Seward, Chambers/Wheeler Central (Chambers) at St. Mary's.

Oct. 16 – Howells-Dodge at Fullerton.
Oct. 17 – Gretna at Elkhorn, Randolph at Stuart, St. Cecilia (Hastings) at Sutton.

Oct. 23 – Lawrence-Nelson at Giltner.
Oct. 24 – Pius X (Lincoln) at Beatrice, Papillion-LaVista South at Omaha Creighton Prep, Gretna at Elkhorn South, Elkhorn at Omaha Skutt Catholic, Aurora at York.