Nebraska's Top 10 high school football games for August/September 2015

Video: Jake Bos' highlights vs. Aquinas High School
See the Scotus High player in action last season against Aquinas.

Nebraska's high school football schedule features thousands of games this season. But 10 of them stand out in the months of August and September.


1. Aquinas (David City) at Scotus (Columbus) – Sept. 4
Scotus opens with defending Class C1 state champion Boone Central/Newman Grove Friday, and then hosts the C2 champion Monarchs a week later. If there is a team that can handle that workload, it would be the Shamrocks. Scotus head coach Tyler Linder returns nine starters on each side of the ball after going 9-2 a year ago and falling to Kearney Catholic 22-21 in the Class C1 quarterfinals.

2. Omaha North at Millard West (Omaha) – Thursday
This one has everything going for it. Omaha North is the two-time defending Class A state champion and has played in the last three state title games. Millard West has been to the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons (18 of the last 19), and won a title in 2008. Both are looking to make a statement early. Why not make that statement in August under the lights and in front of a television audience?

3. Beatrice at Skutt Catholic (Omaha) – Friday
Omaha Skutt is one of those programs that just keeps reloading and continues to win football games. But both of these clubs will have to reload this year. While Skutt was on its way to winning a second-straight Class B state title a year ago, Beatrice upended Elkhorn South in opening-round action before bowing out, 30-28, to Scottsbluff in the quarterfinals. Imagine what a win on the road in this series would do for the Orangemen.

4. St. Francis (Humphrey) at Chambers/Wheeler Central (Chambers) – Sept. 18
Nearly a year ago to the date of this year's matchup with Chambers/Wheeler Central, Humphrey St. Francis literally rallied late in the game with its back against the goal line. The Flyers, trailing 43-34 with five minutes left in the contest, faced 4th-and-22 from their own goal line. St. Francis quarterback Damien Baumgart connected with Kyle Wemhoff just beyond the first down marker, after being chased out of the pocket, to convert and retain possession. The 165-pound signal caller then found Austin Classen for scores of 17 and 29 yards to rally 50-43 at home. Baumgart and his CWC counterpart Brenden Pelster return to light up the scoreboard once again. This time St. Francis travels to Chambers. Will the hosts be gracious? Or will they remember?

5. Omaha South at Creighton Prep (Omaha) – Sept. 18
For decades, Omaha Creighton Prep played home football games at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. In the fall of 2012, the Junior Jays moved their home football games to Burke Stadium. But on Friday, Sept. 18, Creighton Prep will play football at Carmen and Don Leahy Stadium, on Creighton Prep's campus, for the first time since back in the 50s. The opponent? Longtime rival Omaha South. Head out early for the 4:30 p.m. kickoff and catch all of the festivities, and of course an outstanding football game. The Packers finished 2014 with a 1-8 mark, but return 6-foot-6 tight end Noah Fant. Creighton Prep is, well, Creighton Prep. The Junior Jays lost plenty of talent from last year's Class A runner-up squad, but they'll simply reload once again.

6. Aquinas (David City) at Cedar Catholic (Hartington) – Friday
Friday's battle will mark the first time that either one of these clubs has taken the field for a real game since Aquinas routed the Trojans 40-6 in last fall's Class C2 state championship game. Aquinas returns eight starters on offense and seven regulars on defense, while Cedar Catholic has just five starters total returning in 2015. But never underestimate motivation and a home field advantage, especially when these two gridiron giants take the field.

7. Elgin/Pope John (Elgin) at Holy Family (Lindsay) – Friday
Think back to childhood and brand new carpet in the house, getting a whiff of that new carpet smell. Now, recall all of the roughhousing that took place on that new carpet. That's kind of what is going on in Humphrey these days. When Elgin/Pope John rolls into town Friday, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family will begin a new era of playing football on a brand new turf field, and track, at the Ed Foltz Sports Complex. Will the Bulldogs be able to rough up the visitors enough to get that inaugural win? Or will the Wolfpack ruin the party? It's worth the price of admission to find out.

8. Sacred Heart (Falls City) at North Andrew (Rosendale, Mo.) – Friday
Interstate clashes are always fun, and this is a good one. A year ago, the Irish put together a 9-3 mark, but all three of those losses came at the hands of state champions. Doug Goltz's squad fell to Missouri 8-Man champion North Andrew 56-48 and lost a pair of tussles with Nebraska D2 champ Exeter-Milligan, including 28-22 in the semifinals. North Andrew remains atop of the Missouri preseason polls.

9. Scottsbluff at McCook – Sept. 11
It's not often that these two offenses explode in this annual clash, so for the most part it is a tight affair. McCook has won nine of the last 10 battles in this series, but five of the last six contests have been decided by 10 points or less - just what fans should expect from two of the great western Nebraska powers. Scottsbluff last defeated McCook 17-7 in 2012. Both of these clubs played their way into the Class B semifinals a year ago. The Bison and the Bearcats are ranked anywhere from second to eighth in the Class B preseason polls, so the winner can go ahead and throw its name into the state championship talk.

10. Creighton Prep (Omaha) at Omaha North – Sept. 25
At this point, Creighton Prep may have a slight advantage only because Junior Jay signal caller Zachary Luckey returns. Omaha North counters with Tavion Seals, along with linebacker Grant Martin and defensive lineman Jordan Strong. The Vikings and Creighton Prep are established programs and they simply reload and make postseason runs at state titles. The winner of this rematch of last season's Class A state title game will grab some serious momentum heading into October. But, then again, would anybody be surprised if both of these clubs find themselves on the opposite sides of the line of scrimmage come November in the Class A state title game?