Video: Highlight vs. South Sioux City
See clips of Omaha Central against South Sioux City.The surest way for any prep football team to extend its gridiron season beyond the regular 10 games is to win its district title. And while several Nebraska programs have already done so, there is still plenty of work left for some.
Of the 48 district championships that will be handed out by the Nebraska School Activities Association following this weekend's action, 25 district titles have yet to be determined. Of those remaining question marks, 24 football teams can claim their district championships simply by winning this weekend.
Only Class C1 District 4 favorite Columbus Scotus will have to rely on certain outcomes in order to earn the automatic postseason bid that comes with winning its district championship.
The Shamrocks, ranked No. 2 in MaxPreps' latest Class C1 Computer Rankings, will have to win their battle with crosstown rival Columbus Lakeview and then have both Bishop Neumann and Wahoo win their weekend games in order to throw the district standings into a three-way tie. Scotus would then hold the tiebreaker, which is the highest wildcard point average of the three district leaders.
Wahoo, however, upended Scotus 31-27 on Oct. 9, gaining the head-to-head edge over the Shamrocks in the case of a two-way tie. Therefore, should Bishop Neumann fall to David City Friday, a Warrior loss to North Bend would be required for Scotus to reign supreme in District 4.
But first things first, Tyler Linder's Shamrocks will have to get by the Vikings for either one of these scenarios to work in his favor.
While securing the goal of winning a district and a state championships is always the No. 1 goal for any coach and his football team, winning the hardware unbeaten makes an already special season a little more memorable.
In all, 23 Cornhusker State football teams head into Thursday and Friday's action with unblemished records. However, since four games this weekend feature two unbeaten teams each, only 19 football teams can survive Week 9 sporting perfect marks.
Below we take a look at this weekend's Top 10 most challenging football games for football teams clinging to unbeaten seasons.
1. Omaha Central (8-0) at Bellevue West (8-0)A year ago, both of these programs bowed out of the playoffs much earlier than anticipated. Now they're playing for a district championship and the seeding that comes with it. Either one or both of these squads may end up making a deep run in 2015. The Eagles have given up just shy of 10 points an outing in 2015, while the Thunderbirds are putting up more than 56 points per game.
Jadyn Kowalski (1,970 passing Yards) and
Jaylin Bradley (1,162 rushing yards) lead a potent Bellevue West offense, while
Corbin Foster (29 passes defended) is a leader on the Eagle defense. Between them these two teams logged eight losses a year ago.
2. York (8-0) at Aurora (8-0)Both of these football teams lost in close
Class B first-round playoff games a year ago and went a combined 12-8,
with the Huskies finishing 2014 with a 5-5 mark leaving both squads
plenty hungry for a deep run. Two spotless records. Need we say more?
3. Amherst (7-0) at Burwell (7-0)There is emotion abound in
this one, as both teams have their sights set on staying perfect in the
won-loss column and making a solid postseason run. Amherst hasn't
exactly played a top-notch schedule, but then again, has dominated
the scoreboard, outscoring the opposition 396-63 through seven games.
Burwell is averaging right at 45 points a game itself. Fans of offense will love this one.
4. Lourdes Central Catholic (Nebraska City) (7-0) at East Butler (Brainard) (7-0)After
struggling to a 4-5 mark a year ago, Lourdes Central Catholic is back.
Kyle Francois' legs have been a key component to the Knights' turnaround
after he rushed for 1,290 yards and 26 scores on 136 carries. East
Butler, meanwhile, just wants to keep on playing football.
5. Boone Central/Newman Grove (Albion) (7-1) at Norfolk Catholic (8-0)The Cardinals upended Norfolk Catholic 32-16 in this contest a year ago and then went on to win the C1 title with a perfect 13-0 record after pummeling Ashland-Greenwood 54-14 in the state title game. The Knights are thinking it's their turn this season. The Cardinals have quietly won seven straight since falling 31-14 to Scotus Aug. 28. This is one of the great rivalry games in northeast Nebraska.
6. Plattsmouth (8-0) at Waverly (5-3)The Blue Devils have plenty of weapons as they attempt to avoid getting upset. The Vikings, on the other hand, would like nothing more than to head into the postseason with a major win.
Dawson Siemonsma will try to get the ball into the hands of Blue Devil playmakers
Gage Orton (1,207 rushing yards) and
Noah Sabatka (19 catches, 255 yards).
Dillon Ruelas, on the other hand, will try to take over the game with his arm, having thrown for 1,852 yards and 22 scores. Combined, these two clubs were 9-10 last fall. What a difference a year makes.
7. Elkhorn South (8-0) at Gretna (6-2)After upending two-time defending Class B champion Omaha Skutt a week ago, the Storm are hoping to avoid a letdown. Sophomore
Moses Bryant hopes to do his part. He has rushed for 920 yards and 15 scores in 2015. Gretna counters with
Emmitt Knight, who ran for 1,168 yards and 17 scores in eight games.
8. Wilber-Clatonia (Wilber) (8-0) at Milford/Dorchester (Milford) (6-2)Defense is the name of the game for the Wolverines, who haven't allowed an opponent to score more than 12 points in a single game. In fact, Wilber-Clatonia, which is in the midst of a 19-game regular season win streak, is allowing just seven points a game. Milford/Dorchester has been averaging more than 45 points a game for Marty Hingst during its four-game winning streak.
9. Crawford (6-1) at Garden County (Oshkosh) (7-0)The Rams may have slipped to 3-5 a year ago, but what matters to them now is that they have made a big improvement in their won-loss record. Garden County's momentum is on the upswing as well after the Eagles have conquered 17 straight regular-season foes.
10. Boys Town (8-0) at Arlington (4-4)Don't let Arlington's record fool you. The Eagles may only be 4-4 this season, but they have reeled off three straight wins, and have won four of their last five contests. Boys Town has scored at will this season, tallying 408 offensive points.
Below are the football teams that, according to the Lincoln Journal Star, have already clinched their district championships and are headed into the postseason regardless of how their final regular season games turn out.
Class A – Millard North (Omaha) (District 1),
Millard West (Omaha) (District 2),
Grand Island (District 4).
Class C1 – Syracuse (District 2).
Class C2 – Elmwood-Murdock (Murdock) (District 2),
Oakland-Craig (Oakland) (District 4),
Battle Creek (District 5),
St. Cecilia (Hastings) (District 7),
St. Patrick's (North Platte) (District 8).
Class D1 – Guardian Angels Central Catholic (West Point) (District 2),
Creighton (District 3),
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (Bruning) (District 4),
High Plains (Polk) (District 5),
Clarkson/Leigh (Clarkson) (District 6),
Neligh-Oakdale (Neligh) (District 7),
Perkins County (Grant) (District 10).
Class D2 – Sacred Heart (Falls City) (District 2),
Exeter-Milligan (District 3),
St. Francis (Humphrey) (District 4),
Chambers/Wheeler Central (Chambers) (District 5),
Sandhills/Thedford (Dunning) (District 6),
Kenesaw (District 7),
Eustis-Farnam (Eustis) (District 8).
