The Top 10 most improved football teams in Nebraska

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As each season unfolds, several football teams make an adjustment or two, or return a ton of talent, and make large strides in the won-loss column. An upgrade in wins leads to a certain climb in the polls as well.

Using MaxPreps Nebraska High School Football Computer Rankings, presented by the Army National Guard, we tracked each Cornhusker State football program's ranking this season versus its ranking from a year ago to see which 10 programs have improved the most since last fall.

Centennial and Columbus get the nod as Nebraska's Most Improved Football Programs with a 79 rung climb each in MaxPreps' Cornhusker State football poll regardless of class. The Broncos took the top spot only because Centennial has a higher 2016 ranking, just as Concordia earns the No. 9 spot over Lincoln Lutheran in this week's Top 10.

Centennial was the only program in the Top 10 that produced a winning record (5-4) a year ago. The Discoverers are the only member to have suffered a loss in 2016 after falling to Waverly in the season-opener.

As we take a look at the Top 10 below, each member is listed with its 2016 record and the school's 2016 rank in the Class in which it competes. The next line(s) includes each school's results to date and the school's ranking in the entire state.


1. Centennial (Utica), 3-0, 5th in Class C2
With wins over Central City (38-22), Yutan (14-12) and Palmyra (53-20), the Broncos improve 79 spots to 33rd.

2. Columbus, 2-1, 15th in Class B
Following a season-opening loss to Waverly (17-14), the Discoverers have knocked off Bennington (52-49) and Grand Island Northwest (18-0) to improve 79 spots to 50th.

3. Douglas County West (Valley), 3-0, 18th in Class C1
With wins over Auburn (13-6), David City (46-17) and Raymond Central (34-12) the Falcon improve 71 spots to 71st.

4. Hershey, 3-0, 6th in Class C2
With wins over Gibbon (13-6), Southern Valley (38-8) and Doniphan-Trumbull (28-14) the Panthers improve 63 spots to 38th.

5. Lincoln Southeast, 3-0, 8th in Class A
With wins over Lincoln Northeast (48-21), Lincoln Southwest (41-24) and Lincoln East (17-14) the Knights improve 60 spots to 35th.

6. Arlington, 3-0, 9th in Class C1
With wins over West Point-Beemer (41-0), Madison (62-8) and Wayne (34-0) the Eagles improve 55 spots to 27th.

7. Valentine, 3-0, 8th in Class C2
With wins over Gordon-Rushville (19-0), Arcadia-Loup City (38-31, 2OT) and St. Paul (23-16) the Badgers improve 54 spots to 44th.

8. Omaha Burke, 3-0, 5th in Class A
With wins over Omaha Central (38-0), Omaha Creighton Prep (38-37) and Norfolk (38-21) the Bulldogs improve 52 spots to 24th.

9. Omaha Concordia, 3-0, 27th in Class C1
With wins over Lincoln Christian (28-26), Conestoga (49-0) and Auburn (48-25) the Mustangs improve 48 spots to 90th.

10. Lincoln Lutheran, 3-0, 22nd in Class C2
With wins over Humboldt-Table Rock-Steinauer (40-6), Johnson County Central (35-0) and Lincoln Christian (28-14) the Warriors improve 48 spots to 102nd.