Class D-2
EAST BRACKET
No. 16 Southwest (3-5) at No. 1 Exeter-Milligan (8-0). Defending D-1 state champ Exeter-Milligan has found D-2 to its liking, what with wins over 7-1 Kenesaw (do the math) and 6-2 Giltner and FC Sacred Heart, both of which are state title programs.
No. 9 Wynot (6-2) at No. 8 CWC (5- 3). A 2013 semifinalist, Wynot has knocked off six straight wins and faces a CWC team that has lost to teams with a combined 22-2 record.
No. 12 Lawrence-Nelson (5-3) at No. 5 Giltner (6-2). In last year's opening round Lawrence-Nelson gave Giltner a scare before losing by 12. On Friday, as in yesterday, Giltner beat the Raiders by 38.
No. 13 St. Mary's (5-3) at No. 4 Humphrey St. Francis (8-0). It's been cruise night for the Flyers, winning all but one of their games by 42 points or more. St. Mary's has lost three of its last four, all to qualifiers.
No. 14 Meridian (4-4) at No. 3 Kenesaw (7-1). All four of Meridian's losses not only have come to qualifiers, but to teams with state championship resumes (Sacred Heart, Lawrence-Nelson, Giltner, Exeter-Milligan). Kenesaw has won seven in a row since an opening loss to Exeter-Milligan, including Thursday's classic over Elwood.
No. 11 Bancroft-Rosalie (5-3) at No. 5 Randolph (6-2). In the regular season Randolph beat B-R, 66-22, as well as qualifiers Wynot, St. Mary's and CWC. Your read that right, Friday night Bancroft-Rosalie did beat Allen by the score of 106-70.
No. 10 Emerson-Hubbard (5-3) at No. 7 Falls City Sacred Heart (6-2). Sacred Heart is the defending Class D-2 state champ while Emerson-Hubbard has a win over 6-2 Randolph, its losses to qualifiers Hartington-Newcastle, Wynot and Bancroft-Rosalie.
No. 15 Osceola (5-3) at No. 2 Stuart (8-0). Stuart is the defending Class D-2 state runner-up and has piled up some impressive wins, including those over qualifiers Sandhills/Thedford, CWC, St. Mary's and Randolph. Osceola qualifies for a third straight season, thanks in large part to a season-ending win over Elkhorn Valley.
WEST BRACKET
No. 16 Southwest (3-5) at No. 1 Anselmo-Merna (8-0). Southwest gets in with a clutch 52-44 win over five-win Hitchcock County on the final night of the regular season. Anselmo-Merna has been pushed only once, by 6-2 qualifier Sandhills/Thedford, and scored 70 points or more four times.
No. 9 Potter-Dix (5-3) at No. 8 Paxton (4-4). In the regular season Paxton went to Potter and came home a 55-32 winner. BTW, Paxton's three Nebraska losses are to one-loss Maxwell and two-loss teams Brady and Sandhills/Thedford.
No. 12 Loomis (4-4) at No. 5 Elwood (6-2). In the regular season Elwood was a 62-44 winner. Elwood's two losses are to 8-0 Anselmo-Merna, 7-1 Kenesaw. Loomis's has beaten qualifiers Hitchcock County and Southwest.
No. 13 Hitchcock County (5-3) at No. 4 Sandhills/Thedford (6-2). Hitchcock closed with three straight losses but does own wins over qualifier Perkins County. Sandhills/Thedford's only losses are to unbeatens Stuart and Anselmo-Merna and the Knights were competitive in both games.
Medicine Valley (3-5) at Maxwell (7-1). Weird story about Med Valley. The Raiders have been in the state quarterfinals each of the past three seasons...and opened 2014 with five straight losses, including a 78-40 loss to Maxwell. Hmm. For its part, Maxwell has beaten 6-2 Brady and suffered its only loss to unbeaten Garden County, and then by three points.
No. 11 Hay Springs (5-3) at No. 6 Bertrand (5-3). Hay Springs has won its last three in a row to qualify for the fourth time in five years. It goes to Bertrand hoping for a better outcome than in 2010, when the unbeaten Hawks lost to Bertrand 59-14.
No. 10 Overton (4-4) at No. 7 Brady (6-2). Overton's played lots of good football over the course of the season but keeps running into outstanding teams - its losses have come to unbeaten Anselmo-Merna, 7-1 Kenesaw and 6-2s Giltner and Sandhills/Thedford. Brady's in the same boat - its losses are to A-M and 7-1 Maxwell.
No. 15 Mullen (3-5) at No. 2 Garden County (8-0). In the regular season Garden County was a 48-40 winner over Mullen, and also has wins against qualifiers Maxwell, Hay Springs and Potter-Dix. Mullen's five losses are all to qualifiers
EAST BRACKET
No. 16 Southwest (3-5) at No. 1 Exeter-Milligan (8-0). Defending D-1 state champ Exeter-Milligan has found D-2 to its liking, what with wins over 7-1 Kenesaw (do the math) and 6-2 Giltner and FC Sacred Heart, both of which are state title programs.
No. 9 Wynot (6-2) at No. 8 CWC (5- 3). A 2013 semifinalist, Wynot has knocked off six straight wins and faces a CWC team that has lost to teams with a combined 22-2 record.
No. 12 Lawrence-Nelson (5-3) at No. 5 Giltner (6-2). In last year's opening round Lawrence-Nelson gave Giltner a scare before losing by 12. On Friday, as in yesterday, Giltner beat the Raiders by 38.
No. 13 St. Mary's (5-3) at No. 4 Humphrey St. Francis (8-0). It's been cruise night for the Flyers, winning all but one of their games by 42 points or more. St. Mary's has lost three of its last four, all to qualifiers.
No. 14 Meridian (4-4) at No. 3 Kenesaw (7-1). All four of Meridian's losses not only have come to qualifiers, but to teams with state championship resumes (Sacred Heart, Lawrence-Nelson, Giltner, Exeter-Milligan). Kenesaw has won seven in a row since an opening loss to Exeter-Milligan, including Thursday's classic over Elwood.
No. 11 Bancroft-Rosalie (5-3) at No. 5 Randolph (6-2). In the regular season Randolph beat B-R, 66-22, as well as qualifiers Wynot, St. Mary's and CWC. Your read that right, Friday night Bancroft-Rosalie did beat Allen by the score of 106-70.
No. 10 Emerson-Hubbard (5-3) at No. 7 Falls City Sacred Heart (6-2). Sacred Heart is the defending Class D-2 state champ while Emerson-Hubbard has a win over 6-2 Randolph, its losses to qualifiers Hartington-Newcastle, Wynot and Bancroft-Rosalie.
No. 15 Osceola (5-3) at No. 2 Stuart (8-0). Stuart is the defending Class D-2 state runner-up and has piled up some impressive wins, including those over qualifiers Sandhills/Thedford, CWC, St. Mary's and Randolph. Osceola qualifies for a third straight season, thanks in large part to a season-ending win over Elkhorn Valley.
WEST BRACKET
No. 16 Southwest (3-5) at No. 1 Anselmo-Merna (8-0). Southwest gets in with a clutch 52-44 win over five-win Hitchcock County on the final night of the regular season. Anselmo-Merna has been pushed only once, by 6-2 qualifier Sandhills/Thedford, and scored 70 points or more four times.
No. 9 Potter-Dix (5-3) at No. 8 Paxton (4-4). In the regular season Paxton went to Potter and came home a 55-32 winner. BTW, Paxton's three Nebraska losses are to one-loss Maxwell and two-loss teams Brady and Sandhills/Thedford.
No. 12 Loomis (4-4) at No. 5 Elwood (6-2). In the regular season Elwood was a 62-44 winner. Elwood's two losses are to 8-0 Anselmo-Merna, 7-1 Kenesaw. Loomis's has beaten qualifiers Hitchcock County and Southwest.
No. 13 Hitchcock County (5-3) at No. 4 Sandhills/Thedford (6-2). Hitchcock closed with three straight losses but does own wins over qualifier Perkins County. Sandhills/Thedford's only losses are to unbeatens Stuart and Anselmo-Merna and the Knights were competitive in both games.
Medicine Valley (3-5) at Maxwell (7-1). Weird story about Med Valley. The Raiders have been in the state quarterfinals each of the past three seasons...and opened 2014 with five straight losses, including a 78-40 loss to Maxwell. Hmm. For its part, Maxwell has beaten 6-2 Brady and suffered its only loss to unbeaten Garden County, and then by three points.
No. 11 Hay Springs (5-3) at No. 6 Bertrand (5-3). Hay Springs has won its last three in a row to qualify for the fourth time in five years. It goes to Bertrand hoping for a better outcome than in 2010, when the unbeaten Hawks lost to Bertrand 59-14.
No. 10 Overton (4-4) at No. 7 Brady (6-2). Overton's played lots of good football over the course of the season but keeps running into outstanding teams - its losses have come to unbeaten Anselmo-Merna, 7-1 Kenesaw and 6-2s Giltner and Sandhills/Thedford. Brady's in the same boat - its losses are to A-M and 7-1 Maxwell.
No. 15 Mullen (3-5) at No. 2 Garden County (8-0). In the regular season Garden County was a 48-40 winner over Mullen, and also has wins against qualifiers Maxwell, Hay Springs and Potter-Dix. Mullen's five losses are all to qualifiers
