Football Class A: Lincoln North Star 93 Omaha Benson 0
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According to this article, "Within the first five minutes of play, the Navigators were up 21-0 after a punt return, a pick six and a fumble recovery for a touchdown."
Still looking for the rest.
Lincoln North Star stomps the Benson Bunnies in record-setting game
Within the first five minutes of play, the Navigators were up 21-0 after a punt return, a pick six and a fumble recovery for a touchdown.
www.klkntv.com
Football I can understand some of these scores/scenarios. But across some other sports (boys and girls) there are some really bad Class A OPS programs. Take girls basketball for example. Last year Benson had only five girls on the team.......in a school of 1200+ students, it's just unfathomable to me.
How about Schuyler picking up a win last night!?!.....been a while for the Warriors
I wonder how long it has been since Schuyler had a winning record at any point during the year. 1-0 right now. I know they had some really good teams in the early-mid 2000s.
There is going to be a lot of crooked scores across the state this season. Some of its lack of numbers/or experience, some of it’s going to be coaching, alot of it’s just going to be kids giving up/not giving efforts.
The NSAA did a good job reworking lots of schools schedules, especially in Class A during the last cycle. However, when you play a 9 game schedule they just can't hide you every week. Still about 10-12 teams at the bottom of Class A who have no business of ever being on he field with the top 8-10 teams in Class A. It really is a 50-60 point gap easy even with running clock. OPS just can't field competitive teams at all these high schools. They have to address it. Its a safety issue first, not to mention a terrible experience for the kids playing at those schools.
There have always been weak schools and strong schools in athletics, but do you guys perceive that we are in an era of more haves and have-nots and a much bigger gulf between then. I am really honestly asking. I am 55 years old and have been watching high school athletics pretty closely since 1980 and my answer is "yes". But, I know I am an old man and recognize that sometimes old men have perspective problems. Is this a bigger problem now or just more of the same?
I'd love to keep this separate from the paraochial/public maelstrom because that's been discussed many times. Do you think there is a widening gulf between top and bottom beyond that issue?
I'd love to keep this separate from the paraochial/public maelstrom because that's been discussed many times. Do you think there is a widening gulf between top and bottom beyond that issue?
I'd agree with this. It seems like the bad teams are really bad and there are more of them. I'd guess these schools deal with participation issues and year in and year out and can't kid the kids out. I also think there has been more XC teams in our smaller (D) schools added which honestly cuts into the number of available kids for the football teams. Teams with strong tradition and culture get by ok.
Pospisil: What's next for Omaha Benson after an unprecedented blowout loss
At the end of last season, Omaha Benson was trending upward. But when the Bunnies’ coach, 1979 graduate Terrence Mackey, became Omaha Central’s coach, 17 players went with him, leading
Stu has a story. He seems to imply that the Benson administration will meet tomorrow to consider whether or not to continue the season.
I did some checking on the NSAA wildcard archive and found that Schuyler had an 8-1 regular season in the fall of 2008. They lost to McCook in the quarterfinals that year.
I feel like I've watched roughly twenty 8-man games that could've finished with a similar final score. But many of the coaches on the superior team really worked hard to refrain from running it up that way.
Its my guess that Benson probably has some low Varsity numbers, and was worn down even trying to stop the 3rd or 4th teams from North Star.
Its my guess that Benson probably has some low Varsity numbers, and was worn down even trying to stop the 3rd or 4th teams from North Star.
I know this doesn't solve the Benson participation issue, I'd like to see Class A be capped at 24 teams. I know Elk South has less students than Benson, but move them to the 24th spot and have Benson, Fremont, Beast, Norfolk, Cbus, NP and South Sioux drop down to Class B.
24 OMAHA BENSON 593
25 ELKHORN SOUTH 552
26 FREMONT 548
27 BELLEVUE EAST 544
28 NORFOLK 509
29 COLUMBUS 472
30 NORTH PLATTE 469
31 SOUTH SIOUX CITY 438
24 OMAHA BENSON 593
25 ELKHORN SOUTH 552
26 FREMONT 548
27 BELLEVUE EAST 544
28 NORFOLK 509
29 COLUMBUS 472
30 NORTH PLATTE 469
31 SOUTH SIOUX CITY 438
Agree, this is why demographics should be considered in classifications.
They should consolidate. Amirite, @northeastNebraska ? 😁
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I'm not sure that's fair for the actual Class B schools. Why should Benson get a chance to make a run in Class B over a much smaller schools like Crete or York? (I haven't looked, but I'm assuming Crete & York are much smaller than Benson).
You're right, though. Something different needs to be done. Maybe have those schools you listed play in a different class like "Class A2"?
Back in the 90s there were a handful of schools that had too large of an enrollment to be eligible for the 8-man state playoffs. Rather than bumping up to play 11-man, they instead stayed 8-man and had their own playoffs called the "Gridiron".
I doubt Benson would even win a game in Class B.
Agreed. What I would like to see for football is...
Class A: 24 teams
Class B: 32 teams
Class C: 60 teams
Class B:
| OMAHA BENSON | 592 |
| FREMONT | 548 |
| BELLEVUE EAST | 544 |
| NORFOLK | 509 |
| COLUMBUS | 472 |
| NORTH PLATTE | 469 |
| SOUTH SIOUX CITY | 438 |
| HASTINGS | 438 |
| LINCOLN PIUS X | 423 |
| RALSTON | 395 |
| SCOTTSBLUFF | 382 |
| BENNINGTON | 367 |
| LEXINGTON | 367 |
| ELKHORN NORTH | 356 |
| OMAHA BUENA VISTA | 325 |
| OMAHA WESTVIEW | 325 |
| GRETNA EAST | 300 |
| NORRIS | 291 |
| WAVERLY | 289 |
| OMAHA SKUTT | 281 |
| CRETE | 277 |
| BLAIR | 263 |
| NORTHWEST | 254 |
| BEATRICE | 250 |
| LINCOLN NORTHWEST | 250 |
| LINCOLN STANDING BEAR | 250 |
| GERING | 239 |
| SCHUYLER | 237 |
| SEWARD | 201 |
| MT. MICHAEL | 191 |
| NEBRASKA CITY | 186 |
| PLATTSMOUTH | 184 |
They had a team that year! Had Kyle Emanuel who played at NDSU and in the NFL. They had a stud FB and QB too. QB may have been the Papa kid that played at UNK, but I believe he was a DB in college.
I agree. These schools don't have enrollment issues they have participation issues. Get them together to field some numbers.
The only way to make things "fair" is to use a promotion and relegation system similar to European soccer. I know there is a state (Kentucky, maybe) that uses a similar system taking a 3 year average and if a team isn't winning in a class for 3 years, they bump them down and if their 3 year average is winning a bunch of games, they promote them up a class. Eliminates the parochial/private conversation and gives schools that are constantly losing programs a chance to win.
I don't hate this idea. Be tricky with the 2 year scheduling cycle but probably doable.
I could entertain the idea of losing teams coming down, just not sure I like having winning programs move up. Depends on the situation, but expecting Howells-Dodge, Humphrey St. Francis, Bloomfield, Mullen, etc. to play 11 man with their enrollment isn't ideal.
They would only have to do it for a year or so....then they would come back down if they weren't winning.
I don't think you could force teams to move up to 11 man, but all the teams you mentioned are in D2. If a D1 football team is on exemption after winning 8-10 games a year, it might not be a bad idea to have them play up in the class they belong though. In basketball it seems feasible to go to C2 from D1.
Mike, you make a good point here. The idea isn't to come up with the single exception and shoot down a solution.
Use it where it will work, and go on with the exceptions.
Basketball is a totally different discussion. Teams could move up a lot easier in hoops versus football.
I agree with you on this completely. My point was that the teams you pointed out could all move up to D1.
You say that you agree, but then you say you would like to see Benson, Fremont, Bell East, etc in Class B.
Basically the opposite of what I said & that you said you agreed with.
Sorry I meant to agree with your final point of having a different class or pushing down the bottom of Class A.
Here is what I got using a 3 Year Average and using an 80% threshold for moving up and 20% threshold for moving down. I understand the debate on forcing D1 schools to move up to 11 man. It's a tough task and this is definitely not a complete proposal. Lots of work would need to be done. But interesting to look at the classes nonetheless.
Additionally, there are some newer co-ops that I didn't take in to account for 3 year averages and schools that have moved up and down classes in the past couple years make it difficult to project. But here ya go:
Class A (29 Teams)
Bellevue East
Bellevue West
Bennington – Promoted from Class B
Columbus
Creighton Prep
Elkhorn South
Fremont
Grand Island
Gretna
Kearney
Lincoln East
Lincoln High
Lincoln North Star
Lincoln Southeast
Lincoln Southwest
Millard North
Millard South
Millard West
Norfolk
North Platte
Omaha Benson
Omaha Burke
Omaha Central
Omaha North
Omaha South
Omaha Westside
Papillion - La Vista
Papio South
South Sioux City
Class B (32 Teams)
Ashland-Greenwood – Promoted from C1
Aurora - Promoted from C1
Beatrice
Blair
Crete
Elkhorn
Elkhorn North
Gering
Grand Island Northwest
Gretna East
Hastings – Relegated from Class A
Lexington
Lincoln Northeast – Relegated from Class A
Lincoln Northwest
Lincoln Pius X
Lincoln Standing Bear
Mt. Michael Benedictine
Nebraska City
Norris
Omaha Bryan – Relegated from Class A
Omaha Buena Vista
Omaha Northwest – Relegated from Class A
Omaha Westview
Pierce – Promoted from Class C1
Plattsmouth
Ralston
Schuyler
Scottsbluff
Seward
Skutt Catholic
Waverly
York
Class C1 (38 Teams)
Adams Central
Alliance
Archbishop Bergan – Promoted from Class C2
Auburn
Boone Central
Boys Town
Broken Bow
Central City
Chadron
Columbus Lakeview
Columbus Scotus
Cozad
DC West
Fairbury
Falls City
Fort Calhoun
Gering – Relegated from Class B
Gothenburg
Gross Catholic
Holdrege
Lincoln Christian
McCook
Minden
Mt. Michael Benedictine – Relegated from Class B
Norfolk Catholic – Promoted from Class C2
Ogallala
O'Neill
Ord – Promoted from Class C2
Platteview
Raymond Central
Roncalli Catholic
Schuyler – Relegated from Class B
Sidney
St. Paul
Syracuse
Wahoo
Wayne
West Point Beemer
Class C2 (35, Possibly 39 Teams)
Alliance – Relegated from Class C1
Amherst
Aquinas Catholic
Battle Creek
Bishop Neumann
Centennial
Centura
Chase County
David City
Doniphan-Trumbull
Fillmore Central
Gibbon
Gordon-Rushville
Grand Island CC
Hartington CC
Hastings St. Cecilia
Hershey
Kearney Catholic
Lincoln Lutheran
Logan View-Scrib Snyder
Louisville
Malcolm
Milford
Mitchell
North Bend Central
Oakland-Craig
Omaha Concordia – Relegated from Class C1
Ponca
Tekamah-Herman
Tri County
Valentine
West Holt
Wilber-Clatonia
Wood River
Yutan
Possible 8-Man Teams Promoted to 11-Man C2? Smallest C2 Enrollment is Ponca at 49.
Cross County (49)
Neligh-Oakdale (38)
North Platte St. Pats (36)
Stanton (43)
Let me know what y'all think. Are the teams that get relegated teams that are consistently bad or just going through a dry spell? Are the teams getting promoted consistently good or going through a good cycle?
Additionally, there are some newer co-ops that I didn't take in to account for 3 year averages and schools that have moved up and down classes in the past couple years make it difficult to project. But here ya go:
Class A (29 Teams)
Bellevue East
Bellevue West
Bennington – Promoted from Class B
Columbus
Creighton Prep
Elkhorn South
Fremont
Grand Island
Gretna
Kearney
Lincoln East
Lincoln High
Lincoln North Star
Lincoln Southeast
Lincoln Southwest
Millard North
Millard South
Millard West
Norfolk
North Platte
Omaha Benson
Omaha Burke
Omaha Central
Omaha North
Omaha South
Omaha Westside
Papillion - La Vista
Papio South
South Sioux City
Class B (32 Teams)
Ashland-Greenwood – Promoted from C1
Aurora - Promoted from C1
Beatrice
Blair
Crete
Elkhorn
Elkhorn North
Gering
Grand Island Northwest
Gretna East
Hastings – Relegated from Class A
Lexington
Lincoln Northeast – Relegated from Class A
Lincoln Northwest
Lincoln Pius X
Lincoln Standing Bear
Mt. Michael Benedictine
Nebraska City
Norris
Omaha Bryan – Relegated from Class A
Omaha Buena Vista
Omaha Northwest – Relegated from Class A
Omaha Westview
Pierce – Promoted from Class C1
Plattsmouth
Ralston
Schuyler
Scottsbluff
Seward
Skutt Catholic
Waverly
York
Class C1 (38 Teams)
Adams Central
Alliance
Archbishop Bergan – Promoted from Class C2
Auburn
Boone Central
Boys Town
Broken Bow
Central City
Chadron
Columbus Lakeview
Columbus Scotus
Cozad
DC West
Fairbury
Falls City
Fort Calhoun
Gering – Relegated from Class B
Gothenburg
Gross Catholic
Holdrege
Lincoln Christian
McCook
Minden
Mt. Michael Benedictine – Relegated from Class B
Norfolk Catholic – Promoted from Class C2
Ogallala
O'Neill
Ord – Promoted from Class C2
Platteview
Raymond Central
Roncalli Catholic
Schuyler – Relegated from Class B
Sidney
St. Paul
Syracuse
Wahoo
Wayne
West Point Beemer
Class C2 (35, Possibly 39 Teams)
Alliance – Relegated from Class C1
Amherst
Aquinas Catholic
Battle Creek
Bishop Neumann
Centennial
Centura
Chase County
David City
Doniphan-Trumbull
Fillmore Central
Gibbon
Gordon-Rushville
Grand Island CC
Hartington CC
Hastings St. Cecilia
Hershey
Kearney Catholic
Lincoln Lutheran
Logan View-Scrib Snyder
Louisville
Malcolm
Milford
Mitchell
North Bend Central
Oakland-Craig
Omaha Concordia – Relegated from Class C1
Ponca
Tekamah-Herman
Tri County
Valentine
West Holt
Wilber-Clatonia
Wood River
Yutan
Possible 8-Man Teams Promoted to 11-Man C2? Smallest C2 Enrollment is Ponca at 49.
Cross County (49)
Neligh-Oakdale (38)
North Platte St. Pats (36)
Stanton (43)
Let me know what y'all think. Are the teams that get relegated teams that are consistently bad or just going through a dry spell? Are the teams getting promoted consistently good or going through a good cycle?