Football ****OFFICIAL STATE PLAYOFF BRACKETS****

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS A

Play begins on Friday, November 1

#1 Millard West (9-0)
#16 Lincoln Pius X (4-5)

#8 Kearney (7-2)
#9 Elkhorn South (6-3)

#4 Bellevue West (9-0)
#13 Lincoln East (5-4)

#5 Omaha Burke (8-1)
#12 Millard North (4-5)

#3 Millard South (8-1)
#14 Papillion-LaVista South (5-4)

#6 Grand Island (8-1)
#11 Lincoln Southwest (5-4)

#7 Omaha Westside (7-2)
#10 Omaha Creighton Prep (6-3)

#2 Lincoln Southeast (8-1)
#15 Omaha North (4-5)

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS B

Play begins on Friday, November 1

#1 Scottsbluff (9-0)
#16 Alliance (3-6)

#8 Norris (6-3)
#9 Elkhorn Mt. Michael (7-2)

#4 Grand Island Northwest (8-1)
#13 Lexington (4-5)

#5 Omaha Roncalli (7-2)
#12 Plattsmouth (4-5)

#3 Waverly (8-1)
#14 Omaha Gross (3-6)

#6 Hastings (7-2)
#11 McCook (5-4)

#7 Bennington (6-3)
#10 Seward (5-4)

#2 Omaha Skutt (9-0)
#15 Blair (3-6)

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS C1

Play begins Friday, November 1

#1 Adams Central (9-0)
#16 Valentine (5-4)

#8 Ogallala (7-2)
#9 Aurora (6-3)

#4 Pierce (9-0)
#13 Chase County (5-4)

#5 Gothenburg (8-1)
#12 Ord (6-3)

#3 Ashland-Greenwood (9-0)
#14 Cozad (5-4)

#6 Kearney Catholic (7-2)
#11 Wayne (7-2)

#7 Columbus Scotus (7-2)
#10 Wahoo Neumann (6-3)

#2 Wahoo (9-0)
#15 Boys Town (6-3)

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS C2

Play begins Friday, November 1

#1 Sutton (8-1)
#16 Yutan (5-4)

#8 Battle Creek (8-1)
#9 Fremont Bergan (7-2)

#4 North Bend (8-1)
#13 North Platte St. Patrick's (6-3)

#5 Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur (8-1)
#12 Wilber-Clatonia (7-2)

#3 St. Paul (9-0)
#14 Centura (6-3)

#6 David City Aquinas (7-2)
#11 Shelby/Rising City (6-3)

#7 Doniphan-Trumbull (8-1)
#10 Centennial (6-3)

#2 Oakland-Craig (9-0)
#15 Hartington Cedar Catholic (5-4)

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS D1

Play begins Thursday, October 31

East
#1 Howells-Dodge (8-0)
#16 Homer (4-4)

#8 Lutheran High Northeast (5-3)
#9 Nebraska City Lourdes (4-4)

#4 Osceola/High Plains (6-2)
#13 Elkhorn Valley (4-4)

#5 Wisner-Pilger (7-1)
#12 Creighton (5-3)

#3 Elmwood-Murdock (7-1)
#14 East Butler (4-4)

#6 Southern (6-2)
#11 Tri County (5-3)

#7 Cross County (4-4)
#10 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (5-3)

#2 Bruning-Davenport/Shickley (8-0)
#15 Guardian Angels Central Catholic (4-4)

=================================

West
#1 Cambridge (8-0)
#16 Nebraska Christian (4-4)

#8 Neligh-Oakdale (6-2)
#9 Atkinson West Holt (6-2)

#4 Elm Creek (7-1)
#13 Palmer (3-5)

#5 Burwell (6-2)
#12 Hitchcock County (5-3)

#3 Arcadia/Loup City (7-1)
#14 Alma (5-3)

#6 Sutherland (8-0)
#11 North Central (5-3)

#7 Dundy County-Stratton (7-1)
#10 Hemingford (5-3)

#2 Fullerton (7-1)
#15 Morrill (4-4)

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS D2

Play begins on Thursday, October 31

East
#1 Humphrey St. Francis (8-0)
#16 Elgin/Elgin Pope John (2-6)

#8 Lawrence-Nelson (4-4)
#9 Allen (6-2)

#4 Johnson-Brock (6-2)
#13 Wynot (3-5)

#5 Plainview (7-1)
#12 Randolph (3-5)

#3 Falls City Sacred Heart (8-0)
#14 Diller-Odell (3-5)

#6 Clarkson/Leigh (6-2)
#11 Riverside (5-3)

#7 Hartington-Newcastle (5-3)
#10 Mead (5-3)

#2 Bloomfield (8-0)
#15 Pender (4-4)

===================================

West
#1 Garden County (8-0)
#16 Blue Hill (4-4)

#8 Overton (5-3)
#9 Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing (7-1)

#4 Elwood (7-1)
#13 Maxwell (3-5)

#5 Central Valley (8-0)
#12 Medicine Valley (3-5)

#3 Sandhills/Thedford (8-0)
#14 Mullen (3-5)

#6 Axtell (6-2)
#11 Twin Loup (4-4)

#7 Pleasanton (6-2)
#10 Brady (5-3)

#2 Kenesaw (7-1)
#15 Anselmo-Merna (3-5)

 

[hailvictors2]

Alumni, thank you for your work this year. You are appreciated more than you know.

 

[Alum-Ni]

Link: CLASS D6

Play begins on Friday, November 1

#1 Cody-Kilgore (8-0)
#16 Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (3-5)

#8 Arthur County (6-2)
#9 Heartland Lutheran (6-2)

#4 McCool Junction (8-0)
#13 Crawford (5-3)

#5 Eustis-Farnam (6-2)
#12 Red Cloud (6-2)

#3 Creek Valley (8-0)
#14 Wilcox-Hildreth (4-4)

#6 Maywood/Hayes Center (5-3)
#11 McPherson County/Stapleton (4-4)

#7 Sioux County (7-1)
#10 Sterling (5-3)

#2 Harvard (8-0)
#15 Spalding Academy (4-4)

 

[ClkTwr2011]

Thank you for posting.

For my annual rant... Class D is absolutely out of hand. 4-4 and 3-5...even 2-6. Come on! We can do better than this.

Sorry, carry on.

 

[finch63]

Class B not much different 5 of the 16 in the playoffs are less than .500. Those that are 4-4 and 3-5 could just be a matter of harder schedules regardless of the classes. Don't believe it is just a class D issue.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

Class B not much different 5 of the 16 in the playoffs are less than .500. Those that are 4-4 and 3-5 could just be a matter of harder schedules regardless of the classes. Don't believe it is just a class D issue.

agree considering that in Class b and D its harder to not make the playoffs than it is to make the playoffs

 

[nenebskers]

Schools in playoff field at .500 or below.
A - 19%
B - 31%
C1 - 0%
C2 - 0%
D1 -28%
D2 - 38%
D6 - 25%

My solution has always been to cut each class' playoff field in half and add in an additional regular season game. The more regular season games there are the more the cream rises to the top and powerpoints become less of an issue. An additional regular season game gives every kid, regardless of a playoff team or not, another game to lace it up.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

Schools in playoff field at .500 or below.
A - 19%
B - 31%
C1 - 0%
C2 - 0%
D1 -28%
D2 - 38%
D6 - 25%

My solution has always been to cut each class' playoff field in half and add in an additional regular season game. The more regular season games there are the more the cream rises to the top and powerpoints become less of an issue. An additional regular season game gives every kid, regardless of a playoff team or not, another game to lace it up.

Excellent idea.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

Class B not much different 5 of the 16 in the playoffs are less than .500. Those that are 4-4 and 3-5 could just be a matter of harder schedules regardless of the classes. Don't believe it is just a class D issue.

I agree with you, but I really don't look at B as much because they only have a 16 team field. Class D is doing this in a field of 32.

 

[finch63]

On the flip side of all of this, if you are small school and have your two best players hurt early in the year and lose 2 or 3 games and then they are back and win out with only 16 in you may or may not get in. Also, Football is the only sport we have where everybody does not get a chance to go to the state finals. Lose 2 or 3 games like mentioned above and you are eliminated from playoffs. Every other sport regardless of how bad you are you still get that chance through districts.

 

[sports10]

On the flip side of all of this, if you are small school and have your two best players hurt early in the year and lose 2 or 3 games and then they are back and win out with only 16 in you may or may not get in. Also, Football is the only sport we have where everybody does not get a chance to go to the state finals. Lose 2 or 3 games like mentioned above and you are eliminated from playoffs. Every other sport regardless of how bad you are you still get that chance through districts.

Great points. This is exactly why the member voters will never move 8-man from 32 to 16.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

On the flip side of all of this, if you are small school and have your two best players hurt early in the year and lose 2 or 3 games and then they are back and win out with only 16 in you may or may not get in. Also, Football is the only sport we have where everybody does not get a chance to go to the state finals. Lose 2 or 3 games like mentioned above and you are eliminated from playoffs. Every other sport regardless of how bad you are you still get that chance through districts.

I understand what you are saying, but respectfully disagree. Injuries are part of athletics. While we never like to see injuries to any young athletes, it is part of it. I just don't like the fact that we are "rewarding" average or below average performance. I agree that all other sports allow a chance. However, all other sports are so much different than football in terms of the recovery time between games. You are not wrong by any means. It is just a difference of philosophy.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

Great points. This is exactly why the member voters will never move 8-man from 32 to 16.

I don't believe this has anything to do with why the field will never be reduced to 16 teams. I believe it boils down to revenue. That's just my opinion.

 

[runningback43]

As long as the 8 man schools want to play 8 regular season games and have 32 teams in the playoffs they will do that. Only way this changes is if the 8 man schools decide to play a 9 game regular season schedule will they go to 16 teams in the playoffs.

 

[northeastNebraska]

Schools in playoff field at .500 or below.
A - 19%
B - 31%
C1 - 0%
C2 - 0%
D1 -28%
D2 - 38%
D6 - 25%

My solution has always been to cut each class' playoff field in half and add in an additional regular season game. The more regular season games there are the more the cream rises to the top and powerpoints become less of an issue. An additional regular season game gives every kid, regardless of a playoff team or not, another game to lace it up.

Agree. Class D1 and D2 should have that 9th game and have 16 team playoffs.

 

[ClkTwr2011]

As long as the 8 man schools want to play 8 regular season games and have 32 teams in the playoffs they will do that. Only way this changes is if the 8 man schools decide to play a 9 game regular season schedule will they go to 16 teams in the playoffs.

I understand your point that the schools have the final say. However, don't think for a second that the NSAA has no voice in these decisions. They absolutely have input and are very persuasive because of the fact that they understand all of the intricacies that exist. They understand the whole program, and also understand that their existence requires revenue.

How much money does the NSAA receive for a playoff game? How much do they receive for a regular season 9th game? I don't know the answer, but believe some of the reasoning for why things are as they are lies in the answer to those 2 questions.

 

[highschoolfootballnut]

I understand your point that the schools have the final say. However, don't think for a second that the NSAA has no voice in these decisions. They absolutely have input and are very persuasive because of the fact that they understand all of the intricacies that exist. They understand the whole program, and also understand that their existence requires revenue.

How much money does the NSAA receive for a playoff game? How much do they receive for a regular season 9th game? I don't know the answer, but believe some of the reasoning for why things are as they are lies in the answer to those 2 questions.

NSAA can only govern the rules et forth by the schools, they no other authority

 

[runningback43]

I understand your point that the schools have the final say. However, don't think for a second that the NSAA has no voice in these decisions. They absolutely have input and are very persuasive because of the fact that they understand all of the intricacies that exist. They understand the whole program, and also understand that their existence requires revenue.

How much money does the NSAA receive for a playoff game? How much do they receive for a regular season 9th game? I don't know the answer, but believe some of the reasoning for why things are as they are lies in the answer to those 2 questions.

The NSAA does receive money from the playoffs. The member schools are the NSAA. If the 8 man schools want to have a 9th game and have 16 in the playoffs they can do that. C-1 and C-2 added a 9th regular season game 5 or 6 years ago. I was at a district meeting when that proposal passed. Nobody from the NSAA office said anything about schools voting against that proposal due to loss income from playoff games.

 

[coachsloup]

The other thing that I’ve always scratched my head about and Neuhaus even agreed with me about this, in terms of it not getting brought up much, is everyone talks about 16 OR 32 but what about 24? Eight byes in the first round, what would be wrong with that? From personally coaching at the 8man level I thought 32 was more than enough but 16 felt wrong to. Something about 24 always sounded right to me and just for something extra to sit wrong with most of you haha speaking of byes, how about bye bye to the east west split. I’ve almost lost my eyesight from how far backed I’ve rolled my eyes at the folks that argue there shouldn’t be so much traveling in the playoffs (insert 16 to 32 eye rolling emojis here)

 

[Alum-Ni]

The other thing that I’ve always scratched my head about and Neuhaus even agreed with me about this, in terms of it not getting brought up much, is everyone talks about 16 OR 32 but what about 24? Eight byes in the first round, what would be wrong with that? From personally coaching at the 8man level I thought 32 was more than enough but 16 felt wrong to. Something about 24 always sounded right to me and just for something extra to sit wrong with most of you haha speaking of byes, how about bye bye to the east west split. I’ve almost lost my eyesight from how far backed I’ve rolled my eyes at the folks that argue there shouldn’t be so much traveling in the playoffs (insert 16 to 32 eye rolling emojis here)

I like the idea of 24

 

[runningback43]

I've always like the idea of 24, even in C-1 and C-2. I'm sure that the people that vote in these districts wouldn't like that because football would run into the first week of basketball season.

 

[hailvictors2]

I've always like the idea of 24, even in C-1 and C-2. I'm sure that the people that vote in these districts wouldn't like that because football would run into the first week of basketball season.

Unpopular opinion....the basketball season is about 2 weeks too long anyway.

 

[24 ctr trap]

Back around 2001 when 8 man switched from a 9 game schedule and 16 team playoff (which is the way I think it should be) to an 8 game schedule and a 32 team bracket, an older coach who was in favor of the 8 game schedule explained his reason for supporting the change like this; If you are not in the top 32 teams in your class do you really need a ninth game? Let the top 32 teams play a ninth game and go from there, His point has some merit. I don't care if we have a 16 team bracket but only if we switch the regular season to a nine game schedule.

 

[runningback43]

Unpopular opinion....the basketball season is about 2 weeks too long anyway.

Basketball is at least 2 weeks too long. There are a lot of other states that don't have their state football championships until after Thanksgiving.

 

[Alum-Ni]

https://www.omaha.com/sports/high-s...e_fd7551e3-c4f1-57e3-a236-f5fd2844f514.html#1

Stu Pospisil weighs in on two proposals that will be coming up for vote:

1) Increase the 8-man/6-man cutoffs from 47 (8 man) and 27 (6-man) to 56 and 36.

Neighboring states have the following cutoffs for 8-man:

Kansas - 49
Iowa - 60
Colorado - 75
Missouri - 75
(South Dakota and Wyoming play 9-man)
​

2) Change the 8-man playoff format. 32 teams would still qualify, but the first round would be a "substate" type of round. Split the 32 teams into East/West brackets and after the first round re-seed the 16 winners into one bracket.