And Then There Was Four (well, 28)

The state football playoffs went from eight to four last Friday night. And, while we were busy tracking and statting all of the state volleyball matches our guy Andrew Placke was out shooting three different quarterfinal football games. We appreciate you, coach. And Danielle Schaaf braved the wind and rain on “The Hill” to shoot Shelby-Rising City and Sandy Creek. It’s all below!

Speaking of busy, we put together a team to provide full stats for each of the state tournament volleyball games until the finals last week. You can see some of our work here. It was a first for us (and the NSAA) and we hope the coaches enjoyed not having to be asked to fill out a stats form post game. We learned a ton, problaby screwed up a few times. Who knows, we may be back for basketball.

Let’s dive in to a special Friday Newsletter. We’ll talk state semifinal football and a few other things. Maybe you’ll like them, maybe you won’t. And, maybe we’ll squeeze in one last Friday Night Drive tonight, too.

Final Four

We have made our way to today’s state football semifinals in all seven classes; 14 games to decide who heads to Memorial Stadium (and Cope Stadium at UNK) for the state finals.

Let’s try for a quick breakdown of each match up from Class A all the way to six-man. Who are we kidding, it won’t be quick. We like to write.

Class A (The Bracket)

OMAHA NORTH (9-2) at OMAHA WESTSIDE (11-0), 7 PM: The Warriors look to advance to their sixth consecutive Class A state final when they host Omaha North. In week one, this was a 22-7 Westside win in a complete bruiser. You can bet the Vikings would be just fine playing in a similar low-scoring affair. Sophomores Braylen Warren (1,948 yards and 26 touchdowns passing) and TayTay Jenkins (1,684 yards and 19 touchdown rushing) will lead the Westside offense. And, if that’s not enough, the Christian Jones-led defense has yet to give up a point in two playoff games.

KEARNEY (10-1) at MILLARD SOUTH (10-1), 7 PM: The task ahead for Kearney? Avenge their only loss of the season, 52-3 to the Patriots in week three. But the ‘Cats have been perfect since then and, well, you have to play the games. Junior quarterback Jett Thomalla is over 3,000 yards passing and has 40 touchdowns to just two interceptions for Millard South. Kearney will attempt to play keep away and with a ball-control offense keyed by quarterback Griffin Novacek who has nearly 1,900 scrimmage yards.

Class B (The Bracket)

ELKHORN NORTH (9-2) at BENNINGTON (10-1), 7 PM: So far in the playoffs, Elkhorn North has avenged an earlier loss to crosstown rival Elkhorn in the first round and then a 908-mile round trip to Scottsbluff in the second round. All of that without their head coach, Sam Stanley, who has not been with the team since the birth of twin boys last week. Stu Pospisil documented the story this week. As for the Badgers, they look for a fourth straight state title. But, has the code been cracked? Omaha Skutt ended their 46-game winning streak in week eight and the Wolves played them to 20-6 in week nine.

OMAHA SKUTT (10-1) at SEWARD (11-0) at Concordia University, 7 PM: Skutt travels to Seward to face the unbeaten Bluejays who have survived a pair of playoff squeakers. Junior quarterback Tresten Haas is over 2,400 yards passing on the season for Seward.

Class C-1 (The Bracket)

CENTRAL CITY (10-1) at SIDNEY (11-0), 5 PM (MST): After a run to the state semifinals a season ago, few teams have found a way to score on the Red Raiders this season. Sidney has pitched four shutouts, not yet allowed 20 points and given up just 16 points total in two playoff games. Junior quarterback Alex Doty has passed for 1,952 yards and ran for 1,027 in backing up the Raider defense. Central City has one of the top offenses in the class and were held under 30 points for the first time this year in a quarterfinal win over Columbus Lakeview. It’s the Bison’s first semifinal appearance since they lost to Lincoln Pius 28-14 in the 1978 Class B playoffs.

AUBURN (10-1) at WAHOO (11-0), 7 PM: The unbeaten Warriors have been top-ranked all year after returning nearly all of their production from last year’s state final team. They have been impressive in producing five shutouts and less than 10 points in three other contests. Think the defense is good? The Warriors average 9.6 yards per run and junior Kip Brigham is near 1,800 yards on a 14.3 yards per carry average. Auburn’s 20-19 win over Ashland-Greenwood last week avenged a 41-13 loss in the regular season.

Class C-2 (The Bracket)

KEARNEY CATHOLIC (9-2) at NORFOLK CATHOLIC (11-0), 7 PM: The last unbeaten in Class C-2, Norfolk Catholic, has tested themselves as much as one could. They have beaten the other two semifinalists plus three more playoff teams in the regular season. Now, the Stars — who have allowed just eight points in two playoff game — stand between the Knights and a 21st trip to the state football finals. Stars quarterback Jacob Bosshamer is near 2,000 yards passing and KC may have one of the top kickers in the state in Solomon Wiens.

BATTLE CREEK (9-2) at BISHOP NEUMANN (10-1), 7 PM: Two teams that survived last week are hoping for a trip to Memorial Stadium. Battle Creek, with losses to Cedar Catholic and Norfolk Catholic, won 30-27 over Malcolm in a wacky final five minutes. Bishop Neumann, with Nebraska commit Conor Booth, edged Cedar Catholic 24-21. Booth ran for 250 yards on 34 carries in the win.

Class D-1 (The Bracket)

NEBRASKA CITY LOURDES (9-2) at SANDY CREEK (11-0), 5 PM: The cardiac kids from Lourdes travel to Sandy Creek as the 12-seed for the semifinals. After a 6-2 regular season, the Knights have wins by 12, 4 and 5 points so far in the playoffs. The task is even bigger tonight. The Cougars, with quarterback Ethan Shaw, have one of the top offenses in the state. Shaw has accounted for 59 touchdowns, 1,849 yards passing and 1,339 yards rushing.

STANTON (11-0) at SUMMERLAND (10-1), 6 PM: A rematch of a 44-34 Stanton win on September 20 as the unbeaten Mustangs look to advance to the finals for the second consecutive season. With an offense that rivals Sandy Creek, quarterback Barrett Wilke has ran for 2,229 and thrown for 748. Summerland quarterback Michael Koenig has thrown for 1,921 yards and sophomore Mathias Wagner has ran for 1,008 yards.

Class D-2 (The Bracket)

CENTRAL VALLEY (10-1) at ARCHANGELS CATHOLIC (11-0), 7 PM in Humphrey: What most feel are the top two teams in the class face off in Humphrey. Central Valley is unbeaten in the class with it’s lone loss to Class D-1 semifinalist Stanton. Quarterback Zaden Wolf, with 1,294 yards passing and 1,271 rushing, is a dual threat quarterback. Archangels, the former Humphrey St. Francis school, makes their first state playoff appearance as the Defenders, but the Flyers hadn’t missed since 1994 — a 31-year streak.

BRUNING-DAVENPORT/SHICKLEY (11-0) at RIVERSIDE (9-2), 5 PM at Spalding: BDS, who survived a triple overtime game against Kenesaw in the round of 16, takes an unbeaten record to Spalding to face the Chargers. Riverside may be the hottest team in the class, winners of seven straight after their 2-2 start included losses to Central Valley and Archangels. Riverside has scored 84 and 73 in their last two playoff wins, including last week’s win over defending champion Sandhills/Thedford.

Six-Man (The Bracket)

GARDEN COUNTY (10-0) at SUMNER-EDDYVILLE-MILLER (10-0), 5 PM: The defending champions from SEM have been just as impressive in 2024 as they were last year in winning their first six-man title in school history. Maddox Jones has 1,217 yards in 10 contests. The Eagles are in the semifinals for the second time in school history with juniors Wilsie Lobner and Kyan Kramer both near 900 yards rushing.

STUART (9-1) at HAY SPRINGS (10-0), 2 PM (MST): Would Hay Springs return to the six-man championship game they will have earned it over Stuart, who has been impressive in the playoffs and has just a 36-33 loss to SEM on the season. Dylan Raymer (1,144 rushing and 53 tackles with 10 for loss) for Springs is one of the top players in the class. The Broncos counter with Kayde Ramm, who has 1,202 yards passing.

On Championships (and losing)

A day (or two, or three, or four) at the state volleyball championship is always a good reminder of just how good the sport has become in our state. It is literally NATIONALLY good at the high school level. There is no way that should ever be a bad thing.

So, we spent a week pondering how it got that way. How that can trickle to other sports (not just girl sports either) and how we view high school sports, in general, as a state. But, first, the volleyball.

How did we get here? It seems simple. Great college programs at all levels from Nebraska and Creighton, to Nebraska-Kearney, to Concordia and Bellevue and Midland, to Western Nebraska Community College. All ranked in their respective divisions top-20 nationally.

What do all those programs have? Great coaches and coaching. Coupled with players who are working hard and playing more than ever. This has trickled down to the high school and club level in Nebraska. High school fans are inundated with great coaching; you saw it in spades last Saturday. Ziegler and Boesiger and Saunders and Tarman, just to name a few.

And, the players. Simply amazing to watch.

Many have disdain for club level volleyball in Nebraska (and other states it sounds like). Some say it’s ruining girls basketball. Some say the focus on a single sport causes overuse injuries. They may all be right, or not.

In reality, participation is going down over all sports — boys and girls — for many reasons. But, one obvious reason, seems to get overlooked. Losing. When we lose or don’t start, or whatever happens that makes us not like something, we quit.

Parents allow it. Coaches have to deal with it. And those things are very, very hard. But, what if we let failing teach us as long as sports were giving us a positive experience otherwise?

Losing, unfortunately, leads to lower participation. It leads to school administrators trying to work on leveling the playing field for some. It’s amazing that we don’t ever think about the alternative. Maybe, the playing field shouldn’t be level? Is the playing field in life level? It seems like we sometimes are trending that way as well. Maybe it’s a sign of the times.

What if we just looked at high school sports as, simply, a way to learn the lessons of life by being on a team with our friends? And if we won all of our games, or half of our games or none of our games that’s part of the lesson. There are lessons in ALL of that. Promise.

In 1986, my father was in the midst of his second season coaching girls basketball. He had limited numbers. I want to say 10, or so. He started two freshmen and played two more. Junior varsity games were limited to two quarters. The Hampton Hawks finished 2-14.

When those four freshmen were seniors, they were the 24-1 Class D-2 state champions. They chose to work. To get better. And, there coach was happy to go on that ride with them.

Some 30+ years later, those girls would tell you the lessons were just as good the first year as the last. That you stick together no matter what. That you can love each other. That your coach can love you back. And that if you put all that together, your record and wins and losses should not matter one bit.

I am sad we lose that sometimes. Whether as parents or teammates.

Coaching now is harder than ever. More people to please. Every move is watched and dissected. The best teams - programs it seems - have an enthusiasm for what they do, they work hard but have fun. The drama is low (with players AND parents). There is a culture of hard work and positivity.

So, in the midst of championships, the other teams were on my mind. We need to make high school sports better for everyone. And that doesn’t necessarily have to mean more classes and level playing fields.

It should mean hard work and life lessons. The value of being on a team. One where effort is what matters and not necessarily winning and losing. Developing team cultures where coaches foster teamwork, hard work and togetherness. And that little else matters.

Oh, sure winning makes it more fun but it’s the journey of sports we need to embrace.