Postseason Loading

It doesn’t get much bigger than the past two — and the next two — weeks in Nebraska high school sports. Champions in girls golf, softball, boys tennis and cross country are in the books. What comes next?

We have postseason volleyball heating up early this week, with state tournament brackets to your web browser by next Saturday night. All 59 district and sub-district brackets are right here. These next two weeks will be insanely fun. And, busy.

So, here we go. A final, final Friday Newsletter for the 2024 fall season. It’s win or go home from here on out. Let’s do this.

Playoff Ready

Sure, we took the night off from football on Friday. But, we were watching no doubt. So, we’ll have a little abbreviated version of the The Friday Night Drive this week and mostly get you ready for the playoffs which start this Friday. Some awesome matchups right off the bat.

WOOD RIVER 33, DONIPHAN-TRUMBULL 16: How about Wood River? Goodness sakes do we love high school sports. The Eagles haven’t been good in a long time if we are being generous. But, on Friday night they won a district title and moved to 8-1 with a big win over D-T. Beau Rohrich ran for 248 yards on 33 carries to lead the Eagles. Their round of 16 playoff matchup? A direct rematch with the Cards at home. Their last playoff win? 1996. Game thread

BENNINGTON 20, ELKHORN NORTH 6: The Badgers bounced back from their first loss since the — wait for it — 2020 playoffs to defeat the Wolves and earn the top-seed in the Class B bracket. How did they do it? A 21-play drive early and a blocked punt for a TD late. Winning plays. Highlights

HAY SPRINGS 60, ARTHUR COUNTY 14: With the second-seed on the line in the six-man playoffs 2023 finalist Hay Springs had little trouble with fellow unbeaten Arthur County. Dylan Ramer rushed for 143 yards, accounted for five total touchdowns and had two fumble recoveries on defense.

BISHOP NEUMANN 48, RAYMOND CENTRAL 27: In a battle of playoff teams to end the regular season, Nebraska pledge Conor Booth ran 25 times for 353 yards and six touchdowns as Neumann rolled. The Cavaliers have won eight straight after an opening 28-21 loss to top-ranked Norfolk Catholic.

EIGHT MAN WORK: The eight-man playoffs got under way on Thursday night to the normal few blowouts that we always see, but the limited (yet awesome) upsets that make the first round so great. In Class D-1, two road teams won. No. 15 seed Sandhills Valley turned around a week eight loss to unbeaten Pleasanton with a 42-20 win and 2023 semifinalist EMF scored 30 unanswered points in the second half in a 50-20 win over Hartington-Newcastle.

In Class D-2, unbeaten Loomis was stunned by Twin Loup, 36-34 while Kenesaw and Creighton also won on the road. The remaining 16 teams in each class were re-seeded and placed in statewide brackets. UPDATED BRACKETS: Class D-1 | Class D-2

REST OF THE BRACKETS: The remainder of the brackets for the NSAA football playoffs were released on Saturday. We teamed with Eric Allgood (Striv Sports) and Mike Sautter (Hurrdat Sports) for Behind the Bracket. Check out our reaction to the playoffs.

THE BRACKETS: Class A | Class B | Class C-1 | Class C-2 | Six-Man

Championship Season

PERFECT PARTNERS: The squad has been proud to partner with the Nebraska Schools Activities Association this fall to deliver previews and recaps of each of the fall championships so far. Cross country coming early next week. You can generally catch all of the these on the specific sports championship HQ page on the NSAA website.

GOLF: Omaha Marian, Omaha Duchesne and Wayne won team golf titles. Individual champions were Eden Larson (Lincoln Southwest), Whitney Dahir (Duchesne) and Kara Suchsland (Minden). Full state girls golf recap

SOFTBALL: Gretna, Beatrice and Bishop Neumann won softball titles last Monday in Omaha. In Class A, Gretna completed just the third undefeated season in Class A history. Full state softball recap

TENNIS: In dominant fashion, Lincoln East and Elkhorn Mt. Michael won state tennis titles. East had champs in all four brackets, while the Knights had three. Full state boys tennis recap coming soon.

Running and Running

Eight races. Eight team champions. Eight individual champions. Another awesome day of racing at the NSAA state cross country championships at Kearney Country Club on Friday. Here’s a quick recap and a few notes from Friday.

CLASS A: We got a couple of history makers in the Class A races as Kearney’s Abigail Burger scored the first Bearcat female state title since 1998. On the boys side we saw history as Fremont’s Juan Gonzalez became just the second runner in state history to run a sub-15:00 time in Kearney — his 14:52.01 a state meet record. He was just as happy with his teammates and their Class A title. On the girls side, Millard West won the state title.

“It was an amazing day,” Gonzalez said. “To run my race and then turn around and see my guys getting medals. To have four guys medal is so amazing. I am so proud of them.”

Girls Results | Boys Results

CLASS B: Gretna East’s Braden Lofquest had just enough. Just enough, to edge Hastings’ Austin Carrera in the Class B boys race. Lofquest was down for an extended time at the end of the race and nearly didn’t make the finish line, but still had a four second advantage on Carrera who closed hard by Skutt’s Tommy Rice for second.

The girls race — and all-class gold medal — went to Norris senior Kendall Zavala who covered the course in 18:23.88. Lincoln Pius X (boys) and Elkhorn North won team titles.

Girls Results | Boys Results

CLASS C: Holdrege — with shocking consistency on Friday — put five runners under 18 minutes to grab an unlikely team title from favorites Lincoln Christian and Gothenburg. Freshman Sam McQuistan and sophomore Christopher Taylor earned medals as the Dusters scored 50 points in the team race. Christian’s Trevin Opp won the individual title.

On the girls side, Arlington’s Hayley O’Daniel won gold, with Auburn winning a team race over Scotus, Gothenburg and Minden that was separated by just 12 points from first to fourth.

Girls Results | Boys Results

CLASS D: Perkins County’s Mason McGreer and Elijah Goodell went 1-2 again for the Plainsmen, but this time the added fun was a team title. With the help of Brock Tines (25th) PC earned a tie in the team race with district mate North Platte St. Patrick’s and then won the fourth man tiebreak on Ethan Swesey’s finish ahead of the Irish.

The girls race went YOUNG as four freshmen were in the top-five including champion Kayleigh Betka of team champion McCool Junction. She beat Tri-County’s Sage Holtmeier by 16 seconds.

“(Our girls) are a lot of fun,” Mustang coach Ryan Underwood said. “They give me a hard time, I give them a hard time. These three girls that scored today have worked tremendously hard.”

Girls Results | Boys Results

Parting Shot: Bib Numbers 249, 250…. and 251

Atlee Wallman (bib 249) insisted on a selfie on Friday.

Not sure why, I am a Convert. At least that is what The Prep Running Nerd dubbed me three years ago when I started sending photos to him from a few different meets that we would attend during the season. If Jay has 43 photographers, I am 44th best on the list.

Our Olivia had got us hooked on this running thing. We don’t know where she got it from, but we are sure glad she did. So, I started writing about running only because I fell in love with it, just like she did. And, man did she “convert” us. Heck, made me drive us to Hayward Field for Pete’s sake. (So worth it)

And, for the past four years we made the trip to Kearney for state. To RUN at state. As a dad, you are pretty proud. (I wish anyone with a press pass that they get the opportunity to see their kid in these events we cover someday.) Once, as a freshman with her team. But, every time after that by qualifying at the district meet.

The one team we admired the most — do you really do that in other sports?? — was Norris. In fact, the running joke at our house was that Liv likely would not be on the varsity team there. That’s just how good the Titans were in winning three straight titles before Elkhorn North finally caught them this year.

In what other sports do we admire so much, I have often wondered. I just can’t seem to put my finger on it. I am not sure I ever will. Maybe it’s just another reason why I fell in love with cross country so much. On Friday, I asked Elkhorn North coach Jordan Fuglestad.

I had just watched Wallman give Elkhorn North’s Ella Ford a big hug after the Titans received their team runner-up trophy. They had LOST. And, yet, their was still so much JOY. For the competition, for the camaraderie of running.

“I have coached basketball,” Fuglestad said. “It’s just different. Running is different. We have a camaraderie with them. Those girls all know each other. We have gone back and forth. That’s just how it is through competition.”

So on Friday, Kendall Zavala (bib 250) won her second straight gold medal in Class B. Her fourth medal. Less than 20 seconds later came Wallman in third; her fourth medal, too. In the fall, they will go run at Nebraska (Zavala) and Creighton (Wallman).

A few minutes — and 46 more runners later — bib 251 came through. This Nerd’s favorite runner. She was pooped and it was an okay race for her, but not her best. All runners know there is nothing wrong with that. There were no medals at state for Liv.

She caught her breath, kind of. Took a drink of water and asked her dad the only question she wanted answered.

'Did Kendall win, dad?” she said.

“Yes,” I answered. “And then Leah and Atlee.”

“They are so awesome,” she said, before she made her way up the hill. Mom needed a hug. Dad retreated to the media tent to put his Nerd shirt over his state cross country shirt. One last Class B girls walk up the hill.

“Cross country was pretty good to you, wasn’t it?” I asked the champ.

“It was amazing,” Zavala said, “I loved every year. I feel like I have grown as a runner and a person. I am just thankful for all of my opportunities.”

It was good to us, too, bib 249 and 250. Thanks for letting this old guy watch you. We’ll see you in Sioux Falls, and on the track this spring. And, heck, probably at the Greeno next year. That’s just what we do now.

But just know that wasn’t my favorite selfie from Friday afternoon. See, my favorite was 25 minutes earlier. With bib 251. I am sure you understand.