A day late, hopefully not a dollar short (and we might do the same thing next weekend) but the Newsletter is trying to pace ourselves. We thank you for coming along this fall and we hope you are enjoying some of our extra work for the Nebraska School Activities Association.

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A Lesson In Faith

PATRIOT FIELD, HASTINGS: Some nights on the football field come up and grab you a little more than others. Friday night was one of those nights. The playoffs are coming and Lincoln Christian will be a likely home team in Class C-1.

The Crusaders likely aren’t going to contend for a state championship. Their coach, Kurt Earl, says as much. But, here they are 6-2 headed to the final week of the regular season. They have losses to a pair of 7-1 teams — Auburn and Central City. Both single score games.

On Friday night, in running 48 times for 450 yards and throwing two quackers for no yards (“You have to let the coordinators have a bit of fun,” Earl admitted), the Crusaders broke the will of Adams Central, who, in their own right was still fighting for a playoff spot.

Lincoln Christian 30, Adams Central 14. Game thread.

“It’s not that odd for us,” Earl said of the run/pass ratio. “Who do we have? We have undersized guys that come from good families that are high character kids. They are smart and they can play the game at a high level intellectually.

“We are like the service academies, that’s who we have. It’s our best chance to move the ball and control games. We are more Army than Army.”

Earl jokes, but his team — his program — it seems is everything high school sports should be about. That you win seven when the talent is five, or that you win three when the talent is one.

And, you build young men. Or, sometimes, like in the fall of 2024, they build you. Ask Kurt Earl.

See, his wife Da’Nelle is dying; diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in March. Their story — so eloquently told by the Lincoln Journal Star’s Chris Basnett earlier this fall — is worth the $1 3-month subscription.

On Friday night, I am afraid to ask, but I do because I so admired the way his players played. How his coaches coached. I needed to know how he was waking up everyday when most of us just yell at each other about schools cancelling their seasons on Twitter.

He cries. I try not to and then I tell him not to answer. It doesn’t matter. But, it does.

“It’s not very often you realize you are in a once in a lifetime situation,” he says, strong and powerful are his words. “I’ll never have a season that feels quite like this one. This group of men is incredible.

“They are very good at football. We are undersized and that will probably be what one day stops our season. But, it’s not because they don’t know what they are doing and it’s not because they don’t play hard. They are extremely high character young men, solid believers in the Gospel. This group is making a once in a lifetime season truly special.”

So, yep, Dominick Roth carried ten times for 216 yards on Friday night. He scored three times — big, long option runs like we used to see growing up. Unique football. Winning football. And, I am not even sure it mattered. In fact, I know it didn’t. But, in a way it matters very, very much.

See, Lincoln Christian football is everything high school sports should be about. What a refreshing thing.

“As long as God gives me a memory to remember it,” Earl continues, “this season will be truly unique because of who we are and this group of seniors who made this program what it is this season.”

We media types aren’t supposed to root for anyone. But, see, sometimes we have to.

The Final Countdown

46 NOT 47: One of the state’s longest winning streak’s in history came to an end on Friday night as Omaha Skutt ended Bennington’s 46-game winning streak. Skutt led 21-0 and then found themselves down 30-21.

Then, Nate Christensen returned a kickoff for a touchdown. And, down 30-28 Joe Koelga kicked a 25-yard field to give Skutt the lead back late. He sealed the game with a pick six. A wild scene at on 156th and Center. Kolega also had two touchdown receptions for the Skyhawks.

BIG WAVERLY WIN: Waverly won their sixth in a row after an 0-2 start by edging county rival Norris on Friday night. Nathan Axmann carried 37 times for 207 yards and three touchdowns in the win.

ANOTHER VIKING WIN: Omaha North will be back in the playoffs when the brackets come out next week. In week eight they delivered a big 32-14 win over Bellevue West. Highlights

C-2 TITLE PREVIEW: A late interception by Gage Yosten sealed a 19-14 win for Norfolk Catholic over Battle Creek. Northeast Nebraska football. Better than most. And, also how about the hands from the Knights Max Hadenfeldt. WHUT?

EIGHT-MAN (ALMOST) BRACKETS: Class D-1 and D-2 will get their playoffs underway on Thursday with the opening round that is bracketed by geography. When the 16 winners are left on Thursday night, they bracket to a statewide road map to Memorial Stadium. CLASS D-1 | CLASS D-2

ALL THE SCORES

First Fall Champs

LINKS TITLES: The first NSAA champions of the 2024-25 school year were crowned on Tuesday at the girls state golf championships. Class A was held at Grand Island’s Riverside Golf Club, Class B at Monument Shadows Golf Course in Gering and Class C at Lake Maloney Golf Course in North Platte.

Team champions were Omaha Marian (Class A), Omaha Duchesne Academy (Class B) and Wayne (Class C). Both Duchesne and Wayne won their state titles by a single shot. Individual champions were Eden Larson (Lincoln Southwest), Whitney Dahir (Omaha Duchesne) and Kara Suchsland (Minden).

You can read our full recap on the NSAA website. 

CLASS B TENNIS: The second year of the separate two-day state tennis championships is halfway home with Elkhorn Mt. Michael claiming the Class B state tennis title on Friday at Lincoln’s Woods Tennis Center. The Knights won titles at No. 1 singles and both doubles spots to take the team title 58-41.125 over 2023 champion Elkhorn North.

THE CHAMPS: Ian Scott (Mt. Michael, 44-3), No. 1 singles; Royce Klucas (Waverly, 36-1), No. 2 singles; Patrick Killeen/Noah Stricklett (Mt. Michael, 52-4); Dominic Benanito/Peter Killeen (Mt. Michael, 35-2).

Our full preview with Class A set for Monday and Tuesday can be read on the NSAA website. Lincoln East looks to win their fourth team title in a row as they hold the No. 1 seed in all four brackets. A full recap from both events will be coming on Wednesday.

SOFTBALL SET: Despite the wind there was a little less weather stress (and bracket stress) at the early rounds of the 2024 state softball tournament in Hastings. Last year — with multiple weather delays — the bracket play went all the way in to Saturday with earlier losers coming all the way through to advance to the championship games.

No such issue this year as the wind wrecked a bit of havoc, but didn’t halt play and all six finalists went 3-0 to advance to Monday’s state championship games at Omaha’s Connie Claussen Field. The finalists: Gretna vs. Millard North (Class A), Hastings vs. Beatrice (Class B) and Douglas County West vs. Bishop Neumann (Class C)

Catch our recap of the long day Wednesday on the NSAA website here and later today we’ll have a finals preview ready with a full recap coming on Tuesday.

The Road to Kearney

District cross country was held across the state on Thursday with runners qualifying for the 2024 state meet at Kearney Country Club that will be Friday beginning at noon with the Class B boys race.

In Classes A and B, 12 boys and 12 girls teams qualify for the meet along with any individuals who were in the top-15 at the district. The same holds for Classes C and D except they have two mores district for 18 total team qualifiers.

We will have full coverage and a Thursday preview for the NSAA.

DISTRICT RESULTS: Class A Boys | Class B Boys | Class C Boys | Class D Boys | Class A Girls | Class B Girls | Class C Girls | Class D Girls

A Final Gift