A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2017 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

2017 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1)

(**Classes D1 and D2 consisted of all schools playing 8-man football. There were 53 schools playing football in D-1 and 54 competing in D2 for a total of 107 schools, the same exact number that competed in 2016. SEVEN schools playing eight-man were above the playoff eligibility enrollment limit and thus ineligible for the playoffs in 2017).

*2017 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. East Butler - 11-2 (Shawn Bilthoft)

2. Howells-Dodge - 11-1 {Mike Speirs}

3. Creighton - 10-1 {Gene Suhr}

4. South Loup - 12-1 {Andy Schwarz}

5. Medicine Valley - 11-1 {Scott Johnson}

6. Nebraska Lutheran (Waco) -8- 2 {Benjy Wells}

7. Perkins County - 8-3 {Lance Steffen}

8. Atkinson West Holt - 8- 2 {Steve Neptune}

9. CWCE - 8-3 {Tom Thramer}

10 Kenesaw - 9-1 {Craig Schnitzler}

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2017 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D1

First Round

(8-0) Creighton 70, McCool Junction 0 (2-6)

(4-4) Plainview 46, Diller-Odell 30 (6-2)

(6-2) East Butler 52, Hartington-Newcastle 20 (5-3)

(7-1) Nebraska Lutheran 68, Thayer Central 16 (4-4)

(3-5) Pender 52, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 50 (8-0)

(4-4) Johnson-Brock 24, Heartland (Henderson) 6 (7-1)

(5-3) Lourdes Central Catholic 48, Neligh-Oakdale 20 (4-4)

(8-0) Howells-Dodge 46, Clarkson/Leigh 0 (3-5)

(7-1) Atkinson West Holt 55, Boyd County 8 (7-1)

(6-2) Perkins County 44, Clarwater-Orchard 28 (6-2)

(6-2) Hemingford 22, Overton 14 (5-3)

(8-0) Medicine Valley 42, Cambridge 20 (5-3)

(8-0) South Loup 48, Dundy County-Stratton 22 (4-4)

(6-2) Elm Creek 14, Burwell 12 (6-2)

(6-2) CWCE (Chambers/Wheeler Central/Ewing) 72, Palmer 12 (5-3)

(8-0) Kenesaw 57, Southwest 0 (4-4)

Second Round

(9-0) Creighton 58, Plainview 0 (5-4)

(7-2) East Butler 46, Nebraska Lutheran 32 (8-1)

(5-4) Johnson-Brock 66, Pender 22 (4-5)

(9-0) Howells-Dodge 54, Lourdes Central Catholic 32 ()

(7-2) Perkins County 32, West Holt 27 (8-1)

(9-0) Medicine Valley 60, Hemingford 22 (7-2)

(9-0) South Loup 36, Elm Creek 22 (7-2)

(7-2) CWCE 27, Kenesaw 7 (9-0)

Quarterfinals

(8-2) East Butler 40, Creighton 28 (10-0)

(10-0) Howells-Dodge 54, Johnson-Brock 42 (6-4)

(10-0) Medicine Valley 48, Perkins County 26 (8-2)

(10-0) South Loup 54, CWCE 15 (8-2)

Semifinals

(9-2) East Butler 22, Howells-Dodge 12 (11-0)

(11-0) South Loup 34, Medicine Valley 14 (11-0)

Championship Final

(10-2) East Butler 36, South Loup 14 (12-0)

Championship Team: East Butler (11-2), Coach: Shawn Biltoft

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*2017 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Offense*

QB---Dalton Bohac-East Butler, 5-10, 160, Senior

RB---Daniel Libolt-CWCE, 5-10, 175, Senior**

RB---Landon Lenz-Medicine Valley, 5-10, 155, Senior

WR--Trevor Havlovic-Wast Butler, 6-2, 205, Senior**

WR--Ty Hahn-Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 175, Sophomore

OL--Marshall Still-South Loup, 6-2, 220, Senior

OL--Ryan Macholan-Howells-Dodge, 6-2, 220, Senior

OL--Levi Stacken-Creighton, 6-0, 200, Senior

Kicker/Athlete-Sheldon Johnson-Medicine Valley, 5-10, 240, Senior

*2017 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Defense*

DL--Brandon Rezac-East Butler, 5-10, 215, Senior

DL--Caden Houghtelling-Cambridge, 6-5, 245, Senior

LB--Ben Bohling-Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 210, Senior

LB--Blake Schwarz-South Loup, 5-10, 180, Senior

LB--Bryce Zimmerer-Creighton, 5-10, 175, Senior

DB--Camden Robley-East Butler, 6-1, 175, Senior

DB--Charlie Johnson Perkins County, 6-3, 175, Senior**

DB--Jack Rush-South Loup, 6-4, 180, Senior

Athlete/Punter-Phalen Sanford Dundy County-Stratton, 6-0, 190, Senior

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*CLASS D-2*

2017 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1 BDS - 13-0 {Mark Rotter/Chris Ardissono}

2. Falls City Sacred Heart - 10-2 [Doug Goltz]

3. Blue Hill - 12- 1 {Jon Coffey}

4. Twin Loup - 10-1 {Mike Kozeal}

5. Mullen - 11-1 {Mitch Pfeiffer}

6. Bloomfield - 10-1 {Matt Kuchar}

7. Humphrey St. Francis - 8-2 {Eric Kessler}

8. Wynot - 8-2 {Steve Heimes}

9. Lawrence-Nelson - 8-3 {Brian Blevins}

10 Fullerton - 8-2 {Ryan Haughton}

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2017 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D2

First Round

(8-0) Mullen 66, Stuart 6 (3-5)

(5-3) Giltner 58, Arapahoe 50 (OT) (7-1)

(6-2) Lawrence-Nelson 54, Crawford 12 (4-4)

(7-1) Garden County 56, Wallace 0 (4-4)

(8-0) Twin Loup 55, Pleasanton 8 (5-3)

(6-2) Paxton 38, Sandhills/Thedford 18 (4-4)

(6-2) North Central 44, Wauneta-Palisade 6 (5-3)

(8-0) Blue Hill 60, Central Valley 18 (3-5)

(8-0) Bloomfield 76, Exeter-Millgan 6 (3-5)

(6-2) Randolph 20, Meridian 16 (5-3)

(7-1) Humphrey St. Francis 36, Osmond 0 (3-5)

(7-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 48, Lincoln Parkview Christian 22 (4-4)

(7-1) Friend 52, Allen 12 (5-3)

(6-2) Wynot 50, Wausa 20 (5-3)

(7-1) Fullerton 30, Osceola 24 (4-4)

(8-0) BDS 60, Pawnee City 16 (3-5)

Second Round

(9-0) Mullen 53, Giltner 8 (6-3)

(7-2) Lawrence-Nelson 26, Garden County 14 (8-1)

(9-0) Twin Loup 51, Paxton 6 (7-2)

(9-0) Blue Hill 49, North Central 20 (7-2)

(9-0) Bloomfield 48, Randolph 8 (7-2)

(8-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 34, Humphrey St. Francis 30 (8-1)

(7-2) Wynot 34, Friend 10 (8-1)

(9-0) BDS 50, Fullerton 16 (8-1)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Mullen 36, Lawrence-Nelson 18 (8-2)

(10-0) Blue Hill 37, Twin Loup 34 (10-0)

(9-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 15, Bloomfield 14 (10-0)

(10-0) BDS 58, Wynot 40 (8-2)

Semifinals

(11-0) Blue Hill 42, Mullen 30 (11-0)

(11-0) BDS 50, Falls City SacredHeart 16 (10-1)

Championship Final

(12-0) BDS 58, Blue Hill 23 (12-0)

Championship Team: BDS (13-0), Co-Coaches: Mark Rotter, Chris Ardissono-BDS

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*2017 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Offense*

QB--John Christensen-BDS, 6-1, 205, Junior

RB--Alex Horky-Twin Loup, 5-9, 175 Senior**

RB--Quentin Moles Bloomfield, 5-9, 190, Senior**

WR--Garrett Schardt-BDS, 6-3, 185, Senior

WR--Andrew Wendland-Crawford, 5-10, 165, Junior

OL--Roper Chandler-Paxton, 6-3, 230, Senior

OL--Theo Rohrer-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-3, 230, Senior

OL--Kevin Bruening-Wynot, 6-3, 255, Senior

Kicker-Joe Mackin-Blue Hill, 5-8, 140, Junior

*2017 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Defense*

DL--Carson Dickson-BDS, 6-4, 210, Senior

DL--Tell Spies-Mullen, 6-3, 250, Senior

DL--Spencer Keefe-Twin Loup, 6-4, 215, Senior

LB--Holden Stengel-BDS 6-1, 225, Senior

LB--Lane Deisley-Blue Hill, 6-2, 215, Senior

DB--Lane Edis-Mullen, 5-9, 170, Junior

DB- Caden Norder-BDS, 5-10, 190, Senior

DB--Christian Harring-Falls City Sacred Heart, 5-10, 170, Senior**

Athlete/Punter--Drew Bippes-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 165, Junior