A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2018 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

2018 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1)

(**Classes D1 and D2 consisted of all schools playing 8-man football. There were 50 schools playing football in D-1 and 52 competing in D2 for a total of 102* schools, FIVE less than 2017. SEVEN schools playing eight-man were above the playoff eligibility enrollment limit and thus ineligible for the playoffs in 2018).

*{Total schools actually fielding 8-Man football teams in 2018 was 109, the 102 that were eligible plus the 7 that were ineligible because of exceeding the NSAA male enrollment limit of 47 in grades 9 through 11.}

*2018 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Creighton - 13-0, (727-287), {56-22} (Zac Kliment)

2. Burwell - 12-1, (516-178), {Luke Gideon}

3. EMF - 11-1, (608-272), {Dean Filipi}

4. Wakefield - 6-2, (432-242), {Mike Hassler}

5. Lutheran High NE - 9-2, (692-403), {Darin Suckstorf}

6. West Point Guardian Angels CC - 9-2, (474-223), {Dave Ridder}

7. Howells-Dodge - 7- 3, (385-266), {Mike Spiers}

8. North Central - 8- 4, (514-300), {Ryan Richey}

9. Nebraska Christian - 9-1, (448-102), {Carl Ostrand}

10 Dundy County/Stratton - 8-3, (476-328), {Mike Spargo}

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2018 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D1

First Round

(8-0) Burwell 63, Palmer 26 (2-6)

(6-2) Sutherland 40, Amherst 34 (3-5)

(4-4) Arcadia/Loup City 28, Elm Creek 18 (3-5)

(5-3) Hemingford 60, Arapahoe 14 (5-3)

(8-0) Nebraska Christian 76, Ainsworth 40 (3-5)

(5-3) North Central 60, Neligh-Oakdale 26 (4-4)

(6-2) Dundy County-Stratton 30, Cambridge 29 (5-3)

(7-1) South Loup 38, Ansley/Litchfield 0 (3-5)

(8-0) Creighton 82, Southern 28 (4-4)

(6-2) Wisner-Pilger 42, Lourdes Central Catholic 6 (5-3)

(7-1) Lutheran High Northeast 68, Elmwood-Murdock 24 (4-4)

(4-4) Osceola/High Plains Community 34, BDS 22 (8-0)

(7-1) Guardian Angels Central Catholic 48, Thayer Central 14 (4-4)

(6-2) Howells-Dodge 52, Cross County 12 (4-4)

(6-2) Fullerton 40, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 34 (OT) (4-4)

(8-0) Exeter-Milligan/Friend 60, East Butler 24 (3-5)

Second Round

(9-0) Burwell 48, Sutherland 0 (7-2)

(5-4) Arcadia/Loup City 34, Hemingford 28 (6-3)

(6-3) North Central 36, Nebraska Christian 28 (9-0)

(7-2) Dundy County-Stratton 20, South Loup 14 (8-1)

(9-0) Creighton 66, Wisner-Pilger 12 (7-2)

(8-1) Lutheran High NE 66, Osceola/High Plains 26 (5-4)

(8-1) Guardian Angels Central Catholic 40, Howells-Dodge 34 (7-2)

(9-0) EMF 40, Fullerton 28 (7-2)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Burwell 43, Arcadia/Loup City 8 (6-4)

(7-3) North Central 50, Dundy County-Stratton 14 (8-2)

(10-0) Creighton 76, Lutheran High NE 28 (9-1)

(10-0) EMF 46, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 12 (9-1)

Semifinals

(11-0) Burwell 23, North Central 22 (8-3)

(11-0) Creighton 72, EMF 26 (11-0)

Championship Final

(12-0) Creighton 32, Burwell 30 (12-0)

Championship Team: Creighton (13-0), Coach: Zac Kliment

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*2018 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Offense*

QB---Brayden Zimmerer-Creighton, 6-2, 185, Junior

RB---Bryce Zimmerer-Creighton, 6-1, 180, Senior**

RB---Jace Williams-Burwell, 6-0, 200, Junior

WR--Andrew Waltke-Palmyra, 6-2, 170, FRESHMAN

WR--Josh Urbanovski-Burwell, 6-3, 180, Senior

OL--Weston Swoboda-Burwell, 6-0, 200, Senior

OL--Casey Doernman-West Point Guardian Angels CC, 6-5, 260, Senior

OL--Connor Wilcox-Lutheran High NE, 6-0, 200, Senior

Athlete-Edwin Baptista-EMF, 5-10, 200, Senior

*2018 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Defense*

DL-Travis Tyler-Creighton, 6-2, 275, Senior

DL-Slater Wells-EMF, 6-0, 203, Senior

DL-Colton Munger-North Central, 6-1, 190, Senior

LB-John Christensen-BDS, 6-1, 200, Senior**

LB-Tucker Quinn-Arcadia-Loup city, 5-11, 190, Senior

LB--Jared Minnick-West Point Guardian Angels CC-, 6-0, 185, Senior

DB--Jakob Heerten-North Central, 6-0, 165, Senior

DB--Coy Gideon-Burwell, 5-10, 160, Senior

Athlete/Punter-Dylan Horjesi-Howells-Dodge, 5-10, 190, Senior

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*CLASS D-2*

2018 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1 Johnson-Brock - 13-0, (836-215), [64-16], {Mitch Roberts}

2. Humphrey St. Francis - 11-1, (623-242) [Eric Kessler]

3. Falls City Sacred Heart - 9-2, (495-216), [Doug Goltz]

4. Mullen - 12-1, (581-293), {Mitch Pfeiffer}

5. Lawrence-Nelson - 8-4, (391-326), {Brian Blevins}

6. Clearwater-Orchard - 8-2, (514-186) {Jeff Shabram}

7. Kenesaw - 8-2, (553-153), {Craig Schnitzler}

8. Bloomfield - 10-1, (456-217), {Matt Kuchar}

9. Overton - 9-2, (532-247), {Paul Heusinkvelt}

10 Sandhills-Thedford - 8-2, (386-186), {Josh Deines}

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2018 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D2

First Round

(8-0) Mullen 47, Paxton 18 (2-6)

(6-2) Garden County 50, Medicine Valley 8 (5-3)

(7-1) Sandhills/Thedford 48, Bertrand 26 (6-2)

(7-1) Overton 42, Giltner 34 (4-4)

(7-1) Clearwater/Orchard 54, Brady 20 ()

(5-3) Lawrence-Nelson 38, Wauneta-Palisade 8 (7-1)

(6-2) Riverside 40, Central Valley 0 (6-2)

(8-0) Kenesaw 62, Twin Loup 18 (3-5)

(8-0) Humphrey St. Francis 54, Wausa 12 (3-5)

(5-3) Hartington-Newcastle 62, Clarkson/Leigh 34 (5-3)

(7-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 42, Wynot 0 (3-5)

(6-2) Randolph 30, Plainview 20 (3-5)

(8-0) Bloomfield 38, Meridian 14 (5-3)

(6-2) Osmond 40, Diller-Odell 30 (5-3)

(5-3) Allen 60, Emerson-Hubbard 26 (6-2)

(8-0) Johnson-Brock 82, Pender 3 (4-4)

Second Round

(9-0) Mullen 38, Garden County 14 (7-2)

(8-1) Overton 30, Sandhills/Thedford 24 (8-1)

(6-3) Lawrence-Nelson 33, Clearwater/Orchard 30 (8-1)

(9-0) Kenesaw 50, Riverside 22 (7-2)

(9-0) Humphrey St. Francis 54, Hartington-Newcastle 8 (6-3)

(8-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 60, Randolph 22 (7-2)

(9-0) Bloomfield 30, Osmond 20 (7-2)

(9-0) Johnson-Brock 76, Allen 0 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Mullen 52, Overton 36 (9-1)

(7-3) Lawrence-Nelson 28, Kenesaw 12 (10-0)

(10-0) Humphrey St. Francis 54, Falls City Sacred Heart 36 (9-1)

(10-0) Johnson-Brock 72, Bloomfield 32 (10-0)

Semifinals

(11-0) Mullen 36, Lawrence-Nelson 24 (8-3)

(11-0) Johnson-Brock 58, Humphrey St. Francis 44 (11-0)

Championship Final

(12-0) Johnson-Brock 56, Mullen 26 (12-0)

Championship Team: Johnson-Brock (13-0), Coach: Mitch Roberts

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*2018 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Offense*

QB--Cole Fossenbarger-Johnson-Brock, 5-10, 145, Senior

RB--Lane Edis-Mullen, 5-10, 180, Senior**

RB--Cauy Pokorny-Sandhills-Thedford, 6-0, 190, Senior

WR--Kaden Glynn-Johnson-Brock, 6-1, 210, Sophomore

WR--Ty Hahn-Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 185, Junior**

OL--Dylan Wemhoff-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-1, 250, Junior

OL--Schuyler Brown-Overton, 6-3, 230, Senior

OL--Kyle Golay-Lawrence-Nelson, 6-2, 270, Junior

Kicker-Ethan Baue-Wausa, 5-10, 170, Junior

*2018 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Defense*

DL--Seth Moerer-Johnson-Brock, 6-3, 240, Senior

DL--Gage Haake-Sandhills-Thedford, 6-3, 200, Senior

DL--Clayton Hassett-Mullen, 6-3, 200, Junior

LB--Del Casteel-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 190, Sophomore

LB--Ty Martinsen-Riverside, 5-10, 205, Senior

LB--Jacob Long-Clearwater-Orchard, 6-1, 185, Senior

DB--Jarrett Weidner-Humphrey St. Francis, 5-10, 160, Senior

DB--Drew Bippes-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-1, 195, Senior

Athlete/Punter--Trevor Pfeifer-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-3, 195, Junior