A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2019 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

2019 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, the same exact number as 2018. SEVEN schools playing eight-man were above the playoff eligibility enrollment limit and thus ineligible for the playoffs in 2019).

*{Total schools actually fielding 8-Man football teams in 2019 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.}

*2019 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Osceola/High Plains - 11-2, (649-409), {50-31} (Greg Wood)

2. Burwell - 10-3, (498-295), {Luke Gideon}

3. Cross County - 7-5, (456-300), {Hayden DeLano}

4. Howells-Dodge - 10-1, (444-185), {Mike Speirs}

5. Dundy County/Stratton - 10-2, (534-226), {Mike Spargo}

6. Wakefield - 7-1, (448-192), {Mike Hassler}

7. Cambridge - 10- 1, (641-303), {Rodney Yates}

8. Ravenna - 7- 1, (450-247), {Dan Bolling}

9. Fullerton - 8-2, (408-224), {Ryan Haughton}

10 Arcadia/Loup City - 9-2, (482-233), {Mike Scott}

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2019 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D1

First Round

(8-0) Howells-Dodge 52, Homer 12 (4-4)

(5-3) Lutheran High NE 56, Lourdes Central Catholic 52 (4-4)

(5-3) Creighton 56, Wisner-Pilger 32 (7-1)

(6-2) Osceola-High Plains 73, Elkhorn Valley 12 (4-4)

(7-1) Elmwood-Murdock 74, East Butler 16 (4-4)

(5-3) Tri County 40, Southern 12 (6-2)

(4-4) Cross County 60, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 26 (6-2)

(8-0) BDS 42, Guardian Angels Central Catholic 20 (4-4)

(8-0) Cambridge 72, Nebraska Christian 36 (4-4)

(6-2) Neligh-Oakdale 44, Atkinson West Holt 35 (6-2)

(6-2) Burwell 48, Hitchcock County 16 (5-3)

(7-1) Elm Creek 45, Palmer 6 (3-5)

(7-1) Arcadia-Loup City 68, Alma 32 (5-3)

(8-0) Sutherland 32, North Central 16 (5-3)

(7-1) Dundy County/Stratton 50, Hemingford 12 (5-3)

(7-1) Fullerton 48, Morrill 14 (4-4)

Second Round

(9-0) Howells-Dodge 56, Lutheran High NE 22 (6-3)

(7-2) Osceola/High Plains 46, Creighton 32 (6-3)

(6-3) Tri County 68, Elmwood-Murdock 8 (8-1)

(5-4) Cross County 20, BDS 6 (9-0)

(9-0) Cambridge 62, Neligh-Oakdale 14 (7-2)

(7-2) Burwell 50, Elm Creek 13 (8-1)

(8-1) Arcadia-Loup City 72, Sutherland 14 (9-0)

(8-1) Dundy County/Stratton 20, Fullerton 18 (8-1)

Quarterfinals

(8-2) Osceola-High Plains 28, Howells-Dodge 14 (10-0)

(6-4) Cross County 36, Tri County 12 (7-3)

(8-2) Burwell 71, Cambridge 48 (10-0)

(9-1) Dundy County/Stratton 42, Arcadia-Loup City 30 (9-1)

Semifinals

(9-2) Osceola-High Plains 34, Cross County 30 (7-4)

(9-2) Burwell 28, Dundy County/Stratton 10 (10-1)

Championship Final

(10-2) Osceola-High Plains 40, Burwell 34 (10-2)

Championship Team: Osceola/High Plains (11-2), Coach: Greg Wood

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*2019 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Offense*

QB--Jaxson Kant-Lutheran High NE, 5-11, 185, Senior

RB--Keaton Van Housen-Osceola/High Plains, 5-11, 180, Senior

RB--Jace Williams-Burwell, 6-0, 220, Senior**

RB--Justin Erb-Wakefield 6-3, 195, Junior

WR-Andrew Waltke-Palmyra, 6-3, 180, Sophomore**

WR-Deryk Huxoll-Cambridge, 5-11, 175, Senior

OL--Thomas Harrington-Newton-Cross County, 6-2, 230, Senior

OL--Casey Doernemann-West Point Guardian Angels CC, 6-5, 270, Senior

OL--CJ Pickrel-Fullerton-5-11, 235, Senior

*2019 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) Defense*

DL--Carter Throener-Howells-Dodge 6-1, 225, Senior

DL--Kyle Sterup-Osceola/High Plains, 6-2, 190, Junior

LB--Dylan Soule-Osceola/High Plains, 5-11, 185, Senior

LB--Corey Dawe-Burwell, 6-0, 190, Senior

LB--Caden Kusek-Arcadia-Loup City, 6-0, 190, Senior

DB--Thad Hazen-Creighton, 6-1, 175, Senior

DB--Jaden Rhynalds-East Butler, 5-11, 155, Senior

DB--Luke Rocheford-Howells-Dodge, 6-2, 175, Senior

Athlete/Punter-Paxton Ross-Cambridge, 5-11, 185, Senior

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*CLASS D-2*

2019 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1 Humphrey St. Francis - 13-0, (780-124), [60-9], {Eric Kessler}

2. Falls City Sacred Heart - 11-1, (615-142), [Doug Goltz]

3. Plainview - 9-2, (546-250), [Kyle Schmidt]

4. Bloomfield - 10-1, (502-218), {Matt Kuchar}

5. Johnson-Brock - 7-3, (472-260), {Mitch Roberts}

6. Pleasanton - 10-3, (478-360) {Ricci Westland}

7. Overton - 8-4, (370-287), {Paul Heusinkvelt}

8. Central Valley - 10-1, (507-200), {Jess Rother}

9. Kenesaw - 8-2, (363-136), {Craig Schnitzler}

10 Elwood - 8-2, (446-243), {Patrick Ropers}

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2019 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D2

First Round

(8-0) Garden County 52, Blue Hill 6 (4-4)

(5-3) Overton 16, CWCE 14 (7-1)

(8-0) Central Valley 36, Medicine Valley 12 (3-5)

(7-1) Elwood 86, Maxwell 25 (3-5)

(3-5) Mullen 18, Sandhills/Thedford 12 (8-0)

(4-4) Twin Loup 34, Axtell 0 (6-2)

(6-2) Pleasanton 56, Brady 34 (5-3)

(7-1) Kenesaw 52, Anselmo-Merna 14 (3-5)

(8-0) Humphrey St. Francis 68, Elgin Public/Pope John 6 (2-6)

(4-4) Lawrence-Nelson 48, Allen 24 (3-5)

(7-1 Plainview 56, Randolph 6 (6-2)

(6-2) Johnson-Brock 62, Wynot 14 (3-5)

(8-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 60, Diller-Odell 6 (3-5)

(6-2) Clarkson/Leigh 58, Riverside 6 (5-3)

(5-3) Hartington-Newcastle 75, Mead 28 (5-3)

(8-0) Bloomfield 54, Pender 16 (4-4)

Second Round

(6-3) Overton 36, Garden County 12 (9-0)

(9-0) Central Valley 50, Elwood 24 (8-1)

(5-4) Twin Loup 36, Mullen 14 (4-5)

(7-2) Pleasanton 27, Kenesaw 14 (8-1)

(9-0) Humphrey St. Francis 60, Lawrence-Nelson 14 (5-4)

(8-1) Plainview 36, Johnson-Brock 28 (7-2)

(9-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 56, Clarkson/Leigh 6 (7-2)

(9-0) Bloomfield 50, Hartington-Newcastle 20 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(7-3) Overton 22, Central Valley 14 (10-0)

(8-2) Pleasanton 34, Twin Loup 24 (6-4)

(10-0) Humphrey St. Francis 64, Plainview 20 (9-1)

(10-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 36, Bloomfield 0 (10-0)

Semifinals

(9-2) Pleasanton 12, Overton 6 (8-3)

(11-0) Humphrey St. Francis 24, Falls City Sacred Heart 16 (11-0)

Championship Final

(12-0) Humphrey St. Francis 70, Pleasanton 16 (10-2)

Championship Team: Humphrey St. Francis, (13-0), Coach: Eric Kessler

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*2019 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Offense*

QB--Trevor Pfeifer-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-2, 210, Senior

RB--Taylor Wemhoff-Humphrey St. Francis,5-10, 170, Senior

RB--Ryan Lauby-Overton, 5-11, 180, Senior

RB--Braden Eisenhauer-Bloomfield, 5-10, 170, Senior

WR--Ty Hahn-Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 190, Senior***

WR--Tyce Westland-Pleasanton, 6-4, 215, Junior

OL--Dylan Wemhoff-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-1, 255, Senior

OL--Kolbe Classen-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-1, 225, Senior

OL--Sloan Lenard-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-2, 250, Senior

*2019 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) Defense*

DL--Kien Martin-Overton, 6-0, 270, Senior

DL--Quade Young-Twin Loup 5-10, 205, Junior

DL--Joshua Klabenes-CWCE, 6-4, 270, Senior

LB--Branson Darveau-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 200, Senior

LB--Del Casteel-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 195, Junior

LB--Evan Foltz-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-1, 240, Senior

DB--Jake Hoy-Falls City Sacred Heart, 5-11, 165, Senior

DB--Nate Christensen-Plainview, 5-9, 145, Senior

Athlete/Punter-Colby Coons-Twin Loup, 5-7, 170, Senior