A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2020 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

**(The NSAA State Football Championships were held on November 20th . Due to the Lancaster County Health Department COVID-19 DHM, games were moved out of Memorial Stadium to home sites of the higher seed. The Class D1 Championship was contested at Burwell High School, and Class D2 at Shickley High School.)**

***{Total schools actually fielding 8-Man football teams in 2020 was 114, FIVE more than 2019 and tops in the USA. Teams regular season records varied during this 2020 season because of game cancellations caused by the COVID-19 virus. }***

2020 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1)

*2020 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Dundy County-Stratton (12-0) 650-208, {54-17} [Mike Spargo]

2. Burwell (12-1) 679-313 {Luke Gideon}

3. Cross County (11-1), 674-211 {Hayden DeLano}

4. Tri County (10-1) 532-186 {Brett Scheiding}

5. Neligh-Oakdale (9-2) 610-316 {Ron Beacom}

6. Wakefield (7-0) 348-135 {Mike Hassler}

7. Stanton (8-2) 492-257 {David Stoddard}

8. Weeping Water (8-2) 428-222 {Mitchell Shepard}

9. Arcadia-Loup City (6-4) 426-240 {Mike Scott}

10. Howells-Dodge (7-3) 352-200 {Mike Speirs}

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2020 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D1

First Round

(8-0) Burwell 47, North Central 14 (4-4)

(5-3) Arcadia-Loup City 70, Amherst 23 (5-3)

(4-2) Nebraska Christian 24, Hemingford 14 (6-2)

(7-1) Elm Creek 32, Hitchcock County 14 (6-2)

(7-1) Neligh-Oakdale 52, Elkhorn Valley 12 (5-3)

(4-3) Hi-Line 44, Southern Valley 12 (5-3)

(3-3) Cambridge 36, Sutherland 22 (5-3)

(7-0) Dundy County/Stratton 58, Anselmo-Merna 18 (4-4)

(7-0) Tri County 1, Southern 0 (Forfeit) {3-4}

(5-2) Lourdes Central Catholic 54 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 34 (4-2)

(6-1) Weeping Water 24, Freeman 14 (5-2)

(7-1) Lutheran High Northeast 50, Elmwood-Murdock 22 (5-3)

(6-1) Stanton 81, EMF 28 (4-3)

(5-3) Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 76, Thayer Central 36 (6-2)

(6-2) Howells-Dodge 42, West Point Guardian Angels CC 14 (3-4)

(8-0) Cross County 56, Clarkson/Leigh 6 (4-4)

Second Round

(8-0) Tri County 40, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 12 (6-3)

(7-1) Weeping Water 36, Lutheran High Northeast 32 (8-1)

(7-1) Stanton 56, Arcadia Loup City 14 (6-3)

(8-0) Dundy County Stratton 48, Nebraska CityLourdes 30 (6-2)

(9-0) Burwell 50, Howells-Dodge 14 (7-2)

(8-1) Neligh-Oakdale 72, Hi-Line 50 (5-3)

(8-1) Elm Creek 24, Nebraska Christian 22 (5-2)

(9-0) Cross County 54, Cambridge 16 (4-3)

Quarterfinals

(9-0) Tri County 44, Weeping Water 28 (8-1)

(9-0) Dundy County Stratton 50, Stanton 24 (8-1)

(10-0) Burwell 49, Neligh-Oakdale 48 (9-1)

(10-0) Cross County 62, Elm Creek 6 (9-1)

Semifinals

(10-0) Dundy County Stratton 42, Tri County 24 (10-0)

(11-0) Burwell 37, Cross County 36 (11-0)

Championship Final

(11-0) Dundy County/Stratton 42, Burwell 36 (2OT) {12-0}

Championship Team: Dundy County/Stratton (13-0), Coach: Michael Spargo

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All-State Teams

EIGHT MAN-1 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS - 2020

OFFENSE

QB--Quade Myers-Dundy County Stratton, 5-10, 185, Junior

RB--Isaac Noyd-Cross County, 5-8, 145, Senior

RB--Caleb Busch-Burwell, 6-0, 180, Junior

WR--Julien Hearn-Neligh-Oakdale, 5-9, 165, Senior

WR--Andrew Waltke-Palmyra, 6-4, 195, Junior

OL--Keegan Krutsinger-Dundy County Stratton, 6-4, 290, Senior

OL--Carter Mann-Burwell, 6-4, 230, Junior

OL--Lincoln Kelley-Cross County, 5-10, 225, Senior

Kicker-Nolan Eloe-Amherst, 5-11, 140, Sophomore

DEFENSE

DL, Delton Haines-Dundy County Stratton, 5-11, 240, Senior

DL, Weston Reiman-Weeping Water, 6-2, 250, Senior

LB, Justin Erb-Wakefield, 6-3, 205, Senior

LB, Carter Seim-Cross County, 6-2, 190, Junior

DB, Sutton Pohlman-Stanton, 6-0, 195, Senior

DB, Cash Gurney-Burwell, 6-0, 180, Junior

DB, Serbando Diaz-Dundy County Stratton, 5-7, 150, Senior

DB, Cole Siems-Tri County, 6-0, 165, Senior

Athlete/Punter-Aiden Kuester, Neligh-Oakdale, 6-0, 190, Sophomore---------------------------------------------------- -------

*CLASS D-2*

2020 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. BDS (12-0) 636-234, {53-19}, [Mark Rotter & Chris Ardissono]

2. Sandhills/Thedford (12-1) 716-189 {Josh Deines}

3. Central Valley (10-1) 538-233 {Jess Rother}

4. Falls City Sacred Heart (9-2) 566-204 {Doug Goltz}

5. Osceola (9-1) 659-230 {Bob Fuller}

6. Kenesaw (8-2) 496-208 {Craig Schnitzler}

7. Humphrey St. Francis (8-2) 534-155 {Eric Kessler}

8. O’Neill St. Mary’s (10-1) 512-228 {Tony Allen}

9. Pleasanton (9-2) 488-371 {Ricci Westland}

10. Loomis (8-2) 403-242 {Denis Reece}

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2020 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

CLASS D2

First Round

(6-0) Central Valley 52, Blue Hill 20 (1-6)

(7-1) Medicine Valley 34, Garden County 14 (6-2)

(7-1) Loomis 52, Leyton 16 (5-3)

(6-1) Kenesaw 52, Palmer 16 (3-5)

(8-0) O’Neill St. Mary’s 56, Sandhills Valley 18 (4-4)

(7-1) Pleasanton 46, Mullen 24 (6-2)

(5-3) Ansley-Litchfield 34, Riverside 12 (3-3)

(8-0) Sandhills/Thedford 68, Axtell 22 (3-5)

(6-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 60, Fullerton 14 (2-4)

(6-2) Creighton 54, Osmond 26 (5-2)

(7-1) Humphrey St. Francis 74, Niobrara/Verdigre 6 (2-3)

(6-0) Allen 46, Johnson-Brock 20 (3-5)

(5-1) Wynot 46, Winside 20 (5-3)

(7-0) Osceola 52, Pender 0 (5-3)

(4-3) Bloomfield 26, Mead 0 (4-4)

(7-0) BDS 50, Elgin Public/Pope John 0 (3-5)

Second Round

(7-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 54, Creighton 28 (7-2)

(8-0) Osceola 50, Humphrey St. Francis 46 (8-1)

(9-0) Sandhills/Thedford 60, Loomis 16 (8-1)

(8-1) Pleasanton 46, Wynot 30 (6-1)

(7-0) Central Valley 79, Medicine Valley 42 (8-1)

(9-0) O’Neill St. Mary’s 34, Bloomfield 24 (5-3)

(7-1) Kenesaw 64, Allen 20 (6-0)

(8-0) BDS 50, Ansley-Litchfield 28 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(8-1) Falls City Sacred Heart 54, Osceola 28 (9-0)

(10-0) Sandhills/Thedford 50, Pleasanton 8 (9-1)

(8-0) Central Valley 44, O’Neill St. Mary’s 14 (10-0)

(9-0) BDS 60, Kenesaw 27 (8-1)

Semifinals

(11-0) Sandhills/Thedford 36, Falls City Sacred Heart 26 (9-1)

(10-0) BDS 40, Central Valley 36 (9-0)

Championship Final

(11-0) BDS 36, Sandhills/Thedford 28 (11-0)

Championship Team: () Coaches: Mark Rotter & Chris Ardissono

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EIGHT MAN-2 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS - 2020

OFFENSE

QB, Dominic Philippi-BDS, 5-8, 150, Senior

RB, Dane Pokorny-Sandhills/Thedford, 6-3, 200, Junior

RB, Bryce Reed-Osceola, 5-11, 180, Senior

WR, Dalton Kleinschmidt-BDS, 5-11, 155, Senior

TE, Tyce Westland-Pleasanton, 6-5, 224, Senior

OL, Eric Schroeder-BDS, 6-4, 220, Senior

OL, Brayton Branic-Sandhills/Thedford, 6-0, 270, Senior

OL, Kyle Sterup-Osceola, 6-3, 220, Senior

Ath/Kicker, Brogan Nachtigal-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-3, 215, Junior

DEFENSE

DL, Kyle Ardissono-BDS, 6-4, 220, Senior

DL, Trevor Cargill-Central Valley, 6-3, 280, Senior

LB, Del Casteel-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-0, 200, Senior

LB, Reed McFadden-Sandhills/Thedford, 6-1, 210, Senior

DB, Jakob Jordan-Falls City Sacred Heart, 5-11, 165, Junior

DB, Jackson McIntyre-Central Valley, 5-10, 180, Senior

DB, Tanner Pfeifer-Humphrey St. Francis, 6-2, 180, Junior

DB, Tyson Denkert-Kenesaw, 5-10, 180, Junior

A/P, Aidan Hedstrom-O'Neill St. Mary's, 6-3, 180, Junior