A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2022 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

**{Total schools actually fielding 8-Man football teams in Nebraska during the 2022 season was 114, the same as 2021 and still tops in the USA.}**

*CLASS D-1*

*2022 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Clarkson/Leigh (12-1), 600-237 {Jim Clarkson}

2. Neligh-Oakdale (11-2), 662-396 {Ron Beacom}

3. Stanton (11-1), 639-226 {Dave Stoddard}

4. North Platte St. Patrick's (11-1), 638-192 {Kevin Dodson}

5. Riverside (9-2), 466-236 {Cory Valasek}

6. Palmyra (7-1), 409-266 {Tyler Maas}

7. Elmwood-Murdock (9-2), 621-377 {Lance Steffen}

8. Weeping Water (6-5), 428-330 {Mitchell Shepard}

9. Cross County (8-1), 494-164 {Matt Carroll}

10. Nebraska Christian (8-3), 369-260 {Andy Falk}

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2022 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

Class D1

First Round

(8-0) North Platte St. Patrick’s 56, Elkhorn Valley 24 ()

(5-3) Summerland 28, Bridgeport 14 (4-4)

(7-1) Hi-Line 52, Arapahoe 16 (4-4)

(5-3) Sandy Creek 24, Sandhills Valley 18 (7-1)

(7-1) Neligh-Oakdale 70, Cambridge 22 (4-4)

(6-2) Nebraska Christian 38, Alma 36 (5-3)

(6-2) Ravenna 42, Perkins County 18 (5-3)

(7-1) Riverside 55, Maxwell 12 (4-4)

(8-0) Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 68, Mead 20 (4-4)

(6-2) Heartland 20, EMF 18 (4-4)

(7-1) Clarkson/Leigh 28, Wisner-Pilger 23 (5-3)

(7-1) Thayer Central 44, Shelby-Rising City 0 (5-3)

(4-4) Weeping Water 42, Cross County 22 (8-0)

(7-1) Elmwood-Murdock 59, Plainview 26 (5-3)

(5-3) Crofton 40, Freeman 7 (5-3)

(8-0) Stanton 79, Pender 20 (4-4)

Second Round

(9-0) North Platte St. Patrick’s 50, Sandy Creek 14 (6-3)

(8-1) Elmwood-Murdock 50, Hi-Line 30 (8-1)

(8-1) Neligh-Oakdale 34, Heartland 22 (7-2)

(8-1) Riverside 30, Summerland 18 (6-3)

(9-0) Stanton 54, Ravenna 18 (7-2)

(7-2) Nebraska Christian 14, Thayer Central 0 (8-1)

(8-1) Clarkson/Leigh 22, Crofton 14 (6-3)

(5-4) Weeping Water 40, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge 22 (9-0)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) North Platte St. Patrick’s 63, Elmwood-Murdock 16 (9-1)

(9-1) Neligh-Oakdale 40, Riverside 28 (9-1)

(10-0) Stanton 52, Nebraska Christian 24 (8-2)

(9-1) Clarkson/Leigh 46, Weeping Water 18 (6-4)

Semifinals

(10-1) Neligh-Oakdale 50, North Platte St. Patrick’s 28 (11-0)

(10-1) Clarkson/Leigh 54, Stanton 12 (11-0)

Championship Final

(11-1) Clarkson/Leigh 48, Neligh-Oakdale 20 (11-1)

Championship Team: Clarkson/Leigh (12-1), Coach: Jim Clarkson

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All-State Teams

2022 EIGHT MAN-1 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

EIGHT MAN-1

Offense

WR — Bryson Gadeken, Neligh-Oakdale, 6-3, 190, Junior

OL — Alex Noyd, Cross County, 5-11, 225, Junior

OL — Korbin Lemburg, Clarkson/Leigh, 6-2, 290, Sophomore

OL — Gunner Mumford, Thayer Central, 5-10, 185, Senior

QB — Aiden Kuester, Neligh-Oakdale, 6-0, 185, Senior

RB — Kyle Kasik, Clarkson/Leigh, 5-11, 180, Senior

RB — Jackson Roberts, North Platte St. Patrick's, 6-1, 175, Junior

RB — Breckan Schluter, Exeter-Milligan/Friend, 6-1, 195, Junior

K — Quinton Heineman, Pender, 5-10, 170, Senior

Defense

DL — Brecken Erickson, North Platte St. Patrick's, 6-3, 215, Junior

DL — Jackson Koehn, Clarkson/Leigh, 5-11, 195, Senior

LB — Becker Pohlman, Stanton, 5-11, 180, Sophomore

LB — Drew Beeson, Clarkson/Leigh, 5-10, 190, Senior

LB — Cade Hosier, Elmwood-Murdock, 5-9, 170, Senior

LB — Sutton Ehlers, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, 5-11, 180, Senior

DB — Ryker Evans, Hi-Line, 5-10, 160, Junior

DB — Carson Bloom, Riverside, 6-1, 175, Senior

P — Carter Ruse, Freeman, 6-3, 200, Senior

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*CLASS D-2*

2022 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Hitchcock County (13-0), 602-64 {Randall Rath}

2. Howells-Dodge (12-1), 613-142 {Mike Speirs}

3. Central Valley (10-2), 532-263 {Chip Bartos}

4. Bloomfield (10-2), 562-234, {Matt Kuchar}

5. BDS (10-1), 530-221 {Mark Rotter/Chris Ardissono}

6. Wynot (9-2), 445-274 {Steve Heimes}

7. Elm Creek (9-2), 445-270 {Josh Rohde}

8. Dundy County-Stratton (9-2), 437-185, {Mike Spargo}

9. Sandhills/Thedford (8-2), 418-156 {Josh Deines}

10. South Loup (6-4), 406-216 {Mat Jageler}

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2022 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

Class D2

First Round

(8-0) Hitchcock County 78, Maywood-Hayes Center 0 (4-4)

(5-3) South Loup 40, Kenesaw 6 (7-1)

(7-1) Elm Creek 52, Mullen 8 (4-4)

(7-1) Dundy Country Stratton 42, Axtell 8 (4-4)

(8-0) Ainsworth 64, Loomis 20 (3-5)

(7-1) Central Valley 52, O’Neill St. Mary’s 6 (6-2)

(6-2) Twin Loup 66, Elgin Public/Pope John 26 (6-2)

(7-1) Sandhills/Thedford 80, Hyannis 28 (4-4)

(8-0) Howells-Dodge 64, Creighton 12 (4-4)

(5-3) Humphrey St. Francis 64, Falls City Sacred Heart 12 (4-4)

(7-1) Johnson-Brock 58, Wausa 22 (5-3)

(7-1) Bloomfield 88, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 0 (5-3)

(8-0) BDS 46, Nebraska Lutheran (Waco) 6 (5-3)

(7-1) Osceola 88, Fullerton 38 (4-4)

(7-1) Lawrence-Nelson 62, Nebraska City Lourdes 16 (4-4)

(7-1) Wynot 56, Winside 20 (4-4)

Second Round

(9-0) Howells-Dodge 40, South Loup 12 (6-3)

(8-1) Dundy County Stratton 48, Johnson-Brock 8 (8-1)

(8-1) Central Valley 20, Sandhills/Thedford 16 (8-1)

(9-0) BDS 54, Lawrence-Nelson 26 (8-1)

(8-1) Wynot 34, Twin Loup 28 (7-2)

(8-1) Bloomfield 44, Osceola 42 (8-1)

(8-1) Elm Creek 33, Ainsworth 18 (9-0)

(9-0) Hitchcock County 52, Humphrey St. Francis 0 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Howells-Dodge 58, Dundy County Stratton 8 (9-1)

(9-1) Central Valley 42, BDS 20 (10-0)

(9-1) Bloomfield 34, Wynot 22 (9-1)

(10-0) Hitchcock County 58, Elm Creek 6 (9-1)

Semifinals

(11-0) Howells-Dodge 50, Central Valley 12 (10-1)

(11-0) Hitchcock County 48, Bloomfield 0 (10-1)

Championship Final

(12-0) Hitchcock County 22, Howells-Dodge 12 (12-0)

Championship Team: Hitchcock County (13-0) Coach: Randall Rath

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2022 EIGHT MAN-2 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

EIGHT MAN-2

Offense

WR — Nic Parriott, Johnson-Brock, 6-3, 190, Senior

OL — Cole Grovijohn, Howells-Dodge, 6-1, 215, Senior

OL — Dylan Carr, Elm Creek, 6-0, 250, Senior

OL — Jack Kerchal, Dundy County-Stratton, 6-4, 205, Junior

QB — Keynan Gaston, Hitchcock County, 5-11, 192, Senior

RB — Lance Brester, Howells-Dodge, 6-3, 195, Senior

RB — Zandar Wolf, Central Valley, 5-9, 190, Senior

RB — Isaiah Zelasney, Osceola, 5-10, 180, Senior

A/K — Carter Nelson, Ainsworth, 6-5, 215, Junior

Defense

DL — Aandy Dominguez, Howells-Dodge, 6-1, 190, Senior

DL — Trent Kisker, Hitchcock County, 6-1, 192, Senior

LB — Carter Erickson, Elm Creek, 6-1, 190, Senior

LB — Keegan Shuler, Hitchcock County, 6-0, 218, Senior

LB — Jestin Bayer, Howells-Dodge, 6-0, 195, Senior

LB — Easton Weber, BDS, 5-11, 200, Senior

DB — Kolyn Gaston, Hitchcock County, 6-0, 187, Senior

DB — Isaac Everitt, O'Neill St. Mary's, 6-2, 160, Senior

P — Evan Keithley, Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-1, 175, Senior