A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - Saluting the 2023 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings

**{Total schools actually fielding 8-Man football teams in Nebraska during the 2023 season was 114, the same as 2022 and remains #1 in the USA.}**

*CLASS D-1*

*2023 Final Class D-1 Top 10* (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Stanton (13-0), 761-283 {Dave Stoddard}

2. Sandy Creek (11-1), 660-242 {Andrew Kuta}

3. EMF (11-2), 645-314 {Kory Kahlandt/Jim Pfeiffer}

4. Crofton (11-1), 650-223 {Tom Allen}

5. North Platte St. Patrick’s (10-1), 574-164 {Kevin Dodson}

6. Cross County (10-1), 627-148 {Matt Carroll}

7. Weeping Water (7-3), 344-206 {Chris Smith}

8. Elkhorn Valley (8-3), 308-285 {Brandon Black}

9. Plainview (9-1), 411-218 {Kyle Schmidt}

10. Arapahoe (9-2), 404-256 {Dustin Kronhofman}

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2023 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) PLAYOFFS

Class D1

First Round

(8-0) North Platte St. Patrick’s 65, Sutton 28 (3-5)

(6-2) Bridgeport 70, Alma 20 (5-3)

(8-0) Ravenna 56, Neligh-Oakdale 26 (4-4)

(7-1) Arapahoe 52, Hemingford 22 (5-3)

(3-5) Summerland 52, Hi-Line 46 (7-1)

(6-2) Elkhorn Valley 50, Riverside 20 (5-3)

(6-2) Perkins County 56, Cambridge 6 (4-4)

(8-0) Sandy Creek 62, Maxwell 22 (4-4)

(8-0) Stanton 78, Mead 6 (3-5)

(5-3) Clarkson/Leigh 38, Johnson County Central 34 (8-0)

(7-1) EMF 40, Pender 14 (5-3)

(8-0) Plainview 49, Hartington-Newcastle 40 (4-4)

(8-0) Cross County 52, Wisner-Pilger 22 (5-3)

(7-1) Shelby-Rising City 58, Elmwood-Murdock 0 (7-1)

(6-2) Weeping Water 34, Thayer Central 28 (6-2)

(8-0) Crofton 60, Tri County Northeast 8 (5-3)

Second Round

(9-0) Stanton 60, Summerland 30 (4-5)

(8-1) Arapahoe 12, Ravenna 6 (9-0)

(9-0) Sandy Creek 22, Weeping Water 20 (7-2)

(9-0) Cross County 58, Perkins County 6 (7-2)

(9-0) Crofton 72, Bridgeport 34 (7-2)

(7-2) Elkhorn Valley 36, Plainview (8-0)

(8-1) EMF 26, Shelby-Rising City 0 (8-1)

(9-0) North Platte St. Patrick's 39, Clarkson-Leigh 0 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Stanton 58, Arapahoe 28 (9-1)

(10-0) Sandy Creek 44, Cross County 24 (10-0)

(10-0) Crofton 64, Elkhorn Valley 22 (8-2)

(9-1) EMF 44, North Platte St. Patricks 28 (10-0)

Semifinals

(11-0) Stanton 48, Sandy Creek 36 (11-0)

(9-1) EMF 46, Crofton 32 (11-0)

Championship Final

(12-0) Stanton 42, EMF 36 (12-0)

Championship Team: Stanton (13-0), Coach: David Stoddard

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2023 EIGHT MAN-1 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

EIGHT MAN-1

Offense

WR — Mitchell Hupp, Stanton, 6-2, 185, Senior

TE — Tanner Hollinger, Cross County, 6-6, 235, Senior

OL — Alex Noyd, Cross County, 5-11, 220, Senior

OL — Korbin Lemburg, Clarkson/Leigh, 6-4, 300, Junior

OL — Ren Brown, Stanton, 6-6, 270, Senior

QB — Barrett Wilke, Stanton, 6-0, 210, Junior

RB — Becker Pohlman, Stanton, 5-11, 180, Junior

RB — Breckan Schluter, Exeter-Milligan/Friend, 6-1, 205, Senior

Athlete/Kicker — Bryson Gadeken, Neligh-Oakdale, 6-3, 190, Senior

Defense

DL — Brecken Erickson, North Platte St. Patrick's, 6-3, 220, Senior

DL — Spencer Eberspacher, Exeter-Milligan/Friend, 6-2, 180, Senior

LB — Wyatt Tramp, Crofton, 5-10, 180, Junior

LB — Izaac Dickey, Cross County, 5-10, 215, Senior

LB — Jackson Roberts, North Platte St. Patrick's, 6-2, 180, Senior

LB — Ethan Shaw, Sandy Creek, 6-1, 185, Junior

DB — Ryker Evans, Hi-Line, 5-11, 170, Senior

DB — Connor Rempe, Sandy Creek, 5-7, 150, Junior

Punter — Will Cacy, Arapahoe, 6-0, 180, Junior

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*CLASS D-2*

2023 Final Class D-2 Top 10 (Stu Pospisil- Omaha World Herald)

1. Sandhills/Thedford (12-1), 691-274 {Tyson Cox}

2. South Loup (11-1), 584-187 {Mat Jageler}

3. Wynot (12-1), 453-204 {Steve Heimes}

4. Central Valley (10-1), 592-142 {Chip Bartos}

5. Johnson-Brock (10-1), 547-134 {Mitch Roberts}

6. Humphrey St. Francis (9-2), 430-120 {Eric Kessler}

7. Howells-Dodge (9-3), 476-232 {Mike Speirs}

8. Dundy County-Stratton (10-1), 512-140 {Mike Spargo}

9. Ainsworth (9-1), 544-79 {Jessi Owen}

10. Nebraska City Lourdes (8-2), 332-241 {Jon Borer}

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2023 Class D-2 (Eight-Man 2) PLAYOFFS

Class D2

First Round

(8-0) Dundy County Stratton 38, Elm Creek 6 (3-5)

(4-4) Anselmo-Merna 30, Boyd County 24 (5-3)

(6-2) Axtell 28, Loomis 24 (4-4)

(7-1) Sandhills/Thedford 74, Overton 38 (4-4)

(8-0) Ainsworth 72, Kenesaw 13 (4-4)

(5-3) Twin Loup 40, Hitchcock County 28 (4-4)

(5-3) Mullen 35, Hyannis 8 (4-4)

(8-0) South Loup 46, Ansley-Litchfield 0 (3-5)

(8-0) Johnson-Brock 58, Winside 0 (3-5)

(6-2) Howells-Dodge 34, Bloomfield 6 (6-2)

(7-1) Nebraska City Lourdes 28, High Plains Community 20 (5-3)

(7-1) Humphrey St. Francis 40, Fullerton 8 (4-4)

(8-0) Central Valley 62, Wausa-Osmond 28 (4-4)

(6-2) Lawrence-Nelson 24, Elgin Public/Pope John 14 (6-2)

(6-2) BDS 30, Osceola 22 (7-1)

(8-0) Wynot 42, Silver Lake 0 (5-3)

Second Round

(9-0) Johnson-Brock 36, Anselmo-Merna 14 (5-4)

(8-1) Sandhills/Thedford 52,Nebraska City Lourdes 12 (8-1)

(9-0) Central Valley 46, BDS 6 (7-2)

(9-0) South Loup 62, Lawrence-Nelson 12 (7-2)

(9-0) Dundy County Stratton 48, Twin Loup 14 (6-3)

(7-2) Howells-Dodge 32, Ainsworth 12 (9-0)

(8-1) Humphrey St. Francis 42, Axtell 8 (7-2)

(9-0) Wynot 50, Mullen 20 (6-3)

Quarterfinals

(9-1) Sandhills/Thedford 60, Johnson-Brock 28 (10-0)

(10-0) South Loup 28, Central Valley 22 (10-0)

(8-2) Howells-Dodge 36, Dundy County Stratton 28 (10-0)

(10-0) Wynot 34, Humphrey St. Francis 12 (9-1)

Semifinals

(10-1) Sandhills/Thedford 33, South Loup 18 (11-0)

(11-0) Wynot 22, Howells-Dodge 14 (9-2)

Championship Finals

(11-1) Sandhills/Thedford 50, Wynot 12 (12-0)

Championship Team: Sandhills-Thedford (12-1), Coach: Tyson Cox

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2023 EIGHT MAN-2 ALL-STATE FOOTBALL TEAMS

EIGHT MAN-2

Offense

WR — Chase VanWinkle, Johnson-Brock, 6-0, 180, Senior

OL — Rhett McFadden, Sandhills/Thedford, 6-0, 205, Senior

OL — Treyven Straka, Central Valley, 5-11, 230, Senior

OL — Joey Sallach, South Loup, 6-3, 250, Senior

QB — Kyle Cox, Sandhills/Thedford, 5-10, 165, Senior

RB — Hunter Luther, Howells-Dodge;6-2;180, Sophomore

RB — Ethan Latta, Dundy County-Stratton, 5-10, 145, Sophomore

RB — Grady Kelly, Central Valley, 6-1, 190, Junior

Athlete — Carter Nelson, Ainsworth, 6-5, 220, Senior

Defense

DL — Zeb Wilde, Sandhills/Thedford, 6-1, 220, Senior

DL — Nathan Hegemann, Howells-Dodge, 6-3, 220, Senior

DL — Rio Remund, South Loup, 6-4, 230, Senior

LB — Jackson Kerchal, Dundy County-Stratton, 6-4, 210, Senior

LB — Zack Foxhoven, Wynot, 5-10, 165, Senior

LB — Colten Klossen, Howells-Dodge, 5-10, 190, Senior

DB — Carson Wieseler, Wynot, 5-8, 165, Senior

DB — Trey Connell, South Loup, 5-10, 170, Senior

Athlete/Punter — Dylan Heine, Wynot, 6-1, 155, Senior