Familiar foes set for state title battles in small class football championships
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
There will be no scrounging for new game film as the six teams in the small school state football championships get ready to take the field Friday, November 22 and next Monday.
Two of the games will be regular season rematches in six-man and Class D-2. And in Class D-1, the title game will be a rematch of the 2023 semifinals. The six-man game will be played on Friday at Nebraska-Kearney’s Cope Stadium while the eight-man games move to Memorial Stadium in Lincoln to kick off the six-game championship slate on Monday and Tuesday.
Streaming of the six-man championship game will be on NCN Nebraska and also on the NFHS Network, while all of the games in Lincoln will be streamed on Nebraska Public Media and televised on Nebraska Public Television.
Below is a preview of each contest.
Six Man (Class D6): Defending champ S-E-M, Stuart set for fourth battle in past two seasons
KICKOFF: 7:00 PM | Ron and Carol Cope Stadium at Nebraska-Kearney
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (11-0) vs. Stuart (10-1)
Live Online Streaming: NFHS Network via News Channel Nebraska
Live TV: News Channel Nebraska
The Road to Kearney: Class D6 Playoff Bracket
After staging a classic in week two of the regular season, defending champion Sumner-Eddyville-Miller and Stuart are set for another payoff battle. This time for a state title.
The Mustangs scored late on September 6th to beat Stuart 36-33 and both coaches expect another game that goes down to the final minutes on Friday night. S-E-M also ended the Broncos season a year ago in a 28-7 quarterfinal victory in the state playoffs.
“I am not sure there will be that many secrets,” S-E-M coach Shane Hrasky said. “I think we have improved a bunch since that game and as the season has gone on. We have been able to shuffle some guys around and get them in the right position. But, I think they have improved as well.”
Stuart head coach Colin Schurman echoed his counterpart.
“First off, they have great coaches,” he said. “And then they have great players all over the field. Just everywhere. We gained a ton of confidence for the rest of the year when we played them in September, but losing was probably the best thing that ever happened to us. It gave us confidence, but also made us hungry.”
After losing to S-E-M 43-27 in the regular season last year and 28-7 in the playoffs, moving the ball in the earlier match up was a key for the Broncos, Schurman said.
“That game was probably the first success we have had against them on offense in the four years we have been playing them,” Schurman said.
Both teams have their share of stars, but S-E-M senior running back Maddox Jones and Stuart junior quarterback Kayde Ramm top the list of players to watch.
Jones averages just over 10 yards a carry with 1,272 yards and 29 touchdowns on the season. He also leads the Mustangs with 89 tackles on the year.
His counterpart has been just as impressive. Ramm has thrown for 1,310 yards and 36 touchdowns while running for 568 yards and another 11 scores. He has thrown just three interceptions on the season and defensively has 15 sacks for the Broncos
REMEMBER THE RULES: If you attend or watch on Friday night, remember the key differences between six-man and the 11- and 8-man counterparts. It’s first and 15 yards to go, 10-minute quarters (no 12) kicking is one extra point (four points for a field goal and two for PAT kick), any other conversion (run or pass) is one-point. The quarterback can only run past the line of scrimmage if he receives a lateral in the backfield. And, everyone is eligible to catch a pass.
KICKING GAME: Speaking of kicking, both coaches agree it could play a huge part in the contest. Each team will try to kick extra points. “We won’t be afraid to try a field goal if we need to,” Hrasky said. S-E-M kicker Bode Martin is 56-for-67 on PATs for the year. Last year, S-E-M blocked a Hay Springs PAT kick in the final minute to preserve a 21-20 win.
SWISS ARMY KNIFE: Hrasky said the versatility of senior Cohen Rhode has been a key for the Mustangs all year. An anchor on the defensive line, he has 46 career tackles-for-loss. Offensively, he plays nearly every position but center. “We can shuffle him around as much as we need to,” Hrasky said.
BRONCO BALANCE: Unlike some six-man units, Stuart has multiple players that can cause the defense problems. Owen Littau (848) and Drew Schmaderer (575 yards) balance the backfield with Ramm, while Benjamin Paxton has 19 touchdowns on just 31 receptions for 788 yards on the year. “I think it’s a big reason we are still healthy,” Schurman said. “We have the ability to not allow just one guy to carry the load.”
Eight Man-2 (Class D2): Backyard Brawl – Neighbors Central Valley, Riverside set for title bout
KICKOFF: 10:15 AM | Memorial Stadium; University of Nebraska
Central Valley (11-1) vs. Riverside (10-2)
Live Online Streaming: Nebraska Public Media
Live TV: Nebraska Public Media
The Road to Lincoln: Class D2 Playoff Bracket
Little did they know when they played on August 30 that Central Valley and Riverside would meet again. Well, maybe in the playoffs.
But for all the marbles on Monday morning? Probably not so much.
“I think we both knew going into that first game that we had a chance to be pretty good,” Central Valley coach Chip Bartos said. “We knew if we played them again it could be really deep in the playoffs.”
But ever since — and with the playoff point system getting them on opposite sides of the bracket — the two have been top contenders for Monday’s game.
Riverside started 2-2 with losses to CV and to the Cougars semifinal opponent — Archangels Catholic — but have won eight straight including a decisive 73-50 win in the quarterfinals against defending champion Sandhills/Thedford, before last week’s 50-20 home win over BDS to advance to Lincoln.
The Chargers have been as hot on offense as anyone in the class since the playoffs began. They have scored 68, 84, 73 and 50 in four playoff games.
“It feels like we have just been really balanced,” Riverside coach Cory Valasek said. “We feel like we have 4-5 guys we can get the ball to, and they have been together for a long time. I have been coaching them all in three sports since middle school.”
Quarterback Larry Driessner has filled in for opening day starter Drew Carraher and accounted for 31 touchdowns and 1,679 yards. Running back Jack Molt has rushed for 1,633 yards and 23 touchdowns. In the win over S/T, Driessner set a D-2 playoff record with seven touchdown passes.
Central Valley — with just a loss to D-1 finalist Stanton — has been tough to crack in the playoffs. They have outscored their opponents 228-48 in four games so far.
Cougar quarterback Zaden Wolf has led Central Valley. The senior has accounted for 52 touchdowns and 2,879 yards this year, while throwing just two interceptions. Running back Grady Kelly is near 1,000 scrimmage yards after missing five regular season games.
Taesian Soto leads a defense allowing just over 16 points a game with 139 tackles.
“The teams are the same but we think it will be a completely different game,” Bartos said. “They are playing really well. We are going to have to be very sound in our judgment and thought process defensively.”
COACH DREW: Diessner has filled in for Drew Carraher since he went down with a season-ending knee injury against Osceola. Valasek said he has quickly turned into a coaching leader for the Chargers. “We call him Coach Drew now,” Valasek said. “Seeing him go down was hard but he has bounced back from it.”
HISTORY: The previous schools involved in the current consolidations have a long history of NSAA football playoff success.
Central Valley, made up of North Loup-Scotia, Greeley and Wolbach has 10 combined finals appearances with five state championships. Four are by Wolbach who was the D11 champion in 1976 and six-man champs in 1989, 1995 and 1996.
For Riverside, a consolidation of Cedar Rapids and Spalding, there were four six-man titles in the Coaches Association era from 2014-2017. Cedar Rapids won a six-man title in 1992. And, Spalding Academy (part of Riverside as a co-op for sports) was the 1993 six-man champ.
HISTORY (PART 2): It appears that the Class D-2 game will be the first eight-man state championship game in history between two teams from the same conference. “A true testament to all the communities involved and their commitment to success,” Bartos said.
Eight Man-1 (Class D1): Dream Game – Stanton, Sandy Creek ready for 2023 rematch
KICKOFF: 2:45 PM | Memorial Stadium; University of Nebraska
Sandy Creek (12-0) vs. Stanton (12-0)
Live Online Streaming: Nebraska Public Media
Live TV: Nebraska Public Media
The Road to Lincoln: Class D1 Playoff Bracket
When Stanton upended Sandy Creek in last year’s Class D-1 state semifinals, it was in the back of everyone’s mind that the perfect place for it to happen again would be Memorial Stadium.
In that 48-36 win for Stanton it was back-and-forth until a late turnover gave the Mustangs a two score lead. They went on to beat EMF 42-36 in the state championship game.
“It was a game that just came down to one or two plays,” Stanton coach Dave Stoddard said. “I mean, we only made them punt once. They are just very, very good.”
Sandy Creek coach Andrew Kuta echoed the thoughts of his counterpart, also saying his Cougars learned plenty from last year’s contest.
“They just have some many great athletes,” Kuta said. “I think they are probably running the ball this year even better than they did last year. The game probably comes down to who can get one or two stops.”
The numbers don’t lie for the defending champions. Behind a line anchored by Texas Tech pledge Ren Brown, seniors Barrett Wilke (2,624 yards) and Becker Pohlman (1,407) have run roughshod over opponents. Stanton has passed just 68 times in 12 contests.
In reaching their first state championship game in school history, Sandy Creek has dominated opponents by nearly 50 points per contest. They have turned on the running clock in each playoff game and allowed just 34 points in the playoffs.
Quarterback Ethan Shaw is the headliner with plenty of help. He has run for 1,510 yards and 28 touchdowns and is 96-for-152 passing for 1,952 yards and 34 touchdowns to just one interception.
The Cougar defense has forced 22 turnovers in the year as well.
“We will have to limit the big plays for them,” Stoddard said. “They are just too good to stop for a whole game. We will have to get some timely stops and create some opportunities for ourselves.”
COUGAR FIRST: Kuta knows handling the trip to Memorial Stadium will be new for his players and even his staff. Monday will be the first-ever state final appearance for the Cougars who are in their third season of 8-man football. “I think if we get our kids there in the right frame of mind, we’ll be fine once the game starts,” the coach said. In the meantime he has relied on other coaches who have advanced to Lincoln for his itinerary and assistants Cole Wiseman and Trae Ramer who played for Sutton in the 2019 Class C-2 final to relay to his players what to expect.
THE TRENCHES: Both coaches know the game likely comes down to which team can get control of the line of scrimmage. “We believe that this game will have the two best lines in 8-man football,” Kuta said.
ENJOYING ONE: Stoddard said winning last year was special but his group of eight seniors has been ready for this game since they took their pads off last November. “Almost immediately, the guys wanted to know how they get back here. I kind of had to joke with time to enjoy it a little bit.”
Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.