2001 FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS

The State Football Playoffs began on Wednesday, October 31, with 16 teams qualifying in all classes. Playoff rounds continued with the quarterfinal round on November 5, and semifinals on November 10. Championship finals for all classes were held at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln for the sixth year on November 15 (D2, D1), 16 (C2, A) and 17 (C1, B). Paid attendance for state finals: 24,454.

 

Class A was made up of the 25 largest schools playing football. The top three teams in each district and the fourth-place team with the highest wild-card point average advanced to the playoffs. The next 31 largest schools were Class B. The top two teams in each of the six districts and the next four with the highest wild-card point average made the playoffs. The next 59 schools were Class C1 and the remainder of the schools playing 11-man football (60), were Class C2.  Classes D1 and D2 consisted of all schools playing 8-man football.  There were 63 in D1 and 64 in D2. Two schools playing eight-man were above the playoff eligibility enrollment limits. In Classes C1, C2, D1 and D2 the 10 district championships and the next six teams with the highest wild card point average qualified for the playoffs.

 

2001 Football Results

 

CLASS A

First Round

North Platte 21, Bellevue West 14

Lincoln East 14, Fremont 0

Omaha Westside 20, Omaha Central 19

Millard North 42, Bellevue East 0

Lincoln Southeast 42, Lincoln Northeast 0

Omaha Creighton Prep 22, Omaha Benson 20

Kearney 21, Omaha Bryan 6

Millard West 55, Norfolk 7

 

Quarterfinals

North Platte 31, Lincoln East 0

Millard North 31, Omaha Westside 13

Lincoln Southeast 21, Omaha Creighton Prep 10

Millard West 21, Kearney 7

 

Semifinals

North Platte 24, Millard North 21

Millard West 42, Lincoln Southeast 0

 

Championship Final

Millard West (12-1) 28, North Platte (11-2) 14

Championship Coach: Dan McLaughlin

 

CLASS B

 

First Round

South Sioux City 28, Omaha Gross Catholic 23

Crete 35, Beatrice 14

Lincoln Pius X 36, Nebraska City 16

Elkhorn 35, Ralston 13

Scottsbluff 26, Lexington 14

McCook 28, Ogallala 6

Gering 14, Alliance 10

Seward 20, Aurora 18

 

Quarterfinals

Crete 42, South Sioux City 14

Elkhorn 20, Lincoln Pius X 10

Scottsbluff 19, McCook 14

Seward 55, Gering 13

 

Semifinals

Crete 35, Elkhorn 30

Seward 56, Scottsbluff 14

 

Championship Final

Seward (12-1) 35, Crete (11-2) 20

Championship Coach: Greg Welch

 

CLASS C1

 

First Round

Pierce 51, Lincoln Lutheran 7

North Bend Central 39, Fairbury 6

Norfolk Catholic 49, Columbus Scotus 28

Bishop Neumann 35, Boys Town 15

Adams Central 26, Hastings St. Cecilia 10

Fillmore Central 34, Chase County 0

Boone Central 24, Chadron 0

Valentine 27, West Holt 14

 

Quarterfinals

Pierce 42, North Bend Central 17

Bishop Neumann 19, Norfolk Catholic 9

Fillmore Central 17, Adams Central 7

Boone Central 21, Valentine 7

 

Semifinals

Pierce 31, Bishop Neumann 28

Boone Central 14, Fillmore Central 7

 

Championship Finals

Boone Central (12-1) 9, Pierce (12-1) 7

Championship Coach: Arnold Johnson

 

CLASS C2

 

First Round

Aquinas 28, Oakland-Craig 14

Hartington Cedar Catholic 39, Laurel-Concord 10

Pender 23, Randolph 0

Elmwood-Murdock 27, Osceola 12

Ravenna 23, North Platte St. Patrick’s 14

Lawrence-Nelson 20, Amherst 18

Stromsburg 27, Bridgeport 0

Grant 28, Battle Creek 13

 

Quarterfinals

Hartington Cedar Catholic 32, Aquinas 15

Pender 33, Elmwood-Murdock 7

Lawrence-Nelson 36, Ravenna 10

Grant 28, Stromsburg 7

 

Semifinals

Hartington Cedar Catholic 33, Pender 21

Lawrence-Nelson 33, Grant 21

 

Championship Finals

Lawrence-Nelson (13-0) 33, Hartington Cedar Catholic (10-3) 21

Championship Coach: Gary DeBoer

 

CLASS D1

 

First Round

Humphrey St. Francis 48, Freeman 14

Friend 52, Bancroft-Rosalie 28

Howells 40, Omaha Christian Academy 14

Falls City Sacred Heart 42, Mead 22

Eustis-Farnam 51, Harvard 6

Bloomfield 48, Bruning-Davenport 0

Spencer-Naper 28, Crawford 26

Anselmo-Merna 42, Elwood 22

 

Quarterfinals

Humphrey St. Francis 27, Friend 20

Howells 36, Falls City Sacred Heart 23

Bloomfield 38, Eustis-Farnam 12

Spencer-Naper 12, Anselmo-Merna 8

 

Semifinals

Howells 22, Humphrey St. Francis 20

Bloomfield 54, Spencer-Naper 22

 

Championship Finals

Howells (12-1) 34, Bloomfield (12-1) 20

Championship Coach: Mike Speirs

 

CLASS D2

 

First Round

Lewiston 22, Sterling 18

Lindsay Holy Family 36, Coleridge 9

St. Edward 50, Elgin 30

Pope John 13, Shickley 0

Greeley 27, Hay Springs 20

Clearwater 20, Sandhills 6

Sargent 54, Culbertson 32

St. Mary’s 50, Hayes Center 32

 

Quarterfinals

Lewiston 52, Lindsay Holy Family 28

Pope John 36, St. Edward 30

Greeley 43, Clearwater 8

Sargent 34, St. Mary’s 14

 

Semifinals

Lewiston 44, Pope John 7

Greeley 26, Sargent 22

 

Championship Final

Lewiston (11-2) 34, Greeley (10-3) 32

Championship Coach: Neil Woofter