The first round of the Class D1-D2 8-man football playoffs began Thursday.
In Class D1, #8 seed Heartland Huskies move on by taking down #9 Exeter-Milligan-Friend. 20-18. The game opened up in EMF’s favor. The Bobcats scored an opening 61-yard touchdown from standout back Brecken Schluter. Then on the first offensive drive for the Huskies, EMF picked off the pass and took it into the endzone, giving EMF a 12-0 lead just minutes into the game. The Huskies regrouped and scored its first score on the next drive with a run by quarterback Trev Peters.
The game went into halftime with the Huskies leading 20-18, and then into the fourth quarter with the same score. With less than three-minutes to go in the game, Heartland stopped Schluter and the Bobcats on a fourth-and-goal.
Schluter finished with 228 rushing yards and two scores, but he needed 39 carries to do it. Heartland was led by Peters who had 215 yards rushing and also scored twice.
The Huskies advanced it’s record to 7-2, and is reseeded to the #12 seed in Class D1. Next Friday they travel to play #5 Neligh-Oakdale.
Elsewhere in Class D1. The upset game in Stromsburg where the #3 Cross County Cougars lost to #14 Weeping Water. The Cougars had been undefeated before last night. Cross County ends the season at 8-1. Weeping Water moves on as the #14 seed and will play the #2 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge next Friday.
The Thayer Central Titans blanked Shelby-Rising City in the first round 44-0.
Class D1 2nd round matchups:
[16] Sandy Creek (6-3) at [1] North Platte St. Patrick’s (9-0)
[9] Hi-Line (8-1) at [8] Elmwood-Murdock (8-1)
[13] Summerland (6-3) at [4] Riverside (8-1)
[12] Heartland (7-2) at [5] Neligh-Oakdale (8-1)
[14] Ravenna (7-2) at [3] Stanton (9-0)
[11] Nebraska Christian (7-2) at [6] Thayer Central (8-1)
[10] Crofton (6-3) at [7] Clarkson/Leigh (8-1)
[15] Weeping Water (5-4) at [2] Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (9-0)
In Class D2, the #3 BDS Eagles outmatched #14 Nebraska Lutheran 46-6. The Eagles scored on it’s first five drives of the game. Easton Weber scored two touchdowns for the Eagles, Jaron Norder also added two touchdowns, and Seth Stengel also added two scores. The Knights got on the board in the second half with a 7-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Beierman to Lukas Corwin. BDS stays unbeaten and will host #13 Lawrence-Nelson on Friday.
Another Class D2 team moved on with the #6 Osceola Bulldogs beating the #11 Fullerton Warriors 88-38.
Class D2 2nd round matchups:
[16] South Loup (6-3) at [1] Howells-Dodge (9-0)
[9] Johnson-Brock (8-1) at [8] Dundy County Stratton (8-1)
[13] Lawrence-Nelson (8-1) at [4] BDS (9-0)
[12] Central Valley (8-1) at [5] Sandhills/Thedford (8-1)
[14] Twin Loup (7-2) at [3] Wynot (8-1)
[11] Osceola (8-1) at [6] Bloomfield (8-1)
[10] Elm Creek (8-1) at [7] Ainsworth (9-0)
[15] Humphrey St. Francis (6-3) at [2] Hitchcock County (9-0)
