Form held for most of the first round of the 8-man playoffs on Thursday night, making the calls for a 16-team playoff that much louder in the state of Nebraska. Only two road teams, both in D-1, were first round victors: Neligh-Oakdale topped Elgin/Pope John 46-22 and Clarkson/Leigh defeated Hartington-Newcastle 34-26.
Is the system broke in the small classes? Maybe, but I say only slightly.
I say lets give all the teams a chance that played tonight a shot to get in the playoffs. Yes, that’s how I see it. Don’t call this round of 32 the playoffs anymore. Let’s call it a qualifying round or sub-state whatever makes you feel good. And, let’s play it just like we do now — with teams sent east and west based on geography and seeded 1-16. But, then let’s make some changes.
We then take tonight’s winners and re-seed them from 1-16 without any care of geography. Here is what D-1 would look like.
16 – Clarkson/Leigh (5-4) at 1- Friend (9-0)
9 – Elm Creek (8-1) at 8 – Guardians Angels Central Catholic (9-0)
12 – Amherst (8-1) at 5 – Heartland (9-0)
13 – Diller-Odell (7-2) at Fullerton (9-0)
14 – Bloomfield (7-2) at 3 – BDS (8-1)
11 – Blue Hill (6-3) at 6 – Howells-Dodge (6-3)
10 – Elm Creek (8-1) at 7 – Hemingford (9-0)
15 – Neligh-Oakdale (7-2) at 2 – Creighton (9-0)
This does a few things. We get a little split between east and west. And, two, all the top-seeds still get home games as we’d reset the home-away NSAA rule.
It’s just a thought, and I hope with the new 11-man Friday’s that Class C-1 and C-2 are not short-changed and get caught up in the Class A and B stranglehold.
Let’s Rewind
Huskies roll past NC Lourdes | Pospisil column | Journal-Star
Clarkson/Leigh earns first playoff win
Hemingford ‘dialed-in’; routs Shelton
Kean leads Irish rout of Emerson-Hubbard
Hornets start fast in win over Lawrence-Nelson
Elwood routs Wolves; advances in D-2
Garden County shuts down Mullen
Parting Shot
The favorites in the D-1 field left us little doubt they’d be playing in a few more weeks. Hemingford, Creighton and Fullerton rolled to wins in the West Bracket. In the East, Friend, BDS, and Heartland advanced big as well. And, GACC and Howells-Dodge did their part to set up a great rivaly rematch. GACC won the regular season match 48-34.
Most got to do it while giving starters a rest — BDS quarterback Grant Norder did not play, Fullerton work horse Garrett Sonderup had five carries for 99 yards and Heartland gave leading rushing Tyler Brown just four carries — though he did catch two touchdowns and intercepted two passes.
Photo Courtesy of Simpatico by Designs
