Two-Minute Drill: The can't-miss games, Lincoln games, and Week 8 predictions
We're getting down to it as eight-man gets ready for its final regular-season games, and the rest of the state starts to jockey for playoff position.
Here's a look at Week 8.
The can't-miss games
Class A: No. 6 Bellevue West (5-2) at No. 5 Omaha North (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m. — With both teams likely to be favored next week, this one is pretty much for the A-5 district title. Will Anderson has been really good in his first season as Bellevue West's starting quarterback, completing 68% of his passes for 1,509 yards and 19 touchdowns against just two interceptions. He'll be tested by the ferocious Omaha North defense led by Husker commit Tyson Terry and his 11 tackles for loss. Bellevue West is 1-2 this season against teams with winning records.
Prediction: Omaha North 21, Bellevue West 17
Class B: No. 7 Waverly (5-2) at No. 6 Norris (5-2) — Two teams that have righted the ship after 0-2 starts. Since giving up 52 points in a loss to Gretna, Norris has allowed just 35 points over its last five games. Waverly has been even better, with three straight shutouts and seven points allowed in its last four (the Vikings won by forfeit over Lincoln Standing Bear). Norris, with senior quarterback Jarrett Behrends at the controls, averages 434 yards per game. This was a great game last season and promises to be a great one again this year. Bonus game: No. 1 Bennington puts its 46-game winning streak on the line with a trip to Omaha Skutt, which nearly beat the Badgers in 2023.
Prediction: Norris 24, Waverly 23
Class C-1: No. 10 O'Neill (7-0) at Scotus Central Catholic (5-2), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýHow good is unbeaten O'Neill? We'll get a solid idea over the next two weeks. The Eagles start their stretch against a Scotus team that has lost only to No. 2 Ashland-Greenwood and unbeaten Columbus Lakeview. O'Neill senior running back Brady Eichelberger, averaging 8.1 yards per carry, will need a big game against the Shamrocks if the Eagles want to continue their best season since 2016 when they went 13-0 and won the C-1 state title.
Prediction: O'Neill 17, Scotus 14
Class C-2: No. 4 Battle Creek (6-1) at No. 1 Norfolk Catholic (7-0), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýSeems that no one plays Norfolk Catholic tougher than Battle Creek, and this year should be no different. Can the Braves push the Knights to the fourth quarter? Norfolk Catholic hasn't been tested that deep into a game since a 28-21 win over Bishop Neumann in Week 1. Norfolk Catholic next week plays the Cedar Catholic team that beat Battle Creek by a touchdown, so the Knights will be battle-tested heading into the postseason. Good, old-fashioned physical football here.
Prediction: Norfolk Catholic 27, Battle Creek 19
Eight-man: D-2 No. 9 Loomis (7-0) at No. 7 Overton (7-0), Friday, 7 p.m. — Just your classic, last game of the regular season, district title on the line, late October clash between two unbeaten teams that have been rivals since they started painting lines on the football field. Loomis' only game against a team with a winning record was a 48-22 win over Hitchcock County. The Wolves have the horses, and a balanced offense with Grant Trompke throwing for 982 yards and Jace Schukar running for 1,096 and 21 TDs. Speaking of horses, Overton quarterback Hayden Muirhead throws for 112 yards a game and runs for 105 more. Probably want to key on that guy.Ìý
Prediction: Loomis 38, Overton 34
Six-man: No. 10 Diller-Odell (5-1) at No. 3 Pawnee City (6-0), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýIt's been a fruitful move to six-man for Diller-Odell, which already has its most wins in a season since 2018, and can win six in the regular season for the first time since 2017 if the Griffins pull the upset Friday. Senior Teghan Rosebaugh powers a rushing attack that averages 252 yards per game, with his team-best 633 yards and nine touchdowns. Pawnee City has been on another level winning each of its games by at least 44 points. The Indians close with Diller-Odell and unbeaten Red Cloud, which will serve as de facto playoff games since Pawnee City is ineligible for postseason play due to enrollment.
Prediction: Pawnee City 54, Diller-Odell 28
Other city games
Lincoln Southeast at Omaha Benson, canceled —ÌýThis is no fun for anyone, and highlights the need for change in Class A football. Everyone has their own ideas, but what is the best way to ensure things like this stop happening? School and state association leaders need to take a hard, honest look at every aspect of Class A football and make some tough, but necessary, decisions.
Northwest (0-7) at Standing Bear (0-7), Thursday, 7 p.m., Seacrest —ÌýSomebody celebrates Thursday night. A Standing Bear win would be the first varsity win in program history. A Northwest win would be the second at the varsity level for the Falcons. Standing Bear's first seven weeks as a varsity team have included six games against teams ranked at one time or another this year, and a forfeit against Waverly after an illness made its way through the team. The next couple weeks are more manageable with Northwest and one-win Beatrice.
Omaha Bryan (2-5) at East (4-3), Friday, 4:30 p.m., Seacrest — East needs to make some hay the next two weeks to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Spartans are all but eliminated from earning a top-two finish in their district with losses to Kearney and Millard North, so it will come down to wildcard points. That means avoiding a loss this week and knocking off a Lincoln Southeast team currently one spot in front of them in the Class A playoff standings.
South Sioux City (3-4) at Northeast (4-3), Friday, 7 p.m., Beechner — Sneaky fun game here. Northeast needs a victory to secure its first winning regular season since 2018 and keep alive its long-shot playoff hopes with a game remaining against Bellevue West. South Sioux City has one of the state's best running backs in Tony Palmer and has a chance for a five-win season of its own if it can win Friday and again next week against 2-5 Omaha Buena Vista.
North Star (5-2) at Class A No. 10 Millard West (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýNorth Star has outscored its opponents 136-14 during its four-game winning streak, and is almost assured of qualifying for the postseason for the second straight year. That makes Friday's game a clash for the A-6 district title, as Millard West has rolled through its first three district foes after a 0-4 start. Heady stuff for the Navigators, who have a chance at a signature win.
Lincoln High (2-5) at Omaha South (0-7), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýThe Links certainly weren't trying to be the center of attention last week when they chose not to play the second half of their 63-0 loss to No. 1 Millard South, but the decision stoked the fires of the debate on how to manage Class A football's disparity. Omaha South is a part of that discussion too, having lost six of its seven games by 42 or more points. Here's to better days ahead, however we get there, for both programs.
Omaha Buena Vista (2-5) at Southwest (2-5), Friday, 8 p.m., Seacrest — Jackson Carpenter's return has been a shot in the arm for the Silver Hawks, with the Husker commit averaging 25 yards per catch in the two full games he's played since coming back from injury. Friday should provide another chance to improve the numbers. Buena Vista has allowed an average of 59 points per game over its last four games.
Beatrice (1-6) at Pius X (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m. — Pius X can make next week's game against Waverly pretty intriguing by beating Beatrice this week. Doing that means Pius X could qualify for the playoffs with an upset of the Vikings next week. First things first, though, and that's taking care of business at home against a Beatrice squad whose only win has come by one score in double-overtime against one-win Crete.
Christian (5-2) at Adams Central (3-4), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýAdams Central had the state's best highlight last week, connection on a hook-and-lateral on a 4th-and-15 with less than 40 seconds to play to shock previously-ranked Cozad 29-26. The Patriots, despite their record, can make life difficult for pretty much anyone. Christian of course, can do the same, with a pair of one-score losses to top-10 teams Auburn and Central City. This should be a good one.
Lutheran (3-4) at Class C-2 No. 2 Bishop Neumann (6-1), Friday, 7 p.m. —ÌýConor Booth ran for 300 yards, in the first half, of last year's meeting between the teams. He won't do that this time, probably, but it's going to be a tall task for the Warriors to slow down the Husker commit. This will be the fifth team this season with a record of 6-1 as of this week that Lutheran has played.
Sterling (2-4) at Parkview Christian (1-5), Friday, 4 p.m. —ÌýParkview Christian's wildly successful four-year run of postseason appearances will end in a couple of weeks, but the Patriots can still spoil the fun for their last two opponents. Sterling needs two wins to keep its playoff hopes alive.
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Check out the photos from Raymond Central and Malcolm's football game Friday night in Raymond.