For high school football coaches and players, Wednesday was like Christmas morning.
It marked the release of the 2020 and 2021 schedules.
Lincoln Southeast will have one of the toughest schedules in Class A. The Knights will play six playoff teams from last season, starting with Omaha North, a rematch of last fall's first-round game won by Southeast.
The Knights will play rival Lincoln Southwest in Week 2, and follow with games against Grand Island, Creighton Prep and Lincoln East.
Complete schedules: ´¥Ìý Ìý ´¥Ìý Ìý ´¥Ìý Ìý ´¥Ìý Ìý ´¥Ìý Ìý ´¥Ìý
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Here are some other notes:
* The defending Class A state champion, Bellevue West, appears on one Lincoln schedule. The Thunderbirds will play at Lincoln High in Week 9.
* Week 1 will feature two city clashes: Lincoln High at North Star and Lincoln Pius X at Lincoln East.
* Lincoln Southwest has a tough start. The Silver Hawks will see playoff teams in Weeks 2, 3, 4 and 5. They also host Omaha Burke in Week 8.
* Pius X's two-year cycle includes a game against Class B Norris late in the season. Other A-B matchups include North Platte-Aurora, Gretna-Omaha Skutt, Omaha Bryan-Ralston, Omaha Bryan-South Sioux City, Omaha Northwest-South Sioux City and Bellevue East-Plattsmouth.
* Lincoln North Star will play an eight-game schedule, receiving a bye in Week 7. The Navigators are the only Class A team with an eight-game schedule.
* Bellevue West will open at Omaha Burke in a matchup of the past two state champions. Semifinalists Millard South (Week 4) and Millard West (Week 7) also dot Bellevue West's schedule.
* Check out this start for Omaha North: Lincoln Southeast, at Omaha Westside, Lincoln Southwest, at Omaha Burke, at Omaha South.
* Parkview Christian is dropping to six-man.
Here are the 2020 city schedules (2021 opponents are the same, just reverse home and away):
Lincoln Christian: W1, Syracuse; W2, at Lincoln Lutheran; W3, at Fort Calhoun; W4, Columbus Lakeview; W5, at Auburn; W6, Falls City; W7, Fairbury; W8, at Milford; W9, Nebraska City.
Lincoln East: W1, at Lincoln Pius X; W2, Papillion-La Vista South; W3, Norfolk; W4, at Millard North; W5, Lincoln Southeast; W6, at Millard West; W7, North Platte; W8, at Lincoln Northeast; W9, Creighton Prep.
Lincoln High: W1, Lincoln North Star; W2, at Omaha Bryan; W3, at Lincoln Pius X; W4, Omaha Central; W5, at Columbus; W6, Lincoln Northeast; W7, Kearney; W8, at Omaha Northwest; W9, Bellevue West.
Lincoln Lutheran: W1, at Omaha Concordia; W2, Lincoln Christian; W3, Archbishop Bergan; W4, at Sutton; W5, at Yutan; W6, Syracuse; W7, at Bishop Neumann; W8, Centennial; W9, Wilber-Clatonia.
Lincoln North Star: W1, at Lincoln High; W2, at Lincoln Northeast; W3, Columbus; W4, North Platte; W5, at Lincoln Pius X; W6, Fremont; W7, bye; W8, at Millard South; W9, Omaha North.
Lincoln Northeast: W1, at Fremont; W2, Lincoln North Star; W3, at Omaha Northwest; W4, Columbus; W5, North Platte; W6, at Lincoln High; W7, at Creighton Prep; W8, Lincoln East; W9, at Millard West.
Lincoln Pius X: W1, Lincoln East; W2, at Grand Island; W3, Lincoln High; W4, at Gretna; W5, Lincoln North Star; W6, Millard South; W7, at Omaha North; W8, Norris; W9, at Fremont.
Lincoln Southeast: W1, Omaha North; W2, at Lincoln Southwest; W3, Grand Island; W4, Creighton Prep; W5, at Lincoln East; W6, Papillion-La Vista; W7, at Bellevue East; W8, Gretna; W9, at Elkhorn South.
Lincoln Southwest: W1, at Gretna; W2, Lincoln Southeast; W3, Omaha North; W4, at Elkhorn South; W5, Papillion-La Vista South; W6, at Omaha South; W7, Papillion-La Vista; W8, Omaha Burke; W9, at Omaha Central.
Parkview Christian: W1, St. Edward; W2, bye; W3, at Sterling; W4, Pawnee City; W5, at Lewiston; W6, McCool Junction; W7, at Hampton; W8, Dorchester; W9, at Heartland Lutheran.