Clint Belina helped Howells rumble to No. 4 in the D1 ratings with its 58-14 victory over Humphrey Oct. 9. (Kevin Gall/Howells Journal)
It was a relatively uneventful week in Nebraska high school football last week, with nothing approaching the upheaval that shook Class A in Week Five. The top of half of every class was pretty much unchanged, with the exception of No. 2 Shelby in Class D1, which lost at home to No. 4 Palmer. Several western teams moved into the ratings this week.
You can see the football ratings anytime this fall by clicking the “Ratings” link at the top of the page.
CLASS A
1. Millard South (7-0)
2. Papillion-La Vista (6-1)
3. Lincoln North Star (6-1)
4. Lincoln Southeast (6-1)
5. Creighton Prep (5-2)
6. Millard West (5-2)
7. Elkhorn (5-2)
8. Omaha Burke (5-2)
9. Lincoln Southwest (4-3)
10. Norfolk (5-2)
The top seven teams all won in Class A this week, but there was quite a battle for the last three spots. Tenth-rated Lincoln Southwest lost a hard-fought 17-12 decision to No. 4 Lincoln Southeast and actually moved up one spot because No. 9 Millard North lost to Omaha North 21-13 to fall out of the ratings and No. 8 Bellevue West fell 10-3 at Papillion-La Vista South, opening two spots. Omaha Burke claimed one of them after a 69-0 win over Omaha Northwest, and the last one went to Norfolk, which beat Lincoln East 27-6 and stays ahead of top contender Omaha North because it defeated the Vikings earlier this season.
CLASS B
1. Aurora (7-0)
2. Waverly (7-0)
3. Omaha Skutt (7-0)
4. Adams Central (7-0)
5. Omaha Gross (6-1)
6. Gering (6-1)
7. Blair (6-1)
8. Plattsmouth (5-2)
9. Ogallala (6-1)
10. Seward (4-3)
Class B’s week went pretty much like Class A’s did, with even fewer disruptions in the Top Ten. The top seven teams all won. Beatrice caused the only disruption by going on the road and upsetting No. 8 Lincoln Pius X 26-20, knocking the Thunderbolts out of the Top Ten. Plattsmouth and Ogallala move up a notch, and Seward gets the No. 10 spot. The 4-3 Bluejays crack the ratings for the first time this season after winning three of their last four. Their losses are to Adams Central, Waverly and Aurora, and they looked respectable in all three, especially in a 21-14 loss to Aurora.
CLASS C1
1. Boys Town (6-0)
2. Norfolk Catholic (6-0)
3. Syracuse (6-0)
4. Chadron (5-0)
5. GI Central Catholic (6-0)
6. Hastings St. Cecilia (6-0)
7. Broken Bow (6-0)
8. Crofton (5-1)
9. Gothenburg (5-1)
10. Pierce (5-1)
… and Class C1 went remarkably like Class B, in that only one of the Top Ten teams lost. Seventh-rated Ashland-Greenwood was upset 13-10 at Wahoo and falls out of the Top Ten. Broken Bow, Crofton and Gothenburg move up a notch, and the No. 10 spot goes to Pierce, which re-enters the rankings with a solid 28-14 win at Battle Creek.
CLASS C2
1. Blue Hill (6-0)
2. Ponca (6-0)
3. Elmwood -Murdock (5-1)
4. Hartington Cedar Catholic (5-1)
5. David City Aquinas (6-0)
6. Elm Creek (5-1)
7. Wilber-Clatonia (5-1)
8. Lincoln Christian (6-0)
9. Creighton (5-1)
10. North Platte St. Patrick’s (4-2)
No. 7 Oakland-Craig fell 12-7 at West Point Central Catholic and No. 9 Laurel-Concord was clubbed 41-6 by No. 2 Ponca. Wilber-Clatonia and Lincoln Christian move up. Creighton (5-1), whose only loss was in overtime to No. 2-rated Ponca, moves into the Top Ten, and so does North Platte St. Patrick’s, which has three victories over teams that currently have winning records.
CLASS D1
1. Bancroft-Rosalie (6-0) … beat Pender 54-8
2. Johnson-Brock (5-0) … beat Cedar Bluffs 60-8
3. Palmer (6-0) … beat Shelby 44-31
4. Howells (5-1) … beat Humphrey 58-14
5. Giltner (5-1) … beat Shelton 70-36
6. Silver Lake (6-0) … won 41-36 at Franklin
7. Burwell (5-1) … beat Clearwaater/Orchard 37-6
8. Axtell (5-1) … beat Kenesaw 60-14
9. Exeter-Milligan (5-1) … won 50-6 at Deshler
10. Shelby (5-1) … lost to Palmer 44-31
A 44-31 loser to No. 4 Palmer, No. 2 Shelby drops to the No. 10 spot, while everyone else in the Top Ten moves up accordingly. That is, except for Humphrey, which falls out of the rankings after getting pounded 58-14 at Howells. The last spot in the rankings is gobbled up by 5-1 Exeter-Milligan, which beat Deshler 50-6 and has two victories over teams who currently have winning records. The Timberwolves’ wins are just a shade more impressive than Amherst’s (5-1). There are an abundance of other Class D1 contenders with 5-1 marks who lack quality wins.
CLASS D2
1. Ewing (6-0)
2. Humphrey St. Francis (6-0)
3. Bloomfield (6-0)
4. Sargent (6-0)
5. Sterling (6-1)
6. Pleasanton (6-0)
7. Hayes Center (5-1)
8. Hampton (5-1)
9. Mullen (5-1)
10. Anselmo-Merna (5-1)
The top six teams all won in convincing fashion. Mullen (5-1), a 40-0 winner over Cody-Kilgore, enters the ratings for the first time this year. The Broncos have lost only to unbeaten Sargent and have defeated two teams currently with winning marks. Also moving on up is Anselmo-Merna (5-1), 60-18 winners at Maywood. A-M also has lost only to Sargent and has defeated 4-2 Loomis earlier this fall. The Coyotes have tough tests with archrival Ansley and at Brady coming up.Mullen and A-M displace previous No. 7 Spalding/Spalding Academy (64-0 losers at Ewing) and No. 10 Falls City Sacred Heart (46-6 losers at Sterling).
SIX-MAN
1. Arthur County (6-0)
2. Greeley-Wolbach (5-0)
3. Wheeler Central (5-1)
4. St. Edward (3-3)
5. Sioux County (3-3)
The Top Five remains unchanged after everyone except St. Edward emerged victorious. However, the Beavers are not demoted for their narrow 53-52 loss at No. 2 Greeley-Wolbach.
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