2020 Eight-Man Football Championships are as Good as it Gets

The 2020 high school football season may have been in doubt for quite some time, but one thing was never in doubt was the exceptional strength of Eight-Man football, especially Class D1.

When teams like Howells-Dodge, Stanton, Neligh-Oakdale, Tri-County, and Cross County come up short in D1 and top notch squads the likes of Kenesaw, Osceola, Humphrey St. Francis, Falls City Sacred Heart and Central Valley were eliminated before this week in D2, you know how strong the 8-Man game was this Fall.

I may have seen more Eight-Man football this season than I have in in five years. I just could not stay away from watching teams like Dundy County-Stratton, Cross County, Burwell, Stanton, Arcadia/Loup City, Osceola and others in 2020.

And now we are down to just four teams competing for a pair of Eight-Man titles and little did we know, even as late 8:30 last Friday that the Championships would NOT be played at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.

Instead of looking forward to the 6-Man Championship at UNK Friday, and SIX title games in Lincoln next Monday and Tuesday, most of us are forced to choose a single Championship game Friday night before the 2020 season is in the books.

So without further conversation, here are the capsules for both the D1 and Ds State Championship games Friday.

CLASS D-1, EIGHT-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Dundy County-Stratton (11-0) at Burwell (12-0), 5:00 PM

Dundy County-Stratton (11-0)

68 Bertrand 12

68 Perkins County 22

42 Hitchcock County 0

48 Maxwell 14

52 Hi-Line 0

78 Southern Valley 20

54 Cambridge 8

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58 Anselmo-Merna 18

48 Nebraska City Lourdes 30

50 Stanton 24

48 Tri-County 22

Head Coach: Mike Spargo (6th Season)

Last Time in Playoffs: 2019, Lost to Burwell 28-10 in D-1 semifinals

Times in Playoffs Since 2000: 6

*Passing: #9 Quade Myers - 62-95-1,009 Yards, 23 TDs/2 INTs

*Rushing: #36 Serbando Diaz (Sr) -1,862-204/29 TDs (5,424 Career yards/3 Time 1000 Yd rusher), #9 Quade Myers (Jr) -1,177-128/17 TDs (4,178 Career yards/3 Time 1000 Yd Rusher)

*Receiving: Corbin Horner (Soph)-30 receptions-463 Yds with 10 TDs, Lincoln Waters (Sr)-19 receptions-321 Yds with 7 TDs, Serbando Diaz 9-131 with 3 TDs

*Tackles: #36 Serbando Diaz-133 tackles (57 solos, 76 assists, 26 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 2 Fumble recoveries, 1 Pick 6, 1 FR touchdown), #43 Delton Haines (Sr)-108 (41/67, 19 TFL, 5 sacks, 1 FR), #7 Corbin Horner (Soph)-88 (36/52, 4 TFL, 2 INTs, 2 FR), #55 Keegan Krutsinger (Sr)-82 (26/56, 9 TFL, 1 FR), #9 Quade Myers 65 (33/32, 4 TFL, 4 INTs, 1 PR/TD, 2 KR/TDs), #2 Lincoln Waters 60 (29/35, 5 INTs, 1 FR, 1 FR TD).

*Extra Notes: Dundy has 83 team tackles for losses, 16 sacks, 18 INTs, 14 recovered fumbles. They also have 966 return yards and 6 special teams TDs.

*TEAM STATISTICS (PER GAME AVERAGE)

POINTS/GAME: Dundy County/Stratton-55.3, Opponents-15.6

RUSHING YARDS/GAME: Dundy County/Stratton-326.8, Opponents-167.0

PASSING YARDS.GAME: Dundy County/Stratton-93.1, Opponents-85.8

TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME: Dundy County/Stratton-419.9, Opponents-252.8

Burwell (12-0)

50 Atkinson West Holt 15

76 Ainsworth 38

53 Neligh-Oakdale 28

57 Ravenna 12

70 North Central 20

28 Arcadia-Loup City 20

61 Anselmo-Merna 30

62 Amherst 19

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47 North Central 14

57 Howells-Dodge 14

49 Neligh-Oakdale 48

37 Cross County 36

Head Coach: Luke Gideon (21st Season - Won 151 games)

Last Time in Playoffs: 2019, Lost to Osceola/High Plains 28-10 in D-1 Championship

Times in Playoffs Since 2000: 16 (D-2 Champions-2016, D=1 Runner-Ups-2015, 2018, 2019)

*Passing: #6 Barak Birch (Sr)- 88 of 149 for 1,351, 22 TDs/6 INTs

*Rushing: #16 Caleb Busch (Jr)- 2,189 yds-265, 45 TDs, #3 Cash Gurney (Jr)- 585-76, 7 TDs, #6 Barak Birch (Sr)- 256-57, 3 TDs.

*Receiving: #4 Alex Gideon (Jr)- 21 for 354 with 5 TDs, #5 Mason Plock (Sr) -15-303 with 4 TDs, #3 Cash Gurney- 19-332 with 7 TDs, #16 Caleb Busch (Jr)- 18-223 with 5 TDs.

*Tackles: #4 Alex Gideon (Jr)-95 (36-61), #3 Cash Gurney-83 (33-50, 3 sacks, 3 INTs, 1 FR), #11 Tyler Dawe (Jr) 76 (22-54, 2 sacks, 3 FR), #30 Colton Dawe (Sr) 75 (27-48, 1 FR), #75 Hunter Mayfield (Sr) 74 (20-54, 2.5 sacks, 1 FR).

*Kicking Game: #82 Casmir Koselka-38-39 PATS.

*TEAM STATISTICS (PER GAME AVERAGE)

POINTS/GAME: Burwell-53.3, Opponents-24.6

RUSHING YARDS/GAME: Burwell-296.8, Opponents-N/A

PASSING YARDS.GAME: Burwell-132.1 Opponents-N/A

TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME: Burwell-428.8, Opponents-N/A

CLASS D-2, EIGHT-MAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Sandhills/Thedford (12-0) at BDS (11-0), at Shickley, 5:00

Sandhills/Thedford (12-0)

44 Mullen 0

64 Morrill 6

68 Hyannis 0

49 Twin Loup 6

55 South Loup 14

55 Ansley/Litchfield 17

62 Sandhills Valley 14

77 Pleasanton 24

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62 Axtell 22

60 Loomis 16

50 Pleasanton 8

36 Falls City Sacred Heart 26

Head Coach: Josh Deines (9th Season)

Last Time in Playoffs: 2019, Lost to Mullen 18-12 in D-2 First Round

Times in Playoffs Since 2000: 10

*Passing: #7 Grant Ahlstrom - 57-107-780 Yards, 14 TDs/4 INTs

*Rushing: #22 Dane Pokorny (Jr) -1,975-213/36 TDs, #24 Reece Zutavern (Jr)- 617-86/12 TDs, #12 Seth Scranton (Jr)-457-68/8 TDs, #21 Trae Hickman 454-44/7 TDs (injured).

*Receiving: #24 Reece Zutavern (Jr)-16 receptions for 287 yds/6 TDs, #10 Matthew Dailey (Sr)-11 catches for 157 yds/2 TDs, #30 Drew McIntosh (Jr)-14 catches for 154 yds/5 TDs, #22 Dane Pokorny (Jr)-11 catches for 139 yds/1 TD.

*Tackles: #48 Reed McFadden (Sr) 87 tackles (44 solos-43 assists, 17 TFL, 5 sacks, 2 FR), #30 Drew McIntosh (Jr)-75 (43-32, 20 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 INT, 3 FRs, 1 blocked punt) #22 Dane Pokorny (Jr)-73 (40-33, 15 TFL, 1 sack, 3 INTs, #24 Reece Zutavern (Jr)-56 (37-19, 7 TFL, 4 INTs.

*Extra Notes: The Knights have recorded a massive 119 tackles for losses and 38 QB Sacks as a team. Sandhill-Thedford is also one 8-Man football’s most lethal return teams, bringing back 4 punts and 3 kickoffs back for touchdowns. And think about this for a moment. Dane Pokorny, who has rushed for 1,975 yards, was not even the featured running back to start the 2020 season. That honor went to Pokorny’s junior classmate Trae Hickman, who had rushed for 1,160 yards and 22 TDs as a sophomore. Hickman played in what amounted to 5 games plus 2 carries before suffering a season ending injury.

Before he was injured, Hickman had run for 454 yards (7 TDs), returned 4 punts and 1 kickoff for touchdowns. What does that say about Dane Pokorny?

*TEAM STATISTICS (PER GAME AVERAGE)

POINTS/GAME: Sandhills/Thedford 57.3, Opponents 12.8,

RUSHING YARDS/GAME: Sandhills/Thedford-329.4, Opponents-67.1,

PASSING YARDS.GAME: Sandhills/Thedford-65.0, Opponents-103.2,

TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME: Sandhills/Thedford-394.4, Opponents-170.3

BDS (11-0)

56 Diller-Odell 8

70 Johnson-Brock 22

50 Falls City Sacred Heart 30

80 High Plains 6

50 Blue Hill 0

42 Kenesaw 23

52 Lawrence-Nelson 18

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50 Elgin/Pope John 0

50 Ansley/Litchfield 28

60 Kenesaw 27

40 Central Valley 36

Head Coach: Mark Rotter (19th Season - Won 225 games)

Last Time in Playoffs: 2019 (Lost to Cross County 20-6 in D-2 Quarterfinals)

Times in Playoffs Since 2010 (as BDS): 11 (D-1 Champions-2015, D-2 Champions-2017, Runner-Ups-Class D-1/2014)

*Passing: #7 Dominic Quinones (Sr)- 46-86 for 860 Yds/16 TDs/1 INT

*Rushing: #7 Dominic Quinones (Sr)- 1,201-147/20 TDs, #2 Dalton Kleinschmidt (Sr)- 856-84/13 TDs, #32 Easton Weber (Soph)- 568-74/12 TDs, #26 Aaron Mick (Sr)- 228-28/7 TDs.

*Receiving: #2 Dalton Kleinschmidt (Sr)-10 receptions for 283 yds/5 TDs, #26 Aaron Mick (Sr)-9 catches for 204 yds/4 TDs, #32 Easton Weber (Soph)-6 catches for 79 yds/3 TDs

*Tackles: #12 Kyle Ardissono (Sr)-146 tackles (28-118, 4 sacks, 1 FR), #32 Easton Weber (Soph) 130 (28-102, 1 sack, 2 INTs, 1 FR), #2 Dalton Kleinschmidt (Sr)-115 (24-91, 4 INTs, 1 FR), #7 Dominic Quinones (Sr)-96 (22-74, 1 sack, 6 INTs), #3 Eric Schroeder (Sr) 91 (13-78, 3 sacks, 1 FR), #50 Blake Schlegel (Sr) 89 (10-79, 2 sacks, 1 INT), #45 Anthony Schweer 74 (6 solos, 68 assists).

*TEAM STATISTICS (PER GAME AVERAGE)

POINTS/GAME: BDS 54.6, Opponents 18.7,

RUSHING YARDS/GAME: BDS-315.5, Opponents-131.1

PASSING YARDS.GAME: BDS-78.6, Opponents-103.6

TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME: BDS-394, Opponents-234.7