A History of Nebraska 8-Man Football - 1997 Class D-1/D-2 Playoffs, All-State Teams and Final Ratings.

*116 Nebraska High School Football Teams played 8-Man football in 1997. Dodge dropped down to Class D-2 in 1997 and won their 4TH consecutive State Championship (3 in D1). There was some shuffling of schools between Classes D-1 and D-2 this season, including defending D-2 champion Humphrey St. Francis going up to D-1.

6-Man football was enjoying a resurgence of some sorts during the 1990s (22 teams in ‘97) after going completely dormant from 1968 to 1983.

*Let’s recap the1997 Class D-1 playoffs.*

1997 Class D-1 (Eight-Man 1) Playoffs

Qualifying Round of 32:

West

(7-0) Crawford 42-0 Culbertson (5-3)

(7-1) Eustis-Farnam 27-20 Paxton (6-2)

(7-0) Mullen 42-14 South Platte (6-2)

(7-1) Elwood 56-20 Leyton (4-3)

(7-1) Ewing 48-22 Silver Lake (3-5)

(5-3) Pleasanton 57-12 Stuart (6-1)

(5-3) Ansley 21-20 Kenesaw (6-2)

(7-1) Amherst 36-34 Anselmo-Merna (3-4)

East

(8-0) Bancroft-Rosalie 46-0 Orchard (4-4)

(6-2) Coleridge 57-28 Cedar Rapids (5-3)

(6-2) Humphrey St. Francis 32-26 Verdigre (4-4)

(8-0) St. Edward 46-0 Clarkson (4-4)

(3-5) Cedar Bluffs 16-14 Lincoln Lutheran (7-0)

(4-4) Pawnee City 47-20 Palmer (5-3)

(5-3) SE Consolidated 16-12 Polk-Hordville (4-4)

(3-5) Omaha Brownell-Talbot 40-32 Nelson (6-2)

1st Round

West

(8-0) Crawford 23-20 Eustis-Farnam (8-1)

(8-0) Mullen 44-38, Elwood 22 (8-1)

(8-1) Ewing 42-28 Pleasanton (5-3)

(6-3) Ansley 36-6, Amherst (8-1)

East

(7-2) Coleridge 57-32 Bancroft-Rosalie (9-0)

(9-0) St. Edward 46-0 Humphrey St. Francis (7-2)

(4-5) Cedar Bluffs 50-6 Pawnee City (5-4)

(4-5) Omaha Brownell-Talbot 33-16 SE Consolidated 28 (5-4)

Quarterfinals:

(9-0) Mullen 28-21 Crawford (9-0)

(7-3) Ansley 48-26 Ewing (9-1)

(8-2) Coleridge 19-12 St. Edward (10-0)

(5-5) Cedar Bluffs 76-40 Omaha Brownell-Talbot (5-5)

Semifinals

(8-3) Ansley 24-22 Mullen (10-0)

(9-2) Coleridge 50-0 Cedar Bluffs (6-5)

Final: (10-2) Coleridge 42-34 Ansley (9-3)

Champion: Coleridge 11-2 - Head Coach - Andy White

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Final 1997 Class D-1 8-Man Football Ratings (Omaha World-Herald)

1. Coleridge - 11-2, (39 ppg/19 opp ppg)

2. Callaway - 11-0, (44/17)

3. Ansley - 9-4, (36/21)

4. St. Edward - 10-1, (4610)

5. Mullen - 10-1, (41/16)

6. Bancroft-Rosalie - 9-1, (49/15)

7. Elwood - 8-2, (52/25)

8. Crawford - 9-1, (43/13)

9. Eustis-Farnam - 8-2..(39/22)

10 Ewing - 9-2, (46/23)

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1997 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) All-State Teams

Offense

End--Derek Bailey-Ansley, 6-4, 165, Junior

End--Anthony Harms-Adams/Filley, 5-10, 155, Senior

OL----Matt Behrends-Chappell, 6-2, 200, Senior

OL----Ryan Eickman-Nelson, 5-7, 1900, Senior

OL----Blake Longacre-Callaway, 5-11, 169, Senior

QB----Paul Kosch-Humphrey St. Francis, 5-11, 190, Senior

RB—-Scott Shanle-St. Edward, 6-3, 225, Senior

RB—-Greg Jorgensen-Ewing, 6-0,180, Senior

PK----Troy White-Crawford, 6-1, 180, Junior

Class D-1 All-State

Defense

DL---Scott Norby-Coleridge, 6-5, 195, Senior

DL—Chad Duryea-Anselmo-Merna, 6-5, 200, Senior

LB—Brandon Wilke-Paxton, 5-10, 190, Junior

LB---Dave Naslund-Colerldge, 6-0, 185, Senior

LB---Nels Nelson-Bancroft-Rosalie, 6-2, 180, Senior

LB—Andy Welstead-Waterloo, 5-11, 190, Senior

DB—Wade Marsh-Mullen, 6-1, 170, Senior

DB—Joe DeMitt-Eustis-Farnam, 6-0, 185, Senior

P-----Mark Van Skiver-Nelson, 6-1, 190, Senior

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1997 Class D-2 (Eight-Man-2) Playoffs

Qualifying Round of 32:

West

(7-0) Lodgepole 58-8 Trenton (2-6)

(4-4) Brady 36-28 Wheatland (3-5)

(5-3) Maywood 58-8 Wallace (3-5)

(8-0) Hayes Center 46-0 Arnold (2-6)

(8-0) Shickley 53-14 Silver Creek (2-5)

(5-3) Lindsay Holy Family 49-12 Giltner (3-5)

(8-0) North Loup/Scotia 54-6 Sandhills (4-4)

(8-0) Loomis 45-0 Chester-Hubbell-Byron (2-6)

East

(8-0) Butte 47-0 Petersburg (4-4)

(5-3) Wynot-28-20 Newcastle (5-3)

(6-2) Clearwater 42-14 Niobrara/Santee (4-4)

(7-1) Elgin Pope John 29-8 Wausa (4-4)

(8-0) Dodge 46-0 Omaha Christian Academy (3-4)

(6-2) Nebraska City Lourdes 36-6 Beemer (7-1)

(7-1) Mead 52-16 Diller (6-2)

(8-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 52-6 Lewiston (4-4)

1st Round:

West

(8-0) Lodgepole 46-0 Brady (4-4)

(9-0) Hayes Center 55-8, Maywood (6-3)

(9-0) Shickley 33-21 Lindsay Holy Family (6-3)

(9-0) North Loup/Scotia 52-6 Loomis (9-0)

East

(8-0) Butte 50-0 Wynot (6-3)

(8-1) Elgin Pope John 27-6 Clearwater (7-2)

(9-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 63-28 Mead (7-2)

(9-0) Dodge 52-6 Nebraska City Lourdes (7-2)

Quarterfinals

(10-0) Hayes Center 42-8 Lodgepole (9-0)

(10-0) North Loup/Scotia 52-12 Shickley (10-0)

(9-0) Butte 34-14 Elgin Pope John (9-1)

(10-0) Dodge 28-8 Falls City Sacred Heart (10-0)

Semifinals

(11-0) North Loup/Scotia 46-14 Hayes Center (11-0)

(11-0) Dodge 46-30 Butte (10-0)

Final: (12-0) Humphrey St. Francis 28-26 North Loup/Scotia (12-0)

Champion: Dodge (13-0), Head Coach: Gordon Pilmore

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Final 1997 Class D-2 8-Man Football Ratings (Omaha World-Herald)

Rank Team Record PPG-Opp PPG

1. Dodge - 13-0, (42ppg/12 opp ppg) (D1 Champion in 1996)

2. North Loup/Scotia - 11-2 (45/9)

3. Butte - 11-1, (48/9)

4. Falls City Sacred Heart - 10-1, (49/11)

5. Mead - 8-2, (43/15)

6. Hayes Center - 11-1, (46/9)

7. Shickley - 10-1, (46/13)

8. Loomis - 10-1, (36/13)

9. Elgin Pope John - 9-2..(34/14)

10. Lodgepole - 8-1. (44/13)

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1997 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) All-State Teams

Offense

WR--Regan Else-Mead, 6-1, 195, Junior

WR--Brett Schnitzler-Nebraska City Lourdes, 5-10, 165, Junior

OL---Andy Zeiser-Butte, 6-2, 245, Senior

OL---Andrew Swartzendruber-Shickley, 6-3, 200, Senior

OL---Jess Kroenke-Dodge, 6-2, 203, Senior

QB---Andrew Lechtenberg-Butte, 5-9, 170, Senior

RB---Brian Schukar-Loomis, 5-9, 170, Senior

RB---Casey Hughes-North Loup/Scotia, 6-1, 210, Senior

PK---Luke Taft-Falls City Sacred Heart,, 5-8, 140, Senior

Class D-2 All-State Defense

DL-Nick Hunke-Dodge 6-3, 200, Senior

DL-Brian Pieper-Dodge, 6-1, 206, Senior

DL-Steve Kriewald-North Loup/Scotia,, 6-0, 270, Sophomore

LB--John Bondegard-Lodgepole, 5-10, 195, Senior

LB--Kory Koch-Shickley, 6-1, 200, Senior

LB--Brandon Sells-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-1, 208, Senior

DB--JJ Stecher-Dodge, 5-8, 170, Senior

DB--Cody Jeffers-Hayes Center, 6-1, 175, Senior

P--- J Templeman-Newcastle , 6-3, 175, Senior