Nebraska HS Football: Week 4 Top 10 Ratings, Explanation

Week 4 (September 22, 2024)

Class A

  1. Omaha Westside | 4-0 | 1
  2. Millard South | 3-1 | 2
  3. Elkhorn South | 4-0 | 3
  4. Kearney | 3-1 | 5
  5. Omaha North | 2-2 | 4
  6. Millard North | 2-2 | 6
  7. Papillion-La Vista | 4-0 | 7
  8. Creighton Prep | 3-1 | 9
  9. Bellevue West | 2-2 | 8
  10. Lincoln Southeast | 3-1 | 10
    OLI: Lincoln East (3-1), Millard West (0-4), Papio South (1-3)

Comments: Let’s call this what it is. Omaha Westside and Millard South are in Tier 1, Elkhorn South stands alone in Tier 2, and there is a massive Tier 3 jumble that may need the National Guard to sort out. At the midway point of the season (already???), whatever happens from this point in the season is up in the air. The margins between No. 4 Kearney and No. 8 Creighton Prep are slim. With Millard West (0-4) and Papio South (1-3) being strong playoff contenders, expect this to be a mess come playoff time.

Class B

  1. Bennington | 4-0 | 1
  2. Omaha Skutt | 4-0 | 2
  3. Elkhorn North | 4-0 | 3
  4. Seward | 4-0 | 4
  5. Waverly | 2-2 | 8
  6. Norris | 2-2 | 9
  7. Scottsbluff | 3-1 | 5
  8. York | 3-1 | NR
  9. Lincoln Pius X | 2-2 | NR
  10. Blair | 2-2 | 10
    Dropped Out: Gretna (7), Elkhorn (10)
    OLI: Gering (4-0), Hastings (2-2), McCook (3-1)

Comments: Bennington has won 43 straight games, just five short of the 11-Man state record of 48 set by Cambridge between 1996-99. Bennington’s 43 straight wins and three consecutive state championships are already a Nebraska Class B state record. Omaha Skutt is a machine that keeps rolling, while Elkhorn North is for real with its explosive offense and salty defense. If you wondered why Waverly and Norris hung around in the Top 10 until it acquired some W’s, now it might make a little more sense to you. Both are legitimate threats as the season wears along. Lincoln Pius X beat Blair, who beat Gretna. Gretna beat Elkhorn, which allows No. 10 Blair to hang in the Top 10. McCook is 3-1 with its only loss coming 20-7 to No. 5 Waverly and seems to be finding its feet.

Class C-1

  1. Wahoo | 4-0 | 1
  2. Ashland-Greenwood | 3-1 | 2
  3. Sidney | 4-0 | 3
  4. Columbus Lakeview | 4-0 | 5
  5. Cozad | 3-1 | 7
  6. Auburn | 3-1 | 4
  7. Central City | 3-1 | 9
  8. Lincoln Christian | 3-1 | 10
  9. Boys Town | 4-0 | NR
  10. Fort Calhoun | 3-1 | NR
    Dropped Out: Douglas County West (6), Pierce (8)
    OLI: Chadron (4-0), Columbus Scotus (3-1), Milford (4-0), O’Neill (4-0), Omaha Roncalli (2-2)

Comments: Wahoo appears to be in a class of its own at this point of the campaign. To make the C-1 ratings make sense, a very dangerous Douglas County West crashed out from No. 6 due to a loss at Omaha Roncalli. Douglas County beat Pierce, who lost 47-14 to Fort Calhoun. Fort Calhoun beat Omaha Roncalli, while 4-0 Boys Town beat Fort Calhoun. Hence, Boys Town enters at No. 9, while Fort Calhoun deservedly enters at No. 10 this week. This is perhaps a bit harsh to Chadron (4-0), Milford (4-0), and O’Neill (4-0). Columbus Scotus at 3-1 is also dangerous. These teams are not going anywhere and have been impressive all season long.

Class C-2

  1. Norfolk Catholic | 4-0 | 1
  2. Wahoo Neumann | 3-1 | 2
  3. Battle Creek | 4-0 | 3
  4. Oakland-Craig | 4-0 | 3
  5. Boone Central | 2-2 | 6
  6. Cedar Catholic | 3-1 | 7
  7. Malcolm | 3-1 | 5
  8. Raymond Central | 4-0 | 8
  9. Kearney Catholic | 4-0 | 9
  10. GI Central Catholic | 3-1 | 10
    OLI: David City Aquinas (1-3), Fremont Bergan (2-2), Wood River (3-1)

Comments: Norfolk Catholic has now won 30 straight games and will be looking for a three-peat in C-2. It is a long ways off, but the aforementioned Class C-2 and 11-Man state record for consecutive wins belongs to Cambridge (1996-99) at 48. Tier 2 in Class C-2 is three deep, with Wahoo Neumann, Battle Creek, and Oakland-Craig chasing. Malcolm falls to No. 7 after a loss to No. 4 Oakland-Craig. Raymond Central and Kearney Catholic remain unbeaten, while Grand Island Central Catholic remains in the Top 10 with its only loss coming to No. 7 Malcolm.

Class D-1

  1. Stanton | 4-0 | 1
  2. Sandy Creek | 4-0 | 2
  3. North Platte St. Patrick’s | 4-0 | 3
  4. Arapahoe | 4-0 | 4
  5. Summerland | 3-1 | 5
  6. Crofton | 3-1 | 6
  7. Shelby-Rising City | 3-1 | 7
  8. Plainview | 3-1 | 9
  9. Hartington/Newcastle | 4-0 | 10
  10. Pleasanton | 4-0 | NR
    Dropped Out: Ravenna (8)
    OLI: David City (4-0), Dundy County-Stratton (4-0), Elkhorn Valley (2-2), Johnson-Brock (3-1), Pender (3-1), West Point GACC (4-0)

Comments: Battle-tested, Stanton remains the clear No. 1 riding its 17-game winning streak. Summerland remains at No. 5 and will be a threat moving forward despite its loss to No. 1 Stanton by 10. Pleasanton enters this week at No. 10 after a win over last week’s No. 8 Ravenna. It will be a donnybrook in Eight Man-1 this season, with two playoff eligible teams still at 4-0 and on the outside looking in the Top 10. (David City is ineligible due to enrollment)

Class D-2

  1. Sandhills-Thedford | 4-0 | 1
  2. Central Valley | 3-1 | 2
  3. Howells-Dodge | 4-0 | 3
  4. Humphrey Archangels | 4-0 | 4
  5. BDS | 4-0 | 5
  6. Loomis | 4-0 | 7
  7. Overton | 4-0 | 9
  8. High Plains | 3-1 | NR
  9. Weeping Water | 4-0 | NR
  10. Riverside | 2-2 | 6
    Dropped Out: Lawrence-Nelson (8), Hitchcock County (10)
    OLI: Bancroft-Rosalie (4-0), Elgin/Pope John (3-1), Fullerton (4-0) , Kenesaw (3-1), Osceola (3-1)

Comments: Sandhills/Thedford and QB Kyle Cox continues to roll. High Plains and Weeping Water enter the fray this week, replacing Lawrence-Nelson and Hitchcock County. Thoughts continue to go out to the Hitchcock County community after the loss of an assistant coach last week. Facing Overton a few days after a real-life tragedy had to be difficult for everyone involved. Expect the Falcons to rebound quickly and be a formidable force in the coming weeks.

Class D-6

  1. Sumner-Eddyville-Miller | 3-0 | 1
  2. Pawnee City | 3-0 | 2
  3. Arthur County | 3-0 | 3
  4. Stuart | 2-1 | 4
  5. Red Cloud | 3-0 | 7
  6. Hay Springs | 3-0 | 6
  7. Hampton | 2-1 | 5
  8. Diller-Odell | 2-1 | 8
  9. Silver Lake | 2-1 | 9
  10. Garden County | 3-0 | 10
    OLI: Paxton (2-1), Potter-Dix (2-1), Sioux County (2-1), Southwest (2-1), Sterling (2-1)

Comments: This has been exciting to monitor. S-E-M might be in a tier by itself this season, but you never know. Pawnee City and Arthur County will object to that thought and will be clipping the heels of the Mustangs until the end. Will Hay Springs hit the highways and be last year’s Hay Springs?