Top 25 Nebraska high school football rankings (10/18/2023)
Class A state No. 1 Westside last Friday continued its winning ways, but not without facing a legitimate challenge from No. 2 Millard South. Adversity isn’t something this Warriors squad has dealt with much this year, and they showed that when the going gets tough, they’re able to dig deep and still find a way to close the show. With the score 17-14 midway through the fourth, Westside rattled off 14 points to win 31-14.
1. Omaha Westside (8-0, 3-0 district)
Westside got out to a hot start, going up 17-0 before leading by just three in the fourth quarter. But, Westside showed why it’s the best in the state, closing the game out scoring 14 unanswered. Anthony Rezac led the Warriors, throwing for 179 yards and a score, as well as adding over 100 yards on the ground and another score.
2. Millard South (7-1, 3-0 district)
South couldn’t pull off the upset against Westside, but they showed that they are the clear No. 2 all-class team at this stage in the season. They pushed Westside to the brink in the fourth quarter, but ran out of gas. They should get another shot at redemption when playoffs roll around shortly.
3. Omaha North (7-1, 3-0 district)
Omaha North scored 12 in the opening quarter, and then gave up just one score, as they went on to beat Grand Island 18-7 last Friday. North has won its last six games since falling to Millard West in Week 2. This week, North hosts 7-1 Elkhorn South at home, and it’s a big one.
4. Elkhorn South (7-1, 3-0 district)
The Storm took care of business last week, beating Omaha Burke 56-0. It will be a lot more challenging this week when South hits the road to face a good Omaha North team. This is a huge game for both squads in terms of getting the most favorable playoff seeding possible.
5. Kearney (7-1, 2-1 district)
Coming off a 56-0 loss to Westside, Kearney bounced back last week with a 55-0 shutout over Lincoln Northeast. Northeast isn’t good this year, but this win may have been needed to help the Bearcats get their mind right and rebound. Kearney closes out its regular season Friday, hosting Norfolk.
6. Bellevue West (5-3, 3-0 district)
Since starting the year 2-3, Bell West has righted the ship by winning its last three – all needed district wins. The Thunderbirds are coming off a 43-14 win over inner-city rival Bellevue East, followed by a bye, and wrap the season up this Friday at home against Papillion-La Vista South.
7. Gretna (6-2, 3-1 district)
The Dragons have won two straight since losing a heartbreaker to Bellevue West three weeks ago. Last week, Gretna shut out Omaha South 63-0. This week is an impactful one, as Gretna hits the road to face 6-2 Lincoln East. We give Gretna the slight edge in this one.
8. Millard West (6-2, 3-1 district)
The Wildcats responded well after their surprising loss to Lincoln Southeast, beating Lincoln Southwest 23-10. Millard West is a virtual lock for a playoff spot, and should get to 4-1 in district play this Friday when they take on Omaha Bryan.
9. Lincoln East (6-2, 3-1 district)
East took care of business in its last game, beating Lincoln North Star 38-13. Quarterback Jeter Worthley threw for a score, and rushed for 177 and three scores. Dash Bauman rushed for 215 yards and a touchdown. East faces Gretna this Friday.
10. Papillion-La Vista (7-1, 4-0 district)
The Monarchs had a standout game last week, beating Creighton Prep 34-7. Senior running back Payton Prestito rushed 37 times for 328 yards and four scores en route to the victory. Tavien Pirtle also threw for a score. The Monarchs close the regular season against North Platte.
11. Lincoln Southeast (5-3, 3-1 district)
Southeast has really come to life at this point in the season. After starting the season 2-3, the Knights have won three straight and are in a favorable position to make the playoffs. We expect Southeast to beat South Sioux City Friday and extend its district record to 4-1.
12. Creighton Prep (3-5, 2-1 district)
Prep can still make the state playoffs, but it will take a better showing than Friday, where the Junior Jays got trounced 34-7 by Papillion-La Vista. Prep should bounce back and get to 3-1 in district play, as they face 0-8 Benson to wrap up the regular season.
13. Millard North (3-5, 3-1 district)
Like Lincoln Southeast, Millard North has been another pleasant evolution as the season has progressed. North lost its first four games, and since, has won three of four and placed itself in playoff contention. Friday, the Mustangs face Lincoln Southwest. We give North a slight edge.
14. Lincoln Southwest (3-5, 2-2 district)
Southwest is coming off a 23-10 loss to Millard West last Friday. We expect this week’s game against Millard North to be competitive, though we expect Millard North to edge Southwest. If the Silver Hawks want to make playoffs, this is a must win.
15. Norfolk (5-3, 2-1 district)
The Panthers beat North Platte 21-7 last Friday. This week, they look to play spoiler as they take on 7-1 Kearney. Norfolk has won two of the last three, with the lone loss during that stretch being a three-point defeat to Lincoln North Star.
16. Grand island (4-4, 1-2 district)
It has been a brutal three game stretch for Grand Island – Kearney, Omaha North and Elkhorn South. The Islanders will pick up a win this week against 0-9 Omaha Northwest, but it isn’t looking good for Grand Island making playoffs.
17. Bennington (8-0, 4-0 district)
Bennington, in its biggest challenge of the year, beat Elkhorn North 14-0. Running back Quinton Archer rushed for 142 yards and a score, and quarterback Peyton Sanmann threw for another. Bennington wraps up its regular season this week against Elkhorn Mt. Michael.
18. Lincoln North Star (4-4, 1-2 district)
North Star is coming off a 38-13 loss to Lincoln East. This week, the Navigators face Columbus, which is also currently 1-2 in district play. We give North Star the edge in this matchup.
19. Skutt Catholic (7-1, 3-0 district)
Skutt has been perfect on the season since falling 14-13 to defending state champions Bennington in Week 1. This past week, Skutt beat a good Plattsmouth team 22-16. We like Skutt to beat Gross Catholic this week and head into playoffs 8-1.
20. Elkhorn North (7-1, 3-1 district)
The Wolves lost their first game of the season last Friday, being shut out by Bennington. They wrap up their regular season this week against 5-3 Blair. How will North respond after having the air knocked out of their sails just a week ago?
21. Waverly (8-0, 3-0 district)
This Waverly team is good, and has a good shot at winning its final two regular season games against Lincoln Northwest and Ralston to head into playoffs undefeated. Seward’s best wins this year have come against Scottsbluff and York. The road will get much tougher come playoffs.
22. Columbus (3-5, 1-2 district)
Columbus last week beat Lincoln High 35-0. The Discoverers have a winnable game this Friday against Lincoln North star. North Star across the board probably has a little more talent than Columbus, and we give them the edge.
23. Omaha Central (3-5, 1-2 district)
After losing three straight to solid opposition, Central picked up a much-needed win last week against 0-8 Benson. This week, look for the Eagles to win another, as they wrap up their season against Omaha Burke.
24. South Sioux City (5-3, 1-3 district)
South Sioux City started the year with a cake schedule, but it’s gotten a lot harder in district play. South Sioux this week plays a hot Lincoln Southeast team, and we think this one could get ugly in a hurry. Last week, the Cardinals fell to Millard North 66-0.
25. York (6-2, 3-1 district)
York secured its playoff spot last week with a 58-2 win over Lincoln Northwest. York has a bye this week, according to information posted on Max Preps.
Next 5: Plattsmouth, Grand Island Northwest, Seward, North Platte, Lincoln High
