Nebraska high school football Top 25 rankings (11/30/2023)

Westside blanks Millard South for back-to-back Class A titles

Westside concluded its perfect season by doing what it’s done all year, scoring in droves and holding offenses stagnant. The Warriors blanked Elkhorn South in the Class A state championship 56-0, the largest victory margin ever tallied in a title game in the state’s largest class. 

1. Omaha Westside (4-0 district, 13-0 overall) 

Westside, simply put, made it look like men amongst boys on the gridiron all fall. Last week, the Warriors completed their quest for back-to-back state titles, defeating Elkhorn South 56-0. Allowing just more than a field goal per game, this will go down as one of the most dominant teams in state history.

2. Millard South (4-0 district, 10-2 overall)

Millard South was eliminated in semifinals by Elkhorn South, who stepped on the gas late to beat the Patriots 24-13. With the Storm’s performance in the final, though, and with how stout the Patriots were all year, we believe Millard South is the second best team in the state to conclude the year.

3. Elkhorn South (4-0 district, 11-2 overall)

The Storm had a heck of the year, overcoming early quarterback injuries and redeeming a thumping loss at the hands of Millard South early in the season. This is a team that continually shows the ability to reload and should once again be in the conversation next fall.

4. Millard West (4-1 district, 9-3 overall)

Millard West closed out its season with a 41-0 loss to Omaha Westside in semifinals. The Wildcats were sound all year, losing just two in the regular season. One was to Millard South, the other, is lone bad loss, was to Lincoln Southeast.

5. Bellevue West (4-0 district, 7-4 overall)

Bellevue West got off to a rocky start to the season, but won five straight – and was perfect in its district – heading into playoffs. This team loses a lot of star power next fall, but several underclassmen will have the chance to be major contributors right away.

6. Omaha North (3-1 district, 8-3 overall)

Quarterback Sebastian Circo led the Vikings this year with 17 touchdown passes and six interceptions. He will be a key cog returning for this viking team next fall. North was beaten 45-0 by Millard South in quarterfinals.

7. Gretna (3-1 district, 7-3 overall)

Gretna fell to Omaha North in the opening round of playoffs 35-34 in double overtime. This is a Dragons team that we think had a chance to do some real damage if they got out of the opening round. Some key seniors are departing this offseason, it will be interesting to see how Gretna reloads.

8. Lincoln East (3-1 district, 7-4 overall)

The Spartans were the best team coming out of Lincoln this fall. They picked up an opening-round win over Lincoln Southwest, before falling to Elkhorn South in quarterfinals 24-19. Senior Dash Bauman ran for just over 1,000 yards and scored 12 touchdowns on the season.

9. Papillion-La Vista (4-0 district, 8-2 overall)

Senior Payton Prestito was a workhorse for the Monarchs all season, rushing for nearly 1,500 yards and 20 scores. The Monarchs concluded their season by losing 48-34 to Bellevue West in the opening round of playoffs.

10. Grand Island (2-2 district, 6-5 overall)

Grand Island was maybe the surprise of Class A playoffs this year, beating 8-1 Kearney 29-19 in the opening round. The Islanders season concluded with a 31-7 quarterfinal loss to Millard West.

11. Kearney (3-1 district, 8-2 overall)

Kearney started the season 6-0, prior to being drubbed 56-0 by Omaha Westside. This was a solid Bearcat team, but the rivalry games played against Grand Island proved troublesome. The first, Kearney won 10-7. The second, the Islanders ended Kearney’s promising season.

12. Lincoln Southeast (4-1 district, 6-4 overall)

Lincoln Southeast had a great run through districts – a true late-season surge, to make their way into playoffs as a No. 6 seed. The Knights’ best wins of the year came against Millard West and Papillion-La Vista.

13. Creighton Prep (3-1 district, 4-6 overall)

It was a rocky season for the Junior Jays. We expected this team to round the corner at some point, but too much inconsistency plagued this team. A district push got Prep into playoffs, but they fell in the opening round to Westside 54-6.

14. Papillion-La Vista South (2-2 district, 5-5 overall)

Senior quarterback Sam Schuler was a bright spot for this Titan team, throwing for more than 1,000 yards and 13 scores. This team won the games it was supposed to, but couldn’t pull off a big upset throughout the season.

15. Lincoln North Star (2-2 district, 5-5 overall)

North Star improved on its 2022 season where it went 4-5, achieving a .500 record and making playoffs. That in itself should be viewed as a win. As a No. 15 seed, the Navigators had a tough opening-round draw with Millard South, a game they lost 38-0.

16. Millard North (4-1 district, 4-6 overall)

Millard North was another feel-good story late in the season. After a truly rocky start from a perennial power, Millard North went 4-1 in district play to earn a playoff spot. If they can carry this momentum into next year, expect that win total to rise above .500.

17. Bennington (5-0 district, 13-0 overall)

The Badgers pitched a 21-0 shutout over Omaha Skutt Catholic to win their third-straight Class B title. Bennington was stingy on both sides of the ball, reyling equally on the ability to score points and stop opponents from getting into the endzone. Peyton Sanmann threw for nearly 1,500 yards and 16 scores, and running back Quinton Archer rushed for more than 1,600 yards and 18 scores.

18. Skutt Catholic (4-0, 11-2 overall)

Skutt Catholic proved to be the second-best team in Nebraska’s Class B, but just didn’t have enough firepower to pull off an upset in the state finals. Skutt lost to the Badgers 14-13 game one, and was hoping to redeem that loss. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t in the cards.

19. Norfolk (2-2 district, 5-4 overall)

Rowdy Bauer led the Panthers on the ground this season, rushing for more than 700 yards and nine scores. Norfolk lost two single-score games to Lincoln North Star and Grand Island. If they won those, they easily would have been in playoff contention.

20. Bellevue East (1-3 district, 5-4 overall)

Bellevue East Started the season 3-1, but fell into a slump during district play. Several important underclassmen return for the Chieftains in the fall, which may help them reach the .500 mark or better next season.

21. Elkhorn North (4-1 district, 10-2 overall)

Elkhorn North was better this season than every opponent on their schedule not named Bennington. The Wolves were greatly improved this season, jumping their win total by three from the 2022 season. North was beaten 30-6 by Bennington in quarterfinals.

22. Omaha Central (2-2 district, 4-5 overall)

Central improved this season, coming off a 1-8 2022 campaign. A brutal four-game stretch starting in September and leading into October took its toll on this Eagles squad. This is a well-coached team, and look for more improvement next season.

23. Lincoln Southwest (2-3 district, 3-6 overall)

After going 8-3 in 2022, Southwest took a step back this season. This team had a real problem with finding consistent playmakers that could keep them in games. Freshman Brockston Teply was a standout on the team, however, throwing for 1,163 yards and eight scores.

24. Waverly (4-0 district, 11-1 overall)

Waverley’s lone loss of the season came in semifinals against eventual runner up Omaha Skutt Catholic. The team was led by quarterback Nolan Maahs, who threw for more than 1,600 yards and 11 scores. He also rushed for nearly 600 yards and 13 touchdowns.

25. South Sioux City (1-4 district, 5-4 overall)

After finishing 2-7 in 2022, the Cardinals got out to a hot start this year winning its first four games. Though against weaker opposition, it was nice seeing the Cardinals find some success. The talent is clearly there to win the easier games, now it’s about taking the next step and competing with the big boys.

Next 5: Columbus, North Platte, Scottsbluff, Seward, Omaha Bryan