There are 16 remaining unbeaten teams that reached the Nebraska high school football state playoffs — one in Class A (Omaha Westside), one in Class B (Seward), three in Class C1 (Sidney, Columbus Lakeview, Wahoo), one in C2 (Norfolk Catholic), three in Eight Man-1 (Stanton, Sandy Creek, Guardian Angels Central Catholic), three in Eight Man-2 (Sandhills/Thedford, Archangels Catholic, Bruning-Davenport/Shickley) and four in Six Man (Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, Hay Springs, Pawnee City, Garden County).
Click each class to view score updates for the 2024 NSAA state football playoffs.
No. 1 seed Omaha Westside enters the playoffs riding a Class A record 29-game winning streak after its 42-12 win over ninth-seeded Papillion-La Vista in week nine. The Warriors will look to win their fourth state title in five years. If they pull it off again in 2024, they would tie the Class A state record of consecutive unbeaten seasons (two).
Two-seed Millard South will look to make it to the state championship game for the first time since 2010. Elkhorn South upset the 10-1 Patriots in the semifinals last season.
The Patriots and Warriors have handled their opponents by a combined score of 830-191.
With three Omaha Public Schools programs (Omaha North, Omaha Central, Omaha Westview) in the field, it marks the first time since 2014 that OPS has had three teams make the playoffs.
Bennington suffered its first loss in over three years when third-seeded Omaha Skutt Catholic won 38-30 in week eight at Skutt. The Badgers have won three straight Class B titles and will look to add to their state record with a fourth consecutive in 2024.
The first round features five rematches from the regular season: McCook at Hastings (38-23 Hastings), Elkhorn versus Elkhorn North at Elkhorn Stadium (17-14 Elkhorn), Norris at Waverly (28-21 Waverly), Lincoln Pius X at Seward (35-0 Seward) and Grand Island Northwest at Bennington (44-7 Bennington).
Class B is likely the most competitive bracket with two-seed Seward seeking its first final appearance since 2001 when the Bluejays won it all.
Skutt Catholic, the 2023 Class B runner-up, is looking to make consecutive championship games again after reaching the finals in four straight seasons (2016-2019).
Third-seeded Wahoo has been the Class C1 favorite all season. The unbeaten Warriors’ closest game came in week two, a 28-14 win over rival and No. 2 seed Ashland-Greenwood. Of their nine wins, four were shutouts, and the Wahoo defense has given up just 59 points in nine games while the Warriors averaged 52.33 points themselves. Should that trend continue and a run to the state championship happens, they would break the C1 single-season team scoring record of 664 (Aurora in 2018).
Runner-up last season, Wahoo will look to add to the school’s lone state championship (2019).
Top-seeded Sidney’s last loss came at Wahoo (21-0) in the 2023 semifinals. The Red Raiders have never won a state championship or made it to the state finals in school history.
Two-seed Ashland-Greenwood has never won a state championship. The Bluejays have finished as runner-up twice (2013, 2014).
Fourth-seeded Columbus Lakeview is the other unbeaten in the bracket and opens with rival Scotus Central Catholic, who the Vikings beat 26-22 in week eight. Lakeview has been to the state championship twice, finishing as champions in 2021 and runner-up in 1990 (Class B).
In Norfolk Catholic’s nine regular season games, the Knights defeated five teams that reached the playoffs. The favorite to win C2 could build on their 35-game winning streak and 11-man -record 12 state championships. Of those 12, the Knights have won three in a row once (2010-12). Should they raise the trophy in Lincoln this year, it would be their third straight state title.
No. 2 seed Bishop Neumann, featuring the state’s 11-man rushing and touchdowns leader in Nebraska commit Conor Booth, is looking for its first playoff win since 2018 when the Cavaliers lost to Ord in the semifinals.
Three-seed Battle Creek is looking for its first finals appearance since a runner-up finish in 1996. The Braves gave rival Norfolk Catholic their closest contest of the season, losing 19-14 in week eight.
Sandy Creek enters the re-seeded bracket as the No. 1 seed. The Cougars will look to win their first state championship in school history. Likely standing in their way will be 2023 champion and No. 2 seeded Stanton. Should the Mustangs repeat, they would be the first to do so in D1 since Elgin Public/Pope John (2011-12).
Three-seed Sandhills/Thedford, the reigning champion in D2, is one of the three remaining unbeatens in the bracket. Should the Knights repeat, they would be the first D2 team to do so since Humphrey St. Francis (1995-96).
Archangels Catholic, formerly known as Humphrey St. Francis, enters the bracket as the one of the three unbeatens and the No. 1 seed. The Defenders played three playoff teams in the regular season, outscoring them by a combined 134-50.
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (SEM) enters the playoffs with a 20-game winning streak. Two-seed Hay Springs will look to win its first state championship after finishing runner-up to SEM (21-20) last season.
Four-seed Garden County is the other unbeaten in the bracket and looking to make its first state championship appearance in school history.
