Nebraska High School Football Playoffs 2025: Brackets Are Here!

The wait is over! The Nebraska School Activities Association (NSAA) has officially dropped the high school football playoff brackets for all classes, and the road to Memorial Stadium is officially set. Get ready for some thrilling postseason action!

TL;DR: Quick Playoff Rundown

• The NSAA has released the official playoff brackets for all Nebraska high school football classes.
• Eight-man football (Classes D1 & D2) kicks off first on Thursday, October 23, 2025, with other classes (A, B, C1, C2, D6) following on Friday, October 31, 2025.
• This year introduces a major seeding change: 8-man classes are now seeded 1-32 statewide, ditching the old East/West split for a truly unified tournament.

Get Ready for Kickoff: Your Playoff Journey Starts Now!

Football fanatics, rejoice! The Nebraska high school football playoffs are officially upon us, and the excitement is absolutely palpable. The NSAA has unleashed the long-awaited brackets for every class, from the hard-hitting 11-man titans in Class A down to the dynamic 6-man powerhouses. Whether your favorite team is a top seed or a plucky underdog, one thing's for sure: the next few weeks are going to be packed with incredible gridiron drama!

While the playoff picture is now clear, don't miss a beat. We're diving deep into all the essential details you need to know, including who's playing whom, when those crucial first-round games are, and what big changes the NSAA has made to the playoff format that will shake things up this season.

The New Playoff Landscape: Understanding This Season's Big Changes

If you've been following Nebraska high school football for a while, you might notice something a little different in the 8-man brackets this year. The NSAA has officially retired the old East/West split that used to divide the playoff field. Now, for Classes D1 and D2, all 32 qualifying teams are seeded from No. 1 to No. 32 based on their power points, regardless of their geographical location. This means a truly statewide competition from the very first snap!

This change aims to create a more balanced and exciting tournament, ensuring that the best teams, by the numbers, get the top seeds and home-field advantage (the higher seed always hosts!). Teams qualify either by winning their district or by having one of the highest regular season power point averages among non-district champions. It's all about earning your spot, and every game in the regular season truly matters under this system.

Eight-Man Action Kicks Off Early: D1 & D2 Brackets Revealed!

The 8-man football classes are getting a head start on the playoff fun, with the first round set to electrify fields across the state on Thursday, October 23, 2025. These teams have battled through the regular season, and now it's time for win-or-go-home football.

Class D1: Top Seeds Ready to Defend Their Turf

In Class D1, the undefeated Shelby-Rising City (8-0) snatched the coveted No. 1 seed, and they'll be hosting No. 32 Boyd County to kick things off. Not far behind is another undefeated squad, Dundy County-Stratton (8-0), who locked in the No. 2 seed and will welcome No. 31 Elkhorn Valley.

Other key matchups in Class D1's opening round include:

• No. 30 Exeter-Milligan-Friend at No. 3 Sandy Creek (7-1)
• No. 29 Stanton at No. 4 Ravenna (8-0)
• No. 28 Kimball at No. 5 Crofton (6-2)
• No. 26 Alma (4-4) at No. 7 Plainview (7-1)
• No. 21 North Platte St. Pat's (6-2) traveling to No. 12 Johnson-Brock (6-2)
• No. 17 Bloomfield (6-2) hitting the road to face No. 16 Sutton (6-2)
• No. 19 Hartington-Newcastle (6-2) at No. 14 Wisner-Pilger (6-2)

Keep an eye on players like Dundy County-Stratton's Ethan Latta, who's been a rushing machine with 17 touchdowns and 653 yards, and quarterback Dante Horner, who's thrown for 855 yards and 13 scores. For Thayer Central, Brady Degenhardt leads with 795 yards and 18 touchdowns, complemented by Laken Wiedel's 405 yards and 12 scores. Johnson-Brock's Hayden Gravatt is also a force, with 1,059 yards and 17 touchdowns under his belt.

Class D2: Howell-Dodge and Central Valley Lead the Charge

Over in Class D2, another pair of undefeated teams are sitting pretty at the top. The mighty Howells-Dodge (8-0) earned the No. 1 seed and will host No. 32 Hyannis. Meanwhile, the defending D2 State Champions, Central Valley (8-0), secured the No. 2 seed and will look to continue their reign against No. 31 Wilcox-Hildreth.

Other must-watch first-round games in Class D2 include:

• No. 30 Franklin (4-4) at No. 3 Hitchcock County (8-0)
• No. 29 Creighton (4-4) at No. 4 O'Neill St. Mary's (8-0) – St. Mary's won their regular season matchup 66-28, so Creighton will be looking for revenge!
• No. 28 Lyons-Decatur Northeast (4-4) at No. 5 Anselmo-Merna (7-1)
• No. 22 Maxwell (5-3) at No. 11 Mullen (7-1)
• No. 23 Cambridge (5-3) at No. 10 Loomis (6-2)
• No. 18 Deshler (6-2) at No. 15 Elm Creek (6-2)

Watch out for offensive fireworks from players like Howells-Dodge's Hunter Luther, who's racked up 1,065 rushing yards and an impressive 21 touchdowns. Anselmo-Merna's Dane Duryea is another rusher to behold, with 1,505 yards and 32 touchdowns! Maxwell's Jesse Reyes is a dual threat, with 1,566 rushing yards (26 TDs) and 760 passing yards (8 TDs). And Sandhills/Thedford’s Maurice Robinson has had a monster season with 1,863 rushing yards and 22 TDs, plus 280 passing yards and 7 TDs.

Eleven & Six-Man Teams Gear Up: Classes A, B, C1, C2, D6 Are Next!

For the rest of the classes—the 11-man giants in A, B, C1, C2, and the high-flying 6-man teams in D6—the regular season officially wrapped up recently, and their playoff journey begins on Friday, October 31, 2025. It's going to be a Halloween treat for football fans!

Class A: Westside Leads the Pack

In the biggest class, No. 1 seed Westside (8-1) is looking dominant. They're set to face No. 16 Bellevue West in their first-round clash. Keep an eye on Omaha Central, who secured their playoff spot with a 27-7 win over Fremont, and Lincoln East, who also made the postseason by beating Lincoln Southeast. Papio South, fresh off a historic 24-19 win over Elkhorn South (their first ever!), is also riding high into the playoffs.

"We're a top team in the state. We can compete with anybody. We're coming for the state championship."

— Papio South Player

Their coach added, "I think we proved a lot to ourselves. I think we might have proved a little bit to our opponent. You know, they've gotten the best of us the last handful of times we played. And I think we proved to the rest of the state that this team, Papio South this year is a pretty good football team. We are not the Papio South of yesterday, I promise you that. We coming, we coming. We are not who we were a year ago." With that kind of confidence, Papio South is definitely a team to watch!

Class B: Waverly and Gretna East Shine

Over in Class B, Waverly earned the No. 1 seed after beating Pius 22-7, and they'll host No. 16 Northwest. Gretna East, after a 35-28 victory in the "Battle of 370" against Gretna, looks like a strong No. 2 seed. These teams are primed for a deep run.

Class C1: Wahoo Aims to Repeat

The defending state champions, Wahoo, are back as the No. 1 seed in Class C1. They'll be kicking off their title defense against No. 16 Milford. Meanwhile, Gothenburg, who qualified as the C1-6 district champion, is the #11 seed and will be on the road to play #6 Fort Calhoun.

Class C2: Cedar Catholic Starts Strong

In Class C2, Cedar Catholic is the top dog, earning the No. 1 seed. Their first challenge will be against No. 16 Hershey. It's a bracket full of potential upsets and Cinderella stories!

Class D6: Garden County Leads the Six-Man Field

Finally, for the high-octane 6-man football, Garden County secured the No. 1 seed and will host No. 16 Crawford. Local team SEM (5-3) also made the cut as the No. 6 seed and will host Potter Dix (5-3) in an exciting first-round matchup.

Beyond the Brackets: Stories of Triumph and Heart

While the playoff brackets are all about the matchups, the human element of high school football always adds an extra layer of meaning. Take Elkhorn North, for example. Their head coach, Sam Stanley, returned to the sidelines for the first time in a month and a half after a heartbreaking personal loss – his 11-month-old twin son, Grant, passed away from congenital heart disease. In a truly emotional game, the Wolves rallied to beat Bennington 29-27, with Ethan Beachy scoring the game-winner as time expired. It was Elkhorn North's first-ever win over Bennington, a moment of profound victory amidst grief.

These are the stories that make high school football so special, reminding us that it's more than just a game. It's about resilience, community, and fighting for something bigger than yourself.

The Road to Lincoln: Championship Details

All this playoff action is building towards the ultimate goal: the State Championship games at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. For Classes D1 and D2, those thrilling final matchups will happen on Monday, November 24, 2025. While the exact dates for the other classes' championships aren't explicitly detailed in the releases, you can expect a similar timeframe, with all the playoff excitement culminating around November 25th.

It's going to be an unforgettable postseason, so clear your calendars, cheer on your favorite teams, and enjoy every single moment of Nebraska high school football playoff action!

Frequently Asked Questions About the NSAA Football Playoffs When were the 2025 NSAA playoff brackets released? The 8-man (D1 & D2) brackets were released around October 18-19, 2025. The 11-man (A, B, C1, C2) and 6-man (D6) brackets were released on Saturday, October 25, 2025. When do the first-round playoff games start? First-round games for Classes D1 and D2 (8-man) are scheduled for Thursday, October 23, 2025. First-round games for Classes A, B, C1, C2 (11-man) and D6 (6-man) will be played on Friday, October 31, 2025. Where can I find the full NSAA playoff brackets? Full brackets for all classes are available on the official NSAA website under the "Districts and Playoffs" tab, and links were also provided by local news outlets like KETV, KOLN, and ruralradio.com. What's new with the playoff seeding this year? For 8-man football (Classes D1 & D2), the NSAA has eliminated the East/West split. All 32 qualifying teams are now seeded 1-32 statewide based on power points, with the higher seed hosting each game. When and where are the State Championship games? The Class D1 and D2 State Championship games will be played on Monday, November 24, 2025, at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln. Other class championships will also conclude around this time, typically at Memorial Stadium.