2022 Nebraska Class A Playoff Recap
This season has been a wild ride. Teams did what they usually do and they rose and fell. Watching the highs and lows and the absolute grit I saw on the field was amazing. Football is a sport that brings…
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Continue ReadingThis season has been a wild ride. Teams did what they usually do and they rose and fell. Watching the highs and lows and the absolute grit I saw on the field was amazing. Football is a sport that brings so much of the human spirit together and It makes every game important no matter who is playing. In Class A this season we had some of the most dominant teams and players of recent memory. Everyone will mention the Gretna and Westside storyline of course but that will look over some of the groups who pushed their way into contention for state this year. Teams like Grand Island and Creighton Prep. Every playoff team deserves credit for making it this far into the season. So I want to go into some of the players and moments that lead to the State Championships.
First off I would like to compare this to last season’s playoff. There isn’t much movement in Highschool football however we can still see who improved and who regressed overall
Class A 2021 Playoffs
The 2022 playoffs were just as entertaining and revenge was in the air from the beginning of the season. Gretna and Westside were the favorites all season. Many teams were fighting and clawing their way through the pact to get to the top and they tried everything they could. Creighton Prep had one of the most demanding schedules out of any team in the state let alone class A but they did not back down.
2022 Class A Playoff (Elkhorn is Elkhorn South)
The first difference between the 2022 and 2021 seasons is the replacement of two teams in the postseason. Columbus and Burke both did not return to the playoffs. Burke struggled this season ending with a 2-7 record. Though they played many teams who did end up making and doing well in the playoffs. Columbus also had a rough year finishing 1-8 on the season. Replacing the Bulldogs and Discoverers this season are Millard West and Lincoln Southwest.
Round 1
The first week of playoffs was dynamic with a few nailbiters and some close fights. From bottom to top we will start with the Dragons and the Knights. A tied game during the third would lead to a Dragon field goal for the win in the fourth 27-24. Our next game was a bitter fight between Papio-South and Bellevue West. The T-Birds would go up by 8 at halftime, however, Bellevue West’s defense would force a turnover leading to another score. Papio South would score one more time before the T-Birds put the game away 42-20. Creighton Prep would head out west and completely dominate the North Platte Bulldogs shutting them out 27-0. The Storm came down and rained on the Spartan’s parade. Scoring a whopping 20 points in the first quarter and did not let up the rest of the game. Elkhorn South would win 48-20. The Omaha North Vikings would head west to Grand Island and get in a dogfight with the Islanders. GI would hold a one-point lead going into the half. Omaha North would come back and by the end of the third, it would be tied 21-21. The Islanders would hold out and stay floating 35-28. Another game out west between Kearney and Millard South. The Patriots would come out swinging going up 29-7 at the half. Kearney would have some fight but could not put them down with the final 35-21. A back and fourth fight in Lincoln between the Silverhawks and the Wildcats. Millard West would score first but the Lincoln Southwest offense was on a roll. Silverhawks would live to fight on 31-17. Omaha Westside had one goal in mind and they crushed to get there. Shutting out Papillion La Vista for the first half they would not let up and they would win 59-21. This season had a few more blowouts but overall it had just as many storylines. Westside was determined for another chance at the title. Gretna survived like they did all season. Crieghton Prep did not give up. Going into round two there were a few questions and challenges. Would Gretna be able to beat the T-Birds again? Could Creighton Prep beat the dominant Storm?
Round 2
8 teams remained and 4 games left. Westside would take on Lincoln Southwest, The Warriors continue their mission for revenge and so far have left nothing in their wake. In the second quarter, the Silverhawks fought back gaining a 21-14 lead going into the second half. Then the Warriors went for the kill scoring 28 points in the second half giving Omaha Westside a 42-28 Victory over Lincoln Southwest. In the Second game of the Second round Grand Island took on the Millard South Patriots. The Patriots would score fast going up 10-0 in the first however they would get shut out by the islanders for the rest of the game. The Islanders were able to go up 28-10 for the win. The Storm was seen as having one of the best offenses in Nebraska, and the Creighton Prep jays wanted to take them down. In a low scoring match the Jays held this Storm offense all the way down to 3 total points. Winning 10-3 to move onto the semi-finals. Earlier this season Gretna pulled one of the best comebacks we’ve ever seen against Bellevue West. The Thunderbirds and Dragons weren’t going to let them happen again. The game was full of back and forth. The T-Birds went up 21-14 by the third, Gretna would tie it in the 4th and take control from there not letting up on the gas. Gretna takes it 35-23 against Bellevue West.
Semi-Finals
The Semi-Finals were interesting along with the implications. Gretna and Westside’s rematch was in jeopardy if one of them struggled. Grand Island and Creighton Prep were looking to destroy the storyline and create chaos. The Dragons did not let anyone doubt them. Gretna went up 36-0 by the third Quarter, The Bluejays could not get anything going but would score a couple in the 4th. the final being 36-14. On our other side, Westside also wouldn’t let up. The Warriors were up 31-0 at the third and the Islanders would only score one touchdown on the Warriors. Omaha Westside would win 38-7.
State Title
A storybook way to finish the season in lincoln. Last season the Dragon’s victory was the first in school history and to come back and potentially go back-to-back was lingering over the Dragons. Along with the controversy of the title being revoked later in the off-season. The Warriors seeked revenge. Westside has been in every state title in football since 2019. They were fired up and came out punching. The Warriors put up 28 points on the dragons in the first with Gretna’s response with 14 points of their own. After the first quarter fireworks the game would slow with another dogfight between the teams. Gretna would hold Westside to only field goals for the rest of the game. Gretna would catch up in the fourth going up 41-40 with 25 seconds left. Leaving way too much time on the clock for the Warriors to drive down to kick a game-winning Feild goal. The Warriors get their revenge 43-40.