Schedule Preview: Gretna East and Omaha Buena Vista

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">This season, we have some new football teams joining Class B football this season. Both of these schools Do not have any released rosters yet, but having a grasp of what they will be up against will help determine how well they can possibly do this season and what the future has in store for them. Recently there were some high-profile changes in Class A that can be used to see how these additions will perform in the coming seasons. Here are a few examples of schools that have been moved up or down a class and added in general. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Gretna is a good example since The Griffins will be their second high school in the district. Gretna had been in Class B for much of the 2000s and 2010s. In the 2018-2019 season, Gretna was moved up to Class A. Gretna's first few seasons were a bit of a struggle compared to the usual success that the Dragons had in Class B. The Dragons went 6-12 in their first two seasons in Class A. It didn't take long for the Dragons to stabilize and start having success in Class A. Since the 2020-2021 season, the Dragons have gone 24-2 and have been to two consecutive state title games. In total Gretna has gone 36-16 since joining Class A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The Elkhorn South is an easier comparison to Beuna Vista and Gretna East. The Storm originated in Class B as a new school, like Gretna East they did not have a senior class. This could have been one of the reasons Elkhorn South's first season has only 5 games shown. Their next season would be their first full season where they went 6-3 and made it to the state playoffs. Their success continued for the next 7 years winning 2 state titles and making it to the playoffs each season. In 7 years the Elkhorn South Storm went 61-17. Once they hit Class A the success did not stop, They moved up with Gretna and had way more immediate success going 14-8 in their first two years in Class-A. Since they joined they have gone 43-14. In total since their first full season in 2011, Elkhorn South has had a total record of 104-31. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">A final school that I think can show a possible future for these two schools is the Aurora Huskies. Aurora has been a historical Class B team, since 1975 Aurora has been in 8 Class B title games. In total, they have gone 2-6 in Class B title games. However, in recent history, the Huskies have changed classes down. Due to their school population and updated class placements, Aurora has gone up and down a lot recently. For two seasons Aurora was dropped down to Class C-1 where they won a state title and had a record of 21-4. After the 2019 season, they would move back to Class B where they made it to two straight State Titles before being moved back into Class C-1 for this upcoming 2023 season. Their return to Class B from the 2020 and 2021 seasons led to a 19-7 record and a 0-2 record in State title games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">These teams have had a lot of success in each Class division they have been in. These two new schools won't have the population differences like Aurora but they can learn from all the changes in divisions. Both of these teams have a chance to change and affect all of Nebraska High School Football. Along with that, they will be competing against teams that have been established for years and decades in their own division. Let's go into both of these teams' schedules and see who they'll have to face as their first tests. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Gretna East Griffins </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Week 1</td><td>@Hastings</td></tr><tr><td>Week 2</td><td>Omaha Buena Vista</td></tr><tr><td>Week 3</td><td>Plattsmouth</td></tr><tr><td>Week 4</td><td>@Ralston</td></tr><tr><td>Week 5</td><td>@Lincoln Northwest</td></tr><tr><td>Week 6</td><td>York</td></tr><tr><td>Week 7</td><td>@Waverly</td></tr><tr><td>Week 8</td><td>Lincoln Standing Bear</td></tr><tr><td>Week 9</td><td>Seward</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The Griffin's season is full of a bunch of classic Class B teams. They will have some challenges against some of these schools that are consistent and who have been able to have success recently and in the past. Another interesting part of their schedule is that they play other brand-new schools. They will play against Omaha Buena Vista and Lincoln Standing Bear. Some of the other games to look out for are their games against Plattsmouth, Waverly, and Seward. They also have a nice balance of Omaha, Lincoln, and small-town schools letting them play against a diverse set of teams and playstyles. The Griffins control their own destiny and I think with the talent available in the Gretna area they have the opportunity to seize success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"large"} --> <p class="has-large-font-size">Omaha Beuna-Vista</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Week 1</td><td>@Omaha Westview</td></tr><tr><td>Week 2</td><td>@Gretna East</td></tr><tr><td>Week 3</td><td>Omaha South</td></tr><tr><td>Week 4</td><td>Omaha Bryan</td></tr><tr><td>Week 5</td><td>@Omaha Skutt Catholic</td></tr><tr><td>Week 6</td><td>Ralston</td></tr><tr><td>Week 7</td><td>@Plattsmouth</td></tr><tr><td>Week 8</td><td>Gross Catholic</td></tr><tr><td>Week 9</td><td>Crete</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">The Bison have a very similar season to the Griffins. They play a mix of Omaha schools and a few out-of-town schools. They don't have as diverse of a schedule as Gretna East but they make that up in potential rivalries from schools right around Buena Vista. They will be playing almost every Class B school in their area and they have a very interesting cross-divisional match up against Omaha South. Their games against Omaha South, Ralston, Omaha Bryan, and Gross will be fun and it could lead to even more competition in this part of Omaha. I can't wait to go and watch the Bison and see what their impact is on this part of Omaha.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->