Here’s a look at the Week 4 slate.
The can’t miss games
Class A: Fremont (3-0) at Columbus (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m. — A chance for Fremont to make history Friday night, and it comes against the Tigers’ biggest rival. Fremont hasn’t started a football season 4-0 since 1986, when the program started 8-0, made its only state final appearance, and finished as the Class A runner-up while going 10-2. Already 3-0 for the first time since 2019, the Tigers will try to beat Columbus for the first time since 2015 and avenge an overtime loss last season in Memorial Stadium when Columbus stopped Fremont’s 2-point try in overtime of a 28-27 Discoverers win.
Prediction: Fremont 24, Columbus 20.
Class B: No. 5 Scottsbluff (3-0) at No. 9 Seward (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m. — The grind continues for Seward, which is playing its third ranked opponent in the first four weeks. The first two of those games were one-score losses, and this one will likely come down to the wire as well — Seward beat Scottsbluff 28-27 on the road last year, scoring with about two minutes left.
Prediction: Scottsbluff 28, Seward 27.
Class C-1: No. 8 Mount Michael (3-0) at No. 3 Columbus Lakeview (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m. — Mount Michael has been one of the surprises of the early season, with two shutouts in its first three games. The competition ramps up significantly against a Lakeview squad that leads the pack of contenders behind Wahoo and Central City. Two other games Friday matching unbeaten C-1 teams too: No. 5 Pierce at No. 9 Fort Calhoun, and No. 10 Chadron at Gothenburg.
Prediction: Lakeview 20, Mount Michael 10.
Class C-2: No. 6 Grand Island CC (3-0) at Superior (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m. — Really good quarterback matchup here between GICC’s Grayson Sack and Superior’s Lincoln Sander. Sack is one of the best players in C-2, with 313 passing yards and 137 rushing yards on offense, in addition to two sacks and an interception on defense and a 44-yard punting average. Sander leads Superior, which is three points away from 3-0, in rushing and passing.
Prediction: GICC 33, Superior 19.
Class D-1: No. 4 Bloomfield (3-0) at No. 5 Crofton (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m. — Perhaps the game of the night across all classes, featuring a Bloomfield defense that has yet to surrender a point in three games going against a Crofton outfit that is averaging nearly 61 points per contest. Bloomfield can score too, averaging 54 points per game. Two excellent players facing off here — Crofton’s Tyson Jackson already has 663 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, and leads the Warriors with 26 tackles. Bloomfield’s Brock Jeannoutot has been great too, with 614 yards and nine TDs on 12.8 yards per carry while also leading the Bees in tackles and punting for a 52-yard average.
Prediction: Bloomfield 41, Crofton 38.
Class D-2: No. 8 Anselmo-Merna (3-0) at No. 5 Central Valley (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m. — Anselmo-Merna has played three teams that were ranked at the time the Coyotes took the field with them, and beaten all three by 2, 8 and 2 points. The toughest test comes this week against the defending D-2 champs, who appear to have reloaded after heavy graduation losses. Anselmo-Merna quarterback/linebacker Dane Duryea is a true ironman, averaging 36 carries per game on offense and 10.7 tackles per game on defense.
Prediction: Central Valley 40, Anselmo-Merna 30.
Class D-6: No. 2 Garden County (3-0) at No. 1 Stuart (3-0), Friday, 3 p.m., Elm Creek — The Scheduling Gods smiled down upon fans of the 6-man game with this matchup. The two schools originally were not on each other’s schedules. But when Garden County’s Week 8 opponent, Banner County, cancelled its season, as did Stuart’s Week 6 opponent, Heartland Lutheran, both squads had an openings. And both squads had Week 4 byes, so a doubleheader will be played at Elm Creek Friday: the six-man powers up first at 3 p.m., followed by Elm Creek hosting Blue Hill at 7 p.m. The two schools are about 270 miles apart, with Oshkosh about 20 miles west of Lake McConaughy and Stuart in the extreme north-central part of the state between O’Neill and Ainsworth.
Prediction: Stuart 30, Garden County 26.
City games
Southeast (2-1) at Norfolk (2-1), Thursday, 7 p.m. — Tricky road trip for Southeast after the Knights were held to 31 second-half yards against Creighton Prep. Millard South awaits next week, so Southeast would do well to take care of business here.
Standing Bear (2-1) at Class B No. 7 Gretna East (2-1), Thursday, 7 p.m. — A chance for Standing Bear to make a loud statement in Class B. The Grizzlies beat a 2024 playoff team last week, and have won four of their last five games. Gretna East is the first of three straight ranked foes for Standing Bear.
Boys Town (1-2) at C-2 No. 7 Lutheran (3-0), Thursday, 7 p.m., Aldrich Field — Lutheran has already avenged two of last season’s losses in its 3-0 start and can add another Thursday night. Henry Prokop has been a revelation at quarterback, throwing for 459 yards and five TDs while running for 426 yards and four more scores.
North Platte (0-3) at Northeast (3-0), Friday, 7 p.m., Beechner — Northeast was 3-0 going into this game last season before taking a 47-21 road loss. The Rockets will have to do better than the 462 rushing yards they allowed in last year’s matchup. North Platte scored its first points of the season last week in a loss to Norfolk.
East (2-1) at Southwest (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m., Seacrest — Third consecutive game against a winless opponent for East which is using the two-quarterback system of Turner Wilkie (367 passing yards) and Ryan Manning (338 yards) to operate its spread offense. Meanwhile, Southwest will try to ignite an offense that is averaging 10 points a game.
North Star (1-2) at Omaha South (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m. — Speaking of igniting its offense, North Star has scored 14, 3, and 6 points in its first three games. A chance to get right this week against Omaha South, which has been outscored 177-0 in three games and is riding a 14-game losing streak dating to the last two games of the 2023 season.
Lincoln High (2-1) at South Sioux City (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m. — You don’t have to look very hard to see four or five wins on Lincoln High’s schedule. This week should tells us plenty about the Links’ chances to make a run at .500. South Sioux City’s first win came last week against the Omaha Bryan team Lincoln High beat to open the season.
Class B No. 10 Platteview (3-0) at Pius X (1-2), Friday, 7 p.m., Aldrich Field — Pius X has played the far tougher schedule between these two schools, with two losses to ranked teams. And, road trips to Norris and Omaha Skutt await in the two weeks following this game. The Bolts will have to slow down Platteview QB Logan Grosdidier, who throws for 224 yards and runs for 67 more per game.
Hastings (0-3) at Northwest (0-3), Friday, 7 p.m., UBT Stadium — Someone picks up their first win here. Hastings has yet to score this season while Northwest is coming off back-to-back games against Scottsbluff and Norris, which doesn’t sound like a lot of fun. The Falcons have some big-play capability in the passing game, and will need to hit a couple Friday to try and break into the win column.
Syracuse (3-0) at Lincoln Christian (2-1), Friday, 7 p.m. — Two teams on the edge of the C-1 rankings. Syracuse is looking for its first 4-0 start since 2013, when the Rockets started 9-0 before a loss in the second round of the C-1 state playoffs. Lincoln Christian has gotten the flexbone rolling the last two weeks, running for more than 300 yards against both Wilber-Clatonia and Auburn. Should be a really good game.
Shelton (0-2) at Parkview Christian (1-1), Friday, 4 p.m. — Parkview put 68 points on the board in last week’s win over Santee to snap a seven-game losing streak in addition to picking up its first shutout since the first game of the 2023 season. Shelton has played a pair of ranked opponents to start the year.
Reach the writer at (402) 473-7436 or cbasnett@journalstar.com. On Twitter @ChrisBasnettLJS.
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Chris Basnett
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