5 hours Ago
Class B is as wide open as it's been in a while, with six or more teams probably thinking they have a shot to get to Lincoln. The path to a title still goes through Bennington, but the gap between the Badgers and the field has shrunk considerably. Game of the week (Note: Journal Star rankings are used instead of playoff seeds.
All games Friday, all times CST.) Waverly's Carsen Malcolm (15) runs the ball against Norris on Oct. 8 at Norris High School.
No. 7 Norris (6-3) at No. 6 Waverly (7-2), 7 p.
m. Everything about this one screams great game. Waverly jumped ahead 14-0 before beating Norris 28-21 two weeks ago on the Titans' home field.
Since then, Norris has picked up the services of running back Markus Nelson, who was electric in the Titans' first two games of the season before suffering a collarbone injury and not returning until last week's win against Elkhorn. At full strength, there might not be a more dangerous offense in Class B than the one residing in the greater Firth metropolitan area. With Nathan Axmann lining up in the Waverly backfield, we're looking at a matchup of two of the best running backs in the Class B postseason.
People are also reading...
Friday's matchups (All games begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted) Grand Island Northwest (4-5) at No.
2 Bennington (8-1);McCook (6-3) at No. 9 Hastings (6-3), 7:15 p.m.
; Elkhorn (4-5) at No. 3 Elkhorn North (7-2), 4 p.m; No.
10 Gretna (5-4) at No. 5 Scottsbluff (8-1); York (5-4) at No. 1 Omaha Skutt (8-1); No.
7 Norris (6-3) at No. 6 Waverly (7-2); No. 8 Gretna East (5-4) at Gering (6-3), 5 p.
m.; Lincoln Pius X (4-5) at No. 4 Seward (9-0).
Players to watch Michael Knudsen, Gretna: It's been a great year for quarterbacks in Class B, and Knudsen is the most productive. His 2,713 yards (301 per game) lead Class B and are second in the state, as are his 26 touchdown passes. His 514 yards against Norris in Week 2 set a Class B state record, and he torched three-time defending champion Bennington for 414 yards and five scores.
If the Dragons' defense can get enough stops, Knudsen has the goods to put his team in a position to win. Dez Smith, Scottsbluff: Class B's leading passer on one sideline, Class B's leading rusher on the other. Smith has continued the line of excellent Scottsbluff runners, this season rolling up a Class B-best 1,216 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns.
That's one year after running for nearly 1,400 yards as a junior. Smith and teammate Nate Kelley, who has 913 rushing yards of his own, give the Bearcats one of the state's most potent rushing attacks. The Gretna-Scottsbluff game on Friday will be a beauty.
Joe Andreasen, Lincoln Pius X: In an up-and-down year for the Bolts, Andreasen has been a constant. His 937 rushing yards are fourth in Class B, his 15 rushing touchdowns are second in the class, and he's done his work in just eight games. Andreasen has 15 of Pius X's 20 rushing touchdowns in 2024, and the 2023 state wrestling champ can fill in at linebacker in a pinch if the Bolts need him to.
Bo Gable, Gering: It's been a resurgent year for the Bulldogs, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Gable is a big reason why. The junior linebacker leads Class B with 107 tackles, averaging just shy of 12 per game, to go with four tackles for loss, a sack, an interception and a blocked punt.
He's also Gering's second-leading receiver with 231 yards and a pair of touchdowns, and has rushed for 285 yards and five more scores. Reach the writer at (402) 473-7436 or [email protected] .
On Twitter @ChrisBasnettLJS. . Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter Sent weekly directly to your inbox! Assistant sports editor/high schools {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
.
