Class D-1, D-2, D-6 semifinals: Everything you need to know about Friday's games and players

Fascinating matchups across the state in Nebraska's smallest classes mean a big night is in store Friday.

(Note: Journal Star rankings are used instead of playoff seeds. All games Friday, all times CST.)

Class D-1

Lourdes Central Catholic (9-2) at No. 2 Sandy Creek (11-0), 5 p.m.

Two teams who have never played for a state championship in football. This is Sandy Creek's fourth trip to the semis and second in a row. Prior to that, the Cougars hadn't made it this far since 1994. Lourdes was last in the semifinals in 2006, before that 1998. A 12 seed, Lourdes wouldn't mind being in a close game. The Knights have won their two playoff games by a total of nine points. It's been much easier for Sandy Creek, which has outscored its playoff foes 130-12 in two games.

No. 1 Stanton (11-0) at No. 6 Summerland (10-1), 6 p.m.

Stanton, the defending state champ, has had a difficult playoff draw — the Mustangs had to get by a good North Platte St. Patrick's team last week to get a rematch with Summerland, which pushed Stanton hard in a 44-34 loss back in September. Summerland is in the midst of its deepest playoff run since the towns of Clearwater, Ewing and Orchard consolidated

Class D-2

No. 2 Central Valley (10-1) at No. 3 Humphrey Archangels (11-0), 7 p.m.

One of two outstanding D-2 semifinals. This is Central Valley's third trip to the penultimate in the last five seasons, but the Cougars have yet to break through as a consolidation between Greeley-Wolbach and North Loup-Scotia. Archangels, under a new name after a consolidation between Humphrey St. Francis and Lindsay Holy Family but with a roster made up entirely of Humphrey residents, tries to get to the finals for the first time since St. Francis won the D-2 title in 2019.

No. 4 BDS (11-0) at No. 5 Riverside (9-2), 5 p.m.

Riverside has been on a tear with seven straight wins, last week knocking out defending champion Sandhills-Thedford 74-50. The Chargers pulled away in the second half of that game after S-T star Kyle Cox went down with an injury. BDS has exceeded preseason expectations, and in the playoffs, has won a triple-overtime game and a seven-point game to get to this point. This is Riverside's first semifinal appearance. BDS has won three titles, most recently in 2020.

Class D-6

No. 6 Garden County (10-0) at No. 1 S-E-M (10-0), 5 p.m.

Defending champion S-E-M, the season-long No. 1, enters with a 22-game winning streak. Garden County is in the semifinals for the first time since 2002, when the Eagles were playing 11-man football. S-E-M hasn't been pushed since Week 2, when the Mustangs held on for a 36-33 win over fellow semifinalist Stuart. Wilsie Lobner for Garden County and S-E-M's Maddox Jones are two of the best players in the class.

No. 4 Stuart (9-1) at No. 2 Hay Springs (10-0), 3 p.m.

Hay Springs has been on a mission to avenge last season's title game loss, winning all but two of its games by at least 35 points. Those came in the season opener against Paxton and last week in a 38-30 win over Silver Lake. Stuart is the one team to push top-ranked S-E-M this season, losing by three, and the Broncos have rolled in two playoff wins. The Broncos are trying for their second finals appearance and first since 2013.

Players to watch

Ethan Shaw, Sandy Creek: One of eight-man's best quarterbacks for the last two seasons, Shaw has been at his best in 2024. He's thrown for 1,849 yards and 33 touchdowns, with just one interception in 11 games. He also has 1,331 rushing yards and 26 scores on 8.9 yards per carry. On defense, Shaw has 81 tackles and a sack. A trip to Memorial Stadium would be a fitting sendoff for one of the state's best.

Zaden Wolf, Central Valley: The trigger man for one of the most potent offenses in eight man. Wolf has completed 75% of his passes for 1,294 yards and 20 touchdowns and two interceptions, and rushed for 1,271 yards with 29 scores while averaging 11.5 yards per carry. Central Valley averages nearly 455 yards of offense per game, largely because of its senior quarterback.

Dylan Raymer, Hay Springs: You would expect one of the best six-man teams in the state to have one of the best all-around players in the class, and that's Raymer for Hay Springs. He has 1,144 rushing yards and 23 scores, seven catches for 122 yards and three touchdowns, is the team's leading kick and punt returner, and on defense, has 10 tackles for loss among his 53 stops, and three forced fumbles for a defense that has forced 36 turnovers in 10 games.

Reach the writer at (402) 473-7436 or . On Twitter Love

Assistant sports editor/high schools