*119 Nebraska High School Football Teams played 8-Man football again in 2000 and here is what the D-1 playoff field looked like at the turn of the Century.

For the first time in FIVE seasons, the playoff fields in all classes, Class B and below, shrunk from 32 to 16 teams. Yours truly, along with a ton of 8-Man football coaches, were not thrilled with this move and thank goodness the 16 team playoff fields in 8-Man football lasted just two years.

I have a ton of love and respect for high school football coaches,so let’s begin a new feature by adding who the head coaches were for all of these Class D1 playoff qualifiers in the year 2000. We’ll do the same for Class D2.

*Nebraska Christian (Jeff Hower), St. Edward (Rich Lemburg), Falls City Sacred Heart (Doug Goltz), Omaha Christian Academy (Tim Hamilton), Humphrey St. Francis (Tom Ridder), Sterling (Arlo Wusk), Howells (Mike Speirs), Cedar Bluffs (Mitch Egger) Pleasanton (Ricci Westland, Anselmo-Merna (Greg Wemhoff)), Kenesaw (Leland Skeen), High Plains Community (Andy Vrbka), Lawrence-Nelson (Gary DeBoer), Culbertson (Jeff Messersmith), Orchard (Don Sich), Hyannis (Lucas Lechman).*

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CLASS D1

First Round

East

(7-2) Nebraska Christian 23-20 St. Edward (7-2)

(9-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 38-14 Omaha Christian Academy (7-2)

(8-1) Humphrey St. Francis 41-16 Sterling (9-0)

(9-0) Howells 40-28 Cedar Bluffs (7-2)

West

(7-2) Pleasanton 34-20 Anselmo-Merna (8-1)

(8-1) Kenesaw 36-14 High Plains Community (8-0)

(8-1) Lawrence-Nelson 41-20 Culbertson (9-0)

(7-2) Orchard 52-2 Hyannis (9-0)

Quarterfinals

East

(10-0) Falls City Sacred Heart 68-20 Nebraska Christian (8-2)

(10-0) Howells 14-0 Humphrey St. Franics (9-1)

West

(9-1) Kenesaw 14-12 Pleasanton (8-2)

(9-1) Lawrence-Nelson 38-12 Orchard (8-2)

Semifinals

(11-0) Howells 42- Falls City Sacred Heart (11-0)

(10-1) Lawrence-Nelson 26-14 Kenesaw (9-1)

Championship Finals

(12-0) Howells 38-14 Lawrence-Nelson (11-1)

2000 Class D-1 State Champion; Howells. Head Coach: Mike Speirs

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Final 2000 Class D-1 8-Man Football Ratings (Omaha World-Herald)

1 Howells – 13-0, (568-197)

2 Humphrey St. Francis – 9-2, (438-176)

3. Lawrence-Nelson – 11-2, (5144-191)

4. Falls City Sacred Heart – 11-1, (568-178)

5. Kenesaw – 10-2, (448-144)

6. Cedar Bluffs – 7-3, (430-198)

7. Sterling – 9-1, (460-105)

8. Pleasanton – 8-3, (280-171)

9. Polk-Hordville – 8-1, (382-190)

10 Culbertson – 9-1, (473-143)

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2000 Class D-1 (Eight Man 1) All-State Teams

Offense

WR–Jeremy Hoefs-Bancroft-Rosalie, 6-1, 180, Senior

WR–Scotty McPeak-Nebraska Christian, 6-1, 165, Senior

OL–Jeremy Cordero-Omaha Christian, 6-0, 300, Junior

OL–Andy Wemhoff-Humphrey St. Francis, 5-11, 205, Senior

OL–Jerron Suck-Kenesaw, 6-4, 210, Senior

QB–Andrew Shanle-St. Edward, 6-1, 175, Senior

RB–Alan Bohaboj-Howells, 5-7, 148, Senior

RB–Brandon Hagen-Culbertson, 6-3, 240, Senior

Kicker-Brandon Bonk-Falls City Sacred Heart, 5-11, 230, Senior

Class D-1 All-State

Defense

DL–Brad Metz-Pleasanton, 6-1, 185, Senior

DL–Adam Eickman-Lawrence-Nelson, 5-6, 150, Senior

DL–Ted Straub-Waterloo, 6-1, 230, Senior

LB–Anthony Weaver-Falls City Sacred Heart, 6-1, 215, Junior

LB–Matt Mastny-Howells, 6-0, 182, Senior

LB–Ben Hansen-Cedar Bluffs, 6-0, 190, Junior

DB–Jake Weyers-Sterling, 5-10, 165, Senior

DB–Mitch Blum-Howells, 6-0, 175, Senior

Punter-Joel Grotrian-Johnson-Brock, 6-2, 185, Senior

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AND, here is a glance at the 2000 Class D-2 playoffs.

Once again, here is a list of the D2 playoff field with their Head Coaches.

Lindsay Holy Family (Rusty Rautenberg), Prague (Gary Brown), Coleridge (Ken Swanson), Benedict (Lynn Jurgens), Nebraska City Lourdes (Andy Fedoris), Shickley (Gary Filipi), Greeley (Dennis Hurlburt), Silver Creek (Scott Porter)

Sargent (Mike Kozeal), Elgin Pope John (Mark Koch), Hayes Center (Jim Cole), Ansley (Mike Sorenson), Dunning Sandhills (Reggie Smith), Ewing (Jim Crilly), Dalton Leyton (Harlan Dormann), Petersburg (Mike Kennedy)

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CLASS D2

First Round

East

(8-1) Lindsay Holy Family 53-6 Prague (5-4)

(6-3) Coleridge 54-8 Benedict (6-3)

(8-1) Nebraska City Lourdes 26-0 Shickley (8-1)

(9-0) Greeley 40-0 Silver Creek (5-3)

West

(9-0) Sargent 20-14 Elgin Pope John (8-1)

(5-3) Hayes Center 28-24 Ansley (8-1)

(8-1) Dunning Sandhills 54-22 Ewing (8-1)_

(9-0) Dalton Leyton 50-0 Petersburg (7-2)

Quarterfinals

East

(9-1) Lindsay Holy Family 46-0 Coleridge (7-3)

(10-0) Greeley 12-8 Nebraska City Lourdes (9-1)

West

(10-0) Sargent 36-24 Hayes Center (6-3)

(9-1) Dunning Sandhills 30-24 Dalton Leyton (10-0)

Semifinals

(10-1) Lindsay Holy Family 36-12 Greeley (11-0)

(11-0) Sargent 34-20 Dunning Sandhills (10-1)

Championship Final

(11-1) Lindsay Holy Family 28-24 Sargent (12-0)

2000 D-2 State Champion: Lindsay Holy Family. Coach: Rusty Rautenberg

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Final 2000 Class D-2 8-Man Football Ratings (Omaha World-Herald)

1. Lindsay Holy Family – 12-1 (510-159)

2. Sargent- 12-1 (465-166)

3. Greeley – 11-1 (510-87)

4. Dunning Sandhills – 10-2 (532-155)

5. Dalton Leyton – 10-1 (634-177)

6. Nebraska City Lourdes – 8-3 (362-144)

7. Elgin Pope John – 8-2 (346-150)

8. Ewing – 8-2 (362-200)

9. Shickley – 8-2 (392-132)

10 Hayes Center – 6-4 (333-263)

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2000 Class D-2 (Eight Man 2) All-State Teams

Offense

End-Levi Gray-Harrison, 6-4, 175, Senior

End-Jason Herbert-Verdigre, 5-10, 150, Senior

OL–Tony Kurtenbach-Lindsay Holy Family, 6-1, 225, Senior

OL–Wyatt Johnston-Dunning-Sandhills, 5-11, 225, Senior

OL–Matt Mitchell-Dalton Leyton, 5-9, 235, Senior

QB–Brandon Holtorf-Prague, 5-10, 165, Senior

RB–Jared Franzluebbers, Dodge, 6-0, 205, Senior

RB–Carl Jarecki-Lindsay Holy Family, 5-9, 175, Senior

Kicker-Brad Schlegel-Shickley, 5-10, 200, Senior

Class D-2 All-State

Defense

DL–Mike Smith-Sargent, 6-4, 205, Senior

DL–Kory White-Nebraska City Lourdes, 6-1, 205, Senior

LB–Mat Korth-Greeley, 5-9, 175, Senior

LB–Tyson Cox-Dunning-Sandhills, 6-0, 160, Senior

LB–Matt Woodward-North Loup/Scotia, 6-0, 185, Senior

LB–Reggie Twarling-Dalton Leyton, 6-2, 190, Junior

DB–Tim Wiese-Lindsay Holy Family, 5-10, 175, Senior

DB–Brian Selting-Elgin Pope John, 6-1, 180, Junior

Punter-Adam Schueth-Ewing, 5-10, 185, Senior