Knee Jerk Reaction: Class D-1 1st Round Pairings

North Platte St. Pat's will be the top seed in the West bracket and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will be the top seed in the East bracket when the Class D-1 playoffs get underway next Thursday.

Both teams are unbeaten at 8-0 with St. Pat's the No. 1 overall seed and L-C-C the No. 2. More to come later but here are some quick hits on our Class D-1 first-round pairings:

Class D-1 West Bracket First Round Pairings

No. 16 Elkhorn Valley (3-5) at No. 1 North Platte St. Pat’s (8-0). All five EV losses are to playoff teams. When pushed, St. Pat’s pushes back, including 42-0 over Perkins County in Week 8.

No. 9 Bridgeport (6-2) at No. 8 Summerland (5-3). Bridgeport had a Week 8 bye makes the playoffs in its eight-man debut. Summerland has won five of six.

No. 12 Arapahoe (4-4) at No. 5 Hi-Line (7-1). They met in the regular season, Hi-Line prevailed by 32 points.

No. 13 Sandy Creek at No. 4 Sandhills Valley (7-1). Sandy won four of its last five to get in while Sandhills Valley has lost only to No. 1 seed St. Pat’s.

No. 14 Cambridge (4-4) at No. 3 Neligh-Oakdale (7-1). Cambridge has lost only to playoff teams while Neligh-Oakdale looks mighty dangerous in this bracket, winning its last seven in a row.

No. 11 Alma (5-3) at No. 6 Nebraska Christian (6-2). NC has won its last four games in a row, most impressive a three-pointer over No. 10 Ravenna, while Alma’s air-based attack has scored 52 points or better in four of its five wins.

No. 10 Ravenna (6-2) at No. 7 Perkins County (5-3). Both teams suffered disappointing Week 8 losses, with Perkins County’s three losses coming to teams which are a combined 22-2.

No. 15 Maxwell (4-4) at No. 2 Riverside (7-1). Maxwell returns to the playoffs for the first time since 2019 with a Week 8 win while Riverside is smokin’ hot, winner of seven in a row.

Class D-1 East Bracket First Round Pairings

No. 16 Mead (4-4) at No. 1 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (8-0). Mead won its last two games to sneak in, L-C-C has seldom been pushed on its way to the top seed.

No. 9 EMF (5-3) at No. 8 Heartland (6-2). A district champion, Heartland has pitched three shutouts in its five-game winning streak to end the regular season. EMF has three losses to 7-1 teams.

No. 12 Wisner-Pilger (5-3) at No. 5 Clarkson/Leigh (7-1). Wisner-Pilger has played well against some good teams, two of those losses coming to unbeatens (L-C-C, Stanton) while C/L’s lone loss came on Heartbreak Hill out south of Stromsburg.

No. 13 Shelby-Rising City (5-3) at No. 4 Thayer Central (7-1). Great bounce back season for SRC, which will be looking for its first playoff win since 1999, while Thayer rebounded after the two-point loss to Freeman.

No. 14 Weeping Water (4-4) at No. 3 Cross County (8-0). Cross County has been perfect but do not Weeping Water’s four losses are to teams which enter the playoffs, 7-1, 7-1, 8-0, 7-1.

No. 11 Plainview (5-3) at No. 6 Elmwood-Murdock (7-1). Elmwood-Murdock shook off the Palmyra loss to close the regular season with five straight wins and a district title. Plainvew is a dangerous foe with all that offensive firepower.

No. 10 Freeman (5-3) at No. 7 Crofton (5-3). Freeman is the only team to beat No. 4 Thayer Central but also gave up 74 and 76 points in two of its losses. Crofton closed with three straight wins after losses to teams a combined 22-2.

No. 15 Pender (4-4) at No. 2 Stanton (8-0). Pender had won three straight until its 66-25 Week 8 loss to, you guessed it, Stanton.