Football · Preview · Class D2
No. 8 Hemingford vs. No. 9 Aquinas Catholic: the closest seed matchup in Class D2
No. 8 Hemingford (7-2) hosts No. 9 Aquinas Catholic (6-3) in the Class D2 first round Fri., Oct. 30. Stats, charts, players to watch, history and keys to the game.
Publication check, Oct. 28: Current NSAA seeds, records and point averages checked; kickoff and host details synchronized with the verified site schedule. Season statistics and chart reporting remain the dated Week9 draft snapshot, not a new full-season audit.
Seeds, records and point averages: NSAA's official bracket, Oct. 24, 2026. Scores: NSAA finals. Player stats: MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Coaches poll: Hurrdat Sports, Oct. 18.
Only 0.3333 NSAA points separate No. 8 Hemingford (7-2) and No. 9 Aquinas Catholic (6-3). The winner moves on to face the winner of No. 1 Shelby-Rising City vs. No. 16 Fullerton.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:00 PM MT. Host: Hemingford. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Hemingford finished 0.3333 points ahead of Aquinas Catholic in NSAA's point averages. Hemingford scored 49.8 and allowed 20.9 points a game; Aquinas Catholic scored 34.1 and allowed 21.3. Hemingford's opponents went a combined 34-47, and Aquinas Catholic's went 44-37.
| Hemingford | Aquinas Catholic | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 8 | No. 9 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 41.3333 | 41.0000 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 9 | No. 7 |
| Points scored / game | 49.8 | 34.1 |
| Points allowed / game | 20.9 | 21.3 |
| Average margin | +28.9 | +12.8 |
| vs. playoff teams | 1-1 | 2-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 1-1 | 2-3 |
| One-score games | 0-1 | 0-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 34-47 | 44-37 |
| Last 3 games | W 52-12, W 42-30, W 68-0 | W 42-12, W 42-14, L 27-30 |
| Streak | Won 4 | Lost 1 |
How Hemingford got here
Hemingford finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 448 points and allowing 188. Losses: South Loup (4-5), 34-30; at North Platte St. Patrick's (9-0), 68-20. Its best win by opponent was a 42-30 win at Hitchcock County (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-1. It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, capped by a 68-0 win over Hi-Line (2-7) in Week 9.
How Aquinas Catholic got here
Aquinas Catholic finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 307 points and allowing 192. All three losses came against teams with winning records: at Howells-Dodge (7-2), 36-14; Lourdes Central Catholic (7-2), 46-8; Shelby-Rising City (9-0), 30-27. Its best win by opponent was a 42-14 win at East Butler (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-3. In Week 9 it had a 30-27 loss to Shelby-Rising City (9-0).
By the numbers
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Hemingford
- Z. Feist: 945 rushing yards (7.9 per carry), 11 TD
- J. Haas: 534 rushing yards (6.4 per carry), 10 TD
- Z. Feist: 58 tackles, 6 for loss
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Aquinas Catholic
- C. Vandenberg (QB): 320 passing yards, 19 of 33, 9 TD, 2 INT; also 404 rushing yards
- L. Pohl: 410 rushing yards (5.7 per carry), 5 TD
- G. Sisco: 57 tackles
- D. Dewispelare: 6 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Historical program and playoff-series claims are withheld pending school-identity verification. Current-season reporting above is unaffected.
Keys to the game
- Can Aquinas Catholic slow Hemingford's offense? Hemingford averaged 49.8 points; Aquinas Catholic allowed 21.3. Hemingford scored 30 or more in 8 of 9 games.
- Aquinas Catholic's answer. It scored 34.1 a game, and Hemingford's defense allowed 20.9. In its losses, though, Aquinas Catholic averaged 16.3.
- Tested against playoff teams. Hemingford went 1-1 against this year's playoff field; Aquinas Catholic went 2-3.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Hemingford was 0-1 and Aquinas Catholic was 0-1.
- Stopping Z. Feist. Hemingford's top rusher has 945 reported yards and 11 touchdowns. Aquinas Catholic allowed 21.3 points a game.
- Momentum. Hemingford has won 4 straight and averaged 54.0 points over its last three.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 1 Shelby-Rising City vs. No. 16 Fullerton in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class D2 state final is Monday, Nov. 23 at 10:15 a.m. Central at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D2 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Hemingford team center → · Aquinas Catholic team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →