Football · Preview · Class D2
No. 2 North Platte St. Patrick's (9-0) opens its playoff run against No. 15 Bertrand
No. 2 North Platte St. Patrick's (9-0) hosts No. 15 Bertrand (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.
North Platte St. Patrick's is 9-0 and outscored its regular-season opponents 528-72. Bertrand (6-3) gets the first shot at it in the Class D2 playoffs.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 PM CT. Host: North Platte St. Patrick's. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
North Platte St. Patrick's finished 4.8889 points ahead of Bertrand in NSAA's point averages. North Platte St. Patrick's scored 58.7 and allowed 8.0 points a game; Bertrand scored 44.4 and allowed 25.6. North Platte St. Patrick's's opponents went a combined 34-47, and Bertrand's went 34-47.
| North Platte St. Patrick's | Bertrand | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 2 | No. 15 |
| Record (NSAA) | 9-0 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 44.2222 | 39.3333 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 1 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 58.7 | 44.4 |
| Points allowed / game | 8.0 | 25.6 |
| Average margin | +50.7 | +18.9 |
| vs. playoff teams | 3-0 | 0-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 3-0 | 0-3 |
| One-score games | — | 0-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 34-47 | 34-47 |
| Last 3 games | W 55-0, W 55-6, W 49-8 | W 53-6, L 28-60, W 77-28 |
| Streak | Won 9 | Won 1 |
How North Platte St. Patrick's got here
North Platte St. Patrick's didn't lose in the regular season, finishing 9-0 with a 528-72 scoring edge. Its closest game was a 47-6 win at Wilcox-Hildreth (6-3). Its best win by opponent was a 68-20 win over Hemingford (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 3-0. It comes in on a 9-game winning streak, capped by a 49-8 win over Perkins County (2-7) in Week 9.
How Bertrand got here
Bertrand finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 400 points and allowing 230. All three losses came against teams with winning records: at Hitchcock County (6-3), 58-14; at Loomis (9-0), 20-18; at Wilcox-Hildreth (6-3), 60-28. Its best win by opponent was a 53-6 win over South Loup (4-5). Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 0-3. In Week 9 it had a 77-28 win over Franklin (1-8).
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played five of the same opponents. North Platte St. Patrick's went 5-0 in those games and Bertrand went 3-2. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | North Platte St. Patrick's | Bertrand |
|---|---|---|
| Hi-Line | W 55-0 | W 52-0 |
| Hitchcock County * | W 55-6 | L 14-58 |
| Perkins County | W 49-8 | W 56-12 |
| South Loup | W 56-14 | W 53-6 |
| Wilcox-Hildreth * | W 47-6 | L 28-60 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
North Platte St. Patrick's
- J. Braithwait (QB): 543 passing yards, 31 of 47, 9 TD, 0 INT
- B. Heirigs: 964 rushing yards (11.1 per carry), 0 TD
- B. Collins: 407 rushing yards (8.5 per carry), 0 TD
- B. Collins: 14 catches, 289 yards, 0 TD
- B. Heirigs: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 7 of its 9 games.
Bertrand
- D. Olesen (QB): 1,027 passing yards, 58 of 108, 13 TD, 5 INT; also 439 rushing yards
- H. Nelson: 852 rushing yards (9.8 per carry), 14 TD
- P. Way: 17 catches, 450 yards, 7 TD
- D. Potter: 64 tackles, 10 for loss
- H. Nelson: 3 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 Bertrand slow North Platte St. Patrick's's offense? North Platte St. Patrick's averaged 58.7 points; Bertrand allowed 25.6. North Platte St. Patrick's scored 30 or more in 9 of 9 games.
- Bertrand's answer. It scored 44.4 a game, and North Platte St. Patrick's's defense allowed 8.0. In its losses, though, Bertrand averaged 20.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. North Platte St. Patrick's went 3-0 against this year's playoff field; Bertrand went 0-3.
- If it's close late. North Platte St. Patrick's hasn't played a one-score game (8 points or fewer) this season. Bertrand is 0-1 in them.
- D. Olesen and the ball. Bertrand's quarterback threw 5 interceptions in 108 reported attempts; North Platte St. Patrick's's B. Heirigs has 2 picks.
- Stopping B. Heirigs. North Platte St. Patrick's's top rusher has 964 reported yards and 0 touchdowns. Bertrand allowed 25.6 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 7 Howells-Dodge vs. No. 10 East Butler 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 →
North Platte St. Patrick's team center → · Bertrand team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →