Brady at Anselmo-Merna preview: what's at stake in Week 8

No. 9 Brady (7-0) travels to No. 10 Anselmo-Merna (5-2) on Friday in a Week 8 D3 Nebraska high school football game with two teams ranked in the Hurrdat Sports coaches poll and wildcard points that count toward NSAA playoff qualifying and seeding on the line. Records are from NSAA's wildcard standings, pulled Oct. 12 at 10:42 p.m. This one matters because Brady puts an unbeaten record on the line and the winner gets a head-to-head result over a fellow top-10 team in D3.

Brady sits No. 9 in D3 in the latest Hurrdat Sports coaches poll (2026-10-11). Brady is 7-0 in NSAA results. Brady has won seven straight in our synced finals. Most recently, it beat Sandhills/Thedford 64-14, beat Maxwell 70-28 and beat Mullen 54-30. Across its 7 games with verified finals, Brady averages 59.3 points and allows 13.4.

Anselmo-Merna sits No. 10 in D3 in the latest Hurrdat Sports coaches poll (2026-10-11). Anselmo-Merna is 5-2 in NSAA results, including one forfeit NSAA records as a 1-0 result. Anselmo-Merna has won four straight in our synced finals. Most recently, it beat Mullen 76-28, beat Sandhills/Thedford 46-0 and beat Overton 46-0. Across its 7 games with verified finals, Anselmo-Merna averages 41 points and allows 18.

What's at stake

Brady carries a 43.1429 NSAA wildcard points average, tied at No. 5 of 41 teams in D3 by average; its path to the playoffs is a district title or an at-large spot (projection, not official). Anselmo-Merna carries a 40.0000 NSAA wildcard points average, 16th of 41 teams in D3 by average; its path to the playoffs is a district title or an at-large spot (projection, not official). In D3, the 7 district champions qualify automatically, and the 9 best averages among non-champions fill the rest of the 16-team field. Wildcard points decide who qualifies and how the field is seeded; see the Nebraska high school football wildcard standings and the playoff format.

Matchup to watch

The matchup to watch is Brady's defense, which has allowed 13.4 points per game, against an Anselmo-Merna offense that scores 41. Both have played Mullen: Brady beat Mullen 54-30, and Anselmo-Merna beat Mullen 76-28. Both have played Sandhills/Thedford: Brady beat Sandhills/Thedford 64-14, and Anselmo-Merna beat Sandhills/Thedford 46-0.

Our pick

Our NEB Preps Power Index favors Brady, giving it a 73% chance to win (87.6 to 71.1 on the index, with a small home-field edge for Anselmo-Merna). This is NEB Preps' own computer pick from verified finals, not a poll or a betting line.