Football · Preview · Class D3
Central Valley at Burwell: a top-10 matchup to close the regular season
Central Valley (7-1) at Burwell (7-1), Friday, Oct. 23. Playoff picture, season stats, charts and history before the Week 9 game.
Game-day information: Kickoff reported by the Game Center: 7 p.m. Central. This article’s schedules and statistics are dated reporting, not live score updates.
Scores are NSAA finals. Points and ranks are NSAA wildcard standings, checked Oct. 21, 2026. Projections are not official seeds.
Both teams are in the latest Hurrdat Sports coaches poll: Central Valley at No. 1 and Burwell at No. 5 in Class D3. They finish the regular season against each other Friday. Both play in District D3-4: Central Valley is 4-0 in district games and Burwell is 3-1.
Friday, Oct. 23, at Burwell, 7 p.m.
The playoff picture
In Class D3, the seven district champions and the nine best remaining averages qualify.
Central Valley is 3rd in Class D3's NSAA point standings at 44.125. It is 4-0 in District D3-4 games.
Burwell is 6th in Class D3's NSAA point standings at 42.625. It is 3-1 in District D3-4 games.
Projections are not official seeds. NSAA sets the field after Week 9.
How they got here
Central Valley is 7-1. Its season began with a 68-8 win over Osceola (4-4). Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Sandy Creek (7-1), 44-8. Its best win by opponent record was a 38-0 win over Twin Loup (7-1). It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, most recently a 73-0 win over Palmer (0-8). The defense has three shutouts.
Burwell is 7-1. Its season began with a 41-38 win at Anselmo-Merna (6-2). Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Twin Loup (7-1), 26-20. Its best win by opponent record was a 41-38 win at Anselmo-Merna (6-2). Last week it had a 56-8 win at Elgin Public-Pope John (3-5). Three of its games were decided by seven points or fewer.
By the numbers
| Central Valley | Burwell | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| Class and NSAA rank | D3, 3rd (44.125) | D3, 6th (42.625) |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 1 | No. 5 |
| Points scored per game | 53.4 | 46.2 |
| Points allowed per game | 10.5 | 18.4 |
| Average margin | +42.9 | +27.9 |
| Current streak | Won 4 | Won 1 |
Shared opponents
These two have played five of the same teams. It's a rough guide, since the games came in different weeks and places.
| Opponent | Central Valley | Burwell |
|---|---|---|
| CWC | W 62-0 | W 56-14 |
| Elgin Public-Pope John | W 68-6 | W 56-8 |
| Palmer | W 73-0 | W 62-8 |
| St. Mary's | W 70-18 | W 27-22 |
| Twin Loup | W 38-0 | L 20-26 |
Players to know
Among the leaders in MaxPreps game reports through Week 8: Burwell's D. Dawe (1,176 rushing yards in 8 reported games). Reports aren't complete for every game, so treat these as minimums.
Editorial update, Oct. 21: Program-history claims from the supplied school-history mapping are withheld pending school-identity verification. This does not change the current-season results, records or statistics above.
What to watch
- Central Valley's offense. It averages 53.4 points. Burwell allows 18.4.
- Burwell's offense. It averages 46.2; Central Valley allows 10.5.
- Central Valley's defense. It allows 10.5 points a game.
- Central Valley's streak. 4 straight wins.
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