Football · Preview · Class D3
No. 7 Twin Loup vs. No. 10 Deshler: less than a point apart in NSAA's standings
No. 7 Twin Loup (8-1) hosts No. 10 Deshler (7-2) in the Class D3 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.
No. 7 Twin Loup (8-1) hosts No. 10 Deshler (7-2) in the first round of the Class D3 playoffs.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:00 PM CT. Host: Twin Loup. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Twin Loup finished 0.6666 points ahead of Deshler in NSAA's point averages. Twin Loup scored 44.8 and allowed 10.2 points a game; Deshler scored 44.9 and allowed 23.6. Twin Loup's opponents went a combined 32-49, and Deshler's went 42-39.
| Twin Loup | Deshler | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 7 | No. 10 |
| Record (NSAA) | 8-1 | 7-2 |
| NSAA point average | 43.4444 | 42.7778 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 4 | Receiving votes |
| Points scored / game | 44.8 | 44.9 |
| Points allowed / game | 10.2 | 23.6 |
| Average margin | +34.5 | +21.3 |
| vs. playoff teams | 2-1 | 2-2 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-1 | 3-2 |
| One-score games | 1-0 | 1-0 |
| Opponents' combined record | 32-49 | 42-39 |
| Last 3 games | W 26-20, W 54-0, W 49-0 | W 66-6, W 66-20, W 44-0 |
| Streak | Won 4 | Won 4 |
How Twin Loup got here
Twin Loup finished the regular season 8-1, scoring 358 points and allowing 82. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Central Valley (8-1), 38-0. Its best win by opponent was a 45-12 win at Anselmo-Merna (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-1. It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, capped by a 49-0 win over Elgin Public-Pope John (3-6) in Week 9. Its record also includes one 1-0 result (forfeit), left out of the scoring numbers. The defense posted three shutouts.
How Deshler got here
Deshler finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 404 points and allowing 212. Both losses came against teams with winning records: at Pleasanton (8-1), 48-26; Lawrence-Nelson (9-0), 62-14. Its best win by opponent was a 66-20 win over Falls City Sacred Heart (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-2. It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, capped by a 44-0 win at Weeping Water (3-6) in Week 9. The defense posted two shutouts.
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.
Twin Loup
- Y. Harris (QB): 515 passing yards, 40 of 76, 8 TD, 4 INT; also 301 rushing yards
- O. Grint: 639 rushing yards (11.2 per carry), 13 TD
- C. Hall: 442 rushing yards (9.6 per carry), 9 TD
- O. Grint: 106 tackles, 7 for loss
- B. Bottorf: 6 sacks
- J. Hall: 3 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Deshler
- K. Biltoft (QB): 416 passing yards, 26 of 48, 10 TD, 2 INT
- B. Peterson: 1,299 rushing yards (10.5 per carry), 17 TD
- Q. Orme: 406 rushing yards (9.2 per carry), 7 TD
- P. Henry: 64 tackles, 4 for loss
- J. Beam: 5 sacks
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 Twin Loup slow Deshler's offense? Deshler averaged 44.9 points; Twin Loup allowed 10.2. Deshler scored 30 or more in 6 of 9 games.
- Twin Loup's answer. It scored 44.8 a game, and Deshler's defense allowed 23.6. In its losses, though, Twin Loup averaged 0.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Twin Loup went 2-1 against this year's playoff field; Deshler went 2-2.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Twin Loup was 1-0 and Deshler was 1-0.
- Y. Harris and the ball. Twin Loup's quarterback threw 4 interceptions in 76 reported attempts.
- Stopping B. Peterson. Deshler's top rusher has 1,299 reported yards and 17 touchdowns. Twin Loup allowed 10.2 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 2 Central Valley vs. No. 15 Falls City Sacred Heart in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class D3 state final is Friday, Nov. 20 at 1 p.m. Central in Kearney. The stadium name remains unconfirmed because NSAA sources conflict; see the state finals schedule.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D3 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Twin Loup team center → · Deshler team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →
Result note: a 1–0 entry is shown as listed by NSAA. It is not treated as evidence of an on-field score or a confirmed forfeit.