Football · Preview · Class D2
No. 7 Howells-Dodge vs. No. 10 East Butler: a rematch of East Butler's 38-26 win on Sept. 18
No. 7 Howells-Dodge (7-2) hosts No. 10 East Butler (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.
Howells-Dodge and East Butler have already seen each other this season: on Sept. 18, East Butler won 38-26. Now they meet again with the season on the line.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 PM CT. Host: Howells-Dodge. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Howells-Dodge finished 0.6667 points ahead of East Butler in NSAA's point averages. Howells-Dodge scored 42.9 and allowed 16.2 points a game; East Butler scored 44.7 and allowed 25.4. Howells-Dodge's opponents went a combined 37-44, and East Butler's went 41-40.
| Howells-Dodge | East Butler | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 7 | No. 10 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 41.5556 | 40.8889 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 5 | No. 8 |
| Points scored / game | 42.9 | 44.7 |
| Points allowed / game | 16.2 | 25.4 |
| Average margin | +26.7 | +19.2 |
| vs. playoff teams | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-2 | 1-3 |
| One-score games | 0-1 | — |
| Opponents' combined record | 37-44 | 41-40 |
| Last 3 games | W 50-16, W 64-18, L 24-26 | L 22-40, L 14-42, L 22-35 |
| Streak | Lost 1 | Lost 3 |
How Howells-Dodge got here
Howells-Dodge finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 386 points and allowing 146. Both losses came against teams with winning records: at East Butler (6-3), 38-26; at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (8-1), 26-24. Its best win by opponent was a 36-14 win over Aquinas Catholic (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-2. In Week 9 it had a 26-24 loss at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (8-1).
How East Butler got here
East Butler finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 402 points and allowing 229. All three losses came against teams with winning records: at Shelby-Rising City (9-0), 40-22; Aquinas Catholic (6-3), 42-14; at Lourdes Central Catholic (7-2), 35-22. Its best win by opponent was a 38-26 win over Howells-Dodge (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-3. It comes in on a 3-game losing streak, capped by a 35-22 loss at Lourdes Central Catholic (7-2) in Week 9.
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played three of the same opponents. Howells-Dodge went 3-0 in those games and East Butler went 2-1. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Howells-Dodge | East Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Aquinas Catholic * | W 36-14 | L 14-42 |
| Humphrey-Lindsay | W 56-14 | W 82-18 |
| Oakland-Craig | W 64-18 | W 76-14 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Howells-Dodge
- O. Belina: 1,659 rushing yards (11.5 per carry), 29 TD
- B. Stutzman: 562 rushing yards (7.7 per carry), 10 TD
- O. Belina: 68 tackles, 4 for loss
- C. Bayer: 4.5 sacks
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
East Butler
- G. Fencl (QB): 765 passing yards, 41 of 86, 7 TD, 4 INT
- G. Kozisek: 624 rushing yards (7.4 per carry), 14 TD
- R. Jarecki: 27 catches, 388 yards, 3 TD
- R. Jarecki: 78 tackles
- G. Kozisek: 4 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 7 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 Howells-Dodge slow East Butler's offense? East Butler averaged 44.7 points; Howells-Dodge allowed 16.2. East Butler scored 30 or more in 6 of 9 games.
- Howells-Dodge's answer. It scored 42.9 a game, and East Butler's defense allowed 25.4. In its losses, though, Howells-Dodge averaged 25.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Howells-Dodge went 1-2 against this year's playoff field; East Butler went 1-3.
- If it's close late. East Butler hasn't played a one-score game (8 points or fewer) this season. Howells-Dodge is 0-1 in them.
- G. Fencl and the ball. East Butler's quarterback threw 4 interceptions in 86 reported attempts.
- Stopping O. Belina. Howells-Dodge's top rusher has 1,659 reported yards and 29 touchdowns. East Butler allowed 25.4 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 2 North Platte St. Patrick's vs. No. 15 Bertrand 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 →
Howells-Dodge team center → · East Butler team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →