Football · Preview · Class D1
No. 8 Exeter-Milligan-Friend vs. No. 9 Elmwood-Murdock: a rematch of Exeter-Milligan-Friend's 48-16 win on Oct. 2
No. 8 Exeter-Milligan-Friend (8-1) hosts No. 9 Elmwood-Murdock (6-3) in the Class D1 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.
Exeter-Milligan-Friend and Elmwood-Murdock have already seen each other this season: on Oct. 2, Exeter-Milligan-Friend won 48-16. Now they meet again with the season on the line.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 PM CT. Host: Exeter-Milligan-Friend. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Exeter-Milligan-Friend finished 1.4444 points ahead of Elmwood-Murdock in NSAA's point averages. Exeter-Milligan-Friend scored 49.1 and allowed 13.2 points a game; Elmwood-Murdock scored 32.0 and allowed 21.9. Exeter-Milligan-Friend's opponents went a combined 36-45, and Elmwood-Murdock's went 49-32.
| Exeter-Milligan-Friend | Elmwood-Murdock | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 8 | No. 9 |
| Record (NSAA) | 8-1 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 43.1111 | 41.6667 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 6 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 49.1 | 32.0 |
| Points allowed / game | 13.2 | 21.9 |
| Average margin | +35.9 | +10.1 |
| vs. playoff teams | 2-1 | 1-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-1 | 2-3 |
| One-score games | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 36-45 | 49-32 |
| Last 3 games | W 42-22, W 48-6, W 58-18 | L 20-21, W 20-12, W 22-6 |
| Streak | Won 6 | Won 2 |
How Exeter-Milligan-Friend got here
Exeter-Milligan-Friend finished the regular season 8-1, scoring 442 points and allowing 119. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Johnson-Brock (9-0), 32-28. Its best win by opponent was a 20-12 win at Sutton (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-1. It comes in on a 6-game winning streak, capped by a 58-18 win at Centennial (4-5) in Week 9. The defense posted two shutouts.
How Elmwood-Murdock got here
Elmwood-Murdock finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 288 points and allowing 197. All three losses came against teams with winning records: Johnson-Brock (9-0), 58-24; at Exeter-Milligan-Friend (8-1), 48-16; Sutton (7-2), 21-20. Its best win by opponent was a 36-6 win at BDS (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-3. In Week 9 it had a 22-6 win at Freeman (3-6).
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played five of the same opponents. Exeter-Milligan-Friend went 4-1 in those games and Elmwood-Murdock went 3-2. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Exeter-Milligan-Friend | Elmwood-Murdock |
|---|---|---|
| Centennial | W 58-18 | W 42-12 |
| Conestoga | W 42-22 | W 20-12 |
| Freeman | W 48-6 | W 22-6 |
| Johnson-Brock * | L 28-32 | L 24-58 |
| Sutton * | W 20-12 | L 20-21 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Exeter-Milligan-Friend
- W. Kallhoff (QB): 778 passing yards, 37 of 73, 12 TD, 2 INT
- A. Mueller: 554 rushing yards (11.5 per carry), 9 TD
- T. Milton: 437 rushing yards (7.4 per carry), 6 TD
- T. Milton: 23 catches, 441 yards, 7 TD
- E. Oceguera: 70 tackles, 7 for loss
- T. Milton: 4 sacks
- K. Kirchhoff: 4 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Elmwood-Murdock
- D. Gordon (QB): 728 passing yards, 53 of 102, 11 TD, 5 INT
- B. Marsh: 1,110 rushing yards (6.3 per carry), 12 TD
- C. Towle: 22 catches, 335 yards, 8 TD
- J. Piitz: 121 tackles, 8 for loss
- K. Lindsey: 5 sacks
- R. Homan: 4 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 Elmwood-Murdock slow Exeter-Milligan-Friend's offense? Exeter-Milligan-Friend averaged 49.1 points; Elmwood-Murdock allowed 21.9. Exeter-Milligan-Friend scored 30 or more in 7 of 9 games.
- Elmwood-Murdock's answer. It scored 32.0 a game, and Exeter-Milligan-Friend's defense allowed 13.2. In its losses, though, Elmwood-Murdock averaged 20.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Exeter-Milligan-Friend went 2-1 against this year's playoff field; Elmwood-Murdock went 1-3.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Exeter-Milligan-Friend was 1-1 and Elmwood-Murdock was 1-1.
- W. Kallhoff and the ball. Exeter-Milligan-Friend's quarterback threw 2 interceptions in 73 reported attempts; Elmwood-Murdock's R. Homan has 4 picks.
- Stopping B. Marsh. Elmwood-Murdock's top rusher has 1,110 reported yards and 12 touchdowns. Exeter-Milligan-Friend allowed 13.2 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 1 Johnson-Brock vs. No. 16 Amherst in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class D1 state final is Mon., Nov. 23, 2:45 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D1 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Exeter-Milligan-Friend team center → · Elmwood-Murdock team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →