C1 shake-up: Wahoo ends Ashland-Greenwood's unbeaten run

Ashland-Greenwood's unbeaten season ended Friday night. Two-time defending Class C1 champion Wahoo won 20-19 in overtime at Ashland-Greenwood, according to NSAA's final score and reports from KLKN, the Lincoln Journal Star and 1011NOW. Wahoo is 6-2, and Ashland-Greenwood is 7-1. Ranks and point averages below are from NSAA's wildcard page as of Saturday, Oct. 17, at 9:12 a.m. CT. They are projections, not seeds.

How it unfolded, per KLKN

KLKN, which made the game its Channel 8 Game of the Week, reported that Wahoo's Laine Peterson scored the first touchdown in the second quarter. Grayson Nolan answered with the first of his two touchdowns for Ashland-Greenwood, and Wahoo led 7-6 at halftime after Ashland-Greenwood missed the extra point.

Ashland-Greenwood had a chance to win in regulation, KLKN reported, but its field goal try hit the crossbar and the game went to overtime tied 13-13. KLKN credited Joey Kelly with catching what proved to be the winning touchdown pass from quarterback Braylon Pacas. KLKN also reported that Wahoo stopped an Ashland-Greenwood two-point try that would have won the game.

Champions again, by NSAA's count

KLKN's headline called Wahoo the back-to-back C1 champion, and NSAA's list of past champions backs that up. Wahoo went 13-0 and won C1 titles in both 2024 and 2025, beating Central City 47-7 in the 2024 final and Sidney 20-6 in 2025.

This season started differently. Wahoo lost 42-23 at Syracuse on Aug. 28 and 22-21 at Lincoln Christian on Sept. 11. It has won five straight since: Columbus Lakeview (48-42), Douglas County West (39-7), Arlington (48-7), Beatrice (29-13) and now Ashland-Greenwood. NSAA's schedule lists all eight of Wahoo's games so far as road games, which makes Friday's game against Raymond Central its first listed home game.

Ashland-Greenwood had won each of its first seven games by at least 21 points and has outscored opponents 332-75. It was No. 1 in Class C1 in the Hurrdat Sports coaches poll of Oct. 11. The teams share three opponents: both beat Arlington and Douglas County West, while Ashland-Greenwood beat Syracuse 41-7 and Wahoo lost to Syracuse 42-23.

NSAA's regular-season records since 2020 now show Wahoo 4-3 against Ashland-Greenwood, with four straight wins since 2023.

The C1 race

The loss dropped Ashland-Greenwood from first to fourth in C1 points, from 44.0000 at NSAA's Oct. 16 update to 42.6250. Wahoo climbed from 12th to a tie for ninth with Minden at 41.1250. Sidney (8-0) now leads at 43.8750, followed by Chadron (7-1, 43.0000) and Pierce (8-0, 42.8750). Boys Town (8-0) is fifth at 42.5000 after NSAA posted its 49-14 win at Fort Calhoun Saturday morning.

C1's 16-team field is the six district champions plus 10 wild cards by points. In C1-2, Wahoo is 3-0 in district play and hosts Raymond Central (0-8, 0-3 in the district) on Friday, Oct. 23. Ashland-Greenwood has finished its district schedule at 3-1. A Wahoo win would give it the district title outright. A loss would leave the two tied at 3-1, and NSAA's first tiebreaker, the game between the tied teams, belongs to Wahoo, so Wahoo has clinched the C1-2 title.

Ashland-Greenwood's 42.6250 is fourth in C1 points, well above Alliance, 16th at 38.0000. District champions get in first, so 16th by points is not a cutoff. It closes the regular season at Columbus Lakeview (3-5) on Oct. 23.

Elsewhere, Syracuse has also clinched the C1-3 title. Omaha Roncalli Catholic (3-0 in its district) visits Boys Town (3-0) on Thursday, Oct. 22, in C1-1. Pierce (3-0) plays at Central City (2-1) in C1-4, and Adams Central (3-0) hosts Kearney Catholic in C1-5. In C1-6, Sidney (3-0), the team Wahoo beat in last year's final, hosts Cozad (2-1).

More coverage: Wahoo spoils Ashland-Greenwood's undefeated season with epic overtime win (Lincoln Journal Star); Week 8 high school football roundup: Back-to-back Class C1 champ Wahoo hands Ashland-Greenwood 1st loss, and more (KLKN); Sports Overtime: Week 8: Wahoo vs. Ashland-Greenwood (1011NOW video).

Sources: NSAA C1 wildcard points; NSAA C1 schedule; NSAA district standings; NSAA past football champions; Hurrdat Sports coaches poll, Oct. 11; NSAA football manual.

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