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Class D3 bubble watch: Leigh at Guardian Angels decides the line

The Class D3 teams near the ninth wild card, Hyannis' title-or-bust path and what each team needs.

By Eddie V. · Oct 21, 2026, 10:51 AM CT

Leigh holds the ninth and last Class D3 wild card at 39.875, and the team it visits Friday sits two spots above it. Leigh (6-2) at Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-2, 40.875) is the biggest bubble game in D3, and seven more teams sit less than two points behind it.

D3 takes seven district champions and nine wild cards.

Data as of 7:59 a.m. CT Wednesday, Oct. 21, from NSAA's wildcard page. Points haven't changed since the Oct. 19 update. Ranges below run every Week 9 result through NSAA's point formula. They're NEB Preps projections, not official.

Class D3 bubble board

NSAA points · 7:59 a.m. CT Wednesday, Oct. 21 (NSAA wildcard page; points unchanged since the Oct. 19 9:04 a.m. update). Projection—not official seeds.

Current last at-large average: 39.875 · Leigh. Dashed marks compare current averages, not guaranteed qualification. District berths and tiebreakers still apply.

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Open a school for its remaining game and reviewed scenario. Each what-if fixes only one game; all other results can vary. Ranges are not rankings or clinch probabilities. Ties remain ties.

Dundy County Stratton5-2 · Bubble43.000 pts
Clinches with a win over Hyannis.
2026-10-23 · vs. Hyannis (3-5). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 42.750–43.500. With a loss: 41.000–41.750.
Dundy County Stratton team center →
Deshler6-2 · Bubble42.625 pts
Clinches with a win over Weeping Water.
2026-10-23 · at Weeping Water (3-5). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 42.778–43.111. With a loss: 41.222–41.556.
Deshler team center →
Twin Loup7-1 · Bubble42.625 pts
Clinches with a win over Elgin Public-Pope John.
2026-10-23 · vs. Elgin Public-Pope John (3-5). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 42.778–43.444. With a loss: 41.222–41.889.
Twin Loup team center →
Brady7-1 · Bubble42.250 pts
Clinches with a win over Sandhills Valley.
2026-10-23 · vs. Sandhills Valley (0-8). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 42.111–42.778. With a loss: 40.556–41.222.
Brady team center →
Wynot6-2 · Bubble42.000 pts
Clinches with a win over Randolph.
2026-10-23 · at Randolph (3-5). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 42.222–43.222. With a loss: 40.667–41.667.
Wynot team center →
Cambridge6-2 · Bubble41.625 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 41.5556 with a win.
2026-10-23 · at Axtell (1-7). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 41.556–41.556. With a loss: 40.000–40.000.
Cambridge team center →
Guardian Angels Central Catholic6-2 · Bubble40.875 pts
Clinches with a win if Winside beats Archangels Catholic or Axtell beats Cambridge.
2026-10-23 · vs. Leigh (6-2). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 41.556–42.556. With a loss: 40.333–41.333.
Guardian Angels Central Catholic team center →
Falls City Sacred Heart5-3 · Bubble40.750 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 40.7778-42.1111 with a win.
2026-10-22 · vs. Southern (0-8). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 40.778–42.111. With a loss: 39.222–40.556.
Falls City Sacred Heart team center →
Leigh6-2 · Bubble39.875 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 40.6667-41.6667 with a win.
2026-10-23 · at Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-2). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 40.667–41.667. With a loss: 39.444–40.444.
Leigh team center →
St. Mary's4-4 · Bubble39.750 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 39.8889-40.8889 with a win.
2026-10-22 · at North Central (1-7). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 39.889–40.889. With a loss: 38.333–39.333.
St. Mary's team center →
Southern Valley5-3 · Bubble39.625 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 40.4444-41.4444 with a win.
2026-10-23 · vs. Blue Hill (5-3). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 40.444–41.444. With a loss: 38.889–39.889.
Southern Valley team center →
Blue Hill5-3 · Bubble39.000 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 39.8889-40.5556 with a win. Out with a loss to Southern Valley.
2026-10-23 · at Southern Valley (5-3). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 39.889–40.556. With a loss: 38.333–39.000.
Blue Hill team center →
Osceola4-4 · Bubble38.875 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 40.1111-40.7778 with a win.
2026-10-23 · vs. Lawrence-Nelson (8-0). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 40.111–40.778. With a loss: 38.556–39.222.
Osceola team center →
Clarkson4-4 · Bubble38.375 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 39.0000-39.6667 with a win. Out with a loss to Omaha Nation.
2026-10-22 · at Omaha Nation (0-8). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 39.000–39.667. With a loss: 37.444–38.111.
Clarkson team center →
Boyd County5-3 · Bubble38.125 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 39.4444-40.7778 with a win.
2026-10-23 · vs. Wausa (7-1). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 39.444–40.778. With a loss: 37.889–39.222.
Boyd County team center →
Sandhills/Thedford4-4 · Bubble38.000 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 38.6667-39.6667 with a win. Out with a loss to Mullen.
2026-10-22 · at Mullen (3-5). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 38.667–39.667. With a loss: 37.111–38.111.
Sandhills/Thedford team center →
Elgin Public-Pope John3-5 · Bubble36.750 pts
A win alone doesn't lock up a spot; it would finish at 38.2222-39.2222 with a win. Out with a loss to Twin Loup.
2026-10-23 · at Twin Loup (7-1). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 38.222–39.222. With a loss: 36.667–37.667.
Elgin Public-Pope John team center →
Weeping Water3-5 · Out36.625 pts
Eliminated. Cannot reach the last spot in any Week 9 outcome.
2026-10-23 · vs. Deshler (6-2). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 37.778–39.111. With a loss: 36.556–37.889.
Qualification evidence: Out in every Week 9 outcome by a district-champion count (pigeonhole) check: at most one title contender per district can take an automatic bid, so enough non-champions are guaranteed to finish above this team's best possible average.
Weeping Water team center →
Hyannis3-5 · Bubble36.000 pts
Clinches with a win over Dundy County Stratton. Out with a loss to Dundy County Stratton.
2026-10-23 · at Dundy County Stratton (5-2). Kickoff not confirmed in this snapshot.
Final-average range with a win: 37.222–37.889. With a loss: 35.667–36.333.
Hyannis team center →

View the three-column points table

Current point averages, not projected seeds
Team	Record	Points
Dundy County Stratton	5-2	43.000
Deshler	6-2	42.625
Twin Loup	7-1	42.625
Brady	7-1	42.250
Wynot	6-2	42.000
Cambridge	6-2	41.625
Guardian Angels Central Catholic	6-2	40.875
Falls City Sacred Heart	5-3	40.750
Leigh	6-2	39.875
St. Mary's	4-4	39.750
Southern Valley	5-3	39.625
Blue Hill	5-3	39.000
Osceola	4-4	38.875
Clarkson	4-4	38.375
Boyd County	5-3	38.125
Sandhills/Thedford	4-4	38.000
Elgin Public-Pope John	3-5	36.750
Weeping Water	3-5	36.625
Hyannis	3-5	36.000

NSAA source → · Class D3 bracket →

Leigh vs. GACC

A Guardian Angels win gets it to 41.556 to 42.556, and it clinches if Winside beats Archangels Catholic or Axtell beats Cambridge. A Leigh win gets Leigh to 40.667 to 41.667, but even that isn't a lock. A loss drops Leigh to 39.444 to 40.444, and the line gets very crowded behind it.

Just inside

Cambridge (6-2, 41.625) visits Axtell (1-7) and would finish at exactly 41.556 with a win, or 40.000 with a loss. Falls City Sacred Heart (5-3, 40.750) hosts winless Southern on Thursday and could reach 42.111. Neither clinches with a win alone. Deshler, Twin Loup, Brady and Wynot each clinch with a win.

The chasers

St. Mary's (4-4, 39.750) is the first team out, 0.125 back. It visits North Central (1-7) on Thursday, and a win gets it to 39.889 to 40.889.

Southern Valley (5-3, 39.625) vs. Blue Hill (5-3, 39.000) on Friday is a bubble elimination game. Blue Hill is out with a loss. A Southern Valley win gets it to 40.444 to 41.444.

Osceola (4-4, 38.875) hosts unbeaten Lawrence-Nelson and could reach 40.778 with the upset. Boyd County (5-3, 38.125) hosts Wausa (7-1) and could reach 40.778 too.

Three more teams are out with a loss: Clarkson (4-4, 38.375) at winless Omaha Nation on Thursday, Sandhills/Thedford (4-4, 38.000) at Mullen on Thursday and Elgin Public-Pope John (3-5, 36.750) at Twin Loup.

Title or bust

Hyannis (3-5) is 30th in points, but it's 3-0 in D3-7. If it beats Dundy County Stratton on Friday, it takes the title and a spot. If it loses, it's out. A Dundy County Stratton loss doesn't eliminate DCS.

Already out

Weeping Water is out in every outcome, not just with a loss to Deshler. Each district has only one champion, so enough of the title contenders above it are guaranteed to finish as non-champions above its best possible average.

How the math works

A win is worth 50, 47, 44 or 41 points depending on the opponent's division, and a loss is worth 36, 33, 30 or 27. Take Leigh: 39.875 over eight games is 319 points. Beat GACC and GACC is 6-3 (67%, Division 2), so the win is worth 47, and 366 divided by 9 is 40.667. Lose and GACC is 7-2 (78%, Division 1), so the loss is worth 36, and 355 divided by 9 is 39.444.

District races and the projected bracket are in the Class D3 playoff outlook.

Sources

Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →