Football · Preview · Class B
No. 2 Gretna East vs. No. 15 Hastings: a rematch of Gretna East's 57-7 win on Sept. 4
No. 2 Gretna East (8-1) hosts No. 15 Hastings (2-7) in the Class B 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.
Gretna East and Hastings have already seen each other this season: on Sept. 4, Gretna East won 57-7. Now they meet again with the season on the line.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 8:00 PM CT. Host: Gretna East. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Gretna East finished 8.0000 points ahead of Hastings in NSAA's point averages. Gretna East scored 37.0 and allowed 20.0 points a game; Hastings scored 14.9 and allowed 28.2. Gretna East's opponents went a combined 40-41, and Hastings's went 47-34.
| Gretna East | Hastings | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 2 | No. 15 |
| Record (NSAA) | 8-1 | 2-7 |
| NSAA point average | 43.4444 | 35.4444 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 2 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 37.0 | 14.9 |
| Points allowed / game | 20.0 | 28.2 |
| Average margin | +17.0 | -13.3 |
| vs. playoff teams | 7-1 | 0-6 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-1 | 0-5 |
| One-score games | 3-0 | 0-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 40-41 | 47-34 |
| Last 3 games | W 42-20, W 39-0, W 35-31 | L 14-35, L 0-13, W 44-7 |
| Streak | Won 6 | Won 1 |
How Gretna East got here
Gretna East finished the regular season 8-1, scoring 333 points and allowing 180. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: Gretna (9-0), 38-14. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 7-1. It comes in on a 6-game winning streak, capped by a 35-31 win at Skutt Catholic (7-2) in Week 9.
How Hastings got here
Hastings finished the regular season 2-7, scoring 134 points and allowing 254. Losses: Platteview (6-3), 20-12; at Gretna East (8-1), 57-7; at York (4-5), 22-7; at Scottsbluff (8-1), 59-13; Aurora (8-1), 27-10; McCook (4-5), 35-14; at Northwest (7-2), 13-0. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 0-6. In Week 9 it had a 44-7 win at Gering (1-8).
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.
Gretna East
- C. Grow (QB): 1,327 passing yards, 82 of 141, 21 TD, 2 INT; also 515 rushing yards
- R. Junge: 382 rushing yards (5.1 per carry), 5 TD
- Q. Bera: 38 catches, 712 yards, 12 TD
- L. Haverty: 101 tackles, 6 for loss
- M. Maryott: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Hastings
- C. Ratzlaff (QB): 351 passing yards, 33 of 58, 1 TD, 2 INT
- J. Brooks: 324 rushing yards (5.1 per carry), 2 TD
- H. Shoemaker: 17 catches, 260 yards, 2 TD
- O. Ablott: 31 tackles, 1 for loss
MaxPreps game reports cover 6 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 Hastings slow Gretna East's offense? Gretna East averaged 37.0 points; Hastings allowed 28.2. Gretna East scored 30 or more in 6 of 9 games.
- Tested against playoff teams. Gretna East went 7-1 against this year's playoff field; Hastings went 0-6.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Gretna East was 3-0 and Hastings was 0-1.
- C. Grow and the ball. Gretna East's quarterback threw 2 interceptions in 141 reported attempts.
- Stopping C. Grow. Gretna East's top rusher has 515 reported yards and 7 touchdowns. Hastings allowed 28.2 points a game.
- Momentum. Gretna East has won 6 straight and averaged 38.7 points over its last three.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 7 Waverly vs. No. 10 Elkhorn in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class B state final is Tue., Nov. 24, 7:15 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class B bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Gretna East team center → · Hastings team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →