Football · Preview · Class C2
No. 1 Grand Island Central Catholic vs. No. 16 Hershey: a rematch of Grand Island Central Catholic's 41-6 win on Aug. 28
No. 1 Grand Island Central Catholic (9-0) hosts No. 16 Hershey (5-4) in the Class C2 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.
Grand Island Central Catholic and Hershey have already seen each other this season: on Aug. 28, Grand Island Central Catholic won 41-6. Now they meet again with the season on the line.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:00 PM CT. Host: Grand Island Central Catholic. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Grand Island Central Catholic finished 7.5556 points ahead of Hershey in NSAA's point averages. Grand Island Central Catholic scored 51.2 and allowed 8.2 points a game; Hershey scored 22.2 and allowed 21.2. Grand Island Central Catholic's opponents went a combined 40-41, and Hershey's went 32-49.
| Grand Island Central Catholic | Hershey | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 1 | No. 16 |
| Record (NSAA) | 9-0 | 5-4 |
| NSAA point average | 45.8889 | 38.3333 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 1 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 51.2 | 22.2 |
| Points allowed / game | 8.2 | 21.2 |
| Average margin | +43.0 | +1.0 |
| vs. playoff teams | 6-0 | 0-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 5-0 | 0-3 |
| One-score games | 1-0 | 0-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 40-41 | 32-49 |
| Last 3 games | W 50-6, W 49-14, W 35-28 | L 0-47, W 31-14, L 36-39 |
| Streak | Won 9 | Lost 1 |
How Grand Island Central Catholic got here
Grand Island Central Catholic didn't lose in the regular season, finishing 9-0 with a 461-74 scoring edge. Its closest game was a 35-28 win at Gothenburg (7-2). Its best win by opponent was a 49-14 win over Ord (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 6-0. It comes in on a 9-game winning streak, capped by a 35-28 win at Gothenburg (7-2) in Week 9. The defense posted two shutouts.
How Hershey got here
Hershey finished the regular season 5-4, scoring 200 points and allowing 191. Losses: at Grand Island Central Catholic (9-0), 41-6; Gothenburg (7-2), 16-6; at Mitchell (6-3), 47-0; at Bridgeport (4-5), 39-36. Its best win by opponent was a 35-20 win over Valentine (3-6). Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 0-3. In Week 9 it had a 39-36 loss at Bridgeport (4-5). The defense posted two shutouts.
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played four of the same opponents. Grand Island Central Catholic went 4-0 in those games and Hershey went 2-2. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Grand Island Central Catholic | Hershey |
|---|---|---|
| Gothenburg * | W 35-28 | L 6-16 |
| H&H | W 45-0 | W 30-0 |
| Mitchell * | W 51-7 | L 0-47 |
| Wood River | W 73-0 | W 30-0 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Grand Island Central Catholic
- J. Gangwish (QB): 1,060 passing yards, 55 of 83, 15 TD, 1 INT; also 675 rushing yards
- T. Schneider: 883 rushing yards (11.2 per carry), 15 TD
- T. Schneider: 9 catches, 252 yards, 4 TD
- J. Gangwish: 51 tackles, 9 for loss
- O. Price: 6 sacks
- B. Wolfe: 4 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Hershey
- C. Murdock: 715 rushing yards (6.2 per carry), 10 TD
- K. Herrick: 625 rushing yards (5.1 per carry), 7 TD
- K. Palm: 91 tackles, 5 for loss
- J. Murphy: 3.5 sacks
- D. Sterner: 3 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 Hershey slow Grand Island Central Catholic's offense? Grand Island Central Catholic averaged 51.2 points; Hershey allowed 21.2. Grand Island Central Catholic scored 30 or more in 9 of 9 games.
- Hershey's answer. It scored 22.2 a game, and Grand Island Central Catholic's defense allowed 8.2. In its losses, though, Hershey averaged 12.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Grand Island Central Catholic went 6-0 against this year's playoff field; Hershey went 0-3.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Grand Island Central Catholic was 1-0 and Hershey was 0-1.
- J. Gangwish and the ball. Grand Island Central Catholic's quarterback threw 1 interception in 83 reported attempts; Hershey's D. Sterner has 3 picks.
- Stopping T. Schneider. Grand Island Central Catholic's top rusher has 883 reported yards and 15 touchdowns. Hershey allowed 21.2 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 8 Malcolm vs. No. 9 Bishop Neumann in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class C2 state final is Tue., Nov. 24, 10:15 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class C2 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Grand Island Central Catholic team center → · Hershey team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →
Result note: a 1–0 entry is shown as listed by NSAA. It is not treated as evidence of an on-field score or a confirmed forfeit.