Football · Preview · Class D2
Howells-Dodge at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge: a top-10 matchup to close the regular season
Howells-Dodge (7-1) at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (7-1), Friday, Oct. 23. Playoff picture, season stats, charts and history before the Week 9 game.
Game-day information: Kickoff reported by the Game Center: 7 p.m. Central. This article’s schedules and statistics are dated reporting, not live score updates.
Scores are NSAA finals. Points and ranks are NSAA wildcard standings, checked Oct. 21, 2026. Projections are not official seeds.
Both teams are in the latest Hurrdat Sports coaches poll: Howells-Dodge at No. 5 and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge at No. 3 in Class D2. They finish the regular season against each other Friday. Both play in District D2-2: Howells-Dodge is 4-0 in district games and Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is 4-0.
Friday, Oct. 23, at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, 7 p.m.
The playoff picture
In Class D2, the six district champions and the 10 best remaining averages qualify.
Howells-Dodge is 6th in Class D2's NSAA point standings at 41.875. It is 4-0 in District D2-2 games.
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is 4th in Class D2's NSAA point standings at 42.500. It is 4-0 in District D2-2 games.
Projections are not official seeds. NSAA sets the field after Week 9.
How they got here
Howells-Dodge (7-1) opened with a 42-8 win at Bloomfield (3-5). Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at East Butler (6-2), 38-26. Its best win by opponent record was a 36-14 win over Aquinas Catholic (6-2). It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, most recently a 64-18 win over Oakland-Craig (3-5).
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is 7-1. Its season began with a 36-24 win over Creighton (6-2). Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: Hartington-Newcastle (7-1), 42-36. Its best win by opponent record was a 36-24 win over Creighton (6-2). It comes in on a 5-game winning streak, most recently a 64-8 win at Lyons-Decatur Northeast (2-6).
By the numbers
| Howells-Dodge | Laurel-Concord-Coleridge | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| Class and NSAA rank | D2, 6th (41.875) | D2, 4th (42.500) |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 5 | No. 3 |
| Points scored per game | 45.2 | 55.1 |
| Points allowed per game | 15.0 | 19.0 |
| Average margin | +30.2 | +36.1 |
| Current streak | Won 4 | Won 5 |
Shared opponents
These two have played five of the same teams. It's a rough guide, since the games came in different weeks and places.
| Opponent | Howells-Dodge | Laurel-Concord-Coleridge |
|---|---|---|
| Bancroft-Rosalie | W 52-6 | W 70-0 |
| Bloomfield | W 42-8 | W 41-14 |
| Lyons-Decatur Northeast | W 36-6 | W 64-8 |
| Oakland-Craig | W 64-18 | W 68-28 |
| Tri County Northeast (TCNE) | W 50-16 | W 70-22 |
Players to know
Among the leaders in MaxPreps game reports through Week 8: Howells-Dodge's Oliver Belina (1,410 rushing yards in 7 reported games). Reports aren't complete for every game, so treat these as minimums.
Editorial update, Oct. 21: Program-history claims from the supplied school-history mapping are withheld pending school-identity verification. This does not change the current-season results, records or statistics above.
What to watch
- Laurel-Concord-Coleridge's offense. It averages 55.1 points. Howells-Dodge allows 15.0.
- Howells-Dodge's offense. It averages 45.2; Laurel-Concord-Coleridge allows 19.0.
- Howells-Dodge's streak. 4 straight wins.
- Laurel-Concord-Coleridge's streak. 5 straight wins.
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