Football · Preview · Class D6
No. 8 Riverside vs. No. 9 Leyton: the closest seed matchup in Class D6
No. 8 Riverside (7-1) hosts No. 9 Leyton (7-1) in the Class D6 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.
Only 0.0000 NSAA points separate No. 8 Riverside (7-1) and No. 9 Leyton (7-1). The winner moves on to face the winner of No. 1 Stuart vs. No. 16 Crawford.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 3:00 PM CT. Reported site: Spalding. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
The teams finished with matching NSAA point averages (41.8750). The official seeds above reflect NSAA’s tiebreak order. Riverside scored 68.7 and allowed 14.9 points a game; Leyton scored 53.6 and allowed 25.0. Riverside's opponents went a combined 24-40, and Leyton's went 21-35.
| Riverside | Leyton | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 8 | No. 9 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-1 | 7-1 |
| NSAA point average | 41.8750 | 41.8750 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 7 | No. 5 |
| Points scored / game | 68.7 | 53.6 |
| Points allowed / game | 14.9 | 25.0 |
| Average margin | +53.9 | +28.6 |
| vs. playoff teams | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| vs. winning teams | 1-1 | 1-1 |
| One-score games | 0-1 | — |
| Opponents' combined record | 24-40 | 21-35 |
| Last 3 games | L 31-33, W 75-8, W 73-0 | W 65-26, W 59-12, L 6-60 |
| Streak | Won 2 | Lost 1 |
How Riverside got here
Riverside finished the regular season 7-1, scoring 481 points and allowing 104. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Stuart (8-0), 33-31. Its best win by opponent was a 60-15 win at Sterling (5-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-1. In Week 9 it had a 73-0 win at Elba (3-5). Its record also includes one 1-0 result (forfeit), left out of the scoring numbers.
How Leyton got here
Leyton finished the regular season 7-1, scoring 375 points and allowing 175. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Garden County (7-1), 60-6. Its best win by opponent was a 64-18 win over Crawford (5-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-1. In Week 9 it had a 60-6 loss at Garden County (7-1). Its record also includes one 1-0 result (forfeit), left out of the scoring numbers.
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.
Riverside
- B. Carraher (QB): 330 passing yards, 23 of 38, 7 TD, 0 INT
- L. Carraher: 924 rushing yards (17.8 per carry), 23 TD
- S. Gutierrez: 522 rushing yards (12.4 per carry), 7 TD
- L. Carraher: 15 catches, 280 yards, 4 TD
- J. Dodds: 52 tackles, 3 for loss
- H. Crome: 6 sacks
- L. Carraher: 6 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 7 of its 8 games.
Leyton
- A. Beutler (QB): 425 passing yards, 23 of 38, 12 TD, 0 INT
- C. Van Anne: 883 rushing yards (16.1 per carry), 15 TD
- C. Borgmann: 12 catches, 209 yards, 7 TD
- C. Van Anne: 34 tackles, 16 for loss
- C. Borgmann: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 5 of its 8 games.
Historical program and playoff-series claims are withheld pending school-identity verification. Current-season reporting above is unaffected.
Keys to the game
- Can Leyton slow Riverside's offense? Riverside averaged 68.7 points; Leyton allowed 25.0. Riverside scored 30 or more in 7 of 7 games.
- Leyton's answer. It scored 53.6 a game, and Riverside's defense allowed 14.9. In its losses, though, Leyton averaged 6.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Riverside went 1-1 against this year's playoff field; Leyton went 1-1.
- If it's close late. Leyton hasn't played a one-score game (8 points or fewer) this season. Riverside is 0-1 in them.
- Stopping L. Carraher. Riverside's top rusher has 924 reported yards and 23 touchdowns. Leyton allowed 25.0 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 1 Stuart vs. No. 16 Crawford in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. In D6, hosting after the first round follows NSAA's alternating rule: a team that was the visitor in its previous game hosts a team that was home; otherwise the higher point average hosts. The Class D6 state final is Fri., Nov. 20, 7 p.m., Cope Stadium, Kearney.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D6 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Riverside team center → · Leyton 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.