Football · Preview · Class A
No. 8 Papillion-La Vista vs. No. 9 Lincoln Northeast: the closest seed matchup in Class A
No. 8 Papillion-La Vista (7-2) hosts No. 9 Lincoln Northeast (8-1) in the Class A 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 0.1111 NSAA points separate No. 8 Papillion-La Vista (7-2) and No. 9 Lincoln Northeast (8-1). The winner moves on to face the winner of No. 1 Omaha Westside vs. No. 16 Columbus.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 4:00 PM CT. Host: Papillion-La Vista. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Papillion-La Vista finished 0.1111 points ahead of Lincoln Northeast in NSAA's point averages. Papillion-La Vista scored 27.3 and allowed 15.4 points a game; Lincoln Northeast scored 42.7 and allowed 12.6. Papillion-La Vista's opponents went a combined 40-41, and Lincoln Northeast's went 25-56.
| Papillion-La Vista | Lincoln Northeast | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 8 | No. 9 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 8-1 |
| NSAA point average | 41.8889 | 41.7778 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 9 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 27.3 | 42.7 |
| Points allowed / game | 15.4 | 12.6 |
| Average margin | +11.9 | +30.1 |
| vs. playoff teams | 2-2 | 0-1 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-2 | 1-1 |
| One-score games | 2-0 | 1-0 |
| Opponents' combined record | 40-41 | 25-56 |
| Last 3 games | W 39-0, W 21-17, W 23-14 | W 38-20, W 48-7, W 70-7 |
| Streak | Won 4 | Won 6 |
How Papillion-La Vista got here
Papillion-La Vista finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 246 points and allowing 139. Both losses came against teams with winning records: Papillion-La Vista South (6-3), 27-14; Omaha Westside (9-0), 42-20. Its best win by opponent was a 21-17 win at Elkhorn North (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-2. It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, capped by a 23-14 win over Norfolk (2-7) in Week 9. The defense posted three shutouts.
How Lincoln Northeast got here
Lincoln Northeast finished the regular season 8-1, scoring 384 points and allowing 113. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: at Papillion-La Vista South (6-3), 25-7. Its best win by opponent was a 38-20 win at Lincoln North Star (5-4). Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 0-1. It comes in on a 6-game winning streak, capped by a 70-7 win over Lincoln Northwest (3-6) in Week 9.
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played two of the same opponents. Papillion-La Vista went 1-1 in those games and Lincoln Northeast went 1-1. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Papillion-La Vista | Lincoln Northeast |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Island | W 48-25 | W 54-17 |
| Papillion-La Vista South * | L 14-27 | L 7-25 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Papillion-La Vista
- W. Grimes (QB): 1,278 passing yards, 100 of 194, 8 TD, 5 INT
- J. Jelinek: 470 rushing yards (4.1 per carry), 3 TD
- T. Pamaran: 42 catches, 617 yards, 3 TD
- G. Vest: 57 tackles, 2 for loss
- L. Bennett: 3 sacks
- J. Jelinek: 4 interceptions
- Bryce Vigness (IOL), one of our top 2027 recruits
MaxPreps game reports cover 9 of its 9 games.
Lincoln Northeast
- Z. Scully (QB): 1,157 passing yards, 83 of 138, 13 TD, 5 INT; also 556 rushing yards
- K. Poulsen: 682 rushing yards (9.0 per carry), 8 TD
- A. Hanlon: 559 rushing yards (8.2 per carry), 6 TD
- Q. Montoya: 19 catches, 311 yards, 2 TD
- L. Gallagher: 42 tackles, 12 for loss
- Player #9: 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 Papillion-La Vista slow Lincoln Northeast's offense? Lincoln Northeast averaged 42.7 points; Papillion-La Vista allowed 15.4. Lincoln Northeast scored 30 or more in 7 of 9 games.
- Papillion-La Vista's answer. It scored 27.3 a game, and Lincoln Northeast's defense allowed 12.6. In its losses, though, Papillion-La Vista averaged 17.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Papillion-La Vista went 2-2 against this year's playoff field; Lincoln Northeast went 0-1.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Papillion-La Vista was 2-0 and Lincoln Northeast was 1-0.
- W. Grimes and the ball. Papillion-La Vista's quarterback threw 5 interceptions in 194 reported attempts; Lincoln Northeast's Player #9 has 3 picks.
- Stopping K. Poulsen. Lincoln Northeast's top rusher has 682 reported yards and 8 touchdowns. Papillion-La Vista allowed 15.4 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 1 Omaha Westside vs. No. 16 Columbus in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class A state final is Mon., Nov. 23, 7:15 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class A bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Papillion-La Vista team center → · Lincoln Northeast 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.