Football · Preview · Class A
No. 13 Lincoln Southwest at No. 4 Bennington: what decides this Class A first-round game
No. 4 Bennington (8-1) hosts No. 13 Lincoln Southwest (6-3) 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.
No. 4 Bennington (8-1) hosts No. 13 Lincoln Southwest (6-3) in the first round of the Class A playoffs.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 PM CT. Host: Bennington. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Bennington finished 4.1111 points ahead of Lincoln Southwest in NSAA's point averages. Bennington scored 36.0 and allowed 12.3 points a game; Lincoln Southwest scored 27.8 and allowed 19.3. Bennington's opponents went a combined 46-35, and Lincoln Southwest's went 39-42.
| Bennington | Lincoln Southwest | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 4 | No. 13 |
| Record (NSAA) | 8-1 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 44.7778 | 40.6667 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 4 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 36.0 | 27.8 |
| Points allowed / game | 12.3 | 19.3 |
| Average margin | +23.7 | +8.4 |
| vs. playoff teams | 6-1 | 1-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 6-1 | 2-3 |
| One-score games | 2-0 | 2-0 |
| Opponents' combined record | 46-35 | 39-42 |
| Last 3 games | W 48-7, W 47-0, L 0-35 | W 27-7, L 7-29, W 28-21 |
| Streak | Lost 1 | Won 1 |
How Bennington got here
Bennington finished the regular season 8-1, scoring 324 points and allowing 111. Its only loss came against a team with a winning record: Millard North (8-1), 35-0. Its best win by opponent was a 42-13 win at Elkhorn North (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 6-1. In Week 9 it had a 35-0 loss to Millard North (8-1). The defense posted two shutouts.
How Lincoln Southwest got here
Lincoln Southwest finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 250 points and allowing 174. All three losses came against teams with winning records: at Kearney (6-3), 38-23; Millard North (8-1), 42-2; Elkhorn South (6-3), 29-7. Its best win by opponent was a 39-14 win at Lincoln Standing Bear (5-4), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-3. In Week 9 it had a 28-21 win over Lincoln North Star (5-4). The defense posted two shutouts.
By the numbers
Shared opponents
They played three of the same opponents. Bennington went 2-1 in those games and Lincoln Southwest went 1-2. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Bennington | Lincoln Southwest |
|---|---|---|
| Kearney * | W 27-23 | L 23-38 |
| Lincoln Standing Bear * | W 47-0 | W 39-14 |
| Millard North * | L 0-35 | L 2-42 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Bennington
- T. Bouaphakeo (QB): 990 passing yards, 90 of 125, 11 TD, 4 INT; also 431 rushing yards
- W. Gutz: 1,204 rushing yards (8.5 per carry), 20 TD
- B. KLOSTER: 23 catches, 251 yards, 6 TD
- J. Stahlecker: 43 tackles, 6 for loss
- G. Nickel: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Lincoln Southwest
- T. Shelton (QB): 1,082 passing yards, 98 of 149, 9 TD, 2 INT
- C. Rakowsky: 581 rushing yards (5.5 per carry), 8 TD
- J. Coke: 500 rushing yards (9.1 per carry), 7 TD
- C. Fitzgerald: 12 catches, 253 yards, 2 TD
- C. Lockhart: 73 tackles, 5 for loss
- C. Hoy: 5 sacks
- J. Coke: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 9 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 Lincoln Southwest slow Bennington's offense? Bennington averaged 36.0 points; Lincoln Southwest allowed 19.3. Bennington scored 30 or more in 6 of 9 games.
- Lincoln Southwest's answer. It scored 27.8 a game, and Bennington's defense allowed 12.3. In its losses, though, Lincoln Southwest averaged 10.7.
- Tested against playoff teams. Bennington went 6-1 against this year's playoff field; Lincoln Southwest went 1-3.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Bennington was 2-0 and Lincoln Southwest was 2-0.
- T. Bouaphakeo and the ball. Bennington's quarterback threw 4 interceptions in 125 reported attempts; Lincoln Southwest's J. Coke has 2 picks.
- Stopping W. Gutz. Bennington's top rusher has 1,204 reported yards and 20 touchdowns. Lincoln Southwest allowed 19.3 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 5 Elkhorn South vs. No. 12 Elkhorn North 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 →
Bennington team center → · Lincoln Southwest team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →