Football · Preview · Class D1
Ponca at Pender: playoff stakes for Ponca
Ponca (5-3) at Pender (4-4), 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.
Ponca goes into the final week of the regular season close to the playoff line, 12th in Class D1's NSAA point standings. Both play in District D1-4: Ponca is 3-1 in district games and Pender is 2-2.
Friday, Oct. 23, at Pender, 7 p.m.
The playoff picture
In Class D1, the seven district champions and the nine best remaining averages qualify.
Ponca is 12th in Class D1's NSAA point standings at 40.625. It is 3-1 in District D1-4 games.
Pender is 18th in Class D1's NSAA point standings at 38.875. It is 2-2 in District D1-4 games.
Projections are not official seeds. NSAA sets the field after Week 9.
How they got here
Ponca is 5-3. Its season began with a 58-20 win over Tekamah-Herman (3-5). All three of its losses came against teams with winning records: at Crofton (7-1), 64-22; Hartington-Newcastle (7-1), 78-60; Stanton (8-0), 62-12. Its best win by opponent record was a 38-6 win at Wisner-Pilger (7-1). Its most recent scored game was a 62-12 loss to Stanton (8-0). Its record also includes one game reported as 1-0 (forfeit or administrative result), which are left out of the scoring numbers here.
Pender is 4-4. Its season began with a 40-14 loss to Crofton (7-1). All four of its losses came against teams with winning records: Crofton (7-1), 40-14; Sandy Creek (7-1), 76-26; Wisner-Pilger (7-1), 14-12; at Stanton (8-0), 42-30. Its best win by opponent record was a 52-14 win at Tekamah-Herman (3-5). Last week it had a 42-30 loss at Stanton (8-0).
By the numbers
| Ponca | Pender | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 5-3 | 4-4 |
| Class and NSAA rank | D1, 12th (40.625) | D1, 18th (38.875) |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | Not ranked | No. 9 |
| Points scored per game | 46.6 | 42.5 |
| Points allowed per game | 36.9 | 27.0 |
| Average margin | +9.7 | +15.5 |
| Current streak | — | Lost 1 |
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 | Ponca | Pender |
|---|---|---|
| Crofton | L 22-64 | L 14-40 |
| Stanton | L 12-62 | L 30-42 |
| Tekamah-Herman | W 58-20 | W 52-14 |
| Wakefield | W 76-0 | W 78-8 |
| Wisner-Pilger | W 38-6 | L 12-14 |
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
- Ponca's offense. It averages 46.6 points. Pender allows 27.0.
- Pender's offense. It averages 42.5; Ponca allows 36.9.
Game center: live score, matchup and both teams →
Game Center: Ponca at Pender →
Ponca team center → · Pender 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.