Football · Preview · Class C2
No. 7 Gothenburg vs. No. 10 Scotus Central Catholic: less than a point apart in NSAA's standings
No. 7 Gothenburg (7-2) hosts No. 10 Scotus Central Catholic (6-3) in the Class C2 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.
The Class C2 playoffs start with No. 10 Scotus Central Catholic (6-3) traveling to No. 7 Gothenburg (7-2).
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:30 PM CT. Host: Gothenburg. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Gothenburg finished 0.7777 points ahead of Scotus Central Catholic in NSAA's point averages. Gothenburg scored 32.9 and allowed 10.8 points a game; Scotus Central Catholic scored 29.1 and allowed 20.7. Gothenburg's opponents went a combined 37-44, and Scotus Central Catholic's went 44-37.
| Gothenburg | Scotus Central Catholic | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 7 | No. 10 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 42.3333 | 41.5556 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 9 | Receiving votes |
| Points scored / game | 32.9 | 29.1 |
| Points allowed / game | 10.8 | 20.7 |
| Average margin | +22.1 | +8.4 |
| vs. playoff teams | 3-2 | 1-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-2 | 2-3 |
| One-score games | 1-2 | 2-0 |
| Opponents' combined record | 37-44 | 44-37 |
| Last 3 games | W 76-0, W 13-0, L 28-35 | W 74-6, W 42-24, W 42-15 |
| Streak | Lost 1 | Won 3 |
How Gothenburg got here
Gothenburg finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 296 points and allowing 97. Both losses came against teams with winning records: at Ord (7-2), 14-13; Grand Island Central Catholic (9-0), 35-28. Its best win by opponent was a 45-29 win over Mitchell (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 3-2. In Week 9 it had a 35-28 loss to Grand Island Central Catholic (9-0). The defense posted three shutouts.
How Scotus Central Catholic got here
Scotus Central Catholic finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 262 points and allowing 186. All three losses came against teams with winning records: at Cedar Catholic (9-0), 34-10; at Bishop Neumann (7-2), 32-14; Boone Central (9-0), 41-13. Its best win by opponent was a 40-14 win over West Point-Beemer (5-4), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-3. It comes in on a 3-game winning streak, capped by a 42-15 win over North Bend Central (2-7) in Week 9.
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.
Gothenburg
- D. Floyd (QB): 1,216 passing yards, 99 of 173, 13 TD, 5 INT; also 610 rushing yards
- C. Johnson: 449 rushing yards (6.6 per carry), 6 TD
- A. Jesseph: 20 catches, 357 yards, 5 TD
- B. Groene: 82 tackles, 4 for loss
- A. Holsten: 3 sacks
- K. Koehn: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 9 of its 9 games.
Scotus Central Catholic
- B. Lindhorst (QB): 669 passing yards, 47 of 96, 4 TD, 5 INT; also 549 rushing yards
- B. Roberts: 531 rushing yards (4.7 per carry), 5 TD
- M. Brandt: 18 catches, 225 yards, 0 TD
- P. Newman: 118 tackles, 6 for loss
- C. Olmer: 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 Scotus Central Catholic slow Gothenburg's offense? Gothenburg averaged 32.9 points; Scotus Central Catholic allowed 20.7. Gothenburg scored 30 or more in 4 of 9 games.
- Scotus Central Catholic's answer. It scored 29.1 a game, and Gothenburg's defense allowed 10.8. In its losses, though, Scotus Central Catholic averaged 12.3.
- Tested against playoff teams. Gothenburg went 3-2 against this year's playoff field; Scotus Central Catholic went 1-3.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Gothenburg was 1-2 and Scotus Central Catholic was 2-0.
- D. Floyd and the ball. Gothenburg's quarterback threw 5 interceptions in 173 reported attempts; Scotus Central Catholic's C. Olmer has 2 picks.
- Stopping D. Floyd. Gothenburg's top rusher has 610 reported yards and 5 touchdowns. Scotus Central Catholic allowed 20.7 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 2 Bergan Catholic vs. No. 15 West Point-Beemer in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class C2 state final is Tue., Nov. 24, 10:15 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class C2 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Gothenburg team center → · Scotus Central Catholic team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →