Football · Preview · Class D2
No. 6 Creighton hosts No. 11 Wilcox-Hildreth: the numbers behind the Class D2 opener
No. 6 Creighton (7-2) hosts No. 11 Wilcox-Hildreth (6-3) in the Class D2 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. 6 Creighton (7-2) hosts No. 11 Wilcox-Hildreth (6-3) in the first round of the Class D2 playoffs.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 5:00 PM CT. Host: Creighton. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Creighton finished 1.4444 points ahead of Wilcox-Hildreth in NSAA's point averages. Creighton scored 44.0 and allowed 18.8 points a game; Wilcox-Hildreth scored 37.8 and allowed 24.8. Creighton's opponents went a combined 36-45, and Wilcox-Hildreth's went 44-37.
| Creighton | Wilcox-Hildreth | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 6 | No. 11 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 6-3 |
| NSAA point average | 42.1111 | 40.6667 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 10 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 44.0 | 37.8 |
| Points allowed / game | 18.8 | 24.8 |
| Average margin | +25.2 | +13.0 |
| vs. playoff teams | 1-2 | 1-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 2-2 | 1-3 |
| One-score games | — | — |
| Opponents' combined record | 36-45 | 44-37 |
| Last 3 games | W 60-44, W 58-6, W 58-14 | W 48-0, W 60-28, W 44-24 |
| Streak | Won 6 | Won 4 |
How Creighton got here
Creighton finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 396 points and allowing 169. Both losses came against teams with winning records: at Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (8-1), 36-24; Elkhorn Valley (6-3), 44-6. Its best win by opponent was a 60-44 win at Neligh-Oakdale (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-2. It comes in on a 6-game winning streak, capped by a 58-14 win at Niobrara-Verdigre (2-7) in Week 9.
How Wilcox-Hildreth got here
Wilcox-Hildreth finished the regular season 6-3, scoring 340 points and allowing 223. All three losses came against teams with winning records: North Platte St. Patrick's (9-0), 47-6; Deshler (7-2), 24-8; Loomis (9-0), 38-12. Its best win by opponent was a 60-28 win over Bertrand (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-3. It comes in on a 4-game winning streak, capped by a 44-24 win over South Loup (4-5) 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.
Creighton
- D. Nilson (QB): 468 passing yards, 37 of 62, 7 TD, 3 INT; also 335 rushing yards
- H. Horstmann: 1,244 rushing yards (7.6 per carry), 16 TD
- R. Ladeaux: 14 catches, 271 yards, 4 TD
- E. Kuhlman: 66 tackles, 19 for loss
- B. Eggerling: 5 sacks
- H. Horstmann: 4 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Wilcox-Hildreth
- D. Blank (QB): 589 passing yards, 20 of 28, 9 TD, 0 INT; also 352 rushing yards
- K. Masters: 507 rushing yards (7.7 per carry), 6 TD
- L. Lush: 24 catches, 515 yards, 7 TD
- K. Masters: 95 tackles
- G. Ironshell: 4 sacks
- L. Lush: 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 Wilcox-Hildreth slow Creighton's offense? Creighton averaged 44.0 points; Wilcox-Hildreth allowed 24.8. Creighton scored 30 or more in 6 of 9 games.
- Wilcox-Hildreth's answer. It scored 37.8 a game, and Creighton's defense allowed 18.8. In its losses, though, Wilcox-Hildreth averaged 8.7.
- Tested against playoff teams. Creighton went 1-2 against this year's playoff field; Wilcox-Hildreth went 1-3.
- D. Nilson and the ball. Creighton's quarterback threw 3 interceptions in 62 reported attempts; Wilcox-Hildreth's L. Lush has 2 picks.
- Stopping H. Horstmann. Creighton's top rusher has 1,244 reported yards and 16 touchdowns. Wilcox-Hildreth allowed 24.8 points a game.
- Momentum. Creighton has won 6 straight and averaged 58.7 points over its last three.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 3 Laurel-Concord-Coleridge vs. No. 14 BDS in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class D2 state final is Monday, Nov. 23 at 10:15 a.m. Central at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D2 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Creighton team center → · Wilcox-Hildreth team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →