Football · Preview · Class D1
No. 7 Sutton vs. No. 10 Wisner-Pilger: Class D1 first-round breakdown
No. 7 Sutton (7-2) hosts No. 10 Wisner-Pilger (7-2) in the Class D1 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 D1 playoffs start with No. 10 Wisner-Pilger (7-2) traveling to No. 7 Sutton (7-2).
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 6:00 PM CT. Host: Sutton. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Sutton finished 2.0000 points ahead of Wisner-Pilger in NSAA's point averages. Sutton scored 34.1 and allowed 20.2 points a game; Wisner-Pilger scored 29.0 and allowed 28.0. Sutton's opponents went a combined 48-33, and Wisner-Pilger's went 33-48.
| Sutton | Wisner-Pilger | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 7 | No. 10 |
| Record (NSAA) | 7-2 | 7-2 |
| NSAA point average | 43.2222 | 41.2222 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 7 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 34.1 | 29.0 |
| Points allowed / game | 20.2 | 28.0 |
| Average margin | +13.9 | +1.0 |
| vs. playoff teams | 2-2 | 1-2 |
| vs. winning teams | 3-2 | 2-2 |
| One-score games | 1-1 | 2-0 |
| Opponents' combined record | 48-33 | 33-48 |
| Last 3 games | W 56-18, W 21-20, W 36-20 | W 40-30, W 53-14, L 6-84 |
| Streak | Won 3 | Lost 1 |
How Sutton got here
Sutton finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 273 points and allowing 162. Both losses came against teams with winning records: Sandy Creek (8-1), 42-20; Exeter-Milligan-Friend (8-1), 20-12. Its best win by opponent was a 36-12 win at Cross County (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-2. It comes in on a 3-game winning streak, capped by a 36-20 win at Conestoga (4-5) in Week 9. NSAA lists Sutton at 7-2. Our score data doesn't have its Oct. 15 vs. Centennial result yet, so the per-game numbers here cover 8 games.
How Wisner-Pilger got here
Wisner-Pilger finished the regular season 7-2, scoring 261 points and allowing 252. Both losses came against teams with winning records: Ponca (5-4), 38-6; Stanton (9-0), 84-6. Its best win by opponent was a 34-30 win at Elkhorn Valley (6-3), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 1-2. In Week 9 it had an 84-6 loss to Stanton (9-0).
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.
Sutton
- C. Hinrichs: 1,830 rushing yards (8.6 per carry), 27 TD
- G. Bergen: 457 rushing yards (5.4 per carry), 6 TD
- J. Reyes: 87 tackles, 9 for loss
- A. Banta: 6 sacks
- J. Reyes: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 9 of its 8 games.
Wisner-Pilger
- J. Knoell (QB): 445 passing yards, 28 of 47, 5 TD, 3 INT; also 533 rushing yards
- A. Raabe: 427 rushing yards (5.0 per carry), 6 TD
- A. Raabe: 81 tackles, 6 for loss
- E. Lauck: 4 sacks
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 Wisner-Pilger slow Sutton's offense? Sutton averaged 34.1 points; Wisner-Pilger allowed 28.0. Sutton scored 30 or more in 5 of 8 games.
- Wisner-Pilger's answer. It scored 29.0 a game, and Sutton's defense allowed 20.2. In its losses, though, Wisner-Pilger averaged 6.0.
- Tested against playoff teams. Sutton went 2-2 against this year's playoff field; Wisner-Pilger went 1-2.
- If it's close late. In one-score games (8 points or fewer), Sutton was 1-1 and Wisner-Pilger was 2-0.
- Stopping C. Hinrichs. Sutton's top rusher has 1,830 reported yards and 27 touchdowns. Wisner-Pilger allowed 28.0 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 2 Sandy Creek vs. No. 15 Ponca in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class D1 state final is Mon., Nov. 23, 2:45 p.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class D1 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Sutton team center → · Wisner-Pilger team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →