It’s the best time of the year for football fans: the 2025 high school football postseason kicks off or continues in the states of Nebraska and Kansas this week, and this area of the country is well represented: 12 schools from this geographical region have qualified for the postseason in their respective classifications in 2025.  

Here’s a breakdown of all of our area schools that are in the postseason this year. Game results and upcoming schedules, with potential broadcast information, will be updated after every round. You can listen to any game on Ol’ Red on 99.5 FM on your radio or online wherever you are; you can listen to any game on KWBE on 1450 AM on your radio or online wherever you are.  

 

KANSAS: 

8-Player DII: 

Hanover: 

Highlighted by their historic home win against Axtell just a couple of weeks ago, Hanover completed an undefeated regular season at 8-0. Now the Wildcats have sights set on a return to the Hanover heyday of the end of the 2010s as one of the top teams in this field. Hanover earned the #1 seed in District 3 and will face the #4 team from District 4, Osborne, in the first round Thursday. 

Round 1 - #1 Hanover (8-0) vs. #4 Osborne (3-4) - Thursday, 10/30 - 6 PM – Listen on Ol’ Red 

Linn: 

Even despite losing to Axtell in the first game of the year and to Hanover in the final game of the year, Linn has put together a very strong season in its own right, a 5-3 mark to finish first in their district – Linn plays in a separate athletic district from Hanover despite being members of the same school district. The Bulldogs have had no trouble scoring in the games that they’ve won, and they should be heavily favored this week in the first round against a Wakefield team that only won once this year.  

Round 1 - #1 Linn (5-3) vs. #4 Wakefield (1-7) - Thursday, 10/30 - 7 PM 

Axtell: 

After losing to Hanover in that heavyweight contest a couple of weeks ago that saw their win streak come to an end at 58 in a row – a record for this classification in the state of Kansas – the Eagles responded by handling Frankfort in their season finale. That loss to Hanover knocked Axtell down to the #2-seed from District 3. They might not be as inevitable as they were the last four falls, but there’s no doubt this Axtell team will be a tough out once again this year.  

Round 1 - #2 Axtell (7-1) vs. #3 Beloit-St. John’s/Tipton (4-4)  - Thursday, 10/30 - 6 PM  

Frankfort: 

Frankfort had the unfortunate honor of taking on Axtell after they lost that historic game to the Hanover Wildcats in the regular season finale, but the Frankfort Wildcats have authored a solid year in their own right, with three lopsided wins and a narrow 44-36 win against Thunder Ridge midseason. And speaking of Thunder Ridge, that’s who the Wildcats will see in the first round Thursday – if their second meeting is anything like their first, it could be one of the best games in this bracket in round one.  

Round 1 - #2 Thunder Ridge (4-4) vs. #3 Frankfort (4-4) - Friday, 10/31 - 4 PM 

 

NEBRASKA: 

Class B: 

Norris: 

Wins against class mainstays Skutt Catholic and Gretna at the start of the season proved that the Titans were going to be one of the top teams in Class B this season. Norris completely dominated all five games they played after the win over Gretna, setting the stage for a clash of the, well, Titans against fellow undefeated team Waverly. The Vikings pulled that out with a 45-42 at the buzzer, dropping Norris down to the #6-seed and a rematch with Gretna in the first round. 

Round 1 - #6 Norris (8-1) vs. #11 Gretna (5-4) - Friday, 10/31 - 7 PM – Listen on KWBE 

 

Class C1: 

Milford: 

For a program that has experienced some highs and some lows in terms of overall record over the last two decades, this marks a second straight 6-win season for Milford, and 2025 looks a lot like 2024 did in a lot of ways: they have looked impressive in defeating teams below them in standings, and have only lost to other good teams. Now they’ll try to avoid one more fate from 2024, a first-round playoff exit – though the Eagles, as the 16th and final team in the field, must take on one of the bracket favorites, Wahoo, in round one.  

Round 1 - #1 Wahoo (9-0) vs. #16 Milford (6-3) - Friday, 10/31 - 7 PM 

Class D1: 

Thayer Central: 

Emerging from an excellent schedule with a 7-1 record, Thayer Central was one of the best teams in D1 football all season long. Head coach Mitchell Shepherd said his Titans have enjoyed proving people wrong this year to get to this point, and they certainly looked the part of a potential contender in their first round game against Perkins County, where, after a scoreless first quarter, the Titans coasted to a win with the running clock in effect. Now, they have to make a long trip north to take on Plainview in what figures to be a very intriguing second round tussle.  

Round 1 - #10 Thayer Central 47, #23 Perkins County 6 – Recap 

Round 2 - #7 Plainview (8-1) vs. #10 Thayer Central (8-1) - Friday, 10/31 - 6 PM – Listen on Ol’ Red 

 

EMF: 

The Bobcats were once again one of the better teams in this part of the state and earned a return trip to the playoffs, where they’ve had a lot of success in recent seasons, despite losing to nearby rivals Thayer Central in overtime in the season finale. EMF’s season was ended in the first round by Sandy Creek, one of the D1 favorites.  

Round 1 - #3 Sandy Creek 60, #30 EMF 14 – As heard on Ol’ Red 

 

McCool Junction: 

In what was one of the best games in the first round of the postseason this year, McCool Junction got past Arcadia-Loup City in double overtime to book their spot in the second round. The Mustangs played a couple of close games this season but won most of them – their only losses are to postseason teams Sutton and Shelby-Rising City. Now though, McCool must face one of the class favorites, second-seeded Dundy County Stratton.  

Round 1 - #15 McCool Junction 44, #18 Arcadia-Loup City 42 (2OT) 

Round 2 - #2 Dundy County Stratton (9-0) vs. #15 McCool Junction (7-2) - Friday, 10/31 - 3 PM CT 

Class D2: 

BDS: 

Even dating back to before the three schools ultimately combined to form the Bruning-Davenport/Shickley co-op, this team has been an absolute ever-present in the 8-man football postseason for years, with a handful of state championships to their name in that time. This year though, they ran into a Burwell team that was truly battle-tested from playing a great regular season slate, and the Eagles, semifinalists from last year, were knocked out in the first round on their home field.  

Round 1 - #20 Burwell 49, #13 BDS 30 – Recap  

 

Deshler: 

The Dragons have authored one of the absolute best seasons in program history this year, just a couple of years removed from back-to-back one-win campaigns. They’ve engineered a few lopsided wins as well on the way to the state playoffs, where they pulled away late to ultimately comfortably defeat Elm Creek, which came into the contest with an identical 6-2 mark, on the road. Now, Deshler gets to face an undefeated Central Valley squad in round two.  

Round 1 - #18 Deshler 50, #15 Elm Creek 28 

Round 2 - #2 Central Valley (9-0) vs. #18 Deshler (7-2) - Friday, 10/31 - 7 PM 

 

Class D6: 

Meridian: 

A 47-21 win in the season finale against Dorchester was exactly what Meridian needed to march into the postseason in the 6-man ranks. It was the Mustangs’ fifth win by double figures this year, and their three losses have come against teams that are also in the postseason starting this week, including two single-digit seeds. Their reward is a long trip and a mid-afternoon kickoff time against Stuart this Friday.  

Round 1 - #4 Stuart (7-1) vs. #13 Meridian (5-3) - Friday, 10/31 - 3 PM