THE BULL
Semifinal season for the Sandy Creek Cougars is becoming more and more of a regular thing on “The Hill” at Sandy Creek High School, as the Cougars, following yet another dominating win, will host their third straight Class D-1 state semifinal this Friday night, Nov. 14, beginning at 6 p.m.
That home feeling for Sandy Creek is becoming more and more of a common theme in Cougar Nation, an expected theme even, as Sandy Creek’s postseason record shows exactly what the new age of Cougar Football has done since going into the 8-man football ranks.
As we all remember, the Cougars “broke the ice” if you will after several years removed from post-season play back in 2022, winning one of two games in the D-1 bracket, holding off Sandhills Valley 24-18 in the first round that year, before falling to North Platte St. Pats, 50-14 in North Platte.
I remember that loss being tough on the Cougars, and their fan base, but sometimes a loss can turn positive, and it did to put it mildly!
The Cougars swept through the 2023 regular season and entered the postseason with a perfect 8-0 record, which included Sandy Creek’s “edge of the seat” 64-62 triple overtime win over EMF, which to me proved that something extra special was brewing for Cougar Nation.
In the playoffs two years ago, Sandy Creek cruised into the semifinal round, beating Maxwell, 62-22, and Weeping Water in a nailbiter, 22-20.
Then the Cougars crushed Cross County in the battle of the Cougars 44-24 in the quarterfinal round to gain a home battle with top-seeded Stanton in the semifinals, a game that would not come out in favor of Sandy Creek, falling 48-36, but it became Sandy Creek’s “target game” for the special season that was 2024.
Again, Sandy Creek dominated a year ago during the regular season, going 8-0 and earning the top seed in the 2024 D-1 playoffs.
Niobrara/Verdigre fell victim to Sandy Creek, 63-14 in the opening round.
Next up, a rematch with Sandhills Valley brought SV to “The Hill” and the Cougars made quick work, winning 76-12.
The Cougars locked in during the quarterfinals and semifinals, beating Shelby-Rising City 54-0 in the quarterfinals and routing Lourdes Central Catholic 63-8 in the semifinals to set up the ultimate rematch with the Stanton Mustangs, this time, however, in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln for a state championship.
The 2024 Cougars remained locked in for what they knew would be a “Clash of the Titans” if you will, and claimed the D-1 championship with an impressive and will-powered 44-42 win over the Mustangs and finished the year as the undefeated, 13-0 state champions.
Fast forward to this season, 2025. The Cougars had one setback, a 32-24 during week two, but outside of that one blemish, the Cougars are cookin’. Entering the playoffs at 7-1, Sandy Creek has given up just 26 points in three rounds of the D-1 playoffs, crushing EMF 60-14 in the first round, then blistering Wisner-Pilger, 51-6, before gaining last week’s quarterfinal win over Bridgeport, 45-6.
They will take on perhaps one very dangerous football team this Friday night in the Plainview Pirates.
Plainview, like the Cougars, have just one loss, a 38-26 setback to the Crofton Warriors during week three of the season.
Crofton is also a D-1 state semifinalist, making this round kind of an ironic set-up, at least to me.
All four teams have connections with Crofton taking on Shelby-Rising City, who, as I said, handed the Cougars their only loss this year, and Crofton handing Plainview their only loss of the regular season.
Both D-1 semifinal games could very well have fireworks flaming into the early evening sky, as these four semifinalists are the powerhouses that are left.
Plainview will come to “The Hill” as the seventh seed in the class. The Pirates have beaten two of their three opponents on the road after an opening round 43-8 win over Alma.
Plainview mowed over Thayer Central 51-22, and this past Friday night, the Pirates took out the second seed, Dundy County/Stratton, 64-44.
The glow that will be shining brightly on “The Hill” this Friday night could very well light up all of Clay, Adams, and Nuckolls County, as this semifinal battle will be a true test for the Cougars and the Pirates to see who will advance to Lincoln on the morning of Monday, Nov. 24 at 10:15 a.m.
Best of luck Cougars!!
