Prep football playoffs: The best time of the year is here, and these are the predictions to go with it

The best time of the year is here.

Yes, the state volleyball and basketball tournaments are great. And there's nothing quite like state track, at least when all the classes are competing together at the same time.

But there's nothing quite like the state football playoffs. The chill in the air, the long road trips, and in places like Ainsworth, people parking their cars around the field as early as Tuesday to stake out their spot for Friday afternoon's game against Elm Creek.

Did we mention those afternoon kickoffs? So great.

On that note, here is my first crack at predicting every winner of every game in all seven classes. Debate away, and enjoy the ride.

Class A

First round: Westside over Papillion-La Vista; Millard West over Lincoln Southwest; Millard South over Kearney; Grand Island over Omaha North; Elkhorn South over Lincoln East; Creighton Prep over North Platte; Bellevue West over Papio South; Gretna over Lincoln Southeast.

Quarterfinals: Westside over Millard West; Millard South over Grand Island; Prep over Elkhorn South; Gretna over Bellevue West.

Semifinals: Westside over Millard South; Gretna over Prep.

Championship: Gretna over Westside.

Class B

First round: Bennington over Beatrice; Lincoln Pius X over Elkhorn North; Waverly over Norris; Elkhorn over Grand Island Northwest; Scottsbluff over Plattsmouth; Omaha Skutt over Blair; York over Seward; Omaha Gross over Mount Michael.

Quarterfinals: Bennington over Pius X; Waverly over Elkhorn; Scottsbluff over Skutt; Gross over York.

Semifinals: Bennington over Waverly; Scottsbluff over Gross.

Championship: Bennington over Scottsbluff.

Class C-1

First round: Aurora over Scotus Central Catholic; Omaha Roncalli over Lincoln Christian; Boone Central over Minden; Ashland-Greenwood over Auburn; McCook over Broken Bow; Adams Central over Platteview; Wahoo over Columbus Lakeview; Pierce over Central City.

Quarterfinals: Aurora over Roncalli; Ashland-Greenwood over Boone Central; McCook over Adams Central; Pierce over Wahoo.

Semifinals: Aurora over Ashland-Greenwood; Pierce over McCook.

Championship: Aurora over Pierce.

Class C-2

First round: Hastings St. Cecilia over Valentine; Battle Creek over Gordon-Rushville; Cedar Catholic over Mitchell; Malcolm over Archbishop Bergan; Norfolk Catholic over Yutan; Bishop Neumann over Lincoln Lutheran; Oakland-Craig over Fillmore Central; Ord over Chase County.

Quarterfinals: St. Cecilia over Battle Creek; Cedar Catholic over Malcolm; Norfolk Catholic over Neumann; Ord over Oakland-Craig.

Semifinals: St. Cecilia over Cedar Catholic; Norfolk Catholic over Ord.

Championship: Norfolk Catholic over St. Cecilia.

Class D-1

Second round: North Platte St. Pat's over Sandy Creek; Elmwood-Murdock over Hi-Line; Neligh-Oakdale over Heartland; Riverside over Summerland; Stanton over Ravenna; Thayer Central over Nebraska Christian; Clarkson-Leigh over Crofton; Weeping Water over Laurel-Concord-Coleridge.

Quarterfinals: St. Pat's over Elmwood-Murdock; Neligh-Oakdale over Riverside; Stanton over Thayer Central; Weeping Water over Clarkson-Leigh.

Semifinals: Neligh-Oakdale over St. Pat's; Stanton over Weeping Water.

Championship: Neligh-Oakdale over Stanton.

Class D-2

Second round: Howells-Dodge over South Loup; Johnson-Brock over Dundy Co.-Stratton; Central Valley over Sandhills-Thedford; BDS over Lawrence-Nelson; Wynot over Twin Loup; Osceola over Bloomfield; Ainsworth over Elm Creek; Hitchcock County over Humphrey St. Francis.

Quarterfinals: Howells-Dodge over Johnson-Brock; BDS over Central Valley; Osceola over Wynot; Hitchcock Co. over Ainsworth.

Semifinals: Howells-Dodge over BDS; Osceola over Hitchcock Co.

Championship: Howells-Dodge over Osceola.

Class D-6

First round: S-E-M over Wallace; Shelton over Sterling; Parkview Christian over Southwest; Red Cloud over Hampton; Potter-Dix over Brady; Pawnee City over Stuart; Cody-Kilgore over Hay Springs; Arthur County over Wilcox-Hildreth.

Quarterfinals: S-E-M over Shelton; Parkview Christian over Red Cloud; Potter-Dix over Pawnee City; Arthur Co. over Cody-Kilgore.

Semifinals: Parkview Christian over S-E-M; Potter-Dix over Arthur Co.

Championship: Potter-Dix over Parkview Christian.