The 11-man and 6-man football playoffs begin next Friday, October 28 with playoff brackets released this Saturday. We will have the exclusive reveal of each bracket with our partners at strivsports.com in conjunction with the Nebraska School Activities Association.

Each of the remaining classes will have 16 teams in their post season bracket with games played each Friday for three weeks with the 6-man final on Friday, November 18th at Foster Field in Kearney. The remaining six classes will play state championship games over two days at Memorial Stadium on November 21 and 22.

Here is a quick look at teams who have clinched spots and some games of importance this week. And, some scenario on where teams may go in the playoffs.

Class A

Qualifying: The champion and runner-up from each of the six districts, plus the next four teams remaining in the wild card points. Teams are seeded based on point totals, not by district finish.

Clinched district title: Millard South (1), Gretna (2), Omaha Creighton Prep (4), Millard West (6).

Clinch district title with a win: Omaha Westside (3), Elkhorn South (5).

District runner-ups: Lincoln East (1), Bellevue West, Papio South winner (2), Papillion-LaVista (4), Lincoln Southwest (6).

Quick thoughts: With eight teams locked in from districts 1, 2, 4 and 6 much of the attention turns to the other two districts. With a win over Norfolk, Kearney would be the District 3 runner-up. North Platte and Norfolk — both at 5-3 — are still mathematically alive. The Bulldogs would do well to beat Papillion-LaVista on Friday.

District 5 gets a little fuzzy as well with the Elkhorn South-Omaha North game controlling the race. The Storm are champs on a win, and GISH the runner-up should they beat 0-8 Omaha Northwest. A North win would make them champs and ES the runner-up with GISH taking an at-large spot.

Eyes on: Bellevue West, Papio South; Kearney, Norfolk; North Platte, Papillon-LaVista; Elkhorn South, Omaha North. Hard to predict any of these and all of them will shake up Saturday mornings bracket as will some others that could determine divisions for point purposes.

Class B

Qualifying: The champion from each of the five districts, plus 11 wild card teams. Teams are seeded based on point totals.

Clinched district title: Bennington (1), Waverly (3), Scottsbluff (5).

Clinch district title with a win: Omaha Gross, Omaha Skutt winner (2), Lincoln Pius, Norris winner (4).

Quick thoughts: It appears that all seven teams listed above will make the playoffs, as should Elkhorn, Blair, York and Elkhorn North. Seward would be safe with a win over Beatrice as would Northwest with a win over York. The Ralston, Plattsmouth winner also would be alive. Seward and Northwest alive even with a loss. A lot of scenarios in the bottom fourth of the bracket here that seem to involve about six teams.

Class C-1

Qualifying: The champion from each of the seven districts, plus nine wild card teams. Teams are seeded based on point totals.

Clinched district title: Ashland-Greenwood (1), Auburn (2), Pierce (4), Broken Bow (6).

Clinch district title with a win: Columbus Lakeview (3), Aurora (5), McCook (7).

Quick thoughts: Should they lose to Central City (Aurora) and Chadron (McCook), both the Huskies and Bison would still be in the playoffs. So, six teams we have guaranteed. Adams Central (v. Fairbury) and Boone Central (v. St. Paul) would clinch with a win to get us to eight. Both still very likely in even if they are upset.

Up to 11 other teams looking for the last eight spots, so winning in week nine will be of the utmost importance. Some teams (Roncalli, Platteview, Wahoo) may have a little more breathing room than others. Syracuse and Lincoln Christian a defacto play-in game, maybe? Must win: Ogallala (over Holdrege), Minden (over Cozad). Central City and Chadron will still be alive if they lose their tough week nine assignments.

Class C-2

Qualifying: The champion from each of the seven districts, plus nine wild card teams. Teams are seeded based on point totals.

Clinched district title: Malcolm (1), Oakland-Craig (3), Hastings St. Cecilia (5).

Clinch district title with a win: Wahoo Neumann (2), Norfolk Catholic (4), Ord (6), Mitchell (7).

Quick thoughts: The teams listed are the top-seven in the points — even if the four who need to win to clinch would lose — and should be safe. Battle Creek is also safe after moving to 7-2 with a forfeit win over Grand Island Central Catholic. Fillmore Central, next on the points list, can clinch with a win over Wood River (5-3).

It looks like 11 teams are still in contention for the remaining seven spots: Lincoln Lutheran, Cedar Catholic, Gordon-Rushville, Yutan, Chase County, Wilber-Clatonia, Wood River, Fremont Bergan, Centura, Valentine, Amherst, North Bend.

Six-Man

Qualifying: The top-16 in the playoff points are the qualifiers with district titles not an automatic qualifier. Teams are seeded based on point totals.

Clinched playoff berths: We believe all the teams currently above 40 points have clinched a spot. That’s nine teams: Sumner-Eddyville-Miller, Red Cloud, Arthur County, Potter-Dix, Parkview Christian, Cody-Kilgore, Pawnee City, Shelton and Sterling.

Quick thoughts: The next group of teams will play for position. Wallace (at Arthur County) and Hay Springs (at Cody-Kilgore) have tough assignments this week. Hampton travels to Stuart with a play-in game, but the loser is still very much alive. S-E-M host Shelton which could adjust some home sites and seeds.