State Tournament Predictions: Class B

Like class A, class B has had their fair share of upsets and ranking changes throughout the season. We’ve seen a team like Omaha Duchesne turn into a class B powerhouse team this year. We’ve also seen Grand Island Northwest, Elkhorn South, Norris, Gretna and Seward remain in the top 10 for most of the season. One thing that hasn’t changed though, is Omaha Skutt remaining as the number one team in the state. You would think that after the two-time defending state champions lose key senior players from last year’s squad they would struggle, but it’s been the opposite. Omaha Skutt has had some losses to teams in class A, but has held their own against most of their class B opponents. Here’s a predictions of the 8 possible teams who could potentially be battling for a state title in class B come November. This is NOT the official list of teams going to state, this is just a prediction of the teams who could potentially make it based on how they’re playing so far this season.

Omaha Skutt

The two-time defending class B state champions remain as the number one team in the state. Their win against #2 Omaha Duchesne on Thursday night helped prove that the Skyhawks should remain at the top. Duchesne has still had a breakout season themselves, and Skutt is going to have to watch out for them at state if both teams qualify. Despite having a younger squad this season, this team could still run the table and win their 3rd consecutive class B state title in November.

Omaha Duchesne

Omaha Duchesne has solidified their status as a top ranked team in class B this year. Despite losing to a few class A schools and a team out of state, the Cardinals have put together an impressive run so far this season. They got swept by Omaha Skutt on Thursday night, but they will have the chance to rebound against the Skyhawks at state. The Cardinals may be one of the only teams who can stop Skutt from winning their 3rd consecutive state title. They’ll for sure have a chance to stop that run if they can qualify for state as well in November.

Northwest

Grand Island Northwest is used to being a powerhouse in class B, but hasn’t won a state title since 2012. They made it to the state championship match a year ago, but lost against an Omaha Skutt team that was one of the top 5 teams in the country. Northwest has the power and the defense to make a run at state this year. They, like Omaha Duchesne might be one of the only teams who can stop Skutt from winning 3 in a row. They’ll be a team to look out for if they make it to state next month.

Elkhorn South

Despite having multiple losses to class A schools, the Elkhorn South Storm are having a successful season against class B opponents. The only class B opponent they’ve lost to so far is Waverly, a team who beat them in 5 sets on Thursday night. The Storm have been ranked in the top 5 for most of the year and could find themselves seeded in the top 5 at the state tournament next month.

Ralston

Like Omaha Duchesne, Ralston is having a successful season so far. Their scrappy defense has led them to a top 5 class B ranking and it could be the deciding factor in qualifying them for the state tournament next month. They’ve had multiple matches against class B and class C1 schools and have only dropped 6 matches. The Rams are for sure going to be a team to watch if they do end up qualifying for state in a few weeks.

Norris

The Norris Titans have made their way back into the top 10 of the class B ratings after winning their conference. Despite having a 17-11 record, they still have what it takes to make it to state. They’ve gone back and forth with Gretna this season and have even picked up some wins against class A schools. They have a triangular coming up at the end of the month against Beatrice and Lincoln Lutheran from class C1, which will be another good test for them.

Gretna

Gretna is another team we’ll need to look out for when it comes to subdistrict and district play. The Dragons are having a great season so far and have only lost 5 matches. They’ve picked up multiple wins against class A schools and have gotten big wins against class B opponents like Northwest, Waverly, Aurora and Norris. Two years ago the Dragons made it to the state championship match, but fell to Omaha Skutt after Skutt won the first of their 2 back to back titles. Gretna would love to cause some upsets at state and get another shot at Skutt.

Seward

If you watch other teams play Seward, you can tell how difficult it can be to put a ball down against them. Seward is one of the scrappiest teams in all of the classes. They currently have a 20-5 record and have what it takes to win a district or possibly get a wild card to go to state. They haven’t played as many of the top class B schools, but they have played against a lot of high quality class C1 schools which has been a benefit for them.

Like I said before, this is NOT the official list of teams making it to state in November. This is just a list of teams who could potentially make it based on how they’ve been playing this season. We still have to look out for teams like Bennington, Alliance and Waverly who all have what it takes to cause upsets during district play.