The second annual “Battle of 370,” where the Griffins will face off against the Dragons for the district title, will take place tonight at 7 p.m. While it is only the second football faceoff for the two teams, it will be the last time that the majority of players who were once teammates and classmates get to share the same field, making it the final true rivalry game.
This final regular-season game of the year will be unique because the current senior class will be the last class to have played together as freshmen on one team, due to the school split in 2023-24.
“I think playing with past teammates just makes it more fun,” lineman, senior Colton Nicholson said. “I know who I’m guarding; we used to be friends in my freshman year. I think it’ll be a fun game, like last year.”
The Griffins are currently ranked fifth according to MaxPreps, with a record of 7-1 in Nebraska Class B, and are coming off a six-game win streak. Their only loss (46-27) was to Bennington (7-1), and they are ranked second in the class.
“Great senior leadership has been key,” Head Varsity Football Coach Justin Haberman said. “Great senior leadership and the execution of our plays on offense and defense, the kids have really bought in and focused on the execution factor.”
The Dragons are ranked tenth and are 5-3 on the season, with losses coming from Bennington, Norris and Elkhorn North.
“Gretna is a great team,” Haberman said. “If you look at their three losses, they’re high-quality opponents. You can never overlook a team, especially somebody with the talent that they have. When Michael Knudson is a tremendous quarterback, Drew Boltz, Bryce Lakers and the rest of the crew over there are great players. And our kids are excited for the competition.”
The winner of tonight’s game will claim the district championship for Class B, D2, and decide which team will be seeded higher going into the state playoffs.
“Last night, Elk North knocked off Bennington, and when we take care of business, we could be the two seed, and that lines up really nicely for the playoff picture,” Haberman said. “At the same time, if something was to happen and didn’t work out, we’d still be a top eight seed, which would still keep us at home, but to me, it’s one game at a time, and what we’re focused on tonight, is getting by the Dragons and doing what we do, and executing our plays and coming away with the victory.”
Going into tonight’s game, the Griffins know what’s at stake.
“We are feeling very confident, especially since we had a big win last week, and I feel like that built a lot of confidence that we are a great team,” running back, senior Connor Sams said. “We try to keep the same goal every week, just go 1-0.”
If they pull off a win, they will have the chance to become the two-seed in Class B, which will give them a better chance going forward in the Nebraska Schools Activities Association (NSAA) State Football Play-offs. It will also give them bragging rights.
“Everyone wants to say ‘We beat Gretna’ and it’d be cool for our senior class to say we went 2-0 against them,” wide receiver, senior Andrew Dowd said.
While last year the Griffins were the “away” team, tonight Griffin students and fans will sit in their normal seats as the Dragons sit across from them as the away team. Students who plan to attend are encouraged by administrators and Student Council to dress for the game theme, which is blackout.
