The Bulldogs will try and win their opener for the third consecutive season as they welcome Norfolk to Bauer Field at Memorial Stadium. The visiting Panthers are coming off a 4-5 season that saw them fail to miss the playoffs. They return several starters including standout junior QB Taylor Reedy. North Platte is breaking in a new signal-caller in Dylan Mlady. The southpaw made a handful of appearances last season for the Bulldogs. Norfolk’s last visit to North Platte was last season, a game won by the Panthers 41-6. ESPN Radio 1410 will have all the action, with the pregame show getting underway at 6:30 and the kickoff at 7.

The St. Patrick’s Irish head out to the Panhandle for a matchup against Class C1 Kimball. Both teams reached the postseason last year, with the Irish just missing out on a trip to the state title game with a semifinal loss for the second straight season. Several new faces in the backfield will debut as starters for St. Pat’s, including quarterback Sean Keenan.

A fierce Lincoln County rivalry resumes as Maxwell hosts Brady. Both teams reached the playoffs last year, but it was Maxwell who had the year-long bragging rights after topping the Eagles 16-6 in the season opener. Maxwell returns seven defensive starters that will be challenged by Brady’s returning starter at quarterback, Zach Mann.

In Wallace, the Wildcats welcome South Platte back to eight-man football. The visitors had played six-man before seeing their numbers increase enough to warrant a move back to the eight-man game. Wallace’s potent offense features do-everything playmaker Landon Swedberg and two returning starters on the line.