Looking at Beatrice's season got me thinking about teams who have lost postseason games and still won the state title.
What I was specifically looking for was whether any team had previously won a state title after losing to a team in the postseason who finished with a losing record. I found this has happened at least twice now:
2021 Class B: Beatrice lost in the Subdistrict B-1 Semifinal to Nebraska City, who finished 11-12.
2018: Falls City Sacred Heart lost in the District D2-1 Final to Mead, who entered state at 11-12 and finished 11-13.
The wild card started I believe in 2001 for Classes A and B and 2002 or 2003 for the remainder of the classes. The NSAA site wild card archive only goes back to the 2003-04 season, so it limited my ability to check the district/subdistrict results in years prior to that.
At least 20 teams have won a state title as a wild card, averaging about one per year. 2011 appears to be "The Year of the Wild Card", with three claiming a title (C1, C2, and D2).
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Here are all of the wild card state champions I could find. For Class B and smaller, "wild cards" occur between the subdistrict and district finals starting in 2016. In Class A, the wild card is and always has been between the district final and state.
CLASS A (1)
The last time a team won the state title as a wild card was Lincoln High in 2003. Unfortunately, the NSAA site regular season/wild card archive only goes back to the 2003-04 season.
I believe the wild card started around the 2001-2003 period, and am unsure how Grand Island and Lincoln East qualified for state in 2002 and 2001, respectively.
CLASS B (4)
2021: Beatrice lost in the Subdistrict B-1 Semifinal to Nebraska City, who finished 11-12.
2015: Elkhorn South lost in their District Final to Gretna, who entered state at 24-2.
2014: Skutt lost in their District Final to Elkhorn South, who entered state at 24-0.
2006: Skutt lost in their District Semifinal to Ralston, who entered state at 16-10.
I believe the wild card started around the 2001-2003 period, and am unsure how Norris and Alliance qualified for state in 2002 and 2001, respectively. Norris was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS C1 (1)
2011: Norfolk Catholic lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Wayne, who entered state at 19-7.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Bishop Neumann qualified for state in 2002. Bishop Neumann was also the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS C2 (2)
2011: Lincoln Christian lost in their Subdistrict Final to Johnson-Brock, who entered state at 21-5.
2010: Ravenna lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Axtell, who entered state at 22-1.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Randolph qualified for state in 2002. Sutton was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS D1 (4)
2021: Humphrey/LHF lost in the Subdistrict D1-3 Final to Howells-Dodge, who entered state at 18-8.
2019: Humphrey/LHF lost in the Subdistrict D1-3 Final to Archbishop Bergan, who entered state at 17-8.
2016: Lourdes CC lost in the LOST District D1-1 Final to BDS, who entered state at 24-3.
2009: Mead lost in their District Final to Bruning-Davenport, who entered state at 23-2.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Spencer-Naper qualified for state in 2002. Spencer-Naper was also the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS D2 (8)
2019: Johnson-Brock lost in Subdistrict D2-1 to Falls City Sacred Heart, who entered state at 24-1.
2018: Falls City Sacred Heart lost in the District D2-1 Final to Mead, who entered state at 11-12.
2016: Humphrey St. Francis lost in Subdistrict D2-3 to Mead, who entered state at 23-2.
2015: Exeter-Milligan lost in the District Final to Falls City Sacred Heart, who entered state at 20-6.
2014: Bancroft-Rosalie lost in the District Final to High Plains Community, who entered state at 25-1.
2011: Giltner lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Lindsay Holy Family, who entered state at 16-6 (and lost to Giltner in the first round).
2007: St. Edward lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Ewing, who entered state at 20-4.
2006: Ewing lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Spencer-Naper, who entered state at 23-1.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Cody-Kilgore qualified for state in 2002. Lynch was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
What I was specifically looking for was whether any team had previously won a state title after losing to a team in the postseason who finished with a losing record. I found this has happened at least twice now:
2021 Class B: Beatrice lost in the Subdistrict B-1 Semifinal to Nebraska City, who finished 11-12.
2018: Falls City Sacred Heart lost in the District D2-1 Final to Mead, who entered state at 11-12 and finished 11-13.
The wild card started I believe in 2001 for Classes A and B and 2002 or 2003 for the remainder of the classes. The NSAA site wild card archive only goes back to the 2003-04 season, so it limited my ability to check the district/subdistrict results in years prior to that.
At least 20 teams have won a state title as a wild card, averaging about one per year. 2011 appears to be "The Year of the Wild Card", with three claiming a title (C1, C2, and D2).
///////
Here are all of the wild card state champions I could find. For Class B and smaller, "wild cards" occur between the subdistrict and district finals starting in 2016. In Class A, the wild card is and always has been between the district final and state.
CLASS A (1)
The last time a team won the state title as a wild card was Lincoln High in 2003. Unfortunately, the NSAA site regular season/wild card archive only goes back to the 2003-04 season.
I believe the wild card started around the 2001-2003 period, and am unsure how Grand Island and Lincoln East qualified for state in 2002 and 2001, respectively.
CLASS B (4)
2021: Beatrice lost in the Subdistrict B-1 Semifinal to Nebraska City, who finished 11-12.
2015: Elkhorn South lost in their District Final to Gretna, who entered state at 24-2.
2014: Skutt lost in their District Final to Elkhorn South, who entered state at 24-0.
2006: Skutt lost in their District Semifinal to Ralston, who entered state at 16-10.
I believe the wild card started around the 2001-2003 period, and am unsure how Norris and Alliance qualified for state in 2002 and 2001, respectively. Norris was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS C1 (1)
2011: Norfolk Catholic lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Wayne, who entered state at 19-7.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Bishop Neumann qualified for state in 2002. Bishop Neumann was also the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS C2 (2)
2011: Lincoln Christian lost in their Subdistrict Final to Johnson-Brock, who entered state at 21-5.
2010: Ravenna lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Axtell, who entered state at 22-1.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Randolph qualified for state in 2002. Sutton was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS D1 (4)
2021: Humphrey/LHF lost in the Subdistrict D1-3 Final to Howells-Dodge, who entered state at 18-8.
2019: Humphrey/LHF lost in the Subdistrict D1-3 Final to Archbishop Bergan, who entered state at 17-8.
2016: Lourdes CC lost in the LOST District D1-1 Final to BDS, who entered state at 24-3.
2009: Mead lost in their District Final to Bruning-Davenport, who entered state at 23-2.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Spencer-Naper qualified for state in 2002. Spencer-Naper was also the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
CLASS D2 (8)
2019: Johnson-Brock lost in Subdistrict D2-1 to Falls City Sacred Heart, who entered state at 24-1.
2018: Falls City Sacred Heart lost in the District D2-1 Final to Mead, who entered state at 11-12.
2016: Humphrey St. Francis lost in Subdistrict D2-3 to Mead, who entered state at 23-2.
2015: Exeter-Milligan lost in the District Final to Falls City Sacred Heart, who entered state at 20-6.
2014: Bancroft-Rosalie lost in the District Final to High Plains Community, who entered state at 25-1.
2011: Giltner lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Lindsay Holy Family, who entered state at 16-6 (and lost to Giltner in the first round).
2007: St. Edward lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Ewing, who entered state at 20-4.
2006: Ewing lost (unsure in which round, subdistrict or district final) to Spencer-Naper, who entered state at 23-1.
I believe the wild card started around the 2002-2003 period, and am unsure how Cody-Kilgore qualified for state in 2002. Lynch was the state champion in 2003 and qualified as a district champion.
