FAIRFIELD, Neb. – Before the 2024 Sandy Creek Football team takes the field on Monday for the final time in the D1 State Championship game, they can already say they've accomplished more than any other Cougar team to take the field before them.

"That's always been motivation for us to have 2024 on our banner, we've never had a team on there," said Senior Defensive Lineman Hudson Devlin. "There's been really good teams in the past, but I think there's something different with this one, we're a special team."

In 2021, the Sandy Creek Football team played at the 11-man level and won just three games. The Freshmen on that team are now seniors at the 8-man level, and have turned the program around into a state championship caliber team.

"They've put so much time and effort in, and they started in a program that was trending in the right direction," said Sandy Creek Head Coach Andrew Kuta. "I think we had great leadership under Coach Shadley when they were Freshmen, but we just weren't very competitive. They've earned it every step of the way, and I'm just so proud and really happy for them."

This year, the Cougars feature the best defensive team in the state in 8-man football by only allowing teams to score an average of eight points per game.

"I think we've done a lot of growing since last year, we don't make the same mistakes like we did last year," said Devlin. "Stanton's a really good team, and they're a good team this year, but we've improved a lot, and we have everybody back and we're ready to go."

The offense led by 4th year Quarterback Ethan Shaw has outscored its opponents 256-34 in four playoff games this year.

While Shaw has almost 3,500 yards of total offense this year, he says the key to success is the entire team playing unselfishly and humble.

"We're confident, but we're not cocky, and I think that's the biggest thing you have to separate yourself from," said Shaw. "You got to go out there and play with confidence, but you can't get over your head to the point where you think you're better than you are. I think Coach Kuta as well as the senior leadership on our team does a great job of reminding people that you just got to put your head down and go to work."

The Cougars have completed back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. They lost in the semifinals last season to the eventual state champion Stanton, but now find themselves with a chance for redemption for a chance to win their first state championship in the program’s 58-year history.

"We wanted to rematch each other. They wanted us, we wanted them, we know we're the better team in D1," said Devlin. "We're two really good teams, and we're going to battle."

"We carried the loss all through last year into the weight room, and into this fall," said Shaw. "We've been really locked in and focused on going 1-0 each week, which is our mission, and hopefully we can do it one more time."

The D1 State Championship is on Monday at Memorial Stadium in Lincoln at 2:45 p.m. and you can listen to the game on KHAS Radio.