Success of EMC Teams In Games and Meets
The level of competition in the Eastern Midlands Conference (EMC) has grown increasingly more difficult over the years. With the addition of Gretna East and Gretna, both in 2025, the EMC got bigger, which makes competition better for schools. Though before these new schools joined, this conference has dominated Class B sports.
The EMC was founded around 1980, right after the Twin-Rivers Conference (TRC) dissolved. Blair High School, Plattsmouth High School, and Nebraska City High School were from the TRC and decided to make an eight-team conference. Platteview, Elkhorn, Gretna, Norris, and Waverly were all eligible and joined the new conference, causing the formation of the EMC.
Prior to the 2023-24 school year, the schools in the conference were Bennington, Blair, Elkhorn, Elkhorn North, Norris, and Waverly. In 2023, Standing Bear High School, Lincoln Northwest High School, and Hastings High School were added to the EMC. From 2010-2014, Elkhorn South High School was a part of the conference, but due to increased school enrollment, they advanced to Class A.
For the past several years, the state football championship has had a team either runner up or winner from the EMC conference. For example, Elkhorn played Crete in the championships in 2010.. Since 2011, the baseball championship has experienced the same thing. For boys track someone from the EMC in the top 5 since 2016, except in 2018-19. The girls have experienced the same phenomenon since 2016.
Cross Country and Track and Field teams both have experience running against teams in the EMC and in other conferences.
“Generally the teams that we see towards the front are teams from our conference.” long-distance coach Jordan Fueglestad said.
EMC teams Elkhorn North, Wavery, and Norris all competed in the 2024 Girls’ Class B state basketball tournament where Elkhorn North reigned as the state champion. Boys’ Basketball had many EMC teams in high rankings: Norris No.2, Elkhorn No.3, and Bennington No.6.
“It’s not unusual to see half of the state tournaments being conference teams, which is pretty incredible,” Activities Director Luke Ford said.
New Gretna Schools Will Improve Competition
In 2023, Gretna High School split into two schools which made Gretna East High School. Next year, these schools will join the EMC and continue the reputation of a tough conference.
“I think it’s fantastic that Gretna and Gretna East are joining our conference,” Ford said. “It just makes the conference more competitive, and good competition breeds good outcomes. Gretna High has a very rich tradition of being ultra competitive, and I don’t see that changing.”
Next year, the wolves football team will play them both in their schedule. This will be a challenge because they have not played either of them before.
“I think it’s great. Gretna is a tremendous program and they bring a lot to the table,” head football coach Sam Stanley said. “We are really excited to compete against them.”
Some Elkhorn North teams have already faced off against Gretna High in tournaments or meets, but now teams will play them in every sport during the regular season.
“This gives everybody the opportunity to compete against more great teams,” Stanley said. “We have a really tough conference and it just got a lot tougher, which I think is a good thing for everybody.”
This year, Gretna’s football team went 7-3 overall against Class A teams, and almost all of their wins were by more than 14. Gretna East, though, went 3-6 overall against teams in the Class B division.
The Eastern Midlands Conference is a tough conference, and it’s not going to get any easier with the addition of the Gretna schools. Teams in the EMC for football, baseball, boys and girls basketball, and track and field have together won 15 state titles in the past 5 years.
