LAUREL, Neb. — Welcome to the home of one of the most dominant high school programs in Nebraska.

Banners proclaiming state championships hang proudly in the gymnasium. State championship trophies fill an entire section of the school’s trophy case.

Every year about this time, the Bears are gearing up for another run at a state title.

Still trying to figure out which sport? It’s not basketball. Not wrestling, either. In fact, it’s not a sport at all.

It’s play production.

When it comes to performing one-act plays, Laurel-Concord has its act down, and that usually means curtains for the competition. The numbers speak for themselves: In the past 10 years, Laurel-Concord has won seven state championships — including the past three in a row — and has been the runner-up twice.

It’s a streak every bit as impressive as what any Nebraska high school sports team has achieved recently. But because play production is a nonathletic activity, it’s hard for the program to grab the spotlight.

Director Susan Brandow knows she’d get more attention if she were leading a football team with that many titles. For one thing, she’d get paid more, she said with a laugh. She’s not complaining, though. Her school supports one-act play production more than many schools do, and many community members take an interest, often asking her how the play is going.

“Everybody enjoys it. It’s been like that for years,” said Kyle Koester, a senior aiming for a fourth state medal.

Brandow gives much of the credit for the school’s success to her predecessor, Jill Hoesing, the director of all those championship productions. Hoesing and her husband, Dan, who was the school superintendent, left for Alliance, Neb., after last school year.

“She recruited the kids and really competed with the sports and told them she needed her time for practice, too,” said Brandow, who ascended to director after being the assistant for 14 years.

Brandow still competes for practice time. In a school this size, many of the students are involved in sports, music and other school activities in addition to one-acts. With only so many hours in a day, it can be hard to find a time when the whole cast and crew of 55 students can rehearse.

Once she does get them there, Brandow makes the most of it. At a recent rehearsal, she made the students repeat a 20-second scene over and over until it met her approval.

The students expect nothing less. None of them, especially the seniors, wants to be on the cast that doesn’t uphold the school’s tradition.

“We really want to prove ourselves,” said senior Taryn Dahlquist, a member of the past three state championship productions.

After a third-place finish at the conference competition this past Monday, this year’s squad has work to do before Tuesday’s district competition. If Laurel-Concord can win there, it’s on to the state meet Dec. 11.

“I think if we do the best we can and really have fun with it,” Koester said, “we have a chance at making it.”

And a chance for Laurel-Concord to once again take center stage.