Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys beat Tekamah-Herman and Douglas County West; Girls lose to Tigers, beat Falcons

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys are 2-0 in their last two games, defeating Tekamah-Herman 77-41 on the road Friday night, and Douglas County West 50-49 at home Tuesday night.

The Raiders led the Tigers 19-11 after one. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder outscored Tekamah-Herman 22-8 in the second quarter to take a 41-19 lead into the locker room.

The Raiders won the third quarter 18-8 to go up 59-27 at the end of three.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder notched 18 fourth quarter points compared to 14 for the Tigers.

Darnell Sims had a team-high 15 points while Ben Moxness had 14 points and 9 rebounds. Jacob Polk added 10 points and 7 rebounds while Andrew Poppe notched 8 points.

The Raiders led the Falcons 13-8 at the end of one. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder won the second quarter 14-11 to take a 27-19 lead into the locker room.

Douglas County West doubled up the Raiders 14-7 in the third quarter to make it a 34-33 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 16 fourth quarter points.

Sims led the way with 17 points while Moxness totaled 11 points and 7 rebounds. Polk recorded 10 points.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has started to come on as of late. This is a good team that is getting better and better with each passing game.

The Raiders (3-3) battle Elmwood-Murdock (8-0) in the Logan View Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Knights beat Falls City Sacred Heart 47-46 on the road Tuesday night.

Elmwood-Murdock is a good team, but has beaten up on weak teams and has won close games over good teams.

The bottomline is the Knights are winning, but I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has a chance to make things close.

This is a home Holiday Tournament for the Raiders, and this team is doing well so far this season.

Given those two things I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder can hang with and beat Elmwood-Murdock.

This is a quality Raiders' team. All three of their losses are close.

The other side of the bracket has Fort Calhoun playing Arlington. That should be a pretty good game as both of those teams are respectable this season.

It would be a big deal for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to get to the championship game, and win it.

It may not happen, but it's what the Raiders should definitely strive for.

I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder could live with a 1-1 split at the very least.

Monday's game is set to start at 3:15 p.m.

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Girls are 1-1 in their last two games, falling 51-31 at Tekamah-Herman Friday night before defeating Douglas County West 48-26 at home Tuesday night.

The Tigers led the Raiders 12-7 after one. Tekamah-Herman tripled up Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 12-4 in the second quarter to take a 24-11 lead at halftime.

The Tigers won the third quarter 10-7 to go up 34-18 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman outscored the Raiders 17-13 in the fourth quarter.


Logan View/Scribner-Snyder led the Falcons 11-9 at the end of one. The Raiders won the second quarter 11-5 to go up 22-14 at halftime.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder outscored Douglas County West 13-4 in the third quarter to make it a 35-18 lead at the end of three.

The Raiders put up 13 fourth quarter points compared to 8 for the Falcons.

Paige Heinke had a game-high 14 points while Kaylee Boyle and Sierra Beacom notched 13 and 9, respectively.

It had to be a great feeling for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to get the monkey off their back. The first win of the season always feels good, and the Raiders finally tasted victory.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (1-5) takes on Elmwood-Murdock (5-4) in the Logan View Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Knights lost 52-28 at Falls City Sacred Heart Tuesday night.

Elmwood-Murdock has beaten teams they were supposed to, but has lost to a number of good teams this season.

The Knights may be good enough to beat the Raiders, but I look for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to put up a good fight.

Sometimes a win can kind of change the luck of fortune of a team, and I think that certainly could be the case with the Raiders.

The other side of the bracket has Fort Calhoun against Arlington.

The Pioneers should win that game, and so perhaps Logan View/Scribner-Snyder will meet Fort Calhoun in the championship game.

That would be ideal for the Raiders, although a consolation win would serve as a good momentum booster for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder as well, in my opinion.

Either way, if the Raiders can at least get a split out of this tournament, I think they would take it.

Being the host team, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder does not want to go 0-2. The Raiders want to get at least one win out of this tournament.

Monday's game is set to tip-off at 1:30 p.m.

Clarkson/Leigh Boys and Girls 0-3 in last three games

The Clarkson/Leigh Boys are 0-3 in their last three games, falling 43-37 at Pender last Thursday night, 50-34 at Howells-Dodge on Saturday, and 63-58 at Bancroft-Rosalie Tuesday night.

The Patriots led the Pendragons 10-7 after one. Pender won the second quarter 13-9 to go up 20-19 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Clarkson/Leigh 10-8 in the third quarter to make it a 30-27 game at the end of three.

Pender notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Patriots.

Ben McMullin had a team-high 9 points while Kobe and Blake Paprocki totaled 7 each.

Howells-Dodge doubled up the Patriots 14-7 in the first quarter. The Jaguars outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-2 in the second quarter to take a 33-9 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 15-8 to make it a 41-24 game at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh put up 10 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge



Kobe Paprocki had 15 points and 15 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Dominik Harper added 8 points while McMullin notched 8 rebounds.

Clarkson/Leigh led Bancroft-Rosalie 13-12 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Patriots 18-13 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.

Clarkson/Leigh won the third quarter 20-19 to make it a 49-46 game at the end of three.

Bancroft-Rosalie notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for the Patriots.


Clarkson/Leigh hit an all-time low by losing to Pender. The Patriots played a lot better against the Panthers though. That game could definitely serve as a momentum booster heading into the Holiday Tournament.

Clarkson/Leigh (1-8) squares off with St. Edward (0-5) at the St. Edward Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Beavers lost 49-29 at Burwell Friday night.

I feel like the Patriots are a better team than what they've shown so far.

I think it's simply a matter of Clarkson/Leigh getting things figured out defensively.

I don't know how much the Patriots will get accomplished before they take the court on Monday, but this team has to take pride in their play on the defensive side of the floor.

Clarkson/Leigh is underachieving, in my opinion, and should definitely be doing better.

The good news is there's a lot of season left for the Patriots and it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Perhaps a Holiday Tournament championship could get Clarkson/Leigh's season headed in the right direction.

The Patriots' Holiday Tournament championship game would be a lot tougher than the game with St. Edward, but anything is possible with this team.

I think it's only a matter of time before Clarkson/Leigh breaks out and gets on a roll.

Perhaps the Patriots will start a run in this Holiday Tournament.

Tip-off is set for 6:45 p.m. on Monday.

The Clarkson/Leigh Girls are also 0-3 in their last three games, falling 49-27 at Pender last Thursday night, 54-30 at Howells-Dodge on Saturday, and 54-32 at Bancroft-Rosalie Tuesday night.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 18-5 at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 11-3 in the second quarter to take a 29-8 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 8-3 to make it a 32-16 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons notched 17 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for Clarkson/Leigh to make up the final score.



Hannah Kasik had a team-high 13 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Shelby Paprocki added 8 rebounds.




The Jaguars led the Patriots 10-6 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-5 in the second quarter to take a 32-11 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 16-14 to make it a 46-27 game at the end of three.

The Jaguars put up 8 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Clarkson/Leigh.








The Panthers quadrupled up the Patriots 12-3 in the first quarter. Clarkson/Leigh won the second quarter 13-12 to make it a 24-16 game at the break.

Bancroft-Rosalie doubled up the Patriots 16-8 in the third quarter to lead 40-24 at the end of three.

The Panthers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 14-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots are trying their best, but unfortunately their efforts haven't yielded any wins as of late.

Clarkson/Leigh (2-7) battles St. Edward (1-4) in the St. Edward Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Beavers lost 54-16 at Burwell Friday night.

St. Edward has played a tough schedule, but I think the Patriots are definitely capable of winning and getting to the championship game.

Nebraska Christian looks mighty tough so I don't know if Clarkson/Leigh can win the championship, but anything is certainly possible.

If the Patriots can at least get a split out of this tournament I think they would take it.

Clarkson/Leigh does not want to go 0-2 in this tournament.

This is an important tournament for the Patriots. Clarkson/Leigh needs to perform well to get back on track and set the stage for the second half of the season.

Kasik has played well for the Patriots, but she needs help.

Clarkson/Leigh's scoring needs to improve dramatically if the Patriots are going to turn their season around.

It's tough to win when you score in the 20's and 30's. Clarkson/Leigh is 2-0 when scoring over 40 points this season so that could be the magic number for the Patriots.

If Clarkson/Leigh can get into the 40's or 50's against the Beavers it may very well be enough to win.

Monday's game is set to tip-off at 5:00 p.m.

Winnebago Boys 5-0 in last five games; Girls 1-2 in last three

The Winnebago Boys remain undefeated at 8-0 as the Indians defeated McLaughlin, SD 67-30 last Wednesday, Red Cloud, SD 73-58 last Thursday, Pine Ridge, SD 75-43 on Friday, and White River, SD 74-41 at the Lakota Nations Invite in Rapid City, before knocking off Hartington Cedar Catholic 82-46 in the Knight Classic in Fremont Tuesday evening.

The Indians outscored McLaughlin 30-11 in the first half and won the second half 37-19.

David Wingett led the way with 22 points while D'Von Lapointe scored 19. Drake Gorrin added 10.

Aspen Lapointe had a team-high 24 points against Red Cloud. Gorrin and Wingett totaled 12 apiece while D'Von Lapointe had 9. Cedrick Blackdeer registered 8.

Wingett led the way against White River with 26 points. D'Von Lapointe recorded 18 while Aspen Lapointe and Miguel Baker totaled 10 and 8, respectively.

Winnebago has continued to play great basketball. The Indians have been able to bring it game in game out, and that's a big reason why Winnebago is as good as they are.

The Indians (8-0) take on Lutheran High Northeast (4-1) in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner on Tuesday.

The Eagles defeated Homer 70-29 on Saturday.

Lutheran High Northeast is a good team with their only loss coming to Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Winnebago is on a whole nother level though.

There are some very good teams in this tournament, but I think the Indians have what it takes to win the whole thing, and have a good chance at doing so.

Winnebago has been so dominant this season, the opponent hasn't mattered.

This team has picked up right where they left off last season, and it has been super impressive to see.

The Indians could very well be the best team in all of C-2 and is perhaps better than most if not all C-1 teams as well.

Winnebago is legit, and anyone who plays them is going to have a difficult time slowing them down.

This team is so talented and athletic it's not even funny.

The Indians have superior ability to most teams they are going to face this season, and that includes anyone in this Holiday Tournament.

People should take notice of Winnebago if they haven't already.

Tuesday's game is set to tip-off at 7:45 p.m.

The Winnebago Girls went 1-2 last week, falling 85-52 to McLaughlin, SD last Wednesday before beating Lower Brule 81-40 last Thursday at the Lakota Nations Invite in Rapid City, SD. The Indians lost 60-41 to Omaha Nation, also at the Lakota Nations Invite.

Winnebago played decent basketball last week, but ran into some tough competition. The Indians started the Lakota Nations Invite slow, and were never able to get fully back on track.

Winnebago (3-3) squares off with Lutheran High Northeast (1-5) on Monday in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner.

The Eagles lost 46-42 at home to Homer on Saturday.

Lutheran High Northeast has certainly struggled this year, but the Indians have to be ready to play.

I feel like Winnebago is a better team than their record shows, and is due to break out.

I look for the Indians to have a good showing in this tournament, and perhaps get to the championship game.

Winnebago will likely have to get through the host Gators to get to the championship, but certainly anything is possible.

The Indians have to come out fired up, be aggressive, determined, and hungry.

Winnebago has to attack, attack, and attack at all opportunities, and pressure the ball extremely well.

The Indians have to get the most out of themselves and take their play to the next level.

There are some good teams in this tournament, but I feel Winnebago can play with just about anyone.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Indians took third place in this tournament if they don't reach the championship game.

If Winnebago can at least go 2-1 I think that would be good for momentum purposes heading into the second half of the season.

Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Wisner-Pilger Boys 1-1 in last two games; Girls 1-2 in last three

The Wisner-Pilger Boys went 1-1 last week, beating Oakland-Craig 68-54 at home last Thursday night before falling 53-44 at Wayne Friday night.

The Gators led the Knights 19-15 after one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 19-18 to make it a 37-34 game at halftime.

Wisner-Pilger outscored the Knights 31-20 in the second half.

The Blue Devils led the Gators 19-16 at the end of one. Wayne won the second quarter 16-10 to lead 35-26 at halftime.

Both teams scored 14 third quarter points to make the score 49-40 at the end of three in favor of the Blue Devils.

Both teams put up 4 fourth quarter points.

Wisner-Pilger played great basketball against Oakland-Craig. But unfortunately the Gators' good play didn't carry over to Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger (3-3) takes on Neligh-Oakdale (6-0) in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner on Tuesday.

The Warriors won 65-22 at Bloomfield last time out and have been dominant so far this season.

Neligh-Oakdale is a really good team, and the Gators are going to have to play an outstanding game to beat them.

Wisner-Pilger has been good at times this year, but has struggled at others.

Inconsistency has reared it's ugly head on the Gators this season, and that's ultimately why they are a .500 ball club right now.

Wisner-Pilger is a respectable team, they've just lost to a couple of good teams and Wayne.

I would say the loss to the Blue Devils was a bad loss, but those kind of losses are going to come a team's way every now and then.

The big thing for the Gators is correcting what they did wrong in the Wayne game.

By now Wisner-Pilger should have been able to address some things in practice, now it's just a matter of fixing things come gametime.

The Warriors are a very good team, but the Gators are the largest class school Neligh-Oakdale will have faced this season.

Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m. 

The Wisner-Pilger Girls won their lone game this week after losing twice last week.

The Gators lost 52-47 at home to Oakland-Craig last Thursday night before falling 45-35 at Wayne Friday night. Wisner-Pilger defeated Madison 60-17 at home Tuesday night.

The Gators led the Knights 15-8 after one. Wisner-Pilger won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 29-16 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Gators 15-6 in the third quarter to make it a 35-31 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 21 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Wisner-Pilger.

Sydney Bradfield finished with a team-high 14 points. Bailey Batenhorst added 10 while Lexi Knust scored 8. Sara Smyth notched 7.

The Blue Devils jumped on the Gators 12-5 at the end of one. Wayne won the second quarter 7-5 to go up 19-10 at halftime.

The Blue Devils outscored Wisner-Pilger 11-8 in the third quarter to lead 30-18 at the end of three.

The Gators scored 17 fourth quarter points compared to 15 for Wayne.

Wisner-Pilger led the Dragons 21-1 at the end of one. The Gators outscored the Dragons 11-2 in the second quarter to take a 32-3 lead into the locker room.

Wisner-Pilger won the third quarter 21-10 to make it a 53-13 game at the end of three.

The Gators scored 7 fourth quarter points compared to 4 for Madison.

Batenhorst had a team-high 13 points while Smyth and Bradfield registered 12 and 8, respectively.

Wisner-Pilger played exceptional basketball against the Dragons. The Gators played well against the Knights and Blue Devils as well, but things really came together for Wisner-Pilger against Madison.

The Gators (4-3) take on Neligh-Oakdale (1-5) on Tuesday in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner.

The Warriors lost 66-39 at Bloomfield Friday night, and have really struggled so far this season.

This game should be a win for Wisner-Pilger, and the Gators should win in impressive fashion, much like they did against the Dragons.

Wisner-Pilger needs to win big for momentum purposes heading into a big potential showdown with Winnebago on Tuesday.

The Gators are a good team, and have played well so far this season, but Wisner-Pilger needs to continue to get better and remain hungry.

The Gators won't have much if any practice time prior to Monday evening's game, but Wisner-Pilger is at home, and that should help them get over the hump.

The Gators have to bring their best every day of this tournament, and defend their home floor.

There are some quality teams in this tournament, and Wisner-Pilger is one of them. The Gators need to have a good showing to set the stage for the rest of the season.

I think Wisner-Pilger has a legit shot to get to the championship game. Waiting on the other side is Pierce, and given the way the Gators have played at times this year, I wouldn't be totally surprised if Wisner-Pilger took down the Bluejays, but it would be awfully difficult.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. 

Oakland-Craig Boys 0-3 in last three games; Girls 2-0 in last two

The Oakland-Craig Boys have struggled as of late, losing 68-54 at Wisner-Pilger Thursday night, 65-62 at Madison on Saturday, and 75-49 at home to Guardian Angels Central Catholic Tuesday night.

The Gators led the Knights 19-15 after one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 19-18 to make it a 37-34 game at halftime.

Wisner-Pilger outscored the Knights 31-20 in the second half.

Carter Thiele led the way with 23 points. Cole Mitchell added 10 points and 8 rebounds while Cody Mace and Garrett Seagren totaled 10 and 8 points, respectively.

The Dragons led Oakland-Craig 22-13 at the end of one. The Knights outscored Madison 23-11 in the second quarter to take a 36-33 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 15-13 to lead 51-46 at the end of three.

The Dragons notched 19 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Knights.

Seagren finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Thiele notched 18 points while Mitchell had 9 points and 7 rebounds. Mace registered 8 rebounds.

The Bluejays led 23-13 at the end of one against Oakland-Craig. GACC outscored the Knights 26-5 in the second quarter to take a 49-18 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 18-16 to make it a 65-36 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Bluejays.

Thiele had a team-high 17 points. Mace recorded 10 while Seagren notched 8.

Oakland-Craig hasn't played bad offensively, it's just their defense that has really let them down.

The Knights (3-5) take on Wilber-Clatonia (6-1) in the Malcolm Holiday Tournament Tuesday afternoon.

The Wolverines beat Thayer Central 64-36 on the road this past Tuesday night.

Wilber-Clatonia is a very good team that can score the ball.

With that said, I feel like Oakland-Craig is one of the best teams the Wolverines will have faced all year long.

Wilber-Clatonia is good, but the Knights are a quality team too, and have to believe in themselves.

It all starts on the defensive end for Oakland-Craig, and the Knights have to slow down the Wolverines' offense to give themselves a chance, in my opinion.

Oakland-Craig has struggled defensively their last few games, but I think this Holiday Tournament is a chance for the Knights to get back on track.

Oakland-Craig is playing fairly far away from home, and so the pressure and rigors of the regular season in Northeast Nebraska shouldn't be there.

The Knights should be relaxed and easy going, and ready to play their game.

It's important for this team to have a positive attitude and be loose given their recent struggles. Perhaps there's some team bonding things this team can do before Tuesday's game.

Win or lose, I look for Oakland-Craig to go into Malcolm and show everyone what Northeast Nebraska Basketball is all about.

The Knights and Wolverines are scheduled to go at it at 4:45 p.m.

The Oakland-Craig Girls went 2-0 last week, defeating Wisner-Pilger 52-47 on the road Thursday night and Madison 65-25 on the road Saturday.

The Gators led the Knights 15-8 after one. Wisner-Pilger won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 29-16 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Gators 15-6 in the third quarter to make it a 35-31 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 21 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Wisner-Pilger.

Brynn Charling finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dacey Nelson added 15 points while Emma Reinert notched 8.

Oakland-Craig quadrupled up the Dragons 16-4 in the first quarter. The Knights doubled up Madison 18-9 in the second quarter to take a 34-13 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig tripled up the Dragons 12-4 in the third quarter to lead 46-17 at the end of three.

The Knights outscored Madison 19-8 in the fourth quarter.

Nelson had a game-high 15 points. Shannon Pile added 12 while Reinert and Charling scored 11 and 10, respectively. Olivia Bures chipped in 8.

Oakland-Craig did a great job coming back from the dead against Wisner-Pilger. I would say the Knights' second half effort in that game carried over to the Madison game.

Oakland-Craig (6-1) squares off with Wilber-Clatonia (1-6) on Tuesday in the Malcolm Holiday Tournament.

The Wolverines picked up their first win of the season at Thayer Central, winning 56-31.

Despite that, the Knights should win this game fairly easily.

Oakland-Craig has played great basketball to start the season, and I look for the Knights to have a great showing in this Holiday Tournament.

The championship game will likely be Malcolm and Oakland-Craig, and what a matchup that would be.

The Knights have to go into this tournament and play their game and not let anything phase them.

Oakland-Craig is one of the best teams in the Northeast Nebraska area, regardless of class, and has to go down to Malcolm and have a good showing.

I look for the Knights to play well and make Northeast Nebraska and the communities of Oakland and Craig proud.

It would be a big deal for the Knights to win this Holiday Tournament, and although it's going to be difficult, Oakland-Craig has a chance to get the job done I think.

The Knights have to be aggressive on offense and defense, pressuring the ball, and attacking the basket at every opportunity.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.

GACC Boys unbeaten in last three games; Girls remain undefeated

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Boys are 3-0 in their last three games, defeating Clarkson/Leigh 61-50 on the road last Tuesday night, Archbishop Bergan 41-40 at home Saturday night, and Oakland-Craig 75-49 on the road this past Tuesday night.

The Bluejays went up 18-15 at the end of one against Clarkson/Leigh. The Patriots won the second quarter 14-11 to tie the game at 29 at halftime.

Clarkson/Leigh outscored GACC 16-13 in the third quarter to take a 45-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Bluejays cranked up the intensity in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 fourth quarter points to the Patriots' 5.

The Bluejays trailed 40-39 late in the game against Archbishop Bergan, but eventually tied it up at 40 before Tanner Hass hit a game-winning free throw with 37.2 seconds left.

GACC was up 36-30 to begin the fourth quarter before the Knights rallied.

The third quarter was the money quarter for the Bluejays as GACC outscored Archbishop Bergan 15-7.

The Knights led 14-11 after one. The Bluejays won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 23-21 game at halftime.

Noah Kreikemeier and Kobe Slaughter each had 9 points for GACC. Hass and Tanner Ortmeier added 8 apiece.

The Bluejays led 23-13 at the end of one against Oakland-Craig. GACC outscored the Knights 26-5 in the second quarter to take a 49-18 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 18-16 to make it a 65-36 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Bluejays.

GACC has played great basketball as of late. The Bluejays played complete games against Archbishop Bergan and Oakland-Craig, and in my opinion, played by far their best game of the season against Oakland-Craig.

GACC (6-1) squares off with Howells-Dodge (4-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament Tuesday night.

The Jaguars defeated Archbishop Bergan 71-66 in overtime at the Knight Classic in Fremont this past Tuesday night.

Fans should be in for a treat with this affair between these two good teams.

The Bluejays have to watch out for Tyler Polacek, Mitchell Prusa, Nolan Lund, and Josh Brester.

Those four have done the most damage out of anyone in Howells-Dodge's last three games.

The Jaguars are playing at a very high level right now, and so GACC must be ready to go full tilt for four quarters with Howells-Dodge.

The Bluejays must have the same kind of focus and intensity they had in the first half against Oakland-Craig. When GACC plays like that, I don't know of a lot of teams around the area that can beat them.

The Bluejays have had a great first half of the season, but GACC can't be satisfied or complacent with where they are at.

The Bluejays have to want more, and have to continue to push and grind to get better everyday.

GACC needs to do what they can to improve from now until Tuesday. Working out during the moratorium period, shooting, and working on offenses and doing drills will all be beneficial. The Bluejays also need to have a good day of practice on Monday.

GACC and Howells-Dodge are set to tip-off at 7:15 p.m.

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls are still unbeaten on the year as the Bluejays knocked off Clarkson/Leigh 67-20 on the road last Tuesday night and Wayne 73-32 on the road Monday night.

The Bluejays led the Patriots 24-4 after one. GACC outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-3 in the second quarter to take a 43-7 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 13-11 to make it a 56-18 game at the end of three.

GACC notched 11 fourth quarter points compared to just 2 for the Patriots.

The Bluejays led the Blue Devils 19-7 at the end of one. GACC outscored Wayne 22-6 in the second quarter to take a 41-13 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 17-12 to lead 58-25 at the end of three.

GACC notched 15 fourth quarter points compared to 7 for the Blue Devils.

The Bluejays have continued their mastery and domination ever since beating Crofton. This team has simply taken off, and has looked very impressive.

GACC (6-0) squares off with Bancroft-Rosalie (2-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Panthers defeated Clarkson/Leigh 54-32 at home this past Tuesday night.

This is a game the Bluejays should win, and win with ease, but GACC has to watch out for Kassidi Browning, Vicki Gatzmeyer, Paige Peters, and even Tess Nottleman.

Bancroft-Rosalie is starting to play better basketball and so the Panthers certainly cannot be taken lightly.

This Bluejays' team has been so good about staying focused and determined all season long though that I don't see that being an issue come Tuesday afternoon.

I'm sure the girls will enjoy their time off, but be ready to practice well on Monday when the time comes.

GACC has to fine tune some things in practice and prepare to play their best basketball in this two-day tournament.

The Bluejays are no doubt the favorite to win this Holiday Tournament as they should be.

I would be awfully surprised if the Bluejays don't win the tournament, and even more surprised if it's not Howells-Dodge GACC plays in the championship.

The Bluejays have played great on offense this year and even better on defense, and I look for GACC to have their best next week.

Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 2:00 p.m.

Howells-Dodge Boys 2-1 in last three games; Girls 2-0 in last two

The Howells-Dodge Boys are 2-1 in their last three games, falling 66-51 at Lyons-Decatur Northeast Friday night, beating Clarkson/Leigh 50-34 at home on Saturday, and downing Archbishop Bergan 71-66 in overtime at the Knight Classic in Fremont Tuesday night.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Jaguars 19-14 after one. The Cougars won the second quarter 19-11 to lead 38-25 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge put up 13 third quarter points compared to 12 for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to make it a 50-38 game at the end of three.

The Cougars outscored the Jaguars 16-13 in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Polacek had a team-high 15 points and 9 rebounds. Josh Brester added 12 points while Mitchell Prusa totaled 11.

Howells-Dodge doubled up the Patriots 14-7 in the first quarter. The Jaguars outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-2 in the second quarter to take a 33-9 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 15-8 to make it a 41-24 game at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh put up 10 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge.

Head Coach Cole Fischer says he was pleased with the win. "We played a great first half. I thought that our defense was outstanding the whole game. We slowed down and settled for too many long jump shots in second half but overall the boys played well."

Polacek led all scorers with 19 points and added 9 rebounds. Prusa notched 10 points while Nolan Lund scored 8 points and secured 7 rebounds.

The Jaguars trailed the Knights 16-13 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Archbishop Bergan 18-12 in the second quarter to go up 31-28 at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 15-14 to lead 46-42 at the end of three.

The Knights put up 17 fourth quarter points compared to 13 for Howells-Dodge to force overtime.

The Jaguars outlasted Archbishop Bergan 12-7 in the extra session.

Fischer says he is thrilled with the win. "I am very proud of the boys and how they battled and emptied the tank before break. The boys deserved this win and this is a great win to take us into break. I thought that we just kept playing even when we got down 4 with 3 to play and the boys answered every run of theirs with a run of their own."

Polacek led all scorers with 26 points and totaled 7 rebounds. Prusa notched 23 points and 10 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Lund chipped in 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Howells-Dodge did a nice job bouncing back from the loss to the Cougars. The Jaguars showed they can play with anyone given the results of their last two games.

Howells-Dodge (4-5) takes on Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-1) on Tuesday in the Homer Holiday Tournament.

The Bluejays defeated Oakland-Craig 75-49 on the road Tuesday night and have had a great season so far.

The Jaguars have to try and slow down Tanner and Brandon Hass, Mitch Hass, Kobe Slaughter, Tanner Ortmeier, Nolan Plagge, Noah Kreikemeier, and others.

Those are the main players that make GACC go, and have been primetime performers all season long.

This is going to be a very tough game for Howells-Dodge. As well as the Jaguars played against the Knights, they're probably going to have to play even better against the Bluejays.

It should be a hard fought, close, and entertaining contest.

Howells-Dodge has certainly shown they can step out on the floor and play with anyone thanks in large part to Polacek, Prusa, and Lund.

The Jaguars are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now, and will be a challenge for GACC, there's no doubt about it.

I think Tuesday's game is going to come down to the wire and be decided by which team executes best down the stretch and avoids turnovers.

The team that shoots the best from the free throw line could very well be the team that wins as well.

Tuesday's tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m.

The Howells-Dodge Girls beat previously unbeaten Lyons-Decatur Northeast 57-45 on the road Friday night before downing Clarkson/Leigh 54-30 at home on Saturday.

The Cougars held a 13-12 lead over the Jaguars at the end of one. Howells-Dodge tripled up Lyons-Decatur Northeast 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 33-20 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 18-13 to lead 51-33 at the end of three.

The Cougars doubled up Howells-Dodge 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Sam Brester had 17 points and 14 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Chelsea Bayer added 15 points while Kalli Brester registered 7.

The Jaguars led the Patriots 10-6 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-5 in the second quarter to take a 32-11 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 16-14 to make it a 46-27 game at the end of three.

The Jaguars put up 8 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Clarkson/Leigh.

Sam Brester led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Macey Kulhanek and Emily Ritzdorf added 8 points each.

Howells-Dodge is playing good basketball right now. The Jaguars didn't let the West Point-Beemer loss bother them in bouncing back for back-to-back wins.

Howells-Dodge (6-2) takes on Homer (3-3) at the Homer Holiday Tournament Tuesday evening.

The Knights defeated Lutheran High Northeast 46-42 on the road Saturday.

Homer has won a few games this year, but the Knights haven't beat anyone good.

Homer's wins have come against Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Allen, and Lutheran High Northeast.

The three teams are a combined 3-16 on the season.

The Knights have been blown out in every one of their losses this season.

What I'm trying to say is the Jaguars should win, and win rather handily over Homer even though the game is on the Knights' home floor.

I look for Sam and Kalli Brester, Bayer, Ritzdorf, and Kulhanek to have big games for Howells-Dodge.

The Jaguars may not need all of them to score in double figures to win, but if they did there would probably be a very good chance Howells-Dodge would win rather easily.

Homer has really struggled to score this season, and given the way the Jaguars play defense, I wouldn't be surprised if Howells-Dodge holds the Knights under 40.

The Jaguars have their sights set on the championship game against either GACC or Bancroft-Rosalie, and need to play well on Tuesday to put themselves in a position to win the whole thing.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Bancroft-Rosalie Boys remain unbeaten; Girls up record to 2-5

The Bancroft-Rosalie Boys are 6-0 on the season thanks to wins over Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Homer, and Clarkson/Leigh recently.

The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 61-53 on the road last Tuesday night, the Knights 77-49 on the road Friday night, and the Patriots 63-58 at home this past Tuesday night.

Bancroft-Rosalie led Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 12-7 after one. The Panthers won the second quarter 17-13 to take a 29-20 lead into the locker room.

Bancroft-Rosalie outscored the Bulldogs 14-13 in the third quarter to go up 43-33 at the end of three.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family put up 20 fourth quarter points compared to 18 for the Panthers.

Head Coach Cory Meyer says this was a nice win. "I couldn't be happier with this win. It was a big win against a quality Class C2 opponent. The way we hit the boards and played defensively made the difference in this game."

Mario Alrdich finished with a game-high 22 points and 8 rebounds. Trent Gatewood and Dayne Wortman totaled 11 points each while Aaron Ras notched 10 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double.

Bancroft-Rosalie and Homer were tied at 18 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Knights 23-12 in the second quarter to go up 41-30 at halftime.

Bancroft-Rosalie won the third quarter 16-14 to lead 57-44 at the end of three.

The Panthers quadrupled up Homer 20-5 in the fourth quarter.

Ras had a team-high 25 points and 8 rebounds. Alrich added 18 points while Wortman totaled 12 points and 8 rebounds. Kenyan Lovejoy notched 10 points and 9 rebounds while Gatewood chipped in 7 points.

Clarkson/Leigh led Bancroft-Rosalie 13-12 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Patriots 18-13 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.

Clarkson/Leigh won the third quarter 20-19 to make it a 49-46 game at the end of three.

Bancroft-Rosalie notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for the Patriots.

Meyer says it was a tough game. "I got to give credit to Clarkson/Leigh. They played well, they shot well. That's a team that they live and die by the three pointer And they about took us down. That Becker kid he shot very well."

Ras led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Aldrich added 10 points and 9 rebounds while Lovejoy and Gatewood notched 10 points apiece. Wortman registered 8.

The Panthers have continued to play great basketball. Clarkson/Leigh pushed and challenged Bancroft-Rosalie, but in the end, the Panthers prevailed, and that's all that matters.

Bancroft-Rosalie (6-0) squares off with Homer (1-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Knights lost 70-29 at Lutheran High Northeast on Saturday after falling to the Panthers.

This should be another win for Bancroft-Rosalie as long as the Panthers are focused and ready to play.

Bancroft-Rosalie definitely has the easier draw in that they don't have to play Guardian Angels Central Catholic or Howells-Dodge in the first game.

That's not to say the Panthers couldn't beat either team, because they definitely could, but Bancroft-Rosalie has to like their favorable draw.

Aldrich, Lovejoy, Wortman, Gatewood, and Ras have to keep up their hot shooting.

These five have been the reason the Panthers have been as successful as they have been, at least over the past few games.

The Panthers are playing at a very high level offensively, and for the most part their offense has been superb as well.

Bancroft-Rosalie has to continue what they've been doing here in the early season and they will be just fine.

I'm expecting big things out of the Panthers in this Holiday Tournament. Bancroft-Rosalie should be in the championship game, and put up a very good fight against either the Bluejays or Jaguars.

Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 3:45 p.m.

The Bancroft-Rosalie Girls have sort of started to find their way, knocking off Homer and Clarkson/Leigh after falling to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

The Panthers lost 56-30 on the road to the Bulldogs last Tuesday night before defeating the Knights 59-34 on the road Friday night. Bancroft-Rosalie topped the Patriots 54-32 at home this past Tuesday night.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family led the Panthers 13-9 after one. The Bulldogs doubled up Bancroft-Rosalie 18-9 in the second quarter to go up 31-18 at halftime.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family outscored the Panthers 16-6 in the third quarter to lead 47-24 at the end of three.

The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 9-6.

Kassidi Browning had a team-high 10 points while Vicki Gatzmeyer notched 8.

Bancroft-Rosalie led Homer 12-7 at the end of one. Both teams scored 17 second quarter points, and the halftime score was 29-24 in favor of the Panthers.

Bancroft-Rosalie tripled up Homer 15-5 in both the third and fourth quarters.

Browning led the way with 13 points. Gatzmeyer totaled 12 while Paige Peters added 11. Tess Nottleman registered 8 rebounds.

The Panthers quadrupled up the Patriots 12-3 in the first quarter. Clarkson/Leigh won the second quarter 13-12 to make it a 24-16 game at the break.

Bancroft-Rosalie doubled up the Patriots 16-8 in the third quarter to lead 40-24 at the end of three.

The Panthers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 14-8 in the fourth quarter.

Head Coach Rod Peters saw balanced scoring with five girls scoring six points each. "Some nights we've had only one person score, or a few others. I couldn't be more proud of all the girls and how they stepped in. We had one sick and not here, and she started a few games for us. But I thought the role players came in and did a great job."

His daughter, Paige Peters, was high scorer with 14 points. Browning added 10.

One win has seemed to have done the trick for Bancroft-Rosalie. The Panthers are playing good basketball right now.

Bancroft-Rosalie (2-5) squares off with Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-0) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Bluejays defeated Wayne 73-32 on the road Monday night.

GACC is a very good team, especially defensively, but the Panthers can't be scared or intimidated by the Bluejays.

It's easy to get really nervous or tentative when playing a great team, and there will probably be some nerves before and during the early part of the game, but Bancroft-Rosalie has to settle in and play the game.

Peters, Gatzmeyer, Browning, and Nottleman need to step up and score.

The Panthers need all four players in double figures to have a chance, in my opinion.

Bancroft-Rosalie also has to play good defense. The Panthers' defensive effort has been much better in their wins than in their losses. The same could be said for their offense.

This team is starting to click, and I look for Bancroft-Rosalie to continue their prowess against GACC.

It would be a monumental upset if the Panthers were to win, and these girls have to approach this game with the belief that they can get the job done.

Bancroft-Rosalie has to expect to win every time they take the floor, and that shouldn't change just because they're taking on a powerhouse in the Bluejays.

To be the best you have to beat the best, and that's the motto and slogan the Panthers have to use as motivation come Tuesday afternoon.

The game is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.

North Bend Central Boys beat Pender and Schuyler; Girls down Pendragons

The North Bend Central Boys are 2-0 in their last two games, defeating Pender 70-28 at home Friday night before winning 42-38 in overtime at Schuyler on Saturday.

The Tigers led the Pendragons 31-8 at the end of one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 15-11 to lead 46-19 at halftime.

The Tigers quadrupled up Pender 20-5 in the third quarter to make it a 66-24 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 4 fourth quarter points.

Jake Wieftfeld led the way with 25 points. Jake Cleveringa added 10 while Tanner Wietfeld totaled 8.

North Bend Central led the Warriors 13-7 at the end of one. The Tigers won the second quarter 9-6 to take a 22-13 lead into the locker room.

Schuyler outscored North Bend Central 15-10 in the third quarter to make it a 32-28 game at the end of three.

The Warriors put up 7 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for the Tigers to send the game into OT tied at 35.

North Bend Central outlasted Schuyler 7-3 in the extra session.

The Tigers played real well against Pender, but nearly let one get away against the Warriors. Give Schuyler credit for coming back in the second half, but North Bend Central should have put the Warriors away earlier than they did.

The Tigers (5-1) square off with David City Aquinas (4-2) next Tuesday at the David City Holiday Tournament.

The Monarchs won 47-42 at Lincoln Lutheran last time out.

David City Aquinas is a good team, and this is going to be an awfully difficult game for North Bend Central, in my opinion.

The fact the game is in David City makes it that much harder for the Tigers I think.

North Bend Central has to be ready to play though and must believe they can win.

Hopefully the Tigers learned a lesson from the Schuyler game in that they need to close teams out when they have the chance.

If North Bend Central has a chance to close out the Monarchs, they need to slam the door shut.

The last thing the Tigers want to do is leave the door open for David City Aquinas to comeback should it come down to that.

North Bend Central has to play their hearts out, and get back to playing the type of basketball they played against Stanton and Pender.

I understand Schuyler is a Class B school, but the Tigers have to be more consistent if they want to continue to knock off good teams.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.

The North Bend Central Girls edged Pender 36-34 at home Friday night.

Pender doubled up the Tigers 12-6 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 10-3 to lead 16-15 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored the Tigers 11-4 in the third quarter to go up 26-20 at the end of three.

North Bend Central doubled up Pender 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers were down, but found a way to comeback and win. This was a big win for North Bend Central.

The Tigers (5-1) take on David City Aquinas (3-3) next Tuesday at the David City Holiday Tournament.

The Monarchs lost 50-27 at Lincoln Lutheran on Saturday, and have kind of hit a rough patch in their season.

David City Aquinas has played a tough schedule, however, and should not be underestimated.

North Bend Central is going to have to play at a very high level to knock off the Monarchs. I don't think things are going to come easy for the Tigers.

I look for next Tuesday's game to be close and tightly contested.

I feel like North Bend Central has a good chance to win, but the Tigers have to play well.

It all starts on the defensive end of the floor for North Bend Central. The Tigers have held every opponent under 50 points this season, and that trend has to continue if North Bend Central wants to win next Tuesday.

The Tigers also need to get things going offensively, but something tells me this is going to be a low scoring street fight.

I look for North Bend Central to grind and eek out a close victory.

It may not be pretty, but if the result is a win I'm sure the Tigers will take it.

Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m.

Tekamah-Herman Boys lose to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder and Arlington; Girls beat both

The struggles continue for the Tekamah-Herman Boys as the Tigers lost 77-41 at home to Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Friday night before falling 65-31 at Arlington on Saturday.

The Raiders led the Tigers 19-11 after one. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder outscored Tekamah-Herman 22-8 in the second quarter to take a 41-19 lead into the locker room.

The Raiders won the third quarter 18-8 to go up 59-27 at the end of three.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder notched 18 fourth quarter points compared to 14 for the Tigers.

Derek Haber led all scorers with 21 points.

The Eagles tripled up Tekamah-Herman 21-7 in the first quarter. Arlington won the second quarter 21-9 to take a 42-16 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles outscored the Tigers 20-1 in the third quarter to go up 62-17 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Arlington.

Haber had a team-high 16 points and 8 rebounds. Colton Morrow-Merrill added 7 rebounds.

Haber appears to be the only one that came to play against both the Raiders and Eagles judging by the way he and others played.

The Tigers (1-6) take on BDS (6-0) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament.

The Eagles defeated Cross County 42-39 on the road Friday night after beating Deshler 52-46 at home last Tuesday night.

BDS may be a D-1 school, but they are still a very good team.

Tekamah-Herman figures to have their hands full, and someone besides Haber is going to have to step up and score.

The Tigers have to be much better offensively and defensively if they want to compete with and ultimately beat the Eagles.

Tekamah-Herman has to take this time off during the five-day moratorium to work on individual skills and shooting.

It's important for these Tiger plays to remain active over the Holiday Break.

A couple of hours of working out, shooting, and scrimmaging per day will no doubt help get this team ready for the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament.

There are some good teams in this tournament, and Tekamah-Herman is going to have to play at a very high level to compete.

This team is capable of playing well though. Tekamah-Herman has looked decent at times this season, and is due to break out, in my opinion.

The Tekamah-Herman Girls are 2-0 in their last two games, defeating Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 51-31 at home Friday night and Arlington 54-38 on the road Saturday.

The Tigers led the Raiders 12-7 after one. Tekamah-Herman tripled up Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 12-4 in the second quarter to take a 24-11 lead at halftime.

The Tigers won the third quarter 10-7 to go up 34-18 at the end of three.

Tekamah-Herman outscored the Raiders 17-13 in the fourth quarter.

Jess Fleischmann led the way with 13 points. Marin Jetensky added 11 while Allie Snow scored 10.

The Tigers led the Eagles 14-5 at the end of one. Arlington won the second quarter 15-14 to make it a 28-20 game at halftime.

Tekamah-Herman outscored the Eagles 15-6 in the third quarter to go up 43-26 at the end of three.

Arlington put up 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman played at a high level last week. The Tigers had two very winnable games, and took care of business, and didn't disappoint.

Tekamah-Herman (5-2) battles BDS (6-0) at the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament in Lincoln.


The Eagles downed Cross County 44-14 on the road Friday night after downing Deshler 49-38 at home last Tuesday night.

BDS is good, but they're a D-1 school, and given the sort of talent the Tigers have, it should be a Tekamah-Herman victory.

You always worry about being fresh when coming off the five-day moratorium, but I don't think that will be an issue for the Tigers.

Tekamah-Herman's players need to be in the gym an hour or two each day during the five-day moratorium to stay sharp.

It's important for the Tigers to stay fresh and be in practice over the moratorium period.

There is some quality competition in this tournament, but I believe Tekamah-Herman is just as good, if not better, than any of these teams.

The majority of the teams in the tournament are D-1 or lower so that should be to the Tigers' benefit.

Tekamah-Herman will still be tested, I don't think there's any doubt about that, but I think the Tigers are in good position to be successful in this tournament.

West Point-Beemer Boys lose to Howells-Dodge; Girls beat Jaguars

The West Point-Beemer Boys fell 62-52 at Howells-Dodge Tuesday night.

Both the Jaguars and Cadets scored 14 points in the first quarter. Howells-Dodge outscored West Point-Beemer 18-11 to take a 32-25 lead into the locker room.

The Cadets won the third quarter 9-7 to make it a 39-34 game at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer put up 23 points in the fourth quarter compared to 18 for the Jaguars.

Austin Streeter had a team-high 14 points and 8 rebounds. Tate Toelle added 13 points while Chase Streeter and Blake Schroedter totaled 10 and 8, respectively.

The Cadets gave it their all, and did a good job getting multiple players in double figures, but ultimately came up short.

West Point-Beemer (0-5) squares off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (5-1) in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State on Tuesday.

The Bears defeated Plainview 71-23 at home last time out after losing 80-70 to Ponca at home Tuesday night.

The Cadets have to watch out for Dillan Wolfgram, Jayden Reifenrath, Mason Forsberg, Malik Knox, Jordan Jansen, and others.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is a good team, and figures to be a difficult matchup for West Point-Beemer.

The Cadets are going to have to be on their horse defensively to try and slow down the Bears' attack.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge scores a lot of points, but they are susceptible to giving up points.

West Point-Beemer has to attack offensively, and go right at the Bears.

The Cadets have to try and get Reifenrath and others in foul trouble.

The more free throws West Point-Beemer shoots, the better off they will be.

I think this will be another close game for the Cadets. So far, close games have not treated West Point-Beemer kindly, but all it takes is one game for fortunes to change.

I think the Cadets are capable of knocking off Laurel-Concord-Coleridge if they play up to their capability.

We will see what happens. Tip-off is set for 11:00 a.m.

The West Point-Beemer Girls won 70-61 at Howells-Dodge Tuesday night.

Howells-Dodge and West Point-Beemer were tied at 16 at the end of one. The Cadets outscored the Jaguars 25-13 in the second quarter to make it a 41-29 game at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 16-12 to cut the deficit to 8 at 53-45 at the end of three.

West Point-Beemer put up 17 fourth quarter points compared to 16 for Howells-Dodge.

Amanda Hansen finished with a game-high 30 points and 9 rebounds. McKenzie Bruce totaled 17 points while Bethany Anderson notched 7 points and 12 rebounds. Brittney Hinkel chipped in 7 rebounds.

This was a good win for the Cadets. The Jaguars are a very good team, but West Point-Beemer showed they are a good team as well by picking up the win.

The Cadets (4-1) square off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (0-6) on Tuesday in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State.

The Bears lost 45-32 at home to Plainview Friday night after falling 51-41 at home to Ponca Tuesday night.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge may be winless, but they have played a number of teams close.

West Point-Beemer certainly has to be ready to play, and can't afford to take the Bears lightly.

Hansen has to have a big game as does Bruce. Anderson, Taylor Weddle, Makenna Weddle, Hinkel, and Jade Dushmann all have to step up and contribute for the Cadets as well.

West Point-Beemer has to like their chances of winning this Holiday Tournament if they play well.

There are some very good teams in this tournament, but the Cadets have to feel they can play with and beat any of these teams.

Norfolk Catholic or O'Neill St. Mary's will be tough on the second day, and whoever West Point-Beemer plays on the third day will be tough as well.

It would be a big deal for the Cadets to win this Holiday Tournament.

West Point-Beemer needs to win the whole tournament so they know what winning championships feels like.

Finishing in second or third place isn't good enough, in my opinion.

If the Cadets want to win a district final and go to state, they need to win this Holiday Tournament.

Winning the tournament would set the stage for the rest of the season for West Point-Beemer with conference, sub districts, a district final, and perhaps state.

This is a big tournament for the Cadets, and doing well and winning the whole thing has to be a priority.

West Point-Beemer squares off with Laurel-Concord-Coleridge at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday. 

Stanton Boys and Girls beat Wakefield and Pender

The Stanton Boys rebounded from Tuesday's loss to North Bend Central by beating Wakefield 75-47 at home Friday night and Pender 65-24 on the road Saturday.

The Trojans led the Mustangs 17-15 after one. Stanton won the second quarter 22-18 to lead 37-35 at halftime.

The Mustangs outscored Wakefield 19-12 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 56-47 at the end of three.

Stanton shutout the Trojans 19-0 in the fourth quarter.

Brook Klinetobe had a game-high 19 points for the Mustangs. Kyle Sperl added 17 while Trey Erbst notched 16. Myles Nickolite recorded 9.

The Mustangs held a 14-8 lead on the Pendragons at the end of one.

Stanton outscored Pender 29-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-15 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the third quarter 20-3 to lead 63-18 at the end of three.

The Pendragons tripled up Stanton 6-2 in the fourth quarter.



Sperl led the way with 21 points. Klinetobe registered 10 while Nickolite totaled 9 points and 7 rebounds. Mitchael Sieh totaled 8 points while Henry Bohac had 7 rebounds.

The Mustangs were true to form on Friday and Saturday. Stanton picked up two big wins after the off game against the Tigers.

The Mustangs (6-1) host their own Holiday Tournament next Monday and Tuesday.

O'Neill, West Holt, and Madison all figure to get challenged.

The Mustangs are a very good team and a force to be reckoned with.

All the other teams in this tournament are quality teams too though.

Stanton will have their hands full with West Holt and either O'Neill or Madison in the second game.

I think the Mustangs have a good chance to win this Holiday Tournament with it being on their home floor.

Things won't come easy for Stanton I don't think, but the Mustangs haven't lost at home so far this season.

Sperl, Klinetobe, Erbst, and Nickolite have to keep scoring the ball well for Stanton to have a successful Holiday Tournament.

The Mustangs have to defend their home court, and make their opponents feel as uncomfortable as possible.

Stanton is in the business of winning championships, and anything less than a Holiday Tournament Championship would be disappointing, in my opinion.

We will see what the Mustangs are made of come next Monday and Tuesday.

It should be a thrilling and entertaining Holiday Tournament, at least on the boys side of things.

Next Monday's game is scheduled to begin at 7:15 p.m.

The Stanton Girls are also 2-0 in their last two games, downing Wakefield 66-21 at home Friday night before defeating Pender 49-46 on the road Saturday.

The Mustangs doubled up the Trojans 10-5 in the first quarter. Stanton outscored Wakefield 28-5 in the second quarter to lead 38-10 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the second half 28-11.

The Mustangs doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 16-15 to make it a 29-23 game at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Stanton 12-10 in the third quarter to close within 4 at 39-35 at the end of three.

Pender scored 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Mustangs.

Hiliary Huss had a game-high 17 points. Jessie Brandl added 13 while MacKenzie Brandl notched 7.

Stanton is starting to play better basketball. The Mustangs have to be happy with the two wins they picked up last week as it gives them some momentum heading into the Holiday Break.

Stanton (3-4) hosts the Stanton Holiday Tournament next Monday and Tuesday.

The other teams in the tournament are West Holt, O'Neill, and Madison.

The Mustangs will open up with the Huskies next Monday at 5:30 p.m.

Both West Holt and O'Neill are respectable teams, and the Dragons certainly can't be taken lightly either.

With that said, this tournament is Stanton's to lose, in my opinion.

I think the Mustangs are top to bottom the best team in this tournament.

And I'm not just saying that because I write about them in this blog, I'm saying it because I think it's true.

This team appears to have started to figure some things out, and is playing their best basketball of the season right now.

It would be a big deal for Stanton to win this tournament and be 5-4 heading into the second half of the season.

The Mustangs are on a two-game winning streak, and need to keep the momentum going.

It's important for Stanton to do well next Monday and Tuesday. The Mustangs have a tough slate to open up the second half of the season, and can use all the momentum they can get.

It will be interesting to see how Stanton does in their own Holiday Tournament.

Emerson-Hubbard Boys lose to Ponca, beat Winside; Girls down both

The Emerson-Hubbard Boys are 1-1 in their last two games, falling 66-31 at home to Ponca Friday night before defeating Winside 43-35 at home on Saturday to pick up their first win of the season.

The Indians led the Pirates 12-8 after one. Ponca outscored Emerson-Hubbard 23-7 in the second quarter to lead 35-15 at halftime.

The Indians won the third quarter 12-11 to go up 47-26 at the end of three.

Ponca notched 19 fourth quarter points compared to just 5 for the Pirates.

Emerson-Hubbard led the Wildcats 16-7 at the end of one. Winside won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 25-17 game at halftime.

The Wildcats outscored the Pirates 9-7 in the third quarter to close within 6 at 32-26 at the end of three.

Emerson-Hubbard put up 11 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Winside.

The Pirates didn't play their best game against the Indians, but did enough to win against the Wildcats. Emerson-Hubbard hopes the win leads to better things, there's no doubt about it.

The Pirates (1-6) square off with Lyons-Decatur Northeast (4-1) next Tuesday afternoon at the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars are one of the feel good stories of 2015-2016 so far. Lyons-Decatur Northeast defeated Allen 53-25 on Saturday after knocking off Howells-Dodge 66-51 Friday night.

The Cougars are certainly playing at a very high level right now, and Alec Anderson is a big reason why.

He has led Lyons-Decatur Northeast night in and night out.

Emerson-Hubbard has to come ready to play though and can't back down from the Cougars.

The Pirates have to come in to this game with a winning mentality and belief that they can win.

Emerson-Hubbard has to be optimistic, and think that anyone they play is beatable.

The Pirates need to use this five-day moratorium period to get better as a team and individually. The coaches can't help out, but Emerson-Hubbard's players can work out on their own in an effort to get better.

The Pirates need to do what they can to carry the momentum of the Winside win over to this game.

Emerson-Hubbard needs all the momentum they can get, and the win over the Wildcats should help out the Pirates quite a bit.

We will find out what Emerson-Hubbard is made of in this Holiday Tournament.

The Pirates and Cougars are set to square off at 2:45 p.m.

The Emerson-Hubbard Girls are 2-0 in their last two games, downing Ponca 71-51 at home Friday night, and Winside 59-6 at home on Saturday.

The Pirates led the Indians 26-15 after one. Ponca won the second quarter 15-13 to make it a 39-30 game at halftime.

Emerson-Hubbard outscored the Indians 19-9 in the third quarter to go up 58-39 at the end of three.

The Pirates notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Ponca.

Emerson-Hubbard got the job done in impressive fashion Friday night and Saturday. The Pirates took care of business like they expected to.

Emerson-Hubbard (6-1) battles Lyons-Decatur Northeast (5-1) next Tuesday afternoon in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars defeated Allen 72-10 at home on Saturday after falling 57-45 at home to Howells-Dodge Friday night.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast has a nice team, especially for only having nine players on their varsity roster.

Everyone contributes for the Cougars. It's a team effort night in and night out for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

As good as the Cougars are though, I think the Pirates are even better.

Emerson-Hubbard has dominated everyone they've played so far with the exception of Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is easily the 2nd or 3rd best team the Pirates will have faced all season though so they have to be ready to go from the get go.

Emerson-Hubbard's offense has to be potent and the defense needs to play well also.

The Pirates' goal should be to win this Holiday Tournament, nothing less. Anything but a Holiday Tournament Championship would be a disappointment, there's no doubt about it.

We will find out just how good this Emerson-Hubbard team is by how they play in this Holiday Tournament.

The Pirates and Cougars are set to square off at 1:00 p.m.

Pender Boys and Girls beat Clarkson/Leigh, lose to North Bend Central and Stanton

The Pender Boys went 1-2 last week, defeating Clarkson/Leigh 43-37 at home Thursday night, falling 70-28 at North Bend Central Friday night, and 65-24 at home to Stanton on Saturday.

The Patriots led the Pendragons 10-7 after one. Pender won the second quarter 13-9 to go up 20-19 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Clarkson/Leigh 10-8 in the third quarter to make it a 30-27 game at the end of three.

Pender notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Patriots.

James Bensen and Broderick Brader each had 10 points for the Pendragons. Jared Tyrrell added 7. 

The Tigers led the Pendragons 31-8 at the end of one. North Bend Central won the second quarter 15-11 to lead 46-19 at halftime.

The Tigers quadrupled up Pender 20-5 in the third quarter to make it a 66-24 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 4 fourth quarter points.

The Mustangs held a 14-8 lead on the Pendragons at the end of one.

Stanton outscored Pender 29-7 in the second quarter to go up 43-15 at halftime.

The Mustangs won the third quarter 20-3 to lead 63-18 at the end of three.

The Pendragons tripled up Stanton 6-2 in the fourth quarter.

Pender did a great job beating the Patriots. The problem is it didn't translate into any more wins the rest of the week.

The Pendragons (1-5) are off until Tuesday when they take on Hartington Cedar Catholic (2-2) in the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout at Wayne State.

The Trojans defeated Crofton 44-38 at home Tuesday night.

Hartington Cedar Catholic appears to be sort of down this year, and that could be a good thing for Pender.

The Trojans are still a respectable team, but don't appear to be the same kind of team they have been in the past.

I'm not necessarily suggesting Pender will beat them, but the Pendragons have a better chance than in years past, in my opinion.

It will be interesting to see what Pender can do in the Holiday Tournament.

The Pendragon players have to take it upon themselves to workout, scrimmage, shoot around, and get better at the game of basketball during the five-day moratorium.

Pender could really use some extra work over the Holidays, and if this team wants to get better, they have to be self starters and motivated to improve over the Holiday Break.

It should be an interesting Holiday Tournament for the Pendragons, like it is every year.

We will see what tricks Pender might have up their sleeve next Monday evening.

The Pendragons and Trojans are set to square off at 5:30 p.m.

The Pender Girls also went 1-2 last week, downing Clarkson/Leigh 49-27 at home Thursday night, losing 36-34 at North Bend Central Friday night, and falling 49-46 at home to Stanton on Saturday.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 18-5 at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 11-3 in the second quarter to take a 29-8 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 8-3 to make it a 32-16 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons notched 17 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for Clarkson/Leigh to make up the final score.

Justice Sorenson had a team-high 11 points. Cecelie Jacobsen and Amber English notched 10 each while Kam Anderson posted 9.

Pender doubled up the Tigers 12-6 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 10-3 to lead 16-15 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored the Tigers 11-4 in the third quarter to go up 26-20 at the end of three.

North Bend Central doubled up Pender 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Mustangs doubled up the Pendragons 14-7 in the first quarter. Pender won the second quarter 16-15 to make it a 29-23 game at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Stanton 12-10 in the third quarter to close within 4 at 39-35 at the end of three.

Pender scored 12 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Mustangs.

Anderson led the way with 14 points. English registered 11 points while Jacobsen totaled 9 points and 8 rebounds. Sorenson finished with 8 points while Hallie Ballinger pulled down 7 rebounds.

The first quarter was the difference in the loss to Stanton, sort of the opposite of the North Bend Central game, where the second and fourth quarters proved to be the difference.

The Pendragons (4-3) battle Hartington Cedar Catholic (6-1) in the first round of the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout Tuesday afternoon.

The Trojans downed Norfolk Catholic 48-42 on the road last Monday night before beating Avon, SD 40-38 at home Thursday night.

Hartington Cedar Catholic has been a surprise team of sorts this year. If they didn't have Pender's attention already, they do now.

This should be a great matchup between two very good teams.

I look for the Pendragons to give the Trojans all they can handle, and vice versa.

I feel like this will be a back and forth affair that goes down to the wire.

The first game is key to having a successful Holiday Tournament.

Win and you are guaranteed no worse than 4th. Lose the first game and you can't finish any better than 5th.

Pender lost a couple of close games this past week, and I don't think there's any doubt the Pendragons can't wait to get back on the playing floor.

Pender's players should take it upon themselves to workout individually and hone their skills during the five-day moratorium.

I think the break comes at a good time for the Pendragons. It gives Pender some time to get over the frustration of losing two close games this past week, and allows the Pendragons to reflect and think about what lies ahead in this Holiday Tournament and the rest of the season.

Tip-off is set for 4:00 p.m.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast Boys beat Howells-Dodge and Allen; Girls lose to Jaguars, beat Eagles

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Boys continue to impress as the Cougars beat Howells-Dodge 66-51 at home Friday night before knocking off Allen 53-25 at home on Saturday.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Jaguars 19-14 after one. The Cougars won the second quarter 19-11 to lead 38-25 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge put up 13 third quarter points compared to 12 for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to make it a 50-38 game at the end of three.

The Cougars outscored the Jaguars 16-13 in the fourth quarter.

Co-Head Coach Derek Lahm. "This was a huge win for our program. And a very exciting time for us in the locker room. And a testament to just the growth and the progress that the teams now for six years have been working on."

Alec Anderson led all scorers with 27 points and had 12 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Montana Riecken added 14 points while Marcus Hegy scored 11. Cole Christoffersen had 8 rebounds.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast outscored the Eagles 21-13 in the first half.

The Cougars won the third quarter 14-6 to lead 35-19 at the end of three.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast tripled up Allen 18-6 in the fourth quarter.

Anderson finished with a game-high 24 points. Tyler Hardeman totaled 8.

As well as the Cougars had been playing prior to this past week, Lyons-Decatur Northeast played even better last week in picking up two wins. The win over Howells-Dodge was no doubt the Cougars' biggest win of the season so far.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast (4-1) is off until next Tuesday when the Cougars take part in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast should enjoy their time off, but be ready to get back after things when the five-day moratorium period comes to an end.

The moratorium comes at a bad time for the Cougars I think.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is playing their best basketball of the season, and the break sort of halts and impedes the Cougars' progress, at least momentarily.

That just means Lyons-Decatur Northeast will have to have the energizer batteries working again when they begin play at the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

The Cougars need to try to get in individual workouts during the five-day moratorium if at all possible.

If the team can get together on their own and practice plays, scrimmage, work on shooting drills, and perhaps even get some weightlifting sessions in, they will be better off than if they don't do anything during the entire break.

A couple hours a day is all this team needs to stay fresh and keep the momentum going, in my opinion.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast is off to a great start, and it will be exciting to see this team grow and prosper the rest of the season.

I don't think there's any doubt the Cougars are for real. It should be a run ride for Lyons-Decatur Northeast the rest of the season.

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls went 1-1 last week, falling 57-45 at home to Howells-Dodge Friday night before beating Allen 72-10 at home on Saturday.

The Cougars held a 13-12 lead over the Jaguars at the end of one. Howells-Dodge tripled up Lyons-Decatur Northeast 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 33-20 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 18-13 to lead 51-33 at the end of three.

The Cougars doubled up Howells-Dodge 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brianne Haskell had a game-high 18 points. Lexie Bacon totaled 13 while Kelly Wakeley notched 7.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Eagles 31-2 at the end of one. The Cougars outscored Allen 24-4 in the second quarter to take a 55-6 lead into the locker room.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast won the third quarter 6-4 to go up 61-10 at the end of three.

The Cougars blanked the Eagles 11-0 in the fourth quarter.

Tessie Collins finished with a game-high 13 points. Bacon added 12 while Haskell and Sophia Henneman scored 10 and 9, respectively. Brandi Simonsen notched 8 points while Abby Peterson totaled 8 points and 7 rebounds.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast played a great game against Allen after faltering against the Jaguars the night before. I think the Cougars were very determined and hungry on Saturday judging by the way they won.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast (5-1) is off until next Tuesday when the Cougars begin play in the Omaha Nation Holiday Tournament.

I think the five-day moratorium comes at a good time for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

The Cougars will be able to rest up and recharge the batteries for their Holiday Tournament and the second half of the season.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast wants to stay fresh by having just the players workout on their own during the moratorium period, but the Cougars don't want to overdo it.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast only has 9 players on their varsity roster so rest is very important for this team.

The Cougars should enjoy their time off, but be ready to get back after things when the time comes.

I think the best is yet to come for Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

The Cougars have had a lot of success so far this season, but I think there are quite a few more wins coming for this team this season.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast will have their chance to knock off some good teams in the second half of the season, and so it will be interesting to see if the Cougars can get the job done.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast doesn't have a signature win as of yet, but that could definitely change in the Holiday Tournament or the second half of the season.

Every single player on this team is contributing in one way or another, and the teamwork this team is displaying is a major reason why they are as good as they are.