Pender Boys and Girls hoping to be better than last year

Team: Pender

Mascot: Pendragons

Colors: Red and White

Class: D-1

Conference: East Husker

Head Coach: Sean King (1st season)

2014-2015 record: 1-24  (lost to Omaha Nation in Sub Districts)

Returning Starters: 3



Overview:

The Pender Boys hope to be better than they were a year ago when the Pendragons went 1-24.

Pender returns three starters in Dylan Roth, Tyler Nelson, and Broderick Brader.

Key losses are Corbin Lamplot, Kody Wageman, and Justin Bucholz.

Head Coach Sean King feels there are some newcomers who could make an impact, and they include James Bensen, Jr., G/F, Jared Tyttell, So., G, Sam Mailloux, Fr., G/F, Chris Rutar, Fr., G, and Cade Ballard, Jr., G/F.


King says expect his team to mix things up on defense, and run one kind of offense. "Motion offense, our defense will be a combination of man, zone, and pressure."

King says team strengths and quickness and athleticism. However, the Pendragons could have issues down low, according to King. "We lack height on the court, I think our biggest issues this year will be post defense and rebounding."

That makes things like boxing out and playing straight up on defense important. Pender doesn't want to pick up cheap fouls that they can avoid.

At the same time, the Pendragons don't want to give up easy baskets either.

It will be interesting to see how Pender fares this year. The Pendragons have struggled for quite a while now, but had good baseball and football teams this past summer and fall so there's definitely hope for this team.

Pender is definitely capable of getting things turned around and having success, but it's going to take a lot of hard work and dedication from the Pendragons throughout the season.

Season Outlook:

Pender hopes for better things this season, and given the nucleus of this team, a turnaround certainly appears to be possible.

King thinks this team can be much improved from last year. "I believe we have the ability to be a .500 or better team if we can begin to trust each other and play great defense. We have a lot of athletic ability on this team and some developing shooters that, with some work, can start knocking down some big shots."

King is uncertain how his team will fare this year, but thinks there's potential on offense and defense. "I am a little unsure about how the season will go. Being my first year as a varsity head coach, I am not sure what to expect. I think that our team has the athletic ability to be successful on the defensive and offensive ends.  I believe we need to set the tone on defense and take some chances to force turnovers and get some easy buckets on the offensive end. When we begin to trust our teammates on the court, we could be a very tough team to play on the defensive end."


I think the Pendragons can be respectable and turn things around this year, but don't look for it to happen right away.

To think a coach is going to come in and turn things around in an instant is asking a lot.

It's going to take these kids some time to get used to things, but once this team gets everything down watch out.

I think Pender definitely has what it takes to be a factor in their Holiday Tournament, Conference Tournament, and Sub Districts.

The Pendragons may struggle in December, but look for Pender to start figuring things out in January and have an awesome February.

I know I might sound crazy to think the Pendragons will have success, but given the fact this team was good in baseball and football makes me optimistic.

I think Pender has a chance to win at least 7 or 8 games at minimum.

Only time will tell how good this team is.

The Pendragons open up the season on Thursday at Wakefield. 

Projected starting lineup (Height, Grade, position, how many years starting experience)Jared Tyrrell    So.    G    0
Dylan Roth    Jr.    G    1
Broderick Brader Sr.    F    1
Sam Mailloux    Fr.    G/F    0
James Bensen    Jr.    F    0

2015-2016 Pender Pendragons Boys Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15	@ Wakefield	C2
12/04/15	Tekamah-Herman	C1
12/11/15	@ Oakland-Craig	C2
12/17/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/18/15	@ North Bend Central	C1
12/19/15	Stanton	C2
12/28-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Wayne Holiday Tournament	Wayne State College
01/05/16	@ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
01/08-01/09	(To Be Determined)							Bob Clough Post Holiday	Emerson-Hubbard
01/12/16	@ Homer	C2
01/15/16	Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D1
01/19/16	West Point-Beemer	C1
01/21/16	Wisner-Pilger	C1
01/23/16	@ Howells-Dodge	D1
01/25/16	Madison	C1
01/26/16	@ Emerson-Hubbard	D1
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/19/16	Bancroft-Rosalie	D2

Team: Pender

Mascot: Pendragons

Colors: Red and White

Class: D-1

Conference: East Husker

Head Coach: Larry Ballinger (6th season) (112-28 record)

2014-2015 record: 14-11 (lost to Emerson-Hubbard in Sub Districts)

Returning Starters: 4

Overview:

The Pender Girls are hoping to have a successful 2015-2016 campaign as the Pendragons bring back four starters from last year's 14-11 squad.


Returning for 6th year Head Coach Larry Ballinger is Justice Sorenson (5'7 SR G), Kamryn Anderson (5'6 JR G), Amber English (5'6 JR G), and Hallie Ballinger (6'0 JR F).

Sorenson averaged almost 12 points per game last season while Anderson averaged 10. English and Hallie Ballinger averaged 7.

Other returning lettermen/newcomers include Cecelee Jacobsen (6'0 JR F), Makrae Kelly (5'4 JR G), Haylie Roberts (5'10 JR F), Tymaree Krusemark (5'1 SO G), Michaela Wegner (5'5 FR G), Rylee Lehmkuhl (5'7 FR G), and Sarah Krueger (5'6 FR G/F).

Ballinger expects his team to be better than last year. "We finished 3 games above .500 last year and I think that we'll do a little bit better than that this year? Tough district with E/H in it."

Mixing things up offensively and defensively will be important for this team, especially when playing teams like the Pirates. Ballinger says expect his team to be very diverse on both ends of the floor. "Defensively we will play m2m, 2-3 zone and some 1-3-1. Offensively we will run some flex, motion and set plays."

Ballinger says things should be very competitive among his team. "The core group is back from a year ago along with some newcomers that will challenge for playing time."

I suspect the veterans will get to play quite a bit of the time, at least early on. However, look for the younger players to push the upperclassmen and make their way into the lineup for some playing time. Depth appears to be something the Pendragons possess, and that should help them through the rigors of the season.

I look for Pender to win anywhere from 15-20 games this year.

Season Outlook:

Pender figures to have a good chance to get back to their winning ways this season given who all returns and comes in for this team.


Ballinger says the Pendragons have to do the little things better to be successful this season. "Play better M2M defense! Play more consistent basketball and finish tight games."

Ballinger adds that consistency is a weakness of Pender's. However, he feels the Pendragons have potential. "We have the potential to be a good squad if we play like I think we can."

Every player that steps on the floor for Pender has to be a threat to score. The Pendragons must have confidence shooting the ball, and must get after things on the defensive end.

Last year, Pender was pretty good defensively, it was just their offense that let them down in some games, especially at the end of the season, when the Pendragons struggled the most.

We will see what Pender is made of this season. The Pendragons have had success during Ballinger's tenure, and I don't see that changing this year. Last year was sort of a rebuilding/off year for this program, and I look for Pender to get back to their winning ways this season.

The Pendragons have some tough teams on their schedule, including Stanton, Homer, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Emerson-Hubbard, West Point-Beemer, Howells-Dodge, and Winnebago.

Pender doesn't have an easy road by any means, but as long as the Pendragons can avoid a second half struggle like they experienced in the second half of the season last year, look for Pender to knock off some good teams and have a successful season.

The Pendragons open the year at Wakefield on Thursday.

2015-2016 Pender Pendragons Girls Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15	@ Wakefield	C2
12/04/15	Tekamah-Herman	C1
12/11/15	@ Oakland-Craig	C2
12/12/15	Bancroft-Rosalie	D2
12/17/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/18/15	@ North Bend Central	C1
12/19/15	Stanton	C2
12/28-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Wayne Holiday Tournament	Wayne State College
01/05/16	@ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
01/07-01/09	(To Be Determined)							Bob Clough Post Holiday	Emerson-Hubbard
01/12/16	@ Homer	C2
01/15/16	Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D2
01/19/16	West Point-Beemer	C1
01/21/16	Wisner-Pilger	C2
01/23/16	@ Howells-Dodge	D1
01/26/16	@ Emerson-Hubbard	D1
01/28/16	@ Winnebago	C2
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA

Howells-Dodge Boys and Girls look for successful seasons

Team: Howells-Dodge

Mascot: Jaguars

Colors: Green, Black, Silver

Class: D-1

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach: Cole Fischer (4th season) (64-19 record)

2014-2015 record: 8-16  (lost to Mead in Sub Districts)

Returning Starters: 3

Overview:

The Howells-Dodge Jaguars hope to be successful this season as they return three starters off last year's 8-16 team.

Howells-Dodge brings back Tyler Polacek, Connor Blum, and Mitch Prusa as returning starters.

The Jaguars will have to make up for the loss of Jesse Faltys, but figuring to help do that will be newcomers Nolan Lund-(6’4, 12, F) and Tyler Brichacek-(6’1, 12, PG).

Howells-Dodge went through some growing pains last season, and didn't have the kind of year they are accustomed to having. However, the Jaguars had a really difficult schedule.

Head Coach Cole Fischer says look for his team to be aggressive and attack at both ends of the floor. "We will look to push the tempo and try to match up the best we can defensively. Our transition will us get into the flow of the game and hopefully lead to some easy baskets. We like to pressure the ball all over the court and our defense needs to lead to our offense."



Fischer says his team's strengths are being fast and athletic. "Our speed and athleticism will be our team strength. And much like years past we will take pride in our defense and that will hopefully provide us with some quality wins."

Fischer adds that height and build could be weaknesses. "Size may be an issue for us. But we have some dynamic players that can hold their own inside while stepping outside and hitting some shots."

I look for the Jaguars to rely on their perimeter game while using their driving ability to convert easy baskets.

Scoring wasn't an issue for Howells-Dodge last season. Defense was.

The Jaguars have to do a better job of stopping people if they want to turn things around this season.


Season Outlook:

Howells-Dodge hopes this season treats them better than last year did. Fischer says the Jaguars expect to be successful. "We have high expectations every year. We look to be competitive in a tough East Husker conference and make some noise when it comes to sub districts and districts. However, we have to take one day and one game at a time and grind through the season."

That will definitely have to be the case as Howells-Dodge has a tough schedule, especially early on.

Pierce, Stanton, David City Aquinas, and Clarkson/Leigh are tough opponents to begin the season. West Point-Beemer won't be easy either.

Fischer says his squad has to keep improving throughout the season to be successful at the end. "We have a tough/competitive schedule early and hopefully that will help us as the season progresses. We have to get better every day and every game. We need build some depth and have some young guys step and hopefully that puts us in a position to make a run in February and March."

Humphrey St. Francis, Wisner-Pilger, and Bancroft-Rosalie are three of the tougher teams the Jaguars will face in the second half of the season.

I think you could see Howells-Dodge get off to a slow start, or at least see them lose a couple of games early.

However, I think this team will win some games before Christmas, and make a nice run in January and February.

I think you will see this team get back to winning the way they are accustomed to. I don't see the Jaguars having another season below .500.

Howells-Dodge opens up the season at home on Thursday against Pierce.

Projected starting lineup (Height, Grade, position, how many years starting experience)
Tyler Polacek-6’0, 12, PG, 3 Year
Mitch Prusa-6’2, 12, F, 1 year
Connor Blum-5’11, 10, G, 1 year
Dylan Kucera-6’4, 10, F, 0
Luke Renter-6’1, 12, G, 0


2015-2016 Howells-Dodge Jaguars Boys Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15	Pierce	C1
12/04/15	@ Stanton	C2
12/08/15	@ Aquinas Catholic	C1
12/10/15	Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
12/12/15	@ Oakland-Craig	C2
12/15/15	West Point-Beemer	C1
12/18/15	@ Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D1
12/19/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/22-01/04	(To Be Determined)							Knight Classic	Midland University
12/29-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Homer Holiday Tournament	Homer
01/08/16	@ Humphrey St. Francis	D2
01/09/16	Plainview	C2
01/15/16	@ Wisner-Pilger	C1
01/23/16	Pender	D1
01/26/16	@ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder	C1
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/09/16	@ Bancroft-Rosalie	D2
02/11/16	North Bend Central	C1
02/19/16	@ Lutheran High Northeast	C2

Team: Howells-Dodge

Mascot: Jaguars

Colors: Green, Black, Silver

Class: D-1

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach: Scott Polacek (24th season) (320-183 record)

2014-2015 record: 22-7 (placed third at state)

Returning Starters: 3


Overview:

The Howells-Dodge Girls hope to have the same kind of success they had last year when they went 22-7 and earned a third place finish at the state tournament.

Returning as starters for Head Coach Scott Polacek's squad are Sam and Kalli Brester, and Kelly Cech.

Newcomers who could make an impact are Chelsea Bayer (5’7”  G  11) and Macey Kulhanek                  (5’5”  G  10).

The Jaguars are post-oriented and play mostly a man-to-man defense, according to Polacek.

He adds last year Howells-Dodge played solid team defense, but will have to see how this year goes.

Polacek says players have to develop to give him some options off the bench. "We will need several young girls to put their game up a level to give us some depth."

Staying fresh and having fresh legs at all times will be critical for this team. There are certain players you want out there all the time if possible, but everyone needs a break every now and then.

I think the Jaguars can be good again, but it's going to be difficult. Howells-Dodge has a really tough schedule, and will be tested by quite a few teams they play.

The Jaguars are going to have to be sharp on offense and defense from the get go if they want to be good. Teams will be gunning for Howells-Dodge, there's no doubt about that.

I look for this team to have success this season, and gear up for another deep postseason run when the time comes.

Season Outlook:

Howells-Dodge certainly feels they could have been in the state championship game last year, and Polacek says winning it all is all that's on their mind. "The girls have only 1 goal...to get to Pinnacle Bank Arena and win there. We felt that we let Dundy-County Stratton get away in the Semifinals, so we want to get back down there for another run."

The Jaguars will be tested early against the likes of Pierce, Stanton, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, and West Point-Beemer.

The second half of the season appears to be a little easier, but challenging games with Humphrey St. Francis, Tekamah-Herman, and Pender loom.

Howells-Dodge figures to be a contender in the East Husker Conference Tournament.

Polacek says the Jaguars will be playing teams with quite a bit of experience. "Our schedule is absolutely brutal. Of 16 regular season opponents, 13 have at least 3 starters back. 7 teams have 4 or 5 starters returning, and our December is a challenge, for sure."

While the schedule is definitely a challenge for Howells-Dodge, the Jaguars are seasoned veterans themselves. That should help them when going up against some of the tougher teams on their schedule.

If Howells-Dodge wants to be the best, they have to beat the best. And certainly the Jaguars have some high expectations of where they want to be at the end of the season.

Given last year's success and the run these girls made in volleyball, anything is certainly possible.

Howells-Dodge has to believe, and keep their heads held high at all times.

The Jaguars have to play good basketball the entire season to get where they want. Howells-Dodge has to avoid a struggling period if at all possible.

The most important thing though will be playing their best basketball in February and March. The Jaguars have to be on top of their game at the end of the season to achieve their ultimate goal of winning the state championship.

Howells-Dodge opens up the season at home on Thursday against Pierce. 

Projected starting lineup (Height, Grade, position, how many years starting experience)

10   Emily Ritzdorf                     5’4”    G   11

12   Kalli Brester                       5’9”   G   11    2 years

14   Sam Brester                       5’9”    F   11

24   Tessa Brester                     5’9”    G   11

30   Kelly Cech                         5’10” C   12


2015-2016 Howells-Dodge Jaguars Girls Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15	Pierce	C1
12/04/15	@ Stanton	C2
12/08/15	@ Aquinas Catholic	C1
12/10/15	Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
12/12/15	@ Oakland-Craig	C2
12/15/15	West Point-Beemer	C1
12/18/15	@ Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D2
12/19/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/29-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Homer Holiday Tournament	Homer
01/08/16	@ Humphrey St. Francis	D2
01/09/16	Plainview	C2
01/12/16	Lutheran High Northeast	C2
01/15/16	@ Wisner-Pilger	C2
01/22/16	@ Tekamah-Herman	C1
01/23/16	Pender	D1
01/26/16	@ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder	C1
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/09/16	@ Bancroft-Rosalie	D2
02/11/16	North Bend Central	C1

Bancroft-Rosalie Boys and Girls hoping to be competitive

Team: Bancroft-Rosalie

Mascot: Panthers

Colors: Blue and Silver

Class: D-2

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach:  Cory Meyer (2nd season)

2014-2015 record: 27-2  (lost to Exeter-Milligan in state championship)

Returning Starters: 2

  
Overview:

The Bancroft-Rosalie Boys lost quite a bit of experience from last year's state runner-up team, but still hope to have a successful season.

Returning as starters for 2nd year Head Coach Cory Meyer are Mario Aldrich and Dayne Wortman.

The Panthers will have to make up for the loss of Carsten Tietz, Ian Nottleman, and Kenny Appleton.

Meyer feels there are six newcomers who could make an impact, and they include Aaron Ras Post  6'0  Jr, Trent Gatewood  Guard  5'11 So, Kenyan Lovejoy  Post  6'1  So, Jacob Zuhlke  Guard  5'9  So, Wyatt Hennig Guard  5'6  Jr, and Michael Snyder Guard 5'11 So.

Meyer says this year's team has to step up and believe in what they're doing to have the same kind of success last year's team had. "It's always difficult to fill big shoes. We need to have players step in and fill those shoes and also understand their role on this team.  It does take hard work and players to understand and buy into the system."

Meyer says speed will definitely be a team strength, but rebounding and running the offense could be a challenge, and his team will be young. "I think rebounding will be a key issue that needs to be addressed. I can do rebounding drills every day (which I do), but if a player(s) aren't determined then it will show and really hurt us as a team. Also, as of now, running the offense could very well haunt us but I'm hoping the more we practice the better we will get as being a unit. We are also young and have several new faces that will not only play but be in the starting line-up as well."

Bancroft-Rosalie definitely has their work cut out for them this season. However, the Panthers had a lot of success last year and the year before, and I look for this year's team to step up and win some games.

I don't know if Bancroft-Rosalie will be as good as they have been the past couple of seasons, but I still look for the Panthers to be competitive.

Playing together as a team and developing players throughout the season will be critical to this team's success, in my opinion. Bancroft-Rosalie has to play team ball and continue to improve as the season progresses.

If the Panthers can keep getting better as the season goes along, and peek at the right time, don't be surprised if Bancroft-Rosalie finds themselves in Lincoln again.


Season Outlook:

The Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers hope to have a lot of success this season, and build off what past teams have done.

Meyer says there's a lot of uncertainty heading into this season. "I'm not sure what to really think, I have so many questions myself because it's early in the year and we do have a lot of inexperience.  I do think we could have a very good season and I feel we will be competitive, we just have to get better day by day - game by game."

The good news for Bancroft-Rosalie is the schedule isn't the hardest early on, at least when comparing it to how some of those teams fared last year.

Homer, Clarkson/Leigh, Cedar Bluffs, Wisner-Pilger, West Point-Beemer, Winnebago, and Omaha Nation could provide stiff challenges for the Panthers.

Bancroft-Rosalie plays a good amount of C-2 and C-1 teams, and that should be to their benefit.

This team should definitely be battle tested by the end of the season, and ready to make another postseason run.

The big thing for the Panthers could be getting out and running. Bancroft-Rosalie may need to rely on their transition game to get them easy points.

This season could provide some interesting challenges for the Panthers, but I fully expect Bancroft-Rosalie to rise up to the occasion, and have a good season.

The Panthers will have to rebound well, especially against teams that are bigger and stronger than them.

Bancroft-Rosalie also has to communicate well, and execute at a high level.

The Panthers open the season at home against Omaha Christian Academy on Friday.

2015-2016 Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers Boys Basketball Schedule:

12/04/15	Omaha Christian Academy	D1
12/05/15	Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D1
12/08/15	@ Emerson-Hubbard	D1
12/15/15	@ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
12/18/15	@ Homer	C2
12/22/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/29-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Homer Holiday Tournament	Homer
01/05/16	Cedar Bluffs	D1
01/07/16	@ Wisner-Pilger	C1
01/09/16	West Point-Beemer	C1
01/15/16	Oakland-Craig	C2
01/16/16	Mead	D2
01/19/16	Wakefield	C2
01/22/16	@ Ponca	C2
01/26/16	Winnebago	C2
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/09/16	Howells-Dodge	D1
02/12/16	Omaha Nation	D1
02/19/16	@ Pender	D1

Team: Bancroft-Rosalie

Mascot: Panthers

Colors: Blue and Silver

Class: D-2

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach:  Rod Peters (4th season)

2014-2015 record: 10-13 (lost to Lyons-Decatur Northeast in Sub Districts)

Returning Starters: 3


Overview:

The Bancroft-Rosalie Girls look to build off last year's 10-13 season that saw the Panthers play well at times.

Bancroft-Rosalie returns three starters in Vicki Gatzemeyer, Tess Nottlemann, and Kassidi Browning.

Two starting positions have been determined as Head Coach Rod Peters says Gatzemeyer (5’6”, 10, G, 1) and Nottlemann (5’11”, 11, F, 1) will start.

The Panthers will have to make up for the loss of Jerrica Tietz and Suzanne Ras. 

Helping Bancroft-Rosalie's cause figures to be newcomer Paige Peters (5’6”, 9, G).

Rod Peters says offensive execution will be critical to being consistent this year. "We are going to have to do a better job of passing the ball and handling pressure from defenses. Hopefully we have improved our shooting."

Peters says his squad has to perform well on offense and plans to mix things up defensively. "Offensively we are going to have to execute our offensive sets better than we did last year. Defensively we are going to throw out some different defenses to hopefully confuse the offense."

Regardless of what defense the Panthers are in, whether it's man-to-man are zone, contesting shots and boxing out to rebound will be critical.

Bancroft-Rosalie gave up over 50 points in 9 of their 13 losses last season, and held teams under 50 in every one of their wins. Defense will play a big role in whether the Panthers win or lose on a given night, in my opinion.

Peters says togetherness is a team strength. "Team unity. We have a group of athletes that will always give a great effort."

On the flip side, Peters says certain areas of the offense are weaknesses. "Passing the ball. Our execution on the offensive end of the court."

It will certainly be important for Bancroft-Rosalie to continue to get better on offense as the season progresses. The Panthers only scored over 50 points three times last season.

Bancroft-Rosalie has to bring it night in and night out to have success. The Panthers can't expect to win if they don't show up to play. Hustle and effort has to be there every game.

Season Outlook:

Bancroft-Rosalie definitely has to be better on offense than they were a year ago, and has to play well defensively as well to have a successful season.

Peters says he's anxious to see what his team can do. "I look forward to the upcoming season and to see the improvement these girls have made in the off season."

Shooting from the field well will be important for this team as will shooting free throws well.

The Panthers have to create as many opportunities as possible for themselves offensively, and must play well defensively every game as well.

Bancroft-Rosalie will be challenged right off the bat by Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Emerson-Hubbard, Homer, Pender, and Hartington Cedar Catholic.

Other tough games for the Panthers include West Point-Beemer, Ponca, Winnebago, and Howells-Dodge.

The schedule will definitely be difficult for Bancroft-Rosalie this season, but that should strengthen this team for the postseason and give them a chance to be successful in the long run.

I think the Panthers can have similar success to what they had last year, but it's not going to be easy. 

Bancroft-Rosalie has to play at a high level offensively and defensively if they want to win games. The Panthers have to be better on both ends of the floor to at least duplicate, and eventually better, last year's win total.

Bancroft-Rosalie opens up the season on Saturday, hosting Lyons-Decatur Northeast.

2015-2016 Bancroft-Rosalie Panthers Girls Basketball Schedule:

12/05/15	Lyons-Decatur Northeast	D2
12/08/15	@ Emerson-Hubbard	D1
12/10/15	@ Hartington Cedar Catholic	C2
12/12/15	@ Pender	D1
12/15/15	@ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family	C2
12/18/15	@ Homer	C2
12/22/15	Clarkson/Leigh	C2
12/29-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Homer Holiday Tournament	Homer
01/07/16	@ Wisner-Pilger	C2
01/09/16	West Point-Beemer	C1
01/15/16	Oakland-Craig	C2
01/16/16	Mead	D2
01/19/16	Wakefield	C2
01/22/16	Ponca	C2
01/26/16	Winnebago	C2
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/09/16	Howells-Dodge	D1
02/12/16	Omaha Nation	D1

West Point-Beemer Boys and Girls have high expectations

Team: West Point-Beemer

Mascot: Cadets

Colors: Red, Black, and White

Class: C-1

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach: Cody Bobolz (1st season)

2014-2015 record: 13-12 (lost to Wayne in subdistricts)

Returning Starters: 2

Overview:

The West Point-Beemer Boys Basketball team is under new direction as Cody Bobolz takes over for Nick Kroon.

Bobolz inherits two returning starters in Tate Toelle (5’7” Sr. PG) and Adam Niewohner (6’1” Sr. SF).

The Cadets will have to make up for the losses of Ty Haase, Austin Case, and Karsten Schuetze.

Austin Streeter (6’3” So. PF) and Ben VanderGriend (5’10” Fr. SG/PG) are two newcomers Bobolz feels could make an impact.

Bobolz says look for his team to mix things up on offense and defense. "Offensively- we love to push the basketball and put pressure on the other team whenever we can; we will run a lot of motion offense and sets looking to exploit certain things. Defensively- we will do all kinds of stuff- we will press, run man, and throw in some zone."

I definitely think it will be important for West Point-Beemer to be multidimensional on offense and defense given the talent the Cadets graduated from a year ago.

Bobolz says having players that are versatile and team players are team strengths. "I think we have some quickness and guys that can play multiple positions. I think we have some guys that are really close team chemistry wise, which allows them to hold each other accountable while always being encouraging towards one another."

Teamwork will be very important for West Point-Beemer this season. The Cadets have to play as one night in and night out.

Bobolz says size and youth could factor into his team's season, at least early on. "We will have to make up for some size deficiencies with some real toughness inside. And we lack experience so there will be a bit of a learning curve early in the season."

Teams with size could give West Point-Beemer some trouble. The Cadets should matchup well with teams that are small and quick though.

There are a lot of very winnable games on the schedule for West Point-Beemer so the Cadets have to be ready to play hard every time out, and have to keep getting better with every game.

I think West Point-Beemer will be a team that plays their best basketball in the second half of the season.

Season Outlook:

West Point-Beemer looks to build off last year's 13-12 record, and in my opinion, can have some success this year.

Bobolz says expectations are high. "Every year our goal is to make it to the state tournament and this year is no different. We have some guys that have some big shoes to fill of some seniors that compiled a lot of starts and minutes, but I really think we have some guys ready to do that. We have talked a lot about focusing on the process and thinking about improving every day and focusing on the little things, which can lead to much greater success in the end. I think we have the potential to surprise some people this year and that is a testament to our players work ethic in the summer and thus far this season."

All the hard work put in during the offseason by these players will show up now.

Bobolz says offensive execution and winning the battle on the boards is critical. "Our offensive efficiency has to be better. Rebounding is always an emphasis and limiting opponents second chance opportunities."

Boxing out will be a big thing for the Cadets this season. West Point-Beemer has to put a body to a man, they can't just rely on their athletic ability alone to rebound well.

This team has to be fundamentally sound and smart when it comes to possessing the basketball. Every possession of every game is important, and that has to show in the Cadets' play at all times.

Bobolz is excited to get the season underway. "I am excited to get things going and see where we are at and how much we improve throughout the season."

Look for West Point-Beemer to get hot at some point in the second half of the season and make a push in subdistricts.

Arlington, Stanton, Fort Calhoun, Wisner-Pilger, Bancroft-Rosalie, Battle Creek, Twin River, Wayne, and Pierce will be among some of the tougher teams on the Cadets' schedule.

I look for West Point-Beemer to win somewhere between 10-12 games. I could even see that number peeking to 15 if the Cadets overachieve and pull off some big upsets.

West Point-Beemer opens up the season at home against Arlington on December 3rd.


Projected starting lineup (Height, Grade, position, how many years starting experience):

Tate Toelle- 5’7” Sr. PG 1

Ben Jahnke- 6’0” Sr. SG 0

Adam Niewohner- 6’1” Sr. SF 1

Austin Streeter- 6’3” So. PF 0

Chase Streeter- 6’4” So. PF 0

2015-2016 West Point-Beemer Cadets Boys Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15    Arlington    C1   
        
12/05/15    @ Omaha Roncalli Catholic    B   
        
12/08/15    Stanton    C2   
        
12/10/15    North Bend Central    C1   
        
12/15/15    @ Howells-Dodge    D1   
 
12/28-12/30    (To Be Determined) Wayne Holiday Tournament    Wayne State College

01/05/16    Fort Calhoun    C1    
        
01/08/16    Wisner-Pilger    C1   
        
01/09/16    @ Bancroft-Rosalie    D2   
        
01/12/16    Battle Creek    C2   

01/14/16    @ Schuyler    B   
          
01/16/16    Tekamah-Herman    C1   
     
01/19/16    @ Pender    D1   
      
01/22/16    @ Twin River    C2   
        
01/23/16    Logan View-Scribner-Snyder    C1

01/26/16    @ Pierce    C1

01/28/16    Wayne    C1
 
01/29-02/06    (To Be Determined)    East Husker Conference Tour    TBA

02/09/16    @ Madison    C1

02/12/16    @ Oakland-Craig    C2   
   
   
   
   
   








Team: West Point-Beemer

Mascot: Cadets

Colors: Red, Black, and White

Class: C-1

Conference:  East Husker

Head Coach: Craig Theis (2nd season)

2014-2015 record: 24-4 (lost to Norfolk Catholic in District Final)

Returning Starters: 4

Overview:

This is the season the West Point-Beemer Girls Basketball team has been looking forward to for quite some time given all the experience they bring back.

The Cadets return four starters in Amanda Hansen (5'7 SR G), Taylor Weddle (5'6 SR G), Bethany Anderson (6'0 JR P), and Kenzie Bruce (5'6 SR G).

Jade Duhsmann (6'0 SR C) offers a dominant post presence, according to 2nd year Head Coach Craig Theis.

West Point-Beemer will have to make up for the losses of Cassy Gade and Brooke Schulzkump.

Theis feels the sophomore class could really help his team. "The sophomore class got some experience playing some varsity last year but we will lean on them to add more depth this year. Makenna Weddle is a sophomore who is one of the very best athletes in the area. She will be in our starting line-up if the season started today. Brittney Hinkel is another very good sophomore that will be one of our 1st subs off of the bench. Brittney and Makenna are very versatile in the fact that they can play several different positions. Katie Pilakowski, Leigh Jahnke and Megan Groth are also very good sophomores that I look to help us by the end of the year. Great class. Athletic!!!!!"

The sophomore class should definitely help push this year's very talented senior class, and make them better players during games and in practice.

Theis says look for his squad to run and play tough man-to-man defense. "Offensively we are more of a run and gun offense. We want to play at a very fast temp and having someone like Hansen as our point guard really helps. I really want the girls to attack for 32 minutes. We run a very structured motion in our ½ court game and this can also be a good stall game if needed. Defensively, we are a man to man team! We want to guard you for 94 feet and create turnovers that lead to easy offense. However, we don’t want to slow the pace by fouling 90 feet away from the basket and this has been very difficult teaching kids to be aggressive without fouling. We also like to trap occasionally in the back-court."

I look for the Cadets to get the most out of themselves and maximize their potential night in and night out. West Point-Beemer should win quite a bit of the time, just like last year.

Theis says Hansen and experience are strengths of this team. "Hansen is a real strength of our team, because she is often the best player on the floor offensively and defensively. She is also a very fierce competitor! Experience is also a real strength of our team. Taylor, Amanda, Bethany and Kenzie have played a lot of games and started in every game last year. It was huge going to the conference and district final games last year so our girls could experience it. This group is very athletic! This really allows us to do some different things on the defensive end. It gives us an opportunity to really pressure the other teams full court the whole game. I really think that depth and size could be a real strength this year and this was not the case last year. We ran out of gas at the end of last year, but I don’t feel this will be the case this season with added depth.
      
Having depth and staying healthy is going to be critical to this team's success. The Cadets have to avoid the injury bug, and must be all full strength and playing their best basketball when it matters most.                 

Theis says free throw shooting and shooting from the floor has hurt his team before. "Shooting is a real weakness for us in the past. We have struggled shooting from the foul-line as well. However, the girls have put in a lot of work to turn this into a strength and if we can accomplish this than this year could be a real special one."

I suspect West Point-Beemer will win somewhere between 20-25 games again, but all that matters is getting to Lincoln. I think these players and coaches want to make a trip to the state tournament more than anything. And the tools are certainly in place to make state a reality.

Season Outlook:

The Cadets expect to win quite a bit this year, just like last year. And certainly West Point-Beemer is capable of making it happen and getting the job done.

Theis says this team wants to reach their potential and achieve the goals they've set out. "We have set some very high goals coming into the season, because we return a lot of players from last year’s successful team. We are also getting Jade back and our sophomores are going to add a lot of depth. This will allow us to get up and down the floor on both defense and offense more this year with added depth. The girl’s 1st goal is to win a conference championship in Columbus this year. We came up a little short this past season. Another goal is to not only get to state but to do some damage once we get there. We came up one win short of getting to Lincoln this past season and we have used it as motivation this summer and preseason."

Theis says good offense and defense are keys to sustaining the same level of success as last year, and experience should help that. "It starts with returning a lot of experience from last year.  When you return a point guard like Hansen you have a great chance to having another great year.  We feel like our pieces around her have continued to get better and this will prevent teams from just taking Amanda away.  Taylor Weddle and Kenzie Bruce have both started for 3 years so I expect these two to have a great year.
Just like last year we will look to push the tempo into our favor. Hansen did a great job of pushing the basketball and making good decisions last year. We feel like we have really improved in the ½ court when teams take away our fast break offense.  We need to be much better shooting the ball this year and we need to improve from the foul-line as well. Another big key is having our defense create easy offensive opportunities. We want our pressure to turn a lot of teams over and lead to easy baskets. I really feel like with our added depth we can provide full-court pressure much more this year and force teams to play up tempo with us. We are very athletic and we can really defend well.  I am really excited to see what our defense can become this year."

The Cadets certainly appear to be strong in many areas of the game. Theis says his squad has been building for this year ever since last year's district final loss. "We are very hungry and it all started leaving the Columbus Gymnasium last year.  The girls decided in the locker room that night that next year they want to take the next step.  This attitude carried right into the summer and we put in a lot of great work.  I always preach that everyone practices 2 hours during the season, so basketball games are won and lost in the summer.  They really grabbed ahold of this and had a GREAT SUMMER!!  The best part about the summer work is that it was the whole team that bought in and this will help us during the season.  I have also added an extra conditioning session at the end of each practice, so we don’t come up short again.  The girls have agreed that hopefully this will give us a little edge in the 4th quarter when a championship might be on the line."

It's important for West Point-Beemer to play well throughout the season to earn enough wildcard points into the state tournament should they need a wildcard to get to state. It's also important for the Cadets to build for a potential District Final showdown against Wahoo Neumann.

Theis says he is excited to see what this team can do. "The sky is the limit for this group! Hansen is a player that does not come around too often and she is also a fierce competitor. She has done a good job of getting her teammates involved in the game plan and this is only going to help be more successful this year. This senior group has really been the reason we have turned around the girls’ basketball program. They decided to put in a lot of work and I believe they will be the reason we take the next step this season. It should be fun!!!"

Hansen is a great player and needs to have a super senior season, and I expect her to have another fantastic season.

Other players have to step up and play well on a consistent basis though. West Point-Beemer can't rely solely on Hansen to win games. Duhsmann, Taylor Weddle, Makenna Weddle, Anderson, Bruce, and others have to step up and perform for this team on a game-by-game basis.

I think the Cadets caught some teams by surprise last year. Teams will be ready for West Point-Beemer this year so the Cadets have to step up their game that much more and play well every game.

Looking at the schedule, Stanton, Howells-Dodge, Tekamah-Herman, Pender, Twin River, Pierce, Wayne, and perhaps Oakland-Craig will be challenging teams for West Point-Beemer.

The Cadets open up the season at home against Arlington on December 3rd.

2015-2016 West Point-Beemer Cadets Girls Basketball Schedule:

12/03/15	Arlington	C1
12/05/15	@ Omaha Roncalli Catholic	B
12/08/15	Stanton	C2
12/10/15	North Bend Central	C1
12/15/15	@ Howells-Dodge	D1
12/28-12/30	(To Be Determined)							Wayne Holiday Tournament	Wayne State College
01/05/16	Fort Calhoun	C1
01/08/16	Wisner-Pilger	C2
01/09/16	@ Bancroft-Rosalie	D2
01/12/16	Battle Creek	C2
01/14/16	@ Schuyler	B
01/16/16	Tekamah-Herman	C1
01/19/16	@ Pender	D1
01/22/16	@ Twin River	C2
01/23/16	Logan View-Scribner-Snyder	C1
01/26/16	@ Pierce	C1
01/28/16	Wayne	C1
01/29-02/06	(To Be Determined)							East Husker Conference Tour	TBA
02/09/16	@ Madison	C1
02/12/16	@ Oakland-Craig	C2