Winnebago Boys take third at State

The Winnebago Boys finished third at the state tournament this past weekend, beating West Holt 64-43 at Lincoln Southeast in the first round Thursday night, losing 54-49 to Elmwood-Murdock in the semifinals at the Bob Devaney Sports Center Friday night, and beating Amherst 74-73 in overtime in the third place game at Lincoln Northeast on Saturday.

The Huskies doubled up the Indians 8-4 in the first quarter. West Holt won the second quarter 15-14 to lead 23-18 at halftime.

Winnebago outscored the Huskies 26-7 in the third quarter to go up 44-30 at the end of three.

The Indians notched 20 fourth quarter points compared to 13 for West Holt.

Head Coach Jeff Berridge. "Our shots weren't just falling that first half, and I just told them at halftime our shots are going to fall, and we came out and got David (Wingett) started, and he put on a show for everybody." 

Wingett scored a game-high 23 points, all in the second half. Aspen Lapointe added 13 while Cedrick Blackdeer and Drake Gorrin notched 10 and 8, respectively.

The Knights led Winnebago 17-14 at the end of one. The Indians won the second quarter 8-7 to make it a 24-22 game at halftime.

Elmwood-Murdock outscored Winnebago 14-12 in the third quarter to go up 38-34 at the end of three.

The Knights notched 16 fourth quarter points compared to 15 for the Indians.

Wingett led all scorers with 28 points. Lapointe registered 9.

Winnebago led the Broncos 22-15 after one. The Indians won the second quarter 18-13 to take a 40-28 lead into the locker room.

Amherst outscored Winnebago 23-10 in the third quarter to lead 51-50 at the end of three.

The Indians put up 15 fourth quarter points compared to 14 for the Broncos to force overtime with the game tied at 65.

Winnebago outlasted Amherst 9-8 in the extra session.

The Indians came up short of their goal of winning back-to-back state championships, but still had a great season. A 31-1 season is definitely something to be proud of.

This team ran the table all the way until the semifinals of the state tournament. I must say after watching Elmwood-Murdock in the state championship game on Saturday, I'm not sure how the Knights beat Winnebago.

Upsets happen though, and I think it was simply a case of the Indians having an off game and Elmwood-Murdock playing really well.

Winnebago had numerous big wins this year, including wins over Walthill (twice), Red Cloud, Pine Ridge, and White River, SD, Lutheran High Northeast, Hartington Cedar Catholic (twice), Randolph, Gothenburg, Ponca (twice), Howells-Dodge, Oakland-Craig, GACC (twice), Laurel Concord-Coleridge, Bancroft-Rosalie, and Creighton.

The Indians played a lot of good teams this year, and came through when it mattered most time and time again.

Winnebago says goodbye to Lapointe, and that is it. You can bet the Indians will be back for another state run next season.

Winnebago brings back Wingett, Gorrin, D'Von Lapointe, Blackdeer, Maurice Scott, Manape Cleveland, and Miguel Baker, among others.

Aspen Lapointe is a huge loss, but I look for the Indians to be just as good if not better than they were this year.

These last two seasons have been two of the best years Winnebago has had in a long time, and I look for the Indians to be back for another great season in 2016-2017.

North Bend Central Boys fall to Adams Central at State

The North Bend Central Boys gave it their best shot Thursday afternoon, but lost 53-43 to Adams Central in the first round of state at the Bob Devaney Sports Center.

The Patriots spurted out to a 19-4 lead at the end of one. Both teams scored 10 second quarter points, and the halftime score was 29-14 in favor of Adams Central.

The Tigers outscored the Patriots 16-11 in the third quarter to make it a 40-30 game at the end of three.

Both teams scored 13 fourth quarter points.

Jake Wietfeld led the way with 16 points.

It was certainly a great season for North Bend Central. The Tigers turned a lot of heads this year, and have a lot to be proud of.

North Bend Central finishes up the season with a 22-3 record.

The Tigers dominated a handful of teams this season, but for the most part, North Bend Central's games were close and hotly contested.

The Tigers simply found ways to win night in and night out, and were tough and resilient no matter the situation.

North Bend Central found themselves in dog fights and had to battle back many nights, and to win as many games as the Tigers did is a testament to their hard work, sacrifice, and dedication.

North Bend Central's biggest wins this year came against Stanton, Fort Calhoun, David City Aquinas (twice), Madison, Bancroft-Rosalie, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, and Howells-Dodge.

The Tigers had a fine season, and should be very proud of their accomplishments.

North Bend Central loses five seniors in Gatlin Sindelar, Hunter Oerman, Jake Cleveringa, Nathan Boyce and Dylan Emanuel.

These five players meant a lot to the success of this year's team and all played key roles in the Tigers' state run this year.

Key returners for next year's ball club includes Jake and Tanner Wietfeld, Matt Ortmeier, and Dawson Poessnecker.

I think all four of these players, along with James Seymour, will help lead North Bend Central to even more success in 2016-2017.

Winnebago Boys look to win another state title

The Winnebago Boys Basketball team enters this weekend's state tournament undefeated at 29-0 after knocking off Hartington Cedar Catholic 60-44 in the C2-2 District Final last Monday night at Wayne State.

The Indians square off with West Holt (20-7) in the first round of state on Thursday in Lincoln.

Head Coach Jeff Berridge says his team has to be ready to play this weekend with teams prepared to try and knock them off. "Just keeping the boys focused every game. Every minute of each game. Making sure they're pushing themselves to the max because I mean teams know about us now so they got a heads up on us. So their process of gaming for us is much higher this year so it's going to be harder for us to execute what we want to do, but I just got to keep my boys focused on the ultimate prize."

Berridge says it would be quite the feat to repeat. "That'd be a amazing accomplishment because it's so hard to repeat in any sport in a championship. So I mean it's our ultimate goal, and if we get it it's just going to be a amazing two years that Winnebago had."

The West Holt game was to be played at Lincoln Northeast, but has been moved to Southeast due to the anticipation of a large crowd.


It should be quite the atmosphere. I can't ever remember a time when the NSAA moved a state game to another site solely for one game in the first round.

This team has a great following, and that's a testament to their fan support. I think the Indians have a great chance to repeat and cap off an undefeated season.

Winnebago simply has to play with the same magic they did last year, and force teams to adapt and adjust to their style of play.

The Indians are very capable of making history, and capping off an undefeated season. Every round of the state tournament will get harder, so like last year, Winnebago has to play better each round.


Thursday's game, which is scheduled to tip-off at 8:45 p.m., can be heard on 107.9 the Bull.

North Bend Central Boys make State via Wildcard

The North Bend Central Boys are at State for the first time in seven years as the Tigers earned a wildcard into the state tournament.

Head Coach Jon Baehr says his team having faith in and trusting one another has led to their success this season. "It's a situation where I think our guys just believe in each other. I think they believe that they can find a way to get it done, and they go out and they just try to execute at the top of their abilities. And that's a credit to our guys and their willingness to just go out and do a job defensively. Get out there and do what needs to be done."

North Bend Central enters Thursday's State Game against Adams Central with a 22-2 record.

North Bend Central lost 47-30 to Columbus Scotus in the C1-4 Sub District Final at Columbus on Thursday, February 25th after beating David City Aquinas 56-43 on Tuesday, February 23rd.

The Monarchs led the Tigers 12-8 after one. David City Aquinas outscored North Bend Central 13-9 in the second quarter to take a 25-17 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers won the third quarter 12-11 to make it a 36-29 game at the end of three.

North Bend Central erupted for 27 fourth quarter points and held the Monarchs to 7.

North Bend Central is making their first trip to state since 2009.


The Tigers are facing Adams Central, who is 22-4 on the season.

Jon Baehr says AC is a complete team. "Well they obviously present a pretty big challenge for us, for anybody for that matter. They got several guys that can really shoot the ball, they got several guys that can really handle the ball. And they do a nice job defensively with limiting your trips to the free throw line, keeping you out of the lane fairly well. They're just really solid."

The Patriots defeated Scotus 61-52 on Saturday, February 13th at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island. Adams Central caught the Shamrocks when they were struggling though.

With that said, this is going to be a difficult game for North Bend Central. The Patriots are very good, and have excellent athletic tradition.

The Tigers have had a marvelous season in their own right though and should be ready to play their brand of basketball.

North Bend Central has just found ways to win this season, and if the Tigers can keep things close and stay within striking distance throughout the game, North Bend Central might have a chance to win it at the end.

One thing is for sure...you can never count out this Tigers' team. North Bend Central gives themselves a chance to win every time they take the floor. I think the game has the potential to be close, but if the Tigers don't play well it could be tough for North Bend Central to win.


The Tigers are set to take on the Patriots at 2:00 p.m. at the Devaney Center.

Thursday's game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

Emerson-Hubbard Girls win Class D-1 State Championship

The Emerson-Hubbard Girls won the Class D-1 State Championship Saturday Morning at Pinnacle Bank Arena, defeating Howells-Dodge 41-38. The Pirates beat Fullerton 52-43 in the semifinals on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center after beating Cambridge 45-26 on Thursday at Lincoln North Star.

Emerson-Hubbard led the Trojans 12-9 after one. The Pirates won the second quarter 11-5 to take a 23-14 lead into the locker room.

Emerson-Hubbard outscored Cambridge 17-7 in the third quarter to go up 40-21 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 5 fourth quarter points.

The Pirates jumped on the Warriors 14-5 at the end of one. Emerson-Hubbard won the second quarter 13-12 to take a 27-17 lead into the locker room.

The Pirates outscored Fullerton 14-12 in the third quarter to go up 41-29 after three.

The Warriors put up 14 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for Emerson-Hubbard.

The Jaguars led the Pirates 9-7 after one. Emerson-Hubbard won the second quarter 13-10 to lead 20-19 at halftime.

The Pirates outscored Howells-Dodge 14-9 in the third quarter to go up 34-28 at the end of three.

The Jaguars notched 10 fourth quarter points compared to 7 for Emerson-Hubbard.

Abby Drieling, Ashley Bokemper, and Payton Blanke each had 13 points to pace the Pirates.

What a run for Emerson-Hubbard. It doesn't get any better than winning a state championship.

The Pirates the 2015-2016 season with an astounding 28-1 record.

Emerson-Hubbard beat many good teams along the way, including Wisner-Pilger, Hartington-Newcastle, Ponca, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Omaha Nation, Wynot (twice), Pender (three times), Bloomfield, Randolph, and North Central.

The Pirates' only loss of the season came to C-2 Runner-Up Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Emerson-Hubbard graduates a lot of good players, including Drieling, Morgan Hansen, Emma Haberman, Bokemper, Blanke, Kylie Belt, Mercedes King, Shelby Utech, and Taylor Lamp.

These nine seniors made their mark on this program not only this season, but throughout their careers.

These players have a lot to be proud of and their accomplishments should be remembered for a long time.

It's hard telling what next year's Emerson-Hubbard team is going to look like, but either way this year's senior class has set the bar for success.

It's a bar future Emerson-Hubbard teams should follow for years to come.

The Pirates did the communities of Emerson and Hubbard proud this season, and brought home a state championship. This is an accomplishment that will be remembered for the rest of these players' lives.

There's a lot to be proud of if you are involved with the Emerson-Hubbard Girls Basketball program in any way. Each and every person that is and was a part of this program should take credit for what this team did this season.

Howells-Dodge Girls take Runner-Up at State

The Howells-Dodge Girls came up a win short of winning the Class D-1 State Championship, losing 41-38 to Emerson-Hubbard at Pinnacle Bank Arena Saturday Morning. Howells-Dodge reached the State Championship game thanks to a 59-32 win over Kenesaw in the semifinals on Friday at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. The Jaguars advanced to Friday's semifinals by knocking off Dundy County-Stratton 54-40 in the first round at Lincoln North Star on Thursday.

Howells-Dodge started the Dundy County-Stratton game on a 7-0 run and led 18-10 at the end of one. The Tigers won the second quarter 14-12 to make it a 30-24 game at halftime. The Jaguars' Sam Brester registered a three-point play right before the half.

Both teams scored 10 third quarter points, and the score after three was 40-34 in favor of Howells-Dodge.

The Jaguars outscored Dundy County-Stratton 14-6 in the fourth quarter.

Brester had a game-high 19 points for Howells-Dodge, all coming in the final three quarters. Chelsea Bayer totaled 15 while Kelly Cech and Kalli Brester had 9 and 7, respectively.


The Jaguars led the Blue Devils 21-16 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Kenesaw 14-6 in the second quarter to lead 35-22 at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 15-8 to go up 50-30 at the end of three.

Howells-Dodge put up 9 fourth quarter points compared to just 2 for the Blue Devils.

Sam Brester led all scorers with 21 points. Bayer added 11 while Cech registered 10.

The Jaguars led the Pirates 9-7 after one. Emerson-Hubbard won the second quarter 13-10 to lead 20-19 at halftime.

The Pirates outscored Howells-Dodge 14-9 in the third quarter to go up 34-28 at the end of three.

The Jaguars notched 10 fourth quarter points compared to 7 for Emerson-Hubbard.

Sam Brester finished with a game-high 19 points while Bayer totaled 7.

Howells-Dodge made a nice run to the state tournament, and reached their goal of making it to Pinnacle Bank Arena.

The Jaguars finish the year 21-7.

It was a very memorable run and season for Howells-Dodge.

The Jaguars played a gauntlet of a schedule, and picked up big regular season wins over Stanton (twice), Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (twice), Oakland-Craig, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Humphrey St. Francis, Wisner-Pilger, Pender, and North Bend Central.

I don't think there's any doubt Howells-Dodge's tough schedule helped prepare for them for state, and allowed them to make the run they did.

The Jaguars see better competition than teams out West, and it really showed on Thursday and Friday.

Howells-Dodge should be really good again next year as the Jaguars lose just one senior in Cech.

Everyone else is back for Howells-Dodge.

Bayer, Emily Ritzdorf, Sam Brester, Kalli Brester, Tessa Brester, Erin Prusa, and Macey Kulhanek all figure to have a huge impact for the Jaguars again next season.

As good as this season was, next season has a chance to be even better, in my opinion.

These girls have to work their tails off in the offseason, and get in the weight room, the gym, and attend as many summer camps and open gyms as possible though. Success in summer league is also important in preparation for next season.

Next year has a chance to be another very memorable season for the Jaguars, they just have to grow, work hard, and develop from now until November.

GACC Girls finish Runner-Up at State

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls came up a win short of achieving the ultimate dream of winning a state title as the Bluejays lost 46-43 to Crofton in the Class C-2 State Championship game at Pinnacle Bank Arena Saturday night. GACC defeated Superior 68-39 in Friday's semifinals at the Bob Devaney Sports Center and notched a 56-34 win over Stanton in the first round at Lincoln Southwest on Thursday.

The Bluejays led the Mustangs 19-12 at the end of one. GACC won the second quarter 7-6 to lead 26-18 at halftime.

The Bluejays outscored Stanton 18-12 in the third quarter to go up 44-30 at the end of three.

GACC tripled up the Mustangs 12-4 in the fourth quarter.

Breanne Kreikemeier led all scorers with 11 points. Lexis Haase and Katie Steuter totaled 9 apiece while Kate Knobbe and Katey Brown registered 8 and 7, respectively.

The Bluejays led the Wildcats 27-9 at the end of one. GACC outscored Superior 16-12 in the second quarter to take a 43-21 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 13-9 to go up 56-30 after three.

GACC notched 12 fourth quarter points and limited the Wildcats to 9.

Brown had a game-high 18 points. Kreikemeier added 11 while Haase totaled 8. Kate and Maddie Knobbe recorded 7 each.

The Bluejays held a 12-11 lead on the Warriors after one. Crofton won the second quarter 10-6 to go up 21-18 at halftime.

GACC outscored the Warriors 17-12 in the third quarter to lead 35-33 at the end of three.

Crofton put up 13 fourth quarter points compared to just 8 for the Bluejays.

Kate Knobbe and Brown had a team-high 9 points apiece while Steuter and Haase registered 7 each.

It had to be somewhat disappointing end to the season for GACC. The Bluejays had their chance to win another state championship.

GACC wraps up a memorable campaign with a 27-2 record.

The Bluejays had a ton of big wins this season, including victories over Crofton (twice), Wayne (twice), Columbus Scotus, Emerson-Hubbard, Howells-Dodge, Bishop Neumann, Wynot, Hartington Cedar Catholic, Pierce, Oakland-Craig, and Ponca.

Of those 11 teams, 7 made state and 4 were either state champions or state runner-ups.

That really says something about how great GACC was.

The Bluejays lose a talented class of seniors, including Kate Knobbe, Brown, Steuter, Morgan Bracht, Kreikemeier, and Sara Wordekemper.

These six seniors were key contributors and leaders for GACC not only this season, but throughout their careers.

The Bluejays should be good again next year with the return of Haase, Maddie Knobbe, Hannah Hunke, Lauren Wobken, Emily Reeson, and others.

GACC may not be as dominant next year as they were this year, but I still expect the Bluejays to make a run at the state title and make state for the 20th straight season.

There's talks of GACC moving back down to D-1, and if that happens, the Bluejays should be the favorite to win the state championship.

As long as players grow, work hard, and develop in the offseason there's no reason to think GACC won't be good again in 2016-2017.

Oakland-Craig Girls fall to Hastings St. Cecilia at State

The Oakland-Craig Girls' first ever game at the State Tournament was a loss as the Knights fell 57-44 to Hastings St. Cecilia Thursday night at Lincoln Southwest.

The Hawkettes led Oakland-Craig 12-9 after one. Hastings St. Cecilia won the second quarter 12-10 to take a 24-19 lead into the locker room.

The Hawkettes outscored the Knights 15-13 in the third quarter to lead 39-32 at the end of three.

Hastings St. Cecilia notched 18 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Oakland-Craig.

Dacey Nelson led all scorers with 29 points while Brynn Charling totaled 7.

The Knights hung right with the Hawkettes for three quarters. Oakland-Craig didn't have a bad showing by any means.

The Knights conclude the 2015-2016 campaign with a 19-7 record.

Oakland-Craig had a lot of nice wins this season, including victories over Pender (twice), Wisner-Pilger (twice), Stanton, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Tekamah-Herman, Mead, West Point-Beemer, Howells-Dodge, and Fremont Bergan.

The Knights knocked off some giants this season, and that's a big reason why they earned a wildcard to the state tournament.

Oakland-Craig had a memorable season, and this team and group of seniors won't be forgotten anytime soon.

The Knights part ways with Brynn and Bailey Charling, Olivia Bures, and Emma Reinert.

All four of these players are quality players, and are big losses without a doubt.

However, the future of Oakland-Craig Girls Basketball looks bright with the return of Nelson, Melanie Snader, Shannon Pille, and others.

These three figure to be the Knights' most experienced players heading into next season.

There are a lot of unknowns heading into next year so it will be interesting to see who emerges and makes an impact on next year's team.

Nelson is a special player, and as long as Oakland-Craig has her, the Knights have a chance to go to state.

I don't think there's any doubt Oakland-Craig can build off what they did this year, and get back to Lincoln in 2017.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls fall to Sandhills/Thedford in first round of State

Lincoln-The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls hung with Sandhills/Thedford for three quarters and led at halftime at the State Tournament in Lincoln Thursday night, but the Knights outscored the Cougars 20-9 in the fourth quarter to win 49-36.

Scoring was at a premium early as Lyons-Decatur Northeast found themselves down 5-1 in the first quarter. The Cougars were able to go on a 6-0 run to go up 7-5 before Sandhills/Thedford tied the game up at 7 at the end of the first frame.

Both offenses had a tough time in the second quarter as well as the Cougars won the second period 7-4 to take a 14-11 lead into the locker room.

The Knights put up 18 points in the third quarter compared to 13 for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to go up 29-27 at the end of three.

Brianne Haskell had a team-high 17 points for the Cougars.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast played a good game, but credit Sandhills/Thedford for keeping Lexie Bacon in check. I thought not allowing her to go off was a big difference in the game.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast ends their final season at 16-8.

The Cougars made their last season a memorable one, reaching state for the first and only time. Lyons-Decatur Northeast also won the Class D-2 Sportsmanship Award, a very nice honor for the school.

The Cougars came out of the gates strong, and ended the season strong, winning five out of their first six to begin the season, and five out of their last six to end it.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast played a difficult schedule, yet managed to beat some good teams, and hang with others.

The Cougars picked up quality wins over Fremont Bergan, Tekamah-Herman, Mead, Cedar Bluffs, Oakland-Craig, Wisner-Pilger, Humphrey St. Francis, and Spalding Academy.

I think the win over the Gators really got Lyons-Decatur Northeast's season back on track at the end.

The Cougars had just lost to Wisner-Pilger in the East Husker Conference Tournament, but turned around five days later and knocked off the Gators.

This team will not soon be forgotten, and made their school, coaches, parents, and communities proud.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast says goodbye to Haskell, Tessie Collins, Libby Henneman, Mariah Jessen, and Abby Peterson.

Bacon and Kelly Wakeley figure to be key contributors on next year's co-op team without a doubt. I wouldn't be surprised if the BRLD Wolverines make a trip to state in Girls Basketball in 2017.

Stanton Girls lose to GACC at State

The Stanton Girls ended their season at State on Thursday, falling 56-34 to top seeded Guardian Angels Central Catholic at Lincoln Southwest.

The Bluejays led the Mustangs 19-12 at the end of one. GACC won the second quarter 7-6 to lead 26-18 at halftime.

The Bluejays outscored Stanton 18-12 in the third quarter to go up 44-30 at the end of three.

GACC tripled up the Mustangs 12-4 in the fourth quarter.

Ali Wade had a team-high 9 points while Hiliary Huss notched 7.

It wasn't the type of performance offensively Stanton is accustomed to, but I think the Mustangs had a good showing as they hung with the Bluejays for a half.

Stanton ends the season at 19-8.

The Mustangs started the season slow, but picked things up right before Christmas.

Stanton rattled off 6 wins in a row and 10 out of 11 from December 18th to January 19th.

The Mustangs picked up some big wins, including victories over West Point-Beemer, Pender, Twin River (three times), West Holt, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (twice).

Stanton had a good season in reaching the state tournament for the first time since 1990.

It was a season filled with disappointment early on, but I'm sure the Mustangs are all smiles right now.

Stanton says goodbye to Huss, Wade, Alex Oestreich, and Leah Arens.

These four seniors did a lot for this team this season and throughout their careers, and should be commended for their efforts.

A lot of talent returns for the Mustangs next season, including MacKenzie and Jessie Brandl, Bree Burtwhistle, and Hannah Heppner.

There's a lot of work to be done in the offseason if this team wants to get back to the state tournament, but it can definitely happen.

Stanton will have to find a consistent scoring threat with the loss of Huss, but as long as someone steps up and fills the role she played, the Mustangs should be just fine.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys lose to Bishop Neumann in District Final

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys saw their season come to an end in the C1-3 District Final at Midland University Monday night as the Raiders lost 72-48 to Bishop Neumann.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder led 19-17 after one. The Cavaliers doubled up the Raiders 16-8 to take a 33-27 lead into the locker room.

Bishop Neumann won the third quarter 12-8 to go up 45-35 at the end of three.

The Cavaliers outscored Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 27-13 in the fourth quarter.

Hunter Schlueter paced the Raiders with 15 points. Jacob Polk added 14 while Ben Moxness scored 10.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder gave it their best shot Monday night, but the Raiders were simply outmatched by a superior team in Bishop Neumann.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder ends the season at 15-10.

The Raiders had a good season. Logan View/Scribner-Snyder beat a few good teams, and competed with most of the teams on their schedule.

The Raiders picked up big wins over Douglas County West, Stanton, Madison, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, and Fort Calhoun.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder says goodbye to Michael Broussard, Darnell Sims, Colin Vonseggern, Conner Gralheer, Schlueter, and David Dunklau.

These six seniors meant a lot to this year's team, and there's no doubt the Raiders wouldn't have been as successful without them.

Key returners for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder next year are Moxness, Polk, and Nathan Taylor.

The Raiders lose some of their scoring, but new and returning players should emerge and pick up the slack left by this year's departing seniors.

With these two schools co-oping, there's going to be a lot of competition for playing time.

The competition should bring the best out of the returning players and newcomers, and drive them to improve, be successful, and be good.

I look for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder to have a big summer, and improve on what has been built by this year's team.

This program is headed in the right direction and has something going for them and simply needs to keep it going in 2016-2017.

Oakland-Craig Girls reach state for first time in school history

The Oakland-Craig Girls are at state for the first time in school history thanks to a wildcard.

The Knights defeated Wisner-Pilger 42-24 in the C2-3 Sub District at Pender on Tuesday, February 16th before losing 51-40 to Guardian Angels Central Catholic in the Sub District Final on Thursday, February 18th.

The Knights led the Gators 12-0 at the end of one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 10-7 to take a 22-7 lead into the locker room.

The Knights outscored the Gators 15-11 in the third quarter to go up 37-18 at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger put up 6 fourth quarter points compared to 5 for Oakland-Craig.

Dacey Nelson led the way with 21 points while Brynn Charling totaled 9 points and 11 rebounds.

The Knights led the Bluejays 10-6 at the end of one. GACC won the second quarter 11-10 to make it a 20-17 game at halftime.

The Bluejays outscored Oakland-Craig 16-2 in the third quarter to go up 33-22 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 18 fourth quarter points.

Nelson had a game-high 15 points. Emma Reinert added 9 rebounds.

I'm sure the Knights are super glad to be at state. This is a big deal for Oakland-Craig.

19-6 Oakland-Craig takes on 18-5 Hastings St. Cecilia in the third and final game of Girls State Basketball on 107.9 the Bull on Thursday.

Knights Head Coach Joe Anderson feels his team's defense gives them a shot to win.

"Yeah absolutely. That's something we really take pride in, is our defense. And it's going to be something that we're going to have to really, really play well because they have probably one of the best players in Class C-2, and one of the better players in the whole state in the Farmer girl at point guard."

Shandra Farmer comes in averaging 21 points per game.

Anderson says the Hawkettes have a lot of state experience. "Yeah they have great tradition. I talked with my girls a little bit. I think they've been in the last three state finals. I think they've lost to Crofton the last three years. And so their girls know what it's like to play down there. That's the one thing they probably do have on us."

Hastings St. Cecilia may have more state experience than Oakland-Craig, but the Knights have a number of good scorers and a strong defense.

Nelson, Brynn and Bailey Charling, Reinert, Olivia Bures, and others are all good players for Oakland-Craig.

The Knights need each and every one of them to step up and score if they hope to win.

Oakland-Craig is going to have to be stellar on both ends of the floor to knock off the Hawkettes.

Hastings St. Cecilia is very good so it's going to take the Knights' best effort for Oakland-Craig to advance to the semifinals.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls making first and only trip to state

The Lyons-Decatur Northeast Girls are making their first and only ever trip to state thanks to a 49-35 win over Spalding Academy in the D2-2 District Final at Lutheran High Northeast Friday night.

The Cougars doubled up the Shamrocks 8-4 in the first quarter. Lyons-Decatur Northeast outscored Spalding Academy 14-10 in the second quarter to lead 22-14 at halftime.

The Shamrocks won the third quarter 12-8 to make it a 30-26 game at the end of three.

The Cougars put up 19 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Spalding Academy.

Lexie Bacon had a game-high 18 points while Mariah Jessen notched 13 points and 15 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Brianne Haskell registered 11 points while Abby Peterson totaled 7 rebounds.

Head Coach Rex Haskell says Bacon caught fire. "Yeah we got some open outside looks. Their 2-3 zone shifted so far on the pass, and then the ball reversal left her wide open on the outside, and she got hot, and I think she hit five in a row for us."

16-7 Lyons-Decatur Northeast tangles with 22-4 Sandhills/Thedford in the second of three Girls State Basketball games to be aired on 107.9 the Bull on Thursday.

Haskell says the Knights are tall. "They got some size. Going to have to keep them off the boards and try to limit them to one shot. And I think the key to the game is one shot, keep it out of the paint. They like to pound it in the paint pretty hard. They got some pretty good heighth."

Sandhills/Thedford has three starters 6'0 or taller.

The Knights defeated Mullen for the 4th time this season Friday night, winning the D2-5 District Final at North Platte, 41-30.

Sandhills/Thedford has won 10 in a row and 18 out of their last 19.

It's going to be the Cougars' outside game versus the Knights' inside game.

The one thing Lyons-Decatur Northeast has done well all season long is they've stayed out of foul trouble.

The Cougars will have to do that again on Thursday if they hope to come away with a win.

It should be a good game. I'm super excited to be calling it. I think Lyons-Decatur Northeast has a chance to win given the type of schedule they've played.

It would be great to see the Cougars get to play two more games at state, especially with it being their last season.

Thursday's game starts at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln North Star. It will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

Howells-Dodge Girls back at state

The Howells-Dodge Girls are back at state thanks to a wildcard. The Jaguars defeated Osceola 53-36 on Tuesday, February 16th in the D1-4 Sub District at David City Aquinas before losing 43-38 to Fullerton in the Sub District Final on Thursday, February 18th.

The Jaguars led the Bulldogs 18-10 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge tripled up Osceola 15-5 in the second quarter to lead 33-15 at halftime.

The Jaguars doubled up the Bulldogs 12-6 in the third quarter to go up 45-21 at the end of three.

Osceola notched 15 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge.

Sam Brester totaled 16 points and 10 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Chelsea Bayer and Tessa Brester notched 10 points apiece.

The Warriors led the Jaguars 7-3 after one. Howells-Dodge won the second quarter 11-7 to tie the game at 14 at halftime.

Fullerton outscored the Jaguars 19-12 in the third quarter to lead 33-26 at the end of three.

Howells-Dodge notched 12 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Warriors.

Sam Brester paced the Jaguars with 16 points. Macey Kulhanek added 7 while Kelly Cech totaled 8 rebounds.

19-6 Howells-Dodge squares off with 22-1 Dundy County-Stratton in the first round in Lincoln on Thursday.

Head Coach Scott Polacek says not turning the ball over will be critical given what happened last year and how tough the Tigers are. "Obviously we have to do a good job of taking care of the ball. That's step one. They got a couple of cheap turnovers on us in the game that hurt. And they've been really doing that to everybody I've seen this year on film. They've just been really doing a good job of pressuring the ball so we got to take care of the ball, that's just the number one step. So if we do that we feel we can be competitive."

Dundy County-Stratton beat the Jaguars 58-48 in the state semifinals last year.

The Tigers beat South Loup 68-35 in the D1-6 District Final at Wallace Friday night.

Dundy County-Stratton is a very good team. The Tigers are probably just as good if not better than they were last year.

Polacek says the Tigers are a tough team who stand in the way of his team achieving their goal.

"It's kind of a goal for us to get to the finals, get to Pinnacle Bank. And so obviously Dundy County is right there in front of us, and it's going to be a tough task. They're solid, and they got their entire team back. And yeah it's going to be a project to get through all these girls, there's no doubt about it."

Another team that could perhaps stand in Howells-Dodge's way of making the state championship is Friend, should both the Jaguars and Bulldogs win.

Howells-Dodge has to play their game, and do everything in their power to win. That means the Jaguars can't beat themselves.

Thursday's game tips off at 2:00 p.m. at Lincoln North Star. Updates will be provided on 107.9 the Bull.

Stanton Girls reach state for first time since 1990

The Stanton Girls Basketball team is making their first trip to state since 1990 as the Mustangs punched their ticket to Lincoln with a 47-37 win over Twin River in the C2-3 District Final in Columbus Friday night.

Stanton led 16-2 at the end of one. The Titans won the second quarter 12-11 to make it a 27-14 game at the end of three.

Twin River outscored the Mustangs 13-9 in the third quarter to cut the deficit to 9 at 36-27 at the end of three.

Stanton notched 11 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Titans.

Hiliary Huss led the way with 18 points. MacKenzie Brandl totaled 9 while Bree Burtwhistle registered 8.

Head Coach Greg Wegner says his team came out strong in beating the Titans for the third time this year. "Yeah we really did. We played them twice earlier in the year. The first time we played really well. We shot well. And the second time my girls kind of took it a little easier, they thought they weren't as good as they were. But I tried warning them. And in the third game they came out real hot, they didn't want that happening again like the second time." 



19-7 Stanton meets 25-1 Guardian Angels Central Catholic in Lincoln on Thursday.

Wegner says the Bluejays are the real deal. "They're tough. Looking across the board they have great heighth, they have great speed, great fundamentals. And they can all score so I mean it's going to be a tough matchup for us. All I want out of my kids is for them to play as hard as they can."


The thing with GACC is they don't have just one great player, or a couple of really good players. The Bluejays are a complete team.

Huss, Brandl, Burtwhistle, and others all need to step up and score even more than they did against the Titans.

The Mustangs' players need to score like GACC, and match the Bluejays' defensive intensity.

Stanton is going to have to play a whale of a game to knock off mighty GACC. The Mustangs have state experience working against them so Stanton is going to have to play out of their minds to hang and compete with and ultimately beat the Bluejays.

Anything is possible though so the Mustangs can certainly win.

GACC has their sights on winning the whole thing, but it would be Stanton's pleasure to spoil the party for the Bluejays.

The biggest thing for the Mustangs is to go out and play their best. If Stanton gives their best effort and plays the best game they can, that will be good.

Not a lot of teams in Class C-1 or below are capable of beating GACC so we'll find out if the Mustangs become one of them.

Thursday's game is set to tip off at 2:00 p.m. at Lincoln Southwest. The game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.

Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls making 19th straight state appearance

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls are making their 19th straight trip to state thanks in part to a 63-40 win over Ponca in the C2-2 District Final at South Sioux City Friday night.

Head Coach Jerry Stracke's team has multiple girls who can score. "Yeah that's one of our strengths this year is we don't have one player the other team can focus on. It always seems like someone always steps up for us in close games so that's very good to see."

25-1 Guardian Angels Central Catholic meets 19-7 Stanton in Lincoln on Thursday. Stracke doesn't anticipate an easy game with the Mustangs. "I think it's going to be one of our toughest matches. Stanton had to battle some injuries, and they're at full strength right now. They have a lot of speed and quickness, and it's going to depend on how well we adjust to that."

Stanton punched their ticket to Lincoln with a 47-37 win in the C2-3 District Final in Columbus Friday night.

The Mustangs are making their first trip to Lincoln since 1990.

The Bluejays certainly have the edge when it comes to state experience, but Stanton is still a tough team.

The Mustangs arguably have one of the best players in the area in Hiliary Huss.

GACC has to try and limit her as much as possible, and force other players to beat them.

Stracke told me you don't really slow a player like her down so it will be interesting to see what kind of game plan the Bluejays have.

GACC obviously has their sights set on bigger things than making the first round, but the Bluejays have to get past step one.

Stanton should have GACC's attention. I don't think this is your typical 1-8 match up.

With that said, I look for the Bluejays to win and advance in the end. I think GACC will be too strong a team for the Mustangs in the end.

Stanton might hang around for a while, but I look for the Bluejays to take over and pull away at some point.

Thursday's game is set to tip off at 2:00 p.m. at Lincoln Southwest. The game will be aired on 107.9 the Bull.