Team: Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Mascot: Bluejays
Colors: Blue and White
Class: D-1
Conference: Mid-State
Head Coach: Alex Stieren (1st season)
2016-2017 record: 16-14 (lost to Nebraska City Lourdes in State Championship)
Returning Starters: 0
Overview:
The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Boys Basketball Team returns no starters from last year's Class D-1 State Runner-Up Team and only has two seniors out for the team this year. 1st year Head Coach Alex Stieren says four of the starting spots have been decided. "Bryant Rief (6'3), Derek Petz (5'10), both seniors. Juniors...Landon Stalp (6'4) and Jared Minnick (5'11)."
Stieren says the 5th starting spot is up for grabs between Casey Doernemann (6'3, SO) and Hunter Uhing (5'10, JR).
Guardian Angels Central Catholic lost big in their jamboree game against Ponca Monday night. Stieren says the game was a good learning experience for the kids. "It really opened the eyes of our kids to show them what they need to really to go after, what they need to look like. And Ponca plays a real tight man-to-man, their hands are everywhere. They're always following the ball. They're a real experienced group coming off their state win last year. But all in all can't complain, a game's a game, and that's good to get those pregame jitters out with such a young team."
The Bluejays may have lost a lot of players to graduation last year and may have fell big to Ponca, but I think GACC can be good this year.
Stieren won a State Championship as a player at GACC, and I think he will bring a lot of what he learned as a player to the table as Head Coach of the program.
It may take the Bluejays a little bit to get going, but I fully expect GACC to have a successful season.
The Bluejays have to come to practice and games with a positive and willing to learn attitude.
The players have to put the team first, and think about what's best for the team before themselves.
Everyone has to know and understand their roles, and be good, team players.
GACC has to play with a lot of school pride, passion, toughness, tenacity, grit, fire, drive, and determination.
The Bluejays can't take a night off. GACC has to work very hard to be successful.
Working the ball inside as well as hitting perimeter shots will be keys offensively for the Bluejays I feel.
Playing strong, straight up defense and pressuring the ball tightly will be critical for GACC as well I would say.
Season Outlook:
The GACC Boys Basketball Team looks to make another state run this year, but it doesn't figure to be easy given the fact the Bluejays lost all five starters to graduation.
GACC is kind of starting over with new players and a new coach you could say.
The Bluejays have what I consider to be tough contests against Lutheran High Northeast, Columbus Scotus, Wynot, Oakland-Craig, Wayne, Boone Central Newman/Grove, Battle Creek, Hartington Cedar Catholic, O'Neill, Pierce, Fremont Bergan, and Winnebago.
The schedule is pretty challenging, but I think GACC has a chance to win quite a few games this season.
The Bluejays open up the season on Friday at Lutheran High Northeast in the Northeast Nebraska Tip-Off Classic.
Stieren says it should be a pretty even matchup. "It'll be pretty interesting. I know they lost one of their leading scorers, but I know they have quite a few people back. And hopefully it will be a nice, close game. It always is with Lutheran High. We always play them quite a bit during the year, usually end up seeing them in state. Can't really complain about the competition."
The Bluejays lost 59-35 to the Eagles in the Classic last year before beating them later in the regular season.
GACC was very up and down last year so perhaps the Bluejays will become more consistent this year.
GACC is in Sub-District D1-4 with Clarkson/Leigh, Pender, and Walthill.
I feel that sub-district could come down to the Bluejays and Blujays again this season.
Clarkson/Leigh and Pender figure to be no slouches though.
The Mid-State Conference is a tough conference, and GACC figures to be challenged throughout the course of the season by everyone they play.
Making a State Championship kind of puts a target on the Bluejays' back I would say.
GACC is kind of the hunted now given the run they made last year I would think.
2017-2018 Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays Boys Basketball Schedule:
12/01-12/02 (To Be Determined) Northeast Nebraska Tip-Off Classic Emerson-Hubbard/Wisner-Pilger, Lutheran High NE
12/05/17 @ Columbus Scotus
12/07/17 @ Wynot
12/09/17 Crofton
12/19/17 @ Oakland-Craig
12/22/17 Aquinas Catholic
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) BRLD Tournament Lyons/Bancroft
01/02/18 @ Lutheran High Northeast
01/12/18 Wayne
01/13/18 Boone Central/Newman Grove
01/16/18 Battle Creek
01/19/18 O'Neill
01/20/18 @ Hartington Cedar Catholic
01/27-02/03 (To Be Determined) Mid State Conference Tournament Norfolk
02/06/18 Norfolk Catholic
02/08/18 @ Pierce
02/10/18 Archbishop Bergan
02/16/18 Winnebago
Team: Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Mascot: Bluejays
Colors: Blue and White
Class: D-1
Conference: Mid-State
Head Coach: Jerry Stracke (15th season) (352-46 career record)
2016-2017 record: 24-2 (beat Dundy County-Stratton in State Championship)
Returning Starters: 1
Overview:
Lots of new faces will see the floor for the Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls Basketball Team this season. Longtime Head Coach Jerry Stracke. "We have 4 juniors on the team. They include Maddie Bracht, Angela Jansen, and Ally Plagge. They'll see a lot of playing time for us. And then our Sophomores that were back from last year's team was Hanna Knobbe, Marissa Hunke, Greta Vering. So I mean we do have some players back, but not a lot of experience."
Senior and Midland signee Lexis Haase is the Bluejays' lone returning starter from last year's State Championship Team.
I look for Haase to have a gigantic season and lead this team.
She should have a big year, but you know teams will be out to shut her down.
That means other players will need to step up and score to take away some of the pressure and defense on her.
GACC went 24-2 and won the Class D-1 State Championship last year. Stracke says this year's team won't have quite as much offensive firepower as Bluejay teams of the past. "Well this year we're going to have to rely a lot on our defense. Our defense is going to have to carry us through, especially early in the season. Offensively, there's going to be some games that we're going to really struggle. But hopefully as the season goes along that aspect of our game will get a little bit better."
GACC has made state 20 years in a row and I look for the Bluejays to have a fine season and find their way once again this year.
GACC should be able to do some special things this season and have a good year I would think.
The Bluejays only returned one starter last year and found a way so who's to say GACC can't do it again this year?
The Bluejays will need to develop some scorers throughout the course of the season though.
GACC has to continue to shoot, shoot, and shoot in practice and in games.
The girls have to be confident in shooting the ball, must get to the free throw line, and convert easy layups as well.
Playing tight, pressure defense, and creating turnovers and steals to get easy baskets will be critical too as will rebounding and boxing out well I feel.
Season Outlook:
The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls Basketball Team looks for another big season this year, and hopes to continue the dominance they've had over the last two decades.
The Bluejays have a lot of challenging games on the schedule, especially in the early season, against the likes of Columbus Scotus, Wynot, Crofton, Fremont Bergan, Wayne, Bishop Neumann, Hartington Cedar Catholic, Pierce, and Spalding Academy.
I think GACC might struggle early, but look for the Bluejays to hit their stride towards the end of December.
The Bluejays open up the season at home on Thursday against Emerson-Hubbard in the Northeast Nebraska Tip-Off Classic. Stracke breaks down the matchup. "Emerson traditionally has been very, very good. They're kind of rebuilding these last couple years. New Coach I think. So don't really know what to expect from them. And will be our first game, and like I said we got a lot of inexperienced players so should be a pretty good matchup first round."
The Bluejays beat the Pirates 66-33 in last year's season opener.
This is a game with a lot of unknown and uncertainty for GACC I would say.
The Bluejays don't really know what they have right now, but should soon find out.
GACC is in Sub-District D1-4 with the likes of Walthill, Clarkson/Leigh, and Pender, and Clarkson/Leigh and perhaps Pender figure to be very legit contenders.
The Patriots in particular figure to be really good, but the Bluejays have a great coach and a great system, and have been great the last 20 years, and I think GACC will find a way to continue their winning ways.
A lot of the Bluejays' games might be low scoring, but I still fully expect GACC to grind some games out and find success.
GACC has the BRLD Holiday Tournament as well as the Mid-State Conference later in the season prior to sub-districts, and I look for the Bluejays to do well in both of those tournaments.
It figures to be an interesting, but good season for GACC.
I think the Bluejays will learn a lot about themselves throughout the course of the season.
2017-2018 Guardian Angels Central Catholic Bluejays Girls Basketball Schedule:
11/30-12/02 (To Be Determined) Northeast Nebraska Tip-Off Classic Emerson-Hubbard/GACC, Wisner-Pilger
12/05/17 @ Columbus Scotus
12/07/17 @ Wynot
12/09/17 Crofton
12/12/17 @ Archbishop Bergan
12/14/17 Winnebago
12/16/17 Norfolk Catholic
12/18/17 @ Wayne
12/22/17 Aquinas Catholic
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) BRLD Holiday Tour. Lyons/Bancroft
01/09/18 @ Bishop Neumann
01/13/18 Boone Central/Newman Grove
01/16/18 Battle Creek
01/19/18 O'Neill
01/20/18 @ Hartington Cedar Catholic
01/25/18 @ Spalding Academy
01/27-02/03 (To Be Determined) Mid State Conference Tournament Norfolk
02/06/18 @ Pender
02/08/18 @ Pierce
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