Team: Oakland-Craig
Mascot: Knights
Colors: Orange and White
Class: C-2
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Aaron Meyer (168-148 career record)
2016-2017 record: 16-8 (lost to Elmwood-Murdock in first round of State)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
The Oakland-Craig Boys Basketball Team returns a lot of kids from last year's 16-8 State Tournament Team. Head Coach Aaron Meyer. "Garrett Seagren (6'2, SR PG/SG) obviously is a returning All-Stater that we will be hoping to get quite a bit from. His brother Wyatt (6'6, SO PF/C), also started for us in the post. Tyson Harney (6'2, JR PF), Kobe Benne (5'10, SR PG/SG), Garrison Dodge (5'9, JR PG/SG), Robby Mayberry (5'10, JR SG/SF), Jared Mulder (6'0, JR PG/SG/SF)."
I look for each and every one of these players, especially Seagren, to have big seasons.
The Knights may have lost Carter Thiele, but Oakland-Craig should still be a very good team.
The Knights have to play fast and within themselves this season.
Oakland-Craig has to visualize what it was like to play at state, and must work hard everyday in practice and during games to make their dreams a reality.
Oakland-Craig may have lost to Elmwood-Murdock at state last year, but Elmwood-Murdock was a very good team.
Oakland-Craig has to play more heart, passion, desire, determination, toughness, grit, tenacity, and fire than their opponents.
The Knights have a lot of speed and athleticism, now it's a matter of turning all that talent into a great team.
I feel Oakland-Craig has what it takes to be a great team, and think this could be another special year for the Knights.
Oakland-Craig has to play with drive and energy every time they take to the floor, and must push themselves everyday in practice and in games to get better.
The Knights have to do their best to play their best basketball at the end of the season so they can make a postseason run.
Oakland-Craig got a wildcard to state last year, but getting one of those is never easy.
The Knights have to do the fundamental things well to get back to state. I feel things like looking for good shots, being ready to shoot at all times, converting easy layups, and getting to the free throw line are all critical.
I think guarding the ball tight, getting steals to get out in transition, boxing out, and rebounding will be big for Oakland-Craig as well.
Season Outlook:
The Oakland-Craig Boys Basketball Team is looking for big things again this year.
Tough games on the schedule appear to be against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, Boys Town, Howells-Dodge, Winnebago, Wisner-Pilger, Walthill, BRLD, North Bend Central, West Point-Beemer, Fremont Bergan, and Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.
The Knights definitely have their work cut out for them this season, but I look for tough competition to bring out the best in this Oakland-Craig Team.
I feel the Knights will be factors in their Holiday Tournament as well as the East Husker Conference Tournament and Sub-Districts.
The Knights open up the season on Thursday at home against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.
Meyer says the Raiders are the complete package. "They are big, they're well coached, they can handle the ball well, they can shoot the ball from the outside. They've got one or two potential All-State kids on that team so yeah right out of the gates with a very, very good team. Going to be no easy task."
LVSS beat the Knights twice last year.
Oakland-Craig is in Sub-District C2-3 with BRLD, Omaha Nation, Homer, and Wakefield.
I think the Knights should have a good chance to win that sub-district and get to a district final.
I feel Oakland-Craig has a great chance to get to state again this year, only this time winning their way into the tournament.
I look for it to be a good and successful year for the Knights, and for many good and great things to come their way.
Sure Oakland-Craig may experience a few bumps in the road throughout the course of the season, but in the end the Knights should be right there for a potential state berth.
The most important thing for Oakland-Craig though is taking things one day at a time and not getting too ahead of themselves.
It's okay to dream and visualize what getting back to state and winning would feel like, but it should all be done within reason.
2017-2018 Oakland-Craig Knights Boys Basketball Schedule:
11/30/17 Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
12/02/17 Boys Town
12/05/17 @ Clarkson/Leigh
12/08/17 Pender
12/09/17 Howells-Dodge
12/12/17 Winnebago
12/14/17 @ Wisner-Pilger
12/16/17 @ Madison
12/19/17 Guardian Angels Central Catholic
12/21/17 @ Omaha Nation
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) Malcolm Holiday Tournament Malcolm
01/05/18 Stanton
01/09/18 Walthill
01/12/18 @ BRLD
01/16/18 Tekamah-Herman
01/19/18 North Bend Central
01/23/18 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
01/27-02/03 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/06/18 @ Archbishop Bergan
02/09/18 @ West Point-Beemer
Team: Oakland-Craig
Mascot: Knights
Colors: Orange and White
Class: C-2
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Joe Anderson (5th season) (57-39 record)
2016-2017 record: 14-7 (lost to Ponca in District Final)
Returning Starters: 3
Overview:
The Oakland-Craig Girls Basketball team brings back some talented players from last year minus Dacey Nelson, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Head Coach Joe Anderson says returning starters include Kennedy Benne and Natalia McNeill. "Kennedy Benne (PG/SG/SF JR) is probably our leading returner. She averaged 11 points a game last year. I really feel that she's going to be one of the better players in the conference this year. And she scored 29 in our jamboree game, and did a really good job. Just a great athlete that plays well on offense and defense. But also the one that really came on that's going to make a big difference for our team is Natalia McNeill (SG/SF). She's a Junior. She scored 18 points in our jamboree game. She's a girl that averaged maybe 2 or 3 points a game last year, and she's going to really be called upon to score a lot more, and she's really taken that role."
Anderson says another returning starter is Grace Pille (PG/SG, JR), who only averaged 2 or 3 points a game last year, but scored 11 points in the Jamboree game. Mya Guzinski (PG/SG SO) also returns, and she had 5 assists in the jamboree game.
Others expected to contribute this season are Freshman Makenna Pearson (5'10, PF), and Juniors Ashley Denton (PG/SG) and Ellie Weitzenkamp (SF/PF).
Anderson says his team won't be very tall and guard oriented, but I look for Oakland-Craig to have another fine season.
It appears a lot of girls have stepped up and raised their level of play with the absence of Nelson.
The Knights won their jamboree game over Fort Calhoun, 58-38, and that's a pretty impressive win for Oakland-Craig, in my opinion, even if it is just an exhibition game.
These girls have to play super hard, fast, physical, tenacious, tough, and downright nasty this season.
Oakland-Craig has to give everyone their best shot every time they take to the floor, and must get after one another in practice.
The Knights have to play with attitude, fight, might, grit, fire, passion, and pride.
Oakland-Craig can't take a night off or a play off for that matter, and must give teams their all at all times.
The Knights also have to work extra hard at things like boxing out and rebounding given how small they are.
Being ready to shoot, getting good and easy shots, and making layups as well as getting to the free throw line should all be a focus for Oakland-Craig.
So should pressuring the ball, creating steals, and playing tight, in your face defense.
Season Outlook:
The Oakland-Craig Girls Basketball Team figures to be mighty and talented this season even without Nelson.
Clarkson/Leigh, Howells-Dodge, Winnebago, Wisner-Pilger, Stanton, Elmwood-Murdock, BRLD, Tekamah-Herman, North Bend Central, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, and Fremont Bergan figure to be the toughest games on the schedule.
I feel Oakland-Craig has a great shot to beat a lot of those teams though.
Oakland-Craig kicks off the season on Thursday at home against Logan View/Scribner-Snyder. Anderson expects the Raiders to be tough. "I know last year they gave up some fits. I think in that 3rd quarter last year they really made a run and closed the gap on us a little bit. And I know they return for the most part their whole team. And so they have a lot of seniors. And so hopefully our girls are ready to go."
The Knights took last year's contest 68-43.
Oakland-Craig suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat at the hands of Ponca in the C2-2 District Final at Wisner-Pilger to end last season. Anderson says it's something his team hasn't forgotten. "That's something that we were setting goals here a few days ago....setting team goals. And that's something that came up. We were seconds from being in the State Tournament. And we just realized that rather than saying hey that was a lucky shot whatever, we try to work that much harder. If we would of found a little bit more time and worked a little harder during the summer, a little harder during practice.... then those opportunities for them to win at the end of the game probably wouldn't be there."
The Indians won the game 63-55 in overtime, aided by a clutch three-pointer by Emma Kneifl that tied the game in regulation.
I look for that game to only fuel and motivate Oakland-Craig throughout the course of the season.
The Knights have to find a little something extra in their gear to improve their game over the course of the season.
Just when Oakland-Craig feels they've done enough or doesn't feel like they can do anymore, the Knights have to remember back to that game and that moment and find a little something extra.
Oakland-Craig's toughest games come at the end of the season so the Knights will have to be ready to go, especially in the 4th quarter of those games.
Oakland-Craig is in Sub-District C2-3 with BRLD, Omaha Nation, Wakefield, and Homer.
2017-2018 Oakland-Craig Knights Girls Basketball Schedule:
11/30/17 Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
12/02/17 Boys Town
12/05/17 @ Clarkson/Leigh
12/08/17 Pender
12/09/17 Howells-Dodge
12/12/17 Winnebago
12/14/17 @ Wisner-Pilger
12/16/17 @ Madison
12/21/17 @ Omaha Nation
12/29-12/30 (To Be Determined) Malcolm Holiday Tournament malcolm
01/05/18 Stanton
01/06/18 @ Elmwood-Murdock
01/11/18 @ Emerson-Hubbard
01/12/18 @ BRLD
01/16/18 Tekamah-Herman
01/19/18 North Bend Central
01/23/18 Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
01/26-02/03 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/06/18 @ Archbishop Bergan
02/09/18 @ West Point-Beemer
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