Team: West Point-Beemer
Mascot: Cadets
Colors: Red, Black, and White
Class: C-1
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Cody Bobolz (4th season) (36-40 record)
2017-2018 record: 15-10 (lost to Arlington in Sub-Districts)
Returning Starters: 2
Overview:
It's new look, new West Point-Beemer Cadets this year as the West Point-Beemer Boys Basketball Team looks to retool and reload under 4th year Head Coach Cody Bobolz.
Two key returners for the Cadets are Blake Anderson and Ben Vander Griend.
Jesus Barragan, Zach Vander Griend, Keegan Doggett, and Dylan Newkirk are all expected to play big roles and contribute.
Bobolz says the Cadets had a good summer. "I was pleased with the development throughout the summer, no doubt about it. Felt we got better from our first summer league game to our last. And that's obviously as a coach something you want to see. But we know going forward now start of the regular season that's just going to be a continued progression. Getting some of those younger guys more comfortable."
It will be interesting to see how West Point-Beemer starts the season.
The Cadets will breaking in quite a few new players to I expect it to take some time for new players to get acclimated and comfortable.
West Point-Beemer has gotten better in each of Bobolz's years at the helm, but the Cadets graduated a lot from last year.
Key losses include Alex Gianella, Chase and Austin Streeter, Gavin Case, Hunter Pilakowski, Cole Hughes, and Tate Ernesti.
West Point-Beemer has their work cut out for them this year with a young team, but I feel it's a team with a lot of potential and room for growth throughout the season.
The key thing is being patient with these kids.
The Cadets are putting a pretty young team on the floor this year, and struggles are bound to happen and take place.
How West Point-Beemer bounces back and rebounds from those struggles will ultimately dictate how their season is going to go, in my opinion.
If the Cadets can just stay the course and take things one game at a time they should have an opportunity to win some ball games this year.
West Point-Beemer may start off with some deer in the headlights looks, but I look for this team to be grown up and more mature at the end of the season.
Season Outlook:
West Point-Beemer looks to challenge teams this year and turn some heads.
Games the Cadets have the best chance to pick up wins in appear to be against Arlington, Stanton, Howells-Dodge, Schuyler, Tekamah-Herman, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, and Madison.
There are some very tough teams on the schedule, and they include Omaha Roncalli, North Bend Central, Wisner-Pilger, BRLD, Battle Creek, Pierce, Wayne, Oakland-Craig, and Fremont Bergan.
The Cadets open up the season at Arlington on Thursday, November 29th. "First game when you come out. It's a toss up. You just don't know exactly what you're going to get. I'd pry say more so for us this year just with the amount of inexperience that we have. I'm hoping not a huge eye opener for some of these young guys, but I think it will definitely be an adjustment coming out in that first game," Bobolz said.
Bobolz says going down to Arlington is going to be a challenge as they're always athletic and will get after the Cadets. The Eagles have a new coach this year.
The Holiday Tournament and East Husker Conference Tournament is always tough as well.
West Point-Beemer is in Sub-District C1-6 with North Bend Central, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, and Arlington.
Tekamah-Herman is usually in that sub-district as well, but the Tigers have dropped down to C-2.
Bobolz feels North Bend Central is the favorite to win the Sub-District.
Bobolz says the biggest thing for his team is to continue to focus on the process and getting better, and taking those small steps everyday to be a better basketball team.
I think the Cadets are going to be one of those teams that challenges teams on a nightly basis.
West Point-Beemer may not win every game, but I think the Cadets will compete and beat the teams they're supposed to.
I think the most important thing for West Point-Beemer is to grow and improve throughout the season as a team.
Learning how to be good teammates and how to play together as a team and having good teamwork will be big for the Cadets this year I feel.
West Point-Beemer did well in football again this year so there's no reason to think the basketball Team can't have some success as well.
2018-2019 West Point-Beemer Cadets Boys Basketball Schedule:
11/29/18 @ Arlington
12/01/18 Omaha Roncalli Catholic
12/04/18 @ Stanton
12/06/18 @ North Bend Central
12/11/18 Howells-Dodge
12/20/18 @ Fort Calhoun
12/27-12/29 (To Be Determined) Northeast Nebraska Shoot Out Wayne
01/04/19 @ Wisner-Pilger
01/05/19 BRLD
01/08/19 Battle Creek
01/10/19 Schuyler
01/12/19 @ Tekamah-Herman
01/18/19 Twin River
01/19/19 @ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
01/22/19 Pierce
01/24/19 @ Wayne
01/26-02/02 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/05/19 Madison C1
02/08/19 @ Oakland-Craig
02/15/19 @ Archbishop Bergan
Team: West Point-Beemer
Mascot: Cadets
Colors: Red, Black, and White
Class: C-1
Conference: East Husker
Head Coach: Taylor Shepard (1st season)
2017-2018 record: 20-7 (Lost to Wahoo in District Final)
Returning Starters: N/A
Overview:
The West Point-Beemer Girls Basketball Team is expecting big things under first year Head Coach Taylor Shepard, who comes to the school from Elkhorn South.
Shepard on this year's expectations. "Looking to build on the success of last year after graduating 5 seniors. Transfer Sierra Kile will help, along with Brooke Haase, Sidney Swanson, and Andrea Hoffman."
Shepard adds she likes the makeup of this year's squad. "Obviously having Sidney Swanson back in a Sophomore role having a little bit more experience will be very helpful for us. I'm also excited to see what our group of seniors can do. I think Brooke Haase's going to be able to contribute a lot in the post along with Kendra Paasch. Abby Kaup provides a fire for us. I'm really excited to see what that translates like then on the court. And then Darian Repschlaeger on the defensive end and Andrea Hoffman with her shooting abilities will be really helpful."
Shepard says Kile is a great add as she averaged about 20 points and 10 rebounds at Conestoga last year.
Swanson averaged 9 points a game for the Cadets last year while Hoffman averaged 6.
Shepard says the offseason went well. "We were able to go to five different team camps, including the UNL Team Camp and the Concordia Team Camp, which were really fun. We got to play some teams that we won't see throughout the season. But it was really great just getting to know the girls and start working them through our system just a little bit."
Shepard says girls were in the gym everyday in the summer and a little bit in the fall shooting.
Key losses from last year include Makenna Weddle, Brittney Hinkel, Katie Pilakowski, Megan Groth, and Nicole Mitzel.
The Cadets certainly lost a lot from last year, but a lot of good players return.
I think West Point-Beemer will be a more balanced and more well rounded team this year.
By that I mean I think the Cadets will score more in the post and will play tougher post defense than in the past.
I think West Point-Beemer has a very chance to do well again this season and make state.
Season Outlook:
The West Point-Beemer Girls have high expectations this season.
I think the Cadets have a chance to win a ton of games this year with the toughest contests coming against Omaha Roncalli, Stanton, North Bend Central, Howells-Dodge, Fremont Bergan, Pierce, Wayne, and Oakland-Craig.
I look for West Point-Beemer to start strong and rattle off a lot of wins in the middle portion of the schedule as well.
Things get tough towards the end of the regular season so we'll see where the Cadets are at that point.
West Point-Beemer is in Sub-District C1-6 with North Bend Central, Logan View/Scribner-Snyder, Tekamah-Herman, and Arlington.
Shepard says North Bend Central is always a tough team that has a lot of height and skill with a very talented coach in Aaron Sterup.
West Point-Beemer's had a lot of success in recent years, but hasn't quite broken through and made state.
In fact, the Cadets haven't made State since 1977. "That's something we've been talking about since Day One. Just speaking with the girls and it's always been a goal of theirs to make it to state. Obviously I've had a lot of experience both as a player and as a coach going to state, and so that's kind of been the expectation for me. And I'm hoping that we can continue to build on that throughout the season," Shepard said.
I don't think there's any doubt that the Cadets are built to win and make state this year.
With the transfer of Kile and other returning players West Point-Beemer should contend for a state berth again.
I think the Cadets will have a lot of depth in the post and that should really help.
I feel the new Sub-State format really benefits a team like West Point-Beemer in that they may avoid a top team such as a Wahoo or a Bishop Neumann.
If the Cadets can have a successful regular season and get hot in the postseason I think state is very doable, especially with the right matchup at Sub-State.
West Point-Beemer opens up the season on Thursday, November 29th when they take on Arlington on the road.
2018-2019 West Point-Beemer Cadets Girls Basketball Schedule:
11/29/18 @ Arlington
12/01/18 Omaha Roncalli Catholic
12/04/18 @ Stanton
12/06/18 @ North Bend Central
12/11/18 Howells-Dodge
12/18/18 @ Archbishop Bergan
12/20/18 @ Fort Calhoun
12/27-12/29 (To Be Determined) Northeast Nebraska Shoot Out Wayne State College
01/04/19 @ Wisner-Pilger
01/05/19 BRLD
01/08/19 Battle Creek
01/10/19 Schuyler
01/12/19 @ Tekamah-Herman
01/18/19 Twin River
01/19/19 @ Logan View-Scribner-Snyder
01/22/19 Pierce
01/24/19 @ Wayne
01/25-02/02 (To Be Determined) East Husker Conference Tournament TBD
02/05/19 Madison
02/08/19 @ Oakland-Craig
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