Clarkson/Leigh Boys and Girls 0-3 in last three games

The Clarkson/Leigh Boys are 0-3 in their last three games, falling 43-37 at Pender last Thursday night, 50-34 at Howells-Dodge on Saturday, and 63-58 at Bancroft-Rosalie Tuesday night.

The Patriots led the Pendragons 10-7 after one. Pender won the second quarter 13-9 to go up 20-19 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Clarkson/Leigh 10-8 in the third quarter to make it a 30-27 game at the end of three.

Pender notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Patriots.

Ben McMullin had a team-high 9 points while Kobe and Blake Paprocki totaled 7 each.

Howells-Dodge doubled up the Patriots 14-7 in the first quarter. The Jaguars outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-2 in the second quarter to take a 33-9 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 15-8 to make it a 41-24 game at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh put up 10 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge



Kobe Paprocki had 15 points and 15 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Dominik Harper added 8 points while McMullin notched 8 rebounds.

Clarkson/Leigh led Bancroft-Rosalie 13-12 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Patriots 18-13 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.

Clarkson/Leigh won the third quarter 20-19 to make it a 49-46 game at the end of three.

Bancroft-Rosalie notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for the Patriots.


Clarkson/Leigh hit an all-time low by losing to Pender. The Patriots played a lot better against the Panthers though. That game could definitely serve as a momentum booster heading into the Holiday Tournament.

Clarkson/Leigh (1-8) squares off with St. Edward (0-5) at the St. Edward Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Beavers lost 49-29 at Burwell Friday night.

I feel like the Patriots are a better team than what they've shown so far.

I think it's simply a matter of Clarkson/Leigh getting things figured out defensively.

I don't know how much the Patriots will get accomplished before they take the court on Monday, but this team has to take pride in their play on the defensive side of the floor.

Clarkson/Leigh is underachieving, in my opinion, and should definitely be doing better.

The good news is there's a lot of season left for the Patriots and it's not how you start, it's how you finish.

Perhaps a Holiday Tournament championship could get Clarkson/Leigh's season headed in the right direction.

The Patriots' Holiday Tournament championship game would be a lot tougher than the game with St. Edward, but anything is possible with this team.

I think it's only a matter of time before Clarkson/Leigh breaks out and gets on a roll.

Perhaps the Patriots will start a run in this Holiday Tournament.

Tip-off is set for 6:45 p.m. on Monday.

The Clarkson/Leigh Girls are also 0-3 in their last three games, falling 49-27 at Pender last Thursday night, 54-30 at Howells-Dodge on Saturday, and 54-32 at Bancroft-Rosalie Tuesday night.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 18-5 at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 11-3 in the second quarter to take a 29-8 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 8-3 to make it a 32-16 game at the end of three.

The Pendragons notched 17 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for Clarkson/Leigh to make up the final score.



Hannah Kasik had a team-high 13 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Shelby Paprocki added 8 rebounds.




The Jaguars led the Patriots 10-6 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-5 in the second quarter to take a 32-11 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 16-14 to make it a 46-27 game at the end of three.

The Jaguars put up 8 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Clarkson/Leigh.








The Panthers quadrupled up the Patriots 12-3 in the first quarter. Clarkson/Leigh won the second quarter 13-12 to make it a 24-16 game at the break.

Bancroft-Rosalie doubled up the Patriots 16-8 in the third quarter to lead 40-24 at the end of three.

The Panthers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 14-8 in the fourth quarter.

The Patriots are trying their best, but unfortunately their efforts haven't yielded any wins as of late.

Clarkson/Leigh (2-7) battles St. Edward (1-4) in the St. Edward Holiday Tournament on Monday.

The Beavers lost 54-16 at Burwell Friday night.

St. Edward has played a tough schedule, but I think the Patriots are definitely capable of winning and getting to the championship game.

Nebraska Christian looks mighty tough so I don't know if Clarkson/Leigh can win the championship, but anything is certainly possible.

If the Patriots can at least get a split out of this tournament I think they would take it.

Clarkson/Leigh does not want to go 0-2 in this tournament.

This is an important tournament for the Patriots. Clarkson/Leigh needs to perform well to get back on track and set the stage for the second half of the season.

Kasik has played well for the Patriots, but she needs help.

Clarkson/Leigh's scoring needs to improve dramatically if the Patriots are going to turn their season around.

It's tough to win when you score in the 20's and 30's. Clarkson/Leigh is 2-0 when scoring over 40 points this season so that could be the magic number for the Patriots.

If Clarkson/Leigh can get into the 40's or 50's against the Beavers it may very well be enough to win.

Monday's game is set to tip-off at 5:00 p.m.

Winnebago Boys 5-0 in last five games; Girls 1-2 in last three

The Winnebago Boys remain undefeated at 8-0 as the Indians defeated McLaughlin, SD 67-30 last Wednesday, Red Cloud, SD 73-58 last Thursday, Pine Ridge, SD 75-43 on Friday, and White River, SD 74-41 at the Lakota Nations Invite in Rapid City, before knocking off Hartington Cedar Catholic 82-46 in the Knight Classic in Fremont Tuesday evening.

The Indians outscored McLaughlin 30-11 in the first half and won the second half 37-19.

David Wingett led the way with 22 points while D'Von Lapointe scored 19. Drake Gorrin added 10.

Aspen Lapointe had a team-high 24 points against Red Cloud. Gorrin and Wingett totaled 12 apiece while D'Von Lapointe had 9. Cedrick Blackdeer registered 8.

Wingett led the way against White River with 26 points. D'Von Lapointe recorded 18 while Aspen Lapointe and Miguel Baker totaled 10 and 8, respectively.

Winnebago has continued to play great basketball. The Indians have been able to bring it game in game out, and that's a big reason why Winnebago is as good as they are.

The Indians (8-0) take on Lutheran High Northeast (4-1) in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner on Tuesday.

The Eagles defeated Homer 70-29 on Saturday.

Lutheran High Northeast is a good team with their only loss coming to Guardian Angels Central Catholic.

Winnebago is on a whole nother level though.

There are some very good teams in this tournament, but I think the Indians have what it takes to win the whole thing, and have a good chance at doing so.

Winnebago has been so dominant this season, the opponent hasn't mattered.

This team has picked up right where they left off last season, and it has been super impressive to see.

The Indians could very well be the best team in all of C-2 and is perhaps better than most if not all C-1 teams as well.

Winnebago is legit, and anyone who plays them is going to have a difficult time slowing them down.

This team is so talented and athletic it's not even funny.

The Indians have superior ability to most teams they are going to face this season, and that includes anyone in this Holiday Tournament.

People should take notice of Winnebago if they haven't already.

Tuesday's game is set to tip-off at 7:45 p.m.

The Winnebago Girls went 1-2 last week, falling 85-52 to McLaughlin, SD last Wednesday before beating Lower Brule 81-40 last Thursday at the Lakota Nations Invite in Rapid City, SD. The Indians lost 60-41 to Omaha Nation, also at the Lakota Nations Invite.

Winnebago played decent basketball last week, but ran into some tough competition. The Indians started the Lakota Nations Invite slow, and were never able to get fully back on track.

Winnebago (3-3) squares off with Lutheran High Northeast (1-5) on Monday in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner.

The Eagles lost 46-42 at home to Homer on Saturday.

Lutheran High Northeast has certainly struggled this year, but the Indians have to be ready to play.

I feel like Winnebago is a better team than their record shows, and is due to break out.

I look for the Indians to have a good showing in this tournament, and perhaps get to the championship game.

Winnebago will likely have to get through the host Gators to get to the championship, but certainly anything is possible.

The Indians have to come out fired up, be aggressive, determined, and hungry.

Winnebago has to attack, attack, and attack at all opportunities, and pressure the ball extremely well.

The Indians have to get the most out of themselves and take their play to the next level.

There are some good teams in this tournament, but I feel Winnebago can play with just about anyone.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Indians took third place in this tournament if they don't reach the championship game.

If Winnebago can at least go 2-1 I think that would be good for momentum purposes heading into the second half of the season.

Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. 

Wisner-Pilger Boys 1-1 in last two games; Girls 1-2 in last three

The Wisner-Pilger Boys went 1-1 last week, beating Oakland-Craig 68-54 at home last Thursday night before falling 53-44 at Wayne Friday night.

The Gators led the Knights 19-15 after one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 19-18 to make it a 37-34 game at halftime.

Wisner-Pilger outscored the Knights 31-20 in the second half.

The Blue Devils led the Gators 19-16 at the end of one. Wayne won the second quarter 16-10 to lead 35-26 at halftime.

Both teams scored 14 third quarter points to make the score 49-40 at the end of three in favor of the Blue Devils.

Both teams put up 4 fourth quarter points.

Wisner-Pilger played great basketball against Oakland-Craig. But unfortunately the Gators' good play didn't carry over to Friday night.

Wisner-Pilger (3-3) takes on Neligh-Oakdale (6-0) in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner on Tuesday.

The Warriors won 65-22 at Bloomfield last time out and have been dominant so far this season.

Neligh-Oakdale is a really good team, and the Gators are going to have to play an outstanding game to beat them.

Wisner-Pilger has been good at times this year, but has struggled at others.

Inconsistency has reared it's ugly head on the Gators this season, and that's ultimately why they are a .500 ball club right now.

Wisner-Pilger is a respectable team, they've just lost to a couple of good teams and Wayne.

I would say the loss to the Blue Devils was a bad loss, but those kind of losses are going to come a team's way every now and then.

The big thing for the Gators is correcting what they did wrong in the Wayne game.

By now Wisner-Pilger should have been able to address some things in practice, now it's just a matter of fixing things come gametime.

The Warriors are a very good team, but the Gators are the largest class school Neligh-Oakdale will have faced this season.

Tip-off is set for 7:45 p.m. 

The Wisner-Pilger Girls won their lone game this week after losing twice last week.

The Gators lost 52-47 at home to Oakland-Craig last Thursday night before falling 45-35 at Wayne Friday night. Wisner-Pilger defeated Madison 60-17 at home Tuesday night.

The Gators led the Knights 15-8 after one. Wisner-Pilger won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 29-16 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Gators 15-6 in the third quarter to make it a 35-31 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 21 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Wisner-Pilger.

Sydney Bradfield finished with a team-high 14 points. Bailey Batenhorst added 10 while Lexi Knust scored 8. Sara Smyth notched 7.

The Blue Devils jumped on the Gators 12-5 at the end of one. Wayne won the second quarter 7-5 to go up 19-10 at halftime.

The Blue Devils outscored Wisner-Pilger 11-8 in the third quarter to lead 30-18 at the end of three.

The Gators scored 17 fourth quarter points compared to 15 for Wayne.

Wisner-Pilger led the Dragons 21-1 at the end of one. The Gators outscored the Dragons 11-2 in the second quarter to take a 32-3 lead into the locker room.

Wisner-Pilger won the third quarter 21-10 to make it a 53-13 game at the end of three.

The Gators scored 7 fourth quarter points compared to 4 for Madison.

Batenhorst had a team-high 13 points while Smyth and Bradfield registered 12 and 8, respectively.

Wisner-Pilger played exceptional basketball against the Dragons. The Gators played well against the Knights and Blue Devils as well, but things really came together for Wisner-Pilger against Madison.

The Gators (4-3) take on Neligh-Oakdale (1-5) on Tuesday in the Shootout on the Elkhorn Holiday Tournament in Wisner.

The Warriors lost 66-39 at Bloomfield Friday night, and have really struggled so far this season.

This game should be a win for Wisner-Pilger, and the Gators should win in impressive fashion, much like they did against the Dragons.

Wisner-Pilger needs to win big for momentum purposes heading into a big potential showdown with Winnebago on Tuesday.

The Gators are a good team, and have played well so far this season, but Wisner-Pilger needs to continue to get better and remain hungry.

The Gators won't have much if any practice time prior to Monday evening's game, but Wisner-Pilger is at home, and that should help them get over the hump.

The Gators have to bring their best every day of this tournament, and defend their home floor.

There are some quality teams in this tournament, and Wisner-Pilger is one of them. The Gators need to have a good showing to set the stage for the rest of the season.

I think Wisner-Pilger has a legit shot to get to the championship game. Waiting on the other side is Pierce, and given the way the Gators have played at times this year, I wouldn't be totally surprised if Wisner-Pilger took down the Bluejays, but it would be awfully difficult.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. 

Oakland-Craig Boys 0-3 in last three games; Girls 2-0 in last two

The Oakland-Craig Boys have struggled as of late, losing 68-54 at Wisner-Pilger Thursday night, 65-62 at Madison on Saturday, and 75-49 at home to Guardian Angels Central Catholic Tuesday night.

The Gators led the Knights 19-15 after one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 19-18 to make it a 37-34 game at halftime.

Wisner-Pilger outscored the Knights 31-20 in the second half.

Carter Thiele led the way with 23 points. Cole Mitchell added 10 points and 8 rebounds while Cody Mace and Garrett Seagren totaled 10 and 8 points, respectively.

The Dragons led Oakland-Craig 22-13 at the end of one. The Knights outscored Madison 23-11 in the second quarter to take a 36-33 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 15-13 to lead 51-46 at the end of three.

The Dragons notched 19 fourth quarter points compared to 11 for the Knights.

Seagren finished with 29 points and 12 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Thiele notched 18 points while Mitchell had 9 points and 7 rebounds. Mace registered 8 rebounds.

The Bluejays led 23-13 at the end of one against Oakland-Craig. GACC outscored the Knights 26-5 in the second quarter to take a 49-18 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 18-16 to make it a 65-36 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Bluejays.

Thiele had a team-high 17 points. Mace recorded 10 while Seagren notched 8.

Oakland-Craig hasn't played bad offensively, it's just their defense that has really let them down.

The Knights (3-5) take on Wilber-Clatonia (6-1) in the Malcolm Holiday Tournament Tuesday afternoon.

The Wolverines beat Thayer Central 64-36 on the road this past Tuesday night.

Wilber-Clatonia is a very good team that can score the ball.

With that said, I feel like Oakland-Craig is one of the best teams the Wolverines will have faced all year long.

Wilber-Clatonia is good, but the Knights are a quality team too, and have to believe in themselves.

It all starts on the defensive end for Oakland-Craig, and the Knights have to slow down the Wolverines' offense to give themselves a chance, in my opinion.

Oakland-Craig has struggled defensively their last few games, but I think this Holiday Tournament is a chance for the Knights to get back on track.

Oakland-Craig is playing fairly far away from home, and so the pressure and rigors of the regular season in Northeast Nebraska shouldn't be there.

The Knights should be relaxed and easy going, and ready to play their game.

It's important for this team to have a positive attitude and be loose given their recent struggles. Perhaps there's some team bonding things this team can do before Tuesday's game.

Win or lose, I look for Oakland-Craig to go into Malcolm and show everyone what Northeast Nebraska Basketball is all about.

The Knights and Wolverines are scheduled to go at it at 4:45 p.m.

The Oakland-Craig Girls went 2-0 last week, defeating Wisner-Pilger 52-47 on the road Thursday night and Madison 65-25 on the road Saturday.

The Gators led the Knights 15-8 after one. Wisner-Pilger won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 29-16 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Gators 15-6 in the third quarter to make it a 35-31 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 21 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for Wisner-Pilger.

Brynn Charling finished with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Dacey Nelson added 15 points while Emma Reinert notched 8.

Oakland-Craig quadrupled up the Dragons 16-4 in the first quarter. The Knights doubled up Madison 18-9 in the second quarter to take a 34-13 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig tripled up the Dragons 12-4 in the third quarter to lead 46-17 at the end of three.

The Knights outscored Madison 19-8 in the fourth quarter.

Nelson had a game-high 15 points. Shannon Pile added 12 while Reinert and Charling scored 11 and 10, respectively. Olivia Bures chipped in 8.

Oakland-Craig did a great job coming back from the dead against Wisner-Pilger. I would say the Knights' second half effort in that game carried over to the Madison game.

Oakland-Craig (6-1) squares off with Wilber-Clatonia (1-6) on Tuesday in the Malcolm Holiday Tournament.

The Wolverines picked up their first win of the season at Thayer Central, winning 56-31.

Despite that, the Knights should win this game fairly easily.

Oakland-Craig has played great basketball to start the season, and I look for the Knights to have a great showing in this Holiday Tournament.

The championship game will likely be Malcolm and Oakland-Craig, and what a matchup that would be.

The Knights have to go into this tournament and play their game and not let anything phase them.

Oakland-Craig is one of the best teams in the Northeast Nebraska area, regardless of class, and has to go down to Malcolm and have a good showing.

I look for the Knights to play well and make Northeast Nebraska and the communities of Oakland and Craig proud.

It would be a big deal for the Knights to win this Holiday Tournament, and although it's going to be difficult, Oakland-Craig has a chance to get the job done I think.

The Knights have to be aggressive on offense and defense, pressuring the ball, and attacking the basket at every opportunity.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m.

GACC Boys unbeaten in last three games; Girls remain undefeated

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Boys are 3-0 in their last three games, defeating Clarkson/Leigh 61-50 on the road last Tuesday night, Archbishop Bergan 41-40 at home Saturday night, and Oakland-Craig 75-49 on the road this past Tuesday night.

The Bluejays went up 18-15 at the end of one against Clarkson/Leigh. The Patriots won the second quarter 14-11 to tie the game at 29 at halftime.

Clarkson/Leigh outscored GACC 16-13 in the third quarter to take a 45-42 lead into the fourth quarter.

The Bluejays cranked up the intensity in the fourth quarter, scoring 19 fourth quarter points to the Patriots' 5.

The Bluejays trailed 40-39 late in the game against Archbishop Bergan, but eventually tied it up at 40 before Tanner Hass hit a game-winning free throw with 37.2 seconds left.

GACC was up 36-30 to begin the fourth quarter before the Knights rallied.

The third quarter was the money quarter for the Bluejays as GACC outscored Archbishop Bergan 15-7.

The Knights led 14-11 after one. The Bluejays won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 23-21 game at halftime.

Noah Kreikemeier and Kobe Slaughter each had 9 points for GACC. Hass and Tanner Ortmeier added 8 apiece.

The Bluejays led 23-13 at the end of one against Oakland-Craig. GACC outscored the Knights 26-5 in the second quarter to take a 49-18 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig won the third quarter 18-16 to make it a 65-36 game at the end of three.

The Knights notched 13 fourth quarter points compared to 10 for the Bluejays.

GACC has played great basketball as of late. The Bluejays played complete games against Archbishop Bergan and Oakland-Craig, and in my opinion, played by far their best game of the season against Oakland-Craig.

GACC (6-1) squares off with Howells-Dodge (4-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament Tuesday night.

The Jaguars defeated Archbishop Bergan 71-66 in overtime at the Knight Classic in Fremont this past Tuesday night.

Fans should be in for a treat with this affair between these two good teams.

The Bluejays have to watch out for Tyler Polacek, Mitchell Prusa, Nolan Lund, and Josh Brester.

Those four have done the most damage out of anyone in Howells-Dodge's last three games.

The Jaguars are playing at a very high level right now, and so GACC must be ready to go full tilt for four quarters with Howells-Dodge.

The Bluejays must have the same kind of focus and intensity they had in the first half against Oakland-Craig. When GACC plays like that, I don't know of a lot of teams around the area that can beat them.

The Bluejays have had a great first half of the season, but GACC can't be satisfied or complacent with where they are at.

The Bluejays have to want more, and have to continue to push and grind to get better everyday.

GACC needs to do what they can to improve from now until Tuesday. Working out during the moratorium period, shooting, and working on offenses and doing drills will all be beneficial. The Bluejays also need to have a good day of practice on Monday.

GACC and Howells-Dodge are set to tip-off at 7:15 p.m.

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Girls are still unbeaten on the year as the Bluejays knocked off Clarkson/Leigh 67-20 on the road last Tuesday night and Wayne 73-32 on the road Monday night.

The Bluejays led the Patriots 24-4 after one. GACC outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-3 in the second quarter to take a 43-7 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 13-11 to make it a 56-18 game at the end of three.

GACC notched 11 fourth quarter points compared to just 2 for the Patriots.

The Bluejays led the Blue Devils 19-7 at the end of one. GACC outscored Wayne 22-6 in the second quarter to take a 41-13 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 17-12 to lead 58-25 at the end of three.

GACC notched 15 fourth quarter points compared to 7 for the Blue Devils.

The Bluejays have continued their mastery and domination ever since beating Crofton. This team has simply taken off, and has looked very impressive.

GACC (6-0) squares off with Bancroft-Rosalie (2-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Panthers defeated Clarkson/Leigh 54-32 at home this past Tuesday night.

This is a game the Bluejays should win, and win with ease, but GACC has to watch out for Kassidi Browning, Vicki Gatzmeyer, Paige Peters, and even Tess Nottleman.

Bancroft-Rosalie is starting to play better basketball and so the Panthers certainly cannot be taken lightly.

This Bluejays' team has been so good about staying focused and determined all season long though that I don't see that being an issue come Tuesday afternoon.

I'm sure the girls will enjoy their time off, but be ready to practice well on Monday when the time comes.

GACC has to fine tune some things in practice and prepare to play their best basketball in this two-day tournament.

The Bluejays are no doubt the favorite to win this Holiday Tournament as they should be.

I would be awfully surprised if the Bluejays don't win the tournament, and even more surprised if it's not Howells-Dodge GACC plays in the championship.

The Bluejays have played great on offense this year and even better on defense, and I look for GACC to have their best next week.

Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 2:00 p.m.

Howells-Dodge Boys 2-1 in last three games; Girls 2-0 in last two

The Howells-Dodge Boys are 2-1 in their last three games, falling 66-51 at Lyons-Decatur Northeast Friday night, beating Clarkson/Leigh 50-34 at home on Saturday, and downing Archbishop Bergan 71-66 in overtime at the Knight Classic in Fremont Tuesday night.

Lyons-Decatur Northeast led the Jaguars 19-14 after one. The Cougars won the second quarter 19-11 to lead 38-25 at halftime.

Howells-Dodge put up 13 third quarter points compared to 12 for Lyons-Decatur Northeast to make it a 50-38 game at the end of three.

The Cougars outscored the Jaguars 16-13 in the fourth quarter.

Tyler Polacek had a team-high 15 points and 9 rebounds. Josh Brester added 12 points while Mitchell Prusa totaled 11.

Howells-Dodge doubled up the Patriots 14-7 in the first quarter. The Jaguars outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-2 in the second quarter to take a 33-9 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 15-8 to make it a 41-24 game at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh put up 10 fourth quarter points compared to 9 for Howells-Dodge.

Head Coach Cole Fischer says he was pleased with the win. "We played a great first half. I thought that our defense was outstanding the whole game. We slowed down and settled for too many long jump shots in second half but overall the boys played well."

Polacek led all scorers with 19 points and added 9 rebounds. Prusa notched 10 points while Nolan Lund scored 8 points and secured 7 rebounds.

The Jaguars trailed the Knights 16-13 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Archbishop Bergan 18-12 in the second quarter to go up 31-28 at halftime.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 15-14 to lead 46-42 at the end of three.

The Knights put up 17 fourth quarter points compared to 13 for Howells-Dodge to force overtime.

The Jaguars outlasted Archbishop Bergan 12-7 in the extra session.

Fischer says he is thrilled with the win. "I am very proud of the boys and how they battled and emptied the tank before break. The boys deserved this win and this is a great win to take us into break. I thought that we just kept playing even when we got down 4 with 3 to play and the boys answered every run of theirs with a run of their own."

Polacek led all scorers with 26 points and totaled 7 rebounds. Prusa notched 23 points and 10 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Lund chipped in 7 points and 7 rebounds.

Howells-Dodge did a nice job bouncing back from the loss to the Cougars. The Jaguars showed they can play with anyone given the results of their last two games.

Howells-Dodge (4-5) takes on Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-1) on Tuesday in the Homer Holiday Tournament.

The Bluejays defeated Oakland-Craig 75-49 on the road Tuesday night and have had a great season so far.

The Jaguars have to try and slow down Tanner and Brandon Hass, Mitch Hass, Kobe Slaughter, Tanner Ortmeier, Nolan Plagge, Noah Kreikemeier, and others.

Those are the main players that make GACC go, and have been primetime performers all season long.

This is going to be a very tough game for Howells-Dodge. As well as the Jaguars played against the Knights, they're probably going to have to play even better against the Bluejays.

It should be a hard fought, close, and entertaining contest.

Howells-Dodge has certainly shown they can step out on the floor and play with anyone thanks in large part to Polacek, Prusa, and Lund.

The Jaguars are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now, and will be a challenge for GACC, there's no doubt about it.

I think Tuesday's game is going to come down to the wire and be decided by which team executes best down the stretch and avoids turnovers.

The team that shoots the best from the free throw line could very well be the team that wins as well.

Tuesday's tip-off is set for 7:15 p.m.

The Howells-Dodge Girls beat previously unbeaten Lyons-Decatur Northeast 57-45 on the road Friday night before downing Clarkson/Leigh 54-30 at home on Saturday.

The Cougars held a 13-12 lead over the Jaguars at the end of one. Howells-Dodge tripled up Lyons-Decatur Northeast 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 33-20 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 18-13 to lead 51-33 at the end of three.

The Cougars doubled up Howells-Dodge 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Sam Brester had 17 points and 14 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Chelsea Bayer added 15 points while Kalli Brester registered 7.

The Jaguars led the Patriots 10-6 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-5 in the second quarter to take a 32-11 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 16-14 to make it a 46-27 game at the end of three.

The Jaguars put up 8 fourth quarter points compared to 3 for Clarkson/Leigh.

Sam Brester led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Macey Kulhanek and Emily Ritzdorf added 8 points each.

Howells-Dodge is playing good basketball right now. The Jaguars didn't let the West Point-Beemer loss bother them in bouncing back for back-to-back wins.

Howells-Dodge (6-2) takes on Homer (3-3) at the Homer Holiday Tournament Tuesday evening.

The Knights defeated Lutheran High Northeast 46-42 on the road Saturday.

Homer has won a few games this year, but the Knights haven't beat anyone good.

Homer's wins have come against Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Allen, and Lutheran High Northeast.

The three teams are a combined 3-16 on the season.

The Knights have been blown out in every one of their losses this season.

What I'm trying to say is the Jaguars should win, and win rather handily over Homer even though the game is on the Knights' home floor.

I look for Sam and Kalli Brester, Bayer, Ritzdorf, and Kulhanek to have big games for Howells-Dodge.

The Jaguars may not need all of them to score in double figures to win, but if they did there would probably be a very good chance Howells-Dodge would win rather easily.

Homer has really struggled to score this season, and given the way the Jaguars play defense, I wouldn't be surprised if Howells-Dodge holds the Knights under 40.

The Jaguars have their sights set on the championship game against either GACC or Bancroft-Rosalie, and need to play well on Tuesday to put themselves in a position to win the whole thing.

Tuesday's game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.

Bancroft-Rosalie Boys remain unbeaten; Girls up record to 2-5

The Bancroft-Rosalie Boys are 6-0 on the season thanks to wins over Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Homer, and Clarkson/Leigh recently.

The Panthers defeated the Bulldogs 61-53 on the road last Tuesday night, the Knights 77-49 on the road Friday night, and the Patriots 63-58 at home this past Tuesday night.

Bancroft-Rosalie led Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 12-7 after one. The Panthers won the second quarter 17-13 to take a 29-20 lead into the locker room.

Bancroft-Rosalie outscored the Bulldogs 14-13 in the third quarter to go up 43-33 at the end of three.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family put up 20 fourth quarter points compared to 18 for the Panthers.

Head Coach Cory Meyer says this was a nice win. "I couldn't be happier with this win. It was a big win against a quality Class C2 opponent. The way we hit the boards and played defensively made the difference in this game."

Mario Alrdich finished with a game-high 22 points and 8 rebounds. Trent Gatewood and Dayne Wortman totaled 11 points each while Aaron Ras notched 10 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double.

Bancroft-Rosalie and Homer were tied at 18 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Knights 23-12 in the second quarter to go up 41-30 at halftime.

Bancroft-Rosalie won the third quarter 16-14 to lead 57-44 at the end of three.

The Panthers quadrupled up Homer 20-5 in the fourth quarter.

Ras had a team-high 25 points and 8 rebounds. Alrich added 18 points while Wortman totaled 12 points and 8 rebounds. Kenyan Lovejoy notched 10 points and 9 rebounds while Gatewood chipped in 7 points.

Clarkson/Leigh led Bancroft-Rosalie 13-12 at the end of one. The Panthers outscored the Patriots 18-13 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the locker room.

Clarkson/Leigh won the third quarter 20-19 to make it a 49-46 game at the end of three.

Bancroft-Rosalie notched 14 fourth quarter points compared to 12 for the Patriots.

Meyer says it was a tough game. "I got to give credit to Clarkson/Leigh. They played well, they shot well. That's a team that they live and die by the three pointer And they about took us down. That Becker kid he shot very well."

Ras led the way with 21 points and 8 rebounds. Aldrich added 10 points and 9 rebounds while Lovejoy and Gatewood notched 10 points apiece. Wortman registered 8.

The Panthers have continued to play great basketball. Clarkson/Leigh pushed and challenged Bancroft-Rosalie, but in the end, the Panthers prevailed, and that's all that matters.

Bancroft-Rosalie (6-0) squares off with Homer (1-5) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Knights lost 70-29 at Lutheran High Northeast on Saturday after falling to the Panthers.

This should be another win for Bancroft-Rosalie as long as the Panthers are focused and ready to play.

Bancroft-Rosalie definitely has the easier draw in that they don't have to play Guardian Angels Central Catholic or Howells-Dodge in the first game.

That's not to say the Panthers couldn't beat either team, because they definitely could, but Bancroft-Rosalie has to like their favorable draw.

Aldrich, Lovejoy, Wortman, Gatewood, and Ras have to keep up their hot shooting.

These five have been the reason the Panthers have been as successful as they have been, at least over the past few games.

The Panthers are playing at a very high level offensively, and for the most part their offense has been superb as well.

Bancroft-Rosalie has to continue what they've been doing here in the early season and they will be just fine.

I'm expecting big things out of the Panthers in this Holiday Tournament. Bancroft-Rosalie should be in the championship game, and put up a very good fight against either the Bluejays or Jaguars.

Tip-off on Tuesday is set for 3:45 p.m.

The Bancroft-Rosalie Girls have sort of started to find their way, knocking off Homer and Clarkson/Leigh after falling to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family.

The Panthers lost 56-30 on the road to the Bulldogs last Tuesday night before defeating the Knights 59-34 on the road Friday night. Bancroft-Rosalie topped the Patriots 54-32 at home this past Tuesday night.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family led the Panthers 13-9 after one. The Bulldogs doubled up Bancroft-Rosalie 18-9 in the second quarter to go up 31-18 at halftime.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family outscored the Panthers 16-6 in the third quarter to lead 47-24 at the end of three.

The Bulldogs won the fourth quarter 9-6.

Kassidi Browning had a team-high 10 points while Vicki Gatzmeyer notched 8.

Bancroft-Rosalie led Homer 12-7 at the end of one. Both teams scored 17 second quarter points, and the halftime score was 29-24 in favor of the Panthers.

Bancroft-Rosalie tripled up Homer 15-5 in both the third and fourth quarters.

Browning led the way with 13 points. Gatzmeyer totaled 12 while Paige Peters added 11. Tess Nottleman registered 8 rebounds.

The Panthers quadrupled up the Patriots 12-3 in the first quarter. Clarkson/Leigh won the second quarter 13-12 to make it a 24-16 game at the break.

Bancroft-Rosalie doubled up the Patriots 16-8 in the third quarter to lead 40-24 at the end of three.

The Panthers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 14-8 in the fourth quarter.

Head Coach Rod Peters saw balanced scoring with five girls scoring six points each. "Some nights we've had only one person score, or a few others. I couldn't be more proud of all the girls and how they stepped in. We had one sick and not here, and she started a few games for us. But I thought the role players came in and did a great job."

His daughter, Paige Peters, was high scorer with 14 points. Browning added 10.

One win has seemed to have done the trick for Bancroft-Rosalie. The Panthers are playing good basketball right now.

Bancroft-Rosalie (2-5) squares off with Guardian Angels Central Catholic (6-0) at the Homer Holiday Tournament on Tuesday.

The Bluejays defeated Wayne 73-32 on the road Monday night.

GACC is a very good team, especially defensively, but the Panthers can't be scared or intimidated by the Bluejays.

It's easy to get really nervous or tentative when playing a great team, and there will probably be some nerves before and during the early part of the game, but Bancroft-Rosalie has to settle in and play the game.

Peters, Gatzmeyer, Browning, and Nottleman need to step up and score.

The Panthers need all four players in double figures to have a chance, in my opinion.

Bancroft-Rosalie also has to play good defense. The Panthers' defensive effort has been much better in their wins than in their losses. The same could be said for their offense.

This team is starting to click, and I look for Bancroft-Rosalie to continue their prowess against GACC.

It would be a monumental upset if the Panthers were to win, and these girls have to approach this game with the belief that they can get the job done.

Bancroft-Rosalie has to expect to win every time they take the floor, and that shouldn't change just because they're taking on a powerhouse in the Bluejays.

To be the best you have to beat the best, and that's the motto and slogan the Panthers have to use as motivation come Tuesday afternoon.

The game is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.