GACC Boys 4-1 in last five games; Girls 4-0 in last four

The Guardian Angels Central Catholic Boys are 4-1 in their last five games, losing 63-60 at home to Oakland-Craig on Tuesday, December 20th, beating David City Aquinas 61-53 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, topping Howells-Dodge 77-47 at the GACC Holiday Tournament last Thursday, downing BRLD 49-41 in the Holiday Tournament Championship game last Friday, and winning 65-60 at home over Lutheran High Northeast Tuesday night.

The Bluejays and Knights were tied at 15 at the end of one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 22-20 to lead 37-35 at halftime.

GACC won the third quarter 16-14 to tie the game at 51 at the end of three.

The Knights outscored the Bluejays 12-9 in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win it.

GACC held a 10-2 lead on the Monarchs after one. The Bluejays won the second quarter 15-11 to go up 25-13 at halftime.

David City Aquinas outscored GACC 23-7 in the third quarter to lead 36-32 at the end of three.

The Bluejays rallied in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Monarchs 29-17.

The Bluejays led the Jaguars 17-6 at the end of one. GACC outscored Howells-Dodge 19-6 in the second quarter to go up 36-22 at halftime.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 24-5 to lead 60-27 at the end of three.

The Jaguars notched 20 points in the fourth quarter compared to 17 for GACC.

Kobe Slaughter had a game-high 21 points while Cole Kreikemeier and Mitch Haas registered 18 and 13, respectively. Andrew Guenther recorded 7.

Head Coach Brad Slaughter's team hit a surprising 14 threes.

"I've coached so long that to me I don't remember that as a team. So that was a pleasant surprise. It was a great job by the kids who knocked them down."

Slaughters' team scored 17 points in the first quarter to start strong.

"We're trying to create more easy baskets for us. And as long as we keep doing that and getting up and down the floor, I think the rest will come. So it was a matter of getting the ball in the hands where we wanted to get it, and the shots that we wanted. And we were able to get some of those to start that second half, and that really helped."

BRLD held a 10-7 lead after one. The Bluejays outscored the Wolverines 17-10 in the second quarter to take a 24-20 lead into the locker room.

BRLD bounced back in the third quarter, winning the frame 14-8 to go up 34-32 at the end of three.

GACC erupted in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Wolverines 17-7 to seal the deal.

Nolan Plagge notched a game-high 16 points for the Bluejays while Haas and Landon Stalp added 13 and 8, respectively.

Head Coach Brad Slaughter says it was a rough and tumble game.

"Their 1-3-1 doesn't allow many gaps. And we were too complacent about not attacking those gaps, and they took advantage of the situation, and they played a great game. I thought their defense was a key for them, and I knew it would be."

Slaughter says the Wolverines' zone defense was tough.

"We got some work to do on our zone offense, but we're too stagnant. And we got to move more without the ball. And you got to get cutters, we got to get flashers. And as soon as we figure that out we'll be real tough on zones. But we're just too stagnant right now."

The Bluejays led the Eagles 14-13 after one. GACC outscored LHNE 18-11 in the second quarter to take 32-24 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 14-11 to go up 46-35 after three.

The Eagles outlasted GACC 25-19 in the fourth quarter.

The Bluejays are playing great basketball right now. GACC has gotten their season turned around.

The Bluejays (5-5) host Clarkson/Leigh (0-10) on Saturday.

The Patriots lost 73-39 at North Bend Central Tuesday night.

It has been a difficult season for Clarkson/Leigh, but GACC can't feel sorry for the Patriots.

The Bluejays have to continue to play well, and must take the fight to Clarkson/Leigh.

GACC could really use a 2-0 week heading into next week's games with Wayne and Boone Central/Newman Grove.

The Bluejays need to try and slow down Anthony Bruhn, Bradley Bunner, and Blake Paprocki, among others.

GACC has to play well offensively and defensively to pick up a big win.

The Bluejays need to get a big lead so they rest starters.

GACC doesn't desperately need to get starters rest as there will be 6 days in between games for the Bluejays, but this isn't a game the starters should need to go the distance.

GACC needs to get everyone playing time if they can to help prepare the younger players for the future.

The biggest thing for the Bluejays is to not get caught looking ahead.

GACC has two big games next weekend, but the only team the Bluejays should be focused on at the moment is Clarkson/Leigh.

GACC has played great basketball as of late, having won four in a row. I think the Bluejays finally got their basketball legs under them.

I don't think GACC will have any trouble putting the Patriots away. I look for the Bluejays to win big and going away.

The GACC Girls are 4-0 in their last four games, knocking off Wayne 69-55 in OT at home on Monday, December 19th, David City Aquinas 68-48 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, BRLD 62-35 at the GACC Holiday Tournament last Thursday, and Howells-Dodge 45-40 in the Holiday Tournament Championship Game last Friday.

The Bluejays held a 14-13 lead on the Blue Devils at the end of one.

Wayne won the second quarter 13-10 to take a 26-24 lead into the locker room.

The Blue Devils outscored GACC 16-11 in the third quarter to go up 42-35 at the end of three.

The Bluejays outscored Wayne 17-10 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 52 and send the game into OT.

GACC notched 17 points in the extra session and held the Blue Devils to just 3.

The Bluejays jumped out to a 28-13 lead on the Monarchs at the end of one. David City Aquinas won the second quarter 19-12 to make it a 40-32 game at halftime.

GACC outscored the Monarchs 19-10 in the third quarter to lead 59-42 at the end of three.

The Bluejays notched 9 points in the fourth quarter compared to 6 for David City Aquinas.

GACC led the Wolverines 18-9 after one. The Bluejays won the second quarter 19-12 to go up 37-21 at halftime.

GACC outscored BRLD 13-2 in the third quarter to lead 50-23 at the end of three.

Both teams scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Maddie Knobbe notched a game-high 27 points while Hannah Hunke added 13.

Head Coach Jerry Stracke says Maddie Knobbe's game high 27 points were big.

"I thought we got off to a very good start that first quarter. Kind of set a tone for us. Maddie was big for us that first quarter. Didn't have any answers for her."

"She's a big part of the team, and we like to get the ball in her hands whenever possible. So I mean as far as the game plan goes we try to do that as often as we can."

The Bluejays led the Jaguars 12-9 after one. Howells-Dodge won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 21-19 game at halftime.

The Jaguars outscored GACC 11-9 in the third quarter to tie the game at 30 at the end of three.

The Bluejays put up 15 points in the fourth quarter while Howells-Dodge scored 10.

Lexis Haase had a game-high 19 points while Maddie Knobbe chipped in 13, all in the second half.

Stracke.

"We got in a little foul trouble there. We wanted to play a little conservative. But got after it the second half a little bit, and fought our way back, especially the fourth quarter there. Howells is a very good team, they can come back on anybody. They're going to have a great year, a great season. So it was a big, quality win for us." 

GACC (8-1) hosts Clarkson/Leigh (4-7) on Saturday.

The Patriots lost 46-27 at North Bend Central Tuesday night.

I feel Clarkson/Leigh is an improved team, but I think the Bluejays will win rather handily.

GACC is a much different team with Knobbe in the lineup, and the Bluejays appear to be clicking on all cylinders right now.

GACC's only blemish on the season is a loss at Crofton, who is as good as they come.

The Patriots are an improved team I would say, but not improved enough to knock off a team like the Bluejays.

This is an important game for GACC though as Clarkson/Leigh is in their sub-district.

The Bluejays need to play well as you can bet the Patriots will be gunning for them.

Teams are always going to be gunning for and trying to knock off GACC so the Bluejays simply have to be focused and ready to play like they always are.

GACC shouldn't have much trouble with Clarkson/Leigh at all though.

I look for the Bluejays to win anywhere between 15 and 25 points.

I feel GACC has played really good basketball so far this year, but can play even better.

I'd say the Bluejays' best basketball is ahead of them. And a win over the Patriots would just add to GACC's confidence.

The Bluejays have a tough game at home against Bishop Neumann on Tuesday so GACC needs to do all the things necessary on Saturday to get ready for that contest.

That means not looking ahead to the game, getting everyone playing time, and resting starters.

Clarkson/Leigh Boys 0-5 in last five games; Girls 2-4 in last six

The Clarkson/Leigh Boys are 0-5 in their last five games, losing 49-37 at home to Pender on Thursday, December 15th, 68-29 at home to Yutan on Tuesday, December 20th, 50-45 to Osceola at the Nebraska Christian Holiday Tournament last Wednesday, 60-50 to St. Edward at the tournament last Thursday, and 73-39 at North Bend Central Tuesday night.

The Pendragons led the Patriots 13-9 at the end of one. Pender doubled up Clarkson/Leigh 20-10 in the second quarter to take a 33-19 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots won the third quarter 11-9 to make it a 42-30 game after three.

Both teams scored 7 points in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Bruhn had a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds for Clarkson/Leigh. Garrett Schroeder added 13 points while Blake Paprocki totaled 12 rebounds.

The Chieftains and Patriots were tied at 15 at the end of one. Yutan outscored Clarkson/Leigh 16-5 in the second quarter to take a 31-20 lead into the locker room.

The Chieftains outlasted the Patriots 22-5 in the third quarter to go up 53-25 at the end of three.

Yutan won the fourth quarter 15-4.

Paprocki notched 11 points and 8 rebounds while Bruhn had 7 points.

The Bulldogs doubled up Clarkson/Leigh 10-5 in the first quarter. The Patriots won the second quarter 16-11 to make it a 21-all game at the half.

The Bulldogs outscored Clarkson/Leigh 19-11 in the third quarter to lead 40-32 after three.

The Patriots won the fourth quarter 13-10.

Bruhn had 19 points while Bradley Bunner notched 8. Schroeder added 7.

The Beavers led Clarkson/Leigh 14-9 at the end of the first. St. Edward won the second quarter 14-12 to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots outlasted the Beavers 15-12 in the third quarter to make it a 40-36 game at the end of three.

St. Edward outscored Clarkson/Leigh 20-14 in the fourth quarter.

Paprocki led the way with 14 points and 8 rebounds. Haden Held and Bruhn added 13 and 9 points, respectively, while Bunner contributed 8 points and 9 rebounds.

North Bend Central led 19-16 after one. The Tigers tripled up the Patriots 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 40-23 lead into the locker room.

North Bend Central won the third quarter 20-13 to go up 60-36 at the end of three.

The Tigers outlasted Clarkson/Leigh 13-9 in the fourth quarter.

Held had a team-high 20 points for the Patriots. Bunner contributed 8.

Head Coach Jay Knaak says his boys were outmatched.

"They're 4 inches taller than us at every position. And they're a good team, they're a lot better team. Just hanging in there with them is what we need to do. We get open shots we got to make them. We've got to play almost a perfect game to beat teams like this."

Knaak's team remains winless so far this season.

"We are so short on depth that we could play good for a quarter or two, but we just can't sustain it for four quarters."

Clarkson/Leigh (0-10) travels to West Point on Saturday to battle Guardian Angels Central Catholic (5-5).

The Bluejays are on a hot streak as of late, winning four in a row, including a 65-60 win at home over Lutheran High Northeast Tuesday night.

GACC got off to a slow start, most likely due to players being out of basketball practice due to the long football season, but the Bluejays appear to be clicking on all cylinders now.

I don't know what the Patriots can do to win, but Clarkson/Leigh has to play their best and see what happens.

The Patriots are in a really tough spot right now in that they have really struggled, and GACC is on a hot streak.

Clarkson/Leigh has to play optimistic and loose, and just have some fun though.

The Patriots have their best chance of picking up a win on Tuesday at Tekamah-Herman so Clarkson/Leigh has to perform well against the Bluejays to give themselves a chance in that game.

You should always play to win every game, but the Patriots' realistic chances against GACC don't appear to be in their favor.

That's not to say Clarkson/Leigh can't win, because they can and anything can happen, but it's going to be really difficult.

I thought the Patriots played pretty good basketball in their Holiday Tournament, but Clarkson/Leigh just hasn't had nearly enough consistent play to win a game.

The Patriots have to keep working hard and improving though. Clarkson/Leigh can't give up on this season.

The Patriots have ran into some hardships this year, but the tough times Clarkson/Leigh is going through right now will only make them stronger and better in the future, in my opinion.

The Patriots need to play good defense on Saturday, defending the likes of Kobe Slaughter, Nolan Plagge, Mitch Haas, Andrew Guenther, Landon Stalp, Jared Minnick, Cole Kreikemeier, and others.

The Clarkson/Leigh Girls are 2-4 in their last six games, falling 51-33 at home to Pender on Thursday, December 15th, beating Yutan 42-31 at home on Tuesday, December 20th, losing 54-40 at home to Howells-Dodge on Thursday, December 22nd, falling 44-37 to Osceola at the Nebraska Christian Holiday Tournament last Wednesday, beating St. Edward 51-16 in the Holiday Tournament Consolation game last Thursday, and falling 46-27 at North Bend Central Tuesday night.

The Pendragons held a 19-6 lead on the Patriots at the end of one. Pender outscored Clarkson/Leigh 13-7 in the second quarter to take a 32-13 lead into the locker room.

The Pendragons won the third quarter 12-9 to go up 44-22 at the end of three.

The Patriots notched 11 points in the fourth quarter compared to 7 for Pender.

Shelby Paprocki had a team-high 11 points.

Clarkson/Leigh led the Chieftains 7-6 at the end of one. The Patriots outscored Yutan 14-8 in the second quarter to lead 21-14 at halftime.

Clarkson/Leigh doubled up the Chieftains 14-7 in the third quarter to go up 35-21 at the end of three.

Yutan won the fourth quarter 10-7.

Ashlynn Novotny totaled 13 points while Kaegan Held notched 11. Paprocki added 7 points and 7 rebounds while Kasik brought down 7 boards of her own.

The Jaguars led the Patriots 15-11 after one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-7 in the second quarter to take a 37-18 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots outscored the Jaguars 17-9 in the third quarter to make it a 46-35 game after three.

Howells-Dodge won the fourth quarter 8-5.

Halee Steffensmeier led the way with 13 points while Paprock registered 11.

The Patriots got out to an 8-6 lead on the Bulldogs at the end of one. Osceola outscored Clarkson/Leigh 16-10 in the second quarter to take a 22-18 lead into the locker room.

The Bulldogs outlasted the Patriots 13-7 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 10 at 35-25 at the end of three.

Clarkson/Leigh won the fourth quarter 12-9.

Steffensmeier notched 9 points while Held and Novotny registered 8 and 7, respectively.

The Patriots blanked the Beavers 17-0 in the first quarter. Clarkson/Leigh won the second quarter 10-4 to go up 27-4 at halftime.

The Patriots outscored St. Edward 17-2 in the third quarter to go up 44-6 at the end of three.

The Beavers won the fourth quarter 10-7.

Kasik had a game-high 14 points while Paprocki recorded 13. Novotny and Steffensmeier scored 7 apiece.

The Tigers doubled up the Patriots 8-4 in the first quarter. North Bend Central won the second quarter 8-3 to take a 16-7 lead into the locker room.

The Tigers outscored Clarkson/Leigh 13-10 in the third quarter to make it a 29-17 lead at the end of three.

North Bend Central outlasted the Patriots 17-10 in the fourth quarter.

Paprocki paced Clarkson/Leigh with 7 points and 8 rebounds.

Head Coach Matt Murren.

"We got to play with energy and passion. That's what we got to do, and we didn't bring it."

Murren's girls scored only 9 field goals. He hopes they do better against GACC on Saturday.

"We look forward to it. Hopefully we'll get back to playing basketball like we did before the break."

The Patriots (4-7) take on the Bluejays (8-1) on the road Saturday.

GACC knocked off Howells-Dodge 45-50 in the GACC Holiday Tournament Championship Game last Friday.

The Bluejays appear to be mighty once again this year, but I feel Clarkson/Leigh has taken some steps forward this year.

I don't think the Patriots played their best game against North Bend Central though. I think Clarkson/Leigh is a better team than what they showed in that game.

The Patriots were playing pretty well before the break, now it's a matter of getting back to form.

Paprocki, Kasik, Novotny, and Steffensmeier all need to play well offensively for Clarkson/Leigh, and the Patriots need to be strong defensively.

Clarkson/Leigh has to try and slow down the likes of Maddie Knobbe, Hannah Hunke, and Lauren Wobken.

GACC is a very formidable foe, and will likely be on top of their game.

I don't expect the Bluejays to be an easy opponent for the Patriots whatsoever, but Clarkson/Leigh needs to play well to help prepare themselves for some of the tough teams on their schedule this month.

This is also a big game with GACC being in the Patriots' sub-district.

Clarkson/Leigh needs to have a good game plan, and be ready to execute it.

The Patriots need to be on top of their game, and be ready to go hard for 4 quarters.

The Bluejays are a really good measuring stick for success, and at the very least Clarkson/Leigh should be able to see what it's going to take to get to the top.

I think facing GACC will teach the Patriots the things they need to know to become an elite team in the future.

Winnebago Boys 8-1 in last 9 games; Girls 2-7 in same span

The Winnebago Boys are 8-1 in their last nine games, downing Tiopsa Zina, SD 94-54 in the first round of the Lakota Nation Invite in Rapid City, SD on Wednesday, December 14th, Eagle Butte, SD 94-31 in the quarterfinals of the Invite on Thursday, December 15th, Pine Ridge, SD 80-57 in the semifinals on Friday, December 16th, and Red Cloud, SD 97-51 in the championship on Saturday, December 17th. The Indians lost 97-86 to Omaha Central at Ralston Arena on Thursday, December 22nd before beating Neligh-Oakdale 94-69 in the first round of the Shootout on the Elkhorn in Wisner last Wednesday, Ponca 60-57 in the Shootout last Thursday, and Lutheran High Northeast 53-51 in the Shootout Championship last Friday. Winnebago won 86-62 at home over Norfolk Catholic Tuesday night.

Winnebago outscored Tiopsa Zina 48-31 in the first half and 46-23 in the second half.

The Indians led Cheyenne-Eagle Butte 55-17 at halftime and won the second half 39-14.

The Eagles led Winnebago 27-22 after one. Omaha Central outscored the Indians 28-15 in the second quarter to take a 55-37 lead into the locker room.

Winnebago outlasted the Eagles 30-19 in the third quarter to make it a 74-67 game at the end of three.

Omaha Central won the fourth quarter 23-19.

The Indians led the Warriors 23-13 after one. Winnebago won the second quarter 21-17 to take a 44-30 lead into the locker room.

The Indians won the third quarter 22-20 to go up 66-50 at the end of three.

Winnebago outscored Neligh-Oakdale 28-19 in the fourth quarter.

The Indians held a 21-13 lead on the Eagles after the first. Lutheran High Northeast outscored Winnebago 13-7 in the second quarter to make it a 28-26 game at halftime.

The Eagles won the third quarter 16-13 to go up 42-41 at the end of the third.

The Indians outlasted Lutheran High Northeast 12-9 in the fourth quarter.

Winnebago led the Knights 25-14 at the end of one. The Indians outscored Norfolk Catholic 25-12 in the second quarter to take a 50-26 lead into the locker room.

Winnebago won the third quarter 23-17 to go up 73-43 after three.

The Knights notched 19 points in the fourth quarter compared to 13 for the Indians.

Winnebago had a couple of close calls in the Shootout on the Elkhorn, but other than that the Indians have played great basketball.

Winnebago (11-1) takes on Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (10-1) on the road Friday night.

The Bears are coming off a 51-46 win at Hartington Cedar Catholic Thursday night.

Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is a very good team, and the Indians need to come ready to play Friday night.

I'm not so sure Winnebago played their best games and had their best efforts against Ponca and LHNE.

The Indians can be state champs in C-1 hands down if they play the way they did in the Lakota Nation Invite, against Neligh-Oakdale in the first round of the Shootout on the Elkhorn, and against Norfolk Catholic.

Winnebago just has to play at a high level night in and night out, and continue to work hard and progress and grow as the season goes along.

The Indians haven't had a lot of trouble scoring, but defense has been an issue for Winnebago I would say.

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.

And if the Indians are to win state this year, I think their defense is going to have to step things up and play better.

Winnebago is certainly a favorite and a front runner to win C-1, but to beat teams like Bishop Neumann, the Indians need to get the job done defensively.

Winnebago has two huge games this weekend...Friday night's game against the Bears and on Saturday at home against Oakland-Craig.

Both teams are very good and could very well knock off the Indians, especially Oakland-Craig, but I think Winnebago has what it takes to find ways to win.

The Indians have a very challenging schedule, yet Winnebago is finding ways to win games, so that is a very good sign.

All that matters in the end is if you win, and so far, the Indians are winning the close games they need to.

The Winnebago Girls are 2-7 in their last nine games, falling 57-32 to Custer, SD in the first round of the Lakota Nation Invite in Rapid City, SD on Wednesday, December 14th, beating Crazy Horse, SD 78-41 at the Invite on Thursday, December 15th, losing 59-39 to Crow Creek, SD at the Invite on Friday, December 16th, and dropping a 67-55 decision to White River, SD at the Invite on Saturday, December 17th. The Indians lost 74-36 to Pender at Ralston Arena on Thursday, December 22nd before downing Neligh-Oakdale 67-46 in the first round of the Shootout on the Elkhorn last Wednesday, losing 62-37 to Pierce in the Shootout last Thursday, falling 67-45 to Wisner-Pilger in the Shootout last Friday, and 45-40 at home to Norfolk Catholic Tuesday night.

The Pendragons led the Indians 24-13 at the end of one. Pender won the second quarter 14-8 to go up 38-21 at halftime.

The Pendragons outscored Winnebago 20-7 in the third quarter to make it a 58-28 game at the end of three.

Pender doubled up the Indians 16-8 in the fourth quarter.

Winnebago led the Warriors 18-8 at the end of one. The Indians and Neligh-Oakdale both scored 17 points in the second quarter to make it a 35-25 game at halftime.

Winnebago outscored the Warriors 17-11 in the third quarter to lead 52-36 after three.

The Indians won the fourth quarter 15-10.

The Bluejays held a 17-9 lead on the Indians after one. Pierce outscored Winnebago 16-7 in the second quarter to take a 33-16 lead into the locker room.

The Bluejays outlasted the Indians 19-8 in the third quarter to go up 52-24 at the end of three.

Winnebago won the fourth quarter 13-10.

The Gators led the Indians 8-6 after one. Wisner-Pilger outscored Winnebago 15-9 in the second quarter to take a 23-15 lead into the locker room.

The Gators won the third quarter 10-9 to go up 33-24 at the end of three.

Wisner-Pilger outlasted the Indians 15-11 in the fourth quarter.

The Knights got out to a 12-9 lead on Winnebago after one. Norfolk Catholic outscored the Indians 11-8 in the second quarter to take a 23-17 lead into the locker room.

Winnebago won the third quarter 10-7 to make it a 30-27 game at the end of three.

The Knights outlasted the Indians 15-13 in the fourth quarter.

Jasmine Colvin had a team-high 11 points while Deona Harris and Allie Frenchman totaled 10 and 7, respectively.

Winnebago has struggled for the most part in their last 9 games. I thought the Indians played well last time out against Norfolk Catholic though.

Winnebago (4-8) takes on Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (2-9) on the road Friday night.

The Bears lost 45-22 at Hartington Cedar Catholic Thursday night.

This is a game the Indians should win. Laurel-Concord-Coleridge has really struggled to score this season, and Winnebago has scored well at times this year.

The Indians haven't been the greatest team defensively, but have held opponents under 50 points in three of their four wins.

I think the Bears are a little bit better than Neligh-Oakdale, but not good enough to knock off Winnebago.

I look for the Indians to win something like 45-31.

Winnebago has a tough home game with Oakland-Craig on Saturday so the Indians really need to get this one on Friday.

You can bet there will be a full gym both nights with the boys games being so big. 

So even though fans are probably there to support the boys for the most part, the girls have to be encouraged by having big crowds watch their games.

It honestly has to inspire and fire up Winnebago to play well.

I look for the Indians to play well both nights. Winnebago may not beat the Knights, but I think they will take down the Bears.

The schedule is real tough before the Lewis and Clark Conference Tournament so the Indians need to play well this weekend to help them in other games down the line.

Colvin, Harris, and Frenchman need to have even bigger games against Laurel-Concord-Coleridge and Oakland-Craig than they did against Norfolk Catholic.

I think Winnebago has to be encouraged by their defensive performance against Norfolk Catholic, now it's just a matter of getting the offense going again.

I look for the Indians' defense to lead them in both games this weekend, and I think Saturday's game against Oakland-Craig will be very defensive and low scoring.

The first team to 40 could very well win on Saturday. The same goes for Friday's game.

Stanton Boys 1-4 in last five games; Girls 5-0 in same stretch

The Stanton Boys' struggles continue as the Mustangs lost 64-39 at home to Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family on Tuesday, December 20th, beat Wisner-Pilger 47-41 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, lost 74-44 to O'Neill in the first round of the Stanton Holiday Tournament last Wednesday, fell 57-46 to Palmer last Thursday in the consolation game of the Tournament, and lost 66-35 at Battle Creek Tuesday night.

The Bulldogs led the Mustangs 24-6 after one. Stanton won the second quarter 13-10 to make it a 34-19 game at halftime.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family won the third quarter 14-13 to extend their lead to 16 at 48-32 at the end of three.

The Bulldogs outscored the Mustangs 16-7 in the fourth quarter.

Trey Erbst led the way with 17 points while Myles Nickolite totaled 12 points and 7 rebounds.

The Mustangs outscored the Gators 22-15 in the first half.

Wisner-Pilger outscored Stanton 16-12 in the third quarter to make it a 34-31 game at the end of three.

The Mustangs won the fourth quarter 13-10.

Nickolite notched 16 points to lead the way while Erbst registered 15 points and 9 rebounds.

The Eagles held a 13-9 lead on the Mustangs at the end of one. O'Neill outscored Stanton 21-8 in the second quarter to take a 34-17 lead into the locker room.

The Eagles outlasted the Mustangs 22-13 in the third quarter to go up 56-30 at the end of three.

O'Neill won the fourth quarter 18-14.

Beau Wilke finished with a team-high 13 points while Erbst and Nickolite totaled 10 and 7, respectively.

The Tigers led 13-11 after one. Palmer won the second quarter 16-15 to go up 29-26 at halftime.

Stanton outscored the Tigers 16-14 in the third quarter to make it a 43-42 game after three.

Palmer outlasted the Mustangs 14-4 in the fourth quarter.

Nickolite had a team-high 15 points while Erbst totaled 12.

The Braves jumped out to a 17-3 lead on Stanton after one. Battle Creek doubled up the Mustangs 16-8 in the second quarter to take a 33-11 lead into the locker room.

The Braves outlasted Stanton 13-9 in the third quarter to extend their lead to 46-20 at the end of three.

Battle Creek won the fourth quarter 20-15.

Erbst totaled a team-high 12 points while Wilke had 7.

Players other than Nickolite, Erbst, and Wilke need to step up and start scoring for the Mustangs to get their season turned around I would say. Stanton could also use better play on the defensive end of the floor.

The Mustangs (2-7) host Oakland-Craig (9-2) Friday night.

The Knights have won 9 in a row, and downed Madison 64-25 at home Tuesday night.

Stanton has to have a good game plan for trying to slow down Oakland-Craig's scorers.

Garrett Seagren, Carter Thiele, Kobe Benne, Wyatt Seagren, and others can really score for the Knights, and I think defense is going to be the key to this game.

Right now Oakland-Craig is clicking on all cylinders offensively and defensively while the Mustangs are really struggling.

I must say I'm surprised and somewhat shocked Stanton hasn't played better than they have.

Perhaps this is the game where the Mustangs get things turned around, but Stanton has to find some answers, and find them quickly, if they want to get their year headed in the right direction.

The Mustangs have two games this weekend as Stanton also takes on Logan View/Scribner-Snyder on the road Saturday.

This is a big, important weekend for the Mustangs, and so far the week is not off to a good start.

But as the saying goes...it's not how you start, it's how you finish, and I could see Stanton perhaps winning at least one of their games this weekend.

You never know...Oakland-Craig might look ahead to Winnebago and Logan View/Scribner-Snyder might have an off game shooting the ball like they have a couple of times this season.

The biggest thing for the Mustangs, in my opinion, is to remain positive and optimistic.

Stanton has to believe they can win because believing they can pick up the win is the only way it's actually going to happen.

The Mustangs can't expect to win either game this weekend if they don't believe in themselves and one another.

Stanton needs to pull a big upset to sort of get their season headed in the right direction, in my opinion.

So perhaps the Mustangs will find answers this weekend.

The Stanton Girls have played spectacular basketball as of late, downing Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 43-35 at home on Tuesday, December 20th, Wisner-Pilger 43-30 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, O'Neill 43-27 in the first round of the Stanton Holiday Tournament last Wednesday, West Holt 49-32 in the championship game last Thursday, and Battle Creek 44-36 on the road Tuesday night.

The Mustangs held a 12-9 lead on the Bulldogs at the end of one. Both teams scored 5 points in the second quarter, and the halftime score was 17-14 in favor of Stanton.

The Mustangs outscored Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family 12-8 in the third quarter to lead 29-22 at the end of three.

Stanton won the fourth quarter 14-13.

MacKenzie Brandl finished with a game-high 16 points while Bree Burtwhistle totaled 8. Hannah Heppner added 8 points and 8 rebounds.

Wisner-Pilger and Stanton were tied at 11 at the end of one. The Mustangs doubled up the Gators 12-6 in the second quarter to take a 23-17 lead into the locker room.

Stanton outscored Wisner-Pilger 15-4 in the third quarter to go up 38-21 at the end of three.

The Gators won the fourth quarter 9-5.

Brandl led the way with 17 points while Jessie Brandl notched 10 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Burtwhistle added 9 rebounds.

The Mustangs led the Eagles 10-3 after one. Stanton blanked O'Neill 12-0 in the second quarter to take a 22-3 lead into the locker room.

Both teams scored 10 points in the third quarter, and the score after three was 32-13 in favor of the Mustangs.

The Eagles won the fourth quarter 14-11.

MacKenzie Brandl and Burtwhistle totaled 11 points apiece while Heppner had 7 points and 7 rebounds. Jessie Brandl chipped in 9 rebounds.

The Huskies doubled up Stanton 14-7 in the first quarter. The Mustangs tripled up West Holt 21-7 in the second quarter to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.

Stanton outscored the Huskies 11-2 in the third quarter to go up 39-23 at the end of three.

The Mustangs won the fourth quarter 10-9.

MacKenzie Brandl led the way with 18 points while Burtwhistle and Heppner recorded 11 and 10, respectively. Jessie Brandl registered 11 rebounds.

Stanton led the Braves 10-6 after the first. The Mustangs won the second quarter 15-12 to lead 25-18 at halftime.

Stanton outscored Battle Creek 14-11 in the third quarter to go up 39-29 at the end of three.

The Braves notched 7 points in the fourth quarter and held the Mustangs to 5.

Stanton didn't appear to play their best game of the season against Battle Creek, but boy the way the Mustangs played prior to that was a thing of beauty.

Stanton (8-1) hosts Oakland-Craig (7-3) Friday night.

The Knights lost 57-37 to Malcolm in the championship game of the Malcolm Holiday Tournament last Thursday.

Oakland-Craig has had some time to prepare for the Mustangs, and given the way Stanton played against Battle Creek it will be interesting to see what happens Friday night.

You can bet the Knights will have a solid game plan, and will be ready to go.

I think the Mustangs will prevail, but Oakland-Craig is a solid team, and anything can happen.

Stanton's defense has to come up big, slowing down the likes of Dacey Nelson, Kennedy Benne, Shannon Pille, and Emmy Bousquet.

The Mustangs's scorers also need to come through. MacKenzie Brandl, Burtwhistle, Heppner, and Jessie Brandl all need to do work on the offensive end for Stanton.

If the Mustangs get by the Knights they should have no trouble with Logan View/Scribner-Snyder on Saturday.

Win or lose Friday, Stanton probably won't have any issues with the Raiders, but a win Friday night could result in better play on Saturday than if the Mustangs lost Friday night.

If Stanton is able to knock off Oakland-Craig they should be able to run the table until tough back-to-back road games at BRLD and Twin River.

The Mustangs have played well so far this year, and have beaten some really good teams, so I would say Stanton is definitely a team we could see make it down to Lincoln again.

The Mustangs appear to be getting stronger every week although the Battle Creek game was probably a little bit closer than they would have liked.

So we'll see what happens this weekend and after, but Stanton should be able to continue their winning ways I would think.

Being consistent on offense is one thing the Mustangs could work on though. If there's one weakness in Stanton's armor, it's their offense.

The Mustangs are a very good defensive team, and their offense is fairly good, but if Stanton could start scoring in the 50's and 60's on a consistent basis, they could be a threat to win state.

Oakland-Craig Boys 6-0 in last six games; Girls 4-1 in last five

The Oakland-Craig Boys continue to roll, knocking off Wisner-Pilger 73-36 at home on Thursday, December 15th, GACC 63-60 on the road on Tuesday, December 20th, Omaha Nation 81-56 at home on Thursday, December 22nd, Wilber-Clatonia 60-38 and Centennial 56-51 at the Malcolm Holiday Tournament last Thursday and Friday, and Madison 64-25 at home Tuesday night.

The Knights exploded early and never looked back against Wisner-Pilger, taking a 27-5 lead at the end of one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 17-15 to go up 44-20 at halftime.

The Knights outscored the Gators 20-8 in the third quarter to lead 64-28 at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig won the fourth quarter 11-8.

Carter Thiele led the Knights with 19 points and 8 rebounds while Garrett Seagren totaled 18. Garrison Dodge and Kobe Benne chipped in 14 and 10, respectively.

Head Coach Aaron Meyer on the win.

"I really couldn't have asked for a better start to this game. Defensively, we set the tone early. Carter's penetrations and Garrett hitting outside shots, that's a pretty lethal combo. I just can't say enough about Garrison Dodge. Kid is all hustle and heart. Such a luxury having confident guys come off the bench. We are close to hitting on all cylinders right now, so we are going to keep doing what we are doing."

Meyer says he couldn't have asked for a better start to the game.

"We've been waiting to put one together. We've had these games where we've really worked hard, we've hustled, we've executed, played really good D, but just haven't really had the hot hand. And I think you saw there in the first quarter we've got guys with the ability to shoot the outside shot and finish inside, and the young bigs are coming along. Each game we're playing an opponent that's a little bit better and a little bit better, and so you got to keep coming out every night playing a little bit better, and so we've been able to do that."

The Bluejays and Knights were tied at 15 at the end of one. Oakland-Craig won the second quarter 22-20 to lead 37-35 at halftime.

GACC won the third quarter 16-14 to tie the game at 51 at the end of three.

The Knights outscored the Bluejays 12-9 in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer at the buzzer to win it.

Benne led the way with 20 points while Seagren and Thiele notched 17 and 16, respectively.

 Meyer says it was a good win.

"We had a little bit of a rough start to the game. Maybe we were just a little too excited at the start. Kobe Benne put us on his shoulders gave us an early lift. Such a back and forth game from the get go. We have some little things in all areas of the game we would improve on, but to go into GACC and come out with a "W" takes a special effort. Always fun to make a last second shot memory!"

Oakland-Craig held a 21-5 lead at the end of one. Omaha Nation won the second quarter 24-18 to make it a 39-29 game at halftime.

The Knights outscored the Chiefs 20-8 to go up 59-37 after three.

Oakland-Craig put up 22 points in the fourth quarter compared to 19 for Omaha Nation to make up the final score.

Seagren had a double-double of 24 points and 11 rebounds.  Thiele added 21 points and 8 rebounds while Benne chipped in 14 points. Dodge had 7 points while Evan Reinert notched 7 rebounds.

Meyer says it was a great game all the way around.

"Our offense was good to start the game, but or defense was even better. Give the Chiefs credit for fighting back into the game. We were able to regroup and come out fast to start the 3rd quarter. Playing against a pressing team like we were, it sure is nice to have guards as fast as Carter, Garrett, and Kobe."

The Knights held a 14-6 lead on the Wolverines at the end of one.

Both teams scored 11 points in the second quarter, and the halftime score was 25-17 in favor of Oakland-Craig.

The Knights won the third quarter 16-11 to lead 41-28 at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig notched 19 points in the fourth quarter compared to 10 for Wilber-Clatonia.

Thiele led the way with 25 points while Seagren notched 12 points and 9 rebounds. Benne added 8 points.

Meyer says he was pleased with his team's performance.

"I loved our defensive intensity to start the game. The second quarter dry spell was a little rough. Thankfully we made the majority of our free throws and limited our turnovers. Lastly, I thought we did a good job of controlling the pace of the game."

The Broncos led the Knights 12-10 after one. Centennial won the second quarter 15-13 to take a 27-23 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Broncos 17-13 in the third quarter to tie the game at 40 at the end of three.

The Knights notched 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for Centennial.

Benne led the way with 22 points while Thiele totaled 8 points and 8 rebounds. Robby Mayberry registered 7 points while Seagren recorded 7 rebounds.

Meyer says his squad came through when it mattered most. 

"From the get go, it was a back and forth game. It wasn't our best team performance, but we found a way to win. We did a good job of helping inside on their big guy. Kobe got hot near the and, and we were able to finish things off at the FT line. This championship was quite an accomplishment for our team."

Oakland-Craig doubled up the Dragons 14-7 in the first quarter. The Knights outscored Madison 22-4 in the second quarter to take a 36-11 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Dragons 19-9 in the third quarter to go up 55-20 at the end of three.

The Knights won the fourth quarter 9-5.

Seagren totaled 20 points to lead the team while Thiele had 18 points and 8 rebounds. Wyatt Seagren added 8 points.

Meyer says defense was the name of the game.

"Our start was a little slow, but it wasn't due to lack of effort. Once we finally started finishing shots around the rim, things got a little easier for us. Madison has a couple guys that were combining for 35 points a game. We were able to hold them to a combined 15 points, so I'm real proud of the efforts of Garrett and Carter, along with the rest of the team. When your best players are willing to play solid defense, everyone else will follow suit."

Oakland-Craig (9-2) is at Stanton (2-7) Friday night.

The Mustangs lost 66-35 at Battle Creek Tuesday night.

Stanton has had a down year while the Knights have had a great year so Oakland-Craig should be able to win.

The game is in Stanton though, and the Mustangs are always a tough team, especially at home.

You can bet Stanton will come to play.

The Knights can't get caught looking ahead to Winnebago either. Oakland-Craig has a legit shot to knock off the Indians, in my opinion, but the Knights have to be focused on the Mustangs Friday night.

Oakland-Craig has to keep what doing what they've been doing during this current 9-game winning streak, which is getting out and running and shooting well, in addition to playing great defense.

This is a team that's getting better with every passing game, and I look for the Knights to play great basketball this weekend.

It would be a huge deal for Oakland-Craig to knock off Winnebago. The Indians had a couple of close calls in the Shootout on the Elkhorn so certainly anything can happen on Saturday.

The Knights have to come ready to play both nights though. Oakland-Craig has to play a complete game against Stanton, and not save or try and conserve any energy for Saturday.

This team is playing great basketball right now, and I look for the Knights to play well this weekend. Oakland-Craig may not beat Winnebago, but regardless of how well the Knights fare in that game and the Stanton game on Friday, Oakland-Craig is having a great season.

The Knights have to continue to enjoy the ride and the season, and keep doing everything in their power to have success and win.

Oakland-Craig has to continue to take things one game at a time, but the thought of making state has to have had crept into the Knights' minds.

Oakland-Craig held a 15-12 lead on Wisner-Pilger at the end of one. The Gators outscored the Knights 20-11 in the second quarter to take a 32-26 lead into the locker room.

Oakland-Craig roared back in the third quarter though, outscoring Wisner-Pilger 18-8 to go up 44-40 at the end of three.

The Knights won the fourth quarter 16-13.

Dacey Nelson led all scorers with 29 points, including 20 in the second half, while Melanie Snader and Natalia McNeill recorded 9 and 8, respectively.

Head Coach Joe Anderson on the win.

"Our energy level just went up tremendously in the second half. They were really hurting us inside in the first half, but we did a great job of speeding the game up the second half. We made Wisner play at a pretty fast tempo, probably kind of took the big girl out of the game a little bit, cause they have some talented players."

 Anderson liked what he saw from his team.

"We have to do a great job playing team defense. Be ready to help and collapse and do some different things cause obviously we're a little like what we call vertically challenged. But like I said we're able to make up for that with our speed and quickness and a little bit with the press and speed up the game."

The Knights led the Dragons 21-6 after one. Oakland-Craig outscored Madison 17-5 in the second quarter to take a 38-11 lead into the locker room.

The Knights won the third quarter 12-9 to go up 50-20 at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig put up 16 points in the fourth quarter compared to 12 for the Dragons.

Nelson led the way with 25 points while Kennedy Benne registered 11 points and 7 rebounds. Shannon Pille contributed 10 points and 8 rebounds while Emmy Bousquet totaled 7 rebounds.

The Knights held a 23-19 lead at the end of one. The Chiefs won the second quarter 11-9 to cut the deficit to 32-30 at halftime.

Nelson recorded a double-double of 26 points and 10 rebounds while Benne notched 19 points and 8 rebounds. Pille chipped in 7 rebounds.

Oakland-Craig led Wilber-Clatonia 13-5 at the end of one. The Wolverines won the second quarter 18-10 tie the game at 23 at halftime.

The Knights doubled up Wilber-Clatonia 14-7 in the third quarter to lead 37-30 at the end of three.

Oakland-Craig put up 18 points in the fourth quarter compared to 11 for the Wolverines.

Nelson finished with 18 points and 8 rebounds while Benne totaled 12 points. Melanie Snader compiled 8 points while Pille notched 7 points and 9 rebounds.

The Clippers tripled up the Knights 24-8 in the first quarter. Malcolm won the second quarter 16-11 to lead 40-19 at halftime.

Oakland-Craig outscored the Clippers 12-10 in the third quarter to make it a 50-31 game at the end of three.

Malcolm put up 7 points in the fourth quarter compared to 6 for the Knights.

Oakland-Craig has played a pretty good stretch of basketball lately if you ask me.

The Knights (7-3) take on Stanton (8-1) on the road Friday night.

The Mustangs won 44-36 at Battle Creek Tuesday night.

Stanton is a very good team, and I would say the key to beating them is slowing down their scorers and playing tenacious defense.

Oakland-Craig prides themselves on defense, and I think the Knights are going to need to play well on that end of the floor to have success and win Friday night.

I also think Nelson, Pille, Bousquet, and Benne need to have strong games and performances for Oakland-Craig to pick up the W.

The Mustangs have won seven in a row while the Knights have ton four out of their last five so you can bet this will be a good game.

Both teams are playing at a really high level right now, and that should make for an entertaining ball game.

I give Stanton the edge with the game being on their home floor, but Oakland-Craig is more than capable of going into Stanton and stealing one from the Mustangs.

This is a big stretch of basketball for the Knights. Oakland-Craig has this game with Stanton, and then two more tough games with Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family and BRLD next week after a clash at Winnebago on Saturday.

The Knights are hitting the tough part of their schedule right now so we'll see what Oakland-Craig can do against these tough teams.

I think the Knights can win all three of their "big" games or lose all three games Friday night and next week. It all depends on how well Oakland-Craig plays and executes, and how bad they want it.

I don't see the Knights having much trouble with the Indians, but if Oakland-Craig doesn't play well or struggles at Stanton Friday night, then who knows what will happen.

Often times in sports teams lose a game they're not supposed to, but hopefully that doesn't happen to the Knights on Saturday.

Oakland-Craig has already proven to me that they are a really good team, but we'll find out just how good they are when they go up against some of the top teams in C-2.

Howells-Dodge Boys 3-2 in last five games; Girls 3-1 in last four

The Howells-Dodge Boys are 3-2 over their last five games, winning 52-39 at West Point-Beemer on Tuesday, December 13th before downing Fremont Bergan 61-53 at the Knight Classic in Fremont on Thursday, December 22nd, losing 77-47 to GACC at the GACC Holiday Tournament last Thursday, beating Homer 64-34 in the third place game of the Holiday Tournament on Friday, and falling 51-33 to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the Championship Game of the Knight Classic on Monday.

West Point-Beemer held an 11-7 lead at the end of one.

The Jaguars won the second quarter 12-10 to make it a 21-19 game at halftime.

Howells-Dodge exploded in the third quarter, outscoring the Cadets 17-6 to lead 36-27 at the end of three. The end of the quarter was highlighted by Zach Bayer's three pointer to end the period.

The Jaguars won the fourth quarter 16-12.

Kade Hegemann paced Howells-Dodge with 12 points while Caden Jackson chipped in 11. Connor Blum added 8 while Bayer notched 7.

Head Coach Cole Fischer says Caden Jackson provided some much needed offense.

"After the last couple games we're looking for some offense. We kind of struggled offensively. And he's played well at the JV level, and we said we need some offense out of somebody, and sure enough he came off the bench, and he had 10-12 points, and he kind of sparked us there in that second quarter, in that third quarter."

Fischer adds the team played well as a whole.

"We came in the second half and played great defense. We also have few guys step and play well and we look for them to continue to produce."

Fremont Bergan led the Jaguars 14-8 after one. Howells-Dodge doubled up the Knights 18-9 in the second quarter to take a 26-23 lead into the locker room.

Fremont Bergan won the third quarter 17-16 to make it a 42-40 game at the end of three in favor of the Jaguars.

Howells-Dodge outscored the Knights 19-13 in the fourth quarter.

Hegemann finished with a game-high 20 points while Blum and Bayer notched 15 and 14, respectively. Dax VanLengen added 12.

Fischer it was a good game for his team.

"We got ourselves to the free throw line and shot them with confidence. It is always nice to go into the break with a win and this was a complete team win."

The Bluejays led 17-6 at the end of one. GACC outscored Howells-Dodge 19-6 in the second quarter to go up 36-22 at halftime.

The Bluejays won the third quarter 24-5 to lead 60-27 at the end of three.

The Jaguars notched 20 points in the fourth quarter compared to 17 for GACC.

Bayer paced Howells-Dodge with 12 points while Hegemann and Ryan Macholan notched 9 apiece.

Fischer says it wasn't his team's night.

"They shot extremely well and we struggled to generate some offense."

The Jaguars held an 11-6 lead on Homer at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored the Knights 26-6 in the second quarter to take a 37-12 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 15-9 to lead 52-21 at the end of three.

Homer notched 13 points in the fourth quarter compared to 12 for Howells-Dodge.

Jackson had a team-high 11 points while Blum and Lane Hegemann added 9 and 8, respectively. Josh Brester totaled 7. VanLengen and Lane Hegemann chipped in 7 rebounds apiece.

The Trojans held a 14-5 lead on the Jaguars at the end of one. Hartington Cedar Catholic outscored Howells-Dodge 13-4 in the second quarter to take a 27-9 lead into the locker room.

The Trojans won the third quarter 14-13 to make it a 41-22 game at the end of three.

The Jaguars won the fourth quarter 11-10.

Lane Hegemann finished with a team-high 8 points while Jackson registered 7.

Fischer says his team needs to regroup.

"CC has a nice team and we struggled defensively. We need some practices to work on a variety of things."

Howells-Dodge (5-5) hosts Humphrey St. Francis (8-2) Friday night.

The Flyers lost 64-58 to Parkview Christian in the Nebraska Wesleyan Holiday Tournament Championship Game on Friday.

I don't know a lot about Humphrey St. Francis, but they were D-1 State Champs last year so I would say the Jaguars have their work cut out for them.

What helps Howells-Dodge though is playing the schedule they do.

I think the Jaguars definitely have what it takes to compete with the Flyers and give them a good game.

Howells-Dodge has to be effective on offense and defense, and play their best game though.

The Jaguars have struggled against the good teams on their schedule so we'll see if Howells-Dodge can buck that trend Friday night.

This game is a big deal for the Jaguars. Howells-Dodge has a chance to knock off one of the best teams in the state in D-2.

The stage is set for the Jaguars and Flyers to go at it for four quarters. Howells-Dodge needs to play well to give the hometown fans something to be proud of.

A win over Humphrey St. Francis could be a big turning point in the season for the Jaguars.

If Howells-Dodge wins, this game could be looked at as what sparked something special.

The Jaguars have to feel they're a good team, and I think they are, but it's time to step things up and play even better than they have so far.

Howells-Dodge has made significant progress over last year, but I feel the Jaguars' best basketball is ahead of them.

I don't feel Howells-Dodge has reached their full potential as of yet...I feel like that is still yet to come for the Jaguars.

A full week of practice should allow Howells-Dodge to be fresh and ready to go Friday night. I think you will see the Jaguars come out pumped up and inspired.

The Howells-Dodge Girls are 3-1 in their last four games, defeating West Point-Beemer 42-24 on the road on Tuesday, December 13th, Clarkson/Leigh 54-40 on the road on Thursday, December 22nd, and Homer 56-37 in the GACC Holiday Tournament last Thursday, before losing 45-50 to the host Bluejays in the Championship Game on Friday.

Howells-Dodge led the Cadets 8-7 after one. The Jaguars won the second quarter 10-8 to take an 18-15 lead into the locker room.

Howells-Dodge notched 8 points in the third quarter compared to 7 for the Cadets to make it a 26-22 game at the end of three in favor of the Jaguars.

Howells-Dodge outscored West Point-Beemer 16-2 in the fourth quarter.

Chelsea Bayer led the Jaguars with 13 points and 7 rebounds while Tessa Brester and Sam Brester totaled 8 and 7 points, respectively.

Head Coach Scott Polacek.

"It was just a nice win. West Point-Beemer played a good defense on us in the first half, and we struggled. And I think we said at halftime we only had 7 makes, so we were like 7-30 at halftime. And then finally the second half we started to make a couple of cheap shots, and that was the difference."

Polacek says the defense came up strong in the second half.

"There for a while it was 22-20. We had a two-point lead. And then I think we held them scoreless for we thought right at about well the whole rest of that quarter pretty much. And then another about 4 minutes. So about 12 minutes we held them to basically with no points so that was pretty awesome."

The Jaguars led the Patriots 15-11 after one. Howells-Dodge outscored Clarkson/Leigh 22-7 in the second quarter to take a 37-18 lead into the locker room.

The Patriots outscored the Jaguars 17-9 in the third quarter to make it a 46-35 game after three.

Howells-Dodge won the fourth quarter 8-5.

Sam Brester poured in a game-high 26 points and had 8 rebounds while Erin Prusa notched 10 points and 7 rebounds. Emily Ritzdorf added 7 points.

The Jaguars led the Knights 18-5 at the end of one. Howells-Dodge outscored Homer 14-3 in the third quarter to take a 32-8 lead into the locker room.

The Jaguars won the third quarter 20-15 to go up 52-23 at the end of three.

The Knights outlasted Howells-Dodge 14-4 in the fourth quarter.

Sam Brester had a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds while Jessi Brester added 10 points. Macey Kulhanek and Ritzdorf totaled 8 and 7 points, respectively.

The Bluejays led the Jaguars 12-9 after one. Howells-Dodge won the second quarter 10-9 to make it a 21-19 game at halftime.

The Jaguars outscored GACC 11-9 in the third quarter to tie the game at 30 at the end of three.

The Bluejays put up 15 points in the fourth quarter while Howells-Dodge scored 10.

The Jaguars were led by Prusa, who had 10 points and 11 rebounds, good enough for a double-double. Sam Brester added 9 points and 8 rebounds while Chelsea Bayer totaled 8 points.

Polacek says Lexis Haase's final three pointer was the dagger in the heart.

"That's your definition of rivalry right there. Those are teams that just refuse to lose. Try to do the best you can. We had some opportunities in the first quarter that we did not follow through on. And they had a nice lead on us and we did a great job of battling back, we got a couple of key people in foul trouble. We fought back, and then Ms. Haase just made one tough shot, and one of the toughest shots I've seen ever taken in a ball game. And that was the story."

Howells-Dodge (8-1) hosts Humphrey St. Francis (6-5) Friday night.

The Flyers lost 50-34 at home to Twin River Tuesday night.

The Jaguars should be able to beat Humphrey St. Francis, and as long as Howells-Dodge comes to play, I see them having no trouble winning.

I think the game has a chance to be close and competitive, but I look for the Jaguars to find a way to win.

Howells-Dodge has two games this weekend and four next week so the Jaguars certainly have their hands full between this week and next.

That's why it's so important for Howells-Dodge to be as dominant as possible, especially this weekend.

The Jaguars have Plainview on Saturday so between the two games Howells-Dodge needs to find a way to be able to rest starters if they can.

The Jaguars will probably need their first string more on Friday, and with a week off, Howells-Dodge should be fresh and ready to go, but the Jaguars have to put the Pirates away early on Saturday and rest starters with a big game against BRLD on Monday.

Howells-Dodge can't overlook or underestimate either opponent this weekend though, and I don't think they will.

I look for the Jaguars to come out and take care of business, and dominate.

I think Howells-Dodge will play two very good games this weekend and claim victory both nights.

This next week of games will give the Jaguars an idea of what things are going to be like later on down the line, in my opinion.

I think having all these games will help prepare Howells-Dodge for a Conference Tournament and Postseason run.

Playing as many games as the Jaguars are in the next week or so is nothing but a good thing really if you ask me.

With that said, Howells-Dodge has to be very tough physically and mentally, and be ready to go hard when they have to.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys 1-2 in last three games; Girls 2-1

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder Boys are 1-2 in their last three games, falling 57-23 at Douglas County West on Tuesday, December 20th, beating Omaha Brownell-Talbot 65-38 last Thursday at the Fort Calhoun Holiday Tournament, and losing 36-29 to Elmwood-Murdock in the championship game on Friday.

The Falcons tripled up the Raiders 18-6 in the first quarter. DC West won the second quarter 9-4 to lead 27-10 at halftime.

The Falcons outscored Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 16-6 in the third quarter to go up 43-16 at the end of three.

DC West doubled up the Raiders 14-7 in the fourth quarter.

Ben Moxness had 11 points while Jacob Polk registered 9.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder jumped out to a 15-8 lead on Omaha Brownell-Talbot at the end of one.

LVSS outscored Omaha Brownell-Talbot 21-8 in the second quarter to go up 36-16 at halftime.

LVSS won the third quarter 17-16 to make it a 53-32 game at the end of three.

LVSS doubled up Omaha Brownell-Talbot 12-6 in the fourth quarter.

Moxness had a school record 41 points and 7 rebounds for LVSS while Polk notched 18. Alex VonSeggern added 7.

The Raiders led the Knights 8-3 after one. Elmwood-Murdock won the second quarter 12-8 to make it a 16-15 game at halftime.

The Knights outscored Logan View/Scribner-Snyder 11-6 in the third quarter to go in front 26-22 at the end of three.

Elmwood-Murdock put up 10 points in the fourth quarter and held the Raiders to 7.

Moxness had 13 points while Polk totaled 9.

I thought Logan View/Scribner-Snyder put up a really good fight against the Knights. The Raiders have had a good season so far despite playing a difficult schedule.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder (4-4) hosts North Bend Central (7-1) Friday night.

The Tigers beat Clarkson/Leigh 73-39 at home Tuesday night.

This is another tough game for the Raiders as North Bend Central appears to be just as good if not better than they were last year.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to try and slow down Jake Wietfeld, Matt Ortmeier, Tanner Wietfeld, John Emanuel, and James Seymour, among others.

The Tigers may have more weapons offensively than the Raiders, but both teams are really good.

North Bend Central has been the more consistent team this season, but I would say Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has played the tougher schedule.

I think this game comes down to who plays the best and who wants it more.

I feel the game is a toss up, and can go either way.

Something tells me the Tigers are going to win, but I could easily see the Raiders winning too.

For me, it just comes down to offense, and I feel North Bend Central has more scorers than Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.

With that said, Ben Moxness might be the best player on either team.

Him and Polk are going to need to have monster and gigantic games for the Raiders to come away with a win, in my opinion.

The Tigers are a tough team, but the rigors of a tough schedule should have Logan View/Scribner-Snyder prepared and ready to go.

I look for the Raiders to rattle off a bunch of wins before the East Husker Conference Tournament win or lose Friday night.

A win over North Bend Central would be big and nice, but there are a lot of very winnable games coming up for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder so the Raiders can't get too down on themselves should they falter against the Tigers.

The schedule eases and lets up quite a bit in the second half of the season for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder so the Raiders should be able to get things going throughout the rest of the month.

The Logan View/Scribner-Snyder girls basketball team headed into the holidays with a big win over DC West by a final of 45-36.

LVSS ended the game on a 16-0 run and overcame a 7-point deficit heading into the 4th quarter.

Mackenzy Schreck led the way with a solid all around game of 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 steals. Abby Kahlant also scored in double figures with 11 and provided 8 rebounds. Other stats include Kaylee Boyle-7 points, Morgan Morgan 6 points, 9 rebounds, Sierra Beacom-4 points, 3 assists, Breanna Smith-3 points.

LVSS finished the Fort Calhoun Holiday Tournament with a 1-1 record.

The Raiders dropped the opener to Elmwood-Murdock by a final of 53-20.

Kaylee Boyle was the leading scorer with 7, other scorers were Ashley Peters-4, Mackenzie Schreck-3, Abby Kahlandt-3, Sierra Beacom-3, Morgan Morgan also added 10 rebounds.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder finished the tournament with a 60-18 victory over Omaha Brownell Talbot.

Kaylee Boyle led the scoring with 16 points 7 rebounds, Abby Kahlandt added 9 points, Morgan Morgan-9 points, Ashley Peters-8 points, Abbey Hill-7 points, Mackenzy Schreck-6 points, Liz Polk-2 points, Sierra Beacom-2 points 6 steals, Taylor Rume-1 point.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder should feel encouraged by the two wins they've picked up in their last three games.

The Raiders (3-5) host North Bend Central (6-3) Friday night.

The Tigers won 46-27 at home over Clarkson/Leigh Tuesday night.

North Bend Central has been pretty good this season although they've been a tad bit inconsistent, at least offensively.

The Tigers' offense numbers have been respectable, but it's not like North Bend Central has lit up the scoreboard this season.

What I'm trying to say is I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has a chance to compete and make things closer against the Tigers than some people think.

I don't know if the Raiders will win, but I think Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is capable of giving North Bend Central a scare.

So I think this game could be close, but I could also see the Tigers winning the game in blowout fashion.

This is an awfully difficult weekend for the Raiders with Stanton coming in on Saturday.

However, there are a lot of winnable games coming up for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder before and after the East Husker Conference Tournament so the Raiders have to play well this weekend and build some confidence and momentum for the rest of the season.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder also has to enjoy these home games because there aren't a lot left at home for the Raiders.

Logan View/Scribner-Snyder has to use these games as tone setters for the rest of the season.

Wins may be out of the question this weekend, but if the Raiders can at least compete and make things interesting with both teams, it could lead to big things for Logan View/Scribner-Snyder.

The Raiders have won the games they were supposed to so far this season, and have lost a handful of games to good teams so Logan View/Scribner-Snyder is doing about as well as they can I would say.

The big thing is to continue to get better and keep playing hard, learning, and growing.

There's a lot that can be learned over the course of the season, and these girls have to keep buying into what they are being taught.