Basketball Game Preview: Fort Calhoun Pioneers vs. Ralston Rams

The Fort Calhoun Pioneers and the Ralston Rams will round out the year against one another at at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. The teams are on pretty different trajectories at the moment (Fort Calhoun has six straight victories, Ralston has 29 straight losses), but none of that matters once you're on the court.

Last Friday, Fort Calhoun strolled past David City with points to spare, taking the game 49-35. Given the Pioneers' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked tenth, while the Scouts are ranked 64th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Fort Calhoun's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ella Bouwman, who posted 11 points. That's the most points Bouwman has posted since back in December of 2023. The team also got some help courtesy of Ansley Elofson, who put up 11 points and five steals.

Meanwhile, Ralston played a tough match on Friday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They were outmatched by Gross Catholic and fell 81-12. The Rams were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 56-6.

Fort Calhoun's victory bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Ralston, their defeat dropped their record down to 0-8.

Everything came up roses for Fort Calhoun against Ralston in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, as the squad secured a 65-26 win. In that game, Fort Calhoun amassed a halftime lead of 40-17, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Monday.