Basketball Game Preview: Cozad Haymakers vs. Amherst Broncos

The Cozad Haymakers will venture away from home to take on the Amherst Broncos at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Cozad knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Amherst likes a good challenge.

Cozad will head into Saturday's game hoping to keep the good times rolling: they had to skate by with only a three-point margin when they last took the court, which might have inspired the 35-point drubbing they dealt Centura on Saturday. Cozad took their contest with ease, bagging an 80-45 win over Centura. Given the Haymakers' advantage in MaxPreps' Nebraska basketball rankings (they are ranked 24th, while the Centurions are ranked 106th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was another big night for Noah Shoemaker, who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. That's the most points he has posted since back in February of 2024. Chayden Hoffmaster was another key player, going 5 for 9 en route to 10 points and five boards.

Cozad smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, Amherst had already won three in a row and they went ahead and made it four on Friday. They secured a 67-61 W over the Bulldogs.

Amherst pushed their record up to 10-3 with the victory, which was their 11th straight on the road dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.2 points per game. As for Cozad, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight games, which provided a nice bump to their 12-2 record this season.

Cozad came up short against Amherst when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 44-38. Thankfully for Cozad, Tayje Hadwiger (who went 7 of 16 on his way to 22 points and six rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.