By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
In Nebraska, the road to state tournament in Lincoln is not inundated with a plethora of games. The road is pretty simple; win two or three times and you are in. No questions asked.
If you fail to get out of your District alive, in Class A one team will still get the opportunity to play in the state tournament as a wildcard. In all other classes, two teams will get a wildcard.
The Nebraska School Activities Association even added a little spice into District play in 2008 in Class A, not announcing the District assignments until early February. In past years, you were assigned to a District based on enrollment for schools not in the western part of the state. It was a brilliant move, even though the wildcard is potentially watered down somewhat barring upsets.
In Class B it is based more on geography, which is why you could have a situation like you have with District B-1 where three teams are worthy of playing in the state tournament. There is a good chance a team with double-digit losses will come out of District B-6 as four of the five teams have lost more than 10 games.
Upsets always do happen, which makes the wildcards necessary. District play never seems to go as planned.
Class A
A-1 at Papillion-La Vista South
Feb. 23:
Fremont 58, Omaha Northwest 42
- Andy Sajevic scored 19 points as the Tigers picked up their second win of the campaign.
Feb. 25:
Ralston (19-2) vs. Fremont (2-20)
Omaha North (12-9) vs. Norfolk (13-8)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Ralston- Despite its torture of Class B teams to inflate its record, the Smith brothers will be too tough to stop. Both are averaging over 17 points per game for the Rams this season. The Rams enter District play after suffering a loss to Class B Omaha Skutt.
Darkhorse: Norfolk- Coach Ben Ries’ team has been up and down all year. They have lost some close games against some solid teams and have enough talent to pull an upset.
A-2 at Lincoln High
Feb. 23:
Bellevue West 77, Papillion-LaVista 34
- The Thunderbirds exploded to a 25-2 lead and never looked back. Stephen Palmtag led four Bellevue West players in double figures with 14 points.
Millard West 64, Lincoln East 57
-Kyle Iske scored 19 points for the Wildcats in the victory.
Final, Feb. 25: Bellevue West (22-2) vs. Millard West (14-7),7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Bellevue West- Bellevue West has two Division I recruits and a lot of size. Jeff Allgood (signed with Army) is a tremendous three-point threat, while Antoine Young (signed with Creighton) can fill it up in other ways. Shomari Wellington is a banger in the paint for the Thunderbirds.
A-3 at Omaha North
Feb. 23:
Omaha Central 78, Omaha South 50
- Josh Jones netted 16 points for the two-time defending Class A champions in the victory.
Omaha Bryan 50, Lincoln Southwest 39
- Jeremy Wallace poured in 20 points for Omaha Bryan.
Final, Feb. 25: Omaha Central (21-3) vs. Omaha Bryan (18-7), 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Omaha Central- The two-time defending champion is hitting on all cylinders at the right time. In three victories to round out the regular season, Central guard Josh Jones averaged 31 points a game and his team hit 108 points in one victory.
A-4 at Bellevue East
Feb. 23:
Omaha Benson 69, Millard North 54
Omaha Creighton Prep 67, Lincoln North Star 47
- Matt Harmon exploded for 30 points to lead Creighton Prep.
Final, Feb. 25: Omaha Creighton Prep (21-1) vs. Omaha Benson (15-7), 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Omaha Creighton Prep- By the time Class A coaches figure out what makes the Junior Jays so special, next season should be rolling around. Six different players are capable of leading the way for Prep. If you had to pick a leader, junior Matt Harmon is it. If you focus on Harmon, that is just fine with his Harmon and his teammates.
A-5 at Millard North
Feb. 23:
Lincoln High 72, Omaha Westside 60
- Josh Riser scored 22 points for the Links in the victory.
Papillion-LaVista South 86, Omaha Burke 46
Final, Feb. 25: Lincoln High (18-4) vs. Papillion-LaVista South (17-6), 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Lincoln High- Josh Riser (16 points, 7 assists) is the catalyst for the Links, winners of 10 out of their last 11. Pete Uhing and Dylan Flinn (70 percent field goal shooting) are other viable options for Lincoln High. The Links last won the state title in 2003.
A-6 at Lincoln East
Feb. 23:
Lincoln Southeast 83, Millard South 68
- Nick Schleich and Matt Drummond both netted 20 to lead the Knights one-step closer to the state tournament.
Bellevue East 67, Lincoln Northeast 40
- Jerrell Crayton powered Bellevue East with 22 points.
Final, Feb. 25: Lincoln Southeast (16-6) vs. Bellevue East (15-9), 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Lincoln Southeast- The Knights were rolling right along in January, but then lost their way. Last week, the Knights hit 17 three-point shots as a team, so they can shoot the rock. Nick Schleich averages 17 points per game and hits 41 percent of his three-point attempts.
A-7 at Hastings
Feb. 23:
Kearney 42, Columbus 39
- Dane Bacon scored 14 points as the Bearcats survived a huge scare from the Discoverers.
Grand Island 42, North Platte 41
- Sam Cartens canned a three-point basket with 7.5 seconds remaining to hand Grand Island the victory.
Final, Feb. 26: Kearney (17-6) vs. Grand Island (17-4), 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Grand Island- Another brilliant coaching effort by Dave Oman. The last three non-Omaha or Lincoln schools to win Class A were coached by Oman, Norfolk in 1987 and then in Grand Island in 1999 and 2002. This could be type of Oman team to make some noise down the stretch. Sam Carstens leads the way at almost 15 points per game, but Kash Kalkowski has emerged as of late.
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Omaha Creighton Prep, Bellevue West, Omaha Central, Lincoln Southeast, Grand Island, Lincoln High, Ralston, Kearney*
Class B
B-1 at Lincoln Southeast
Feb. 23:
Norris 50, Nebraska City 38
Feb. 25:
Beatrice (16-3) vs. Norris (12-9)
Waverly (15-5) vs. Lincoln Pius X (14-5)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Beatrice- Even though the Orangemen are traveling outside of their friendly confines of the ‘O’ Zone, the combination of 6-5 center Mike Fox (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Zach Ruiz (15 points per game) are too tough to tame.
B-2 at Omaha Westside
Feb. 23:
Plattsmouth 68, Platteview 44
Feb. 25:
Omaha Skutt (18-5) vs. Plattsmouth (10-9)
Omaha Gross (11-10) vs. Gretna (16-5)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Omaha Skutt- The Skyhawks are the two-time defending champion in Class B and are peaking at the right time. 6-8 center Jake Reinders (8 rebounds per game) is the leader for the Skyhawks. 6-5 Andy Morris is a good complimentary option for Skutt.
B-3 at Fremont
Feb. 23:
Schuyler 64, Elkhorn Mount Michael 56
South Sioux City 64, Blair 48
Feb. 25:
Elkhorn (12-6) vs. Elkhorn Mount Michael (7-13)
Omaha Roncalli (9-11) vs. South Sioux City (7-11
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Elkhorn- Josh Lynch (12 rebounds per game) does the dirty work inside for the Antlers. Elkhorn faced a tough schedule on its road to district play. South Sioux City, winners of its last six out of seven, are a dangerous team right now.
B-4 at Lincoln North Star
Feb. 23:
Seward 41, Hastings 38
York 57, Aurora 44
Feb. 25:
Crete (13-7) vs. Seward (4-15)
Fairbury (11-7) vs. York (11-8)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: Crete- John Leverson (18 points per game) and Micah Marvin (16 points per game) are the leaders for Crete. The Cardinals have been streaky this season, starting the season with a 2-4 record before winning seven straight, then a 4-3 finish in their last seven games.
B-5 at University of Nebraska-Kearney
Feb. 23:
Lexington 52, Grand Island Northwest 47
Feb. 25:
Adams Central (13-6) vs. Lexington (6-14)
McCook (14-10) vs. Holdrege (13-8)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m.
The Favorite: McCook- The Bison finished the season winning eight out of nine games following a loss to Wichita (Kan.) South. Its only loss in that stretch was to Alliance by one point. The Bison are very dangerous.
B-6 at Scottsbluff
Feb. 23:
Scottsbluff 61, Ogallala 41
Feb. 25:
Sidney (12-8) vs. Scottsbluff (14-11)
Alliance (11-10) vs. Gering (11-10)
Final, Feb. 26: 7:00 p.m. MST
The Favorite: Scottsbluff- The Bearcats have a tough schedule, comprised with Class A teams and large school teams from other states. Scottsbluff has a huge advantage in having its district at home. David Downey and Trace Marsden (both 13 points per game) are the leaders for Scottsbluff.
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Beatrice, Omaha Skutt, Elkhorn, Crete, McCook, Scottsbluff, Lincoln Pius X*, Gretna*
Class C1
(All Finals held Feb. 25)
C1-1 at Beatrice: Falls City (17-5) vs. Lincoln Lutheran (10-10)
C1-2 at Millard South: Boys Town (20-5) vs. Wahoo Neumann (13-8)
C1-3 at Midland College (Fremont): Bennington (22-0) vs. Wisner-Pilger (23-0)
C1-4 at Aurora: Boone Central (18-3) vs. Hastings St. Cecilia (19-2)
C1-5 at Norfolk Catholic: Pierce (22-0) vs. O’Neill (18-3)
C1-6 at Ogallala: Kearney Catholic (13-9) vs. Chadron (18-2)
Wildcard Power Point Standings:
Chadron (18-2), 46.9000; Pierce (22-0), 46.1364; Wisner-Pilger (23-0), 45.8261; Hastings St. Cecilia (19-2), 45.5714; Bennington (22-0), 45.0455; Minden (17-4), 44.5238; Boys Town (20-5), 44.4400; Boone Central (18-3), 44.2857; Kimball (18-4), 44.1818; Falls City (17-5), 44.0000; O'Neill (17-3), 43.7000; Ainsworth (19-3), 43.6818; Wakefield (19-4), 43.3913; Wayne (18-6), 43.2917; David City (17-4), 43.1905; Lincoln Christian (13-6), 43.0526; St. Paul (16-5), 43.0000
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Falls City, Boys Town, Bennington, Boone Central, Pierce, Chadron, Wisner-Pilger*, Minden*
Breakdown: As crazy as it may seem, there is a distinct possibility that Bennington’s unbeaten record may not be good enough for a wildcard should they lose to Wisner-Pilger in the C1-3 final. Things would have to go horribly wrong, but it is possible. It is not often when you have two unbeaten teams face each other in the District final just for the right to make the State tournament. Chadron and Pierce appear to have their berths sewn up regardless of what happens in the final. The C1-4 final between Boone Central and Hastings St. Cecilia has classic potential.
Class C2
(All Finals held Feb. 25)
C2-1 at Fairbury: Southern (19-4) vs. Deshler (21-1)
C2-2 at Nebraska Wesleyan (Lincoln): Elmwood-Murdock (19-3) vs. East Butler (13-9)
C2-3 at Wayne State College: Oakland-Craig (15-8) vs. West Point Central Catholic (15-8)
C2-4 at Hartington Cedar Catholic: Ponca (20-2) vs. Lutheran High Northeast (12-10)
C2-5 at Kearney Catholic: Ravenna (22-1) vs. Axtell (18-4)
C2-6 at Creek Valley (Chappell): Perkins County (12-9) vs. Leyton (10-11)
Wildcard Power Point Standings:
Ravenna (22-1), 46.4783; Ponca (20-2), 45.3182; Heartland (19-3), 45.1818; Deshler (21-1), 44.8636; Grand Island Central Catholic (15-7), 44.8636; Elmwood-Murdock (19-3), 44.5909; Southern (19-4), 44.5217; Sutherland (17-4), 43.9524; Axtell (18-4), 43.6818; Laurel-Concord (15-7), 43.6818; Oakland-Craig (15-8), 43.1739
Alma (16-6), 43.0455
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Deshler, Elmwood-Murdock, West Point Central Catholic, Ponca, Ravenna, Perkins County, Heartland*, Grand Island Central Catholic*
Breakdown: Class C2 appears to be very top-heavy. Deshler, Ponca, and Ravenna have been dominant all season long. After that, it gets confusing. The C2-3 final between Oakland-Craig and West Point Central Catholic should be entertaining despite the combined 16 losses between the two teams.
Class D1
(All Finals held Feb. 26)
D1-1 at Lincoln Southwest: Freeman (16-6) vs. Fremont Bergan (23-0)
D1-2 at Doniphan-Trumbull: Exeter-Milligan (11-9) vs. Kenesaw (13-7)
D1-3 at Columbus: Palmer (20-2) vs. Humphrey St. Francis (20-2)
D1-4 at Battle Creek: Omaha Nation (18-2) vs. West Boyd (19-5)
D1-5 at Cozad: Elwood (17-5) vs. Callaway (14-4)
D1-6 at Creek Valley (Chappell): Hayes Center (21-1) vs. Hay Springs (17-4)
Wildcard Power Point Standings:
Archbishop Bergan (23-0), 49.0435; Hayes Center (21-1), 45.9091; Mead (19-3), 45.4091; Humphrey St. Francis (20-2), 45.2727; Palmer (20-2), 44.6364; Omaha Nation (18-2), 44.1500; Freeman (16-6), 43.8636; Elwood (17-5), 43.8182; Hay Springs (17-4), 43.2857; Osceola (14-7), 43.0476; Overton (14-8), 43.0000; West Boyd (19-5), 42.8333; Callaway (14-4), 42.8333; Pender (12-12), 42.6667; Pope John (17-7), 42.5417
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Fremont Bergan, Kenesaw, Humphrey St. Francis, Omaha Nation, Elwood, Hayes Center, Mead*, Palmer*
Breakdown: Fremont Bergan beat the team with the third highest power point total by 25 in the Subdistrict final. Class D1 is filled with some solid teams. The D1-3 final between Palmer and Humphrey St. Francis is a toss-up and should be a dandy. Hayes Center and Hay Springs in D1-6 should be another thriller.
Class D2
(All Finals Held Feb. 26)
D2-1 at Norris: Falls City Sacred Heart (22-2) vs. Hampton (19-2)
D2-2 at Columbus Lakeview: Leigh (15-6) vs. St. Edward (19-3)
D2-3 at Pierce: Coleridge (13-8) vs. St. Mary’s (19-3)
D2-4 at Ord: Ewing (23-0) vs. Sandhills (12-12)
D2-5 at Southern Valley (Oxford): Pleasanton (21-1) vs. Hitchcock County (20-4)
D2-6 at Hershey: Mullen (14-6) vs. Potter-Dix (12-8)
Wildcard Power Point Standings:
Pleasanton (21-1), 47.2727; Falls City Sacred Heart (22-2), 46.4583; Hampton (19-3), 46.0000; Ewing (23-0), 45.9565; Hitchcock County (20-4), 45.5833; Bruning-Davenport (20-5), 45.3200; Cody-Kilgore (21-1), 45.0909; Wallace (15-4), 44.6842
St. Mary's (19-3), 44.5909
Projected State Tournament Teams (*Denotes Wildcard):
Falls City Sacred Heart, St. Edward, St. Mary’s, Ewing, Pleasanton, Mullen, Hampton*, Bruning-Davenport*
Breakdown: Falls City Sacred Heart and Hampton should be in no matter how wins and loses their D2-1 final. Mullen may be the team that most expected to have already turned in its uniforms. Mullen knocked off previously unbeaten Cody-Kilgore in the Subdistrict final despite having lost to them by a total of 51 points in two regular season meetings. Defending state champion St. Edward will need a win in order to defend its title.
Note: Wildcard point information obtained from the Nebraska School Activities Association.
