It doesn’t get much better than the 13th annual Heartland Hoops Classic, which was staged Saturday by basketball coach/entrepreneur Tino Martinez at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island. The masses of hoops aficionados swarmed in from all directions of the state to witness an eight game slate that included three national powers, two of which collided head on...

Class A Conference basketball tournaments (all two of them) were in the books right after the calender hit January, 2020, but the final countdown to the hoops post season is close at hand and it’s time to view the landscape of Nebraska’s largest Class entering the home stretch...

This is a history of Centennial Conference Basketball Tournament Finals played since 1996. The “New Era” is based on when the first teams west of the David City/Columbus areas joined the Conference. Those teams were Grand Island Central Catholic and Hastings St. Cecilia...

The...

Class A was divided into seven districts with the district champions and one wild-card team, selected on the basis of a point system, qualifying for the state tournament. Omaha Creighton Prep was the wild-card team for Class A. Class B was divided into six districts with the district champions and two wild-card teams, selected on the basis of a point system, qualifying for the state tournament...

Boys basketball had six classes in 2006-07. Each class qualified eight teams for the Boys State Basketball Tournament held on March 8, 9, and 10, 2007, in Lincoln. Classes A and B were divided into six districts with the district champions and two wild-card teams, selected on the basis of a point system, qualifying for the state tournament. ...

*This is the 44th edition of the Bobby Mills 1000 Yard Club. There were 104 Nebraska high school running backs to eclipse the one thousand yard rushing mark this past season. *Sixty two seniors, thirty juniors, ten sophomores and two freshman reached the magical mark this past season...

My All-State teams differ from most. As most of you know, I am not hesitant to add an additional player or players to a team if I feel a young man deserves All-State recognition. Being named to an all-state team is an elite honor, and while it is not my intention to “water down” or diminish the all-state teams by adding too many players, I am never going to leave a player off that “just missed”...

UNK-COPE STADIUM, KEARNEY, NE Two year 1000 yard rusher David Reazola couldn’t hold back the tears following Harvard’s 50-33 Six-Man State Championship victory over McCool Junction. The veteran senior, along with classmate Noah Okraska, played on this same football field for the Six-Man title two years ago, but came up just short (46-38) of defeating the mighty Riverside Chargers, whom everyone thought was invincible...

CLARKS, NE...

HASTINGS, NE...

OSCEOLA, NE. What is the plan of attack when your Osceola/High Plains is down 14-0 to an undefeated Howells-Dodge team after one quarter of play in a “loser goes home” situation? You ride the legs of your stallion, Keaton Van Housen, who ran for 275 yards and 3 second half touchdowns the week before against defending D-1 champion Creighton...

*The Three Horsemen, Bluejay O/D Lines-Pierce - QB Dalton Freeman, HB Carson Oestreich, and FB Brett Tinker are back together and riding high like the Four Horsemen of Notre Dame did back in 1922-24, nearly a century ago. No, these guys are not Jim Crowley, Elmer Layden, Don Miller or Harry Stuhldreher, nor is their coach Knute Rockne, and they obviously go to Notre Dame, but I thought the name was cool for the Three Horsemen of Millard North back in the day, and now it certainly fits for Pierce. ...

*Eli Larson, Wildcats O-Line, Wildcats D-Line-St. Paul - It was a signature win for the Wildcats last Friday as they pulled off a great 25-10 win over traditional power David City Aquinas. The state’s leading rusher, St. Paul junior Eli Larson rushed for 169 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown and logged 10 tackles on the defensive side in the playoff victory. That raises Larson’s rushing total to 1,987 yards with 30 TDs after 11 games...

ST. PAUL, NE...

FULLERTON, NE...

**11-Man Performances: *Jack Dotzler-Omaha Roncalli - Crimson Pride super athlete set a record for passing yards in an 11-Man playoff game in Roncalli’s 56-28 win over Plattsmouth last Friday...

11-Man Performances: *****5,000 Yard Career Rusher Alert*Jay Ducker-Bellevue West - Remarkable Thunderbird running back soared over the 5,000 yard career rushing mark in Bellevue West’s 42-0 first round playoff win over Lincoln East...

DONIPHAN, NE...

(All Games Friday, November 1st) #1 Millard West (9-0) vs. #16 Lincoln Pius X (4-5) - (At Buell Stadium - 8:00) #1 Millard West Rushing leader : Ethan Valencia -123 carries-741 yards, 5 TDs...