The Nebraska High School Basketball All-State Project - Saluting 1985

1984/85 Regular Season:

Six teams made it to the Big Dance with spotless records in 1985. In Class B, Seward (21-0) and Minden (19-0) both made to Lincoln without a loss. That Minden team was pretty tall and talented, by the way. The starters on that '85 team were Jeff Bassford (5-10), Shane Monthey (6-5), Gary Klassen (6-4), Rod Gardner (6-3) and Mark Boudreau (6-0). All were seniors.

Both Arlington (22-0) and Bayard (23-0) appeared to be headed for a C-2 Championship clash, while McCool Junction (21-0) looked like the favorite to me in Class D-1. In D-2, Dix (16-0) danced through their far west schedule without a loss but had not faced the likes of a Clearwater or Hildreth.

*Here are the class by class State Tournaments at a glance in 1985:

Class D-2: The 1st Round matchups looked like this:

Thedford (8-9) vs. Dix (16-0)

Clearwater (17-5) vs. Beaver Valley (14-3)

Lexington St. Anns (13-5) vs. Hildreth (18-2)

Snyder (15-5) vs. Filley (20-3)

*Dix waltzed through their game with Thedford, winning 64-42, while Clearwater sent Lebanon Beaver Valley home with a 61-47 loss. One the underside of the D-2 bracket, Hildreth beat Lexington St. Ann by a ten spot, 63-53 and Snyder shocked Filley 65-57. Who thought Filley would lose in the opening round?

Clearwater topped unbeaten Dix 48-37 in the semis and Snyder nearly pulled another upset before losing to a fine Hildreth team, 63-60.

Clearwater iced the championship game when senior Rick Kerkman drained 2 free throws with just 17 seconds left in the game, giving the Cardinals a 59-53 victory. With that came a second straight Class D-2 State Title. The funny thing was the Cardinals almost did not make it to Lincoln.

Clearwater needed a shot that went through the net after the buzzer had sounded to win their District championship 41-40 over Butte. Junior Kevin Thiele, who led Clearwater with 23 points in the Hildreth game, predicted his team would have a good shot to make it three in a row in 1986. Why?

Clearwater's only senior starter during the '85 State Tournament was Kirkman.

Class D-1: The 1st Round matchups looked like this.....

Pleasanton (17-5) vs. Maxwell (16-4)

McCool Junction (21-0) vs. St. Edward (8-10)

Sterling (21-2) vs. Coleridge (11-8)

Elmwood (18-4) vs Elwood (15-5)

*Boy, do I remember McCool's Tim Wiemer and Troy Thomas. I liked that team, but was not certain they could play with Sterling. One thing the Mustangs had going for them was a steady diet of Crossroads Conference foes. Let's have a look at how things shook out in that '85 State D-1 Tourney.

Pleasanton and Maxwell put on the kind of show everyone expected with the Bulldogs defeating Dann Martin and his Maxwell teammates, 64-63. In the other topside bracket game, McCool Junction hardly broke a sweat in dispatching St. Edward, 56-36.

Sterling knocked off Coleridge 40-33 and in a matchup of similar names, Elmwood defeated Elwood 72-63. I'm betting that is the only time those two towns, with names so similar that only one letter sets them apart, have ever met in basketball.

In the D-1 semifinals, Rich Goudie's rebound basket of John Lannin's errant shot with one second left, lifted Elmwood to a 38-36 overtime win over Elwood. McCool Junction bested Pleasanton 72-61 to gain the finals.

In that D-1 final, McCool Junction, who had averaged 71 points an outing during the regular season, got their offense rolling in the 3rd quarter and went on to beat Elmwood 77-59 and in the process, the D-1 championship. Sophomore Mike Wiemer drained 23 points to lead the Lonny Neiderhouse coached Mustangs. All-State brother Tim followed with 17 counters.

Class C-2: The 1st Round matchups looked like this:

Shelby (16-4) vs. Dorchester (18-4)

Grant (21-1) vs. Henderson (13-6)

O'Neill St. Marys (18-3) vs. Scribner (14-6)

Kearney Catholic (19-1) vs. Macy (14-6)

*How about that 1st round matchup between Grant and Henderson? The game was an unlikely rematch of the 1984 C-2 Title game that Henderson won 72-59. There would be sweet revenge for the Plainsmen, as Grant punished the Huskies, 84-55. Shelby eliminated Dorchester 65-51, Macy upset once beaten Kearney Catholic, 58-57, and Scribner knocked off Kevin Asher and his O'Neill St. Marys teammates 71-61.

The semifinals saw a couple of pretty good ball games in C-2 in '85. Every one of Doug Jackman's 25 points were needed as the Plainsmen hung on to defeat a stubborn, pressing Shelby team 60-57. Four of five starters for Grant were already in foul trouble late in the 2nd quarter. The Huskies had forced ten 1st half turnovers to put Grant's push to another finals appearance in jeopardy before the Plainsmen eventually prevailed. Mike Davis and Mike O'Brien led Shelby with 22 and 21 points respectively.

In the other semi contest, Scribner took advantage of foul laden Macy by draining a monstrous 29 of 48 charity tosses, enroute to a 74-65 victory. Three of Macy's starting 5 fouled out in the game's closing minutes to preserve Scribner's lead.

In the C-2 Finals, Grant's Ryan Young had an injured knee bothering his outside shot the entire contest. That normally would be a red flag considering the All-Stater averaged 31 points a game. Young missed 21 of his 34 field goal attempts until the 5:13 mark of the 4th quarter. Then the Plainsmen star turned to the dribble drive and scored 12 points via that route, lifting Grant to a 67-62 win over Scribner. Despite the early scoring woes, Young still scored 29 points, Scott Rezac (former GICC football coach and now Ogallala AD) added 12 points. All-Stater Bruce Wobken led Scribby with 29.

Class C-1: The 1st Round matchups looked like this.....

Battle Creek (18-3) vs. David City (19-4)

Madison* (11-10) vs. Bayard (23-0)

Arlington (22-0) vs. Osmond (15-4)

Yutan (18-4) vs. Sandy Creek (20-2)

*The Class C-1 tournament pretty much followed the forecasted script. Battle Creek beat David City 82-72 in overtime to thrill the masses in the C-1 first round curtain raiser. Unbeaten Bayard defeated defending C-1 Champion Madison 63-51, unbeaten Arlington clobbered Osmond 59-38 and Sandy Creek beat Yutan 64-52 to set up the semifinals.

Bayard drained 8 of its first 9 second half shots to rally from a 33-28 halftime deficit and post a 62-58 win over Battle Creek in the semifinals. Big 6-7 Battle Creek junior, Paul Brungardt, scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the Braves, who pulled to within 2 points with 21 seconds left.

In the other semifinal contest, unbeaten Arlington rallied from a 32-26 3rd quarter deficit with a 12 point run to defeat Sandy Creek, 56-50. Junior guard Brian Greunke fueled that Arlington rally with 4 baskets, while Kipp Hinrichs tossed in 20 to lead Sandy Creek.

Somebody had to suffer their 1st loss of the season in that C-1 championship game and it was certainly not Arlington. Junior guard Lonnie Graver led Arlington with 20 points, as the Eagles thumped Bayard 57-42. It was quite a journey for Arlington, who owned one of Class C-1's worst records just two years before that.

Class B: 1st Round pairings were:

Elkhorn Mt. Michael (19-2) vs. Wayne (18-2)

Seward (21-0) vs. York (17-5)

Gering (16-3) vs. Valentine (20-1)

Minden (19-0) vs. Auburn (17-4)

*Check out the combined records of this 1985 Class B tournament field........147-17.

In the opening round curtain raiser, Wayne nearly pulled off an upset before falling short to Mt. Michael in 3 overtimes, 56-53. Seward then topped rival York 40-32. In a battle of the West (well, west of Lincoln anyway), Valentine eliminated Gering 44-27. In the nightcap, Auburn pulled off the shocker in Class B by ruining Minden's undefeated season with a 42-40 upset victory. It had been Auburn's 1st State Tournament appearance in 17 years.

In the semifinals, Elkhorn Mt. Michael canned 7 consecutive free throws during the game's final two minutes to ensure a 48-36 win over previously undefeated Seward. Center Doug Wemhoff led the Knights with 21 points. In the other semifinal contest, Valentine junior Richard Lutter banked in a layup at the buzzer to lift the Badgers to the finals as they bested Auburn, 47-46. Valentine's Richard Bracha was the player who found a wide open Lutter, who made the game winner.

Killer Kane's Mt Michael Knights took advantage of Valentine's top player being absent, and proceeded to grab the Class B title with a 53-46 win over the Badgers. Valentine's leading scorer, 6-7 senior Greg Vanderbeek, missed the game because of an ankle injury suffered in the first half of the semifinal win over Auburn. The Badgers rallied to within two points on three different occasions late in the 4th quarter, but Doug Wemhoff's 26 points were too much to overcome.

Class A: The 1st Round matchups looked like this:

Millard North (11-10) vs. Omaha Northwest (20-2)

Fremont (16-3) vs. Scottsbluff (14-4)

Lincoln East (19-2) vs. Omaha North (17-5)

Grand Island (14-7) vs. Omaha Burke (20-2)

*With Millard South not around to defend their 1984 title, Dick Koch's Omaha Northwest Huskies were out to end 6 years of frustration at the State Tournament. Along with a salty Omaha Burke and a fine Lincoln East squad, they sure looked like a good bet to contend for this 1985 Class title.

Northwest sent Millard North to the sidelines with a 47-37 first round win in the opening round of the Class A State Tournament. In a clash of outstate schools, Fremont outlasted Scottsbluff 57-52. Lincoln East won a real thriller over Omaha North 52-51 on the bottom side of the bracket, and Omaha Burke easily beat Grand Island, 76-53 to close out Round One.

Omaha NW may have been looking ahead as Fremont played the Huskies to an even-steven 24-24 stalemate at the half. But reserve Damone Williams scored 13 second half points to lift Northwest to a 60-43 win over the upset minded Tigers. Guard Bill Weed scored 22 points and Lincoln East made 17-23 free throws in the 2nd half to beat Omaha Burke 65-54 and set up the Finals matchup with Omaha Northwest.

In that Class A final, Omaha Northwest made its last 8 free throws, including 2 by Jeff Wilmes, to force an overtime, then went on to defeat Lincoln East 61-60 for the long-awaited State Championship. The Huskies had earlier rallied from a 13 point deficit to force the extra period.

*1985 Class D-2 All-State Team*

Greg Dorn-Filley* - 6-0, Senior (20.6 ppg/7.0 rpg)

Curtis Bauer-Hildreth* - 6-2, Senior (23.0 ppg/9.0 rpg)

Rick Kerkman-Clearwater* - 6-4, Senior (17.9 ppg/7.0 rpg)

Rod Hunke-Snyder - 6-1, Junior (20.5 ppg/8.9 rpg)

Brent Hinrichs-Hildreth - 6-2, Senior (25.0 ppg/9.0 rpg)

2nd Team:

Steve Folts-Benedict* - 5-11, Senior (17.7 ppg/4.0 rpg)

Kevin Theile-Clearwater - 5-11, Junior (17.3 ppg/9.2 rpg)

Ariaan Kraan-Dix - 6-6, Senior (15.6 ppg/9.5 rpg)

Jason Lauby-Lexington St. Ann - 5-9, Junior (23.0 ppg/4.0 rpg)

Tom Knickerbacker-Big Springs - 5-9, Senior (12.0 ppg/1.0 rpg)

*Rick Kerkman of Clearwater finished his illustrious career with 1,032 points.

*1985 Class D-1 All-State Team*

Dann Martin-Maxwell**- 6-1, Senior (28.8 ppg/14.5 rpg)

Dave Benson-Sterling - 6-4, Senior (22.0 ppg/12.0 rpg)

Tim Wiemer-McCool Junction - 6-0, Junior (19.3 ppg/2.0 rpg)

Kevin Kohlscheen-Pleasanton - 6-5, Senior (14.1 ppg/13.2 rpg)

Troy Thomas-McCool Junction - 6-5, Senior (16.8 ppg/14.8 rpg)

2nd Team:

Mike Owens-Elwood - 6-1, Senior (23.0 ppg/6.0 rpg)

Todd Brosius-Stapleton - 5-10, Senior (15.2 ppg/3.3 rpg)

Russ Tederman-Sargent - 6-4, Senior (28.4 ppg/14.1 rpg)

Dean Fahrenholz-Sterling - 6-2, Senior (12.0 ppg/7.0 rpg)

John Lannin-Elmwood - 6-4, Senior (18.1 ppg/10.0 rpg)

*Dann Martin of Maxwell ended up being one of Nebraska prep basketball's most prolific scorers. He is still currently ranked #16 all time with 2,098 career points. Martin later played basketball at Nebraska Wesleyan and is now an optometrist in Arlington, Texas.

*1985 Class C-2 All-State Team*

Arvid Hass-Beemer* - 6-1, Senior (19.1 ppg/6.2 rpg)

Ryan Grant-Grant** - 6-0, Senior (31.3 ppg/6.1 rpg)

Luis Vega-Henderson - 6-0, Junior (19.0 ppg/....)

Daryl Poppe-Scribner - 6-6, Sophomore (18.0 ppg/7.1 rpg)

Tray Zimmerman-Stromsburg - 6-7, Senior (21.2 ppg/11.3 rpg)

2nd Team:

Dan Hastings-Doniphan - 5-7, Senior (17.4 ppg/rpg, na)

Pete Black-Kearney Catholic - 6-3, Senior (19.1 ppg/rpg, na)

Scott Johns-Nemaha Valley - 6-2, Senior (19.1 ppg/rpg, na)

Mike O'Brien-Shelby - 6-0, Senior (17.0 ppg/5.7)

Dan Svehla-Clarkson - 6-2, Junior (12.1 ppg/6.6 rpg)

*Grant's Ryan Young ranked just behind Maxwell's Dann Martin in career scoring in Nebraska prep hoops history. The splendid Plainsmen star scored 2,049 points during his career and like Martin, was a three time all-state selection.

*Winnebago's own Darwin Snyder (honorable mention list) was one of the best 8-man football players of all time, in my opinion. Mr. Snyder still resides in Winnebago, and by the way, looks terrific. Darwin would dance like Barry Sanders when he carried the ball back in the day.

*Kevin Asher of O'Neill St. Marys from the HR list, was the Head Boys Basketball Coach at Hastings St. Cecilia and had already earned 4 state titles in his high school coaching career by 2015 but is now the Head Coach at Aurora (Boys).

*1984 Class C-1 All-State Team*

Scott Scheierman-Sutton* - 6-6, Senior (22.4 ppg/9.0 rpg)

Todd Johnson-Howells* - 6-7, Senior (17.3 ppg/6.2 rpg)

Jamie Yakel-Bayard - 6-1, Junior (13.0 ppg/8.0 rpg)

Lonnie Graver-Arlington - 6-0, Senior (15.0 ppg/6.7rpg)

Paul Brungardt-Battle Creek - 6-7, Junior (19.0 ppg/8.0 rpg)

2nd Team:

Braden Lang-Sandy Creek - 6-2, Senior (16.0 ppg/10.0 rpg)

Jim Meister-Fremont Bergan - 6-3, Sophomore (20.1 ppg/10.6 rpg)

Brent Hinkle-Yutan - 6-1, Junior (20.7 ppg/3.4 rpg)

Mitch Henry-David City - 6-2, Senior (18.0 ppg/6.3)

Craig Shaw-Milford - 6-4, Senior (14.0 ppg/7.5 rpg)

*1985 Class B All-State Team

Doug Wemhoff-Elkhorn Mt. Michael* - 6-5, Senior (23.0 ppg/11.3 rpg)

Greg Vanderbeek-Valentine - 6-7, Senior (17.0 ppg/11.0 rpg)

Brad Hunsley-Blair - 6-8, Senior (19.2 ppg/7.5 rpg)

Rod Dahl-Wayne - 6-8, Senior (14.0 ppg/10.0 rpg)

Jim Placke-Superior*- 6-2, Senior (26.0 ppg/10.0 rpg)

2nd Team:

Matt Wullenwaber-Seward - 5-9, Senior (13.1 ppg/2.0 rpg)

Shane Monthey-Minden - 6-5, Senior (13.7 ppg/10.8 rpg)

Kevin Mowrey-Auburn - 6-7, Senior (13.2 ppg/11.0 rpg)

Jeff Curtis-Ogallala - 6-2, Senior (22.5 ppg/3.8 rpg)

Keith Gehring-Columbus Lakeview - 6-6, Junior (17.0 ppg/11.0 rpg)

*Jim Placke of Superior is still ranked on Nebraska prep basketball's all-time scoring list with 1,601 points scored in his career for the Wildcats. Jim coached boys basketball for many years at Seward and is currently boys and girls golf coach there as well as a PE teacher.

*Of course, Monte Kratzenstein from Gothenburg on the honorable mention list played tight end for the Huskers in the late 80s.

*1985 Class A All-State Team:

Derrick Helms-Omaha Burke* - 5-8, Senior (16.1 ppg/3.0 rpg)

Milton Shobe-Omaha Burke* - 6-2, Senior (12.9 ppg/7.4 rpg)

Jerry Johnson-Omaha Benson - 6-6, Senior (23.7 ppg/10.3 rpg)

Albert Maxey-Lincoln High - 6-1, Senior (19.2 ppg/6.5 rpg)

Tony Manuel-Omaha Northwest - 6-6, Junior (19.7 ppg/9.3 rpg)

2nd Team:

Steve Brugman-Lincoln East - 6-5, Senior (11.7 ppg/7.8 rpg)

Mark Williams-Fremont - 6-7, Senior (18.4pg/9.0 rpg)

Scott Miller-Lincoln East - 6-5, Senior (14.0 ppg/6.0 rpg)

Brett Coffey-Omaha North - 6-7, Senior (16.9 ppg/10.7 rpg)

Bill Weed-Lincoln East - 6-3, Senior (13.0 ppg/4.0 rpg)

*Many will recognize the name, Al Maxey not only for his own accomplishments, but for his father Al Maxey Sr, who gained fame in many phases of life. Al Maxey Sr. was a terrific basketball player for the Crispus Attucks Tigers in Indianapolis. That team won a state championship in Indiana and Al Maxey's teammate on that team? None other than Oscar Robertson. Maxey Sr. also worked for the Lincoln Police Department for many years. Al Maxey Jr's mother was also a Nebraska State Senator for quite a spell.

*Omaha Burke's Derrick Helms played for Bellevue University after graduating from Burke and was named the Athlete-of-the-Year for that school in 1989-1990.

Fremont's Mark Williams still holds the career records at Midland University (1985-89) for Most Career Points (2,095) and Most Rebounds in a Career (916).

*I think Milton Shobe actually signed to play basketball at Nebraska but ended up getting a BS in Criminal Science from UNO. Mr. Shobe is currently the International Students Admission Advisor at Bellevue University.

*Fremont's Gerry Gdowski has a list of accolades so long, it would take a week to tell you about them. His accomplishments are listed at the conclusion of this blog. Gerry was currently the Tight Ends coach and recruiting coordinator at Vanderbilt University last I knew. Gdowski was a junior in 1985.

*1985 Super-State 1st Team

Derrick Helms-Omaha Burke* - 5-8, Senior (16.1 ppg/3.0 rpg)

Milton Shobe-Omaha Burke* - 6-2, Senior (12.9 ppg/7.4 rpg)

Jerry Johnson-Omaha Benson - 6-6, Senior (23.7 ppg/10.3 rpg)

Tony Manuel-Omaha Northwest - 6-6, Junior (19.7 ppg/9.3 rpg)

Doug Wemhoff-Elkhorn Mt. Michael* - 6-5, Senior (23.0 ppg/11.3 rpg)

*1985 Super-State 2nd Team:

Albert Maxey-Lincoln High - 6-1, Senior (19.2 ppg/6.5 rpg)

Brett Coffey-Omaha North - 6-7, Senior (16.9 ppg/10.7 rpg)

Steve Brugman-Lincoln East - 6-5, Senior (11.7 ppg/7.8 rpg)

Mark Williams-Fremont - 6-7, Senior (18.4pg/9.0 rpg)

Ryan Young-Grant* - 6-1, Senior (31.3 ppg/6.2 rpg)

Gerry Gdowski - Fremont High/Nebraska Football:

Nebraska Football Hall of Fame Inductee (2000)Eighth-Round Draft Pick, 1989 NFL Draft (New Orleans)

Big Eight Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Year (1989)

Nebraska Co-Captain (1989)

National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete

CoSIDA Academic All-American (1988, 1989)

Academic All-Big Eight (1988, 1989)

Chamberlin Trophy (1989)

........Senior Highlights for the Huskers in 1989:

Senior (1989)

*Gdowski put together a storybook senior season, breaking or tying 11 school records, winning a host of honors and coming within an eyelash of leading the Huskers to an unbeaten regular-season and a second-straight Big Eight title. The only blemish on Gdowski's and Nebraska's record in 1989 was a 27-21 loss at Colorado on Nov. 4. In that game, Gdowski rolled up 280 total-offensive yards against a defense that had been giving up 301 per game, and threw three TD passes.

Unheralded at the start of the season, the fourth-year senior put up some of the best numbers ever for a Husker QB. He completed 71 of 136 passes (52.2 percent) for 1,326, threw only two interceptions (none in his last 92 attempts) for a school-record interception percentage of 1.47, and threw 19 TD passes, one of Vince Ferragamo's school records. He threw at least one TD pass in 10 of NU's last 11 games, including each of the last nine contests, and exploded for 10 in the last three games. All those figures came together for an NCAA pass rating of 177.3 points, another school record, and one which surpasses the NCAA record of 176.9 set by Brigham Young's Jim McMahon in 1980--but Gdowski averaged only 12.4 attempts per game, and the NCAA minimum is 15.

Gerry also proved to be the Huskers' biggest rushing threat ever at QB, as he ran for 925 yards, breaking the position record of 826 set by Taylor just the year before, and 13 TDs, tying Taylor's 1988 QB record. His four rushing TDs and 174 yards on the ground against Iowa State were both position records, while his 74-yard TD run vs. the Cyclones was the longest ever by a Nebraska QB and the longest run for a Husker in 1989.

That performance helped him average 7.91 yards per attempt in 1989, breaking the old school record (minimum 100 att.) of 7.81 set by IB Mike Rozier in his Heisman Trophy-winning season of 1983. Gdowski's rushing and passing stats combined for a school-record 32 total-offense TDs, and 2,251 total-offense yards, second only to Jerry Tagge's record of 2,333 in 1971--but Tagge played 12 games that season, to Gdowski's 11 in 1989. Gdowski's per-game average of 204.6 broke Tagge's old mark of 194.4.

Gerry Gdowski's Collegiate Coaching Experience

*2014-15 - Vanderbilt - Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach

*2010-13 - Ohio U. - Assistant Head Coach/co-Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach

*2005-07 - Ohio U. - Quarterbacks Coach

*2003-04 - New Mexico State - Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator

*1998-2002 - New Mexico State - Quarterbacks Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

*1996-97 - South Dakota State - Offensive Coordinator

*1994-95 - South Dakota State - Quarterbacks and Wide Receivers Coach

*1991-93 - Nebraska - Graduate Assistant (Offense)