High School Tourney Time Part 4
These two weeks with girls state and boys state basketball are what I think as some of the most exciting two weeks in Nebraska state high school athletics.
Let’s break down Class A:
Lincoln NE #1 vs. Columbus #8: Lincoln Northeast is one of two teams out of all the teams in all the classes and are the number one seed in Class A. The Rockets are defending class A champs at 22-0, and they are riding a 46 game winning streak dating back to 2004. They did not lose a game in last years title run and are looking to go two straight years undefeated. The Rockets are lead by two dynamic players Dominique Kelley and Charity Iromuanya. They both average over 12.5 points/game. Kelley doesn’t miss from the field shooting almost 62% from the field and Iromuanya can shoot the 3. NE should have no problem with Columbus in this match up.
Omaha Westside #5 vs. Millard West #4: A very even match up. These teams split the season series 1-1 with both games being decided by 3 points or less. Both teams do not have great experience in the state tourney with Westside having the only championship between the schools in ‘99. I like Westside in this match up.
Bellevue West #2 vs. Lincoln SE #7: The Bellevue public school system continues to churn out excellent basketball teams and West is no exception. The Thunderbirds are led by Brooke Delano who averages 13 points/game but she is bested by the Knights KK Houser who averages 13.5/game. I’ll take West in this match up even though Southeast will have a decided home court advantage.
Bellevue East #3 vs. Lincoln SW #6: The Bellevue duo school occupy half of the top seed is this tourney and if everything goes to play (which I think will) they will meat in the semifinals. East is led by one of the best players in the state and Nebraska recruit Yvonne Turner who averages almost 16 points/game. Again I look for East to take this match up even though SW will have a home court advantage playing in Lincoln.
In the semis look for Lincoln Northeast to keep their perfect season with a win over Westside. And in the other semifinal it should be an excellent match up between Bellevue East and West. East won both matches this year over West. It may look like West is the slight favorite with their higher ranking and because East came in on a wild card, but if you look closer Bellevue East lost their district final too...Lincoln Northeast. Bellevue East is the better of the two Bellevue schools and will take this match up. In the finals I expect an excellent game, Lincoln NE vs. Bellevue East. NE took the district A-1 title by one point 47-46 last Friday. The key to this game will be the play of Yvonne Turner, held scoreless in the first half of the district final. She is the key to Bellevue East’s success. I am going to predict the upset here and take Bellevue East in a very close game.
Class B:
South Sioux City #1 vs. Holdredge #8: for the first time in a very long time South Sioux City looks beatable. The public has been saying that for a couple of years now but the Cardinals always seem to find a way. This is the first time in a long time that South Sioux comes in with less than 20 wins and more than 5 losses at 16-6. All of those losses are deceiving though. All 6 came from out of state teams early in the season, and many came in the very powerful Sacajawea Tournament in Sioux City, IA. South Sioux is the 6 time defending state champion and should have no trouble with Holdredge.
Crete #4 vs. Beatrice #5: A very even match up here as Beatrice comes in as the road tested warriors. Of their 21 games, 14 of them were away from their home court including the last 6. The teams split their season series 1-1 with Beatrice squeaking out a 3 point win only to be beaten by 13 a month later. Crete is led by Marissa Kastanek who is one of the top scorers in the state with over 17 points/game. Beatrice is lead by Lauren Fox who scores just under 16 points/game. Kastanek is an all around player who can score, pass and steal the ball. There seems to be no decided rebounding advantage for both players so I think this game goes to Crete.
Fairbury #2 vs. Lincoln Pius X #7: Fairbury is experiencing one of their greatest girls basketball runs in school history. Making only their second state tourney appearance ever, the other being in 1991. Pius however is no stranger to tourney play, qualifying in ‘01, ‘02, and ‘03. Two down years in ‘04 and ‘05 seem to be fixed. Michelle Determan is the leading scorer for Pius at 14 points/game. Fairbury has feasted on some lower class competition to get to their 20 wins. 10 of their 11 wins (their only loss to Falls City Sacred Heart. no shame in that loss) have come vs. C1 schools or lower. While on the other hand Pius doesn’t have any impressive wins save for a 3 point win over Omaha Skutt late in the year. This match up has all the makings of an upset. Pius has the home crowd. Fairbury has little to no experience in the state tourney. Fairbury has to travel in while Pius can sleep in their own beds. First game of the day at the Bob Devaney Sports Center. Pius with experience against tougher competition. I am going to take Fairbury in a nail biter but if you asked me for a game with a possible upset it would be this one.
Gretna #3 vs. Scottsbluff #6: The only team that Gretna played this year that could stop them was Omaha Skutt and lucky for the Dragons, Skutt did not qualify for one of Class B’s two wildcards. Scoring +70 point in a game 5 times this year, the Dragons can light it up from the floor. This is Gretna’s 6th straight year in the state tourney and they look to make their deepest run yet. Scottsbluff should be easy pickings for Gretna.
The semis will feature a great match up with Crete’s Kastanek and South Sioux’s Katie Frank. Each in the top 3 in scoring in Class B. The tide turner might be the Cardinals McKayla Knudson. She is a good sidekick to Frank and I don’t know if Crete can counter that. Look for South Sioux to make their 12th straight title game. In the other semi, I think this is where Fairbury’s dream season ends. Gretna should be able to handle the Jeffs and move onto the final. They say that to be the best, you have to beat the best and until someone in Class B shows they can beat South Sioux, they’re still the best team. South Sioux wins it and takes home their 7th title in a row and 11th title in the past 12 years.
Class C1: Last years C1 winner Crawfton is back as the #1 seed and is undefeated. They should have no trouble defeating #8 seed Milford and the winner of the Kearney Catholic-Perkins County game. On the other side of the bracket #2 Chadron and #3 Ashland-Greenwood will both win their respective opening round matches and face off in the semis. Chadron was eliminated last year in the semis and Ashland-Greenwood in the opening round. Chadron has had the tougher road to the state title with over half of their games against Class B competition going 9-2 in those games, both of the losses coming to Class B state tourney qualifier Scottsbluff. Chadron should win this game to have the seeds hold to the title game. In the final I am going to take Chadron with the upset over Crawfton. Chadron seems to be up to the challenge of playing in big games and Crawfton is probably not as good as their perfect record indicates.
Class C2: Last years C2 winner was West Point Central Catholic is back and the #1 seed. Although this year is some what of a down year for West Point CC considering they had gone the last two years undefeated. West Point CC is the 4 time champion in Class C2 and should have no trouble winning their 5th straight. But West Point CC did lose their first game in 111 matches (not counting an exhibition loss to Class B Omaha Skutt) this year. West Point CC lost a lot of talent off of last years team and many were not expecting West Point CC to continue the streak but their 111 straight is still quite an accomplishment and fell only 3 short of the state record held by Wahoo’s boys at 114 from 1988-1992. Only one team in the Class C2 field has more than 3 losses and that is #8 seed Tecumseh. Sutton and Ravenna are the #2 and #3 seed respectively and should make it out of their opening round matches. Sutton looks to be the odds on favorite to take on West Point CC in the finals as they defeated Ravenna late in the year by 17 points. But this is West Point CC’s title to lose.
Class D1: Humphrey St. Francis is the defending champ and will enter the tourney as the #2 seed. The #1 seed is Cross County at 21-1. Cross County amazingly is making their first ever tourney appearance. Cross County’s only loss is to C2 Exeter-Milligan and they have been up to the challenge beating several good C2 teams and 1 C1 team. Look for Cross County to meet up with Humphrey St. Francis in the finals with Humphrey St. Francis defending their title.
Class D2: Wynot, last years D2 champion, is the only defending champion not to be in the tourney in all of the classes. Last years runner up, Clearwater, is also not in the tourney. In fact, only half of last years final 8 are back this year. Included in those 4 is undefeated and #3 seed McPherson County. #1 seed is Falls City Sacred Heart. McPherson County’s schedule this year was not full of decent teams, which is why they are undefeated and only the #3 seed. #2 seed Newcastle looks to be the favorite to go onto the final on one side of the bracket. Newcastle is 23-2 and knocked defending champ Wynot out of the race to get back to the state tourney. They also scored 100 and 99 points in two different games this year and are averaging about 65 points/game this year. Falls City Sacred Heart is the other odds on favorite to get to the title game, as they have come up big against bigger class opponents. Only 1 of their 3 losses came to D2 competition. In the title game Newcastle vs. Falls City Sacred Heart, I like Newcastle.
So there you have it. Your state title winners will be Bellevue East, South Sioux City, Chadron, West Point Central Catholic, Humphrey St. Francis and Newcastle.
Boys tournament preview next week.
The Comments
D.M.B. March 5, 2006 at 1:51pm
Well the state tourney is over for the girls and there was one overall theme of the state tourney for me. It was that dynasty’s always come to an end and new blood always rises to the top. It has been the overall theme of not only girls basketball but all HS sports in Nebraska, that there is no parity. The good only get better and the bad only get worse.
Not so in this years state tourney as the 3 sure fire tourney winners all lost. The most surprising of all being South Sioux City in Class B. Beatrice beat them in the semifinals to make the state final Cardinal-free for the first time since 1994. This is the first time also that South Sioux has lost to a nebraska team all year.
Also on the list of surprises was the defeat of West Point Central Catholic in C2 by Ravenna and Falls City Sacred Heart losing in D2. Bellevue East stopped Lincoln Northeast’s 48 game winning streak in Class A. Crawfton won in C1, Humphry St. Francis won in D1, and Newcastle won in D2.
As for my predictions, of the 12 finalist I correctly predicted 9 of them. But of the 6 state champs I only picked 3.
Boys next week.
Mr. Wilson March 6, 2006 at 9:52am
You’re slipping, D.M.B.! Think you can go 5 of 6 with the boys?
D.M.B. March 6, 2006 at 10:09am
actually no I’m not.
I got 8 of 12 finalists and 3 of 6 state champs right in football.
I got 9 of 12 finalists and 3 of 6 state champs in volleyball.
And I only picked 1 out of 3 winners in softball.
So it seems that I was par for the course in girls BB.
Mr. Wilson March 6, 2006 at 10:28am
OK, fine, you aren’t slipping. But you don’t want to settle for mediocrity, do you? 5/6 or bust!