State Boys Basketball C1/C2 Capsules

[Bobby Mills Jr. (1000 Yard Guy)]

GICC Asst. Coach, Rob Micek contributed to this article.

CLASS C-2

CLASS C-2
TOP SCORERS:
Ryan Busboom-6-0 Sr.-Freeman…………..15.9
Tyler Brothers-5-11 Sr.-Elmwood-Murdock.14.7
Zach Paulman-6-5 Sr.-Sutherland………….14.3 (8 Boards/game leads C-2 Field)
Elliott Mencl-5-11 Sr.-Freeman……………14.3
Jim Wilmes-6-2 Sr.-Fremont Bergan………14.2
Logan Simmerman-6-2 Sr.-Sutherland…….14.0

*No other Class can boast having TWO reigning State Champions in it’s class, let alone playing each other. Fremont Bergan won D-1 a year ago and Elmwood-Murdock is the defending C-2 Champ. Not only are they facing each other in the first round, they just met in a hum-dinger a week ago. Interested yet? Anytime Pauly Beranek brings a team to Lincoln, you have to take notice, that physical bunch from Freeman who mirrors St. Cecilia with their smothering “D” will be a group to watch. If you’re looking for scoring machines, this is the wrong class. If you like Team Balance and ball distribution, you’ve come to the right Class, baby! Without further adieu, let’s get to the 1st Round games:

Freeman (23-1)
Hartington Cedar Catholic (13-9)
*Yea, whose going to be left in Hartington on Thursday? Gonna be mighty quiet. Don’t let Cedar’s record fool you, this is not too shabby a crew. They haven’t been here in a while, but have faced a tough slate. Balanced scoring, with 4 starters within 2 points/game of each other. Big question the Trojans have to asking themselves is “How in the world do you score on the Falcons?” This bunch allows only a shade over 34 pts/game and really plays that kind of Defense St. Cecilia and GICC deplore. 1000 Yard Rusher Elliott Mencl is a dandy and that doggone Ryan Busboom, who leads the field in scoring, is a physical specimen to put it mildly. Oh Lord, please let me wake up tomorrow and look like this kid (little late for that, I fear!) 6-9 Kyle Schlake completes the deuce-ace double digit scorers for Freeman, and is a huge stop gap in the paint.


Elmwood-Murdock (19-3)
Fremont Bergan (17-5)
*Fasten the 'belts for ROUND THREE, the rubber game, the “live to see another day" game. Bergan beat EM one day after the opener and on the last game before State. First time by 10, last time by One. EM can play some defense, allowing just under 39/game. Archbishop Bergan has face a brutal schedule in a season of runs, winning their first 12, losing 5, then closing with 5 W’s after the Ravenna loss in the Heartland Hoops Classic on the BIG Floor in GI. I have been impressed by two things, one relating to each team. It was funny to see how totally loose and not intimidated the Elmwood bunch was in the C-2 Title game with GICC last year….and…..I am floored by the confidence Fremont Bergan head man, Chris Paulsen has in this current squad despite the heavy graduation losses (Eikmeier alone would concern you). Although he never uttered it to me, I think Paulsen might believe this team can get to Saturday…cool.
Don’t plan on leaving for too many concession stand breaks during this baby!

Wilber-Clatonia (18-5)
Axtell (19-2)
*OK, W/C has already made brownie points with me because they wear my favorite Green/Black combination, ala Millard West. They also go 6-5/6-7 with Watson and Jeffries, making it difficult to score inside. Axtell has only faced 5 teams above Class D, and one was 0-19 Southwest, but the Wildcats are feeling the great football success and are sooooo youthful. Their starting 5 consists of 4 Juniors and one 10th grader and feature very balanced scoring. On the flip side, Wilber-Clatonia faced 9 C-1 teams, including State qualifier Syracuse, and a fine Lincoln Christian team. The threesome of Needles, Pryor, and Newmyer average in double figures in scoring. Both schools play good “D”, but the tougher slate may favor the Wolverines, but stay tuned.

Sutherland (17-6)
Ravenna (20-5)
*When is Ravenna NOT GOOD? I love that Paul Beranek, the way he coaches, the kids he has raised, especially Drake, and just the success he has brought to Ravenna. They have lost only to GICC, St. Paul, Minden, Class B Adams Central and we won’t mention Wood River because the Bluejay players have suffered enough hearing about that one. They have also beaten Loup City 35 times this season (it seems). For a team that only returned Mingus, they have it going, missing only a consistent inside game. Pauly has two sons left and opposing teams are already hoping Freshman Connor doesn’t get hot with the trey. Drake says his shot is better than his…..Oh My. Eric Johnson has also developed into a fine player for Ravenna. The Sailors from the West feature a couple of 14 pt/game scorers in the 6-5 Paulsen and Simmerman. These boys also will suffocate you on defense, allowing only 38 a contest. This one may be a pretty good game, just adding to an already stellar card.

CLASS C-1
SCORING LEADERS:
Isiah Gandy-6-3 Sr.-Boys Town………………19.3 (Best Player in the Class, Yes)
Nick Reed-6-4 Jr.-Syracuse…………………..16.6
Denver Klaus-6-3-Sr.-Bennington……………..16.1
Jacob Woslager-6-5 Sr.-Pierce……………….15.8
Gavin Blum-6-7 Sr.-Minden…………………....15.7 (Board Cleaner w/12.4/gm)
Tony Hartman-6-4 Sr.-North Bend…………… 15.7
*Here comes my favorite class and a ton of input from my son. Have you been asking yourself:
1) Is St. Cecilia the clear cut favorite in this class? If they run into “whistle happy” officials, will it hurt them?
2) Will Tom Krehbiel’s Boys Town Cowboys play up to their athletic capability and scare the living daylights out of everybody?
3) Is that Chadron crew able to handle the teams on their side of the bracket? They DID get the “easier side”, you know. (as if there IS an easy side)
4) How good are Minden, Syracuse and North Bend?
5) How many Coaches will seek out Bill Gavers advice at this C-1 carnival?
6) Class boasts returning All-Staters, Koehlmoos of Pierce, Klaus-Bennington, Hamburger-St. C’s and Gandy-Boys Town…….All-Star crew to say the least!
Here we go with the goodies, C-1 junkies:

North Bend Central (19-4)
Hastings St. Cecilia (21-1)
*What can you say about the Bluehawks that already hasn’t been said? We all know you have to keep them in a half court game, prevent them from the transition game, and for gosh sakes, keep ’em off the boards on BOTH sides. Small order, huh? Have to turn that bunch into a “jump shooting” team and hope Hamburger and Dalton aren’t burying threes. North Bend has to stop St. C’s run before it starts. That patented quick start by the ’Hawks will spell doom for anybody usually. The Tigers have an excellent player in 6-4 Tony Hartman and Drew Hines can also produce. It’s so nice to see this team back in Lincoln after a looooong (’79) absence. Heck of a way to open the festivities!

Boys Town (18-7)
Pierce (21-2)
*If you think the Cowboys have athleticism, check out the lads from Pierce! This team not only is tough, they are quick and just have that will to win and THEY BEAT ST CECILIA! Only team to make that claim, folks…gotta mean something. But, it will mean squat if the ‘Jays can’t stop Isiah and his mates. Krehbiel’s crew has to defend, but they hate to lose, and being in the State FB Finals didn’t hurt. They are more disciplined than you think. It’s this simple though, and everybody and their granny knows it…..Pierce wants the score in the 40’s, BT wants to run and get it in the 60’s. The team that controls tempo wins…..that was easy. This has to be the outstanding match-up of day one in ANY class….agreed?

Syracuse (21-3)
Chadron (23-0)
*I pumped Nobling’s crew pretty good in an earlier article, but now it’s the Rocket’s turn. First, I LIKE Mark Hrabik, smart guy, but doesn’t come on like it. He was smart enough to stop the Bennington inside game. Pretty tough assignment. Here is what the Cardinals from the beautiful panhandle area have to fear. You have to think Volkmer and Reed can limit Elliason inside. The Rockets vicious 1-3-1 can also put a heck of a damper on Bargen and Holmquist and their outside shooting. Syracuse wants it in the 50’s, Chadron in the 70’s. Did Coach Nobling learn something from the GICC/Kearney Catholic games? This guy is pretty smart, this Coach Nobling. They don’t have the goose egg on the right side of the win/loss column for nothing. One thing they have going is they fear nobody and possess great team unity. I think Elliason is a fine player, but needs polish before thinking about the D-1 wars…..but this is High School and THIS should be a fun game to see. Syracuse does have to avoid foul trouble and certainly will want to limit the Cards running game to casual walk. (tall order)

Bennington (21-2)
Minden (18-3)
*Man, I hate to put this kind of pressure on ONE player, but Gavin Blum HAS to have a huge game for the Whippets against this well seasoned Bennington team. They’ve “been there-done-that” BIG TIME. Not to say Minden is a one man team because for one, Max Anderson is a nice player and Coach Mroczek knows the game. The Badgers (love that nickname!) really have some great balance, yet have two prolific scorers in Klaus and Higgens. The inside height of 6-8 and 6-6 is going to cause Mr. Blum problems, but the youngster is determined to show the masses the Whippets belong in the field. We’ll see how this one plays out, but many think Bennington got a good draw as far as brackets go………Chadron thinks differently, I’ll bet.

With all that said, I can't wait for Thursday to arrive. We'll check out Pershing on Thursday, then move the notebook to the old press section at the Sports Center with the Basketball Queen ( the boss) at my side.