The 2026 NSAA Boys Basketball State Championships Rolled on Friday at Pinnacle Bank Arena and the Devaney Center with semifinals in all six classes.
The NebPreps team posted up at both facilities to bring you coverage on our social feeds and in the roundup below at both facilities.
Previous roundups: Wednesday | Thursday
Class C1
No. 4 Douglas County West 43, No. 1 Ogallala 39
For the second straight season, Ogallala’s undefeated season died at the state tournament.
Two and a half months after the Indians beat the Falcons 57-28 in their own gym, DC West turned the tables and pulled off the biggest upset of the state tournament while setting a new program record for wins in the process.
After coming up big in the quarterfinals, junior Lane Smith played the hero again in the semis. He led DC West (2306) with 13 points, shooting 4-for-7 from 3 and 1-for- 2 from the free-throw line.
Senior Nolan Asher added 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting (2-of-3 from 3) and four assists. The Falcons shot 8-of-19 from 3 as a team.
DC West junior celebrates while running back on defense against Ogallala. Photo by Drew Balus.
After a jumper on the opening possession from senior Edan Cain, the Indians missed their next five shots as the Falcons scored 13 straight to surge ahead. Smith ended the drought with a 3-pointer and a free-throw jumper on consecutive possessions, but DC West took that 13-7 lead into the second quarter and continued to build on it, scoring the first five of the second period.
With Ogallala trailing 21-13, Smith picked up his third foul at the 2:42 mark and checked out 40 seconds later. Cain stepped up with the team’s star on the bench, scoring five points in the last two minutes, but DC West took a 28-18 lead into halftime.
The Falcons continued to make everything difficult on the Indians in the second half. The lead swelled to 14 as Ogallala didn’t score until a Tanner DeCastro free throw at the 1:46 mark of the third. DeCastro converted the Indians’ first field goal on the next possession, but Lane Smith answered with a 3 to stretch it back out and DC West took a 35-23 lead into the fourth after a Sawyer Smith bunny.
DC West held Ogallala to five points on 2-for-10 shooting in the third.
Sawyer Smith wasn’t going to let his team go down without a fight, however. He scored the first eight points of the fourth to cut it to four, then after a DC West free throw, Rylan Gilmore found Tanner DeCastro for a layup to make it 38-35 Falcons with two and a half to play.
On the ensuing possession, DC West ran clock, with Lane Smith turning down an open 3 early on. The ball found itself back in his hands late, and he pump-faked a defender off his feet. Wmith took one dribble, reset himself and this time he let the trey fly, burying it to push the lead back to six with just under two minutes to play.
DC West struggled mightily to put the game away at the line, missing free throw after free throw. However, the Indias failed to take advantage, going 0-for-6 in the final 90 seconds, including four 3s.
DC West’s Smith finally slammed the door shut on the Indians, hitting a free throw to make it a four-point game with 21.9 to go then blocking a Lincoln Gillen 3. Ogallala retained possession on a tie-up but couldn’t do anything with the extra possession.
The Falcons went 3-for-12 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and 3-for-16 in the game but survived thanks to their defense and Smith’s trey.
Sawyer Smith finished with 19 points and six rebounds, while Cain chipped in nine. Ogallala shot 1-of-18 from 3 and 31.8% overall.
“It wasn’t just one person. Everyone had to buy into what they had to do.”
DC West’s Head Coach Chip Daehling had his team ready for the moment, defeating No. 1 Ogallala in the Class C1 Semifinals. Ogallala was the only unbeaten team left in the state heading into this game.… pic.twitter.com/ihvWgXN8qd
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
No. 2 Ashland-Greenwood 67, No. 3 Auburn 52
For the fourth time in five seasons, Ashland-Greenwood will play for a state championship.
After a back-and-forth first half, the Bluejays flexed their muscles in the second, outscoring Auburn 35-19 to pull away.
Ashland-Greenwood’s Derek Tonjes surveys the floor with Auburn’s Creighton Keeling (23) defending him. Photo by Jack Stephens.
A senior trio led the way for the Bluejays. Derek Tonjes tied his season high with 26 points on 9-of-12 from the field and 8-of-12 from the line while grabbing nine rebounds and two steals. Cooper Westerhold added 17 points on 7-for-10 from the field and 3-for-4 from the line. Cal Kissinger chipped in 12 points, hitting two of Ashland-Greenwood’s four 3s. They shot 61.5% from the field, 40% from 3 and 75% from the foul line.
Auburn got the better of things early on, leading by three at the end of the first quarter and by seven 70 seconds into the second. The Bluejays responded with an 8-0 run to jump ahead and five more lead changes followed, the last coming on a step-back 3 from senior Brenton Wenzl at the buzzer to put Auburn in front 33-32 at the break.
Ashland-Greenwood shot 66.7% in the first half while Auburn countered with 56.5%, including 4-for-4 from 3.
However, Ashland-Greenwood opened the second half with a 10-2 run to surge ahead and maintained the lead the rest of the way. The Bluejays pushed it to eight at the end of the quarter by holding Auburn to 3-for-11 shooting and to 11 midway through the fourth before icing it at the free-throw line.
Seventeen of the 20 Bluejay free-throw attempts came in the second half while Auburn only took four, and the Bluejays shot 36.4% from the field after halftime. Ashland-Greenwood outscored Auburn 14-2 in second-chance points despite only corralling two more offensive rebounds.
Wenzl led the Bulldogs with 21 points while shooting 3-for-6 from deep. Sophomore Ryan Guenther added 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting.
Ashland-Greenwood will take on the upstart Falcons of No. 4 DC West in Saturday’s championship, set for 11 a.m. CT at Pinnacle bank Arena.
Auburn will face Ogallala in the third-place game, also at 11 a.m. at Lincoln Northeast.
“When you have talented players you try to put them in positions where they will be successful. That’s what we’ve done all year.”
Ashland-Greenwood’s Head Coach Jacob Mohs led the Bluejays past Auburn 67-52. Ashland-Greenwood will compete for its fourth state championship in… pic.twitter.com/awXgSvMLsW
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
CLASS D2
The Elgin Public/Pope John Wolfpack celebrates after punching its ticket to the D1 state championship. Photo by Braden Cochran.
No. 1 Elgin Public/Pope John 44, No. 5 Guardian Angels Central Catholic 33
The Wolfpack used a strong fourth-quarter finish to advance to the championship for the first time.
Elgin Public/Pope John’s shot-making made the difference as the Wolfpack shot 8-for-19 from 3 and 8-for-9 from the free-throw line to outscore the Bluejays by 13 in those two categories combined.
Senior Jarek Erickson led the way with 18 points (including 12 in the first half) on 5-of-8 from the field (1-of-3 from 3) and 7-of-7 from the line while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. Senior Karson Kallhoff took over in the second half with 12 of his 14, shooting 5-of-7 from the field including 4-of-6 from deep.
EPPJ took and 11-5 lead at the end of the first, but the Bluejays trimmed the deficit to two at halftime and took the lead midway through the third. Kallhoff put the Wolfpack back in front with a 3-pointer, and that 23-22 led held into the fourth quarter.
EPPJ opened the fourth-quarter scoring with back-to-back 3s from Michael Selting and Kallhoff. Guardian Angles Central Catholic responded with five straight to make it a two-point game, then the two sides went bucket for bucket with points on six straight possessions before the Bluejays finally missed.
The Wolfpack made three straight 3s during the stretch — two from Kallhoff and one from freshman Jayvin Erickson. From there, Jerek Erickson made six straight free throws to extend the lead to 12 with just over a minute to play — giving EPPJ 15 points in a seven-possession stretch to seal the victory.
“These guys are so mature. You never once saw them put their heads down.”
Elgin Public/Pope John coach Matt Euse talks after the No. 1 Wolfpack take down No. 5 GACC 44-33 to advance to the program’s first Class D2 championship game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/lRgAzBz2Ip
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
No. 2 Archangels Catholic 57, No. 3 St. Mary’s 52
The Defenders used a strong start to the fourth to take control then held on to dash the Cardinals’ repeat hopes in the semifinals.
Senior Brenden Johannes led Archangels Catholic with 21 points, six rebounds and three steals. Junior Ethan Wieseler added a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Tucker Czarnick chipped in 11 points, six boards and three steals while shooting 4-for-6 from the field (1-for-2 from 3) and 2-for-2 from the line. The Defenders used a 21-10 edge in offensive rebounds into a 21-10 advantage in second-chance points.
The heavyweight fight saw 11 lead changes and seven ties, all in the first three periods. St. Mary’s took a seven-point lead late in the third quarter — the largest for either team in the first 24 minutes — but the Defenders scored seven straight to tie it at 37-all on a steal and score at the buzzer from junior Gavin Geilenkirchen.
The fourth belonged to Archangels Catholic. The Defenders outscored the Cardinals 13-5 over the first six minutes in a team effort with five different players contributing.
St. Mary’s scored five straight to make it a one-possession game, but an Archangels stop turned into a fast-break layup for Czarnick and the Defenders went 5-for-6 from the foul line in the final minute to seal it.
Senior Gage Hedstrom led the Cardinals with 17 points and seven rebounds, but St. Mary’s went 9-for-33 from 3, ceding a 30-16 edge in the paint to the Defenders.
Archangels will face No. 1 Elgin Public/Pope John in Saturday’s final, set for 9 a.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
St. Mary’s will face No. 5 Guardian Angels Central Catholic in the third-place game at Lincoln Northeast, with tipoff also set for 9 a.m.
“We just stayed the course. Just seemed like it was going to be our day today.”
Archangels Catholic coach Eric Kessler talks after the No. 2 Defenders take down No. 3 St. Mary’s to advance to the Class D2 championship game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/KWbIKwn7vP
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
Class A
Seniors Uzziah (2) and Makkiah Sanders (10) celebrate during Lincoln Southwest’s win over Westside. Photo by Drew Balus.
No. 4 Lincoln Southwest 66, No. Omaha Westside 63
Either Westside or Southwest ranked No. 1 in the NebPreps coaches poll nine out of 11 weeks (five for the Warriors, four for the Silver Hawks) and entered the state tournament at 1 and 2. That the two met in the semifinals was an early treat for basketball fans, and it lived up to the hype.
However, it was junior Dakari Wilson who played the hero again, following his 26-point quarterfinal performance with another 24 including a huge triple late as the Silver Hawks avenged a regular season loss to the Warriors.
Southwest is the first Lincoln Public School to reach the Class A final since the Silver Hawks last did so in 2009.
Lincoln Southwest junior Dakari Wilson scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Silver Hawks past Omaha Westside. Photo by Jack Stephens.
Wilson, a 5-foot-11 junior, shot 6-for-12 from deep and added six rebounds to his 24 points. He’s scored 50 points and hit 12 3-pointers, one shy of the Class A tournament record with one more game to play. Seniors Uzziah and Makkiah Sanders added 14 points apiece plus a combined eight steals and five assists.
Westside had a significant size advantage on the much smaller Silver Hawks, and that was the difference in the regular season win for the Warriors as Westside dominated the offensive glass. They earned a 20-6 advantage in second-chance points on Friday as well, but Southwest offset that with a 17-0 edge in points off turnovers. Southwest only turned the ball over five times while forcing 15 giveaways, including 10 steals.
Westside led for 12 of the first 16 minutes, but Wilson hit a 3 to close out each of the first two quarters and the Warriors had to settle for a 37-36 lead at halftime. Southwest used a 7-0 run to take a five-point lead midway through the third, but Westside fired back with a 12-0 run to end the period.
Westside took a 54-47 lead into the fourth and still lead by seven two and a half minutes in. However, Uzziah Sanders converted a three-point play in transition and sparked a 13-4 Southwest run ending with a deep 3 from Wilson to make it 64-60 Silver Hawks with just over a minute to play.
Gedik answered immediately with an and-one and the Warriors got a stop, but Southwest forced an errant pass with five seconds to go. Wilson went 2-for-2 at the line to push the lead to three then Makkiah Sanders prevented Westside from getting a look off at the buzzer with his fifth steal of the game.
Junior London Dada led Westside with 23 points and 11 rebounds while Gedik, a senior, added 22 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
“This group’s got so much togetherness. This has been a year in the making.”
Alex Bahe of @LSWHoops speaks after his team’s 66-63 victory over Omaha Westside in the Class A semifinals. The Silver Hawks will have a chance to compete for their first state title in program history.… pic.twitter.com/afibaDYrhf
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
No. 6 Papillion-La Vista South 64, No. 2 Bellevue West 61
Joel Hueser will get one more game on the sideline with the Titans and a chance to go out as a back-to-back champion.
The long-time Papio South head coach has taken his team back to the state championship game for the second straight year. He will retire as a teacher and coach at the end of the year.
The Titans came out on top in a duel between two of the best junior guards in the state as Levi Webb and Bryce Johnson Jr. combined for 58 points.
Papillion-La Vista South junior Levi Webb celebrates after a 28-point performance in a semifinal win over Bellevue West. Photo by Jack Stephens.
Webb, one of two returning starters from last year’s championship squad, put on a masterful show, finishing with 28 points on 9-of-16 from the field and 9-of-12 from the line, seven assists, seven rebounds and five steals. One of those steals and two of those free throws came in the final 30 seconds to help seal the victory.
The game looked to be steering toward blowout territory in the first half as Papillion-La Vista South ripped off an 18-2 run ending in back-to-back 3s from the left corner by senior Connor Falkinburg to take a 27-10 lead.
Johnson ended the run with a steal and score, and the Thunderbirds spent the rest of the second and third quarters trying to chip away at the deficit. They trailed by 10 at halftime and by seven at the end of the third, with Johnson scoring 28 of his team’s 50. Webb had 25 for the Titans through three.
Bellevue West stopped chipping away and instead just shattered the lead from there with a 9-1 start to the fourth, taking a 59-58 lead on a put-back from junior Amari Smith.
Three more lead changes followed, the third on a Falkinburg jump hook with 1:46 to go. The final 1:45 saw four turnovers (two apiece) and four missed shots (three by Bellevue West and one by Papio South).
Trailing by one still, Bellevue West had the ball with 5.9 to play on the sideline and ran a great in-bounds play with Johnson lobbing it to the far side of the rim for Pierce Parker, but Papio South senior Kenyen Slobodny-Reid recovered well enough to contest the shot and force a miss.
Webb hit two free throws to push the lead to three with 1.9 to go. Bellevue West had one last chance at the tie, in-bounding to Parker at midcourt so he could pass ahead to Brayden Mauro on the wing, but he lost the ball on the way up and the buzzer sounded.
Falkinburg finished with 16 points on 5-of-9 from the field (3-of-5 from 3) and 3-of-3 from the line and six rebounds.
Johnson finished with 30 points on 12-of-18 from the field (2-of-4 from 3) and 4-of-6 from the foul line, five assists, four rebounds and four steals. Parker added 12 points and nine rebounds while sophomore Keaton Melcher chipped in 11 points.
The Titans will face No. 4 Lincoln Southwest in Saturday’s final, set for 1 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“We can talk about the miscues, but I’m even more proud with how they responded.”
A battle in the Class A semifinal sees Papillion-La Vista South top the Thunderbirds of Bellevue West 64-61.#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/sDsyJlcYoo
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
Class C2
Norfolk Catholic senior Callen Marshall (2) joins his teammates after the Knights’ semifinal win over Yutan. Photo by Braden Cochran.
No. 5 Norfolk Catholic 49, No. 1 Yutan 47
Norfolk Catholic only led for 64 seconds, but crucially that included the last 12 seconds as the Knights rallied from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to take down the top-seeded Chieftains.
Senior Gavin Schutt, a Chadron State commit, led the Knights with 19 points and six rebounds while shooting 5-for-11 from deep. Sophomore Brayden Kosch chipped in 11 points.
Yutan led for 28 and a half minutes, using a 12-2 run spanning the end of the first and start of the second quarters to build a 12-point lead. Junior Ryan Maguire scored 13 of Yutan’s first 23 points.
However, the Knights fought back from there, rallying to tie the game at halftime, 26-all.
The Chieftains struck first in the third quarter and maintained the lead the rest of the period. They opened the fourth with a 7-0 run as well to build a 45-36 lead two minutes in, calling a timeout after an Isaac Couch 3.
Out of the break, Nathan Timmerman got the ball inside to big man Leighton Burbach for a layup, sparking a 13-2 finish to the game. Senior Gavin Schutt hit the go-ahead free throws with 12 seconds left and the Knights got a stop on the final possession.
Norfolk Catholic held Yutan to 1-for-5 shooting with three turnovers in the final five-plus minutes to complete the comeback.
Maguire finished with a game-high 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Kale Hoffer added 11 points and five boards.
“You get to prep for a championship. There’s nothing better.”
Norfolk Catholic coach Kevin Manzer talks after the No. 5 Knights take down No. 1 Yutan 49-47 to advance to the Class C2 title game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/tVez6lf1Ba
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
No. 2 Bergan Catholic 58, No. 6 Freeman 53
The reigning champs used a lockdown defensive effort in the second half to clip the Flyers’ wings and return to the final.
Freeman led 34-30 at halftime thanks in part to nine points off the bench from sophomore Barret Ideus.
However, senior Gavin Baker put the Knights on his back in the third quarter, scoring 14 of the team’s 17 points in the period to put Bergan ahead going into the fourth quarter. The Knights scored the first two buckets of the fourth, pushing it to five, and the teams went back and forth the rest of the way.
Freeman had a chance to tie it up or take the lead with 14 seconds left, calling a timeout to draw something up. The Knights blew it up though, forcing a turnover on the in-bound, and junior Trey Mooney hit a pair of free throws to make it a four-point game before one final miss for the Falcons.
Bergan held Freeman to 5-for-22 from the field with five turnovers in the second half.
Baker finished with 30 points and 12 rebounds, including six on the offensive end. Mooney added 12 points, five assists and four rebounds while junior Trent Mlnarik chipped in 11 points and nine boards.
Easton Buss led the Falcons with 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists while Owen Buss and Jayden Wiese added 10 apiece.
The Bergan Catholic win sets up an all Knights final against No. 5 Norfolk Catholic on Saturday at 4:15 p.m. inside Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Freeman will face No. 1 Yutan in the third-place game at Lincoln Northeast, with tipoff set for 1 p.m.
“We’ve had a lot put on our shoulders… but we told the kids, ‘We’re ready to carry the load.”
Bergan Catholic coach Ryan Mlnarik talks after the No. 2 Knights take down No. 6 Freeman 58-53 to return back to the Class C2 title game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/qIHhKPG8ZP
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 13, 2026
Class B
Elkhorn North junior Ethan Beachy (5) celebrates Elkhorn’s first title game berth, with fellow seniors Nike Orgilbold (13) and Carson Mahnke (11) behind him. Photo by Jackson Luethje.
No. 4 Elkhorn North 59, No. 1 Skutt Catholic 57
There will be a new champion in Class B for the first time in four years.
The Wolves outlasted the SkyHawks in overtime at Pinnacle Bank Arena to hand Skutt its first loss of 2026 and end its title streak at three. With the win, Elkhorn North earns its first state final appearance.
Junior Kellen Murphy’s hot shooting carried the Wolves early, but it was a total team effort down the stretch to hold on. Murphy hit four 3s in the first half and finished with a team-high 17 points while shooting 5-for-0 from deep. Seniors Sutton Piatkowski and Nike Orgilbold added 11 points apiece.
The Wolves opened the game with a 7-0 run and led throughout the first three quarters, taking their biggest lead of 11 into halftime thanks to a pair of 3s from Murphy and freshman Braylon Jackson in the final minute.
The SkyHawk defense, which had been nearly impenetrable during the team’s 20-game winning streak, showed itself in the third period as the Wolves only scored nine points and made one shot from the field — a Murphy 3-pointer. Skutt trimmed the deficit to five at the end of the third then opened the fourth with a 7-0 run to take its first lead.
Five more ties followed as the teams went back and forth, keeping it within one possession for the final four minutes. Elkhorn North took a two-point lead into the final minute, but the SkyHawks got the ball inside to 6-foot-9 center George Ziebell and he scored over the Elkhorn North defense to tie it up with 14 seconds to go. Murphy attempted to go for the step-back 3 at the buzzer but it came up short, sending the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Skutt senior Eddie Linderman hit a 3 to tie up at 55-all, but Carter Peterson answered with one of his own to put the Wolves in front for good. The junior scored all nine of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
The SkyHawks tried to get their best shooter om junior Lucas Heller on open look, but Orgilbold ran him off the line Heller drove inside for the quick 2 instead with 33 seconds to play.
Skutt fouled Jackson with 26 seconds left and the freshman split his free throws to make it a two-point game.
On the final possession, Skutt got a look from Ziebell plus two fouls after offensive rebounds, but they came up empty on all of them, misfiring on all four free throws in the last eight seconds.
Skutt finished 10-for-23 from the free-throw line.
Heller led the SkyHawks with 17 points and eight rebounds while shooting 4-for-7 from deep. Ziebell added 16 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.
“We just had to find a way whatever it took.”
Elkhorn North’s Andy King led the Wolves past the No. 1 Omaha Skutt Catholic SkyHawks 59-57 in an overtime victory. The Wolves have earned a spot in their first state title game.#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/0B2TXoCOrt
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2026
No. 3 Scottsbluff 64, No. 2 Norris 60
Senior Nate Kelley put the Bearcats on his back and carried them back to the final with a masterful performance against Norris.
The future UNK Loper put up 27 points on 9-of-17 from the field (1-of-1 from 3) and 8-of-10 from the line, seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals. For all the buckets he scored — including the go-ahead put-back with 1:14 to go after Norris had tied it up — his biggest play of the game was a pass.
Scottsbluff senior Nate Kelley scores the go-ahead reverse layup after an offensive rebound, giving the Bearcats the lead for good in a semifinal win over Norris. Photo by Jackson Luethje.
Nursing the two-point lead while running the clock down, Kelley had the ball in his hands and drove the lane, looking to make something happen. He jump-stopped, drew three or four defenders, left his feet and threw a pass to senior Esai Sabala in the corner.
At that point, Sabala was 0-for-7 in the game with six of those attempts coming from 3-point range. With the clock winding down, he didn’t have any time to hesitate or look for someone else, though. He simply let it fly and found the net as the shot clock expired, pushing the lead to five with 35 seconds to go and all but sealing the game as the Titans couldn’t get any 3s to go on their end the rest of the way.
Senior Rylee Meininger added 13 points and two steals on 5-of-8 from the field (1-of-2 from 3) and 2-of-3 from the line. Junior Caleb Burda chipped in 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, including 3-of-4 from deep.
Meininger (nine) and Kelly (eight) scored all of Scottsbluff’s points in the first quarter as the Bearcats took a 17-13 lead. Norris tied it up then took a couple of one-point leads in the second, but the Bearcats regained the lead going into halftime then surged ahead in the third with a 14-3 run to build a 14-point lead.
Norris finally stopped the bleeding, closing the third on a 6-0 run, then junior Shane Holen put the team on his back in the fourth. He made a series of plays on both ends as the Titans rallied to tie it up at 56-all with just under two minutes to play before Kelley’s go-ahead bucket and assist to Sabala.
Holen led Norris with 19 points and eight rebounds. Fellow junior Evan Greenfield added 14 points, four rebounds and four assists. Senior Chris Garner Jr. — the program’s career scoring leader — chipped in 13 points and five boards in his final game as a Titan.
The win sends Scottsbluff to the championship to face No. 4 Elkhorn North. The last time they met was the semifinals in last year’s state tournament. The Bearcats sent the Wolves home from their first postseason appearance before falling to Skutt in the championship themselves.
Saturday’s final is set for 6:15 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
“He’s just so steady. Gets us under control. And he goes and makes plays.”
Scottbluff’s Head Coach Scott Gullion had high praise for Nate Kelley who dropped 27 points en route to a 64-60 victory over Norris in the Class B Semifinals.#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/YhSNAh9nDz
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2026
Class D1
No. 1 Howells-Dodge 60, No. 4 Elm Creek 36
The Buffaloes used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to build. 10-point lead, but it was all Jaguars the rest of the way.
Nathan Tomcak hit a 3 to close out the first period then Howells-Dodge outscored Elm Creek 21-5 in the second quarter and nearly doubled up the Buffaloes in the second half to turn the game into a rout.
Senior Ethan Prusa led four Jaguars in double figures with 17 points on 6-of-10 from the field (3-of-5 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the line. Senior Andre Martin scored 15 points on 5-of-9 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line and grabbed six rebounds. Tomcak added 12 points, six assists and five rebounds. Junior Chase Luther shot 4-of-9 from 3 to match him with 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds.
Senior Quin Oberg scored 19 of Elm Creek’s 36 while adding four points, two boards, two assists, two steals and a block. He scored nine in the first quarter to spark the Buffaloes to that 15-5 lead.
“When you play us, you got to pick your poison.”
Howells-Dodge coach Kevin Janata talks after the No. 1 Jaguars take down No. 4 Elm Creek 60-36 to advance to the Class D1 championship game. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/OU5Py6NacY
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2026
No. 6 McCool Junction 50, No. 2 Lutheran High Northeast 49
The Mustangs used a 7-0 run in the fourth quarter to take a two-possession lead then held on despite a pair of late 3s from the Eagles to earn a spot in the final. McCool is the second No. 6 seed to advance to the championship.
A pair of sophomores led the way for McCool Junction as Jameson Weiss shot 4-for-7 from 3 and scored 14 points while Jaxon McDonald added 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, including 3-for-6 from deep. The Mustangs shot 9-for-23 (39.1%) from deep to narrowly outpace the Eagles, who went 8-for-14 beyond the arc.
McCool Junction put together a strong first half, taking a 32-22 lead into the locker room while knocking down seven triples in the first 16 minutes.
However, the Eagles caught fire in the second half while the Mustangs cooled off. Lutheran High Northeast pulled within two heading into the fourth then took a two-point lead a couple minutes in.
However, McDonald scored in the lane for McCool to tie it up, sparking that 7-0 run to give the Mustangs the lead for good.
Senior Cole Lawless led the Eagles with 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting (3-for-5 from 3).
McCool Junction advances to the final to face No. 1 Howells-Dodge in Saturday’s nightcap at Pinnacle Bank Arena, set for 8:15 p.m.
“They knew it was possible, they just had to stay the course and execute… I’m so proud to be their coach.”
McCool Junction coach @jabewurtz talks after the No. 6 Mustangs take down No. 2 LHNE to move on to the Class D1 semifinals. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/A8rSHRn0Cs
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 14, 2026
