The 2025 NSAA Boys Basketball Championship wrapped up on Saturday as Nebraska crowned six state champions at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
Previous Coverage: Semifinals | Thursday Quarterfinals | Wednesday Quarterfinals
Class D1
No. 1 Johnson-Brock 61, No. 2 Howells-Dodge 46
The Eagles pulled away in the second half to win their third-straight state championship in the first game of the day.
With seniors Camden and Casen Dalinghaus leading the way, the Eagles have gone 82-5 during their three championship seasons including 57-1 the last two years.
Camden Dalingaus led the way with 20 points on 4-of-8 from the field (2-of-5 from 3) and 10-of-12 form the foul line, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. He surpassed 1,500 career points with a pair of free throws early in the fourth quarter.
“It feels pretty good,” Camden said. “I didn’t think I’d hit this many when I started high school, but it’s been pretty good to see. It’s all because of my teammates, really, from all four years of high school.”
Casen Dalinghaus added 14 points, four rebounds and three assists while junior Brody Koehler chipped in 13 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks plus numerous other altered shots around the rim.
Johnson-Brock (29-1) has not surrendered more than 46 points in any of its games during this three-year run. The Eagles held the Jaguars to 8-for-21 inside the arc and forced 15 turnovers.
“The kids just buy into [defense],” Coach Lucus Dalinghaus said. “If our offense isn’t clicking, at least you can always bring it defensively. Especially this year, we’ve gotten a lot longer. Everybody has grown another inch or two and can stretch out a little bit, so I think that makes it very difficult. In all three state championship runs, we played a little bit different defense each time .. Our kids, they’re ball-hawks, they’re smart players. They’re just able to put other teams in situations they don’t want to be in.”
Howells-Dodge led 7-5 early, but the Eagles responded with a 7-0 run to jump ahead for good.
The Jaguars shot 9-of-18 from 3 in the game to keep within striking distance. They scored the first five points of the third quarter to pull within one at 30-29, but Johnson-Brock closed the period with a 10-3 run and shot 9-for-11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter to prevent a comeback bid.
With the game in hand, the senior twins checked out late and shared a hug with their dad and coach as the final seconds ran off the clock.
“It’s been kind of an emotional day, even driving up here, knowing that this was it, this was the final bus ride, this was the last game,” Coach Dalinghaus said. “It’s tough. It’s tough to coach your own kids, it’s very, very tough. You’re hard on them, you want wants best for them.
“I feel like all these kids are my kids, but they’ll have a story to tell some day, a truly amazing story. The pressure that they’re under, I can’t even imagine, with their dad as the principal, their dad as the coach; that’s tough. For all these kids to go out and perform, it’s really remarkable what they were able to do.”
Junior Hunter Luther led Howells-Dodge with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting and five rebounds as the Jaguars finished 24-6.
“We knew we were taking every team’s best shot.”
Johnson-Brock’s @CamDalinghaus talked about his career achievements after the Eagles won their third straight Class D1 title.#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/Fxnoulfxtn
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 15, 2025
NEBPreps D1 All-Tournament Team
- MOP — Camden Dalinghaus, Johnson-Brock: 17.7 PPG, 51.9% FG (46.7% 3FG), 81.8% FT, 6.3 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
- Brody Koehler, Johnson-Brock: 14.7 PPG, 52.6% FG, 75% FT, 8.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.7 BPG, 2.3 SPG
- Nathan Tomcak, Howells-Dodge: 13.0 PPG, 80% FT, 8.0 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.3 SPG
- Mapieu Kouchinin, McCool Junction: 18.0 PPG
- Kavian Blackhawk, Bancroft-Rosalie: 17.7 PPG
Class C1
No. 5 Ashland-Greenwood 53, No. 3 Omaha Concordia 39
The Bluejays put together another defensive masterclass in Lincoln to claim their third state title in the past four seasons.
With a junior-heavy group whose leaders who didn’t play much if at all on the team’s last championship squad two years ago, Ashland-Greenwood finished 23-5 this season. The Bluejays dropped three straight games in mid-January, including a 47-28 drubbing to the same Lincoln Lutheran team they beat in the semifinals, yet they rallied to win their last 11 and hoist the trophy as a No. 5 seed.
“These guys have grown a lot this year,” Coach Jacob Mohs said. “I don’t know that any of us envisioned this, maybe at the start and even midway through, but something clicked. They started to learn and really turn it on in early February. I think that’s what got us to this point, and once they got here to the state tournament, their confidence and the things they had learned throughout those rough stretches just blossomed.
“We told them at the beginning of the year that this group had the biggest room to grow this year because of some new faces and kind of a youthful team and various things like that, and we weren’t sure how high they would get. But somehow they reached the top, and it’s a credit to the great kids in our program and the work that they’ve put it.”
Juniors Cal Kissinger and Cooper Westerhold led the way with 16 points apiece for Ashland-Greenwood. Junior Derek Tonjes added 13 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
Westerhold scored 14 or more in all three of Ashland-Greenwood’s games at state, a run that was once in danger of never happening. Doctors found a benign bone tumor in his femur during a routine checkup during the summer, requiring surgery. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to play this season, but the surgery and rehab went well and he grew into the team’s second-leading scorer behind Tonjes.
“The initial reaction was ‘Why me? Why is this happening, and why do I have to go through this?’ But now, I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Westerhold said. “I’m blessed to be here, and I can’t think anyone else except for God. I think it was an amazing journey and is the reason I’m here. I have full belief that if I didn’t go through that, it wouldn’t make me who I am today and wouldn’t make me put in that effort.”
The teams traded buckets in the first two minutes, creating the only tie of the game. From there, Ashland-Greenwood went on a 15-2 run to build a 13-point lead, holding the Mustangs to 2-for-16 shooting in the first 12 and a half minutes of the game.
“It took a lot of hard effort and work, but it was a team effort,” Westerhold said. “It starts on the defensive end, and that’s obviously what got us off to a great start today and built us that lead. I think that we’ve bought in, decided that defense was going to be our identity, and that’s how we ended up here.”
The Bluejays led 21-10 at halftime, then extended it to 14 two and a half minutes into the third. The Mustangs began selling out to take away post-up opportunities and driving lanes, however, and it caused plenty of problems for the Bluejays. Concordia outscored Ashland-Greenwood 8-0 the rest of the period to make it a six-point lead heading into the fourth.
Tonjes ended Ashland-Greenwood’s drought with a corner 3 to open the fourth, but Concordia managed to make it a six-point game again a couple minutes later with a 3 by Owen Abendroth, triggering an Ashland-Greenwood timeout.
The Bluejays regrouped and responded with a 9-0 run to put the game away. The Mustangs hit three more 3s in the last few minutes, but the Bluejays hit enough free throws to maintain a comfortable margin. Tonjes put the finishing touches on the game with a breakaway reverse slam with less than a minute to go.
Jack Thrasher and Drew Kulus led Concordia with 14 points apiece. The Bluejays held the Mustangs to 9-for-27 shooting inside the arc.
“I wouldn’t want it any other way. I don’t think I’d be here if it weren’t exactly for that reason.”
Ashland-Greenwood’s @CooperWesterho4 shares his journey back to the court while pushing the Bluejays to their third state championship in four years. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/t6rGMOyaPy
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 15, 2025
NEBPreps Class C1 All-Tournament Team
- MOP — Derek Tonjes, Ashland-Greenwood: 17.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG
- Cooper Westerhold, Ashland-Greenwood: 14.7 PPG, 71.4% FG, 82.4% FT, 1.7 BPG, 1.7 SPG
- Jack Thrasher, Omaha Concordia: 15.7 PPG, 48.8% FG (36.4% 3FG), 92.9% FT, 4.7 RPG
- Jacob Duitsman, Lincoln Lutheran: 22.7 PPG
- Ty Bennett, Doniphan-Trumbull: 14.0 PPG
Class A
No. 1 Papillion-La Vista South 61, No. 2 Omaha Westside 58
Two years ago, Bryson Bahl promised that he’d win a state championship for Papillion-La Vista before he left. On Saturday, he fulfilled the promise, leading the Titans to their first state title alongside a special group of seniors.
“It was in the back of my mind, but at the same time it was more important to get one with all these guys and coaches than keep that promise,” Bahl said. “But the fact that I can fulfill that promise and do that for the school is amazing.”
Bahl, a South Dakota State signee and the brother of Nebraska softball star Jordy Bahl, scored a game-high 21 points in the championship to finish with a 25.7 scoring average in the tournament.
“Bryson is just a special player,” Titan coach Joel Hueser said. “He is wired to win. It’s the Bahl way; they just have great, great competitive spirits in them, and it’s contagious. It’s contagious and it just spreads like wildfire through them.”
Bahl is a four-year starter for the Titans, who fell short in district play in each of his first three seasons. In year four, the Titans not only made the field, they won the whole thing.
“We have a saying that a hammer shatters glass but forges steel,” Hueser said. “Those three years, especially the last two, they were just anguish, heart-breaking. But what didn’t happen is these guys fragmenting apart; instead, they united even closer together. Every day from the beginning of August to now, these guys have been putting in the work and they’ve been doing it together and helping to build each other up.”
The Warriors missed their first seven shots and Papio South held them to 3-of-13 overall in the first period to take a 15-9 lead. The Titans closed the first half on a 10-2 run as well to take a 32-20 lead into halftime.
A different Westside team came out of halftime, however. The Warriors caught fire and ripped off a 21-6 run to take a 41-38 lead. Bahl hit a 3 to spark a 7-0 Titan run, but senior Trell Snoddy hit a pull-up to make it a two-point game heading into the fourth and set the stage for a great finish.
Snoddy opened the fourth with a 3 to put Westside in front, but senior Jayden Herrera took the lead right back with a bucket inside, and the Titans held onto it the rest of the way — though Westside kept it within two possession the whole way.
Senior Carson Healy scored at the rim to pull Westside within one with 42.7 to play. Papillion-La Vista South ran the shot clock down, called a timeout and drew up a play with 8 on the shot clock and 15.2 on the game clock. Senior point guard Reece Kircher drove the baseline and kicked it to Bahl in the far corner for a 3, and a Warrior made contact trying to contest the shot for a three-shot foul. The senior hit all three shots to make it a four-point game with 9.8 to go.
“I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t nervous, because in the past I’ve had those free throws,” Bahl said. “Like last year, I missed both, so that was in the back of my mind. But I knew just to calm down, take a deep breath and go one shot at a time and not think about the rest of it.”
Westside went for the quick two with 4.3 to go but had fouls to give. They eventually got sophomore Levi Webb to the line with 2.4 to go and he split the free throws, but there was only time left for a heave that didn’t go down.
“That was a fantastic game,” Hueser said. “Westside gave us everything they had. They had a great second half, but I really loved out response, especially there in the fourth quarter. When we needed some stops, we got them, and obviously we had some big buckets.”
Herrera added a pair of big 3s to his fourth-quarter scoring and finished with 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field (3-of-4 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the line. He shot 8-for-16 from 3 in the tournament.
“Huge, huge,” Kircher said of Herrera’s contributions. “If they’re going to leave him open for some reason, I’m going to find him and he’ll knock them down.”
Kircher finished with 11 points, six rebounds and four assists while Webb added 10 points as Papio South completed a three-game season sweep of the Warriors.
Freshman Lee Robinson led the Warriors with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Junior Emre Gedik matched him with 15 points while grabbing five rebounds. Senior Trell Snoddy added 12 points on 3-of-4 from the field (1-of-1 from 3) and 5-of-6 from the line.
“At times I started to wonder if it was ever going to happen, but I just kept going to work.”
Papillion-La Vista South’s @BrysonBahl20 spoke the Titans’ first state championship into existence. 🗣️#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/IUSQC9gooN
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 15, 2025
NEBPreps Class A All-Tournament Team
- MOP — Bryson Bahl, Papillion-La Vista South: 25.7 PPG, 54.5% FG (42.9% 3FG), 100% FT, 6.7 RPG, 2.7 SPG, 2.7 BPG
- Jayden Herrera, Papillion-La Vista South: 11.7 PPG, 50% 3FG, 100% FT
- Emre Gedik, Omaha Westside: 15.7 PPG, 54.5% FG, 5.7 RPG, 1.7 BPG
- Mike Ngoyi, Lincoln Southeast: 21.0 PPG, 73.1% FT, 8.0 RPG, 2.0 SPG
- Amari Rahaman, Millard North: 12.5 PPG, 55.6% FG, 75% FT, 3.7 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.7 SPG
Class C2
No. 8 Archbishop Bergan 53, No. 3 Cross County 43
Archbishop Bergan wrote the ultimate underdog story over the past two weeks with the perfect ending: the first state title for a No. 8 seed since Mead in 2009.
The Knights first had to upset an 18-7 Norfolk Catholic team in its district final to even earn a trip to Lincoln, then they had to hand No. 1 seed Freeman its second loss of the season in or to stay. They did just that, and they never stopped winning.
“The week of our district final game, we had Nate Graver give us an underdog speech every day at practice, about some underdog team through the history of basketball,” sophomore Cale Sheets said. “We really were just writing our own underdog story.”
Once Bergan got through that first round, however, Coach Ryan Mlnarik said his team didn’t feel like and underdog anymore, nor did it play like one.
Sophomore Trey Mooney led the way with 16 points on 7-of-12 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Junior Gavin Baker added 14 points, six rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
Sophomore Cale Sheets only score nine points in the final but was one of the biggest reason the Knights made it to Saturday, scoring 40 points in the first two rounds after averaging 8.4 heading into the tournament.
“Cale Sheets showed up this weekend and there was not a guy on this team that was more motivated and more confident than him … He went through some ups and downs shooting the basketball,” Mlnarik said. “He was ready to go this state tournament. It didn’t fall for him tonight, but he contributed in other ways.”
Bergan got off to an 11-2 start against Cross County and led 14-7 at the end of the period, but the Cougars rallied with a big second quarter to take a one-point lead into the locker room. Foul trouble to the 6-foot-6 Baker played a part on Cross County’s run.
After three lead changes to start the third, the teams found themselves knotted up at 30-30 four minutes in.
It was all Knights from then on, however. Bergen went on an 18-4 run that extended beyond the midway point of the fourth quarter, and the Knights held on the rest of the way.
“I just did not like the pace of the game,” Mlnarik said. “I didn’t feel like we were getting the ball to the rim, I didn’t feel like we were the aggressor. The second half, we got in the locker room and we said ‘Boys, we’ve got to protect Gavin.’”
Mlnarik’s solution was to switch to a 2-3 zone (which they’ve played at times this season) with a 2-2-1 full-court press (which they haven’t).
“We said ‘Let’s give it a shot. Keep the ball out of the middle, try to get a trap on the sideline, rebound and let’s push the ball hard,’” Mlnarik said. “On offense, we basically just said attack the rim … Let’s start playing. Let’s get here in the third quarter and let’s start being the aggressor.”
St. Mary’s shot 50% from the field in the second half and scored 26 points in the paint, with the other three points coming from the foul line. Cross County shot 24.1% after halftime including 2-of-15 from deep.
“It’s an amazing accomplishment,” Mlnarik said. “We’re a team with nine losses. We’re a team with no seniors. I think after every single one of those nine losses, we found a way to learn something.”
Wyatt Hengelfeldt led the Cougars with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
“Our whole goal was to write our own underdog story.”
Archbishop Bergan’s @gavinbaker52 is confident that the Knights can return back to the state championship game next year after winning this year’s title. 🥇#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/nY0uAl0hCe
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 16, 2025
NEBPreps Class C2 All-Tournament Team
- MOP — Gavin Baker, Archbishop Bergan: 13.3 PPG, 51.7% FG, 9.3 RPG, 3.3 BPG, 2.0 SPG
- Cale Sheets, Archbishop Bergan: 16.3 PPG, 48.5% FG (40.6% 3FG), 80% FT, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 SPG
- Wyatt Hengelfeldt, Cross County: 10.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.3 SPG
- Preston Hoke, Summerland: 18.0 PPG
- Zach Hooey, West Holt: 14.0 PPG
Class B
No. 4 Skutt Catholic 64, No. 2 Scottsbluff 49
Skutt’s size and experience proved to be too much for Scottsbluff as the SkyHawks pulled away in the fourth quarter to win the program’s seventh state title and complete the three-peat for the team’s seniors.
Skutt is the first team in Class B to win three in a row since Wahoo claimed four straight from 1988 to 1991.
“Finishing it off as a senior means a lot, because you have a lot of the pressure on you, and we couldn’t have done it without our coaches,” said senior Dylan Van Dyke, a starting guard as well as the starting quarterback for Skutt’s championship football team. The way they prep and the way they push us and the way they hold us accountable, there’s no other coaching staff like that in the state. So having them by our side and always teaching us and helping us — we have competitive guys.
“So when you have all that, you come together and you can win championships.”
The SkyHawks outscored the Bearcats 32-14 in the paint and 15-8 in second-chance points. Senior Brock Scholl and junior George Ziebell, both listed at 6-foot-9, caused all sorts of problems for the guard-oriented Bearcats. Scholl, an Omaha signee, scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Ziebell added 14 points and 11 boards for his third double-double in three days.
The Bearcats held the SkyHawks to 3-of-11 shooting with four turnovers in the first quarter to take a 16-9 lead, but Skutt turned the tables o quarter two. The SkyHawks used a 10-0 run to surge ahead then took a four-point lead into the break.
Scottsbluff kept it close throughout the third quarter, but Skutt used an 11-0 run to open the fourth as it took just over five minutes for the Bearcats to score their first points. Scottsbluff only made two shots in the fourth, one of which came in the final minute with the starters out of the game for both teams
“Obviously, points in the paint were huge,” Skutt coach Kyle Jurgens said. “Going in, we thought our size would be a factor, could be a factor, and I think late in the game, we wore them down a little bit, and that helped us stretch the lead in the fourth quarter. But ultimately, for us, it comes down to defense and some of the stops that we got early in the fourth quarter allowed us to also stretch it, and I think that was the difference in the game.”
Ziebell, the hero of the semifinal win over Norris, scored eight of his 14 in the second quarter to kickstart the SkyHawks’ offense.
“He’s improved by so much,” Scholl said of his frontcourt partner. “Last year, when he came in as a sophomore and I was a junior, there were areas where he needed to improve on. And he definitely got a lot better throughout last season, and then this offseason and fall, during the summer, he was just working hard, and he definitely got a lot more athletic and a lot better.”
Van Dyke chipped in 11 points and seven assists while fellow senior Kyle Cannon scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting (2-of-4 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the foul line.
Junior Nate Kelley led the Bearcats with 12 points and five assists while sophomore Tre Boswell added 11 points and 10 rebounds.
“It’s just a mindset at Skutt. We don’t lose.”
Skutt Catholic’s @ziebellgeorge is confident that the SkyHawks can win another title next year. 👀#nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/v0pXV9Maz8
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 16, 2025
NEBPreps Class B All-Tournament Team
- MOP — George Ziebell, Skutt Catholic: 11.7 PPG, 62.5% FG, 12.7 RPG
- Brock Scholl, Skutt Catholic: 13.7 PPG, 75% FT, 7.3 RPG, 2.7 BPG
- Nate Kelley, Scottsbluff: 15.7 PPG, 76.9% FT 5.3 RPG, 5.0 APG
- Chris Garner Jr., Norris: 15.0 PPG, 50% FG (50-% 3FG), 4.5 RPG
- Sutton Piatkowski, Elkhorn North: 15.5 PPG, 100% FT, 10.0 RPG
Class D2
No. 1 O’Neill St. Mary’s 63, No. 3 Wynot 51
One year ago, a very young St. Mary’s team saw its state tournament stay ended almost as soon as it began with a 53-21 first-round loss. The Cardinals made five shots from the field in that game, shooting 11.9%.
On Saturday, St. Mary’s dished out a serving of revenge, securing a double-digit victory against Wynot to claim the school’s second boys basketball state title.
“After that loss, I for sure, went home and I got in the gym,” junior Gage Hedstrom said. “That was just one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. I didn’t want to feel that again, so I got in the gym. I know we got in the gym, everybody — we go to the gym together in the morning sometimes. So it was just a big motivating factor. We got down here and we just wanted to kick everybody’s butt.”
Sophomore Ben Barlow led the way for the top-seeded Cardinals with 19 points on 8-f-12 from the field (2-of-4 from 3) and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, seven rebounds and four steals. Hedstrom finished with 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Sophomore Logan Brabec chipped in 14 points and four boards.
“These guys, they’re gym rats,” St. Mary’s coach Luke Bulau said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if when we got back home, they would ask for the key to get back in the gym and get going for next year. I want them to enjoy this one a little bit for a while, and then we can worry about that later, but that’s exactly what it is. They come to work. These guys, they punch the clock and get after it, and they know that it doesn’t start November and into March. It starts right now. Every one of these guys, they play their role and do their job, and I’m super happy, super proud of them.”
The Cardinals made eight shots and scored 20 points in the first quarter alone on Saturday, taking a three-point lead at the end of a fast-paced first period. The scoring slowed precipitously in the second quarter as it took nearly four minutes for the first bucket, but St. Mary’s maintained its three-point edge heading into halftime.
The teams traded buckets to open the third quarter, but St. Mary’s soon created some separation with a 9-1 run featuring three buckets from Barlow and a three-point play from Hedstrom.
St. Mary’s took a seven-point lead into the fourth then outscored Wynot 10-3 in the first three minutes to stretch it to 14, and Wynot drew no closer than eight points the rest of the way.
Junior Justin Heimes led the Blue Devils with 19 points and 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the tournament. Wynot has finished second, third and second at the D1 state tournament over the past three years.
“I’m glad they worked as a team. Even without me.”
St. Mary’s Ben Barlow overcame a preseason injury to help guide the Cardinals to their second title in school history. #nebpreps | @pinnbank pic.twitter.com/maN1evgHpR
— nebpreps (@THEnebpreps) March 16, 2025
NEBPreps Class D2 All-Tournament Team
- MOP — Ban Barlow, O’Neill St. Mary’s: 16.3 PPG, 51.4% FG, 6.7 RPG, 3.0 SPG
- Gage Hedstrom, O’Neill St. Mary’s: 15.7 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 3.7 APG
- Logan Brabec, O’Neill St. Mary’s: 15.3 PPG, 36% 3FG, 6.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 2.3 SPG
- Justin Heimes, Wynot: 17.7 PPG, 51.6% FG (53.3% 3FG), 9.0 RPG
- Tucker Czarnick, Archangels Catholic: 13.0 PPG
