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#HACtion always delivers

We steal a hashtag from social media this week.

One, because imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Two, because much like #MACtion in college football on a random weeknight in the fall, #HACtion always delivers in the winter.

The Heartland Athletic Conference (HAC) tournament finals were Saturday at Lincoln High’s Earl Johnson Gym, Lincoln Southwest and Lincoln North Star facing off in a girls-boys doubleheader that featured a No. 1 ranked team, a pair of No. 2’s, and a No. 9.

It reminded of the old days, when the gyms were packed, and every night in the capital city was a showcase of some of the best talent in the state.

And both games brought the goods.

With apologies to the ladies, we start with the boys. A No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup Lincoln High filled to the gills.

And No. 1, Lincoln Southwest, putting on another show.

The Silver Hawks led by 30 — 30! On the way to discarding their cross-town rival for the second time this season, this time 72-56. A 20-4 run that took less than five minutes between the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth put LSW up 66-36 against a team that had just two losses all season coming into the game.

“North Star harasses people. They are as disruptive a defensive team as there is in the state,” Southwest coach Alex Bahe said. “The thing is, if you can withstand it, you’re going to get some decent looks at the rim.”

Southwest got those looks, and converted. The Silver Hawks (16-1) went 21-for-29 on 2-pointers on the way to shooting 55% from the floor.

The loudest of those two pointers was a Dakari Wilson breakaway dunk that saw the 5-foot-10 Southwest guard rise and throw it down one-handed over 6-foot-5 North Star forward Goay Gatwech.

The highlight made the rounds on social media Saturday, with good reason, but it was just one part of a highlight-filled third quarter for Wilson in which he scored 10 points and buried a pair of 3-pointers, including a turnaround at the shot clock buzzer when he barely got his eyes on the rim before letting it fly.

“He’s is a loud player,” Bahe said of Wilson. “He can jump out of the gym, he rebounds incredibly well for a guard, and then to have a guard like him that can rebound and lead the break, it’s incredible.

“And Dakari is a kid that, once he sees it start to go in, he can make it from anywhere, and he can elevate over people and make those shots.”

While Wilson collected the highlights, Southwest’s spectacular twin brothers, Uzziah and Makkiah Sanders, combined for 45 points, 10 rebounds, and a pair of blocked shots.

Uzziah was 11-for-13 from the floor. Makkiah was 7-for-12. Both players got inside with regularity, either to score or set up their teammates

They also played at the top of a Southwest defense that held North Star’s Jordan Castor to 13 points, three below his team-leading average, and Easton Switzer to 10 below his season average of 13.

If not for an 11-0 North Star run to end the game after both teams emptied their benches, Southwest’s dominance would have shown up even more on the scoreboard.

“Our defense, this whole tournament, was the key,” Uzziah Sanders said. “We can get in transition when we get stops. It was pretty fun. We got a great lead, and had great energy this game.”

North Star is now 16-3 and a clear top five team in the state, with two of those losses coming by double digits to Southwest.

Southwest’s HAC title was its first since the 2008-09 season, when the program advanced to its first and so far only state championship game.

Immediately after the game, Bahe wasn’t sure if the title was Southwest’s first or not. 

It was then noted with a chuckle that Bahe is a history teacher at Southwest. 

More history might be coming. First, though, Southwest will run the gauntlet with road games against Creighton Prep, Bellevue West and Omaha Central as part of five consecutive contests against Omaha squads as the regular season hits its final few weeks.

North Star girls escape Southwest with buzzer-beater

Ani Leu put her head down and went.

It was her only choice, really.

In a game in which neither team shot above 30% from the floor, it was Leu’s tough driving layup with 1.5 seconds left that lifted Class A No. 2 Lincoln North Star to a 35-34 win over No. 9 Lincoln Southwest.

“Just knowing we were down by one, a 3 isn’t what we needed at that point. So we had a better chance of going for a layup, and even getting a rebound if it didn’t go in. Head down, straight to basket,” Leu said of the play that gave North Star its second consecutive HAC title. 

“At the beginning of the game, I looked at my teammates and I said, guys, just have fun. Most of us are seniors here, we just need to have fun in our last year.”

Southwest (12-5) spent most of the game making things decidedly not fun for North Star, a variety of defenses, zone and man, kept the Gators — who have made their living on the defensive end — off-balance and unable to pull away.

North Star missed its first 10 3-pointers and finished 2-for-17 from downtown. The first make, naturally, came from Leu with 2:40 left in the third quarter that gave North Star a 25-22 lead.

The only other make was Kendall Anderson’s, with 1:56 left, that cut Southwest’s unlikely 34-30 lead to 34-33.

“We told our kids that we wanted to have a chance in the fourth quarter, and we gave ourselves a chance in the fourth quarter by doing a lot of the little things right as we came down the stretch,” Southwest coach Tim Barada said.

“We’re a stop away from beating a team that’s in the top two elite teams in Class A. We had them on the ropes, and we didn’t finish the deal. I thought we had them confused. I thought we had them searching for answers, and we gave ourselves a chance.”

Southwest hit three of its five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including a pair of bombs from KayTee Irons, to pull ahead 34-30 with 4:52 to play.

But the Silver Hawks didn’t score again. On its final possession, Southwest needed three timeouts just to get the ball across half court with a one-point lead. After the Silver Hawks missed a 3-pointer Joyce Johnson grabbed the rebound.

The clock stopped momentarily as Johnson brought the ball into the front court and got it to Leu, who ended the game as North Star elected not to call a timeout to set up a play.

“Southwest had us so stumbled in the half court that if we let it set up, we probably wouldn’t have gotten a shot up,” North Star coach Tommy Johnson said. “So we had to take it in transition. We had to take whatever would happen.”

Leu’s 13 points were a game-high, and the UNO commit added six rebounds. Korbyn Pierce had eight points and eight boards for the Gators.

Irons, Alexis Gutknecht and Eleanor Griffin each scored eight for Southwest, with Irons grabbing seven boards.

“Going back to back, it means a lot. Coming in four years ago with this group, our end goal was to be one of the better teams in the city if not the state,” Johnson said. “So for us to go back-to-back and beat a team like Southwest, who has a huge history of winning, that’s what we want.”

Kingdom Moments

December was about as hard as it gets for Crete girls basketball coach Britt Ehlers. His father, Ray, passed away on December 10th after having struggled with the effects of a severe stroke over eight years ago.

Ray, a member of the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame, was the long-time athletic director in Lexington. If you play girls basketball in this state — any girls sport to be fair — you have Ray Ehlers to thank. His tireless efforts to get sports started for girls across Nebraska are well documented.

“You know, for the last eight years while I have been coaching all the memories I had of my dad were kind of gone,” Britt said. “Because just taking care of him was front and center. You do what you have to do.

“And then when dad passed away, all the great memories I had just came flooding back. I mean, the man just never missed a game. He’d drive through the night to go to any Lexington activity. We never had dinner at the table at 6:00 at our house.”

And, while the memories were coming back, the ball wasn’t going in the basket for the Cards. They lost nine straight after an opening win over Ralston. Nothing was going right.

It prompted Ehlers to have a sit down meeting with Cardinal athletic director Matt Martin. In his fourth season, Ehlers laid his coaching job on the table admitting he may not be the right coach for the Cardinals. He was met with full support from both Martin and his players.

Then, as if Ray Ehlers found a spot high above each Cardinal game, the ball started going in the basket. The Cards beat Omaha Gross, Gering, Scottsbluff and York. A 42-37 loss to Class B, No. 5 Blair instilled more confidence before a win over Elkhorn.

And in last week’s Central Conference tournament, the Cards just refused to back down. As the fifth seed, they won at Adams Central, took down top-seeded Aurora in the semifinals and then dispatched York in the finals.

Britt Ehlers can’t quit put his finger on it. A man — and coach — not afraid to share his faith with others, he calls them “kingdom moments.”

Sophomores Kassidy Egge and Kylie McMillan have come into their own as the Cards leading scorers during the stretch. Egge is averaging a double-double for the season. Ehlers said the leadership of senior Camry Draeger has elevated Crete as well.

“Camry dislocated her finger early in our trip out to Scottsbluff and we thought she’d be done for awhile,” he said. “But she came up to me on the bench and said she was ready, the Gering trainer popped it back in.

“She scored 38 points the last six quarters out there and I don’t think I have taken her out of a game since then.”

Ehlers said his team threw results out the window.

“They have gotten comfortable admitting that they like to compete,” he said, “and not being worried about a guaranteed outcome. Sometimes with girls there is apprehension about putting yourself out there. We’ve really flipped a switch where we are just fired up to go compete.”

The Cards have five games left. Who knows where they might find themselves in the post season. But, Ray Ehlers? He’ll probably be smiling down on them.

Rasslin’

The boys over at NEwrestle are locked and loaded for postseason wrestling coverage. It’s high time (like us) and that you give them a follow. We have girls districts this week (all the previews on their socials) and they’ll be helping us preview the first winter championships that are Saturday at the NSAA State Wrestling Duals.

Some story lines for the big weekend in Kearney.

Class A - Creighton Prep looks for their first dual title after opting out of the competition last winter.

Class B - Omaha Skutt Catholic goes for their eight dual championship and fourth in a row with Bennington a legitimate chaser. The Badgers have never beaten Skutt at state duals.

Class C - Another battle between neighbors Pierce and Battle Creek. Just 17 miles separate the two teams.

Class D - Burwell hopes to repeat, but many worthy teams could win the title including Aquinas, Plainview and Shelby-Rising City.

Also, a gentle reminder. Never, ever forget the power of a high school coach.

“Discipline, drive, and dedication. Competitive spirit. A commitment to constant improvement. These qualities make great athletes and coaches. They also make great financial advisors. Northwestern Mutual advisors educate clients to make important decisions to live differently and achieve their goals of financial security. Learn more about joining our team. Karges Financial Group and the Great Plains District are proud supporters of Nebraska high school athletics.