In making their third Class C-1 state finals appearance in four years, some may wonder if there is a secret sauce for the Ashland-Greenwood basketball team. Not so much, says head coach Jacob Mohs.

“Great kids,” he said first. “And then being able to hold them to a high standard of accountability.”

And, Mohs would be the first to tell you it wasn’t easy — or being done — in mid-January. Four of their five losses on the season came in a six game stretch. The team they beat on Friday to advance to the C-1 championship game, Lincoln Lutheran, beat them 47-28 during that time.

In succession, the Bluejays lost to Platteview 58-57, Lutheran and Yutan 55-46. Then after a win over Ralston and avenging the loss to Platteview they lost for a second time to Class B qualifier Wahoo in the Trailblazer Conference final.

They remember it no more. But, what changed for the Bluejays?

“It’s not rocket science,” Mohs said. “If you defend at a high level and rebound the basketball, which we didn’t do a great job of today, it gets you through those offensive lulls.”

Since that conference final loss, the Jays have not given up 50 points. In their 10 game winning streak they are allowing just 38.8 points per game. On Friday, junior Derek Tonjes had 22 points and 11 rebounds with Cooper Westerhold adding 14 points and three steals.

“We knew we had a lot to work on,” Tonjes said. “We had to dial in at practice and in our film sessions. We knew we could play better. Coach likes to call it ‘eagerness.’ We just had to be more physical, play better defense.

“All of our teammates, we all love each other. We all go to Chipolte together like once a week. We bond all the time.”

Yes, eagerness. A word that may have flipped Ashland-Greenwood’s season. But, what is it in basketball?

“There has to be a purpose to your defense,” Coach Mohs said. “There has to be intensity. There has to be a energy. There has to be a desire. All of those things have to encompass what you are doing defensively. In mid-January we were not really doing that. We thought we could just show up and things would happen. When you play the teams that we play on our schedule, you can’t just show up.

“We learned our lesson the hard way. It’s okay to learn, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay to lose as long as you learn. Our kids did a really good job of learning in the month of February.”

Now, the Jays have a shot at a third title in four seasons. They have returned again to the Ashland-Greenwood basketball standard.

Said Mohs, “We mentioned (to our kids) that if we had one of our previous players come watch us in mid-January, ‘Are you making them proud with your defensive effort? Because if they come tell me, ‘Coach what is there defense? What are they doing? Why are they doing this?’

“That culture of unselfishness and defense is just kind of engrained.”

The Friday Notebook

GRATEFUL: Joel Hueser has been the coach at Papillion-LaVista South since the doors opened in the fall of 2003. Until this week, they have played four state tournament games without a single win. That’s all changing in front of his eyes this week as the Titans will play for the Class A State Championship game at 1:00 PM at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

In four minutes, Hueser said the word grateful four times.

“I am just so grateful,” Hueser said after their hard-fought 61-57 win over Millard North. “I am just so happy for our players and our coaching staff. Three of our coaches have been with us since we opened up. It’s a special group. We have been through a lot together.

“I just stand back and let the kids play hard and play together. When you get to this point where this team has this level of chemistry — they have bonds that can’t be broken — a lot of coaches know when that happens you just stand back and let them play.”

EAST HUSKER: In an East Husker Conference rubber match, Howells-Dodge defeated Bancroft-Rosalie 58-41 to earn a trip to the Class D-1 state championship game. Andre Martin led three Jaguars in double figures with 19 points and 14 rebounds. H-D never trailed in the contest.

CROSS COUNTY FIRST: It’s also a first finals appearance in school history for Cross County, who defeated West Holt 45-43 by ending the game on a 10-3 run over the final 1:48. Thatcher Hanson and Sawyer Anderson each had 10 points for coach Jimmy Blex. The school — a Stromsburg, Benedict consolidation — has little hoops pedigree. Last year was their first state appearance (Class C-2 third place). Stromsburg was last at state in 1983 and Benedict in 1994.

A DIFFERENT DAY: A day after being on the right side of a frantic finish, it was Omaha Skutt Catholic that turned the tables on Norris on Friday. With the game tied at 49-all, Skutt got this George Ziebell putback with 0.5 seconds left to advance to the Class B state title game. 10-11 News View | nebpreps | Ziebell with Austin Jacobsen

ROUND FOUR: Despite making just 1-of-6 free throws in the final 43 seconds, Wynot was able to hang on to defeat Wausa for the third time since February 10th in the Class D-2 semifinals. Wausa went for the win with 3-point attempts twice in the final minute but could not connect. Wynot will face St. Mary’s in the nightcap tonight at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Semifinal Box Scores

Class A: Papillion-LaVista South 61, Millard North 57. Omaha Westside 56, Lincoln Southeast 52.

Class B: Omaha Skutt Catholic 51, Norris 49. Scottsbluff 58, Elkhorn North 55.

Class C-1: Ashland-Greenwood 54, Lincoln Lutheran 47. Omaha Concordia 54, Doniphan-Trumbull 45.

Class C-2: Archbishop Bergan 64, Summerland 48. Cross County 45, West Holt 43.

Class D-1: Johnson-Brock 53, McCool Junction 36. Howells-Dodge 58, Bancroft-Rosalie 41.

Class D-2: St. Mary’s 59, Archangels Catholic 46. Wynot 55, Wausa 52.

nebpreps: State Semifinal Recap

Friday In Pictures