Bowling & Girls’ Wrestling
NSAA Adds Bowling, Girls’ Wrestling The Nebraska School Activities Association expanded its slate of State Championships to an all-time high when it added girls’ and boys’ bowling in 2021 and girls’ wrestling in 2023
Boys Basketball
Great Moments, Boys Basketball: 2015- Winnebago Boys Basketball: The Winnebago Indians captured the attention of the entire state with their up tempo game labeled “bago ball”. Seeking to claim the first basketball championship since 1940 the Indians finished the season with a 27-1 record. 2003 – Basketball: “The Big Barn”: “The Old […]
Boys Basketball
The year was 1964, and Lincoln Northeast traveled to South Sioux City in snowy, blizzard conditions. The Rockets’ bus even went off the road in route. Little did the state know that night, a senior from LNE would break a Class A State Record that still exists going on 50+ years. Ed Johnson’s team […]
Boys Basketball
Filley vs Barneston Basketball Game 1967 The final score was Filley 117 Barneston 106. The game was played in regulation time (no overtimes) in a small gym back before the 3 point shot rule. It ended up being the 2nd largest number of points scored in a Nebraska basketball game (223 points). The head coach […]
Boys Tennis
Elkhorn South Tennis Triplets Jon, Seth & Ben Fink For four years, the Fink triplets were half of the Elkhorn South boys’ tennis team. Starting when the Finks were freshmen, the Storm at the Class B state meet finished fourth in 2015, tied for runner-up in 2016, won the 2017 title and were runners-up again […]
Cross Country
Jeralyn Poe Lincoln North Star Jeralyn is the second runner in Nebraska history to win four all-class gold medals at the State Cross Country meet. She set the state 5000-meter cross country record (18.09) and was named the Nebraska Gatorade Runner of the Year in 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014. She attends Michigan State, majoring […]
Football
Great Moments, Football: 2018: Friend’s Undefeated 1933 Football team 2012: “Not Once a Foe Inside the 10 Yard Line”: Grand Island’s 1936 mythical state champs were never out-downed, out-yarded and their ten-yard line was never crossed. They outscored their opponents 128-0, out-yarded them 2,313-728 and out-downed them 114-34. 2011: “Prep-Central 50 Years Later”: In October, […]
General
Great Moments, General: 2007: “A Home at Last”:The NSAA’s invitation in 2006 to the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame and to the Nebraska Coaches Association to share building space in Lincoln.
Girls Basketball
Great Moments, Girls Basketball: 2003 – Basketball: “The Big Barn”: “The Old Barn,” which is what the Nebraska Coliseum was affectionately known to high school basketball fans, played host to the state tournament from 1926-76. In the Twenties, practically any team with a way to get to Lincoln came to play in the state tournament. […]
Golf
Great Moments, Golf: 2012: “Golf Four in a Row”: Danielle Lemek, Doniphan-Trumbull. Danielle is only the second Nebraska high school athlete winning four State Golf Titles (2008-2011) and the 17th in the nation to reach this achievement.
Officials
Great Moments, Officials: 2003: “Fifty Years of Officiating”:Vern Plambeck of Kearney approaches 50 years in stripes. A referee who has officiated football since 1954, he missed only the 1957 season while serving in the Army Reserve. He also officiated basketball for many years and has been an observer of officials.
Soccer
May 13, 2013 a record soccer crowd reported of 8,200 fans witnessed undefeated Omaha South (22-0) defeat two-time defending champion Creighton Prep (17-4) by a score of 1-0. It was a Creighton University stadium record by 1,300 fans.
Softball
Great Moments, Softball: 2005: “Queen of Whiff”: Molly Hill turned in one of the great performances in Nebraska softball history by pitching the Wayne High School team to the Class C state championship. Hill had an ERA of 0.00 and struck out 543 during the 2004 season while leading her team to a 34-0 record.
Swimming & Diving
Great Moments, Swimming & Diving: 2015: “Jacob Molacek”: Jacobs record-setting performance in the 2014 Nebraska State High School Swimming and Diving Championships included his becoming the fastest swimmer in Nebraska Boys High School Swimming history in every event except two. He became the first boy in US. high school swimming history to break 53 seconds […]
Track & Field
Great Moments, Track & Field: 2014: “To Close to Call”: Darren & Damon Schmadeke of Albion High School The Schmadeke twins finished in a 1-2 photo finish (Darren at 22.65 and Damon at 22.66 seconds) in the Class C 200 meter dash at the 1991 Track State Championships. Their efforts were a part of the […]
Volleyball
Great Moments, Volleyball: 2005: “Volleyball Aces”:The Columbus Scotus volleyball team’s state record winning streak reached 115 matches before a loss in the 2004 state championship match to Lincoln Lutheran. The Shamrocks’ last loss was in the 2000 state final when they lost to Central City. After that, the Shamrocks went 29-0 for three straight years […]
Wrestling
Great Moments, Wrestling: 2004: “No. 1 Every Year”:Four-time wrestling champions Chris Oliver, 125-0 from Omaha Creighton Prep, and Jason Katusin, 139-5 from Springfield Platteview. 2003: “Kingpins.”:Four-time state wrestling champions Dirk Desmond of Hebron (136-3), Kasey Kohl of Omaha Skutt (139-1) and Jake Rucker of Louisville (140-5. with 104 pins). 2002: “Unbeaten, Untied Career”:Brett Allgood, Bennington, […]
Great Moments, Boys Basketball:
- 2003 – Basketball: “The Big Barn”:
“The Old Barn,” which is what the Nebraska Coliseum was affectionately known to high school basketball fans, played host to the state tournament from 1926-76.In the Twenties, practically any team with a way to get to Lincoln came to play in the state tournament. In the Coliseum’s first year, 339 teams were on hand and were divided into 22 classes (A to V). It was the biggest field ever. Games were played from early in the morning until close to midnight, using other venues in Lincoln for the early rounds as well.
They broke up the Coliseum floors in ’26 so seven games went on at the same time. For several years, four courts were in use –two on the main floor (one went crossways), separated by curtains), one on the stage and a fourth in the basement (eventually became a swimming pool).
By 1961, only the larger main floor was used.
Meanwhile, attendance greatly increased so the Coliseum practically every year had a semifinal or championship game (or both) that resulted in full houses and spectators locked out.
With all 1976 state finals in the then new Bob Devaney Sports Center, the Coliseum was an early round host its final year, with the Class C semifinal in 1976 the last high school game played there (Walthill 56-54 over Howells before a crowd of 3,421 and Brian Blum of Howells scored the last basket).
- 2002: “Huge Jump Shot”:
Matt Kelly, Millard South. With two seconds left, Matt made the jump shot that defeated Columbus in the 1989 Class A State Championship game. This win for Millard South cinched the first undefeated season for a Class A team in 29 years and gave the team a No. 23 team ranking in the nation. - 2001: “In Focus”:
The 1976-77 newspaper photograph by Rudy Smith of the Omaha World-Herald, shot at the conclusion of the thrilling boys basketball tournament championship game between Holdrege and Aurora, captured the essence of high school sports: the joy of the winners, the anguish of defeat and the compassion of a dedicated coach.
- 2001: “Point Parade”:
1934 basketball game. With Avoca winning by 100-0 against Syracuse, a game which is believed to be the only Nebraska high school game mentioned in “Ripley’s Believe It or Not.” - 2000 – Football/Basketball: “Historic Double”:
In 1975, the first year of the NSAA-determined football championships, Nelson High School won the Class D 11-man football title and followed it with the basketball championship in March, thus becoming the first official winner of state championships in the two sports in the same year. Gary DeBoer was the football coach, Tom Murray the basketball coach.Team Members:Dan Buresh
Randy Garvin
Terry Jensen
Craig Jones
Dan Judy
Marlin Meyer
Mark Collins
Tom Garvin
Vic Jacobitz
Leon MichelsMike Wilford
Dave Wroughton
Paul Grueber
Dennis Holsteen
Calvin Meyer
Larry Miller
Randy Porter
Greg Bohling
Ivan Culbertson
Jeff HarrisBrent Jensen
Todd Jensen
John Mazour
Allen McClure
Steve Melvin
Jon Meyers
Tom Schleif
Marty Sunday
Randi Thomberry
Roger BiltoftSteve Gerbers
Curt Jensen
Rick Mazour
Byron Myer
Lorrell Peterson
Doug Porter
Nick Biltoft
John Ensign
Scott Farver
Dan Mazour
Brian Soulek - 1998: “Multi Miracles”:
Wahoo High School in 1989 was in the early segment of a state record winning streak that eventually in 1992 reached 114 games, The streakest biggest scare came in the finals of the 1989 boys state tournament when the Warriors won a state championship with two dramatic three-point goals in a Class B finals overtime victory. Down by 61-55 with 11 seconds left and no timeouts remaining, Bernie Inbody made a 30-footer , then made a steal and got the ball to Troy Glock whose last-second field goal did some dramatic bouncing from rim to backboard and back, sending the game with Lincoln Pius X into overtime. Inbody started the overtime with a three-pointer and Wahoo went on to win by 68-66. - 1997: “Fantastic Final”:
The 50 points by Andre Woolridge of Omaha Benson in one game during the 1992 Class A state tournament, an individual showing in terms of inside-outside that had a huge Devaney Center crowd in awe of what took place on the floor in front of them. - 1995: “Miracle on Vine Street”:
Lincoln East’s last second shot by Scott Copple, winning the 1971 state tournament final against Papillion. - 1996: “Scoring Explosion”:
Ed Vondra scored 102 points for Brainard in a 1922 basketball game.
