In search of a bit championship drama at Saturday’s state twin match?
Two of the 4 brackets on the Buffalo County Fairgrounds will lean closely in the direction of a defending champion — Millard South in Class A, David Metropolis Aquinas in Class D — that made it look simple a 12 months in the past. A 3rd subject has a well-recognized face again in a well-recognized place as Damaged Bow returns to the Class C tourney for the primary time since profitable back-to-back titles.
Underdogs could also be plentiful, however don’t inform Chris Curry about uphill battles.
“I preserve telling them, ‘we don’t need to win all 14 (matches),’” the Papillion-La Vista coach mentioned in regards to the message to his staff this week.
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The Monarchs really had extra success than anybody in opposition to one of many weekend’s Goliaths. The 24 factors Papio scored in a loss to Millard South a bit over two weeks in the past had been three greater than the Patriots gave up in another twin this season, a season that features a victory over one other nationally ranked program.
Individuals are additionally studying…
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Nonetheless, Millard South enters as possibly the heaviest of the favorites. House owners of the final three twin championships (and 6 of the final seven titles), the Patriots have discovered one other gear this season.
They’ve gained duals in opposition to fellow tourney qualifiers by a median of practically 25 factors. Included in which can be lopsided victories over second-seeded Lincoln East (46-21 in mid-January) and No. 3 Norfolk (39-21 within the season’s opening week).
The Patriots additionally took aside a Bennington bunch ranked No. 1 in Class B by Huskermat to the tune of 51-16 in late December.
So what’s going to it take for somebody to spring an upset of Nebraska’s premier program?
“It simply comes all the way down to quite a lot of bonus factors for us,” Curry mentioned. “We’d simply need to restrict their bonus factors. We’ve received to remain in these positions longer, and the place they’ve a few of their higher guys, we’ve received to battle. How lengthy are you able to battle?”
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Curry’s bunch has had 9 duals in opposition to seven different qualifiers, together with two in opposition to third-ranked Norfolk. The Monarchs, ranked No. 4 by Huskermat, open with fifth-ranked North Platte within the 9 a.m. first spherical. A win would possible arrange that rematch with Millard South within the semifinals.
Damaged Bow dropped from Class B, the place the Indians completed fourth finally 12 months’s twin match. Head coach Ed Schaaf mentioned his staff may have its full lineup collectively this weekend, which might be the primary time because the vacation break.
“While you’re taking a look at duals, you’re all the time on the lookout for the place there are holes which you could exploit,” Schaaf mentioned. “You take a look at us, and we don’t have a lot of these holes. We’re fairly robust.”
Included in a 16-1 common season is a 43-34 win in late December over Aquinas. The lone loss for Schaaf and firm got here to Class B No. 5 Waverly.
“We’ve seen good twin groups,” Schaaf mentioned. “We’ve been examined.”
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There might be a brand new Class C champion, even when it’s not the Indians. That’s as a result of back-to-back champion Aquinas has moved all the way down to Class D, the place they’ll be favored to win a 3rd straight twin crown.
The Monarchs outscored three opponents by a mixed 102 factors on the way in which to the {hardware} a 12 months in the past. And the three groups behind them in rankings didn’t qualify for this weekend’s festivities. Defending Class D champion Sutherland — ranked sixth coming into the weekend — may pose the most important risk to Aquinas.
Followers hoping for heroics and heartache aren’t completely out of luck, although, as a Class B match that got here down to 1 level a 12 months in the past in some way seems even nearer.
Qualifiers embrace six of the highest seven within the rankings, sufficient depth and top-end expertise to maintain the bracket fascinating, and a pair of high match-ups within the opening spherical.
Bennington, who beat Blair 33-32 in final 12 months’s last, opens in opposition to Schuyler. The highest-ranked Badgers would see the winner of No. 3 Blair and No. 7 Hastings within the semifinal. An opener between second-ranked Omaha Skutt and fifth-ranked Waverly seems to be the highest pairing within the 10:30 a.m. first spherical for Courses B and C.
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All semifinals are slated for two p.m., with championship duals set for six:30 p.m.
Photographs: Nebraska state wrestling match championship matches
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NORTH PLATTE, Neb. (KNOP) – For our Sunday we saw partly cloudy and breezy; some isolated t-storms are possible with highs staying near 77. Monday we keep partly cloudy skies with another chance of afternoon/evening showers/t-storms; hotter with highs near 89.
Tuesday should be mainly dry with partly cloudy skies; still warm with highs near 85. Wednesday partly cloudy skies with highs near 88, with a slight chance of rain/thunderstorms after 1 pm and a chance of rain/thunderstorms for the night.
Thursday mostly sunny skies and a slight chance of rain/thunderstorms during the night, highs near 83. Then for Friday we’ll be mostly sunny but dry; highs remain in the low-mid 80s.
Saturday mostly sunny and highs near 89. Next Sunday highs near 90 and mostly sunny skies.
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A University of Nebraska regent has proposed a way for lifelong Cornhusker fans to carry their support into the afterlife. When Memorial Stadium undergoes its next renovation, the AP reports that Regent Barbara Weitz of Omaha suggested building a columbarium under the football field where departed fans can have their ashes inurned. The idea might be dead on arrival. Her fellow regents laughed at the proposal. Weitz acknowledged she made her pitch light-heartedly but didn’t think any proposal should be dismissed out of hand with the university facing a $58 million budget shortfall. The price for niches, where cremation urns are stored, could vary depending on location, with a spot under the 50-yard line or end zone sold at a premium. Revenue, she said, would go to academics.
“One thing I know best about Nebraska is … we really do love our sports teams,” Weitz says. “It’s part of being a Nebraskan. So why wouldn’t being buried under the field be a great way to be close to your team forever? So it was kind of a combination of needing money, talking about ways to get it, and then kind of trying to say let’s use our imaginations.” Fans wishing to scatter a loved one’s ashes at their favorite team’s stadium is not unheard of and there are columbariums and other fan memorials at soccer, rugby, and horse racing venues in Europe. There are cemeteries and columbariums at Notre Dame, Texas A&M, and military academies that are unaffiliated with sports.
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The passion of fans makes sports-themed columbariums a natural, said Colm Hannon, founder of an Ireland-based business that creates fan memorials in Europe. “I think many families realize the fan’s spiritual home was the stadium,” Hannon said. “It was the place they had the best memories. It’s somewhere they would much rather go to remember their loved one than a graveyard… If you want to be mourned, choose a graveyard. If you want to be celebrated, choose a sports ground.” Nebraska Regent Paul Kenney says he found Weitz’s proposal “somewhat entertaining” but says her idea is “not in my top 1,000” possible budget solutions. Regent Jack Stark, the Huskers’ team psychologist from 1989-2004, said over the years he has had people tell him a loved one’s dying wish was to have their ashes sprinkled on the field. “I do think there would be a market for it,” Stark says.
In the recruiting world, things can change at a moment’s notice. A little over a week ago, Cornhuskers Wire reported that Chase Loftin, the top high school player in Nebraska, was projected to commit to the Cornhuskers.
That changed Saturday evening when Loftin announced his commitment to the Florida State Seminoles. He chose FSU over Nebraska, Missouri, and Texas A&M.
The tight end told 247Sports that the people at Florida State made the difference in his decision.
“Florida State is home for me because of the people. All the coaches showed tons of love. I think it is a place to win a Natty.”
Loftin is a 6-foot-5, 213-pound tight end for Millard South High School out of Omaha, Nebraska. Over the last two seasons, he’s appeared in 22 games and has 73 receptions for 1,017 yards and 11 touchdowns.
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Nebraska’s tight end room is incredibly deep heading into the 2024 season and beyond. With names such as Thomas Fidone II, Carter Nelson, and Ismael Smith Flores, big things are expected from that position group this year.