Nebraska high school sports suddenly facing bizarre crossroads

It’s been a very odd fall for Nebraska football and those who are playing sports in the state. Even if they’re not in college. In fact, it’s been an even more odd fall for some Nebraska area athletic programs.

One has to wonder if it’s a sign of the times. Is high school sports about see a rough patch? A patch where some schools have to try and decide if they want to keep playing some sports? Or is this just an odd turn this season and something that the high schools that are canceling seasons will get over next year.

Two Nebraska high schools canceled their seasons last week. Omaha Benson High School decided to end its football season with just two games left. That means they won’t play against Lincoln Southeast on Oct. 17 and Millard South on Oct. 24.

That was the first shoe to drop. Benson wasn’t going to be good enough to make the playoffs. In fact, they’re almost historically bad. They’re 0-8 on the season and they’ve allowed an average of 53 points a game in every game they finished. 

They scored an average of 3.1 points per game over the same period. And now their season is over.

The other Nebraska area school that shut down its season is the Grand Island Senior High women’s basketball team. 

“At this time, GISH does not have any Junior or Senior student athletes going out for the sport. Looking ahead to the future of the program, the GISH Girls Basketball Coaching Staff, Activities Office, and District Administration worked together to brainstorm solutions for supporting the program. Discussions were had with Middle School and High School parents and student athletes throughout the process to ensure the commitment to the program remained at the forefront.”

The school said through a release.

Whether these two issues are just one offs, or something bigger, won’t be totally obvious for a while yet. But the idea that Nebraska area schools can’t finish their seasons, or even begin them, is something to keep an eye on.