10 Potential B-D2 District Matchups to Watch

Photo Credit: Jeff Van Patten/Star-Herald As NE District Basketball kicks off next week, we outline the best potential matchups in Class B-D2 to follow. Since Classes B-D2 start on February 24th, a few days prior to Class A, we examined some of the best potential district games to be on the lookout for. Obviously anything can happen in postseason high school basketball, and so here is a guide on which districts we expect the most mayhem. Class B <ul> <li>(#3) Wahoo vs. (#4) Mt. Michael | Subdistrict B-4 | Wahoo High School 2/25</li> </ul> In order for this matchup to happen, Mt. Michael would need to beat Schuyler on Monday, 2/24. Assuming it does happen, this is potentially the best sub district final on this list. Wahoo enters the game 22-1, winning 17 straight games and their last loss coming on December 27th to Lexington. Mt. Michael comes in with similar success at 18-5, and topping 7 ranked teams thus far this season. This game features multiple players on our rankings, including Concordia signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-scheef/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-scheef/">Trey Scheef</a></a> (Wahoo), Doane signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/thomas-waido/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/thomas-waido/">Thomas Waido</a></a> (Wahoo), and 15.7ppg scorer <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaleb-brink/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kaleb-brink/">Kaleb Brink</a></a> (Mt. Michael). <ul> <li>(#7) Bennington vs. (#2) Roncalli | Subdistrict B-3 | Bennington High School 2/25</li> </ul> For this matchup to occur, Roncalli would need to beat Blair on Monday, 2/24. If this is in fact the sub district final, it would be a rematch of when these two faced off on February 11th when Roncalli was able to come out with a 70-60 victory. Last time these two played, Morningside signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-dotzler/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-dotzler/">Jack Dotzler</a></a> was the star of the show scoring 26 points. This one should be an absolute dogfight with a great crowd at Bennington, featuring other highly touted players <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/taiden-red/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/taiden-red/">Taiden Red</a></a> (Roncalli), <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jake-orr/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jake-orr/">Jake Orr</a></a> (Roncalli), and Grady Corrigan (Bennington). <ul> <li>(#10) Alliance vs. (#6) Scottsbluff | Subdistrict B-8 | Scottsbluff High School 2/25</li> </ul> This sub district's opening games are Scottsbluff vs. Sidney, and Alliance vs. Gering; assuming the top seeds prevail, we will be in for another top 10 matchup for the final. This would be the third time this season these two have played, and the first two contests saw Scottsbluff win by 16 in December and by 9 in early February. Don't let the first two matches fool you however, Alliance lead by Senior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joel-baker/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/joel-baker/">Joel Baker</a></a> (17.6ppg) will be up for the contest against a red-hot Scottsbluff team. Class C1 <ul> <li>(#9) Mitchell vs. (#10) Ogallala | Subdistrict C1-12 | Bridgeport Schools 2/27</li> </ul> The last time these two teams faced off it was an instant classic that saw Mitchell come away with an 88-85 victory behind 39 points from Sophomore <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-thyne/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-thyne/">Austin Thyne</a></a>. Considering how both these top 10 teams are lead by star players Thyne and Carter Brown (Ogallala) scoring is sure to come in bunches. With these two battling for positioning in sub-state next week, and the intensity of their last matchup, this is a game you will not want to miss. First however, for this game to occur, Mitchell would have to beat Chadron (11-11), and Ogallala would have to beat Gordon-Rushville (10-10). <ul> <li> (#7) Bishop Neumann vs. Ashland-Greenwood | C1-4 | Waverly High School 2/27</li> </ul> This game is truly one that can go either way, and it really depends on which two versions of these teams show up. Ashland comes in this game at 14-7 with wins against #2 (B) Roncalli, Platteview, Boys Town, and Fort Calhoun but losses to Milford, Falls City, and DC West who are a combined 34-32. Neumann is pretty similar with wins against #2 (C2) Yutan, Lexington, and Lincoln Lutheran but losses versus Lincoln Lutheran, Boys Town, and Bennington in a game which they scored 25 points. These two actually squared away in game this week on Feb. 21 in a very physical contest that saw Neumann sneak away with a 34-32 victory. Ashland lead by top 10 sophomore <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/cale-jacobsen/">Cale Jacobsen</a> (23ppg) will be up for the rematch. <ul> <li>(#6) Wayne vs. Logan View-Scribner-Snyder | C1-6 | Oakland-Craig High School 2/27</li> </ul> Here we have another potential sub district final game that is a rematch from earlier this season. Back on December 12th, Logan View-SS was able to top Wayne 41-38 behind 17 points from <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/conner-larson/">Connor Larson</a>. This was Wayne's 3rd straight loss in an 0-4 start to the season, yet since then they are 17-2 and one of the hottest teams in C1 defeating Boys Town, Wisner-Pilger, Pierce, and losing to #2 North Bend by just two points in overtime. Logan View-SS comes into this matchup 16-7, and with a tough scheduling featuring #6 (C2) Oakland-Craig, #3 (B) Wahoo, #2 North Bend, #1 (C2) BRLD, #2 (C2) Yutan, and #1 (D1) Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, they are no stranger to big games. Class C2 <ul> <li>(#2) Yutan vs. (#6) Oakland Craig | C2-3 | West Point High School 2/27</li> </ul> You can be sure this will be a fun contest between two teams with a lot of firepower in front of a packed gym in West Point. Lead by 2019 1st team All State player <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brady-timm/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brady-timm-2/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brady-timm/">Brady Timm</a></a></a>, and Morningside signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-knudsen/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-knudsen/">Trey Knudsen</a></a>, Yutan is coming for it all this postseason after their runner-up finish at State last season. This year, they currently sit at 18-3 with their only losses coming to #3 (B) Wahoo, #1 (C1) Auburn, and #7 (C1) Bishop Neumann. Oakland-Craig currently sits at 16-7 this season and has sat firmly in the rankings all year. Lead by Colten Thomsen (14.5ppg) and Gunnar Ray (11.5ppg), they bring a balanced scoring attack that has seen 8 different players score double digits at some point this season. <ul> <li>(#1) BRLD vs. (#5) Ponca | C2-4 | Pender High School 2/27</li> </ul> This matchup features the heavy favorite in Class C2 BRLD, who has won 45 straight games including a state championship last season, against 20-3 (#5) Ponca. Ponca, lead by all-state Senior <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/carter-kingsbury/">Carter Kinsbury</a>, enters this game with wins against Battle Creek, #3 (D1) Osmond, #7 (C2) Hartington Cedar Catholic, Wisner Pilger, and #6 (C1) Wayne. Between these two teams, they have the last 3 state championship trophies in Class C2: 2019 (BRLD), 2018 (Ponca), 2017 (Ponca). This is also a rematch from earlier this season, in a game that saw BRLD win 64-46 behind 52 combined points from Dylan Beutler, Darwin Snyder, and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/lucas-vogt/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/lucas-vogt/">Lucas Vogt</a></a>. Class D1 <ul> <li>Trio of (#9) Pleasanton, (#6) Axtell, and Shelton (15-6) | D1-8 | Cope Coliseum at Kearney Catholic 2/27</li> </ul> This sub district we approached a bit differently, due to it being between three highly competitive teams that have experienced time in the rankings this season. Assuming Pleasanton wins it's first game, they face the winner of Axtell and Shelton for the sub district crown. Although Shelton has not played Axtell yet this season, they just took Pleasanton down to the wire ultimately losing by 9 on February 10th. Axtell is lead by three players averaging over 14ppg (Runge, Danburg, Hinrichs), currently sits at 16-5 and can really light it up, having scored 70 points eight different times this season. In those eight games, they have scored 93, 83, and 75. Pleasanton, having beaten both these teams once earlier in the year may come in being the favorite, but it should be an exciting couple of days in Kearney. Class D2 <ul> <li>Trio of (#4) Parkview Christian, (#5) Johnson-Brock, (#6) Mead | D2-2 | Weeping Water Schools 2/27</li> </ul> Here we have another highly competitive sub district with three teams that find themselves in the rankings. As the top seed, assuming they beat Sterling (10-12), Parkview Christian will play the winner of Johnson-Brock and Mead. Parkview Christian is 16-6 this season and features a balanced scoring attack lead by Seniors Jamie Juncal, Anthony Goehring, and Jamal Smith all averaging above 10ppg. Parkview Christian has already faced these two this season winning by 21 against Johnson-Brock, and by 3 against Mead, respectively. Johnson-Brock, lead by Nebraska football signee <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ty-hahn/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ty-hahn/">Ty Hahn</a></a> (19.5ppg), will come ready to defend their 2019 State Championship.