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Published Feb 25, 2019

UPDATED: Class B Boys District Basketball Preview

Bob Jensen • HuskerlandPreps

Publisher

@HuskerlandBob

It's been one of those winters, hasn't it. Lots of games cancelled or postponed all season long so why would you expect anything different in the postseason?

Scottsbluff, always a quality program, comes into district final play with a 13-10 record, nine of those losses to out-of-state teams. That stat, friend, has a lot to do with geography.

"We have to go out of state to play schools our size without traveling four hours plus. I think the adversity we faced and kept coming with good attitudes to practice and really figuring out how to play team basketball is what we learned from it all," says Scottsbluff head coach Scott Gullion. "We were humbled and understood the importance of team basketball and we also had guys step up and learned of some guys we could count on when there were tough stretches."

Like any team still playing the Bearcats have gotten contributions from a number of players in the rotation.

"Conner McCracken has been tremendous for us and stepped up really big in the subdistrict championship. Jasiya DeOllos came up huge for us in the subdistrict semifinals and Dawson Mohr, is a sophomore, who has come along really nicely as the season progressed," says Coach Gullion. "Sabastian Harsh has given us a lot of good things with defense and rebounding and Sam Clarkson and Chance Parker have given us an inside presence on the offensive and defensive end. It also helps that Harold Baez has given us energy, a shooter and some big defensive plays all season."

* A quality team that seems to get caught up in the wash some, No. 3 seed Omaha Roncalli (22-2) is enjoying one of the greatest seasons in the program's history. The Crimson Pride won the Class B state title in 1996 but hasn't won a state tournament game since.

"Our boys have worked extremely hard each day to improve their game and we have done a good job handling the challenges that have been put in front of us," says Roncalli head coach Scott Gullion. "Our team is very resilient and always looking to improve and we are looking forward to the next one and any future opportunities that come our way." (Gee, I wonder what he meant by that...)

Roncalli has a couple of tremendous team leaders in senior Alex Rodgers and junior Jack Dotzler, both of them all-state caliber players. "Alex is a four-year starter and tremendous defender and he most importantly is a great leader for all the players in our program," says Coach Stoffel. "Jack is a great all around player, somebody who is a three-year starter and who makes everyone around him better."

You'd take two guys like that, right? I know my team would.

Taking for granted we get them all in - and playing early means the games should be in good shape through return trips home might not be - here is a look at our Class B boys district finals, all to be played this Saturday.

Class B Boys Basketball District Finals

District, Location, Time	In This Corner...	@HuskerlandBob Sez	Survey Sez...

B-1 at Lincoln Pius X HS, 12 Noon	No. 1 Lincoln Pius X (24-1) v. No. 16 Elkhorn (11-11).	Pius has spent most of the season playing Class A teams but has still won 22 of its last 23, the loss to mighty Creighton Prep. With limited exposure to Class B the Thunderbolts still own a 74-70 win over defending state runner-up Omaha Skutt, and more importantly an 18-point win over Elkhorn.	Pius X.
B-2 at Aurora HS, 2 p.m.	No. 2 Aurora (24-1) v. No. 15 Blair (11-11).	Aurora has won 16 games in a row and has beaten 20-4 York three times now, the last time by four points in the subdistrict final, and Seward twice...by three points and in double OT. (Gulp.) Blair has lost six of eight but is one win away from qualifying for satte for just the seventh time in program history.	Aurora.
B-3 at Omaha Roncalli HS, 2 p.m.	No. 3 Omaha Roncalli (22-2) v. No. 14 Norris (12-13).	Roncalli has won 18, two of them competitive wins over 19-6 Bennington, but also beat Blair by just three points. Just sayin'. Norris started 1-8 before gaining its footing and is an interesting darkhorse.	Omaha Roncalli.
B-4 at Omaha Skutt HS, 5 p.m.	No. 4 Omaha Skutt (21-4) v. No. 13 Lexington (15-9).	Defending state runner-up Skutt crushed a very good Mount Michael team by 39 points in the subdistrict final. Three of the Skyhawks losses are by three points, another by four points. Maybe so, but Lex has won six of seven, 10 of 12, and has my boy Jake Leger in the mix, so beware.	Omaha Skutt
B-5 at York HS, 2 p.m.	No. 5 York (20-4) v. No. 12 Platteview (17-8).	You know the story on defending champion York and Platteview has nine of its wins over Class C teams. BTW, York beat the Trojans 71-53 in the final of the York Holiday Tournament.	York.
B-6 at Seward HS, 1 p.m.	No. 6 Seward (18-5) v. No. 11 Scottsbluff (13-10).	Seward is thisclose, I'm telling you. Bluejays have wins over 21-win teams Wahoo and North Bend Central and two of its losses are in OT and another by three points, to Aurora no less. Scottsbluff is 12-1 against Nebraska competition, including three out of four against No. 8 Alliance.	Seward.
B-7 at Bennington HS, 2 p.m.	No. 7 Bennington (19-6) v. No. 10 Hastings (14-6).	Bennington has beaten defending C-1 state champion Wahoo and five of its six losses are to district finalists. Hastings could be another sneaky pick, given the Tigers have beaten Seward and Lexington.	Bennington.
B-8 at Mount Michael Benedictine HS, Elkhorn, 1 p.m.	No. 8 Mount Michael (18-7) v. No. 9 Alliance (18-6).	Mount Michael has won seven of its last nine but must overcome the shell shock of that subdistrict loss to Skutt. Same with Alliance, which suffered another loss to Scottsbluff in its sub final.	Mount Michael.