Friday Morning Sports – Stars Softball Season Comes to Close, UNK Football Prepares for Emporia State, Hastings College Awaits Doane, Frost Post Practice Comments, Local Sports Schedule/Results

HUSKER DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR’S FATHER KILLED IN THURSDAY CRASH

From a report from KOLN, Nebraska Defensive Coordinator Erik Chinander’s father, Gene, was killed in a car crash Thursday afternoon in rural northeast Iowa. 

Iowa State Patrol reports that Gene Chinander was pronounced dead at the scene. 

It is not yet clear if Erik Chinander will coach on Saturday for the Huskers as Nebraska travels to Minnesota.

STAR SOFTBALL SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE AT STATE

After downing Hastings St. Cecilia in the first game of the Class C-1 State Softball Championships on Wednesday, Kearney Catholic couldn’t sneak past GACC Wednesday night and Yutan/Mead on Thursday evening as the Stars season came to a close. 

The Stars fell 15-4 in the final game of the season to the now 30-6 Patriots who advanced further into the bottom bracket. 

UNK FOOTBALL PREPARES FOR EMPORIA STATE:

The No. 21 UNK Football team travels to Emporia State for a matchup against the 3-3 Hornets in Kansas. 

UNK is coming off a 35-14 win over Missouri Western on Homecoming last week. 

Emporia has all three losses to teams that the Lopers have defeated; falling to Missouri Western State, Washburn, and Central Missouri. 

HASTINGS COLLEGE BATTLES DOANE SATURDAY

The Hastings College Broncos look to earn their second win of the season against the Doane Tigers on Saturday.

The Broncos travel to Crete for the 1 PM kickoff. 

LARSON RECOGNIZED AS WSF SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR

Former Husker All-American and three-time Olympic medalist Jordan Larson was recognized as the Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year for Team Sport Wednesday at the organization’s Annual Salute event.

Larson was officially inducted into the Nebraska Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2020 this fall. The Hooper, Neb., native was a four-year starter from 2005-08 and led the Huskers to the 2006 NCAA championship and four straight Big 12 titles. She was a three-time All-American before beginning her outstanding international career.

NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL READY FOR ANOTHER BIG TEN TEST

The No. 9 Nebraska volleyball team squares off with Illinois this Saturday with first serve at 6 p.m. from the Devaney Center. Saturday is Nebraska’s fourth match in eight days.

Nebraska has sole possession of first place in the Big Ten standings and is the only remaining unbeaten team at 7-0 in conference play. The Huskers are ahead of Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin (5-1).

FROST – THURSDAY POST PRACTICE COMMENTS:

FROST – TEAM READY FOR A BREAK, MINNESOTA UP FIRST

Nebraska Football has yet to have a bye week so far this season, and will have faced 8 straight opponents when the Huskers travel to Minnesota on Saturday.

Head Coach Scott Frost says his team is still preparing well despite the struggle… 

Some prediction models have Nebraska as ten point favorites on the road.

FROST – MINNESOTA OFFENSE PREVIEW

Head Coach of the Huskers Scott Frost spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice and previewed what the Minnesota defense will bring… 

The Blackshirts will look to stop another Big Ten team as the Huskers and Minnesota kick off at 11 AM on Saturday.

FROST – LEADERSHIP STILL STRONG ON TEAM

The Huskers Head Coach Scott Frost spoke to the media after Thursday’s practice and was asked how leadership has been on the team amidst four losses of one score each… 

The Huskers look to bounce back from their 32-29 loss to Michigan by downing Minnesota on the road. 

FROST – NEWSOME EARNED BLACKSHIRT

Another defensive player was awarded a Blackshirt this week as Quinton Newsome earned the coveted practice jersey. 

Head Coach Scott Frost has been pleased with Newsome’s hard work…

Newsome stated he was motivated to become a Blackshirt since not earning the award last year. The sophomore has 30 total tackles on the year with a sack. 

FROST – IMPORTANT TO WIN ON THE ROAD

The Huskers have yet to win on the road this season, as all three wins have come in the comfort of Memorial Stadium. 

Head Coach Scott Frost adds that the road test was an emphasized point this week in practice…

The Huskers are road favorites for the first time since the Illinois game this season.

FROST – MINNESOTA DEFENSE PREVIEW

Head Coach of the Huskers Scott Frost met with the media on Thursday and gave a preview of what he sees from the Minnesota defense…

The Huskers offense looks to score more than the 24 total points scored in the last two matchups with the Golden Gophers – 17 in 2020 and 7 in the last matchup in Minnesota.

FROST – SLOW PROGRESS, BUT PROGRESS IS BEING MADE

Head Coach of the Huskers Scott Frost, along with Athletic Director Trev Alberts, joined former Blackshirt Will Compton on his ‘Bussin’ with the Boys’ podcast last week. 

Frost was asked if he had known how tough the transition to Nebraska would be…

Alberts added that the Huskers needed stability, new renovations in facilities, and support from administration to find more success. 

The full podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and on YouTube.

NEBRASKA / ACC CHALLENGE TIMES SET

The Big Ten Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and ESPN announced the start time Thursday afternoon for Nebraska’s matchup at NC State in the 2021 Big Ten/ACC Men’s Basketball Challenge.

The contest between the Huskers and Wolfpack on Wednesday, Dec. 1 will tip off at 6:15 p.m. (central) and will be televised on ESPNU. The game will also be carried on the Huskers Radio Network. 

NEBRASKA BASKETBALL SINGLE GAME TICKETS AVAILABLE

A limited number of 300 level seats will be available for the nine non-conference home games, as well as the exhibitions against Colorado (Oct. 31) and Peru State (Oct. 27). 

Tickets for most of the non-conference matchups are priced at $7 per game, while the matchups with Creighton (Nov. 16) and Kansas State (Dec. 19) as well as the charity exhibition game with Colorado are priced at $10. Proceeds from the NU-Colorado game will benefit the TeamMates mentoring program; the YWCA of Lincoln and the Nebraska Greats Foundation.

Fans can purchase tickets by visiting Huskers.com or calling the Nebraska Athletic Ticket Office

NEBRASKA FLIPS K-STATE COMMIT AND OMAHA NATIVE STENGER

Three star athlete Gage Stenger of Millard South flipped his commitment from Kansas State to the Huskers Tuesday night, confirming the change on Wednesday morning via Twitter. 

Stenger had been committed to the Wildcats since the Summer, but an offer from Nebraska earlier this month – along with a visit on Thursday and conversation with JoJo Domann and Head Coach Scott Frost – realigned the Omaha native back to his “dream school.”

The Huskers primarily see Stenger as an outside linebacker, joining other in-state recruits Ernest Hausmann of Columbus and Jake Appleget of Lincoln Southeast.

NEBRASKA MEN’S BASKETBALL START TIMES ANNOUNCED

Nebraska Athletics announced Tuesday the start times of the six games scheduled to air online at B1G+ this season.

The Huskers’ exhibition opener against Peru State will tip off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 27 and starts a busy night for Husker sports, as the Husker volleyball team will take on Wisconsin that evening at 8 p.m. at the Devaney Center. 

Nebraska’s 2021-22 season opener against Western Illinois on Tuesday, Nov. 9, is slated for 7 p.m. and is the first of four regular-season games on B1G+ this season. The start times for the Nov. 12 (Sam Houston) and Nov. 19 (Idaho State) games are adjusted to give fans a chance to get to both basketball and volleyball matches on those respective evenings.

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:

• • • DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY
      • BOYS = 6th overall in A-2
      • GIRLS = Runner-up in A-3
        • INDIVIDUAL:
        • Abigail Burger – 5th
        • Emma Bonsall – 6th
        • Samantha Stava – 9th 
        • Ava Angel-Trejo – 11th
    • BOYS TENNIS STATE TOURNAMENT

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:

• • • DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY: @ Aurora
      • BOYS = 9th in C-4
      • GIRLS = 4th in C-4
        • INDIVIDUAL:
        • Maya Moxley – 12th
    • VOLLEYBALL; @ Broken Bow
      • KCHS 3-0
    • STATE SOFTBALL:
      • KCHS v. Yutan/Mead
        • Yutan/Mead 15-4

• UNK:

• • WOMEN’S SOCCER: @ Missouri Southern

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • FOOTBALL: v. Elkhorn South
    • KGFW Pregame Coverage @ 6:30 PM

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • FOOTBALL: v. Holdrege

• UNK:
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. Pittsburg State

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • VOLLEYBALL: @ Dakota Wesleyan

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a

• UNK:
  • FOOTBALL: @ Emporia State
  • VOLLEYBALL: v. Missouri Southern

• HASTINGS COLLEGE:

• • FOOTBALL: @ Doane
  • VOLLEYBALL: @ Jamestown
  • WOMEN’S SOCCER: v. Concordia
  • MEN’S SOCCER: v. Concordia