KEARNEY HIGH BASKETBALL OPENS SEASON WITH MARIAN/PREP DOUBLEHEADER:
The Bearcat basketball teams open their season with much anticipation in a private school doubleheader tonight at Kearney High School.
The Kearney girls basketball team begin the JD Carson era tonight, as the Bearcat alum leads his team into his first contest at the helm against the Omaha Marian Crusaders. Marian ended last season with only eight wins in Coach Tom Tvrdy’s first season in the metro.
The Bearcat boys aim to take down a regular contender in Class A facing Creighton Prep. The Junior Jays return from last season’s semifinal state tournament finish hoping to begin their “reloading” season under head coach Josh Luedtke.
Pregame of the doubleheader begins at 5 PM tonight on KGFW with the Bearcat girls facing Marian to open the doubleheader, followed by the Kearney/Prep matchup.
Listen to the action on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com with Austin Jacobsen on the call.
NEBRASKA VOLLEYBALL BEGINS NCAA TOURNAMENT IN LINCOLN:
The Nebraska volleyball team was selected as the No. 7 overall seed for the 2022 Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship on Sunday night and will host the first and second rounds at the Bob Devaney Sports Center this Thursday and Friday.
The Huskers, making their 41st straight NCAA Tournament appearance and hosting the first round for the 37th time, will open the tournament on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. against Delaware State (24-6), champions of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
The 4:30 p.m. match will feature Kansas (18-10) of the Big 12 Conference and Miami (19-10) of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Thursday’s winners will meet in the second round on Friday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
This is the first matchup between Nebraska and Delaware State.
HUSKER WOMEN READY FOR ACC CHALLENGE WITH VIRGINIA TECH:
The Nebraska women’s basketball team returns to the road to take on No. 9 Virginia Tech in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge
Tip-off between the Huskers (3-2) and the unbeaten Hokies (6-0) is set for 6 p.m. (CT) at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.
The clash with the No. 9 Hokies will be Nebraska’s second road game against a top-20 AP team this season, joining a Nov. 15 setback at No. 20 Creighton.
The game with Virginia Tech also marks Nebraska’s second meeting in Blacksburg with the Hokies as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge since 2016.
Head Coach Kenny Brooks leads No. 9 Virginia Tech into the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with a 6-0 record after running to an 89-28 win over Longwood at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg on Sunday.
DAVIS NAMED HARLON HILL FINALIST FOR SECOND TIME:
Nebraska-Kearney redshirt senior quarterback TJ Davis is one of nine finalists for the 2022 Harlon Hill Trophy as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year.
The winner is determined in a nation-wide vote of D2 school and conference SID’s (178 total); the national voting process will take place over the first two weeks of December. The 36th winner in the trophy’s history will be announced on Friday, Dec. 16.
Davis (Colorado Springs/Widefield H.S.), the 2021 Harlon Hill Runner Up, had another productive fall as UNK went 8-3 in the MIAA and was nationally and regionally ranked throughout the fall. For the regular season, he was the second-best rushing QB in the NCAA (1,136), one of two D2 QB’s to run and throw (1,370) for over 1,000 yards while tallying 29 touchdowns (16 rushing and 13 passing).
The Sports Management major joins fellow QB’s Justin Coleman (1999 and 2000) and Jake Spitzlberger (2011) as Loper Harlon Hill Finalists.
LOPER FOOTBALL HAS TWO NAMED ALL-REGION:
Redshirt seniors Darius Swanson and Hunter Hays represent Nebraska Kearney on the 2022 Division II Conference Commissioners’ Association (D2CCA) All-Super Region 3 team.
Swanson (Aurora, Colo) is a first-team pick for a second year in a row with Hays (McCook) on the second-team. This is his first all-region selection.
A 2021 D2CCA first-team All-American, Swanson led UNK with three interceptions this fall for 44 yards and one touchdown. He also ranked fourth on the team in tackles (69), was tied for the team lead in pass breakups (eight) and forced two fumbles.
Hays is a three-year starter at left guard and part of a line that helped the UNK offense average 33 points and 402 yards per game.
RHULE ANNOUNCES FOOTBALL STAFF HIRES:
Nebraska Head Football Coach Matt Rhule has assembled part of his first Husker staff with the hiring of six coaches on Thursday. The hirings are pending the completion of University of Nebraska background checks.
The coaching staff hires for Nebraska Football include:
E.J. Barthel, Running Backs
Corey Campbell, Head Football Strength and Conditioning
Evan Cooper, Secondary
Ed Foley, Special Teams Coordinator
Terrance Knighton, Defensive Line
Marcus Satterfield, Offensive Coordinator
Full staff biographies can be found at Huskers.com.
MICKEY JOSEPH ARRESTED ON STRANGULATION, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
Mickey Joseph, Nebraska football’s interim head coach for most of the past season, is facing domestic assault charges.
Joseph was arrested Wednesday afternoon by Lincoln police on suspicion of domestic assault and strangulation. A Lincoln Police Department release says police were dispatched to a residence near South 34th Street and Tree Line Drive shortly before 2 p.m. on a domestic-disturbance call.
“Upon concluding the investigation, Joseph, age 54 of Lincoln, was arrested at a separate location, for Strangulation and 3rd Degree Domestic Assault. He was lodged in the Lancaster County Jail,” an LPD release stated.
HUSKER MEN WIN ACC CHALLENGE OVER BOSTON COLLEGE AT PBA:
Keisei Tominaga tied his career high with 23 points off the bench as Nebraska cruised past Boston College, 88-67, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Wednesday night.
The Huskers (5-3) put five players in doubles and shot a blistering 62 percent from the field, their highest mark the 2014-15 season.
Nebraska used a 23-2 spurt over a 12-minute span, turning a 34-30 deficit into a 17-point lead with just over 11 minutes remaining and cruised to a 21-point win.
Up next, the Huskers make the short trek up I-80 to take on No. 7 Creighton on Sunday, Dec. 4. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.
CYZA, STERLING EARN AVCA ALL-AMERICAN HONORS FOR LOPERS:
Senior outside hitter Emersen Cyza and senior middle blocker Bailee Sterling represent Nebraska Kearney on the 2022 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II All-American team.
The squad is chosen by a panel of D2 coaches from around the nation.
Beginning her career at Wyoming, Cyza has led UNK in kills and kills per set each of the past two falls. She became the fifth outside hitter in the Rick Squiers era (1999-pre) to earn AVCA All-American honors.
Sterling, who began her career at Northern Colorado, is the ninth middle in the Squiers era to earn AVCA AA honors.
WISTROM ADDED TO ORANGE BOWL HALL OF FAME:
Nebraska great Grant Wistrom is one of three 2022 inductees into the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame presented by AutoNation. Wistrom joins Oklahoma’s Dewey Selmon and Miami’s Bernard Clark Jr. in the 2022 class.
This year’s honorees will be recognized at the annual Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon on Dec. 29 and will be featured in an on-field ceremony at the 2022 Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 30 in Hard Rock Stadium.
Wistrom played a part in three Orange Bowl victories during his career, including two that clinched national championships for Nebraska.
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: v. GISH/Hastings Triangular – 4:30 PM
- Girls Basketball: Early Bird Tournament v. Marian @ KHS – 5:15 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5 PM
- Boys Basketball: Early Bird Tournament v. Creighton Prep @ KHS – 7 PM
- KGFW Pregame at conclusion of KHS GBB/Marian
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: v. GISH/Hastings Triangular – 4:30 PM
- UNK:
- Women’s Basketball: v. Rogers State @ Health & Sports Center – 5:30 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Rogers State @ Health & Sports Center – 7:30 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls Basketball v. Marian (5 PM – 7 PM)
- Kearney High Boys Basketball v. Creighton Prep (7 PM – 9 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Wrestling: Hastings Dual @ Kearney High School – 6:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: v. Blue/Gold Intrasquad @ Cushing Coliseum
- Wrestling: @ Cliff Keen Invite @ Las Vegas, NV – 11 AM
- M/W Cross Country: @ NCAA Championships @ Seattle, WA – 12 PM/1:15 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Hastings Invite – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Kearney High School Invite – 10 AM
- Girls Basketball: Early Bird Tournament – TBD
- Boys Basketball: Early Bird Tournament – TBD
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Swimming & Diving: @ Hastings Invite – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Broken Bow – 9:30 AM
- Girls Basketball: v. Holdrege – 2 PM
- Boys Basketball: v. Holdrege – 3:30 PM
- UNK:
- Wrestling: @ Doane Open @ Crete, NE – 9 AM
- Wrestling: @ Cliff Keen Invite @ Las Vegas, NV – 11 AM
- Women’s Basketball: v. Northeastern State @ Health & Sports Center – 2 PM
- Men’s Basketball: v. Northeastern State @ Health & Sports Center – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney High Girls/Boys Basketball @ Early Bird Tournament (TBA)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Women’s Basketball @ Maryland (12 PM – 3 PM)
