Thursday Afternoon Sports – Bearcats Face Islanders, Sterling Set to Transfer from Loper Volleyball, Held Contract Details, Hamlin Making Recovery, Wilhite Removed from Husker Staff, Local Sports Schedule

KEARNEY BASKETBALL READY FOR ISLANDERS:

The Kearney Bearcat Basketball teams continue their rivalry week after taking down North Platte on Wednesday night.

The Bearcats now await their biggest rival yet for a Central Nebraska showdown between Kearney and Grand Island. Pregame begins at 5:45 PM with the girls contest opening tip-off set for 6 PM. Pregame of the boys game will follow the conclusion of the girls. 

Tune in to the contest with Austin Jacobsen on the call on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.

STERLING SET TO TRANSFER FROM UNK VOLLEYBALL TO WEST FLORIDA:

UNK volleyball is losing an important piece from last year’s roster. Senior-to-be middle blocker Bailee Sterling is exercising her extra year of eligibility, but will transfer to West Florida for her final season, via a report from KSNB. 

Sterling, a Kearney native and Bearcat alum, transferred to UNK from Northern Colorado in January of 2019. This past season, she received honorable mention honors for the AVCA Division II All-American team after leading the Lopers in blocks, hitting .311 on the season and averaging 2.76 kills per set. UNK finished the year qualifying for its 23rd straight postseason and ended with a 28-6 record.

CONTRACT DETAILS RELEASED FOR NEW LOPER FOOTBALL HEAD COACH:

Contract details have been released regarding the new Head Coach for Loper Football Ryan Held. 

UNK signed Held to a three-year contract that runs through December of 2025 with an annual salary of $150,000, according to a report from KSNB. Held also has contract incentives that will trigger an additional one month of base salary: Winning an MIAA Conference Championship, winning the NCAA Div. II Regional Championship, and winning the NCAA Div. II National Championship.

These contract incentives are identical to previous Head Coach Josh Lynn, with a penalty added in case of an early departure by Held. 

HAMLIN SHOWING ‘REMARKABLE IMPROVEMENT’:

Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has shown what physicians treating him are calling “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the team announced Thursday, three days after the player went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field.

Hamlin’s agent, Ronald Butler, told The Associated Press that Hamlin was awake and has been able to grip the hands of family members at his hospital bedside.

The developments came as the Bills were scheduled to return to practice on Thursday.

Hamlin was able to communicate by writing; he cannot speak because of a breathing tube in his throat.

WILHITE NO LONGER ON HUSKER STAFF:

One of the longest-tenured members of Nebraska’s football support staff is no longer with the program.

Former 1991 Husker All-Big Eight defensive back Kenny Wilhite will not be a part of Matt Rhule’s operation.

Wilhite is one of the last remaining staffers of the football department that worked for Bo Pelini, Mike Riley and Scott Frost.

He originally joined the NU staff in 2014 as a regional recruiting assistant. He was elevated to assistant director of player personnel and then to associate director of player personnel in 2015.

LOPER VOLLEYBALL BRINGS HOME SAMANTHA HAMMOND FOR ASSISTANT POSITION:

UNK head volleyball coach Rick Squiers announced Wednesday that Samantha Hammond is the Lopers new top assistant coach.

The Taylor native and former UNK All-American right side takes over for Steph Brand who recently left the program for a job in the private sector. Brand served as the Lopers top assistant for five years and after being a graduate assistant and player for UNK.

Hammond spent the past fall as UNK’s second assistant coach, helping the team go 28-6, reach a 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament and finish 15th in the final Top 25 poll.

She previously was head volleyball coach, Athletic Facility and Special Events Coordinator at the College of Saint Mary (2010-17), head volleyball coach at Lexington High School (2008-10 & 2017-22) and a UNK grad assistant (2007).

NFL HALL OF FAME FINALISTS FOR 2023 CLASS ANNOUNCED:

Joe Thomas, Darrelle Revis and Dwight Freeney are finalists in their first year of eligibility for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s class of 2023.

The 15 modern-day players who will be considered later this month by the selection committee include returning finalists DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Willis, Zach Thomas and Andre Johnson.

Six other returning finalists were announced Wednesday with Jared Allen, Willie Anderson, Ronde Barber, Devin Hester, Torry Holt and Reggie Wayne getting back to this stage.

A maximum of five modern-day players can be elected for enshrinement in August to the Canton, Ohio, hall. The inductees will be announced on Feb. 9.

INTERIM COACH NAMED FOR USA SOCCER:

The U.S. soccer team was plunged into public turmoil Wednesday when the family of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna said it notified the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife in response to the coach’s disparagement of Claudio’s son, young star Gio Reyna.

Berhalter said Tuesday his 1991 behavior in which he kicked the woman who would become his wife was “shameful” and that he was “looking forward to continuing my conversations with U.S. Soccer about the future.”

The U.S. Soccer Federation has commissioned an investigation by an outside law firm, along with the staff review of the team’s performance over the four-year cycle. All of it leaves the program’s leadership uncertain as the run-up begins to the 2026 World Cup, which the U.S. will co-host.

The controversy has become a messy public dispute involving Berhalter; Claudio Reyna, who was the best man at Berhalter’s wedding; Danielle Egan Reyna, a former U.S. women’s player; Rosalind Santana Berhalter, the coach’s wife and Egan’s college roommate; and Gio Reyna, the 20-year-old midfielder limited to 53 minutes by Berhalter at the 2022 World Cup.

For the time being, Anthony Hudson, a member of Berhalter’s staff, will coach the team ahead of exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia three days later.

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Basketball: v. North Platte @ Kearney High School
    • KHS 44-24 NP
  • Boys Basketball: v. North Platte @ Kearney High School
    • KHS 69-56 NP
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Basketball: v. Minden
    • Minden 52-20 KCHS

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Wrestling: Lincoln East Dual @ Kearney High School (CHaT/Auditorium) – 5:30 PM
  • Girls Basketball: v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 6 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 5:45 PM
  • Boys Basketball: v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 8 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 7:45 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Pittsburg State @ Health & Sports Center – 5:30 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Pittsburg State @ Health & Sports Center – 7:30 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney High Girls Basketball v. Grand Island (5:45 PM – 7:45 PM)
  • Kearney High Boys Basketball v. Grand Island (7:45 PM – 9:45 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming/Diving: v. Kearney High Invite – 12 PM (Diving Only)
  • Wrestling: @ Lincoln North Star Invite – 3 PM
  • Swimming/Diving: v. Kearney High Invite Triangular – 4:30 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Wrestling: @ High Plains Invite
  • Girls Basketball: v. GICC – 4:30 PM
  • Boys Basketball: v. GICC – 6:30 PM
• UNK:
  • Wrestling: v. NWCA National Duals @ Louisville, KY – 10 AM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming/Diving: v. Kearney High Invite – 10 AM (Swimming Only)
  • Girls Basketball: v. Elkhorn North @ Kearney High School (Girls Basketball Showcase) – 8:30 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 8:15 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Wrestling: @ High Plains Invite
  • Swimming/Diving: v. Kearney High Invite – 9 AM
  • Girls Basketball: @ North Platte – 2 PM
  • Boys Basketball: @ North Platte – 4 PM
• UNK:
  • Wrestling: @ Hastings Open – 9 AM (Non-Varsity)
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Missouri Southern @ Health & Sports Center – 2 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Missouri Southern @ Health & Sports Center – 4 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Men’s Basketball @ Minnesota (10 AM – 1:45 PM)
  • Kearney High Girls Basketball v. Elkhorn North (8:15 PM – 10:15 PM)

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • N/a