Tuesday Afternoon Sports – Matt Rhule Podcast Comments, FKC Brackets Released, Centennial Conference Tourney Continues, Husker Football Continues Recruitment Prowess, Local Sports Schedule

MATT RHULE – BUSSIN’ WITH THE BOYS PODCAST COMMENTS:

RHULE – BEING FIRED TAUGHT ME LESSONS:

Nebraska Head Coach Matt Rhule was a guest on former Blackshirt Will Compton’s podcast ‘Bussin’ With the Boys’, as he discussed the lessons learned and how he relates to recruits from his firing from the Carolina Panthers…

Nebraska hired Rhule after the former NFL Coach had taken a few months away from football. The full episode can be found on most podcast platforms.

RHULE – DON’T NEED TO DEMEAN PLAYERS:

New Huskers Head Coach Matt Rhule spoke on former Husker Will Compton’s podcast, and discussed how he’s perfected his coaching craft over his eleven years as a head coach…

Rhule’s full episode can be found on most podcast platforms and on YouTube under “Bussin’ With the Boys”.

RHULE – BEST COACHING DAYS ARE AHEAD:

Matt Rhule, new Nebraska Head Coach, joined former Blackshirt Will Compton’s podcast this week and spoke on how his coaching mentors have motivated him to continue to succeed…

The Huskers nabbed Rhule after he was fired from the Carolina Panthers after three short seasons. 

RHULE – ENTICED BY NEBRASKA:

Matt Rhule, Nebraska Head Coach, joined former Husker Will Compton’s podcast “Bussin’ with the Boys” and was asked what enticed the former NFL and Big 12 Coach to choose the Big Red…

The Huskers signed Rhule to his 8 year, $72 million contract in late November.

RHULE – WANT TO START OFF FAST:

Matt Rhule, new Nebraska Head Coach, joined former Blackshirt Will Compton’s podcast earlier this week and spoke on how the coach doesn’t see this rebuild as the same as his prior stints…

Nebraska has not had a winning season or a bowl game appearance since 2016. 

RHULE – BIGGEST CHANGE FOR HUSKERS IS RECOVERY:

Nebraska’s new Head Football Coach Matt Rhule joined Husker alum Will Compton’s podcast “Bussin’ With the Boys” and spoke on what is his most concerned area for improvement among Husker Football…

The Huskers are currently beginning winter conditioning while the coaching staff continues to recruit. 

FKC BRACKETS RELEASED:

The Fort Kearney Conference Tournament Brackets have been released Monday afternoon for both boys and girls basketball. 

In the Boys bracket, Amherst claimed the top overall seed with Elm Creek at two and SEM third. 

For the Girls, SEM sits #1 while Wilcox-Hildreth is at #2 and Amherst at #3. Full brackets are available at KGFW.com. 

Contests in the play-in round begin on Saturday. Championship contests will be held at Holdrege High School.

NEBRASKA ADDS THIRD GEORGIA PLAYER IN LINEMAN:

The Nebraska football team has added a third player from the University of Georgia.

Bulldog transfer offensive lineman Jacob Hood announced his commitment to the Huskers after a visit to Lincoln this past weekend.

The 6-foot-8, 350-pound Hood spent just one season in Athens before entering the transfer portal on Jan. 13. He is the second transfer portal player NU has added on the offensive line, joining Arizona State center Ben Scott. Nebraska also signed five high school players in its offensive line class.

Hood was one of four Bulldog players the Huskers hosted from the portal, joining edge rusher MJ Sherman and tight ends Arik Gilbert and Brett Seither. Both Sherman and Gilbert also committed to Nebraska along with Hood.

HUSKER FOOTBALL ADDS TEXAS TIGHT END; WIDE RECEIVER:

Nebraska football continued its hot run on the recruiting trail by adding a commitment from Arlington Martin (Texas) tight end Ismael Smith Flores. Smith Flores announced the commitment on his instagram page on Monday. 

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Smith Flores played for new Nebraska tight ends coach Bob Wager at Arlington Martin as a senior, and became the first non-transfer tight end commitment in the Huskers’ 2023 recruiting class. 

The commitment brings together an interesting first year of football for Smith Flores. The son of a former Iowa defensive lineman who earned All-America honors, Smith Flores had been primarily a basketball player before convincing his family to let him play football as a senior. 

Smith Flores played wide receiver at Arlington Martin in his first season of football and saw his recruitment begin to take off midseason. He was offered by Iowa and took an official visit in late October. After not signing in December, Smith Flores was offered by Wager and Nebraska, and also picked up offers from Indiana, Vanderbilt and others. 

Additionally, Texas wide receiver Jeremiah Charles will be a Husker. The 2023 prospect out of Arlington Martin High School committed to Nebraska on Monday.

It was a fast recruitment between Charles and Nebraska since the team offered him just last week. In his first year of playing football Charles caught 23 passes for 452 yards and five touchdowns. The Texas native is a three-sport athlete that showed his skills as a triple jumper through his high school career.

BANDOUMEL TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON FOR HUSKERS:

Nebraska men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced Monday afternoon that senior guard Emmanuel Bandoumel will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a knee injury in Saturday’s game at Penn State.

Bandoumel, a 6-foot-4 guard from Quebec City, Quebec, suffered the injury in the first half of Saturday’s game. He will undergo surgery in the coming weeks, ending his collegiate career.

Bandoumel started all 20 games for the Huskers this season, averaging 8.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game. At the time of his injury, he was the only player to start all 20 games for the Huskers and has helped Nebraska rank in the top 35 nationally in defensive efficiency.

Bandoumel had started 84 consecutive games dating back to his first season at SMU. In his Division I career, he played in 100 games and totaled 880 points, 351 rebounds and 160 assists during three seasons at SMU and one season at Nebraska.

Bandoumel’s injury is the second significant injury to a Nebraska starter in the last two weeks, as Juwan Gary is also out for the season with a shoulder injury.

BEARCAT ATHLETICS ADDS GIRLS WRESTLING AND BOWLING, SEEKS COACHES:

Kearney High Athletics announced Monday that they will be adding Girls Wrestling as an NSAA Sanctioned sport as of the 2023-24 school year. 

KHS is looking for two girls’ wrestling coaches in addition to the program – a head coach and assistant coach. 

Kearney High also announced the addition of boys and girls bowling to be added as an NSAA Sanctioned sport for the 2023-24 school year. Bowling is also searching for a boys head coach and girls head coach. 

Job postings for both positions will be available at a later date at kearneypublicschools.com. 

KEARNEY BOOSTERS RECEIVE OUTSTANDING SERVICE AWARDS:

The Nebraska State Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association announced their 2023 Spring Awards Banquet recipients for their upcoming meeting in March. Prominent Kearney High Athletic boosters received recognition for their service to Bearcat Athletics, being awarded the Outstanding Service Award from the NSIAAA. 

Tim & Sue Higgins – longtime boosters of Kearney High – have been awarded an Outstanding Service Award for their contributions to local athletes for the Bearcats. In 2022, the Higgins family donated $10,000 towards Kearney High Athletics, contributing to their over $30,000 in donations over the past 17 years. 

Additionally, Kearney’s Mike Peck has also been awarded an Outstanding Service Award. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
    • #8 KCHS 59-26 #9 Omaha Concordia
  • Boys Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
    • #6 Hastings St. Cecilia 32-30 #11 KCHS

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
    • v. Columbus & Lincoln Pius X
  • Wrestling: @ Columbus Dual – 7 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: Varsity Quad @ Kearney High School – 4 PM
    • v. Columbus & Lincoln Pius X
  • Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
    • #8 KCHS @ #1 Hastings St. Cecilia – 6 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Women’s Wrestling: @ Doane Dual – 7 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. York College @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 7:30 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly w/ Athletic Director Trev Alberts (6 PM – 8 PM)

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Women’s Basketball: @ Concordia – 6 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: @ Concordia – 7:45 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Men’s Basketball v. Northwestern (5 PM – 8:45 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
    • #8 KCHS v. TBD (Semifinals)
• UNK:
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Northwest Missouri State @ Health & Sports Center – 5:30 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Northwest Missouri State @ Health & Sports Center – 7:30 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
  • Wrestling: @ Garden City Invite, Garden City, KS – 8 AM
  • Girls Basketball: @ Lincoln North Star – 5:45 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 5:30 PM
  • Boys Basketball: @ Lincoln North Star – 7:30 PM
    • KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: v. Charlie Foster Classic Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 3 PM
  • Wrestling: @ Grand View, Des Moines IA – 7 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W T&F: @ Charlie Foster Classic Invite @ Cushing Coliseum – 3 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney High Girls Basketball @ Lincoln North Star (5:45 PM – 7:45 PM)
  • Kearney High Boys Basketball @ Lincoln North Star (7:45 PM – 9:45 PM)

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite – 8 AM
  • Wrestling: @ Garden City Invite, Garden City, KS
  • Girls Basketball: @ Omaha Benson – 1 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 12:45 PM
  • Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Benson – 2:45 PM
    • KGFW Pregame after KHS GBB
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: @ Westside Invite
  • Wrestling: @ Doniphan-Trumbull Invite – 9:30 AM
  • Girls Basketball: CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT
    • #8 KCHS v. TBD (Finals)
• UNK:
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Missouri Western State @ Health & Sports Center – 2 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Missouri Western State @ Health & Sports Center – 4 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE: 
  • M/W Bowling: @ Bronco Baker Bash, Hastings, NE – 10 AM
  • Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Morningside – 11 AM
  • M/W Tennis: v. Tabor – 12 PM
  • Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Northwestern – 12:30 PM
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Dordt @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 2 PM
  • Men’s Wrestling: @ GPAC Duals: v. Briar Cliff – 3:30 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Dordt @ Lynn Farrell Arena – 3:45 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney Girls Basketball @ Omaha Benson (12:45 PM – 2:45 PM)
  • Kearney Boys Basketball: @ Omaha Benson (2:45 PM – 4:45 PM)

SUNDAY:

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