Wednesday Morning Sports – Kearney Catholic Upsets Top-Seed Wood River in Sub-districts, Kearney High Girls Begin Postseason at Home, Loper Football May Rekindle Old Rivalry, Husker Women Head to Top 25 Illinois, Former Husker Martinez Drafted in USFL, Local Sports Schedule

KEARNEY CATHOLIC BOYS CONTINUE WINNING STREAK, HEAD TO SUBDISTRICT FINAL:

The #4 Kearney Catholic Stars used a 14-4 second quarter advantage and led 22-9 at halftime to edge past top-seeded Wood River on Tuesday night to claim the upset in the C1-9 Sub District semifinal at Wood River High School winning 49-39. 

The Stars continue their season as they rematch Adams Central for the sub district championship on Thursday night. Kearney Catholic downed the Patriots at the end of the regular season last Friday night 46-42 on the road. 

Tip-off for Thursday night’s championship draw for a district final appearance is set for 6:30 PM. 

KEARNEY HIGH GIRLS BASKETBALL PREPARES FOR POSTSEASON:

The Kearney High girls basketball team puts their season on the line tonight, facing off against Papillion-LaVista South in the A-5 District semifinal at Kearney High School. 

The Bearcats (14-10) earned the #2 seed in the district and a home matchup to open their postseason, while Papillion-LaVista South (10-12) is the third seed and hopes to find their same winning streak they had at the start of the year. 

Tip-off from Kearney High School is set for 6 PM. KGFW’s pregame coverage begins at 5:45 PM with Austin Jacobsen on the call. 

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

BAUER – LOPER FOOTBALL MAY REKINDLE OLD RIVALRY:

UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer addressed the recent opening in the 2024 Loper Football schedule due to Lincoln University’s departure from the MIAA, saying that an old Kearney rival could potentially be in place to pick up the contest.

The Lopers last faced Chadron State during the shortened 2020 COVID season where UNK won 45-35 over the Eagles at Ron & Carol Cope Stadium. UNK will still host Lincoln University in 2023 as a non-conference game. 

HUSKER WOMEN TRAVEL TO TOP 25 ILLINOIS TO BREAK LOSING SKID:

The Nebraska women’s basketball team closes Big Ten regular-season road action on Wednesday when the Huskers take on No. 25 Illinois.

Tip-off between the Big Red (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) and the Fighting Illini (20-7, 10-6 Big Ten) is set for 7 p.m. 

It’s Nebraska’s second game in a two-week span against Illinois, after the Illini defeated the Huskers 72-64 at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln on Feb. 9.

Illinois slipped outside the AP Top 25 prior to the first meeting with the Huskers, but the Illini re-entered the poll on Monday (Feb. 20) at No. 25. Illinois will be Nebraska’s school-record 12th AP Top 25 opponent at game time in 2022-23.

The Huskers are coming off an 80-60 home loss to then-No. 7 Iowa on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

FORMER HUSKER MARTINEZ DRAFTED BY EX-HUSKER COACH RILEY IN USFL:

Former Kansas State and Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez was selected with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 USFL College Draft by the New Jersey Generals. 

Martinez transferred to Kansas State prior to the 2022 season and was part of the team’s Big 12 title run in the fall. He was a four-year starter under former Husker Head Coach Scott Frost. 

Martinez finished the 2022 season with 1,261 yards, six touchdowns, one interception, a 64.1% completion percentage, 627 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. In his career, Martinez had 9,752 yards, 51 touchdowns, a 63.6% completion percentage, 2,982 rushing yards and 45 rushing touchdowns. He is also the career leader in total offensive yards in Big Red history. 

The Generals are led by former Husker head coach Mike Riley, who was dismissed in 2017 after a 4-8 campaign.

HUSKER BASEBALL ANNOUNCES TELEVISION SCHEDULE:
The Nebraska baseball team will play on TV nine times this season, including five national television broadcasts.

The Huskers will appear on the Big Ten Network four times during the regular season, and Nebraska will host Penn State on ESPN2 on Sunday, May 14.

In addition to the five national TV broadcasts, Nebraska Public Media will televise four additional games: Illinois (March 25), Omaha (April 11), Northwestern (April 15) and South Dakota State (April 26).

Husker Baseball can also be heard on 1340 KGFW. Check the KGFW Sports Broadcast calendar at KGFW.com for more details. 

LOPER SOCCER ADDS NEW ASSISTANT COACH:

Nebraska Kearney head women’s soccer coach Rob Breton announced Tuesday that Antonio Gracia is the Lopers new assistant coach.

The California native begins his duties immediately and is the first of two new faces on staff as Breton will name a graduate assistant coach prior to the start of the 2023 season.

Gracia most recently was at NAIA member Eastern Oregon University (La Grande, Oreg.). In 2021 and 2022 he served as graduate assistant coach both the Mountaineers men’s and women’s teams and also was the goalkeeper coach for both.

UNK is currently going through winter workouts with the spring season set to begin next month. 

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Basketball: C1-9 SUBDISTRICT SEMIFINAL:
    • #4 KCHS @ #1 Wood River 
      • #4 KCHS 49-39 #1 Wood River

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Basketball: A-5 DISTRICT SEMIFINAL
    • #2 Kearney v. #3 Papillion-LaVista South @ Kearney High School – TBA
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Men’s Basketball: GPAC Tournament Quarterfinal
    • Hastings College @ Jamestown, ND
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • DISTRICTS: Kearney Girls Basketball v. Papillion-LaVista South (5:45 PM – 7:45 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
  • Boys Basketball: C1-9 SUBDISTRICT FINAL @ Wood River High School
    • #4 KCHS v. #3 Adams Central @ Wood River High School – 6:30 PM
• UNK:
  • Men’s Basketball: @ Missouri Western State @ St. Joseph, MO – 6:30 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Softball: @ McPherson, KS – 1 PM
  • Softball: @ McPherson, KS – 3 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
  • Girls Basketball: A-5 DISTRICT FINAL
    • #2 Kearney v. TBD
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
• UNK:
  • Softball: v. Sioux Falls @ Topeka, KS – 10 AM
  • Softball: v. Rockhurst @ Topeka, KS – 12 PM
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Pittsburg, KS
  • Women’s Tennis: v. Barry, FL @ Ernest Grundy Tennis Center – 5:30 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W Tennis: @ Metro @ Denver, CO – 2 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ South Alabama (6 PM – 10:30 PM)
  • OR DISTRICT FINAL: Kearney Girls Basketball @ TBD

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Swimming & Diving: State Championships @ Bob Devaney Sports Center
  • Boys Basketball: District Final
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Pittsburg, KS
  • Women’s Tennis: v. Hawaii Pacific OR Indianapolis @ Ernest Grundy Tennis Center
  • Wrestling: @ NCAA Super Region VI @ Chadron State – 10 AM
  • Softball: v. Missouri-St. Louis @ Topeka, KS – 11:30 AM
  • Women’s Basketball: v. Fort Hays State – 2 PM
  • Men’s Basketball: v. Fort Hays State – 4 PM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE: 
  • Women’s Wrestling: @ KCAC Championships, York, NE – 9 AM
  • M/W Bowling: @ NAIA National Qualifier @ Belton, MO – 10 AM
  • M/W Tennis: @ CSU Pueblo, Pueblo, CO – 12 PM
  • Softball: @ Sterling – 1 PM
  • Softball: @ Sterling – 3 PM
  • Baseball: v. Peru State @ Tulsa, OK – 3 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • DISTRICTS: Kearney Boys Basketball v. TBD
  • OR Nebraska Men’s Basketball v. Minnesota (1:30 PM – 5:15 PM)

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Pittsburg, KS
  • Women’s Tennis: v. TBD @ Ernest Grundy Tennis Center
  • Softball: v. St. Cloud State @ Topeka, KS – 9:30 AM
  • Softball: v. Minnesota Crookston @ Topeka, KS – 11:30 AM
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W Bowling: @ NAIA National Qualifier @ Belton, MO – 10 AM
  • Softball: @ Friends, KS @ Wichita, KS – 12 PM
  • Baseball: v. Peru State @ Tulsa OK – 12 PM
  • Softball: @ Friends, KS @ Wichita, KS – 2 PM
  • Baseball: v. Peru State @ Tulsa, OK – 3 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Women’s Basketball v. Northwestern (12:45 PM – 4 PM)