Monday Afternoon Sports – Kearney Girls Soccer Begins Districts, UNK Men’s Hoops Adds JUCO and Colorado Recruits, Storm’s Connelly Named to All-Rookie Team, Husker Athletics Weekend Recap, Storm Season Ends, Local Sports Schedules

KEARNEY GIRLS SOCCER BEGINS DISTRICTS:

The Kearney Girls Soccer program will host the first round of the A-1 District tournament, facing #3 Bellevue West at Kearney High School. 

Kearney (9-5) entered districts as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, with the top overall seed as undefeated No. 1 Gretna. The Bearcats postseason kicks off at 6 PM with KGFW’s pregame at 5:45 PM. 

Join Austin Jacobsen and Tristan Crook on the call. Listen to Bearcat Athletics on 1340 KGFW, 96.1 FM, on the free KGFW mobile app, and online at KGFW.com.

UNK MEN’S HOOPS ADD JUCO ALL-AMERICAN AND COLORADO POTY:

Nebraska-Kearney head men’s basketball coach Kevin Lofton announced Monday that D’Aundre Samuels, the 2023 Colorado Player of the Year, and Trey Deveaux, a first-team NJCAA All-American, will play for the Lopers next season.

Samuels is a 6-4, 170-pound guard who powered Denver East to a 26-2 record and the 2023 Class 6A state title. A Norris High grad, Deveaux (6-5, 205 lbs.) has two years of eligibility remaining after leading Central C.C. in Columbus to a 22-11 mark and a sport in the 2023 NJCAA Division II National Tournament. 

A prep teammate of current Loper Tom Connelly, Samuels averaged 21.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 4.9 steals per game as a senior. Playing for former Loper assistant coach John Ritzdorf at CCC, Deveaux averaged 18.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game for the Raiders this past season.

CONNELLY NAMED TO USHL ALL-ROOKIE TEAM:

Tri-City Storm forward Trevor Connelly has been named to the USHL’s All-Rookie Second Team for the 2022-2023 season following his sensational debut season with the organization.

Connelly scored twenty-four goals, and notched twenty-three assists, for forty-seven total points in fifty-seven regular season games played with the Storm this season. His twenty-four goals scored during the regular season were the most scored by a full-time Tri-City player this year.

HUSKER BASEBALL DOMINATES MINNESOTA:

Nebraska clinched the series over Minnesota with an 11-5 win vs. the Golden Gophers on Sunday afternoon at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.

With 36 runs on the weekend, the Huskers scored 30-plus runs in a three-game Big Ten series for the eighth time. Nebraska scored its second-highest total, falling three runs short of the 39 scored vs. Purdue in 2019.

The Huskers (24-16-1, 9-6 Big Ten) scored 11 runs on nine hits and an error, while the Gophers (12-30, 5-10 Big Ten) had five runs on nine hits and three errors.

Nebraska welcomes North Dakota State to Hawks Field at Haymarket Park on Wednesday, May 3. First pitch between the Huskers and Bison is scheduled for 6:05 p.m.

STORM ENDS SEASON ON SATURDAY LOSS:

The Tri-City Storm’s season came to an end Saturday night at Scheels Arena in a 3-2 overtime loss in Game #2 of the Western Conference Semifinals. Jacob Jeannette and Alex Bump each netted a goal for Tri-City in the team’s final game of the postseason.

Tri-City finished the regular season with a final record of 34-20-4-4. The Storm opened the Clark Cup Playoffs with a two-game sweep over the Sioux City Musketeers at the Viaero Center earlier this week.

LOPER SOFTBALL SEASON ENDS AT PATRIOT PARK:

Defending National Champion Rogers State had 18 singles and got a complete game from freshman Jade Sanders to take a double header from Nebraska Kearney, 14-6 (5 innings) and 4-0, Sunday afternoon at Patriot Park.

The eighth-ranked Hillcats from Claremore, Okla., improve to 41-19 (18-8) and now get ready for the eight-team MIAA Tournament next weekend in Topeka. Meanwhile, the Lopers end up at 16-34 (7-19).

ALLEN JOINS TRANSFER PORTAL SUBTRACTIONS FROM BIG RED:

Nebraska lost one of the most talented players on its roster on Sunday: Running back Ajay Allen has entered the transfer portal.

Allen finished with 190 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 33 carries as a true freshman in 2022. He was on his way to a potential breakout first year before suffering a broken collarbone in the Huskers’ fourth game of the season against Oklahoma.

The Huskers still have Gabe Ervin, Anthony Grant, Rahmir Johnson, and Emmett Johnson on the roster. 

Allen is the 12th Husker to enter the portal during the April 15-30 transfer window His departure cuts the Huskers down to 88 total scholarship players.

HUSKER VOLLEYBALL SWEEPS SHOCKERS IN CENTRAL CITY SATURDAY:

The Nebraska volleyball team earned a 25-20, 25-21, 25-21 sweep over Wichita State in Nebraska’s Spring Match in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,096 at the Bison Activity Dome on Saturday. 

The Huskers put on a show in front of the lively central Nebraska crowd. All 14 players appeared in the match, and the Huskers hit .318 while holding the Shockers to .178.

Nebraska had the edge in kills (50-35), digs (45-38) and blocks (8-6).

FORMER HUSKERS MATHIS, PALMER PICKED IN SIXTH ROUND:

Ochaun Mathis and Trey Palmer were both selected in the 2023 NFL Draft on Saturday. Both players were taken in the sixth round, as Mathis was selected by the Los Angeles Rams with the No. 189 overall selection and Palmer by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 191st overall pick in the draft.

This marks the fourth straight year Nebraska has had two or more NFL Draft picks, and the 57th time in the past 60 seasons the Nebraska program has had multiple draft selections.

A native of Manor, Texas, Mathis had a career-high 50 tackles in his first and only season at Nebraska in 2022.

Palmer put up record-breaking numbers in his lone season as a Husker in 2022. A second-team All-Big Ten selection, Palmer caught 71 passes for 1,043 yards and nine touchdowns last fall. His 1,043 receiving yards were a school record, and Palmer’s 71 receptions were the most by a Husker wide receiver and ranked second overall in NU history.

OTHER HUSKER ALUMS PICKED UP AFTER DRAFT:

Several Huskers alums were picked up after the conclusion of the NFL Draft this weekend. 

Tight End Travis Vokolek will start his career with the Baltimore Ravens to compete for a spot on John Harbaugh’s roster.

Receiver Oliver Martin has signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

EDGE rusher Garrett Nelson is heading to South Beach after signing a deal with the Miami Dolphins.

EDGE rusher Caleb Tannor has signed a deal to try and earn his way onto the New York Jets’ roster.

Finally, long snapper Brady Weas is heading to the Houston Texans. 

Former quarterback Adrian Martinez has signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Detroit Lions.

NEBRASKA SOFTBALL DROPS SERIES FINAL AT NORTHWESTERN:

The Nebraska softball team (32-17, 12-8 Big Ten) smashed a season-high five home runs, but it was not enough as No. 22 Northwestern (33-10, 18-2 Big Ten) scored six runs in the fifth inning to ultimately win, 9-10, on Sunday afternoon in Evanston, Ill. 

The Huskers return to action next weekend, May 5-7, for the final weekend of the regular season for a three-game series against Ohio State at Bowlin Stadium, in Lincoln, Neb.

NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:

SUNDAY RESULTS:

FIRST ROUND:

Golden State Warriors 120-110 Sacramento Kings (GSW wins 4-3)

CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS:

Miami Heat 108-101 New York Knicks (MIA leads 1-0)

MONDAY SCHEDULE:

Philadelphia 76ers @ Boston Celtics – 6:30 PM

Phoenix Suns @ Denver Nuggets (DEN leads 1-0) – 9 PM

NHL PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:

SUNDAY RESULTS:

Edmonton Oilers 5-4 Los Angeles Kings (EDM wins 4-2)

Florida Panthers 4-3 Boston Bruins OT (FLA wins 4-3)

Seattle Kraken 2-1 Colorado Avalanche (Seattle wins 4-3)

MONDAY SCHEDULE:

New York Rangers @ New Jersey Devils (Tied 3-3) – 7 PM

Local Results & Schedules:

THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:

MONDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Soccer: A-1 DISTRICTS
    • #3 Bellevue West @ #2 Kearney @ Kearney High School – 6 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 5:45 PM
  • Girls Tennis: @ Lincoln Invite @ Woods Tennis Center – 8:30 AM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Soccer: B-7 DISTRICTS
    • #3 York v. #2 Kearney Catholic @ Northwest High School – 7:30 PM
  • Boys Soccer: B-7 DISTRICTS
    • #4 Kearney Catholic @ #1 Hastings – 4 PM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Women’s Golf: @ GPAC Championship Meet @ Spencer, IA – 10 AM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • DISTRICTS – Kearney Girls Soccer v. Bellevue West (5:45 PM – 7:45 PM)

TUESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Golf: @ Lincoln Invite @ Pioneers Golf Course – 9 AM
  • Track & Field: @ HAC Track Championships @ Grand Island – 11 AM
  • Baseball: v. Omaha Burke @ Memorial Field – 4 PM
    • KGFW Pregame at 3:45 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Golf: @ GICC Invite – 9 AM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Women’s Golf: @ GPAC Championship Meet @ Spencer, IA – 10 AM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Kearney Baseball v. Omaha Burke (3:45 PM – 6:45 PM)

WEDNESDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Boys Soccer: A-6 DISTRICTS
    • #2 Kearney @ #1 Papillion-LaVista South @ PLVS High School – 5:30 PM
      • KGFW Pregame at 5:15 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • Softball: @ GPAC Tournament @ Sioux City, IA – 10 AM
    • Hastings College @ Morningside
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • DISTRICTS: Kearney Boys Soccer @ Papillion-LaVista South (5:15 PM – 7:15 PM)
  • Sports Nightly (7:15 PM – 8 PM)

THURSDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Girls Tennis: v. Kearney Triangular @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Girls Tennis: KCHS Invite – 9 AM
  • Track & Field: @ Cozad Invite – 4 PM
• UNK:
  • N/a
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)

FRIDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Baseball: DISTRICTS TBA
  • Girls Tennis: @ Norfolk Dual – 3 PM
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Sioux Center, IA – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (5:30 PM – 10:15 PM)
  • TBA – Kearney Baseball v. Districts

SATURDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • Baseball: DISTRICTS TBA
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • Boys Golf: @ Centennial Conference
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE: 
  • M/W T&F: @ GPAC Championships @ Sioux Center, IA – 1 PM
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (12:30 PM – 5:15 PM)
  • TBA – Kearney Baseball v. Districts

SUNDAY:

• KEARNEY HIGH:
  • N/a
• KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
  • N/a
• UNK:
  • M/W T&F: @ MIAA Championships @ Jefferson City, MO
• HASTINGS COLLEGE:
  • N/a
• KGFW Sports Schedule:
  • Nebraska Baseball @ Maryland (12 PM – 4:15 PM)