LOPER BACKERS SET TO AID UNK FOOTBALL TONIGHT:
The 13th Annual Loper Football Backers dinner and scholarship fundraiser will be held tonight at the Younes Conference Center North.
Since the event was first hosted in 2010, it has raised just under $2.2 million for scholarships and program needs. The Loper Football Backers is a community-led volunteer organization whose mission is to raise scholarship dollars for the UNK Football program.
Another record-crowd of over 700 is expected to attend the roughly four-hour event. The night begins at 5:30 p.m. with a social hour with the event including dinner, live and silent auction items and comments from UNK coaches and players.
UNK wraps up their spring practices with their Spring Game at Ron and Carol Cope Stadium on Saturday at 1 PM.
NEBRASKA WRESTLING ADDS SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMP:
Two-time NCAA Qualifier and 2023 Southern Conference Champion Caleb Smith will join the Nebraska wrestling program as a transfer with two remaining years of eligibility, Nebraska Head Coach Mark Manning announced Tuesday.
A native of High Point, N.C., Smith has a career record of 60-16 in three seasons competing for Appalachian State, qualifying for the NCAA Championships the past two years.
Smith finished atop the podium at the 2023 Southern Conference Championships and went 26-7 on the season, including a 14-0 dual record. He tallied five pins, one technical fall and four major decisions. He placed third at the 2022 conference tournament, finishing the season with a 24-8 record and a 9-2 dual record.
FORMER HUSKER STAFFER WILHITE ACCEPTS HIGH SCHOOL HEAD JOB:
Kenny Wilhite, a former standout defensive back at Nebraska and nine-year member of the Huskers staff, has been hired as the head football coach at Dakota Valley.
Wilhite, who oversaw the Huskers’ walk-on recruiting and served as a liaison to the in-state high school coaches as director of high school relations, was not retained as part of first-year head coach Matt Rhule’s staff.
Under head coach Tom Osborne, Wilhite earned All-Big Eight honors in 1991 after leading the team with six interceptions. After finishing his Husker career with nine interceptions, he played professionally for four seasons in the Canadian Football League.
LOPER TENNIS HAS FIVE NAMED TO ALL-MIAA TEAM:
UNK’s Women’s Tennis team has placed five players on the 2023 All-MIAA team.
The league’s eight head coaches vote on the makeup of the squad and cannot vote for their own players.
Madagascar sophomore Narindra Ranaivo earns first-team honors at No. 3 singles, Mexican junior Jazmin Zamorano is second team at No. 2 singles and at No. 1 doubles with Colombian junior Melisa Becerra while Colorado sophomore Alexis Bernthal (No. 4) and Belarus sophomore Masha Hatouka (No. 5) earn honorable mention singles honors. Finally, Becerra picked up the “Sportsmanship Award”, the fifth straight year a UNK woman has won at least a share of that honor.
The now 47th-ranked Lopers are the sixth seed in this year’s MIAA Tourney and face 38th-ranked Missouri Western Friday in Edmond, Okla., in a first-round match (4 p.m.).
FORMER ADAMS CENTRAL STAR AND UNK STUDENT NAMED HEAD BOYS BASKETBALL COACH FOR LEXINGTON:
Former Adams Central star Tyler Slechta has been hired as the new head boys basketball coach at Lexington high school.
Slechta will be one of the youngest coaches in the state as he just graduated from Adams Central high school in 2021. He was a multi-sport athlete, having a successful high school career in football, basketball and track where he helped lead both the Patriot football and basketball teams to Class C1 runner up finishes as a team captain.
He replaces Lexington native Zach Jones who resigned from his position as coach and teacher from the Lexington school system.
Slechta is a current student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
HUSKER FOOTBALL SPRING PRACTICE COMMENTS:
SATTERFIELD – THOMPSON STILL GRINDING:
Nebraska Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield gave his spring evaluation of incumbent quarterback Casey Thompson…
The Huskers have three starters on the roster who have started games over the past two seasons for the Big Red, not including transfer Jeff Sims who arrives with ACC starting experience.
SATTERFIELD – QUARTERBACKS NEEDED TO SEE LIVE REPS:
Huskers Football Offensive Coordinator Marcus Satterfield spoke after Tuesday’s practice and said he was happy to have his quarterbacks take a few hits during this spring’s scrimmages…
Nebraska has not had a quarterback not miss a game in a season since Tommy Armstrong.
SATTERFIELD – RAIOLA HAS HIGH STANDARDS FOR O-LINE:
Marcus Satterfield, Nebraska’s new offensive coordinator, was asked after Tuesday’s practice his evaluation about Donovon Raiola’s offensive line and what he brings from the coaching staff…
Nebraska’s offensive line currently only has twelve rostered scholarship players.
RAIOLA – WORKING O-LINE TO CREATE DEPTH:
Nebraska’s offensive line coach Donovan Raiola addressed the media on Tuesday and said his goal this spring is to continue to build depth…
The Huskers have not listed any offensive lineman as potential starters heading into this weekend’s Red-White Spring game.
RAIOLA – BEN SCOTT CONTINUES TO GET HEALTHY:
Transfer center Ben Scott has been missing in practices so far this spring, as Donovan Raiola spoke about the absence after Tuesday’s practice…
Nebraska is also nursing the health of tackle Teddy Prochazka after two seasons of significant knee injuries.
RAIOLA – IMPRESSED BY LINEMEN CONDITIONING:
Offensive Line coach for the Huskers Donovan Raiola said he’s been very satisfied with the line’s conditioning so far this spring…
The new conditioning staff has made significant strides providing new recovery methods for all athletes, as Head Coach Matt Rhule has made an emphasis on that health aspect early in his tenure.
NBA PLAYOFFS SCORES/SCHEDULES:
WEDNESDAY RESULTS:
WESTERN CONFERENCE;
Memphis Grizzlies 103-93 Los Angeles Lakers (Tied 1-1)
Denver Nuggets 122-113 Minnesota Timberwolves (DEN 2-0)
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Milwaukee Bucks 138-122 Miami Heat (Tied 1-1)
THURSDAY SCHEDULE:
WESTERN CONFERENCE;
Sacramento Kings @ Golden State Warriors (SAC 2-0) – 9 PM
Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Clippers (Tied 1-1) – 9:30 PM
EASTERN CONFERENCE:
Philadelphia 76ers @ Brooklyn Nets (PHI 2-0) – 6:30 PM
Local Results & Schedules:
THIS WEEK IN LOCAL SPORTS:
WEDNESDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Girls Soccer: HAC TOURNAMENT – Silver Bracket
- KHS v. Lincoln Southeast @ Kearney High School
- LSE 1-0 KHS
- KHS v. Lincoln Southeast @ Kearney High School
- Girls Soccer: HAC TOURNAMENT – Silver Bracket
THURSDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Boys Golf: @ Columbus Invite – 10 AM
- Girls Tennis: v. Hastings Dual @ Harmon Park – 4 PM
- Boys Soccer: HAC TOURNAMENT – Silver Bracket
- KHS v. Grand Island @ Kearney High School – 7:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Boys Golf: @ Gibbon Invite – 1 PM
- Girls Tennis: @ Hershey – 3 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Lakeview – 5 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Lakeview – 5 PM
- UNK:
- Football: Loper Backers Banquet @ Younes Conference Center North – 5:30 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- N/a
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Sports Nightly (6 PM – 8 PM)
FRIDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Track & Field: @ Lexington Invite – 12 PM
- Girls Soccer: v. Columbus @ Kearney High School – 5:45 PM
- KGFW Pregame at 5:30 PM
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Track & Field: @ Lexington Invite – 12 PM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Jim Dutcher Memorial @ Crete, NE – 2 PM
- Softball: @ Central Oklahoma @ Edmond, OK – 2 PM
- Women’s Tennis: v. Missouri Western @ Edmond, OK – 4 PM
- Softball: @ Central Oklahoma @ Edmond, OK – 4 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ Jim Dutcher Memorial @ Crete, NE – 2 PM
- Softball: v. Dakota Wesleyan – 4 PM
- Softball: v. Dakota Wesleyan – 6 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Kearney Girls Soccer v. Columbus (5:30 PM – 7:30 PM)
- Nebraska Baseball @ Iowa (7:30 PM – 10:15 PM)
SATURDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- Baseball: v. Norfolk/Omaha South Triangular @ Memorial Field
- GAME 1: v. Omaha South – 10 AM
- GAME 2: v. Norfolk – 2 PM
- Boys Soccer: v. Columbus @ Columbus High School – 12:30 PM
- Baseball: v. Norfolk/Omaha South Triangular @ Memorial Field
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- Girls Soccer: @ Scottsbluff – 11 AM
- Boys Soccer: @ Scottsbluff – 11 AM
- UNK:
- M/W T&F: @ Jim Dutcher Memorial @ Crete, NE – 2 PM
- Volleyball: v. McCook C.C. @ Health & Sports Center – 12 PM
- Football: Spring Game @ Ron & Carol Cope Stadium – 1 PM
- Softball: @ Newman @ Wichita, KS – 1 PM
- Volleyball: v. Labette C.C. (KS) @ Health & Sports Center – 1:30 PM
- Softball: @ Newman @ Wichita, KS – 2 PM
- Volleyball: v. UNK Legends Blue @ Health & Sports Center – 3 PM
- Volleyball: v. Northeastern J.C. @ Health & Sports Center – 3:45 PM
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- M/W T&F: @ Jim Dutcher Memorial @ Crete, NE – 2 PM
- Softball: v. Jamestown – 12 PM
- Women’s Tennis: @ Morningside – 12 PM
- Men’s Tennis: @ Morningside – 12:30 PM
- Baseball: @ Dakota Wesleyan @ Mitchell, SD – 1 PM
- Softball: v. Jamestown – 2 PM
- Baseball: @ Dakota Wesleyan @ Mitchell, SD – 4 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Football Spring Game (11 AM – 4 PM)
SUNDAY:
- KEARNEY HIGH:
- N/a
- KEARNEY CATHOLIC:
- N/a
- UNK:
- N/a
- HASTINGS COLLEGE:
- Baseball: @ Dakota Wesleyan @ Mitchell, SD – 12 PM
- Baseball: @ Dakota Wesleyan @ Mitchell, SD – 3 PM
- KGFW Sports Schedule:
- Nebraska Baseball @ Iowa (12:30 PM – 5 PM)
