North Bend Central starts season 7-0

The North Bend Central Tigers are off to a 7-0 start, defeating BRLD and Wakefield 2-0 on Thursday at the Northeast Nebraska Classic before downing Wisner-Pilger and Lutheran High Northeast 2-0, and Wayne 2-1 at the Classic on Saturday.

North Bend Central swept Pender and Emerson-Hubbard 2-0 in their home triangular on Tuesday.

The Tigers downed the Wolverines 25-16 in set one and 25-17 in set two.

North Bend Central beat Wakefield 25-10 in the first set and 25-16 in the second.

The Blue Devils took set one from the Tigers, 25-21, before North Bend Central took set two 25-16, and set three 25-17.

North Bend Central beat Lutheran High Northeast 25-14 in set one, and 25-17 in set two.

The Tigers downed the Gators 26-24 in the opening set, and 25-19 in the second and decisive set.

North Bend Central defeated Emerson-Hubbard 25-10 in set one and 25-9 in set two.

The Tigers downed the Pendragons 25-9 in set one and 25-22 in set two.

North Bend Central has been very dominant so far. The Tigers seem to be on a mission to handle anyone they play, and so far they have done just that.

North Bend Central (7-0) is at Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family (0-1) on Thursday.

The Bulldogs lost 3-2 at Guardian Angels Central Catholic on Tuesday.

Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family is a quality ball club that could give the Tigers a match if they play well, especially with the match being at home for them,

With that said, North Bend Central should prevail.

The Tigers appear to be bound and determined to knock off anyone they play this year, and it has been so far so good for North Bend Central.

I look at this match against Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family as another bump in the road for North Bend Central.

This is just one more match on the way to great things for the Tigers.

North Bend Central has Raymond Central and Columbus Scotus in a home triangular on Saturday so the Tigers need to play well against the Bulldogs in order to be on top of their game on Saturday.

The last thing North Bend Central can afford is to play sluggish and sloppy.

The Tigers need to turn in a good performance to keep the ball rolling.

This season already has special written all over it for North Bend Central, and the Tigers simply need to keep doing what they have been doing at the start of this season.

North Bend Central has to excel in all areas of the game, and continue to make life difficult on their opponents.

The Tigers need to make it hard for their opponents to score points and must find ways to manufacture easy points, if they haven't done so already.

It has been a really good start to the season for North Bend Central, it's simply a matter of keeping it up.

Winnebago starts season 0-3

The Winnebago Indians are off to an 0-3 start, falling 2-0 to Mead and Cedar Bluffs at the Cedar Bluffs Triangular on Thursday before losing 2-1 to Logan View at the Fort Calhoun Invite on Saturday.

The Indians lost set one 25-3 and set two 25-12 to the Wildcats.

Winnebago dropped set one 25-18, and set two 25-12 to Mead.

The Indians lost set one 25-18 and set three 25-11 to Logan View, but won set two 25-21.

Winnebago is off to a difficult start, but I think the set the Indians won against the Raiders can be used as a motivational tool for success down the line.

Winnebago (0-3) hosts Walthill (0-0) Thursday night.

The Blujays have yet to play a match this season, and the match against the Indians will be their first of the season.

I think Winnebago has the advantage since they've already played and are the larger school.

That doesn't mean everything though. This is a rivalry, and anything can happen.

The Indians have to raise their level of play and play at a high level.

Winnebago has to play their tails off, and give it everything they've got.

I don't expect things to be easy for the Indians, but if Winnebago plays at the top of their game, I think they have a good chance to win.

The Indians have to play well though. They can't afford to play sluggish, and come out slow.

Winnebago has to start fast, and finish even stronger.

The Indians have to play with pride, passion, toughness, tenacity, fire, and grit.

Winnebago has to execute in all facets of the game, and cannot afford to beat themselves.

It has been a difficult start to the season for the Indians, there's no doubt about that, but I think Winnebago has what it takes to get back on track with a win over Walthill.

The Indians just have to do their best and play with a winning mindset.

Stanton off to 4-1 start

The Stanton Mustangs went 4-1 to start the season last week, taking out Madison and Clarkson/Leigh 2-0 at the Clarkson/Leigh Triangular on Thursday before downing Twin River and Pierce 2-1 at the Scotus Invitational on Saturday. Stanton's lone loss came to Bishop Neumann, who downed the Mustangs 2-0, also at the Scotus Invitational.

Stanton defeated Madison 25-11 in sets one and two.

Hannah Hepper led the team with 7 kills while Bree Burtwhistle and Lizzy Kremlacek had 14 and 8 set assists, respectively.

The Mustangs beat the Patriots 25-11 in set one, and took set two 25-16.

Jessie Brandl totaled 7 kills and 7 digs while MacKenzie Brandl added 9 digs. Burtwhistle chipped in 13 set assists.

Stanton knocked off Twin River 25-18 in set one. The Titans won set two 25-22, but the Mustangs took the third and decisive set 25-21.

Jessie Brandl contributed 11 kills and 11 digs while MacKenzie Brandl registered 14 digs. Burtwhistle recorded 10 digs and 15 set assists while Katie Brandl and Kremlacek posted 9 digs and 8 set assists, respectively.

The Cavaliers downed the Mustangs 28-26 in set one and proved to be too much in set two, winning 25-20.

Jessie Brandl paced Stanton with 7 kills and 12 digs while MacKenzie Brandl and Burwhistle notched 8 digs and 14 set assists, respectively.

The Mustangs downed the Bluejays 25-12 in sets one and three. Pierce won the middle set 26-24.

Burtwhistle had a team-high 13 kills to go along with 10 digs and 18 set assists. Jessie and MacKenzie Brandl totaled 14 and 12 digs, respectively while Kremlacek dished out 13 set assists.

I thought Stanton played pretty good volleyball to open up the season. The Mustangs took Bishop Neumann to the brink in set one, and took care of business against everyone else.

I think Stanton probably could of swept Pierce, but credit the Bluejays for playing well in the second set.

The Mustangs (4-1) take on Laurel-Concord-Coleridge (0-1) in the Wakefield Tournament later this week.

The Bears lost their opener to Randolph on Thursday, 3-2.

Stanton should be able to win this match with relative ease. I don't see Laurel-Concord-Coleridge challenging the Mustangs at all.

With that said, Stanton has to come to play. The Mustangs can't afford to have a letdown, and need to be on top of their game.

This is a big tournament and a big deal for Stanton Volleyball. This tournament is all the Mustangs have this week so they need to make the most of their opportunities.

Stanton has to be thrilled and excited to play the game of Volleyball, and get after things.

The Mustangs need to be sharp all three days of the tournament. The ultimate goal has to be to win the whole thing.

Stanton is in the business of winning championships, and a Wakefield Tournament Championship would serve as a good kick start to winning other tournaments this season, in my opinion.

There's probably a fairly decent chance the Mustangs will get challenged and face some adversity in this tournament, but it isn't anything Stanton shouldn't be able to overcome.

I fully expect the Mustangs to compete for the tournament championship, and be in the running to win the whole thing.

I wouldn't say it would be a disappointment if Stanton didn't win the tournament and came up short, but I'm sure the Mustangs would really like to win this tournament.

Stanton just has to give it their best shot and hope for the best.

Winnebago hopes for improvement in 2016

Team: Winnebago

Mascot: Indians

Colors: Blue and White

Class: C-1

Head Coach: Kayla Herfel (1st season)

2015 record: 7-20

Returning Starters: N/A


Overview:

The Winnebago Indians hope to see improvement this season after going 7-20 a year ago.

It's unclear who all returns for Winnebago, and what newcomers could make an impact, but I think the Indians have a good chance to be better than they were a season ago.

Winnebago has to play with heart, pride, passion, toughness, grit, fire, and determination this season.

The Indians can't be intimidated by anyone they play, and must be ready to go full tilt with every team on their schedule.

Winnebago has to improve every day in practice and in matches, and continue to grow and develop as the season progresses.

These girls have to be positive and supportive of one another. Giving encouragement in practice and in matches could go a long ways for this team.

The Indians have to work hard in practice and in matches. Communication figures to be a vital thing for Winnebago.

The Indians have to keep fighting and battling no matter the situation. Winnebago has to play with the heart of a champion, and give maximum effort in every match, win or lose.

The Indians can't get down on themselves and be negative if they struggle. Winnebago has to deal with adversity, and overcome it.

The Indians have to control what they can control, which is effort.


Season Outlook:

Winnebago returns to C-1 after spending last year in C-2.

That mainly affects the Indians in the postseason, not the regular season.

There are some challenging matches on the schedule for Winnebago though.

The Indians have tough matches with Cedar Bluffs, Ponca, Emerson-Hubbard, and BRLD.

All things considered Winnebago doesn't have that difficult of a schedule. I think the Indians are capable of taking advantage of that and having a good regular season.

Winnebago is in Sub District C1-6 with North Bend Central, West Point-Beemer, Tekamah-Herman, and Logan View.

The Indians certainly don't have an easy path in the postseason, but at that point I'm sure Winnebago will be thinking they can beat anyone, if they aren't already.

I look for the Indians to have a respectable regular season and perhaps upset a team or two this year.

It will be interesting to see if Winnebago can take care of business against the teams they're supposed to beat. I could see the Indians losing to a couple of teams they're not supposed to, but making up for it with a couple of upsets.

Winnebago just has to remember to have fun and be competitive this season. The Indians have to do everything in their power to win, but at the end of the day be satisfied with their effort win or lose.

2016 Winnebago Indians Volleyball Schedule:

09/01/16    Mead                                         Triangular (host: Cedar Bluffs)  
09/01/16    Cedar Bluffs                              Triangular (host: Cedar Bluffs)  
09/03-09/03    (To Be Determined)             Fort Calhoun Tournament (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    Fort Calhoun
09/08/16    Walthill         
09/13/16    Ponca                                          Triangular (host: Ponca)  
09/13/16    Allen                                           Triangular (host: Ponca)  
09/17    (To Be Determined)                         Winnebago Volleyball Tournament (4-Team Round Robin)    Winnebago
09/20/16    @ Omaha Nation                             
09/22/16    Emerson-Hubbard                      Triangular (host: BRLD)  
09/22/16    BRLD                                         Triangular (host: BRLD)  
09/24-09/24    (To Be Determined)              Scribner-Snyder Inv (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    Scribner
09/27/16    Omaha Nation                            Triangular (host: Omaha Nation)  
09/27/16    Walthill                                       Triangular (host: Omaha Nation)  
10/04/16    Allen                                           Triangular (host: Winnebago)  
10/04/16    Whiting, IA                                Triangular (host: Winnebago)  
10/06/16    @ Omaha Christian Academy           
10/13/16    @ Laurel-Concord-Coleridge           
10/20/16    Homer                                        Triangular (host: Winnebago)  
10/20/16    Wakefield                                   (To Be Determined)      Lewis and Clark Conference Tournament (2/3-Day Tournament)    TBA/TBA

North Bend Central looking for another successful season

Team: North Bend Central

Mascot: Tigers

Colors: Orange and Black

Class: C-1

Head Coach: Amy Sterup

2015 record: 23-6

Returning Starters: N/A


Overview:

The North Bend Central Tigers figure to have another good season as they had quite a bit of success last season.

I'm not for sure who all returns for North Bend Central, and if there are any newcomers who could make an impact, but the Tigers should be solid once again.

This program has had a lot of success recently, and I would imagine North Bend Central will continue their winning ways again this season.

Every match counts, and the Tigers have to be ready to go in every match they play this season.

Attention to detail and focus is going to be critical for North Bend Central, in my opinion.

The Tigers have to take care of business against the teams they're supposed to beat, and play at a really high level against some of the better teams on their schedule.

I look for North Bend Central to have a good regular season, and be a factor come the postseason.

The Tigers should be favored in just about every match they play so North Bend Central has to avoid playing down to their competition.

The Tigers have done a good job taking care of business in the past, and I look for this season to be no different.

I think you will see North Bend Central do a lot of winning again this year. It should be another fine and solid season for the Tigers.


Season Outlook:

North Bend Central has a good number of matches they should win with relative ease this season, but the Tigers also have some difficult matchups.

North Bend Central's toughest matches figure to be against Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Wisner-Pilger, Oakland-Craig, Malcolm, Tekamah-Herman, BRLD, Howells-Dodge, and Stanton.

These tough matches should help the Tigers prepare for the postseason.

North Bend Central is in Sub District C1-6 with Tekamah-Herman, Logan View, West Point-Beemer, and Winnebago.

The good news for the Tigers is they wouldn't have to see Columbus Scotus or Columbus Lakeview until a district final. And I'm sure North Bend Central would welcome a matchup with one of those schools for the right to go to Lincoln.

State has to be the goal for the Tigers this season. Anything less could be considered a tough way to end the season.

North Bend Central has to do everything in their power to achieve their goals this season. It should be a successful season regardless of a state berth or not, but making state would be a really big deal for this program.

I think it's possible for the Tigers to make it to Lincoln, they just have to take things one match at a time and step up in big matches.


2016 North Bend Central Tigers Football Schedule:

09/01-09/03    (To Be Determined)                      Northeast Nebraska Classic (2/3-Day Tournament)    Wisner/Pender
09/06/16    Pender                                                Triangular (host: North Bend Central)   
09/06/16    Emerson-Hubbard                             Triangular (host: North Bend Central)   
09/08/16    @ Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family            
09/10-09/10    (To Be Determined)                      North Bend Central Invitational (4-Team 1-Day Tournament)    North Bend
09/13/16    @ Wisner-Pilger        
09/20/16    Oakland-Craig         
09/22/16    @ West Point-Beemer           
09/24-09/24    (To Be Determined)                      David City Invite (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    David City
09/27/16    Twin River      
09/29/16    @ Malcolm          
10/06/16    @ Tekamah-Herman           
10/11/16    BRLD   
10/13-10/15    (To Be Determined)                     East Husker Conference (2/3-Day Tournament)    Wisner
10/18/16    Howells-Dodge          
10/25/16    Logan View                                      Triangular (host: North Bend Central)   
10/25/16    Stanton                                             Triangular (host: North Bend Central)   
10/27/16    Madison    

Logan View hoping to be improved this season

Team: Logan View

Mascot: Raiders

Colors: Blue and Gold

Class: C-1

Head Coach: Doug Bartek

2015 record: 3-30

Returning Starters: N/A


Overview:

The Logan View Raiders hope to be improved this season as they come off a 3-30 season in 2015.

I'm not sure who all Logan View returns and if there are any newcomers who could make an impact, but I would be willing to bet the Raiders are working hard and practice and want to be the best they can be this season.

I would also venture to guess Logan View hopes all their hard work leads to more wins this season.

The Raiders struggled in 2015, there's no doubt about that, but it's a new season, and a new chance to shine if you are Logan View.

Each and every one of these Raider players is capable of doing great things this season, and they need to put their minds to it and play hard and fight no matter what happens.

Logan View has to give it their all at all times regardless of if they are winning or losing.

The Raiders have to play with the heart of a champion, and work together to achieve great things.

Teamwork and sacrifice are two things that are going to be important for Logan View, in my opinion.

These girls have to remain positive and can't get down on themselves or one another when things don't go right.

The Raiders have to right the ship and work towards a common goal together this season.

Logan View has to play as one, and do their very best to be successful.


Season Outlook:

The Logan View Raiders look to improve upon last year's mark of 3-30.

There appears to be quite a few challenging matches on the schedule this season for Logan View, but there appears to be some very winnable matches as well.

The Raiders' toughest games figure to be against Tekamah-Herman, Howells-Dodge, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, Clarkson/Leigh, BRLD, Oakland-Craig, Wisner-Pilger, Scribner-Snyder, North Bend Central, and Stanton.

Logan View has their work cut out for them, there's no doubt about it, but I think these girls have a chance to win more matches and be more competitive than they were a season ago.

The Raiders are in Sub District C1-6 with the likes of North Bend Central, West Point-Beemer, Winnebago, and Tekamah-Herman.

I think Logan View has the potential to upset anyone they play, whether that be in the regular season or postseason.

Anything can happen in the game of volleyball, and the Raiders have to play optimistic volleyball all season long.

I really think this season has a chance to be better than last for Logan View. The Raiders will have a better idea of what to expect from Doug Bartek in his second season.

I think Logan View is at least capable of doubling last year's win total, if not tripling or quadrupling it.


2016 Logan View Raiders Volleyball Schedule: 

09/01/16    @ Douglas County West          
09/03-09/03    (To Be Determined)                     Ft. Calhoun Invite (4-Team 1-Day Tournament)    Ft. Calhoun
09/06/16    Twin River                                        Triangular (host: Twin River)  
09/06/16    Tekamah-Herman                             Triangular (host: Twin River)  
09/13/16    Pender       
09/15/16    Howells-Dodge         
09/17    (To Be Determined)                                Logan View Invite (4-Team Round Robin)    Logan View
09/20/16    Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family      Triangular (host: West Point-Beemer)  
09/20/16    West Point-Beemer                           Triangular (host: West Point-Beemer)  
09/22/16    Omaha Brownell Talbot            
09/24-09/24    (To Be Determined)                     Louisville Invitational (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    Louisville
09/27/16    Clarkson/Leigh        
09/29/16    @ Madison          
10/04/16    @ BRLD           
10/11/16    Archbishop Bergan                           Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)  
10/11/16    Oakland-Craig                                  Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)  
10/13-10/15    (To Be Determined)                    East Husker Conference (2/3-Day Tournament)    Wisner
10/20/16    Wisner-Pilger                                   Triangular (host: Logan View)  
10/20/16    Scribner-Snyder                               Triangular (host: Logan View)  
10/25/16    North Bend Central                         Triangular (host: North Bend Central)  
10/25/16    Stanton                                            Triangular (host: North Bend Central)

Oakland-Craig hoping for success in 2016

Team: Oakland-Craig

Mascot: Knights

Colors: Orange and White

Class: C-2

Head Coach: Chelsey Quigley

2015 record: 22-9

Returning Starters: N/A

Overview:

After winning 22 games a season ago, it will be interesting to see what this year's Oakland-Craig Knights are like.

I'm not for sure who all the Knights return and who they lost, but if this season is anything like last year then it should be filled with success.

Last year's Girls Basketball team graduated quite a few players so I wonder if last year's Volleyball team graduated quite a few players as well.

I think Oakland-Craig probably has the potential to win anywhere from 15-20 games this season, but I don't know if the Knights will be quite as good as they were last year.

I don't really know a whole lot about Oakland-Craig without having any preseason information, but I would be willing to bet the Knights have been competitive in practice and will be competitive in matches.

Hard work, physical and mental toughness, and determination could very well be the keys to success for the Knights this season.

I don't necessarily expect success to come easy for Oakland-Craig this year as I think the Knights will be challenged by their opponents, but Oakland-Craig should be able to win a good number of matches this season.

A tough schedule awaits the Knights, but I think Oakland-Craig will be ready for the challenges that are thrown their way.

Season Outlook:

Winning 20+ games again appears to be a challenge that lies ahead for Oakland-Craig as the Knights have a pretty stingy schedule.

Oakland-Craig will be facing the likes of Scribner-Snyder, BRLD, Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family, North Bend Central, Arlington, GACC, Tekamah-Herman, Stanton, Howells-Dodge, Clarkson/Leigh, and Wisner-Pilger.

I think you could see the Knights get challenged in the early to mid part of the season, and perhaps struggle during a stretch, but I look for Oakland-Craig to make a run at the end of the regular season to prepare themselves for the postseason.

The Knights are in Sub District C2-3 with Fremont Bergan, Yutan, and Omaha Brownell-Talbot, all of whom finished below .500 last season.

I would say Oakland-Craig has just as good a chance if not a better chance of getting to a district final than those other teams.

The Knights have to play and fight hard to the end all season long, but as long as they do that they should put themselves in a position to be successful in every match they play, especially the matches at the end of the regular season.

I think a district final is very attainable for Oakland-Craig this year if not a state berth.

2016 Oakland-Craig Knights Volleyball Schedule:

09/01-09/03    (To Be Determined)                  Northeast Nebraska Classic (2/3-Day Tournament)    Wisner/Pender
09/08/16    Scribner-Snyder        
09/13/16    BRLD                                             Triangular (host: Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family)   
09/13/16    Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family   Triangular (host: Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family)   
09/20/16    @ North Bend Central        
09/22/16    Arlington                                        Triangular (host: Arlington)   
09/22/16    Guardian Angels Central Catholic Triangular (host: Arlington)   
09/24-09/24    (To Be Determined)                   Scribner-Snyder Inv (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    Scribner
09/27/16    Tekamah-Herman                           Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)   
09/27/16    Stanton                                           Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)   
09/29/16    Howells-Dodge        
10/01-10/01    (To Be Determined)                  Clarkson/Leigh Tournament (1-Day Tournament, >4 Teams)    Clarkson
10/04/16    Douglas County West                     Triangular (host: West Point-Beemer)   
10/04/16    West Point-Beemer                         Triangular (host: West Point-Beemer)   
10/11/16    Logan View                                     Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)   
10/11/16    Archbishop Bergan                          Triangular (host: Oakland-Craig)   
10/13-10/15    (To Be Determined)            East Husker Conference (2/3-Day Tournament)    Wisner
10/18/16    Clarkson/Leigh            
10/20/16    @ Pender           
10/25/16    Wisner-Pilger