Nebraska boys state basketball championship recap

Video: Kobey Simons's highlights 1st rnd state
See the Bishop Neumann sophomore in action during the state tournament.

The Nebraska boys took their turn at center court last weekend and crowned six state champions to end the basketball season. And while all six reigning state champions were present, and thinking repeat, only three completed the task.

Led by Jaxon Simons game-high 27 points, Bishop Neumann (Wahoo) began championship Saturday with a convincing 80-57 triumph over crosstown rival Wahoo in the Class C1 state title game at Pinnacle Bank Arena. UCF football signee Noah Vedral chipped in 16 points for Neumann, while Reid Jurgensmeier and Kobey Simons contributed 12 points each. Jake Ruzicka and Will Shanahan were high scorers for runner-up Wahoo with 18 and 13 points, respectively.

Quinten Vasa was high man with 19 points for Lourdes Central Catholic (Nebraska City) in its successful repeat in Class D1. Hayden Miller added 11 points for Joe Tynon's club as the Knights edged Guardian Angels Central Catholic (West Point) 47-44. The Bluejays were led by 13-point efforts from Nolan Plagge and Mitch Hass, while Kobe Slaughter ripped the cords for 12 points.

Gretna survived a last second shot by Scottsbluff's Andru Kuxhausen and upended the Bearcats 55-53 in the championship game. Trey Brown led the way for the Dragons with 21 points, while Tyler Sullivan and Zachary Imig added 12 and 10 points in the narrow victory in Class B. Kuxhausen led Scottsbluff with 19 points. Landon Walker added 14 points, 14 rebounds and three blocked shots, while Gabriel Patton chipped in 11 points.

Ponca earned its first boys basketball title since 2007 Saturday with a 52-45 win over Neligh-Oakdale (Neligh) in the C2 title game. Logan Kingsbury and Carter Kingsbury led the champions with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Grant White and Tyson Belitz tallied 14 points each for the Warriors.

Norfolk, one of five boys basketball programs to compete at the state tournament in each of the last four seasons, won its first boys state basketball championship since 1987 with a 68-49 triumph over Papillion-LaVista (Papillion). Lane McCallum led the champions with 18 points. Christian Eisenhauer and Logan Strom added 13 and 12 points, respectively. Ayo Akinwole led the Monarchs with 16 points followed by Ed Chang's 10 points.

Tell Spies led Mullen to its first boys state basketball championship by scoring eight points in the 29-28 D2 title win over Mead. The Raiders were led by Josh Quinn's 14 points. Unable to repeat
Defending Class A state champion Omaha South (Omaha failed to repeat, falling to eventual champion Norfolk in one Class A semifinal (53-38), St. Cecilia (Hastings) settled for third with a Class C2 consolation championship triumph over Elmwood-Murdock (Murdock) (52-49) and 2016 Class D2 state champion St. Francis (Humphrey) fell to eventual champion Mullen in the quarterfinals (45-44).

Seeding accuracy
The NSAA's district point system appeared to be nearly spot-on with the top three seeds combining for a 28-17 record during last weekend's boys state basketball action, and claimed 13 of the tournament's 20 first- through fourth-place finishes. The No. 1 seeds plowed through the competition in five of Nebraska's six classifications, earning at least a fourth place finish. The Cornhusker State's 2 and 3 seeds combined for an 18-11 mark and brought home three championships, a pair of runner-up finishes and a third and two fourth place finishes collectively. The 5 seeds sported an 8-6 mark following state tournament play, and landed a championship, two runner-up finishes and a fourth place finish. Class D1's Guardian Angels Central Catholic, who entered the tournament with a 14-13 record, was the only 8-seed to pull the upset, knocking off top-seed Dundy County-Stratton (Benkelman) 65-55 in the quarterfinals before falling to Lourdes Central Catholic 47-44 in the title game.

Fourth quarter shootout
Scottsbluff's Andru Kuxhausen and Thomas Leininger of Aurora competed in an individual slugfest for the ages Friday in one of two Class B semifinals, and combined for 77 points for the game. Kuxhausen led the Bearcats to a 76-67 win by scoring 20 of his 39 points in the fourth period on 16-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe. Yes. You guessed it. Leininger had a huge fourth period as well, scoring 25 of his 38 points in the final eight minutes by drilling four 3-pointers, five 2-pointers and connecting on all three of his free throws. The two Class B powers combined for 61 points in the final eight minutes.

Bishop Neumann – Wahoo finals
It's not often that any Nebraska city outside of Lincoln and Omaha gets to brag about placing two different schools in the same state championship basketball game. Wahoo, on the other hand, appears to be breaking that mold. Not only did Bishop Neumann upend crosstown rival Wahoo 80-57 in Saturday's Class C1 state championship contest – they did it in 2014 as well, 68-47. Way back in 2010, the Bishop Neumann girls outlasted the Warriors 58-55 in overtime in the Class C1 title contest.

Dominant programs
The legacy of senior classes is discussed quite often this time of year as the state basketball tournaments begin to wind down, so here at MaxPreps we decided to delve into the data to see just how many schools have played their way into Nebraska's boys state basketball tournament in each of these past four basketball seasons. The answer? 5. Omaha South, Norfolk, Scottsbluff, Scotus (Columbus) and Bishop Neumann. Although they didn't all win state titles it is an obnoxious feat just the same. Another 17 schools qualified for the boys state basketball tournament in three of the last four seasons and just 114 different boys basketball programs have competed at Nebraska's March Madness since 2014.

Championship coaches
Class A – Tony Siske, Norfolk
Class B – Brad Feeken, Gretna
Class C1 – Mike Weiss, Bishop Neumann
Class C2 – Adam Poulosky, Ponca
Class D1 – Joe Tynon, Lourdes Central Catholic
Class D2 – Rusty Moore, Mullen

Consolation champions
Consolation titles were awarded in the smallest divisions. Winnebago, Hastings St. Cecilia, Lutheran-Northeast (Norfolk) and Wynot all ended the season on winning notes Saturday after coming up short in semifinal games Friday.

Class C1 – Winnebago 71, Columbus Scotus 68 (OT)
Class C2 – Hastings St. Cecilia 52, Elmwood-Murdock 49
Class D1 – Lutheran High Northeast 52, Randolph 42
Class D2 – Wynot 59, Riverside 47

The tournament's top single-game scoring performances
Andru Kuxhausen, Scottsbluff 39 points in a 76-67 Class B semifinal win over Aurora
Kanon Koster, Kearney 38 points in a 61-50 Class A quarterfinal win over Omaha Central
Thomas Leininger, Aurora 38 points in a 76-67 Class B semifinal loss to Scottsbluff
Teddy Allen, Boys Town 31 points in a 59-49 Class C1 quarterfinal loss to Columbus Scotus
Grant White, Neligh-Oakdale 30 points in a 55-50 Class C2 semifinal win over Hastings St. Cecilia
Noah Valasek, Riverside 29 points in a 59-47 Class D2 consolation championship loss to Wynot
Kanon Koster, Kearney 28 points in a 62-50 Class A semifinal loss to Papillion-LaVista
Jaxon Simons, Bishop Neumann 27 points in an 80-57 Class C1 state championship win over Wahoo
David Wingett, Winnebago 27 points in a 71-68 Class C1 consolation championship win over Columbus Scotus in overtime
Dalton Taylor, Columbus Scotus 25 points in a 59-49 Class C1 quarterfinal win over Boys Town
Blaine Boyd, Hastings St. Cecilia 25 points in a 55-50 Class C2 semifinal loss to Neligh-Oakdale

The tournament's top scorers
Noah Valasek, Riverside 71 (23.7)
Andru Kuxhausen, Scottsbluff 70 (23.3)
Kanon Koster, Kearney 66 (33.0)
David Wingett, Winnebago 64 (21.3)
Jalen Wieseler, Wynot 59 (19.7)
Thomas Leininger, Aurora 58 (29.0)
Ayo Akinwole, Papillion-LaVista 58 (19.3)
Jaxon Simons, Bishop Neumann 55 (18.3)
Jacob Ruzicka, Wahoo 52 (17.3)
Grant White, Neligh-Oakdale 52 (17.3)

They said it
"The senior class is such a tight-knit group – Lane, Logan, Travis, Christian, TJ, Jordan James, Richard Dover; they really put that on display this weekend," Norfolk coach Tony Siske told the Norfolk Daily News following a Class A state championship win by his Panthers. "All 16 of our guys had the same goal of winning the championship."

"Losing this game hurts right now, but we really did have a great season overall," Landon Walker told the Scottsbluff Star Herald after the Bearcats fell to Gretna in the Class B championship game for the second year in a row. "I don't want this one game to define our whole season. We can't hang our heads over one game. We have a lot of good memories to look back on."

"This game caps it off and it's awesme," Bishop Neumann coach Mike Weiss told the Lincoln Journal Star following his Cavaliers' 80-57 triumph over crosstown rival Wahoo in the Class C1 state championship game. "I love these guys and what they've done for the program. You know, you don't win the Kentucky Derby with a donkey, you just absolutely don't. These guys are racehorses and you have to be a trainer and not fall off the horse. But this group has given me a heck of a ride and it's a memory of a lifetime."

"Anywhere past half court, he can shoot," Ponca's Logan Kingsbury told the Norfolk Daily News of his brother's range after Carter Kingsbury connected on 4 of 8 shots from beyond the arc in Ponca's 52-45 Class C2 state championship win over Neligh-Oakdale.

"I caught the ball, it felt all wrong, I shot it, and it went in," Quinten Vasa told the Fremont Tribune after he banked in a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter to help Lourdes Central Catholic win its second straight Class D1 state title. "State championship games, you're pretty amped up. All those emotions run out. Sometimes when you're going, the shots aren't falling because your emotions are too high. Other times they're all going in, and that's how it was today."

"They call me Mr. clutch," Luke Christen told the North Platte Telegraph after he gave himself a birthday present and the rest of the team a state championship by hitting a game-winning shot for the second time at the state tournament. "Coach (Rusty Moore) has faith in me, and I'm just glad I could pull through for him."