A common theme was shared by Chadron State representatives at RMAC Football Media Day on Thursday: It's time to show it.&nbsp; Head Coach Jay Long made that very clear in Denver.

Long, senior receiver Preston Pearson and senior safety Dax Yeradi all focused on how the team plans to improve after its 3-8 finish in 2024, and that work started immediately after the season according to Long.

CSC's program prides itself on toughness, which is essential for success in the rigorous and physical conference.&nbsp; Long says the commitment to winning more games in 2025 began in January with players "buying into the weight room" and the addition of difference-making transfers.&nbsp; He says the work ethic is "really what's showing up."&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Eagles are aiming to bolster the strength of the offensive line to find a rhythm, go deeper into the playbook and get the ball in the end zone.

Preston Pearson is a senior offensive Swiss Army knife who shared his excitement for the season and what's he's seen from the team to prepare in the offseason.

With all-conference honorable mention tight end Peter Krohn graduating, Pearson will be playing a more prominent role as tight end / H-back this season.&nbsp; He got his feet wet with the position a year ago but has primarily taken snaps at quarterback over his career, and making plays on special teams.

Check back for more coverage from RMAC Media Day, comments from pre-season all-conference safety Dax Yeradi, and content from practices all month long as the Eagles prepare for opening kickoff.&nbsp; Follow along on (X) at @DMCbroadcasting, listen on 97.5 FM &amp; 105.9 FM to my morning sports reports, and visit panhandlepost.com.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754059766444.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Dave Collins Sports DirectorA common theme was shared by Chadron State representatives at RMAC Football Media Day on Thursday: It's time to show it.&nbsp; Head Coach Jay Long made that very clear in Denver.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2140312701&color=%23601030&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/jay-long-its-time-to-show-it" title="Jay Long - Its Time To Show It - FINAL" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jay Long - Its Time To Show It - FINAL</a></div></div>Long, senior receiver Preston Pearson and senior safety Dax Yeradi all focused on how the team plans to improve after its 3-8 finish in 2024, and that work started immediately after the season according to Long.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2140296546&color=%23601030&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/jay-long-we-refocused-commitment-final" title="Jay Long - We Refocused &amp; Commitment - FINAL" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jay Long - We Refocused &amp; Commitment - FINAL</a></div></div><figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/8/1754058267592.jpeg" alt="(L-to-R) Coach Jay Long, Preston Pearson, Dax Yeradi" />
 <figcaption>(L-to-R) Coach Jay Long, Preston Pearson, Dax Yeradi</figcaption>
 </figure>CSC's program prides itself on toughness, which is essential for success in the rigorous and physical conference.&nbsp; Long says the commitment to winning more games in 2025 began in January with players "buying into the weight room" and the addition of difference-making transfers.&nbsp; He says the work ethic is "really what's showing up."&nbsp;&nbsp;The Eagles are aiming to bolster the strength of the offensive line to find a rhythm, go deeper into the playbook and get the ball in the end zone.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2140302582&color=%23601030&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/jay-long-stengthening-the-line" title="Jay Long - Stengthening the Line - FINAL" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Jay Long - Stengthening the Line - FINAL</a></div></div>Preston Pearson is a senior offensive Swiss Army knife who shared his excitement for the season and what's he's seen from the team to prepare in the offseason.<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/2140307790&color=%23601030&auto_play=false&hide_related=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=false"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509" title="Eagle Radio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Eagle Radio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/user-814667509/preston-pearson-offseason" title="Preston Pearson - Offseason Growth on Offense" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Preston Pearson - Offseason Growth on Offense</a></div></div>With all-conference honorable mention tight end Peter Krohn graduating, Pearson will be playing a more prominent role as tight end / H-back this season.&nbsp; He got his feet wet with the position a year ago but has primarily taken snaps at quarterback over his career, and making plays on special teams.Check back for more coverage from RMAC Media Day, comments from pre-season all-conference safety Dax Yeradi, and content from practices all month long as the Eagles prepare for opening kickoff.&nbsp; Follow along on (X) at @DMCbroadcasting, listen on 97.5 FM &amp; 105.9 FM to my morning sports reports, and visit panhandlepost.com.<figure>
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CSC Football at RMAC Media Day: "It's time to show it"

Story by NU Athletic Communication

The Nebraska men’s tennis team has added Matt Shearer to its roster for the 2025-26 season. Shearer comes to Nebraska after a standout career at William Carey University, an NAIA school in Mississippi.

Shearer was an All-American and a three-time first-team all-conference selection at William Carey. He won more than 20 singles and 20 doubles matches over his final two seasons, posting nearly 50 combined victories during those two years.

In 2025, Shearer was an NAIA All-American who ended the year with a national singles ranking of No. 10. He was the NAIA National Player of the Week in April after a 5-0 week that included a win over the No. 7-ranked singles player. Shearer compiled an 11-1 singles record and a 13-3 doubles record in 2025. He was the Southern State Athletic Conference Championship MVP and also earned a spot on the ITA Indoor Nationals All-Tournament Team in doubles.

A team co-captain, Shearer’s play helped William Carey win the 2025 Southern State Athletic Conference championship and advance to the round of 16 of the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In 2024, Shearer recorded double-digit victories in both singles and doubles and was a first-team All-Southern State Athletic Conference selection. Shearer was also a first-team all-conference pick in 2023.

Shearer, who hopes to pursue a professional career in doubles, believes Nebraska will help him reach his goals.

“I’m transferring to Nebraska for my fifth season to experience Division I tennis and compete at a high level with a Power Four program,” Shearer said. “I’m excited to be a part of a big school environment and challenge myself against top competition.”

Head Coach Peter Kobelt said Shearer will be an excellent addition to the Husker roster.

“We are very excited about Matt joining the program this January,” Kobelt said. “He brings a lot to the table from a tennis standpoint, especially in doubles. More importantly, he’s a great person, and he’ll represent Nebraska the right way off the court as well.”

A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Shearer joins a Husker program that is coming off a record-breaking season. Nebraska finished with a top-40 national ranking for the first time in program history in 2024-25, while also setting a school record with eight Big Ten Conference victories.

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationThe Nebraska men’s tennis team has added Matt Shearer to its roster for the 2025-26 season. Shearer comes to Nebraska after a standout career at William Carey University, an NAIA school in Mississippi.Shearer was an All-American and a three-time first-team all-conference selection at William Carey. He won more than 20 singles and 20 doubles matches over his final two seasons, posting nearly 50 combined victories during those two years.In 2025, Shearer was an NAIA All-American who ended the year with a national singles ranking of No. 10. He was the NAIA National Player of the Week in April after a 5-0 week that included a win over the No. 7-ranked singles player. Shearer compiled an 11-1 singles record and a 13-3 doubles record in 2025. He was the Southern State Athletic Conference Championship MVP and also earned a spot on the ITA Indoor Nationals All-Tournament Team in doubles.A team co-captain, Shearer’s play helped William Carey win the 2025 Southern State Athletic Conference championship and advance to the round of 16 of the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In 2024, Shearer recorded double-digit victories in both singles and doubles and was a first-team All-Southern State Athletic Conference selection. Shearer was also a first-team all-conference pick in 2023.Shearer, who hopes to pursue a professional career in doubles, believes Nebraska will help him reach his goals.“I’m transferring to Nebraska for my fifth season to experience Division I tennis and compete at a high level with a Power Four program,” Shearer said. “I’m excited to be a part of a big school environment and challenge myself against top competition.”Head Coach Peter Kobelt said Shearer will be an excellent addition to the Husker roster.“We are very excited about Matt joining the program this January,” Kobelt said. “He brings a lot to the table from a tennis standpoint, especially in doubles. More importantly, he’s a great person, and he’ll represent Nebraska the right way off the court as well.”A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Shearer joins a Husker program that is coming off a record-breaking season. Nebraska finished with a top-40 national ranking for the first time in program history in 2024-25, while also setting a school record with eight Big Ten Conference victories.

Huskers add Matt Shearer to Roster

For Brent Bauer, football has been his life. For over two decades, he could be seen on the sidelines under the Friday night lights, watching his vision for his team play out on the field in front of him. Now, he is set to take on a new role at a new school.

After nearly 10 years as the head football coach at Ogallala High School, Bauer is only about a month out from his first Fall season as Activities Director for Alliance High School. This new role will allow him to have a different perspective and have more oversight over the wide variety of extracurricular activities AHS provides its students with. Bauer said a big reason for the move came with off the field priorities in mind.

"The bottom line to this transition for us was that my kids kind of needed a dad more than they needed a football coach," said the new Alliance High School Activities Director.

"I've been able to focus on being a better father and being a better husband. I'm not sure how much gains I've made in those departments, but it's been intentional to say the least."

Bauer comes to Alliance after a solid eight season stint as the head football coach in Ogallala. With three winning seasons, and four years with a record of .500 or better, Bauer's time in Ogallala can be seen as a success. The decision to come to Alliance, specifically, had a lot to do with his personal ties to the town.

"We've got some really close friends that have been in my life for a long, long time, and they're from Alliance," said the Pleasanton, Nebraska-native.

"They always spoke so highly of the community and the history here. So that was something that really made it appealing."

With so many years as a coach, Bauer said he is excited to take on this new challenge where he is responsible for more than just his team.

"That's something I really value, is being involved with an entire activity department," said Bauer.

"Being able to not only influence kids, but also influence coaches. That's a role I don't take lightly."

With this change in position also comes another very busy schedule. However, this life of long hours helping young students find what they are passionate about isn't seen as "work" for Bauer.

"I don't view it as a job, I don't view myself as busy. I really enjoy this," said the former coach.

"I use the word 'fun' a lot. I am having fun and I enjoy the new experiences. I was probably ready for some new experiences and to interact with some different people...I really value that. I took Ogallala football very personal, and now I'm taking Alliance activities very personal."

Bauer talked a lot about how important an Activities Director is to forming the culture and community of a school. He said this was one of his favorite aspects of the position. An initiative he is working on pushing at AHS is the concept of "impact players."

"You know you got to have hashtags nowadays," said Bauer.

"One of our hashtags we use in all of our social media is the term 'impact player.' We're looking to recognize kids that are making positive impacts in their programs, in our school and in our community."

This focus on the community in Alliance was a consistent point Bauer focused on. One example of this was his high praise for all the different coaches and leaders of each of the programs. But even with this confidence in their respective abilities, he said taking a more "hands-off" approach will be difficult.

"The biggest hurdle for me is going to be step back and let our coaches take whatever tools that I'm sharing with them - use (those tools) at their own customization and make it work for them," said Bauer.

"Being able to sit back and watch coaches do what they're passionate about is exciting for me. But being able to sit back and not let that enthusiasm that I have not just come pouring out of me has been kind of tough."

When thinking about his first month leading up to fall sports, Bauer said that this time is crucial for being able to have a successful season.

"You can't win a state championship in your summer, but you sure as heck can lose it," he said.

"I feel like our coaches have done everything they can to stay on pace toward having a successful season, based on whatever their definition of success is."

It can be tough to find free time in such a busy schedule. Whether it was as a coach, or now as the Activities Director for Alliance High School, Bauer said he can't get to the beach enough.

"I don't know if I miss anything in Ogallala more than Lake McConaughy - still plan to get there though," he said.

Other free time out of the office is spent reading or spending time with his family, which was a significant reason for making the career change.

As Bauer wrapped up the conversation, his mind once again went to thinking about the people of Alliance, and the importance of attending these student activities.

"We hope the community buys in as well," said Bauer.

"We're excited to see them at our activities, and looking forward to meeting as many people as we can...I think the community will like what they see with what the product of Alliance Bulldogs activities is going to be."

With golf, tennis, cross country, football and many other activities just around the corner, Bauer is set to take an important step in his journey from coach to activities director. He'll look to translate those leadership qualities he showed on the sidelines into this new role with AHS.

Panhandle Post by Jake Schrantz<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/4/1745249428858.jpeg" alt="Former Ogallala Football Coach Brent Bauer coaching on a Friday night. Bauer was the head coach at Ogallala since 2017" />
 <figcaption>Former Ogallala Football Coach Brent Bauer coaching on a Friday night. Bauer was the head coach at Ogallala since 2017</figcaption>
 </figure>For Brent Bauer, football has been his life. For over two decades, he could be seen on the sidelines under the Friday night lights, watching his vision for his team play out on the field in front of him. Now, he is set to take on a new role at a new school.After nearly 10 years as the head football coach at Ogallala High School, Bauer is only about a month out from his first Fall season as Activities Director for Alliance High School. This new role will allow him to have a different perspective and have more oversight over the wide variety of extracurricular activities AHS provides its students with. Bauer said a big reason for the move came with off the field priorities in mind.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753805647692.jpeg" alt="Bauer and his family at Ogallala football (photo by Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)" />
 <figcaption>Bauer and his family at Ogallala football (photo by Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)</figcaption>
 </figure>"The bottom line to this transition for us was that my kids kind of needed a dad more than they needed a football coach," said the new Alliance High School Activities Director."I've been able to focus on being a better father and being a better husband. I'm not sure how much gains I've made in those departments, but it's been intentional to say the least."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753805732108.jpeg" alt="Bauer giving instruction as coach for Ogallala football (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)" />
 <figcaption>Bauer giving instruction as coach for Ogallala football (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)</figcaption>
 </figure>Bauer comes to Alliance after a solid eight season stint as the head football coach in Ogallala. With three winning seasons, and four years with a record of .500 or better, Bauer's time in Ogallala can be seen as a success. The decision to come to Alliance, specifically, had a lot to do with his personal ties to the town."We've got some really close friends that have been in my life for a long, long time, and they're from Alliance," said the Pleasanton, Nebraska-native."They always spoke so highly of the community and the history here. So that was something that really made it appealing."With so many years as a coach, Bauer said he is excited to take on this new challenge where he is responsible for more than just his team."That's something I really value, is being involved with an entire activity department," said Bauer."Being able to not only influence kids, but also influence coaches. That's a role I don't take lightly."With this change in position also comes another very busy schedule. However, this life of long hours helping young students find what they are passionate about isn't seen as "work" for Bauer."I don't view it as a job, I don't view myself as busy. I really enjoy this," said the former coach."I use the word 'fun' a lot. I am having fun and I enjoy the new experiences. I was probably ready for some new experiences and to interact with some different people...I really value that. I took Ogallala football very personal, and now I'm taking Alliance activities very personal."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753805795483.jpeg" alt="Bauer making a decision on a play call (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)" />
 <figcaption>Bauer making a decision on a play call (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)</figcaption>
 </figure>Bauer talked a lot about how important an Activities Director is to forming the culture and community of a school. He said this was one of his favorite aspects of the position. An initiative he is working on pushing at AHS is the concept of "impact players.""You know you got to have hashtags nowadays," said Bauer."One of our hashtags we use in all of our social media is the term 'impact player.' We're looking to recognize kids that are making positive impacts in their programs, in our school and in our community."This focus on the community in Alliance was a consistent point Bauer focused on. One example of this was his high praise for all the different coaches and leaders of each of the programs. But even with this confidence in their respective abilities, he said taking a more "hands-off" approach will be difficult.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753805865652.jpeg" alt="Bauer embraces his player as coach of Ogallala football (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)" />
 <figcaption>Bauer embraces his player as coach of Ogallala football (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)</figcaption>
 </figure>"The biggest hurdle for me is going to be step back and let our coaches take whatever tools that I'm sharing with them - use (those tools) at their own customization and make it work for them," said Bauer."Being able to sit back and watch coaches do what they're passionate about is exciting for me. But being able to sit back and not let that enthusiasm that I have not just come pouring out of me has been kind of tough."When thinking about his first month leading up to fall sports, Bauer said that this time is crucial for being able to have a successful season."You can't win a state championship in your summer, but you sure as heck can lose it," he said."I feel like our coaches have done everything they can to stay on pace toward having a successful season, based on whatever their definition of success is."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/7/1753805931028.jpeg" alt="Bauer paces the sidelines as football coach for Ogallala High School (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)" />
 <figcaption>Bauer paces the sidelines as football coach for Ogallala High School (photo credit Harry Lipsea, Keith County News)</figcaption>
 </figure>It can be tough to find free time in such a busy schedule. Whether it was as a coach, or now as the Activities Director for Alliance High School, Bauer said he can't get to the beach enough."I don't know if I miss anything in Ogallala more than Lake McConaughy - still plan to get there though," he said.Other free time out of the office is spent reading or spending time with his family, which was a significant reason for making the career change.As Bauer wrapped up the conversation, his mind once again went to thinking about the people of Alliance, and the importance of attending these student activities."We hope the community buys in as well," said Bauer."We're excited to see them at our activities, and looking forward to meeting as many people as we can...I think the community will like what they see with what the product of Alliance Bulldogs activities is going to be."With golf, tennis, cross country, football and many other activities just around the corner, Bauer is set to take an important step in his journey from coach to activities director. He'll look to translate those leadership qualities he showed on the sidelines into this new role with AHS.

New Alliance HS Activities Director Set for First Fall Season

Story by NU Athletic Communications

Four student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team on Thursday after a vote by the league's 18 head coaches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Juniors Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were three of just five unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined on the 20-player team by senior Rebekah Allick.&nbsp;

The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fifth Big Ten title in 2024 with a 19-1 conference record to share the crown with Penn State. Nebraska finished the season at 33-3 and reached the NCAA Semifinals. Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and UCLA rounded out the top five.

Jackson, a junior middle blocker, had a breakout year in 2024, earning AVCA All-America First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the nation and fourth in school history. She also put up 1.18 blocks per set.&nbsp;

Murray, a junior outside hitter, was an AVCA Second Team All-American last year after earning third-team honors as a freshman. Murray led the Huskers in 2024 with 3.40 kills per set and a team-high 39 service aces. She is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Murray was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team last season and was the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player.&nbsp;

Reilly, a junior setter, is the first player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year as both a freshman and sophomore, and she is coming off her second straight AVCA All-America Second Team honor. Reilly averaged 11.08 assists per set in 2024 while leading the Huskers to a .284 hitting percentage, their best since 2016.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Allick, a senior middle blocker, recorded 1.82 kills per set in 2024 with a career-best .357 hitting percentage. She had a team-high 1.43 blocks per set, which ranked third among Big Ten players and 14th nationally. Allick ranks sixth in school history with 415 career blocks entering the 2025 season. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;

2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsFour student-athletes from the Nebraska volleyball team were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team on Thursday after a vote by the league's 18 head coaches.&nbsp;&nbsp;Juniors Andi Jackson, Harper Murray and Bergen Reilly were three of just five unanimous selections to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team. They were joined on the 20-player team by senior Rebekah Allick.&nbsp;The coaches picked Nebraska as the top team in the preseason poll. The Huskers won their fifth Big Ten title in 2024 with a 19-1 conference record to share the crown with Penn State. Nebraska finished the season at 33-3 and reached the NCAA Semifinals. Penn State, Wisconsin, Minnesota and UCLA rounded out the top five.Jackson, a junior middle blocker, had a breakout year in 2024, earning AVCA All-America First Team and unanimous All-Big Ten First Team honors. Jackson averaged 2.62 kills per set with a .439 hitting percentage, which ranked sixth in the nation and fourth in school history. She also put up 1.18 blocks per set.&nbsp;Murray, a junior outside hitter, was an AVCA Second Team All-American last year after earning third-team honors as a freshman. Murray led the Huskers in 2024 with 3.40 kills per set and a team-high 39 service aces. She is a two-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Murray was selected to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament Team last season and was the NCAA Lincoln Regional Most Outstanding Player.&nbsp;Reilly, a junior setter, is the first player in Big Ten history to win Big Ten Setter of the Year as both a freshman and sophomore, and she is coming off her second straight AVCA All-America Second Team honor. Reilly averaged 11.08 assists per set in 2024 while leading the Huskers to a .284 hitting percentage, their best since 2016.&nbsp;&nbsp;Allick, a senior middle blocker, recorded 1.82 kills per set in 2024 with a career-best .357 hitting percentage. She had a team-high 1.43 blocks per set, which ranked third among Big Ten players and 14th nationally. Allick ranks sixth in school history with 415 career blocks entering the 2025 season. She was an All-Big Ten Second Team selection in 2022 and 2023.&nbsp;2025 BIG TEN VOLLEYBALL PRESEASON POLL1. Nebraska2. Penn State3. Wisconsin4. Minnesota5. UCLA6. USC7. Purdue8. Washington9. Illinois10. Michigan11. Indiana12. Oregon13. Ohio State14. Michigan State15. Northwestern16. Maryland17. Iowa18. Rutgers2025 PRESEASON ALL-BIG TEN TEAMAllison Jacobs, MICH, Gr., OHJulia Hanson, MINN, Sr., OHMckenna Wucherer, MINN, Sr., OHHARPER MURRAY, NEB, Jr., OHANDI JACKSON, NEB, Jr., MBBERGEN REILLY, NEB, Jr., SRebekah Allick, NEB, Sr., MBKENNEDY MARTIN, PSU, Jr., OPPIZZY STARCK, PSU, So., SGillian Grimes, PSU, Sr., LCheridyn Leverette, UCLA, Sr., OHMaggie Li, UCLA, Jr., OHMarianna Singletary, UCLA, RS-Jr., MBPhekran Kong, UCLA, Gr., MBAdonia Faumuina, USC, Jr., OHKierstyn Barton, WASH, Jr., OHJulia Hunt, WASH, So., MBCarter Booth, WIS, Sr., MBMimi Colyer, WIS, Sr., OHCharlie Fuerbringer, WIS, So., SUnanimous selection listed in ALL CAPS

Four Huskers named to Preseason All-Big Ten Team

ALLIANCE, NE - With August right around the corner, high school football season is creeping into the minds of Alliance Bulldogs fans already. With the season opener scheduled for just over a month from today, here's what you need to know going into the 2025 football season.

Alliance High School finished the 2024 campaign with a frustrating 1-8 record. However, there were some bright spots to remember that should provide some encouragement for the team and fanbase coming into 2025. One of those bright spots was Espen Lanik. The Bulldogs' leading receiver last year comes back for his senior season in 2025. After completing his second-straight 40+ reception season, fans are excited to see what he can do next.

Another key piece for the Bulldogs' future is Trini Trejo. The junior running back ripped defenses apart as a sophomore in 2024, which included being the only sophomore in Class C1 with 1,000+ rushing yards on the season. Trejo developed well in year two with the Bulldogs, nearly tripling his rushing production from his freshman season. Bulldogs fans are likely hoping for more of the same from the top running back for Alliance High School in 2025.

Someone else who contributed very well in an otherwise forgettable season for the Bulldogs football program was Caysen Robertson. As a freshman, Robertson was the only Bulldog to eclipse 100 tackles on the season, which was astounding. Only four other players in Class C1 finished ahead of Robertson in tackles last season. He was also the only freshman in all of C1 football in Nebraska with over 100 total tackles in 2024.

What may be even more encouraging for the Bulldogs defense looking ahead to the 2025 season is that senior inside linebacker Cole Stoike finished with the third-most tackles in C1 District 7 last year. With both top tacklers back for this upcoming fall, the Alliance defense has some solid foundation to rely on moving forward.

Looking at this year's schedule, the Bulldogs will begin the 2025 season on the road at Gordon-Rushville. If that sounds familiar, it's because these two schools started the season against each other last year too. In that matchup, Alliance was able to find its lone win of the season, with a 28-15 win at home.

After falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs saw the offense explode with Lanik and Trejo lighting the fuse. 225 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns marked a fantastic season opener from Trejo, and Lanik brought in six passes for 77 yards and a receiving touchdown. This performance from Alliance ended up being its best of the year in 2024. However, with most of the top contributors from a season ago back for 2025, the outlook is a bit different.

After the week one road matchup with the Mustangs, Alliance returns to Bulldog Stadium for a pair of games with Holdrege and Gering on Sept. 5th and Sept. 12th respectively. Holdrege finished the 2024 season with two wins, including a 43-15 victory over the Alliance Bulldogs. Gering wrapped up their 2024 campaign with a winning record, but finished the season 2-4 in their last six games.

After a couple home games, the Bulldogs head back on the road for a matchup at Hershey. The Panthers also only had two wins a season ago and finished fifth out of six teams in C2 District 6. Alliance returns home on Sept. 26 to face off with Chase County. The Bulldogs go to Lexington and Chadron to begin the month of October, before wrapping up the regular season with Sidney at home on Oct. 17 and Ogallala on the road on Oct. 24.

The 2025 season is a chance for Alliance to right some wrongs of the past few seasons. The Bulldogs haven't had a winning season since 2016. However, the combination of veteran leadership (like Lanik and Stoike), and young production (like Trejo and Robertson), may be the formula to start turning this program in the right direction.

Coverage of the 2025 Alliance Bulldogs will be found here on Panhandle Post, and games will be heard on the home of Bulldogs football, 92.5 FM &amp; 1400 AM KCOW.

Panhandle Post By Jake Schrantz<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/9/1694373412667.jpeg" alt="Alliance Bulldogs Football" />
 <figcaption>Alliance Bulldogs Football</figcaption>
 </figure>ALLIANCE, NE - With August right around the corner, high school football season is creeping into the minds of Alliance Bulldogs fans already. With the season opener scheduled for just over a month from today, here's what you need to know going into the 2025 football season.Alliance High School finished the 2024 campaign with a frustrating 1-8 record. However, there were some bright spots to remember that should provide some encouragement for the team and fanbase coming into 2025. One of those bright spots was Espen Lanik. The Bulldogs' leading receiver last year comes back for his senior season in 2025. After completing his second-straight 40+ reception season, fans are excited to see what he can do next.Another key piece for the Bulldogs' future is Trini Trejo. The junior running back ripped defenses apart as a sophomore in 2024, which included being the only sophomore in Class C1 with 1,000+ rushing yards on the season. Trejo developed well in year two with the Bulldogs, nearly tripling his rushing production from his freshman season. Bulldogs fans are likely hoping for more of the same from the top running back for Alliance High School in 2025.Someone else who contributed very well in an otherwise forgettable season for the Bulldogs football program was Caysen Robertson. As a freshman, Robertson was the only Bulldog to eclipse 100 tackles on the season, which was astounding. Only four other players in Class C1 finished ahead of Robertson in tackles last season. He was also the only freshman in all of C1 football in Nebraska with over 100 total tackles in 2024.What may be even more encouraging for the Bulldogs defense looking ahead to the 2025 season is that senior inside linebacker Cole Stoike finished with the third-most tackles in C1 District 7 last year. With both top tacklers back for this upcoming fall, the Alliance defense has some solid foundation to rely on moving forward.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/10/1570561923395.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Looking at this year's schedule, the Bulldogs will begin the 2025 season on the road at Gordon-Rushville. If that sounds familiar, it's because these two schools started the season against each other last year too. In that matchup, Alliance was able to find its lone win of the season, with a 28-15 win at home.After falling behind 7-0 in the first quarter, the Bulldogs saw the offense explode with Lanik and Trejo lighting the fuse. 225 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns marked a fantastic season opener from Trejo, and Lanik brought in six passes for 77 yards and a receiving touchdown. This performance from Alliance ended up being its best of the year in 2024. However, with most of the top contributors from a season ago back for 2025, the outlook is a bit different.After the week one road matchup with the Mustangs, Alliance returns to Bulldog Stadium for a pair of games with Holdrege and Gering on Sept. 5th and Sept. 12th respectively. Holdrege finished the 2024 season with two wins, including a 43-15 victory over the Alliance Bulldogs. Gering wrapped up their 2024 campaign with a winning record, but finished the season 2-4 in their last six games.After a couple home games, the Bulldogs head back on the road for a matchup at Hershey. The Panthers also only had two wins a season ago and finished fifth out of six teams in C2 District 6. Alliance returns home on Sept. 26 to face off with Chase County. The Bulldogs go to Lexington and Chadron to begin the month of October, before wrapping up the regular season with Sidney at home on Oct. 17 and Ogallala on the road on Oct. 24.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D122094326912912369%26set%3Da.122094323804912369%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="454" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>The 2025 season is a chance for Alliance to right some wrongs of the past few seasons. The Bulldogs haven't had a winning season since 2016. However, the combination of veteran leadership (like Lanik and Stoike), and young production (like Trejo and Robertson), may be the formula to start turning this program in the right direction.Coverage of the 2025 Alliance Bulldogs will be found here on Panhandle Post, and games will be heard on the home of Bulldogs football, 92.5 FM &amp; 1400 AM KCOW.

Alliance Bulldogs Football 2025 Season Primer

Nebraska track and field senior&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/player/axelina-johansson">Axelina Johansson</a>&nbsp;won the shot put gold medal at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Johansson, representing Sweden, threw 60-6 1/2 (18.45m) to earn the top spot on the podium. Johansson is a two-time NCAA champion in the shot put and six-time All-American, as well as the Nebraska school record holder in the event. She placed 10th at the Olympics last summer.&nbsp;

Husker junior&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/player/mine-de-klerk">Miné De Klerk</a>, representing South Africa, finished in fourth place with a mark of 56-10 1/4 (17.33m). De Klerk is a two-time All-American in the shot put and also competed at the Olympics last year.&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska track and field senior&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/player/axelina-johansson">Axelina Johansson</a>&nbsp;won the shot put gold medal at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany on Tuesday.&nbsp;Johansson, representing Sweden, threw 60-6 1/2 (18.45m) to earn the top spot on the podium. Johansson is a two-time NCAA champion in the shot put and six-time All-American, as well as the Nebraska school record holder in the event. She placed 10th at the Olympics last summer.&nbsp;Husker junior&nbsp;<a href="https://huskers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/player/mine-de-klerk">Miné De Klerk</a>, representing South Africa, finished in fourth place with a mark of 56-10 1/4 (17.33m). De Klerk is a two-time All-American in the shot put and also competed at the Olympics last year.&nbsp;

Johansson wins Shot Put at World University Games

2025 Nebraska Legion Baseball - Juniors State Tournament Gering, NE - Oregon Trail Park

July 19 9:00 - ETC Knights 8, Hickman 3 (Game 1) 12:00 - McCook 7, Blair 6 (Game 2) 3:00 - West Point 6, Waterloo-Valley 5 (Game 3) 6:00 - Alliance 8, Gering 0 (Game 4)

July 20 9:00 - Elimination Game - Blair 12, Hickman 10 (Hickman Eliminated) 12:00 - Elimination Game - Waterloo- Valley 12, Gering 6 (Gering Eliminated) 3:00 - 2nd Round - ETC 10, McCook 2 6:00 - 2nd Round - Alliance 13, West Point 0

July 21 12:00 - Elimination Game: West Point 10, Blair 2 3:00 - Elimination Game: McCook 9, Waterloo-Valley 1 6:00 - Quarterfinals - ETC 3, Alliance 2

July 22 3:00 - Elimination Game: McCook 8, Alliance 5 6:00&nbsp; - Semifinals: West Point 6,&nbsp;ETC 2

July 23 12:00 - Semifinal #2: McCook vs West Point - Noon Follows - Championship Game: ETC vs McCook / West Point Winner

2025 Nebraska Legion Baseball - Juniors State Tournament Gering, NE - Oregon Trail ParkJuly 19 9:00 - ETC Knights 8, Hickman 3 (Game 1) 12:00 - McCook 7, Blair 6 (Game 2) 3:00 - West Point 6, Waterloo-Valley 5 (Game 3) 6:00 - Alliance 8, Gering 0 (Game 4)July 20 9:00 - Elimination Game - Blair 12, Hickman 10 (Hickman Eliminated) 12:00 - Elimination Game - Waterloo- Valley 12, Gering 6 (Gering Eliminated) 3:00 - 2nd Round - ETC 10, McCook 2 6:00 - 2nd Round - Alliance 13, West Point 0July 21 12:00 - Elimination Game: West Point 10, Blair 2 3:00 - Elimination Game: McCook 9, Waterloo-Valley 1 6:00 - Quarterfinals - ETC 3, Alliance 2July 22 3:00 - Elimination Game: McCook 8, Alliance 5 6:00&nbsp; - Semifinals: West Point 6,&nbsp;ETC 2July 23 12:00 - Semifinal #2: McCook vs West Point - Noon Follows - Championship Game: ETC vs McCook / West Point Winner

Finals Wednesday: Alliance eliminated at State Legion Baseball

Nebraska swimmers Gena Jorgenson and Beatrix Tanko captured silver medals at the World University Games in Germany on Monday.

Jorgenson, a senior-to-be for the Huskers, swam to a Nebraska-record and lifetime best 16:15.44 in the 1,500-meter freestyle, coming up short of the gold by just four one-hundredths of a second. U.S. teammate Kate Hurst took the top spot in 16:15.40, while Japan's Niko Aoki finished third in 16:19.81.&nbsp;

The performance by Nebraska's two-time first-team All-American in the 1,650-yard free at the NCAA Championships was nearly four seconds faster than her previous best and NU record of 16:19.28 set in June at the USA National Championships in Atlanta. Hurst, who was the 2023 World Junior Champion in the 1,500 free, touched the wall 3.82 seconds ahead of Jorgenson at USA Nationals. Hurst, who finished 10th in the 1,650 free at the 2025 NCAA Championships, will be a sophomore at Texas in 2025-26.

Tanko, a junior-to-be from Budapest, Hungary, followed Jorgenson's medal-winning swim by racing to a silver of her own in the 100-meter freestyle in a time of 58.55, just .01 off her lifetime best set yesterday in the semifinals. Tanko finished .39 seconds behind gold medalist Leah Shackley, who was a six-time NCAA All-American as a freshman at North Carolina State in 2025. Australian Josephine Crimmins earned the bronze (58.62).

Tanko will be back in action on Tuesday for the preliminary heats of the 50-meter freestyle.

World University Games Swim Schedule

Thursday, July 17 - Women's 50M Fly Prelim (2:34 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 26.83Thursday, July 17 - Women's 50M Fly Semifinal (12:10 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 26.80 (13th)Friday, July 18 - Women's 100M Free Prelim (2:59 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko&nbsp; - 56.05Friday, July 18 - Women's 100M Free Semifinal (12:11 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 55.50 (11th)Sunday, July 20 - Women's 1,500M Prelim (2 a.m. CT) - Gena Jorgenson - 16:23.82Sunday, July 20- Women's 100M Fly Prelim (2:56 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 59.27Sunday, July 20 - Women's 100M Fly Semifinal (12:52 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 58.54Monday, July 21 - Women's 1,500M Final (12:14 p.m. CT) - Gena Jorgenson - 16:15.44 (2nd)Monday, July 21 - Women's 100 Fly Final (Noon CT)&nbsp; - Beatrix Tanko - 58.55 (2nd)Tuesday, July 22 - Women's 50M Free Prelim (2:20 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko&nbsp;Tuesday, July 22 - Women's 50M Semifinal (2:04 p.m. CT)Wednesday, July 23 - Women's 50M Free Final (12:36 p.m. CT)

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationNebraska swimmers Gena Jorgenson and Beatrix Tanko captured silver medals at the World University Games in Germany on Monday.Jorgenson, a senior-to-be for the Huskers, swam to a Nebraska-record and lifetime best 16:15.44 in the 1,500-meter freestyle, coming up short of the gold by just four one-hundredths of a second. U.S. teammate Kate Hurst took the top spot in 16:15.40, while Japan's Niko Aoki finished third in 16:19.81.&nbsp;The performance by Nebraska's two-time first-team All-American in the 1,650-yard free at the NCAA Championships was nearly four seconds faster than her previous best and NU record of 16:19.28 set in June at the USA National Championships in Atlanta. Hurst, who was the 2023 World Junior Champion in the 1,500 free, touched the wall 3.82 seconds ahead of Jorgenson at USA Nationals. Hurst, who finished 10th in the 1,650 free at the 2025 NCAA Championships, will be a sophomore at Texas in 2025-26.Tanko, a junior-to-be from Budapest, Hungary, followed Jorgenson's medal-winning swim by racing to a silver of her own in the 100-meter freestyle in a time of 58.55, just .01 off her lifetime best set yesterday in the semifinals. Tanko finished .39 seconds behind gold medalist Leah Shackley, who was a six-time NCAA All-American as a freshman at North Carolina State in 2025. Australian Josephine Crimmins earned the bronze (58.62).Tanko will be back in action on Tuesday for the preliminary heats of the 50-meter freestyle.World University Games Swim ScheduleThursday, July 17 - Women's 50M Fly Prelim (2:34 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 26.83Thursday, July 17 - Women's 50M Fly Semifinal (12:10 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 26.80 (13th)Friday, July 18 - Women's 100M Free Prelim (2:59 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko&nbsp; - 56.05Friday, July 18 - Women's 100M Free Semifinal (12:11 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 55.50 (11th)Sunday, July 20 - Women's 1,500M Prelim (2 a.m. CT) - Gena Jorgenson - 16:23.82Sunday, July 20- Women's 100M Fly Prelim (2:56 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 59.27Sunday, July 20 - Women's 100M Fly Semifinal (12:52 p.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko - 58.54Monday, July 21 - Women's 1,500M Final (12:14 p.m. CT) - Gena Jorgenson - 16:15.44 (2nd)Monday, July 21 - Women's 100 Fly Final (Noon CT)&nbsp; - Beatrix Tanko - 58.55 (2nd)Tuesday, July 22 - Women's 50M Free Prelim (2:20 a.m. CT) - Beatrix Tanko&nbsp;Tuesday, July 22 - Women's 50M Semifinal (2:04 p.m. CT)Wednesday, July 23 - Women's 50M Free Final (12:36 p.m. CT)

Jorgenson, Tanko take Silvers at World University Games

 This year’s Colter Run on Saturday during Fur Trade Days was a popular event.  A total of 127 runners finished one of the two distance races, compared to just 86 a year ago.  This year’s contestants came from 14 states.

              The winners of both 5 kilometer races are from Chadron.  Drew Pope won the men’s race, finishing ahead of Andre Ditsch of Bee Cove, Texas, and Kim Dolatta was the women’s first place finisher, beating Haley Bidroski of Gordon by 20 seconds.  Third place among the women was Gracie Calkins, who will be a sophomore at Chadron High this fall.    

              Nick Kizzire of Alliance won the men’s 10 K race for the second year in a row and improved his winning time by 75 seconds.  He’s the cross country coach at Alliance High and finished one place ahead of his team’s best runner, Trevor Zurn.   Dylan Stansbury of Crawford, who won the 10K event six times in a row through 2021, finished third this year.

 Lydia Peters of Sidney, a distance runner at Chadron State College, won the women’s race, edging Kyndall Carnahan of Chadron, who also runs for the Eagles, by seven seconds.  Carnahan won last year’s 10K race. Her time was two minutes faster this year.

By: Con Marshall This year’s Colter Run on Saturday during Fur Trade Days was a popular event. A total of 127 runners finished one of the two distance races, compared to just 86 a year ago. This year’s contestants came from 14 states. The winners of both 5 kilometer races are from Chadron. Drew Pope won the men’s race, finishing ahead of Andre Ditsch of Bee Cove, Texas, and Kim Dolatta was the women’s first place finisher, beating Haley Bidroski of Gordon by 20 seconds. Third place among the women was Gracie Calkins, who will be a sophomore at Chadron High this fall. Nick Kizzire of Alliance won the men’s 10 K race for the second year in a row and improved his winning time by 75 seconds. He’s the cross country coach at Alliance High and finished one place ahead of his team’s best runner, Trevor Zurn. Dylan Stansbury of Crawford, who won the 10K event six times in a row through 2021, finished third this year. Lydia Peters of Sidney, a distance runner at Chadron State College, won the women’s race, edging Kyndall Carnahan of Chadron, who also runs for the Eagles, by seven seconds. Carnahan won last year’s 10K race. Her time was two minutes faster this year.

127 runners hit the course in Chadron's annual Colter Run

2025 Nebraska American Legion Baseball - Juniors B7 District Tournament Sidney, NE

July 11 #1 Alliance Post 7 - BYE (Game One) #5 Gering Post 36 8, #4 Imperial Post 304&nbsp;11 #3 Chadron Post 12 4, #6 Ogallala Post 135 1 #7 Hi-Line Post 0,&nbsp;#2 Sidney Post 17 15

July 12 Game One Loser - BYE - (Game Five) #1 Alliance 2, Imperial 0 Chadron 15, Sidney 4 Ogallala 10, Hi-Line 15

July 13 Quarterfinals: Alliance 9, Chadron 0 Elimination Game: Sidney vs Gering (Game Ten) Elimination Game: Imperial 17, Hi-Line 2

July 14 Semifinals: Alliance 9, Sidney 3 Elimination Game: Imperial 0,&nbsp;&nbsp;Chadron 15

July 15 Championship: Alliance 15, Chadron 2

2025 Nebraska American Legion Baseball - Juniors B7 District Tournament Sidney, NEJuly 11 #1 Alliance Post 7 - BYE (Game One) #5 Gering Post 36 8, #4 Imperial Post 304&nbsp;11 #3 Chadron Post 12 4, #6 Ogallala Post 135 1 #7 Hi-Line Post 0,&nbsp;#2 Sidney Post 17 15July 12 Game One Loser - BYE - (Game Five) #1 Alliance 2, Imperial 0 Chadron 15, Sidney 4 Ogallala 10, Hi-Line 15July 13 Quarterfinals: Alliance 9, Chadron 0 Elimination Game: Sidney vs Gering (Game Ten) Elimination Game: Imperial 17, Hi-Line 2July 14 Semifinals: Alliance 9, Sidney 3 Elimination Game: Imperial 0,&nbsp;&nbsp;Chadron 15July 15 Championship: Alliance 15, Chadron 2

Alliance tops Chadron for title Tuesday: Nebraska American Legion Baseball - B7 Tournament 

2025 Nebraska Legion Baseball - C7 Juniors District Tournament Historic Modisett Ball Park, Rushville, NE

July 11 #1 DCB Post 201 18, #6 Kimball Post 292 0 #2 Valentine Post 90 13,&nbsp;#5 Bridgeport Post 29 0 #3 Sheridan County 14, #4 Orchard Tri-County 2

July 12 Elimination: Kimball 0,&nbsp;Bridgeport 13 Quarterfinals: DCB&nbsp;13, Orchard Tri-County 0 Quarterfinals: Valentine 15, Sheridan County 0

July 13 Semifinals: Valentine 1,&nbsp;DCB 9 Elimination Game: Sheridan County 16,&nbsp;&nbsp;Bridgeport 8

July 14 Elimination Game: Valentine 13, Sheridan County 5

July 15 Championship Game 1: DCB vs Valentine - 4:00 Championship Game 2 - If Necessary

2025 Nebraska Legion Baseball - C7 Juniors District Tournament Historic Modisett Ball Park, Rushville, NEJuly 11 #1 DCB Post 201 18, #6 Kimball Post 292 0 #2 Valentine Post 90 13,&nbsp;#5 Bridgeport Post 29 0 #3 Sheridan County 14, #4 Orchard Tri-County 2July 12 Elimination: Kimball 0,&nbsp;Bridgeport 13 Quarterfinals: DCB&nbsp;13, Orchard Tri-County 0 Quarterfinals: Valentine 15, Sheridan County 0July 13 Semifinals: Valentine 1,&nbsp;DCB 9 Elimination Game: Sheridan County 16,&nbsp;&nbsp;Bridgeport 8July 14 Elimination Game: Valentine 13, Sheridan County 5July 15 Championship Game 1: DCB vs Valentine - 4:00 Championship Game 2 - If Necessary

DCB-Valentine advance to finals Tuesday: C7 Juniors Legion Baseball Districts

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information Director

CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State College and athletic director Mannie Reinsch have announced the hiring of Jalen Little to lead the CSC women's basketball program as head coach. Little will be the 12th head coach in program history and the sixth in the program's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)/Division II history.

Little brings nearly a decade of coaching experience within the RMAC and will be a familiar name for many CSC fans after serving as an assistant for the Chadron State men's basketball program from 2016-2020 under former Eagles coach Houston Reed. 

"It is an incredible honor to be named the head coach of Chadron State College women's basketball," Little said. "Thank you to Mannie Reinsch and the search committee for the opportunity to be part of a culture that values community and relationships in addition to competitive excellence. I'm looking forward to building something special with our student-athletes, both on and off the court. We will Protect the Rock!" 

For the past five seasons, Little has served as the lead assistant women's basketball coach at RMAC foe CSU Pueblo. During Little's time on staff, the ThunderWolves qualified for four consecutive RMAC tournaments from 2022-25, including a fifth-place finish (18-11, 13-7 RMAC) in the league standings last year. He was instrumental in recruiting Alisha Little, the two-time reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Year who ranked second in Division II in scoring last season with 24.9 points per game. 

"I'd like to welcome Jalen and his family back to Chadron, Nebraska," Reinsch said. "Throughout the process, Jalen showcased his energy and passion for developing our student-athletes and building his culture the right way. After growing in his career and learning from some great leaders, I'm excited to see Jalen put his footprint on our women's basketball program."

Little began his coaching career by spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the Chadron State men's basketball program under Houston Reed, who coached Little as a player. During Little's tenure, the Eagles had seven All-RMAC selections and 22 All-Academic Honor Roll selections.

"Houston Reed's belief in me and bringing me to Chadron laid out an unbelievable foundation for me as a coach," Little said. "He allowed me to find my coaching voice and showed me what pouring into student-athletes at an elite level looked like."

At CSU Pueblo, Little and head coach Tommie Johnson orchestrated a 20-win turnaround for the ThunderWolves in 2021-22, which was tied for the best in the NCAA that year. After the ThunderWolves went 3-13 in a COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season, CSU Pueblo rallied to a 23-9 record the next year, highlighted by a third-place RMAC regular season finish, runner-up finish in the RMAC Tournament and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. 

"Learning from Tommie Johnson for the past five seasons was a blessing," Little said. "He always showed what it looked like to aim high in recruiting and the value of genuine relationships. He made my transition from coaching the men's side to the women's side seamless, and I wouldn't be in this position without his leadership." 

As a student-athlete, Little played one season at Alaska Anchorage (Division II, GNAC) before transferring to Otero Junior College, where he played for Houston Reed. In his one season with the Rattlers, Little averaged 11.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. 

Little closed his playing career at the Division I level for Abiliene Christian University (Texas), where he was the Wildcats' starter at point guard for two seasons. He finished among the top six in the NCAA Division I Southland Conference both seasons for assist-to-turnover ratio, carrying a combined 2.3 ratio through the end of his ACU career.

Immediately after his playing career, Little completed a fundraising internship with Abilene Christian athletic director Lee De Leon, who at the time was the youngest athletic director in NCAA Division I. 

A native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Little completed his Associate of Arts in psychology from Otero Junior College in 2014 and his Bachelor of Science in communications from Abilene Christian University in 2016. 

He and his wife Shantelle have two daughters, Nevaeh and Anaiya. 

Little's official start date will be July 1. A press conference introducing Little to the community will take place later this fall, with details announced at a later date.

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State College and athletic director Mannie Reinsch have announced the hiring of Jalen Little to lead the CSC women's basketball program as head coach. Little will be the 12th head coach in program history and the sixth in the program's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC)/Division II history.Little brings nearly a decade of coaching experience within the RMAC and will be a familiar name for many CSC fans after serving as an assistant for the Chadron State men's basketball program from 2016-2020 under former Eagles coach Houston Reed. "It is an incredible honor to be named the head coach of Chadron State College women's basketball," Little said. "Thank you to Mannie Reinsch and the search committee for the opportunity to be part of a culture that values community and relationships in addition to competitive excellence. I'm looking forward to building something special with our student-athletes, both on and off the court. We will Protect the Rock!" For the past five seasons, Little has served as the lead assistant women's basketball coach at RMAC foe CSU Pueblo. During Little's time on staff, the ThunderWolves qualified for four consecutive RMAC tournaments from 2022-25, including a fifth-place finish (18-11, 13-7 RMAC) in the league standings last year. He was instrumental in recruiting Alisha Little, the two-time reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Year who ranked second in Division II in scoring last season with 24.9 points per game. "I'd like to welcome Jalen and his family back to Chadron, Nebraska," Reinsch said. "Throughout the process, Jalen showcased his energy and passion for developing our student-athletes and building his culture the right way. After growing in his career and learning from some great leaders, I'm excited to see Jalen put his footprint on our women's basketball program."Little began his coaching career by spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the Chadron State men's basketball program under Houston Reed, who coached Little as a player. During Little's tenure, the Eagles had seven All-RMAC selections and 22 All-Academic Honor Roll selections."Houston Reed's belief in me and bringing me to Chadron laid out an unbelievable foundation for me as a coach," Little said. "He allowed me to find my coaching voice and showed me what pouring into student-athletes at an elite level looked like."At CSU Pueblo, Little and head coach Tommie Johnson orchestrated a 20-win turnaround for the ThunderWolves in 2021-22, which was tied for the best in the NCAA that year. After the ThunderWolves went 3-13 in a COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season, CSU Pueblo rallied to a 23-9 record the next year, highlighted by a third-place RMAC regular season finish, runner-up finish in the RMAC Tournament and a berth in the 2022 NCAA Tournament. "Learning from Tommie Johnson for the past five seasons was a blessing," Little said. "He always showed what it looked like to aim high in recruiting and the value of genuine relationships. He made my transition from coaching the men's side to the women's side seamless, and I wouldn't be in this position without his leadership." As a student-athlete, Little played one season at Alaska Anchorage (Division II, GNAC) before transferring to Otero Junior College, where he played for Houston Reed. In his one season with the Rattlers, Little averaged 11.6 points and 6.7 assists per game. Little closed his playing career at the Division I level for Abiliene Christian University (Texas), where he was the Wildcats' starter at point guard for two seasons. He finished among the top six in the NCAA Division I Southland Conference both seasons for assist-to-turnover ratio, carrying a combined 2.3 ratio through the end of his ACU career.Immediately after his playing career, Little completed a fundraising internship with Abilene Christian athletic director Lee De Leon, who at the time was the youngest athletic director in NCAA Division I. A native of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Little completed his Associate of Arts in psychology from Otero Junior College in 2014 and his Bachelor of Science in communications from Abilene Christian University in 2016. He and his wife Shantelle have two daughters, Nevaeh and Anaiya. Little's official start date will be July 1. A press conference introducing Little to the community will take place later this fall, with details announced at a later date.

Chadron State hires familiar coach to take over women's basketball program

LINCOLN, Neb - Playfly Sports and Nebraska Athletics announced Monday the hiring of Kyle Crooks as the new play-by-play voice of Nebraska Football. In his role as the Director of Broadcasting for the Huskers Radio Network, Crooks will also co-host the network’s Sports Nightly show.

Crooks comes to Nebraska after eight years as Broadcast Coordinator and play-by-play broadcaster at the University of Florida.&nbsp; In his time with the Gators, Crooks worked on the radio network's football, men's basketball, baseball, softball and soccer broadcasts.&nbsp; Additionally, he has broadcasted events for the SEC Network+ digital platform. Alongside his play-by-play work, Crooks helped guide the behind-the-scenes effort for the radio network's social media tasks and day-to-day operations.

“I am incredibly excited for this opportunity! It’s a dream come true to broadcast the great moments ahead for the Cornhuskers,” Crooks said. “I can’t wait to get to Lincoln and meet Husker Nation. It will be an honor to work alongside a talented team in the Greg Sharpe Radio Booth. Greg is a legend in the broadcast industry and beyond, and I will work passionately to continue his elite standard of excellence both in the booth and in the community.”&nbsp;

During his time in Florida, Crooks also became a voice for the ‘College Football Game of the Week’ on the National Sports Network. His national work also included play-by-play duties with SEC radio at the women's basketball and softball conference tournaments.&nbsp;

“Kyle Crooks is a rising star in the broadcast world, and we are thrilled to have him join the Huskers Radio Network and our Nebraska family,” Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “Kyle’s play-by-play abilities and voice speak for themselves, and I was equally impressed with his dedication to his craft and his energy.

“I would like to credit Playfly Sports for leading a successful search with many excellent candidates. Kyle will be a great lead voice on one of the nation’s best football broadcasts, and we are so fortunate to have him join our impressive group of play-by-play voices across all sports.”

Crooks will anchor the Huskers Radio Network football broadcast, with Damon Benning serving as analyst and Jessica Coody handling sideline duties, and several other voices being part of the pre and post-game shows. Crooks joins a group of play-by-play talent that includes Kent Pavelka in men’s basketball, John Baylor in volleyball, Matt Coatney in women’s basketball, Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley on baseball and Nate Rohr on softball.&nbsp; Crooks will join Coody as the co-host of the Sports Nightly show.

“The radio and multi-media network at Nebraska is the standard bearer in the industry,” Playfly Vice President Andrew Waters said. “Kyle's experience and dedication will be an excellent match with one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. We are extremely excited to have Kyle represent the Huskers for many years to come.”

Before arriving in Gainesville in 2017, Crooks had NCAA Division I broadcasting stops at Fairleigh Dickinson and USC Upstate. In 2015, Kyle worked in minor league baseball as a Broadcast/Media Relations Assistant with the Jacksonville Suns, the double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.

As a 2014 graduate of William Paterson University, he also served as the Sports Director of the campus radio station WPSC 88.7 FM.&nbsp;Kyle was born and raised in Pompton Plains, N.J. His mother, Brenda, and brothers Jack, Mike, and Dan still reside in New Jersey. His late father, John, remains a main inspiration to this day.&nbsp;

LINCOLN, Neb - Playfly Sports and Nebraska Athletics announced Monday the hiring of Kyle Crooks as the new play-by-play voice of Nebraska Football. In his role as the Director of Broadcasting for the Huskers Radio Network, Crooks will also co-host the network’s Sports Nightly show.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhuskers%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0csi8VySi3L3UFkg1VhvZ6V6VTn95Ra7dBoHfDcSQS5wh5x4VNgxHrVuabrTBJQvzl&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="634" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Crooks comes to Nebraska after eight years as Broadcast Coordinator and play-by-play broadcaster at the University of Florida.&nbsp; In his time with the Gators, Crooks worked on the radio network's football, men's basketball, baseball, softball and soccer broadcasts.&nbsp; Additionally, he has broadcasted events for the SEC Network+ digital platform. Alongside his play-by-play work, Crooks helped guide the behind-the-scenes effort for the radio network's social media tasks and day-to-day operations.“I am incredibly excited for this opportunity! It’s a dream come true to broadcast the great moments ahead for the Cornhuskers,” Crooks said. “I can’t wait to get to Lincoln and meet Husker Nation. It will be an honor to work alongside a talented team in the Greg Sharpe Radio Booth. Greg is a legend in the broadcast industry and beyond, and I will work passionately to continue his elite standard of excellence both in the booth and in the community.”&nbsp;During his time in Florida, Crooks also became a voice for the ‘College Football Game of the Week’ on the National Sports Network. His national work also included play-by-play duties with SEC radio at the women's basketball and softball conference tournaments.&nbsp;“Kyle Crooks is a rising star in the broadcast world, and we are thrilled to have him join the Huskers Radio Network and our Nebraska family,” Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “Kyle’s play-by-play abilities and voice speak for themselves, and I was equally impressed with his dedication to his craft and his energy.“I would like to credit Playfly Sports for leading a successful search with many excellent candidates. Kyle will be a great lead voice on one of the nation’s best football broadcasts, and we are so fortunate to have him join our impressive group of play-by-play voices across all sports.”Crooks will anchor the Huskers Radio Network football broadcast, with Damon Benning serving as analyst and Jessica Coody handling sideline duties, and several other voices being part of the pre and post-game shows. Crooks joins a group of play-by-play talent that includes Kent Pavelka in men’s basketball, John Baylor in volleyball, Matt Coatney in women’s basketball, Ben McLaughlin and Nick Handley on baseball and Nate Rohr on softball.&nbsp; Crooks will join Coody as the co-host of the Sports Nightly show.“The radio and multi-media network at Nebraska is the standard bearer in the industry,” Playfly Vice President Andrew Waters said. “Kyle's experience and dedication will be an excellent match with one of the most passionate fan bases in the country. We are extremely excited to have Kyle represent the Huskers for many years to come.”Before arriving in Gainesville in 2017, Crooks had NCAA Division I broadcasting stops at Fairleigh Dickinson and USC Upstate. In 2015, Kyle worked in minor league baseball as a Broadcast/Media Relations Assistant with the Jacksonville Suns, the double-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins.As a 2014 graduate of William Paterson University, he also served as the Sports Director of the campus radio station WPSC 88.7 FM.&nbsp;Kyle was born and raised in Pompton Plains, N.J. His mother, Brenda, and brothers Jack, Mike, and Dan still reside in New Jersey. His late father, John, remains a main inspiration to this day.&nbsp;

Kyle Crooks Named Husker Football Play-by-Play Voice

Eight players, or one-fourth of the West Roster, for the 47th annual West Nebraska All-Star Football Game this year, are recent graduates of schools from along Highway 20. Kickoff will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7 at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff.

              Three of the all-stars—Bryson Bickel, Caden Buskirk and Talon Jelinek—are from Chadron.  Hay Springs has four team members—Hunter McDonald, Dylan Raymer, Talan Smith and Dylan Young.  Lain Tausan of Gordon-Rushville also was chosen for the all-star contest.

              The other West team members follow:

              Bridgeport—Cole Katen; Chase County—Tristan Jablonski and Zach Tarin; Gering—Creighton Beals and Quinto Robbins; Mitchell—Adriane Garza, Landen Murphy and Wyatt Sauer; Mullen—Justin French; Ogallala—Ben Peters and Zach Plasch; Perkins County—Landon Noyes and Jackson Wykart; Scottsbluff—Julius Blanco, Chris Galindo, Ryan Hinman, Dez Smith and Jhett Webb; Sidney—Austin Christensen, Reid Fiscus, Owen Gillham, Shane Lilley and Pat McCartney; and Valentine—Cinch Miller.

              Chad Dormann of Garden County High at Oshkosh is the head coach. His assistants are Trevor Ginkens of Hay Springs, Scott Anderson of Sidney and Ian Bish of Valetine.

              The East’s roster follows:

              Ainsworth—Morgan Kinney; Anselmo-Merna—Josiah Griffith; Arapahoe—Wil Cacy, Alex Diaz, Grayson Koller, Eli Shafer and Jacen Smith; Arnold—AJ Starr; Cambridge—Jayden Ruf; Cozad—Jaydan Smith and Lane Wright;  Elm Creek—Brody Schopke; Gothenburg—Jackson Daum, Zander Hruza; Jackson Schwanz and Maxwell Wyatte; Hi-Line—Asher Hecox;  Lexington—Tony Espinoza; McCook—Beckett Heskett; North Platte—Eli Boman, Logan Bussard; Jaxon Halverson and Brecken Torrez; Overton—Hayden Muirhead; Sandhills Valley Co-op—Leyton Connell and Colton Miller; South Loup—James Tickle; Sumner-Eddyville-Miller—Maddox Jones and Cohen Rohde.

              The East’s head coach is Dustin Kronhofman of Arapahoe, assisted by John Strand, also of Arapahoe, and Andy Seaman of Brady.

By: Con MarshallEight players, or one-fourth of the West Roster, for the 47th annual West Nebraska All-Star Football Game this year, are recent graduates of schools from along Highway 20. Kickoff will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7 at Bearcat Stadium in Scottsbluff. Three of the all-stars—Bryson Bickel, Caden Buskirk and Talon Jelinek—are from Chadron. Hay Springs has four team members—Hunter McDonald, Dylan Raymer, Talan Smith and Dylan Young. Lain Tausan of Gordon-Rushville also was chosen for the all-star contest. The other West team members follow: Bridgeport—Cole Katen; Chase County—Tristan Jablonski and Zach Tarin; Gering—Creighton Beals and Quinto Robbins; Mitchell—Adriane Garza, Landen Murphy and Wyatt Sauer; Mullen—Justin French; Ogallala—Ben Peters and Zach Plasch; Perkins County—Landon Noyes and Jackson Wykart; Scottsbluff—Julius Blanco, Chris Galindo, Ryan Hinman, Dez Smith and Jhett Webb; Sidney—Austin Christensen, Reid Fiscus, Owen Gillham, Shane Lilley and Pat McCartney; and Valentine—Cinch Miller. Chad Dormann of Garden County High at Oshkosh is the head coach. His assistants are Trevor Ginkens of Hay Springs, Scott Anderson of Sidney and Ian Bish of Valetine. The East’s roster follows: Ainsworth—Morgan Kinney; Anselmo-Merna—Josiah Griffith; Arapahoe—Wil Cacy, Alex Diaz, Grayson Koller, Eli Shafer and Jacen Smith; Arnold—AJ Starr; Cambridge—Jayden Ruf; Cozad—Jaydan Smith and Lane Wright; Elm Creek—Brody Schopke; Gothenburg—Jackson Daum, Zander Hruza; Jackson Schwanz and Maxwell Wyatte; Hi-Line—Asher Hecox; Lexington—Tony Espinoza; McCook—Beckett Heskett; North Platte—Eli Boman, Logan Bussard; Jaxon Halverson and Brecken Torrez; Overton—Hayden Muirhead; Sandhills Valley Co-op—Leyton Connell and Colton Miller; South Loup—James Tickle; Sumner-Eddyville-Miller—Maddox Jones and Cohen Rohde. The East’s head coach is Dustin Kronhofman of Arapahoe, assisted by John Strand, also of Arapahoe, and Andy Seaman of Brady.

West Nebraska All-Stars hit football field in Scottsbluff Saturday night

Chadron High School’s Kiara Haag and Gordon-Rushville’s Emma Martens will be members of the West team during the West Nebraska All-Star Volleyball Match on Saturday, June 7 starting at 3 p.m. in Cougar Palace at Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff.  

              Haag was a defensive specialist and Martens generally played in the front row. 

              The West squad also includes from Bridgeport—Aubrey Watts, Chase County---Landree McNair and Olivia Spady, Garden County—Payton Fornander, Gering—Abby Schaneman and MaKenzie Todd, Leyton—Shawnee Gamble and Kaydence Haupt, Perkins County—Libby Cole, Scottsbluff—Emma Hergenrader and Sidney—Kayla Westby.

              The West coaches are Natasha Haupt of Leyton and Kristi McNair of Chase County.

              The East roster follows: Brady—Taryn Stearns, Broken Bow—Maren Chapin and Addison Ellis, Elm Creek—Halle Knapp, Gothenburg—Taryn O’Hare, Lexington—Halle Sund and Ella Young, Loomis—Autumn Holt, Medicine Valley—Remington Stout, North Platte St. Pat’s—Reese Fleck and Cara Roberg, and Southwest—Atleigh Nelms and Allison VanPelt.

              The East coaches are Rebecca Stearns of Brady and Maddy Krebs of North Platte St. Pats.

By: Con MarshallChadron High School’s Kiara Haag and Gordon-Rushville’s Emma Martens will be members of the West team during the West Nebraska All-Star Volleyball Match on Saturday, June 7 starting at 3 p.m. in Cougar Palace at Western Nebraska Community College in Scottsbluff. Haag was a defensive specialist and Martens generally played in the front row. The West squad also includes from Bridgeport—Aubrey Watts, Chase County---Landree McNair and Olivia Spady, Garden County—Payton Fornander, Gering—Abby Schaneman and MaKenzie Todd, Leyton—Shawnee Gamble and Kaydence Haupt, Perkins County—Libby Cole, Scottsbluff—Emma Hergenrader and Sidney—Kayla Westby. The West coaches are Natasha Haupt of Leyton and Kristi McNair of Chase County. The East roster follows: Brady—Taryn Stearns, Broken Bow—Maren Chapin and Addison Ellis, Elm Creek—Halle Knapp, Gothenburg—Taryn O’Hare, Lexington—Halle Sund and Ella Young, Loomis—Autumn Holt, Medicine Valley—Remington Stout, North Platte St. Pat’s—Reese Fleck and Cara Roberg, and Southwest—Atleigh Nelms and Allison VanPelt. The East coaches are Rebecca Stearns of Brady and Maddy Krebs of North Platte St. Pats.

West Nebraska All-Star Volleyball Match is Saturday

After having a terrific high school career as both a football player and a wrestler, recent Chadron High School graduate Quinn Bailey was the 31st former-Cardinals football player selected for the 67th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl. That game will kick off at 3 p.m. MDT this Saturday, June 7 in Kearney.

              Bailey will play for the North team which, ironically, has Kevin Stein, a 1990 Chadron High graduate, as its head coach.  After teaching and coaching at Gordon for several years, Stein has been the football mentor at Grand Island Northwest since 2010.

In 1990—35 years ago—Stein was the primary quarterback for the North in the Shrine Bowl and was named its Most Valuable Offensive Player after leading the team to a 19-16 victory.

              The late Dick Stein, Kevin’s father and Chadron High’s head football coach for 22 years, compiling a 144-71 record, was the North’s head coach.

              Bailey is one of four players from the Panhandle on the North’s 45-man roster.  The others are Jackson Jenkins, a lineman from Mitchell, along with Landon Riddle of Sidney and Barron Williams of Gering, both wide receivers and defensive backs for their team last fall.

              Bailey, who is 5-foot-8 and was listed at 180 pounds last fall while playing football and won his third consecutive state wrestling championship as a 157-pounder, racked up amazing statistics in both sports for the Cardinals. 

              Last fall, he carried the football 356 times for 2,674 yards and scored 36 touchdowns to go with 20 two-point conversions for a total of 256 points.  He was the state’s second-leading 11-man rusher and was third in both touchdowns and points scored. 

              For his prep career, Bailey who will play college football at Western Colorado, rushed 848 times for 6,164 yards and scored 85 TDs and 558 points. He amassed 7,754 all-purpose yards.  All these statistics Chadron High records, as well as the most ever posted by a western Nebraska gridder. His career wrestling record is 181-10.

              Of course, the Shrine Bowl will have lots of outstanding players.  One of Bailey’s North teammates is Barrett Wilke of Stanton, the state’s leading 8-man ball carrier who played in 13 games in 2024 and rushed for 2,873 yards.  And, another Stanton standout, Becker Pohlman, a Chadron State College recruit who was a First Team All-State linebacker and also ran for 1,489 yards, is on the North roster.  

              The North’s quarterbacks include Braylon Anderson of Oakland-Craig, who threw for 3,055 yards in just nine games and was named the Class C-2 First-Team All-Stater at his position.  Another North signal caller is Nate Collins of Omaha Burke, who threw for 2,338 yards last fall, second highest in Class A.

              Both Sidney’s Riddle and Gering’s Williams could be targeted for passes.  Riddle became the Panhandle’s 11-man all-time single-season pass receiver last fall when he caught 59 tosses for 1,032 yards.  Williams had 51 receptions for 539 yards.

              The South’s leaders will likely include quarterback Dylan Van Dyke of Omaha Skutt, who threw for 3,457 yards while leading his team to the Class B state championship. Another South quarterback is Ethan Shaw, who led Sandy Creek to the D-1 8-man championship last fall while rushing for 1,700 yards and passing for 2,026. 

A third South quarterback is Chadron State recruit Noah Shoemaker of Cozad, the Class C-1 First Team All-State choice after throwing for 1,910 yards and tying the C-1 state record by throwing for eight touchdowns in on game last year.

Other Chadron State recruits in the game include Camden Walker, a wide receiver for Stein’s team at Grand Island Northwest, and Keagyn Linden of York, a lineman who will play for the South. 

Kevin Stein is hoping that his team Saturday will play as well as his dad’s team played in 1990.  As his MVP honor indicates, Kevin was among the reasons the North won the game.  He was the quarterback for most of the game, completing eight of 16 passes for 116 yards.

Five of those passes were caught by tight end Joe Planansky of Hemingford, including a 17-yarder that netted the North’s first touchdown in the opening quarter. Later in the game, the pair connected on passes of 15 and 21 yards during another scoring drive and they also hooked up on a 16-yard toss that helped the North post the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Stein and Planansky were teammates at Chadron State four years in the early 1990s.

Terry Connealy of Hyannis and Tom Hernandez of Gering were other players from the Panhandle on the North roster in the 1990 game.  A photo that Marcia Stein, Kevin’s mother, possesses from the game, shows that he wore Connealy’s helmet during the Shine Bowl because Hyannis is written on the helmet.

              There are a few other “Chadron connections” in this year’s Shrine Bowl.  One of the North assistant coaches is Kevin Stein’s nephew, TD Stein, also a former Chadron High and Chadron State quarterback, and now the head football coach at Alliance.   

 Also on the North coaching staff is Mike Kozeal, who played fullback for the Chadron State Eagles in the mid-1980 and has taught and coached at his hometown of Sargent, Neb., for at least 30 years.    The South’s coaching staff includes Jonn McLain, an all-star quarterback at both Chadron High and Chadron State and now an assistant football coach at Boys Town in Omaha.

(In addition, Tyler Marshall, a standout basketball player at Chadron High in the late 1980s, is a member of the Scottsbluff crew that will referee this year’s game.)

McLain passed up a chance to play in the Shrine Bowl after he graduated from Chadron High and chose to instead play for his high school coach, Mike Lecher, in the West Nebraska All-Star Game in Scottsbluff.

  It was a successful venture.  McLain completed 19 of 24 passes for a record 365 yards and five touchdowns during the West’s 48-22 victory over the East while easily winning the Most Valuable Offensive Player honors.

By: Con MarshallAfter having a terrific high school career as both a football player and a wrestler, recent Chadron High School graduate Quinn Bailey was the 31st former-Cardinals football player selected for the 67th annual Nebraska Shrine Bowl. That game will kick off at 3 p.m. MDT this Saturday, June 7 in Kearney. Bailey will play for the North team which, ironically, has Kevin Stein, a 1990 Chadron High graduate, as its head coach. After teaching and coaching at Gordon for several years, Stein has been the football mentor at Grand Island Northwest since 2010.In 1990—35 years ago—Stein was the primary quarterback for the North in the Shrine Bowl and was named its Most Valuable Offensive Player after leading the team to a 19-16 victory. The late Dick Stein, Kevin’s father and Chadron High’s head football coach for 22 years, compiling a 144-71 record, was the North’s head coach. Bailey is one of four players from the Panhandle on the North’s 45-man roster. The others are Jackson Jenkins, a lineman from Mitchell, along with Landon Riddle of Sidney and Barron Williams of Gering, both wide receivers and defensive backs for their team last fall. Bailey, who is 5-foot-8 and was listed at 180 pounds last fall while playing football and won his third consecutive state wrestling championship as a 157-pounder, racked up amazing statistics in both sports for the Cardinals. Last fall, he carried the football 356 times for 2,674 yards and scored 36 touchdowns to go with 20 two-point conversions for a total of 256 points. He was the state’s second-leading 11-man rusher and was third in both touchdowns and points scored. For his prep career, Bailey who will play college football at Western Colorado, rushed 848 times for 6,164 yards and scored 85 TDs and 558 points. He amassed 7,754 all-purpose yards. All these statistics Chadron High records, as well as the most ever posted by a western Nebraska gridder. His career wrestling record is 181-10. Of course, the Shrine Bowl will have lots of outstanding players. One of Bailey’s North teammates is Barrett Wilke of Stanton, the state’s leading 8-man ball carrier who played in 13 games in 2024 and rushed for 2,873 yards. And, another Stanton standout, Becker Pohlman, a Chadron State College recruit who was a First Team All-State linebacker and also ran for 1,489 yards, is on the North roster. The North’s quarterbacks include Braylon Anderson of Oakland-Craig, who threw for 3,055 yards in just nine games and was named the Class C-2 First-Team All-Stater at his position. Another North signal caller is Nate Collins of Omaha Burke, who threw for 2,338 yards last fall, second highest in Class A. Both Sidney’s Riddle and Gering’s Williams could be targeted for passes. Riddle became the Panhandle’s 11-man all-time single-season pass receiver last fall when he caught 59 tosses for 1,032 yards. Williams had 51 receptions for 539 yards. The South’s leaders will likely include quarterback Dylan Van Dyke of Omaha Skutt, who threw for 3,457 yards while leading his team to the Class B state championship. Another South quarterback is Ethan Shaw, who led Sandy Creek to the D-1 8-man championship last fall while rushing for 1,700 yards and passing for 2,026. A third South quarterback is Chadron State recruit Noah Shoemaker of Cozad, the Class C-1 First Team All-State choice after throwing for 1,910 yards and tying the C-1 state record by throwing for eight touchdowns in on game last year.Other Chadron State recruits in the game include Camden Walker, a wide receiver for Stein’s team at Grand Island Northwest, and Keagyn Linden of York, a lineman who will play for the South. Kevin Stein is hoping that his team Saturday will play as well as his dad’s team played in 1990. As his MVP honor indicates, Kevin was among the reasons the North won the game. He was the quarterback for most of the game, completing eight of 16 passes for 116 yards.Five of those passes were caught by tight end Joe Planansky of Hemingford, including a 17-yarder that netted the North’s first touchdown in the opening quarter. Later in the game, the pair connected on passes of 15 and 21 yards during another scoring drive and they also hooked up on a 16-yard toss that helped the North post the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.Stein and Planansky were teammates at Chadron State four years in the early 1990s.Terry Connealy of Hyannis and Tom Hernandez of Gering were other players from the Panhandle on the North roster in the 1990 game. A photo that Marcia Stein, Kevin’s mother, possesses from the game, shows that he wore Connealy’s helmet during the Shine Bowl because Hyannis is written on the helmet. There are a few other “Chadron connections” in this year’s Shrine Bowl. One of the North assistant coaches is Kevin Stein’s nephew, TD Stein, also a former Chadron High and Chadron State quarterback, and now the head football coach at Alliance. Also on the North coaching staff is Mike Kozeal, who played fullback for the Chadron State Eagles in the mid-1980 and has taught and coached at his hometown of Sargent, Neb., for at least 30 years. The South’s coaching staff includes Jonn McLain, an all-star quarterback at both Chadron High and Chadron State and now an assistant football coach at Boys Town in Omaha.(In addition, Tyler Marshall, a standout basketball player at Chadron High in the late 1980s, is a member of the Scottsbluff crew that will referee this year’s game.)McLain passed up a chance to play in the Shrine Bowl after he graduated from Chadron High and chose to instead play for his high school coach, Mike Lecher, in the West Nebraska All-Star Game in Scottsbluff. It was a successful venture. McLain completed 19 of 24 passes for a record 365 yards and five touchdowns during the West’s 48-22 victory over the East while easily winning the Most Valuable Offensive Player honors.

Chadron's Bailey continues Cardinals long tradition at Shrine Bowl all-star football game

Chadron State College has hired Skye Koehl (pronounced "sky kale") as the new head coach of the Eagle softball program following a national search, athletic director Mannie Reinsch announced Monday, June 2. 

Koehl will join CSC after two seasons as the head coach of Otero College, a junior college in La Junta, Colorado. Under Koehl's direction, the Rattlers finished in second place in NJCAA Region 9 in 2024, advancing to the regional championship game, and backed up a second-place regular season finish with a third-place tournament finish in 2025. Koehl's teams finished with a combined 34-14 record in conference play. 

"I am thankful and grateful to receive this opportunity to take the next step in my career," Koehl said. "I hope to continue to build the program and build a culture for success both in the classroom and on the field." 

Koehl will replace Dr. Robert Stack, who coached the 2025 season on an interim basis after previously piloting the CSC softball program from 2008-2017. Assistant coach Kayla Campuzano, who has been on staff at CSC since 2019, will remain with the program in that role. 

"Skye's track record of success and vision for mentoring our student-athletes stood out during the search process," Reinsch said. "We're very fortunate and lucky to have her lead our program at Chadron State."

As a student-athlete, Koehl was a junior college national champion with Temple College (Tex.) in 2018, a season in which she won both First Team All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors. Koehl hit .392 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, six doubles, three triples and 20 walks during Temple's national championship season. 

Koehl transferred and played three years at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi (NCAA Division I), appearing in 59 games and starting 34 for the Islanders from 2019-2021. Koehl's first Division I home run came in her final collegiate at-bat against Abilene Christian. 

Koehl began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (NCAA Division III). She also coached with youth club programs in Texas, including the South Texas Prospects and Central Texas Buzz, and served as a strength and conditioning intern for the Scrap Yard Dawgs, a professional softball team in Houston.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2025/6/1749057531308.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorChadron State College has hired Skye Koehl (pronounced "sky kale") as the new head coach of the Eagle softball program following a national search, athletic director Mannie Reinsch announced Monday, June 2. Koehl will join CSC after two seasons as the head coach of Otero College, a junior college in La Junta, Colorado. Under Koehl's direction, the Rattlers finished in second place in NJCAA Region 9 in 2024, advancing to the regional championship game, and backed up a second-place regular season finish with a third-place tournament finish in 2025. Koehl's teams finished with a combined 34-14 record in conference play. "I am thankful and grateful to receive this opportunity to take the next step in my career," Koehl said. "I hope to continue to build the program and build a culture for success both in the classroom and on the field." Koehl will replace Dr. Robert Stack, who coached the 2025 season on an interim basis after previously piloting the CSC softball program from 2008-2017. Assistant coach Kayla Campuzano, who has been on staff at CSC since 2019, will remain with the program in that role. "Skye's track record of success and vision for mentoring our student-athletes stood out during the search process," Reinsch said. "We're very fortunate and lucky to have her lead our program at Chadron State."As a student-athlete, Koehl was a junior college national champion with Temple College (Tex.) in 2018, a season in which she won both First Team All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors. Koehl hit .392 with seven home runs, 26 RBI, six doubles, three triples and 20 walks during Temple's national championship season. Koehl transferred and played three years at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi (NCAA Division I), appearing in 59 games and starting 34 for the Islanders from 2019-2021. Koehl's first Division I home run came in her final collegiate at-bat against Abilene Christian. Koehl began her coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (NCAA Division III). She also coached with youth club programs in Texas, including the South Texas Prospects and Central Texas Buzz, and served as a strength and conditioning intern for the Scrap Yard Dawgs, a professional softball team in Houston.She was hired as the assistant coach at Otero ahead of the 2022-23 academic year and immediately took over the team's strength and conditioning program as well as recruiting, fundraising, travel arrangements and statistics. Koehl was named the program's head coach the following year. A native of Columbus, Texas, Koehl graduated with her associates from Temple College in 2018, her bachelor's from Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi in 2020 and her master's from TAMUCC in 2022, all in kinesiology and exercise science. Chadron State College softball finished 22-28 during the 2025 season, with a 18-26 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC). Since the program's re-introduction at the Division II level in 2006, the Eagles have qualified for the RMAC conference tournament six times, most recently in 2023.