(Records through Saturday)
Class A (Record) | Pvs.
1. Lincoln East (16-3) | 2
2. Omaha Westside (19-3) | 1
3. Millard South (17-2) | 3
4. Millard North (17-2) | 4
5. Papillion-La Vista (15-5) | 6
6. Fremont (14-6) | 7
7. Lincoln Southwest (12-7) | 9
8. Lincoln Pius X (12-6) | -
9. Omaha Benson (11-7) | -
10. Lincoln Northeast (13-6) | 5
Contenders: Bellevue West, Lincoln High, Millard West, Norfolk, Omaha Marian, Omaha Northwest.
Comments: Omaha Northwest's 77-74 overtime win against Westside opened the door for Lincoln East to take over the top spot. It was Westside's first loss against Nebraska competition since Dec. 8. Now after knocking off last week's No. 1 team, Northwest will welcome another Saturday when it hosts the Spartans. Lincoln Northeast drops to 10th after back-to-back losses (Omaha Benson and Millard West). The Rockets get two big opportunities this week with games at No. 6 Fremont and No. 4 Millard North. LNE's game at Fremont is a huge wild-card points contest. Fremont is currently seventh in the wild-card standings, and Northeast is eighth.
Key games: Tuesday—Lincoln Northeast at Fremont, Elkhorn at Lincoln Pius X; Thursday—Lincoln Northeast at Millard North; Friday—Lincoln East at Lincoln Southwest, Omaha Westside at Papillion-La Vista, Fremont at Lincoln Pius X, Millard North at Omaha Northwest, Millard West at Omaha Benson; Saturday—Lincoln Southwest at Lincoln Pius X, Lincoln East at Omaha Northwest, Norfolk at Millard South.
Class B (Record) | Pvs.
1. Seward (16-3) | 1
2. Platteview (18-3) | 2
3. Elkhorn (19-2) | 3
4. Waverly (13-7) | 4
5. South Sioux City (15-4) | 6
6. Sidney (18-3) | 7
7. York (13-6) | 8
8. Gretna (12-6) | 5
9. Hastings (12-5) | 9
10. Elkhorn South (8-12) | -
Contenders: Aurora, Beatrice, Crete, Norris, Omaha Gross.
Comments: Not a ton of movement this week, though Gretna drops after losses to Wahoo and Elkhorn. Elkhorn South, a first-year Metro Conference member, enters at No. 10 after a win at Class A Kearney. Of the Storm's 20 games, 19 have come against Class A teams, and the other is against Elkhorn. This is an important final week of the regular season as teams try to position themselves as host sites for those Feb. 17 district finals.
Key games: Tuesday—Elkhorn at Lincoln Pius X; Thursday—Hastings at Waverly; Friday—York at Seward, Crete at Aurora, Gretna at Hastings, Omaha Gross at South Sioux City.
Class C-1 (Record) | Pvs.
1. Lincoln Christian (17-5) | 2
2. Bishop Neumann (16-3) | 1
3. Ord (21-0) | 3
4. Mitchell (22-0) | 4
5. Wahoo (18-3) | 5
6. Malcolm (18-2) | 6
7. Columbus Scotus (15-5) | 7
8. Lincoln Lutheran (14-6) | 8
9. Auburn (16-4) | 9
10. Hershey (16-4) | -
Contenders: Grand Island CC, Louisville, North Bend Central.
Comments: Lincoln Christian avenged a Centennial Conference Tournament loss to Bishop Neumann with last week's win in Wahoo. So the Crusaders and Cavaliers swap places. Ord (LouPlatte), Mitchell (Western Trails) and Malcolm (East Central Nebraska) each won their respective conference tournaments. Lincoln Lutheran is not penalized for a one-point loss at C-2 Hastings St. Cecilia.
Key games: Tuesday—Wahoo at Malcolm; Thursday—Lincoln Lutheran at Auburn, Hershey at North Platte SP; Friday—Bishop Neumann at Archbishop Bergan; Saturday—Norris at Lincoln Christian.
Class C-2 (Record) | Pvs.
1. Hastings SC (17-2) | 1
2. Superior (20-1) | 2
3. Ravenna (17-4) | 3
4. Archbishop Bergan (15-4) | 5
5. North Platte SP (19-2) | 6
6. BRLD (17-4) | 8
7. Stanton (17-3) | 4
8. Hartington-Newcastle (17-3) | 7
9. Bridgeport (15-6) | -
10. Doniphan-Trumbull (12-7) | 9
Contenders: Burwell, Cambridge, Crofton, Dundy Co.-Stratton, Ponca, South Loup, Southern Valley.
Comments: BRLD (Bancroft-Rosalie/Lyons-Decatur) made the biggest splash, defeating Stanton and C-1 North Bend Central en route to the East Husker Conference Tournament crown. A loss to Ponca in the Lewis & Clark Conference Tournament drops Hartington-Newcastle, while Bridgeport enters after pushing C-1 No. 4 Mitchell in the Western Trails Conference final. Ravenna is not penalized for a loss to C-1 No. 3 Ord.
Key games: Thursday—Hastings SC at Grand Island CC, North Platte SP at Hershey; Friday—Bishop Neumann at Archbishop Bergan, Dundy Co.-Stratton at Southern Valley.
Class D-1 (Record) | Pvs.
1. BDS (19-2) | 1
2. Pleasanton (19-1) | 2
3. Meridian (18-3) | 4
4. Ansley-Litchfield (18-2) | 5
5. Friend (18-3) | 6
6. Guardian Angels CC (15-6) | 3
7. Blue Hill (15-5) | -
8. Heartland (13-5) | 8
9. West Holt (13-6) | -
10. North Central (16-3) | 7
Contenders: Clarkson/Leigh, Elgin/PJ, Elm Creek, Humphrey/LHF, Overton, Randolph.
Comments: Pleasanton avenged its lone loss of the season with a 14-point win over Elm Creek in the Fort Kearny Conference Tournament final. Blue Hill, which has won eight straight, vaults into the ratings after winning the Twin Valley tourney. West Holt also enters after winning the Niobrara Valley tourney. Its run included wins against Elgin/Pope John, Ewing and North Central. GACC lost to C-2 Crofton in the Mid-State Conference semifinals, and Friend leaps over the Bluejays after an impressive win against Falls City Sacred Heart in the Pioneer final. The Irish may be in a lower class, but they own a win against No. 1 BDS.
Key games: Tuesday—Meridian at BDS; Thursday—Friend at Meridian, Stanton at Clarkson/Leigh; Friday—Randolph at Crofton.
Class D-2 (Record) | Pvs.
1. Falls City SH (20-1) | 1
2. Humphrey SF (19-2) | 2
3. Exeter-Milligan (17-5) | 3
4. Ewing (17-3) | 4
5. Hyannis (16-2) | 5
6. Mullen (15-5) | 6
7. Potter-Dix (15-2) | 8
8. Red Cloud (15-4) | 7
9. Wynot (12-7) | 9
10. Maywood-Hayes Center (17-4) | -
Contenders: CWC, Giltner, Wauneta-Palisade.
Comments: Falls City Sacred Heart fell from the ranks of the unbeatens following a 51-36 loss to D-1 No. 5 Friend. FCSH, which beat Friend in December, is not penalized for losing to one of the top D-1 teams. Maywood-Hayes Center (three of its four losses are to C-2 teams) enters at No. 10.
Key games: Tuesday—CWC at Elgin/PJ, Humphrey SF at Aquinas; Thursday—Hyannis at Mullen; Friday—Wauneta-Palisade at Maywood-Hayes Center.
—Clark Grell
