Talking Sports: Get set to buckle up: Playoffs are here

The Nebraska high school sports post season opens Friday and continues almost every day for the next five weeks.

First of all, congratulations to the Leyton girls’ basketball team for earning the top seed at the upcoming Class D2-11 subdistricts which are slated to open up on President’s Day in the Cabela’s Athletic Facility at Sidney High School.

The Potter-Dix girls have had an outstanding season with 14 wins and have earned a second seed in D1-12. The young Creek Valley Storm are the fifth seed in D1-12.

Though no brackets are out yet for Class B and there are still three games left on their schedule, the Sidney girls are a mathematical certainty to repeat as the top seed at their districts – which might also be held at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility.

First up is the NSAA District B-4 Wrestling Championships that will be held at the Nelson Center at Chadron State College on Friday and Saturday. The top four qualifiers in each weight class then move on to state at the Century Link Center in Omaha beginning on Thursday, Feb. 19 and running for three days.

As alluded to, the girls’ Class D subdistricts open up at various locations around the state on Monday. Boys’ subdistricts and girls’ Class B districts open up the following week with Colorado schools holding their boys’ and girls’ district basketball tournaments also. In the first two weeks of March, basketball takes center stage with Class B boys’ districts and state tournament for both boys’ and girls’ in Nebraska and Colorado.

With regards to Class D1 and D2 girls’ subdistricts, the No. 1 Warriors first game will be on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 5:30 p.m. They will meet the winner of Monday’s matchup between No. 5. Minatare (0-15) and No. 4 Banner County (2-15) at 7 p.m. The second game at Sidney High School on Tuesday will involve No. 3 South Platte (2-13) versus No. 2 Garden County (3-11) at 7 p.m.

It’s fair to say that the Lady Warriors are a huge favorite to get through to the district finals. The combined record of the other teams is 7-54. At 8-11 with one more game left to their regular season (tonight at Garden County), Leyton has more wins than the rest of the subdistrict combined.

The Potter-Dix Coyotes have earned a second seed in District D1-12. They will open up their subdistricts against the No. 3 Sutherland Lady Sailors (10-11) at the Auditorium in Ogallala on Feb. 17, at 7 p.m. While the Coyotes (14-4) are likely to get past Sutherland, their biggest impediment to a subdistrict crown are the top seeded Dundy County-Stratton Tigers.

The Tigers (22-0) are a traditional Class C2 school before their enrollment slipped this year placing them in Class D1. They are made it to the Class C2 quarterfinals at state last season. Dundy County is expected to return to Class C2 next season.

While head coach Jeff Eisnpahr has great respect for their program, he and assistant Lance Juelfs have been studying film on the Tigers. The head coach’s assessment: “They’re very good and we would have to be at our best, but it’s doable. But Sutherland first,” Einspahr said.

As for the Storm, they face the same challenge as Potter-Dix. Should Creek Valley get by Morrill in round one on Monday, they would go up against Dundy County-Stratton the next day.

As for the Class B districts, they’re scheduled to be played in McCook for boys and girls. However, the Bison girls are 5-14 and face a seed of either third or fourth. Gering and McCook are neck-and-neck in the NSAA points list with Alliance likely the fifth seed.

If or when McCook is eliminated, the venue for the districts is likely to move to Sidney – though no official announcement has been made. Sidney High activities director Mike Brockhaus said he has been asked if he would be willing to host districts. While he has answered “yes,” no official word has yet been made.

With the McCook boys also struggling this year and facing a potential early exit from the tournament, a similar scenario could play out in boys’ District B-6.

Stay tuned.