Three-peats for Omaha Skutt and Johnson-Brock and a historic first for Papio South
By Tony Chapman – For the Nebraska School Activities Association
A pair of three-peats and Papillion-La Vista South’s historic first title capped championship weekend at the 2025 Nebraska boys state basketball championships on Saturday at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
PLVS (Class A) won their first title in the 22-year history of the school with a 61-58 win over Omaha Westside. Omaha Skutt Catholic (Class B) and Johnson-Brock (Class D-1) each completed a three-peat of titles with their wins over Scottsbluff and Howells-Dodge. In Class C-2, Archbishop Bergan became the first eight-seed to win a state title since 2009 and their nine losses on the season were the most by a C-2 champion in class history.
Other titles were earned by Ashland-Greenwood (Class C-1), their third in four years and St. Mary’s (Class D-2).
All-Class State Tournament Bracket
CLASS A: Remember the Titans; a historic first for Papio South
Nothing came easy for Papillion-La Vista South in winning their first state basketball championship in school history on Saturday afternoon at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
The Titans – who survived a hard-fought game with Millard North in the semifinals – got off to a perfect start, saw Omaha Westside fight back in the third quarter, before they sealed their 61-58 win with three Bryson Bahl free throws with 9.8 seconds left.
The win was not only historic for PLVS as a school, but gave long-time coach Joel Hueser – the only coach in the school’s 22-year history – his first title as well.
“It was a fantastic game, Westside gave us everything they had,” coach Hueser said. “They had a great second half, but I just loved our response especially in the fourth quarter when we needed some stops we got them.
“And, obviously, we got some big buckets from our players.”
The Titans got off to a near perfect start as they led 32-20 at the half. Bahl scored 15 points in the first 16 minutes. South held Westside without a field goal over the final 4:15 of the half and finished on a 10-2 run.
But Westside had plenty left. Trell Snoddy, Carson Healy and Tyson Odvody had 17 of the Warriors 23 points in the third quarter and they held the Titans to just 13 as they cut the lead to 45-43 heading to the final eight minutes.
“I am very proud of how our kids fought in the second half,” Warrior coach Jim Simons said. “They came together and fought.”
Snoddy opened the fourth quarter with a triple to give Westside a 47-46 lead but then PLVS got a 5-0 run from Jayden Herrera that gave them a 50-46 lead with 5:35 left that they never gave back, though it was close the rest of the way.
Healy scored in the paint with 42 seconds left to cut the lead to 57-56 and Westside opted to play out the next Titan possession. But, Healy fouled Bahl on a 3-point attempt in the left corner that set up his game-sealing free throws – he was 20-for-20 from the line during the tournament.
“I am not going to lie and tell you I wasn’t nervous,” Bahl said with a smile. “In the past I have had those free throws and missed them. That was in the back of my mind. I just tried to calm down and take a deep breath.”
Westside, which ended their season 24-5, got 15 points each from Lee Robinson and Emre Gedik. Snoddy ended with 12. The Warriors were seeking their first title since 1980.
Bahl’s 21 points capped a 75-point state tournament. Herrera had 17 points and point guard Reece Kircher added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for the champions, which finished 26-3.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Papillon-La Vista 76-58; def. Millard North 61-57; def. Omaha Westside 61-58.
THE BAHL WAY: Bahl, the younger brother of Nebraska standout softball pitcher Jordy Bahl, was happy he and his teammates could win one for his coach. “It’s been amazing, better than anything I could have imagined,” Bahl said. “To win one for Coach Hueser and doing it for all the coaches is amazing.”
“He’s a special player,” his coach said. “He is wired to win. It’s the Bahl way. There are just great, great competitive spirits in them. It’s contagious.”
COACH SPEAK: This group of PLVS seniors had lost in three straight district finals, and not reached the state tournament yet. It was something they tried to use to their advantage as the season went on.
“We have a saying, ‘A hammer shatters glass but forges steel,’” Hueser said. “Those three years – especially the last two were just anguish, heartbreaking – and, yet, what didn’t happen was these guys fragmenting apart. Everyday from August to now, they have put in the work. I am just so proud of them for doing hard things.”
Final Game Box Score | Class A Final Bracket
CLASS B: For Skutt, a triple – and a double
In winning their third straight Class B state championship, Omaha Skutt now has the longest run in class history since the Wahoo juggernaut of 1988-1991. On Saturday evening, the Skyhawks – finally – wore out Scottsbluff 64-49 after the Bearcats battled toe-to-toe for the game’s first 24 minutes.
They also added a rare boy-girl basketball double for the school as the Skutt Catholic girls won their first state title at last week’s girls state tournament.
But things didn’t come easy for Skutt. While they breezed past Douglas County West in the opening round, they got a putback basket from George Ziebell with 0.5 seconds left to survive Norris in the semifinals. In the title game, they worked through an early surge from the Bearcats before outlasting them in the fourth quarter.
“First off, hats off to Scottsbluff on a great, great season,” Skutt coach Kyle Jurgens said. “They came out of the gates just raring to go. Offensively, they are scary.”
In the end, however, it was Skutt that had just enough.
Leading 48-44, they opened the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run and didn’t allow a Bearcat basket until 2:55 remained in the contest. They scored the first nine of those points in the opening 1:52 of the final stanza. Triples from Kyle Cannon and Dylan VanDyke with a subsequent dunk by Brock Scholl threw the Skyhawk crowd into a frenzy.
“Going in, we thought our size could be a factor,” Jurgens said. “I think late in the game we wore them down a little bit. That helped us stretch the lead. But, ultimately for us it comes down to defense and some of the stops we got early in the fourth quarter were the difference in the game.”
Scottsbluff coach Scott Gullion agreed.
“They just wore us down with their size and athleticism,” he said.
The Bearcats, which finished 25-4, roared out to a 16-9 first quarter lead, but Skutt settled in for a 30-26 halftime advantage and maintained that edge to the final eight minutes. Nate Kelley scored 12 points and dished five assists for Scottsbluff with John Boswell adding 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Skutt had four players in double figures with Ziebell and Scholl – both 6’9” – combining for 32 points, 23 rebounds and six blocks. Kyle Cannon had 14 points and Dylan VanDyke – the Skutt quarterback for their state championship in November – added 11 points and seven assists.
The Skyhawks won their seventh title in school history, all since 2006.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Douglas County West 71-31; def. Norris 51-49; def. Scottsbluff 64-49.
PERFECT COMBINATION: “Finishing it off as a senior means a lot,” VanDyke said. “We could not have done this without our coaches. The way they prep, the way they push us and hold us accountable. There is no other coaching staff like that in the state. And, we have competitive guys, so when you have all that and you come together you can win championships.”
COACH SPEAK: The Skyhawks defeated Scottsbluff 72-58 in the championship game of the Doane Holiday Tournament in late December. Jurgens said the matchup helped in the state tournament setting.
“It does help (to have played before),” Jurgens said. “When you play three days in a row, there is just not a lot of prep time. It was nice knowing who we would play because you already have a scouting report. You are just never sure what they will do (differently).”
Final Game Box Score | Class B Final Bracket
CLASS C-1: Defensive turnaround spurs Bluejay title run
In recommitting to playing “Ashland-Greenwood” defense in early February, the Bluejays turned themselves into state champions. On Saturday morning, A-G won their third title in four seasons with a 53-39 win over Omaha Concordia.
It was a result that seemed improbable when they lost three in a row and four in a six-game stretch in late January.
“These guys have grown a lot this year,” A-G head coach Jacob Mohs said. “I don’t know that any of us envisioned this at the start and maybe even midway through (the season). But something clicked and they started to learn and really turn it on in early February.
“Once they got here to the state tournament, their confidence and the things they had learned through those rough stretches just blossomed.”
In the title game, the Bluejays blew off any early jitters by sprinting to a 12-4 lead after one quarter and then 21-10 at the break. They never trailed.
“A start is huge,” Mohs said. “It builds confidence and relaxes you.”
The Jays paired their defense with a physical, attacking offense that got the ball inside and frowned on three-point shots throughout the tournament. They shot just 20 times from distance over three games, but made eight.
The two they made on Saturday came in a decisive fourth quarter that kept the Mustangs just far enough away. Concordia had cut the halftime advantage to 29-23 after three quarters, but Derek Tonjes opened the fourth quarter with a 3-point basket for a 32-23 lead.
Later, after the Mustangs had fought back to 34-28, Cal Kissinger hit a long one for another nine-point lead. Concordia would get no closer the rest of the contest. In all, the Bluejays scored 28 points in the paint and outrebounded Concordia 34-20.
Kissinger and Cooper Westerhold each scored 16 points for the winners, who have just one senior on their roster. Derek Tonjes added 13 points and six rebounds. Andrew Kulus and Jackson Thrasher each had 14 points for the Mustangs, which finished 23-5.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Cozad 60-45; def. Lincoln Lutheran 54-47; def. Omaha Concordia 53-39.
COOPER’S COMEBACK: At a regular doctor check up before school this year, Westerhold thought he might be done playing basketball when a benign bone tumor was discovered on his femur. While it caused no pain, surgery was required to prevent a break.
”Why me?,” Westerhold said, of the injury. “But, now I wouldn’t want it any other way. I have full belief that if it wouldn’t have happened to me then I wouldn’t be here today.”
Westerhold scored 14, 14 and 16 points in the Bluejays three wins.
COACH SPEAK: “We told them at the beginning of the year that this team would have the biggest room to grow, with new faces and a youthful team,” Mohs said. “We weren’t sure how high they were going to get, but somehow they reached the top. It’s a credit to the great kids in our program. They executed all their roles at a high, high level”
Final Game Box Score | Final Class C-1 Bracket
CLASS C-2: Young Knights surprise their way to title
A halftime change to pick up the pace was just what the young Archbishop Bergan basketball team needed to flip the script on defending a bigger Cross County team.
Trailing 25-24 at the half, and with post Gavin Baker saddled with three fouls, head coach Ryan Mlnarik used the break to switch the Knights defense in an effort to speed up the pace of the game.
It worked in spades, as the Knights took the lead halfway through the third period en route to their 53-43 championship game victory over the Cougars who were making their first state championship game appearance in school history.
“We had a really hard time guarding them in a man (defense),” Mlnarik said. “They really got to the rim and got Gavin into foul trouble. We were on our heels. I did not like the pace of the game. We decided to run that 2-2-1 (zone press) back into the 2-3 (zone).
“We have not run that all year. We have done it in practice a couple of times. We just said, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’”
After Thatcher Hanson’s 3-point basket tied the game at 30 with 4:01 left in the period, the pressure finally got to the Cougars as Bergan finished the quarter on a 10-2 run for a 40-32 lead. When the run grew to 16-4 over the first four minutes of the final frame, the Knights were on the way to their first state title since 2014.
In the end, Mlnarik’s change was just what the Knights needed. They scored 14 points off turnovers in the second half with backcourt mates Trey Mooney and Cale Sheets combining for 25 points, 15 rebounds and seven steals. Baker ended with 16 points and six rebounds.
Cross County got 12 points and 11 rebounds from Wyatt Hengelfelt and finished the season 26-3, a school record for wins, while improving on their third place finish from 2024. For Bergan, their nine losses were the most ever by a Class C-2 champion.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Freeman 51-49; def. Summerland 64-48; def. Cross County 53-48.
A LITTLE EARLY: In winning the title, the Knights were the first team to win the tournament as an 8-seed since Mead won Class D-1 in 2009. And they did it with no seniors on their roster.
“If I am being completely honest, I didn’t even know if we’d be in the state tournament,” Mooney said. “I knew we had the potential to be a contender. I figured in the next couple of years we’d build on this year and go into next year and our senior year and be down here. But, being down here (this week) was amazing.”
COACH SPEAK: “After every single one of those nine losses, I think we found a way to learn something,” Mlnarik said. “You win some of those ugly games, some ones that you squeak by and you just kind of put it in your back pocket and move forward. But the games we lost really hurt. I think we learned some things from each one of those games.”
Final Game Box Score | Final Class C-2 Bracket
CLASS D-1: Three times is charming for Johnson-Brock
Winning plays.
For three years now, Johnson-Brock has been making them on the big stage in state championship games. On Saturday they did it all over again in winning their third straight Class D-1 state championship with a 61-46 win over Howells-Dodge.
“We knew Howells-Dodge would be a well coached, physical team,” said J-B coach Lucus Dalinghaus. “They did a great job of disguising their defense with constant switching and we struggled to get good looks. When we needed stops and we needed scores our kids stepped up.
“I am just so proud of these guys.”
Much like their semifinal game with McCool Junction on Friday, the Eagles were in a battle for the first half and then some. But, just like the semifinals, a late surge spurred them to victory.
The Eagles led 30-24 at the break and saw Howells-Dodge trim the lead to 30-29 with 5:55 left in the third period. But, Johnson-Brock always had an answer. By the end of the third quarter, they pushed the lead to 40-32 after holding the Jaguars scoreless over the final 3:53 of the period.
When Brody Koehler scored with 5:15 left they led 46-36 and the Jaguars were never within single digits for the remainder of the contest.
Camden Dalinghaus led Johnson-Brock with 20 points, five rebounds and four assists while twin brother Casen had 14 and Brody Koelher had 13. Howells-Dodge, which ended the season 24-6, was led by Hunter Luther who had 10 points and five rebounds.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Elmwood-Murdock 73-32; def. McCool Junction 53-36; def. Howells-Dodge 61-46.
EXTRA MILES: Coach Dalinghaus said this Eagles group spent a lot of time in vehicles playing summer basketball and going to team camps. “This summer we went to Kearney and played some Class A, B and C-1 schools,” the coach said. “We were able to compete there. We took them to Kansas City and went 4-0 against some tough competition. We have been doing that since these kids were in third and fourth grade because we knew it would pay off down the road.”
COACH SPEAK: “I am just so proud of my guys,” Howells-Dodge coach Kevin Janata said. “We knew we had to play close to perfect to have a chance. We were pretty close to it in the first half and we had it to one in the third quarter. I just think we ran out of gas; it’s a long weekend. And, (Johnson-Brock) picked it up a notch.”
Final Game Box Score | Class D-1 Final Bracket
CLASS D-2: Cardinals slowly pull away from Wynot, win second title
With St. Mary’s and Wynot running up and down the court in the Class D-2 title game, it was the Cardinals who did just enough as they slowly pulled away from the Blue Devils for a 63-51 win and their second state title in school history.
“I am just so proud of these guys. Everyone from top to bottom put in a lot of work this year,” St. Mary’s coach Luke Bulau said. “Wynot – hats off to them – what a storied program. They came out and played hard. You can tell they had a great game plan and it was a game that could go either way. They shot the ball real well.”
With Logan Brabec and Ben Barlow combining for three 3-point baskets and 18 points in the first half the Cardinals were able to lead 28-25. But, when they got all-state forward Gage Hedstrom going in the second half, they pulled away.
Hedstrom scored 15 of his 17 points after the break and, after making just 1-of-10 shots in the first 16 minutes, he was 6-of-9 in the second half. He also added 10 rebounds and five assists in the championship game.
Hedstrom’s conventional 3-point play kicked off a 5-0 spurt that also included a Barlow breakaway layup and gave St. Mary’s their first double digit lead at 40-30. Hedstrom’s triple with 5:12 left gave the Cardinals a 55-41 lead and was their last field goal of the game. They did the rest of their damage from the free throw line.
Wynot, which ended the season 21-8, got 19 points and 10 rebounds from Justin Heimes. The Blue Devils were at state for the fifth consecutive season and also played for the title in 2023.
ROAD TO THE TITLE: def. Silver Lake 50-34; def. Archangels Catholic 59-46; def. Wynot 63-51.
CHANGING COURSE: At last year’s state tournament, Wynot defeated St. Mary’s 53-21 in the first round. “After that loss, I for sure went home and got in the gym,” Hedstrom said. “It was one of the worst feelings I have ever had and I didn’t want to feel it again. (Our team) goes to the gym in the morning sometimes. It was a big motivating factor.”
COACH SPEAK: “A lot of off-season work. These guys are gym rats,” Bulau said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if when we got home they asked me for the key to the gym. But, I’d like them to enjoy this a little bit first. They come to work, they punch the clock and get after it. Every one of these guys know their role on this team.
Final Game Box Score | Final Class D-2 Bracket
Tony Chapman is a freelance writer based in Grand Island. He has written for multiple Nebraska daily and weekly newspapers. His weekly Harvest Sports Newsletter covers a wide variety of Nebraska prep sports.