Boys' BB: Ogallala defeats Gothenburg in Boys' Varsity Basketball; Gothenburg wins the Junior Varsity Game

(Photo Credit: Wallpapercave.com)

By: Evan Troxel

The Ogallala Indians High School Varsity Boys' basketball team defeated the Gothenburg Swedes 87 to 64 at the Steve Morgan Court in the Prairie View Gymnasium in Ogallala, Nebraska, on Friday night, February 22nd, 2025.

Braden Ehlers exclusively led the scoring for Gothenburg with 13 points. He made three three-pointers and two free throws.

Sawyer Smith again led the scoring for Ogallala as he tacked on 31 points. He made just three free throws and four three-pointer baskets. Smith also made eight two point shots.

Gothenburg hung with Ogallala for much of the first quarter as it was tied at 14 apiece with 3:03 left to go in the first quarter.

The Swedes three-point shooting gave Gothenburg a lead or kept it close in the first quarter thanks to three-point shots made by Braden Ehlers and Landon Mroczek.

Ogallala then led 20 to 14 at the end of the first quarter.

Sawyer Smith was limited to just a two-point basket in the first quarter for Ogallala.

Scoring was difficult for about the first two-thirds of the second quarter as Gothenburg trailed Ogallala 21 to 29 with 2:43 to go in the second quarter.

The score at halftime was Ogallala 35 and Gothenburg 26.

Lincoln Gillen scored all of his points in the first half for Ogallala making five three-pointers which totals 15 points.

Both teams defenses couldn't stop the scoring as well in the second half as they did in the first half.

Gothenburg scored 17 points in the third quarter while Ogallala scored 22 points in the third quarter and the Indians led 57 to 43 after three quarters.

Both teams scored their most points in a quarter in the third quarter until after the fourth quarter.

I believe Ogallala led 62 to 45 with 7:21 left in the fourth quarter.

Ogallala kept their starters in the game until about more than two minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Ogallala's non-starters couldn't stop Gothenburg for about the next minute of the game and Ogallala's head coach Andy Gillen decided that the starters needed to go back in the game to finish the game quicker even though Ogallala basically had the game won at that point in which I believe they led 78 to 60.

Sawyer Smith tacked on at least five additional points with less than two minutes in the game and Ogallala won 87 to 64.

Gothenburg's Landon Mroczek scored 12 points. He made three three-pointers and three free throws.

Jackson Daum scored eight points. He made four free throws.

Jackson Schwanz scored seven points including making one free throw.

Boone Tederman made two threes and totaled six points.

Kingston Koehn made a three-pointer and totaled five points.

Tunney Grigg made a three-point basket.

Bryson Neels also scored three points, including a free throw.

Logan Feather and Axel Jorgenson each made a two-point basket.

Kash Koehn made two free throws and totaled two points.

Caden Neels scored one point by making a free throw.

For Ogallala, Rylan Gilmore scored 17 points. He made six free throws and a three-pointer. The rest of his points were two-point shots.

Gilmore made most of his points in the second half.

Again, Lincoln Gillen scored 15 points on five three-pointers for Ogallala.

Edan Cain made six of his eight points total from the free throw line.

Drew Patin scored seven points including a free throw.

Tanner DeCastro scored six points, including making two free throws.

Cy Lowery made a two-point basket.

Jacob Fanning scored one point by making a free throw.

Gothenburg now has 9 wins and 12 losses in the regular season.

Gothenburg will start the C1-9 subdistrict play at Fillmore Central High School on Monday, February 24th, 2025, where they will take on the #5 seeded St. Paul at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Gothenburg is the #4 seed.

The winner of that game will play #1 Fillmore Central on Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. Central Time.

#3 Centura will play #2 Doniphan-Trumbull approximately at least 20 minutes after the St. Paul or Gothenburg vs. Fillmore Central game concludes at approximately 7:00 p.m. Central Time.

The C1-9 subdistrict championship game will be played at 7:00 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, February 27th, 2025.

As of 11:15 a.m. Mountain Time on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025, Gothenburg is ranked 30th in Class C-1 currently according to the nsaahome.org's wild card point system.

Gothenburg has 40.8095 wild card points right now.

Gothenburg will most likely need to win their subdistrict tournament to have any chance at all of reaching a District Final and being one of the final 16 teams in Class C1.

Ogallala now has 21 wins and 1 loss heading into the early rounds of the playoffs (subdistricts) next week.

As of 11:15 a.m. Mountain Time on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025, Ogallala is ranked 2nd in Class C-1 currently according to the nsaahome.org's wild card point system.

Ogallala has 46.1818 wild card points right now.

Due to a very successful regular season, Ogallala has likely already qualified for a District Final in Class C-1 which is the final 16 teams in the state of Nebraska in Class C-1 in the playoffs/postseason.

Ogallala will most likely be the #1 or #2 wild card team in Class C-1 if they don't win the Class C1-10 subdistrict tournament and automatically qualify for a District Final by winning the subdistrict tournament as a result.

Ogallala is the #1 overall seed in the Class C1-10 subdistrict tournament and all games of the Class C1-10 subdistrict tournament are expected to be played at the Prairie View Gymnasium in Ogallala, Nebraska.

On Monday, February 24th, 2025, #4 seeded Chadron will play #5 Valentine at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time, while #3 seeded Bridgeport will play #6 Mitchell at approximately 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time and/or at least 20 minutes after the Chadron-Valentine game concludes.

On Tuesday, February 25th, 2025, Ogallala will play the winner of Chadron and Valentine at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Time while #2 seeded Sidney will play the winner of Bridgeport and Mitchell at approximately 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time and/or at least 20 minutes after the Chadron or Valentine vs. Ogallala game concludes.

The C1-10 championship game will be on Thursday, February 27th, 2025, will be at 6:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

In the Boys' Junior Varsity game, Gothenburg defeated Ogallala 33 to 25 in two quarters.

Gothenburg's Jhett Daum scored a team high 11 points. He made five free throws.

Ogallala's Drew Patin scored a team high 9 points and that included making a three-pointer.

Gothenburg led 9 to 2 with 4:22 left in the first quarter.

I believe Tunney Grigg made a three-pointer from the right 45 degree angle to end the first quarter and it gave Gothenburg a 14 to 12 lead over Ogallala as a result.

Gothenburg led 20 to 12 with 5:56 left and 5:24 left in the 2nd quarter.

Ogallala trailed with 3:04 left in the 2nd quarter 25 to 18.

Gothenburg led 27 to 22 with 1:30 left in the second (and final) quarter.

Ogallala was still behind with 29.4 seconds left in the second quarter 33 to 25 and Gothenburg won the two-quarter game 33 to 25.

Gothenburg's Logan Feather scored 10 points (8 points for sure. I believe Dillon Floyd made a two-point basket if it isn't going to be officially given to Logan Feather). Feather made a three-point shot and three free throws.

Thayne O'Hare scored seven points including three free throw makes.

Again, Tunney Grigg made a three-point shot.

Burke Finke made a two-point shot for Gothenburg.

For Ogallala, Jacob Fanning scored eight points by making four two-point buckets.

Anthony Perrin made three two-pointers and totaled six points.

Cy Lowery made two free throws which totals two points for Ogallala.