Ogallala Boys' defeat Columbus Lakeview in High School Varsity Basketball on Saturday, February 28th, 2026; Headed to State Tournament for fifth year in a row

(Photo Credit: Search "Basketball" or "Basketball Hoop Closeup" on Wix.com. Images in Media from Wix on Wix.com.)

(Editor's Note: All wild card points, rankings and won-lost records in this story were as of the morning of Monday, March 2nd, 2026, according to nsaahome.org!)

By: Evan Troxel

The Ogallala Indians High School Boys' Varsity Basketball team remained undefeated (25 wins, 0 losses) and defeated the Columbus Lakeview Vikings in the Class C1-1 District Final by a final score of 90 to 32 on Saturday afternoon, February 28th, 2026, at the Prairie View Gymnasium on the Steve Morgan Court in Ogallala, Nebraska.

In a game that didn't record a lot of fouls, Columbus Lakeview only recorded six fouls while Ogallala only recorded eight fouls by my tallies.

Columbus Lakeview finished the season with a won-lost record of 14 wins and 13 losses.

The Vikings finished the season with a positive point differential for the second straight season and they also won more games than they lost for the first time in 12 seasons (2013-14 season).

The Vikings averaged 51.59 points offensively and they averaged 47.70 points defensively for a point differential of +3.89 points.

Ogallala on the other hand has averaged 77.76 points offensively and they have averaged 44.92 points defensively for a point differential of +32.84 points.

This was the best performance of the entire season by Ogallala in terms of point differential (+58) up to this point since the very first game of the regular season when they beat Minden by 53 points.

Columbus Lakeview's Levi Hrouda officially led the Vikings with ten points. He made five two-point baskets.

Jackson Ceder scored eight points for the Vikings as he made one three and three free throws. Officially, he might be credited with ten points as Ogallala's Rylan Gilmore had a defensive goaltending in the third quarter against Jackson Ceder on a layup attempt by the Vikings basketball player. 

Ogallala's Edan Cain and Sawyer Smith each scored 22 points in their final High School Varsity basketball game ever in Ogallala.

Edan Cain and Sawyer Smith each made three three-pointers and one free throw. 

To start the game, Lincoln Gillen drained a three-pointer for Ogallala.

Then, Caleb Sloup, made a three for Columbus Lakeview.

Rylan Gilmore and Edan Cain then each made a three as well and Ogallala led 9 to 3.

The Indians played full court defense during the early stages and for much of the first quarter. 

Grayson Vogt then scored a two-pointer for the Vikings.

Tanner DeCastro then kept the three-pointers going for Ogallala and the Indians led 12 to 5 with 5:44 left in the first quarter.

After the three by DeCastro, the Ogallala fans were very much "pumped up" at that point as Ogallala started the game off with four straight offensive three-point makes which is something that I'm not sure happened at all in any High School home game or even any High School Varsity game of the entire season up to that point. 

Sawyer Smith then made a two-pointer, only the first of two free throws, and also made another two-point basket and Ogallala led 17 to 5 with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter.

Edan Cain and Tanner DeCastro each made a two-pointer with DeCastro getting a dunk for Ogallala!

The Indians forced Columbus Lakeview into a ten-second violation in the backcourt as Ogallala led 21 to 5 with 3:18 to go in the first quarter at that point.

Sawyer Smith and Lincoln Gillen kept the pressure on by each making a three for Ogallala and the Indians led 27 to 5 with 2:18 remaining in the first quarter.

Levi Hrouda then made a dunk (it at least mostly looked like a dunk) for Columbus Lakeview to end Ogallala's 18-point scoring run.

Tanner DeCastro made another two for Ogallala.

Levi Hrouda then made a two two-pointer and missed a free throw immediately afterward, and then made another two-pointer for the Vikings.

Ogallala led over Columbus Lakeview 29 to 11 after one quarter.

To start the second quarter, Edan Cain made a two-pointer and then a free throw immediately afterwards for Ogallala and then he also tacked on two more points and Ogallala led 34 to 11 with 6:09 to go in the second quarter.

Caleb Sloup then "swished" a three for Columbus Lakeview! That was Sloup's second three-pointer of the game for the Vikings! 

Sawyer Smith then made his second three of the game for Ogallala.

Jackson Ceder then made a three for Columbus Lakeview and Ogallala led by 20, 37 to 17 with 4:33 remaining in the first half.

Sawyer Smith and Lincoln Gillen each scored two more points for the Indians and Ogallala led 41 to 17 with 3:01 left in the second quarter.

Grayson Vogt then made two free throws for the Vikings.

Lincoln Gillen made a two-pointer and then freshman Rhys Gilmore made back-to-back two point makes for Ogallala and the Indians led 47 to 19.

Tanner DeCastro then scored a quick seven points for the Indians before the end of the first half by making a two-pointer, a three-point shot and another two-point basket.

Ogallala led 54 to 19 after two quarters at halftime.

The Indians limited Columbus Lakeview to 11 points in the first quarter and just eight points in the second quarter.

Ogallala scored 29 points in the first quarter and 25 points in the second quarter, for an average by quarter of 27 points in this game so far.

Levi Hrouda and Caleb Sloup each scored six points as the top scorers for Columbus Lakeview in the first half.

Ogallala's Tanner DeCastro scored 14 points in the first half, while the other top scorers for the Indians were Sawyer Smith with 13 points and Edan Cain and Lincoln Gillen each scored ten points.

To start the third quarter, Sawyer Smith scored two points for Ogallala.

Then, Jackson Ceder made three straight free throws and he "swished" the second free throw for Columbus Lakeview.

Jackson scored a two-pointer for the Vikings and the Indians led 56 to 24 with 5:14 remaining in the third quarter.

Edan Cain then made a two for Ogallala.

Levi Hrouda scored a two-point basket for Columbus Lakeview and the score was 58 to 26 in favor of Ogallala at that point.

Ogallala then scored the next seven points.

Sawyer Smith scored a two-pointer, Rhys Gilmore hit a three-point basket and Smith scored a two again for the Indians.

Jackson Ceder then attempted to make a two-point layup on the left side, but was swatted by Ogallala's Rylan Gilmore for a defensive goaltend and Columbus Lakeview was awarded two points.

At this point, the Indians led the Vikings 65 to 28.

Sawyer Smith then made a two-point basket for the Indians.

With Ogallala on the verge of the 40-point lead rule where there is a running clock for the remainder of the game (which includes during free throws), Sawyer Smith wanted to be the one who committed the dagger.

Unfortunately for Smith, he ran with the basketball through the paint from right to left near and to the left post area and committed an offensive foul against Columbus Lakeview's Parker Osten!

At that point of the game, Sawyer Smith picked up his fourth personal foul of the game, which is something he hasn't done very often in his High School Varsity basketball career.

That play was one of the few extremely positive plays for Columbus Lakeview on Saturday afternoon.

Levi Hrouda then made a two-pointer for the Vikings and after three quarters Ogallala led 67 to 30.

To start quarter number four, Edan Cain made a two-pointer for Ogallala.

Then, Rhys Gilmore, the standout freshman, got to get Ogallala at or above 40 points with a two-pointer of his own and there was a running game clock for the remainder of the game which means the clock only stops during timeouts and whenever the referees really want the game clock to stop, at their discretion.

Tanner DeCastro then made his only two-pointer of the entire second half and he also made a free throw immediately after that to complete the three-point play.

Ogallala led 74 to 30 at this point with 5:49 remaining in the Indians final home game of the entire season.

Sawyer Smith then made a three-pointer, as it was his last points ever in Ogallala in a High School Varsity game.

Edan Cain then made a three for the Indians and Ogallala was up by 50 points, 80 to 30. 

Lincoln Gillen made two free throws for Ogallala.

Edan Cain then made the next five points for the Indians, his final points in Ogallala in a High School Varsity game.

Edan made a three-pointer from the right 45 degree angle and then he also made a two-pointer and Ogallala led 87 to 30.

Columbus Lakeview finally scored in the fourth quarter as Kayden Epley, who didn't play very much on Saturday afternoon (along with many of the other backups and third-stringers for Columbus Lakeview), made a two-pointer for the Vikings.

Ogallala led 87 to 32 with 2:07 left in the fourth quarter.

At this point, Ogallala called timeout to substitute, meaning the referees allowed the game clock to be stopped. 

The five players who got to be on the floor for Ogallala for a few plays were the senior, star-player and probably first-team everything important/extremely notable in the entire state of Nebraska (or at least in Class C1) in basketball which was Sawyer Smith, and then it was two pairs of brothers who are freshman and their older brothers are seniors, Beckan and Edan Cain and Rhys and Rylan Gilmore.

What a moment for those guys even if it was only for a minute.

Beckan Cain, the freshman, got a chance to make a three from the left corner but couldn't connect for the Indians.

Rhys Gilmore, was the other freshman brother for Ogallala, as previously noted in this story. 

Then, after the Ogallala seniors on the floor at that time got taken out of the game, the seniors Blake Robb and Jacob Fanning got to be in the game briefly.

Blake Robb shot a three I believe and couldn't get it to go in, but at least he got a chance to shoot once in his final Varsity game in Ogallala.

For Ogallala, Zach Musgrove, the junior who will probably be playing in Varsity games at least a little bit next season as a senior (as probably the 6th through 13th man) as he is very much a three-point threat, Anthony Perrin, the sophomore who should get significantly more time playing in Varsity games as a junior next year (as probably the 6th through 13th man, if he isn't starting), and Easton Knispel, the freshman, all got to play a little bit in the final minutes of the game.  

Columbus Lakeview then called timeout to substitute with 1:00 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Wiley Krab then got to make a three from straightaway behind the arc for Ogallala as that was one of his first points in a Varsity home game for the sophomore as I'm not sure he scored once in a Varsity game all season at home.

Ogallala won the game 90 to 32.

Columbus Lakeview scored 11 points in the third quarter and just two in the fourth quarter.

Ogallala scored 13 points in the third quarter and 23 points in the fourth quarter.

The Columbus Lakeview Vikings, who didn't lose a game by more than 24 points all season before this game, unfortunately for them, had to play Nebraska's only undefeated team in Boys' High School Varsity basketball up to this point, in the District Final, and the final score of this game showed they clearly weren't prepared to seriously compete against a team like Ogallala for four quarters. 

Ogallala, on the other hand, is making it to the State Tournament for the fifth straight year, and they have been to the State Tournament in seven out of eight years during the Andy Gillen/Carter Brown era.

Carter Brown, the Ogallala High School Graduate in 2020, is in his first season as head coach for Ogallala, as I believe he was playing college basketball in each of the previous five years.   

For Columbus Lakeview, Caleb Sloup scored six points. He made two three-pointers.

Grayson Vogt scored four points. He made two free throws.

Kayden Epley scored two points on a two-pointer for the Vikings.

Columbus Lakeview is currently ranked 29th in Class C1 according to nsaahome.org with 40.9259 wild card points.

For Ogallala, Tanner DeCastro scored 17 points. He made two three-pointers and one free throw. 

Lincoln Gillen scored 12 points. He made two three-pointers and two free throws.

Rhys Gilmore scored nine points. He made one three-pointer.

Rylan Gilmore, the senior, and Wiley Krab, each made a three-pointer and totaled three points.

Briefly looking ahead to next season for Ogallala...

Cy Lowery, the 6 foot 7 inch junior, post player (I guess), and a guy who can dunk the basketball, has a strong chance to be a Varsity starter next year and will likely be the first or second guy off the bench like this season (due to his game experience and improvement this season) if he doesn't start at the Varsity level next season for Ogallala.

Lowery, along with Rhys Gilmore, has significant and meaningful game experience at the Varsity level, that basically no one else on Ogallala has except for this season's starters who should be here next year (unless something unforeseen happens) named Tanner DeCastro and Lincoln Gillen. 

Drew Patin, who has barely played High School basketball at all due to injury for Ogallala, and hasn't played at all this season, is a sophomore this year and will likely be a junior next year as probably a post player, and possibly could be competing for a starting spot on the Varsity roster...if he can stay healthy whenever he's back to full strength.

Drew Patin, I'm sure will be playing a lot of Junior Varsity basketball at the start of next season, just to get more repetitions with his teammates.

Jacoby Bauer, as everyone in Ogallala knows, possibly could be on the Ogallala basketball squad again next season, and will likely be eligible to play Varsity basketball next season (if he stays in Ogallala, unlike this season as he played Varsity football for Alliance in the fall of 2025) and likely will be a Junior Varsity starter next year and will probably be on the Varsity squad as a backup if he doesn't start. 

Ogallala had a strong group of 8th graders this season who will be freshman in the fall of 2026 and at least one of them possibly could be competing for a starting job on the Varsity roster if the stars align and Ogallala has more guys than they expect to be hurt at the start of High School basketball season again in late November/early December 2026.

Looking ahead to the State Tournament, Ogallala looks like they are probably going to play Lincoln Christian in the first round if Cozad and Auburn (a few of the top teams in the state in Class C1) win today on March 2nd, 2026.

Ogallala (now 25-0) is currently ranked 1st in Class C1 according to nsaahome.org with 47.9600 wild card points on Monday morning, March 2nd, 2026. 

#12 Lincoln Christian defeated #5 Bridgeport on Saturday, 65 to 55. 

Lincoln Christian is currently ranked 10th in Class C1 according to nsaahome.org on the morning on March 2nd, 2026, with a won-lost record of 18-8 and 43.7692 wild card points.

Lincoln Christian has averaged 55.54 points offensively and averaged 47.77 points defensively for a point differential of +7.77 points.

Bridgeport is currently ranked 8th in Class C1 and they finish the season 22-6 and currently with 44.5357 wild card points. 

Gothenburg and Ashland-Greenwood also won their District Finals on Saturday, February 28th.

#8 Gothenburg defeated #9 Doniphan-Trumbull, 52 to 48, so Ogallala won't be getting beat this year by the team who ended Ogallala's state title hopes last year (Doniphan-Trumbull).

Gothenburg, now 20-6, has 44.5385 wild card points and is currently ranked 7th.

Gothenburg has averaged 58 points offensively and averaged 45.27 points defensively for a point differential of +12.73 points.

Doniphan-Trumbull, now 20-5, is ranked 12th with 43.7200 wild card points.

#2 Ashland-Greenwood won 71 to 26 over #15 Adams Central.

Ashland-Greenwood (now 25-1, and with their only loss to Ogallala), is ranked second in Class C1 according to nsaahome.org with 46.8462 wild card points. 

Ashland-Greenwood has averaged 60.11 points offensively and averaged 35.54 points defensively for a point differential of +24.57 points.

Adams Central, now 15-10, is currently ranked 15th according to the NSAA with 42.9200 wild card points.

The other four games and the other four teams in Class C1 to punch their ticket to the State Tournament will play their District Final games today on Monday, March 2nd, 2026.

Those games are:

#14 Syracuse will play #3 Cozad at 6:00 p.m. Central Time (5:00 p.m. Mountain Time)

#10 Winnebago will play #7 Douglas County West at 6:00 p.m. Central Time (5:00 p.m. Mountain Time)

#13 Omaha Concordia will play #4 Auburn at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (5:30 p.m. Mountain Time)

#11 Mount Michael Benedictine will play #6 Grand Island Central Catholic at 6:30 p.m. Central Time (5:30 p.m. Mountain Time)

If there are any upsets today, #1 Ogallala will most likely play #14 Syracuse, #13 Omaha Concordia or maybe even #11 Mount Michael Benedictine in the first round of the State Tournament if any of those teams don't leapfrog Lincoln Christian for a higher ranking.

Ogallala, probably has the best chance to play Syracuse right now based on the wild card points standings, if Syracuse wins today.

As of right now, Syracuse won over Cozad 60 to 53 and Douglas County West destroyed Winnebago 61 to 36.

Auburn defeated Omaha Concordia 50 to 44. Grand Island Central Catholic won 47 to 42 over Mount Michael Benedictine.

Be sure to stay tuned to my content for possibly a State Basketball Tournament preview for not only the Boys' teams but also the Girls' teams in Class C1 as well!

...

If you really believe in free speech, please follow me on Gab.com at Gab.com/Evan_Troxel immediately. I have posted the final scores and the top scorers after nearly every single Ogallala High School Girls' and Boys' Varsity basketball game so far this season.