As regular-season games go, they didn't come much bigger than Saturday night's contest between Seward and Wahoo Neumann.
Props to fans for understanding that and coming out in large numbers to see it played.
A crowd of about 2,000 jammed into the Seward gym to watch the teams with the longest winning strings in the state. The Bluejays were riding a 40-game streak and the Cavaliers had won 33 in a row.
The fans were there just to see that girls game. There was no big boys game afterward that might have inflated the attendance.
It was just the kind of game Seward coach Tom Tvrdy imagined when he and Neumann coach Rick Ahrens talked last year about getting it on the schedule. The Bluejays won the Class B state title in 2009 while the Cavaliers captured C-1.
“We knew it had the potential to be a big one,” Tvrdy said. “As it turned out, it was even bigger than we had hoped.”
So big that Tvrdy had to park far away from the gym because all the choice spots were taken. So big that this reporter had to park in an adjacent church parking lot, and I was lucky to get a spot there.
The point is that there have been a number of quality games this season, but the fans and students haven't come out in force like they did Saturday night. Tvrdy, in his ninth season as Seward's head coach, said that is one of the great things about his stint with the Bluejays.
“The support here has always been tremendous,” he said. “We always draw good crowds, and I know that the players and coaches are thankful for that.”
Tvrdy coached for three years at Class A Fremont before taking the Seward job, and says there is a difference in the level of support between Class A and B.
“Class B schools seem like the ideal-sized communities,” he said. “I just didn't see a lot of support from many of the big schools we played in Class A.”
Tvrdy said he remembered a game when he was at Fremont between his Tigers and Lincoln Northeast. The Rockets were a Top 10 team and Fremont had just gotten ranked earlier that week, so Tvrdy said he was expecting a big crowd.
That crowd never materialized.
“I looked around before the game and said to myself, ‘Where is everybody?'” he said. “It was very disappointing, and I think that goes back to the size of the cities you're talking about.”
In my mind, Saturday night was an example of all that is good about girls high school athletics. Fans from both sides were loud and supportive, the Seward band belted out the tunes all night and a good time was had by all.
Incidentally, the Bluejays used their superior depth to wear down the Cavaliers in a 61-44 victory. But the final score is secondary to the atmosphere at the game, and I applaud both schools for that.
“We don't get 2,000 fans for all our games,” Tvrdy said, “but we do have great support here. And I feel happy for all of the players who got to be a part of it.”
Super Saturday: In addition to Seward vs. Neumann, a number of other key games were played Saturday night. That list includes:
• Lincoln Southeast 64, Omaha Marian 55: Watch out for coach John Larsen's squad. The Knights are playing their best basketball down the stretch, as the Crusaders found out.
• Bellevue West 64, Lincoln Southwest 58: The Thunderbirds appear back on track after being dominated at home by Millard West the previous weekend. The Silver Hawks also are playing well.
• Kearney 51, Bellevue East 47: The Bearcats keep rolling, winning their eighth in a row in a very tough place.
• Omaha Westside 50, Grand Island 35: The Warriors got 19 points and 13 rebounds from All-Nebraska center Sarah Nelson to pick up the win.
Ratings update: Millard West remains No. 1 in Class A and Seward stays No. 1 in Class B. Newcomers to the Nebraska Top 10 this week are Lincoln Southeast and Lincoln Southwest.
Stats needed: Coaches of teams in Class A, Class B and the Omaha area are asked to submit their statistical leaders by Tuesday. They may be faxed to 402-444-1238 or e-mailed to mike.patterson@owh.com.
Top games this week:
Class A—Thursday: Omaha Burke at Millard West, 5:30; Lincoln Pius X at Lincoln Southeast, 8. Friday: Papillion-La Vista South at Bellevue West, 5:30; Kearney at Lincoln Southwest, 5:45.
Class B—Friday: Alliance at North Platte, 5:30. Saturday: Alliance at Lexington, 2; Omaha Skutt at Lincoln Pius X, 7; York at Seward, 7:30.
Contact the writer:
444-1350, mike.patterson@owh.com
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