Dalton Sealey has seen it all in four years at Hastings St. Cecilia.

Back-to-back Class C-1 boys basketball state titles the past two seasons. An undefeated season and C-1 state title last fall in football.

And the turbulence in the school’s basketball program — three head coaches his first two years — until current coach Kevin Asher took over after the first championship season.

This weekend could provide a satisfying, historical ending for Sealey and St. Cecilia’s other seniors. They’re pursuing what could potentially be the first three-year championship reign in C-1 and the first football-basketball sweep by a C-1 school since 2002-03.

“There’s a little bit of pressure,’’ Sealey said, “just hearing about the past and hearing that we’re the favorites.’’

St. Cecilia is 22-1, the only loss in overtime to Class B Gretna in December, and is ranked second in C-1 behind seasonlong No. 1 Chadron. Its opening game Thursday is at 2 p.m. at Pershing Center in Lincoln against Tekamah-Herman (20-4).

Asher said he’s not into comparing teams, but “this group has as strong a starting five as last year but it may not have the same explosiveness coming off the bench. We have to get certain things out of our starters because we’re not as deep.’’

A 6-foot-2 senior guard, Sealey has started for St. Cecilia since his sophomore year, the season in which a mid-year change in head coaches didn’t keep the Bluehawks from their first state basketball title since 1969. The glue, Sealey said, was former Hastings College coach Mike Trader’s presence throughout the year in practices.

“He helped us out a lot,’’ Sealey said. “Then junior year, getting coach Asher was getting someone in coach Trader’s footsteps and with the same concepts. It was easy for him to step in.”

The only junior starter on a team that went 24-1 and finished third in the final all-class ratings, Sealey became the only returning starter on this season’s team.

“He’s really our leader on the court and even off the court,’’ said junior Zach Sterup, St. Cecilia’s 6-10 junior center. “You can’t ask for a better example.’’

Asher said Sealey “has been our backbone all season long. It doesn’t matter if he gets six or 24 points, I still feel he’s our go-to guy any night.’’

Sterup, like Sealey an all-state football player, has become an more intimidating force in the past month. His season averages have improve to 12.7 points and eight rebounds.

“It started with the tough week we had, playing Adams Central, Grand Island Central Catholic and (Omaha Skutt),’’ Asher said. “I thought Zach held his own against Skutt and he’s turned it up even more since then. He’s dominating on both ends of the court.

“He’s starting to learn how strong he is, just like in football when he began to dominate games the last half of the season. There’s nobody else that big and strong around here with that skill level.’’

Sterup’s first college offer is from Iowa for football. Sealey has signed with Hastings College for football.

Also starting for the Bluehawks are seniors Paul Goedert, 6-4, who averages 9.9 points and 7.9 rebounds; Beau Schwenka, 6-2, averaging 8.7 points; and Joe Ryan, 6-2, averaging 5.2 points.

“We had some experience but also had some question marks concerning the lack of varsity experience and the different roles that would have to be played, from the reserves to the guys carrying the load,’’ Asher said. “The last third of the season, our sophomores, who were talented but had no varsity experience, have made us better. We now can go eight or nine guys deep and get the starters some relief.”

Football certainly plays a part, Asher said, in basketball’s success.

“These kids trained hard to win a state championship in football,’’ he said, “and then not being leaders on the basketball floor last year, they wanted to prove they could do it in basketball, too.’’

« High Schools

Share