LINCOLN — And to think, Daniel Jenkins was a Hail Mary 3-pointer away from playing in only one game at Beatrice High School.

Jenkins, who moved to Beatrice less than a month ago from Independence, Kan., found himself in the middle of one of Class B’s biggest rivalries during Beatrice’s 55-54 win over Lincoln Pius X.

The senior, whose entire career as a member of the Orangemen will be this week’s state tournament, scored nine points, grabbed some huge rebounds, and blocked an even bigger shot in the latest chapter of the Beatrice-Pius X rivalry in front of a noisy crowd at Pershing Center.

"I was nervous,” Jenkins said. “There weren’t a lot of fans at games back there. It was something I had to get used to.”

Was Jenkins, who has barely had enough time to unpack from the move, familiar with the history between the Orangemen and the Thunderbolts?

“Heck no,” Beatrice coach Jim Weeks said. “He didn’t know a thing about it.”

Jenkins said some “difficult circumstances” led him to the unorthodox move in the middle of his senior season. He said he was a starter for Independence Senior High, but moved several weeks ago to live with his
mother, Clarissa Suiter, in Beatrice.

Word filtered through the halls that there was a new kid in town, and apparently, the kid had some game. The school administration informed Weeks that he may have a new prospective player.

“I said ‘Great’ but didn’t think a thing about it,” Weeks said.

Weeks hesitated to add Jenkins to his roster, concerned about upsetting the chemistry of his club. There were even some whispers in the community about whether it was right to let a new kid suit up. He hadn’t sacrificed with the Orangemen all season. But once the 6-foot-3 senior showed off some skills in practice, Weeks was approached by his team captains.

Coach, they said, this guy is good. Let’s bring him aboard.

"It has been a heck of a week,” Weeks said, alluding to the controversy. “It’s not about the guy downtown. It’s about the guys in the locker room. All those guys said, ‘Coach, we just want to win a state championship. If he can help us, why wouldn’t we do that?’”

Unlike some transfers who have had to sit out part of a season to gain eligibility, Jenkins could play immediately because of a change in residence. And he played in enough games in Kansas this season to be eligible to compete in Nebraska’s state tournament.

Jenkins got off to a rough start Thursday, missing his first five shots, but his athleticism was obvious. He grabbed rebounds and chased down loose balls.

“He’s all positive energy. He’s just a great kid and easy to get along with,” said Beatrice senior Trevor Menke.

In the fourth quarter, Jenkins relaxed. He scored five points in the final two minutes, including the tying basket with 32.4 seconds left.

And when Menke’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer touched bottom, there was Jenkins celebrating in the crowd of Orangemen.

Just like he’d been there for years.

“Everyone has been perfect. Everybody has been friendly. I feel like I’m at home,” Jenkins said. “I feel like this is my family right here. I feel like I’ve been with them all season long.”

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