Pospisil: The unfortunate final career minutes for Class B's all-time leading scorer, Connor Millikan

Such was the fate for Class B’s career scoring leader. He had fouled out going for a defensive rebound in the land of the Omaha Skutt giants.

He didn’t go negative sitting next to Trojan coach Tim Brotzki. Accepted what happened. Rooted for the five on the floor. Hoped for one last push from the Trojans, who were only trailing by two when he sat.

“I was talking to our other coach, Tom Riley, like our guys got this. I believe in our guys all the way until the end,’’ Millikan said. “They practice sometimes without me, they play without me.

“I believe in my guys and I'll ride with them till I die.”

It was not to be for Platteview. Skutt went home with the 57-50 victory and the trophy that never has come Platteview’s way.

Millikan tried. He had games of 36 and 31 points as the Trojans made it to their first final. Saturday’s 20 gave him 87, the No. 3 total all-time at state in Class B behind Chuck Jura’s 109 for Schuyler in 1968 and Bob Gratopp’s 99 for Geneva in 1968.

His career total rests at 2,641. No. 2 all-time. Trailing only the 2,748 by Bill Holliday of Wilsonville, his last season in Class D in 1960. (Holliday recently passed away).

Friend and foe saluted Millikan. Skutt’s JJ Ferrin was his club teammate. Jake Brack played against Millikan’s teams since they were much younger.

“We're still friends at the end of the day. Just playing against him, it’s knowing how good he is and how great of a player he is. It was really fun to compete against him too,’’ Ferrin said.

Brotzki considers him the hardest-working kid he’s been around.

“He’s relentless. We talk about being a competitor and he’s a fierce competitor, and he’s set the standard for our younger kids coming up in our youth program,” the coach said.

It was a tough shooting game for Millikan, 5 of 21 from the field, against the SkyHawks.

“You know you're not going to stop him so you're trying to limit him the best you can,’’ Skutt coach Kyle Jurgens said.

From the SkyHawk coaching staff’s game planning Friday night came out the concept of showing Millikan as many different bodies as Skutt could. Ferrin got first call to guard Millikan. Brack was next. And then Jack Healey.

“The length and the height, it's going to make every shot for me super hard. Getting downhill was super hard,” Millikan said. “Here's a well-defensive team, a well-coached team that’s always going to be hard to score against.”

Dogfight turned into perfect dogpile

Perfection on the season came for Bellevue West on a night when it was far from perfect at the start.

The first half against Millard North was a slog. Remember the references to the Rocky films for round 4 of these teams’ meeting in state finals? Wrong genre. This was a B-grade horror movie.

Bellevue West shot 28.6% and that was better than Millard North’s 16.7%, damaged by a 0-for-14 start. Seventeen turnovers between the teams made viewing tedious.

The struggles were not for lack of effort, West coach Doug Woodard said, but he acknowledged immediately the lack of style points. Both teams played better in the second half, but the damage was done for Millard North.

When Dotzler came off the court for the final time — he had free throws to shoot, but had blood on his uniform — there were hugs down the line on the bench starting with his coach.

“So many things I was just thinking about, over the years. This coach right here is like a second father figure almost,’’ Dotzler said. “He's taught me so much over my years here and I couldn't help but get emotional thinking about where I've started to where I am now.”

Stu’s views

Bulldog power: Ashland-Greenwood coach Jacob Mohs and Omaha Skutt coach Kyle Jurgens were classmates and starters at North Platte. “I gave him a big hug after his game,’’ Jurgens said. “Super happy for him, super proud of what he’s done there. Pretty cool.”

Record defense: It’s sometime in the 1940s the last time a state champion gave up fewer points in three tournament games than Ashland-Greenwood with 72 in Class C-1. Two games later Saturday, Freeman set the C-2 record with 100.

Sportsmanship awards: The winners this year were Lincoln Southeast in A, Platteview in B, Pierce in C-1, Norfolk Catholic in C-2, North Platte St. Patrick’s in D-1 and Shelton in D-2.

Well done, Harold: After 38 years of helping with postgame celebrations, from the Devaney Center to PBA, retired Lincoln High teacher and coach Harold Simpson bowed out with the Class D-2 game.

They would have clashed in the photo: Standing out with their wardrobe choices were assistant coaches Dave Eckley of Skutt in his green plaid vest (it’s to keep his shirt tucked in) and Bob Bargen in a red and white checkered sportcoat.​