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This week marks a thrilling time for high school basketball enthusiasts in the area as conference tournament week kicks off. Excitement is palpable as teams across several conferences gear up to showcase their skills and vie for the coveted title.
The tournament action begins on Monday with play-in games for teams in the Centennial Conference, Central Conference, and Heartland Athletic Conference. As fans eagerly follow their hometown teams, the energy builds for the opening rounds scheduled to commence on Tuesday. Additionally, the Southwest Conference will also kick off its opening round on Tuesday, adding to the excitement.
It’s worth noting that the Republican Plains Activity Conference has already seen its opening round games played over the weekend, setting the stage for an intense week ahead. Scores, bracket updates, and photos will be available on CentralNebraskaToday.com, making it a go-to resource for fans wanting to keep a pulse on the action.
CENTENNIAL CONFERENCE
For those closely following the Centennial Conference, the bracket is set, and the matchups are as follows:
Local Opening Round Games:
- MONDAY: Hastings St. Cecilia Boys @ Kearney Catholic, GICC Girls @ Fremont-Archbishop Bergan
- TUESDAY BOYS: Hastings St. Cecilia/Kearney Catholic winner @ Fremont-Archbishop Bergan, Boys Town/Wahoo-Bishop Neumann winner @ GICC
- TUESDAY GIRLS: Lincoln Lutheran/Wahoo-Bishop Neumann winner @ Hastings St. Cecilia, Kearney Catholic @ Columbus-Scotus Central Catholic, GICC/Fremont-Archbishop Bergan winner @ Lincoln Christian
CENTRAL CONFERENCE
Meanwhile, the Central Conference is also primed for some riveting matchups:
Local Opening Round Games:
- MONDAY: Schuyler @ Lexington doubleheader
- TUESDAY BOYS: Lexington/Schuyler winner at Adams Central, Columbus Lakeview @ Grand Island Northwest, Seward @ Aurora, York @ Crete
- TUESDAY GIRLS: Lexington/Schuyler Girls winner at Aurora, Crete @ Adams Central, Columbus Lakeview @ Grand Island Northwest, Seward @ York
HEARTLAND ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
The Heartland Athletic Conference features the following matchups:
Local Opening Round Games:
- MONDAY: Grand Island Boys @ Kearney
- TUESDAY BOYS: Grand Island/Kearney winner @ Lincoln High
- TUESDAY GIRLS: Lincoln Southeast/Fremont winner @ Kearney
SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
In the Southwest Conference, the following games are on the agenda:
TUESDAY MATCHUPS:
- BOYS: McCook @ Minden, Holdrege @ Cozad, Broken Bow @ Gothenburg
- GIRLS: Broken Bow @ Minden, Cozad @ Gothenburg, McCook @ Holdrege
REPUBLICAN PLAINS ACTIVITY CONFERENCE
The Republican Plains Activity Conference has already delivered some thrilling results:
FRIDAY (1/23) GIRLS OPENING ROUND RESULTS:
- Alma def. Medicine Valley 79-22
- Southwest def. Southern Valley 41-24
- Cambridge def. Bertrand 54-30
- Arapahoe def. Hi-Line 72-24
- Dundy County-Stratton def. Wallace 64-17
- Wauneta-Palisade def. Hitchcock County 58-54
- Paxton def. Sutherland 61-37
- Maywood Hayes Center def. Maxwell 61-45
RESULTS FOR SATURDAY (1/24) BOYS OPENING ROUND:
- Alma def. Arapahoe 64-6
- Hi-Line def. Medicine Valley 51-47
- Cambridge def. Southwest 68-66
- Bertrand def. Southern Valley 61-43
- Maywood-Hayes Center def. Wauneta-Palisade 78-41
- Hitchcock County def. Paxton 52-33
- Wallace def. Sutherland 61-20
- Dundy County-Stratton def. Maxwell 50-43
As we move into the second rounds for both the girls and boys brackets, anticipation is building. Fans can expect even more thrilling matchups in the following days, as teams battle it out for their place in the finals. Make sure to stay tuned for live updates!