Nebraska Opening Night
In this article:
The season is upon us folks! PGH Nebraska was able to catch three games on opening night, with many more to watch. We will examine which prospects stood out from these games and some notable performances across the state.
Lincoln Pius X (2OT) – 68
Fremont (2OT) – 64
Fremont Starting Five
Bella Keaton Bella Keaton 5'5" | PG Fremont | 2022 State NE – 5’5 G 2022 – Fremont – Briar Cliff (NAIA) – 4 points – Bella is a skilled ball-handler and passer that can control pace and make a series of moves to get by pressure. Loves floaters in the lane and scored a couple times that way.
Macy Bryant Macy Bryant 5'11" | PF Fremont | 2022 State NE – 5’11 F 2022 – Fremont – Nebraska-Kearney (D2) – Fouls completely limited Macy in this game.
Sarah Shepard Sarah Shepard 5'11" | SF Fremont | 2022 State NE – 5’11 F 2022 – 4 points –
Taylor McCabe Taylor McCabe 5'9" | CG Fremont | 2022 State NE – 5’9 G 2022 – Fremont – Iowa (D1) – 24 points (4-16) 3pt
McKenna Murphy McKenna Murphy 5'11" | SG Elkhart North | 2024 State NE – 5’10 G 2024 – Fremont – 19 points (3-7) 3pt – McKenna had an impressive showing and it looks like she’s taking her improvements over the summer into the high school season. She showed a well-rounded offensive skill-set and a smooth, confident, and controlled game.
Bench
Brylee Nelsen Brylee Nelsen 5'9" | SF Millard North | 2025 State NE – 5’10 G/F 2025 – Fremont – 9 points – The Freshman came off the bench and is a shooter that understands the game.
Emmalee Sheppard Emmalee Sheppard 5'6" | SG Fremont | 2023 State NE – 5’6 G 2023 – Fremont – 4 points – Emmalee is a solid guard that can get down and defend for Fremont. Not afraid to pick up the ball-handler full-court.
Pius X Starting Five
Lily Hodge Lily Hodge 5'4" | PG Pius X | 2023 State NE – 5’4 PG 2022 – Pius X – Lily is a sound point guard that can handle it, pass it, and control an offense. She remains cool under pressure and doesn’t speed herself up. Passes with both hands and is an accurate three-baller if given space.
Charlee Hagedorn Charlee Hagedorn 5'10" | SF Pius X | 2022 State NE – 5’10 SF 2023 – Pius X
Adison Markowski Adison Markowski 5'8" | SF Lincoln Pius X | 2023 State NE – 5’8 G 2023 – Pius X – 13 points
Sara Iburg – 5’10 G/F 2024 – Pius X – Sara is a great athlete that has length to her. Has some solid skills with the ball and can handle it on the perimeter. Has some impressive jumping ability to snag boards and attempt to find over top the defense in for paint.
Madelyn Navrkal Madelyn Navrkal 5'10" | PF Pius X | 2023 State NE – 5’10 F/C 2023 – Pius X – Madelyn is an interior player for Pius X. She is a vital rebounder for her team.
Bench
Makenna Lesiak Makenna Lesiak 5'9" | SF Pius X | 2023 State NE – 5’9 G/F 2023 – 11 points – Makenna is a highly underrated prospect in the state, and one of the best bench players in the state as well. She’s very tough to contain off the dribble and can get to the hoop at will.
Keeliegh Knobbe Keeliegh Knobbe 5'11" | PG Pius X | 2025 NE – 5’7 G 2025 – Pius X – Keeliegh is a long, lanky, and skilled Freshman guard. She can bring the ball up-court with speed and pace. Excellent change of direction speed and she covers ground quickly with the ball. She has a bright future for Pius X and will be a key guard for them going forward.
Aly Woita Aly Woita 5'11" | PF Pius X | 2022 State NE – 5’11 PF 2022 – Pius X
Crete – 25
Columbus Lakeview – 40
Marin Rasgorshek Marin Rasgorshek 6'1" | C Crete | 2024 State NE – 6’1 F/C 2024 – Crete – Marin is Crete’s best prospect and a true center with length. Protects the paint and an interior offensive player. She got a lot of defensive attention and the guards struggled to enter the ball into the post to her.
Madison Vogt Madison Vogt 5'7" | CG Columbus Lakeview | 2022 State NE – 5’7 G 2022 – Columbus Lakeview – Madison was the most impressive player in the game. Glides on the court with speed. Defensively, she made a ton of near steals and steals. Caused a lot of problems for the Crete ball-handlers. She was able to get to the hoop with ease and finish off the glass.
Norris – 60
Freeman – 14
Norris was dominant defensively, giving Freeman no chance of running anything close to an offense. They struggled to move the ball and get clean looks all game. Norris has impressive length and size from top to bottom. They pressured heavily and ran the floor relentlessly.
Ella Waters Ella Waters 6'3" | SF Norris | 2022 State NE of Norris did not play due to a concussion.
Sydney Jelenik Sydney Jelenik 5'9" | SF Norris | 2022 State NE – 5’9 Wing 2022 – Norris – Concordia (Volleyball) – Sydney runs the floor extremely well and it is a vital aspect to Norris’ success. When she runs, good things happen. Good at finishing in transition and can run past the trailing defense for two.
Sage Burbach Sage Burbach 6'0" | C Norris | 2023 State NE – 6’0 C 2023 – Norris – Sage is a big interior body for Norris. Has good inside scoring ability. She was just added to the database and has the potential to be in the Top 40 2023’s in the next rankings update. She’s a force inside on both ends. Strong frame and controlled and steady movement in the paint.
Delaney White Delaney White 5'9" | SF Norris | 2022 State NE – 5’9 G/F 2022 – Norris – South Dakota (Softball) – Delaney is a starter and a scorer, both inside and from three. A Senior leader with much experience.
Sophie Talero Sophie Talero 5'3" | PG Norris | 2022 State NE – 5’3 PG 2022 – Norris – Sophie is a low to the ground and extremely quick point guard. She is fast and quick with the ball and controls pace and the game, offensively. Has a well-rounded offensive skill-set with shooting, handling, and passing. She’s a huge asset to Norris as the floor general.
Notable Performances
Ruthie Loomis-Gotl Ruthie Loomis-Gotl 6'3" | C Bridgeport | 2023 State NE – 6’3 C 2023 – Bridgeport – 23 points, 12 rebounds, 6 blocks
Olivia Loomis-Goltl Olivia Loomis-Goltl 5'10" | PG Bridgeport | 2024 State NE – 5’10 PG 2024 – Bridgeport – 16 points
Britt Prince Britt Prince 5'11" | PG Elkhorn North | 2024 State NE – 5’11 PG 2024 – Elkhorn North – 30 points
Peyton McCabe Peyton McCabe 5'4" | PG Skutt Catholic | 2024 State NE – 5’4 PG 2024 – Skutt Catholic – Drake (D1) – School record 37 points
Clancy Brown Clancy Brown 5'10" | SG North Platte | 2024 State NE – 5’8 G 2024 – North Platte – 19 points
Mya Skoff Mya Skoff 5'11" | CG Bellevue East | 2023 State NE – 5’11 G 2023 – Bellevue East – 18 points
Riley Jensen Riley Jensen 5'10" | CG Bellevue East | 2022 State NE – 5’10 G 2022 – Nebraska-Kearney (D2) – 18 points
Dani Peterson Dani Peterson 5'10" | PF Bellevue West | 2022 State NE – 5’10 F 2022 – Bellevue West – Morningside (NAIA) – 12 points, 10 rebounds
Kenzie Melcher Kenzie Melcher 5'11" | SG Bellevue West | 2024 State NE – 5’9 G 2024 – Bellevue West – 11 points
Ahnica Russell-Brown Ahnica Russell-Brown 5'8" | PG Bellevue West | 2024 State NE – 5’8 G 2024 – Bellevue West – 13 points
Mattie Pohl Mattie Pohl 5'6" | SG York | 2022 State NE – 5’7 G 2022 – York – Doane (NAIA) – 12 points
Anna Briggs Anna Briggs 6'2" | PF Quinter | 2023 State KS – 6’2 F 2023 – York – 12 points
Shanae Bergt Shanae Bergt 5'9" | PG Lincoln Lutheran | 2022 State NE – 5’9 PG 2023 – Lincoln Lutheran – 14 points