Grand Island Central Catholic climbed back to number two in the NSAA C-1 point standings after putting on a clinic at Hastings St. Cecilia Friday night. Plainview (19-0) still leads the class, but not few teams could have survived the I-can-see-your-molars defense Gavers’ boys applied and then tightened.

It’s an old saw, but if Crusader Jake Johnson drove the bus home, he did everything. His play reminded me that a good basketball player can make his or her teammates better without a monster scoring game. Johnson did score, his two quick threes in the third a resounding slap upside the Blue Hawks’ melons. But he also boarded well, passed well, played great defense, and was obviously the leader out there.

Still, while Johnson stepped it up a notch, Joe Partington, Brad Kulus, Spencer Fahey, Brent Moravec, and anyone Gavers put on the floor played with blue fire and enormous mental toughness. St. Cecilia has never seen defensive pressure like that.

With a tough weekend ahead as St. Paul and Wood River visit the new digs, GICC is playing like a team you’ll be watching on television come March 10.
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Congrats to area wrestlers and swimmers who are headed to the Quest Center (wrestlers) and Devaney (swimmers) for State next weekend. GISH, Central City, and Ravenna all brought home district wrestling team titles, too.

Sometimes I get a little carried away with hoops and forget all the other athletes who show up every day (swimmers at the ungodly hour of 5 a.m.) to ply their talents. The vast majority don’t make it to Omaha or Lincoln. They still learn plenty: discipline, how to finish, seeing something through to the end, being a teammate (which gives them lifelong friends.)

Check the Independent’s Web site (theindependent.com) or NSAA (nsaahome.org) for qualifiers, but remember lots of other kids left lots of effort and skill on the mat and in the pool. Congratulations to all of them, too.