THE BULL
Following yet another storied run by the Sandy Creek football team this year, winning their second straight Class D-1 state football championship on Monday, Nov. 24, the focus quickly turns to the 2025-26 winter sports season, not to mention all of the holiday events that will be piling up on the CCN staff this month.
The Cougars’ domination of the Class D-1 field left little time to change gears, at least for me. Thankfully, after spending some much-needed time with part of my family last week for the Thanksgiving holiday, I think I’m ready to roll.
We’re wrapping up the fall season this week, as you’ll see with our annual All-County football team. There will be some overlap with additional postseason honors from the fall season as we move into winter sports, but that’s simply the nature of this era, with one season ending as another begins.
The winter season, at least as I get older, gets harder and harder to take on, not because of my age necessarily, but mostly because there are so many games and wrestling matches during any given week that we as a staff need at least some downtime to be at home as well.
New this year is the co-op between Harvard and Giltner in girls’ and boys’ basketball. The wrestling teams for both schools joined forces a year ago, but this year, the Cardinals and Hornets combine on the hardwood for the winter season.
Sandy Creek’s boys will be pretty “raw” early after having very few practices coming off their football title, but that’s not to say the Cougars won’t be tough to deal with. After all, when you are athletic, and competitive, you can’t look past the Sandy Creek boys.
Sandy Creek’s Girls Basketball team looks to be a real challenge for teams on their schedule. Like the boys, the Cougar girls are athletic, competitive, and well seasoned, with many players having played the past three or so for the program, so I anticipate the SC girls to deliver some punch to the season.
Wrestling at Sandy Creek is going to be crazy busy with big numbers and talent hitting the mats for the girls’ and boys; programs.
Sutton, like Sandy Creek, will be highly challenging on the hardwood and on the mats.
The Fillies, I have a feeling, are going to be a great deal to say when it comes to the Southern Nebraska Conference in a field of teams that will be talented, like Sandy Creek, Milford, Fairbury, and David City.
On the boys’ side for the Mustangs, it will be a battle night in and night out. The returning talent, even with the loss of several key seniors, paired with a promising group of younger players, should keep the Sutton boys competitive every game. I have no doubt about that. Wrestling in Sutton, I have a feeling will be equally as tough and challenging on the mats this year.
A large crew is featured on the roster for the Mustang coaching staff, and some extremely strong talent returns for the Mustang matmen.
This Saturday’s Harvard-Giltner wrestling meet will give me my first look at all three boys’ teams in Clay County, and it always proves to be a great look at what could very well take place each week on the wrestling front.
So, while I may not be quite ready mentally for the winter season, combine that with some time away from the county to watch my nephew in Iowa play a few basketball games, I guess there’s no other way to say it, “just like that...it’s the winter sports season.”
Bring it on!
