Columns

This week, as the Sutton Mustangs return to the Nebraska state boys basketball tournament for the first time since 2014, and after watching Saturday’s girls championships on television, the passion and emotions of this big stage can really get the best of all of us, me included.

It’s well known that in my industry we “can’t” wear our school gear while covering big events like this. We can’t (or shouldn’t) show favoritism, thus why you won’t see a Sutton shirt on me.

With that said, I ran into a social media post Sunday on Twitter which just wowed me, in a good way. It came from the father of Oakland-Craig standout girls player Dacey Nelson. Nelson, in three tournament games averaged nearly 30 points per game. Yep, this young lady has obviously put a lot of time in on the court.

It was her dad, however, that left me speechless. O-C took home the third-place trophy with a win over Fillmore Central.

By the time you read this it’s either still February or March has officially begun.

To finish out the month, I wanted to focus on Black History Month, which is all of February, by spotlighting some inspirational and unforgettable leaders that define why we celebrate Black History Month.

Black History Month was first celebrated in 1915, according to History.com, but presidents officially began naming February BHM in 1976. This month is to recognize the many acheivements by African Americans and their role in history.

The first president to actually name February as such was President Gerald Ford, who is quoted saying this notion is for the public to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Whew! Monday night’s Sutton basketball battle with Centura was a nail-bitter. The kind of game that really makes you thankful for a solid team that can adjust on the fly.

Sutton, who took on a very challenging Centura squad coached by veteran basketball coach Dave Oman, had to make several adjustments in dealing with the Centurions, a team that Sutton, in December, clobbered by 31 points.

Centura, with a few extra days to prep for the Mustangs, installed a tactic that nearly got the Sutton faithful...I said nearly!

After maintining leads at the ends of the first and second quarter, Centura, after trailing 18-17 to the Mustangs at the half, got the Sutton fan base to sit on the edge of their seats and watch with their eyes wide open.

Bby Ashley D. Swanson

Back in the late 1880s there was a journalist named Nellie Bly (born Elizabeth Jane Cochran), who accepted a challenge that would ultimately change her life, and the life of several others.

In 1887, Bly was wanting to explore the immigrant experience in the U.S., but the idea was shot down by her editor at the New York World.

Instead, Bly, who was 23 years old at the time, was given the challenge of delving in to a New York mental hospital—Blackwell’s Island Asylum. There were accusations against the asylum that patients were left to live in poor conditions and were subjected to regular harassment from staff.

Now, journalists have the habit of finding the truth in every situation, and often find themselves having to dive deeper into investigations, depending on the topic of the story.

By Tory Duncan

Year in and year out, I probably sound like a broken record with this, but even coming out of the mind of a non-wrestling kid in high school, there really is no state meet/tournament quite like the Nebraska state high school wrestling championships.

I’ll give state track a close second, but not the leading nod, because there is no other place that you can watch 10 matches at the same time, while still focusing on our kids from Clay County for the coverage.

Harvard’s Dalton Hansen, who was perhaps one of the first wrestlers to hit the mats Thursday morning, would come home as a state medalist, placing fifth in the Class D 106 pound class.

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By Ashley D. Swanso

Ballet is my favorite kind of dancing. It takes muscle, accuracy, patience, and is absolutely beautiful.

So when Hannah told me we were going to see the Russian National Ballet at the Orpheum Theatre, I was beyond excited!

I have only seen one professional ballet prior to Wednesday’s adventure to Omaha. In fourth grade, my class traveled to Omaha (cannot remember which theatre) to watch “The Nutcracker Ballet.” I can’t remember much of it, but I do recall loving it.

Hannah had never been to a ballet, so I was extra excited for her to see one, and hoped she would enjoy it as much as I know I was going to.

Going to a ballet meant we got to dress up, something Hannah and I enjoy doing, but it doesn’t happen too often.

By Tory Duncan

Wrestling...it’s not for the faint of heart, it’s for the steady minded, and completely focused mind at that, especially this time of year.

You see, it’s district wrestling week, the week that shakes out the strong from the not so strong, not just physically, but mentally as well. Who will be the fittest this Friday and Saturday and advance to the state wrestling championships in Omaha?

This past weekend I made the trip out west to cover the Sutton wrestling team, in hopes of seeing three Mustang wrestlers gain milestone wins, as senior Lee Carlson was going for his 150th career win, senior Dusty Stone had a shot at his 100th win, as did junior Cory Carlson.