Sports

The Harvard wrestling team ventured into a new realm over the traditional holiday break this year, taking on the field at the Kurt Keaschall Invitational hosted by Pleasanton High School on Thursday, Dec. 29.

The Cardinals placed 13th overall in the 17-team field, scoring 45.5 points overall. Burwell ran away with team gold in the first-ever tournament, outscoring the second place Kearney High Gold reserve team by 77.5 points, 233.5-156.

Senior Kale Fishler earned 29 of the Cardinals’ team points by winning the 132-pound weight class. Fishler improved to 15-5 on the year, with five wins in Pleasanton.

Four of his five wins came by way of a pin, including a 48-second pin over Gabe Tamayo of Hershey and a 47-second pin over Ethan Carrizales of the Broken Bow reserves.

A new venue would face the Sutton Mustangs for holiday tournament action this year, as the Mustangs ventured north to take on the field at the David City tournament.

Opening round action pitted Sutton against Aquinas Catholic. The Monarchs, behind an eight point, 24-16 first quarter run, held off the Mustangs to gain a 67-58 win. Sutton bounced back in a big way in the battle for third place with David City, drubbing the Scouts 61-40 to bring their season record to 4-4.

Sutton trailed Aquinas 37-30 at the half before the Monarchs outscored Sutton 30-28 in the second half to gain the nine-point win.

Devin Wagoner led the team in scoring and on the glass, scoring 19 points and gaining seven rebounds.

Trevor Leach added 13 points, while Nathan Hohensee netted 12 tallies in the loss.

Holiday tournament games against Hampton and Wilcox- Hildreth garnered a loss and win for the Lady Cardinals of Harvard.

The Hampton Hawks took little time to overpower the Lady Cardinals on Dec. 29, with a 42-23 first half lead. The Hawks held a small fivepoint lead in the first quarter, 22-17, but took off in the second, pushing ahead with a 20-6 stretch.

Cassie Roberts and Ellie Fields led the Lady Cardinals with 14 and 12 points scored, respectively. Making 48 percent of their two-pointers, Harvard would sink 13-27 field goals. Both teams made almost the same amount of three-pointers, with Harvard making 3-16 (19%), and Hampton, 3-15 (20%).

A trio of Sutton wrestlers would help lead the Mustangs to the top of the heap on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in action at home, during the annual Sutton Duals tournament. The Mustangs went 5-0 in duals to win the 2016 tournament.

Sophomore Lee Carlson, junior Chandler Stone and senior Tanner Peterson, all went unbeaten in the tournament that featured five dual challenges.

Carlson, the top ranked Class C wrestler in the 113-pound class this week, received three forfeit wins and earned a pair of wins on the mat, beating Ryan Bond of Wood River by way of a 2:52 pin. Carlson also pinned Centennial’s Gaven Schernikau, doing so in 1:12.

Stone earned one win in the 145-pound class and gained four wins in the 152- pound class for the Mustangs.

Four go unbeaten, led by Rademacher’s 5-0 run at Fillmore Central

Getting mat time for the South Central Red Raiders has been a hard thing as of late, thanks to Mother Nature.

South Central was to take part in the two-day Valentine Invitational Dec. 16 and 17, but winter weather cancelled the Red Raiders trip to Valentine. This prompted South Central to add the Johnson County Central Invite to their schedule in quick fashion. The same weather system that cancelled the Valentine Invite, also cancelled the Red Raiders trip to Cook, NE, for the Thunderbird Invite Dec. 17, leaving the Red Raiders with just two meets under their belts.

For the second time during the 2016-17 basketball season, a trip to Wood River would prove tough on the Sandy Creek girls basketball team. The Wood River Lady Eagles earned a 41-26 win over the Lady Cougars during the first round of the Central City Holiday Tournament, played in Wood River, Thursday, Dec. 22.

The Lady Eagles held a 21- 14 halftime lead, outscoring Sandy Creek 12-6 in the first quarter and 9-8 in the second period.

Wood River then outscored Sandy Creek 20-12 in the second half, to gain the 15- point win.

Wood River claimed a season opening win over Sandy Creek on Dec. 1, 47-39.

Addison Kuta had 13 points in the loss, while Kenzie Turman added five and Lauren Shackelford, four.