In a monumental achievement for the program, Papillion-La Vista South claimed the top spot in the men’s basketball rankings for the first time ever, marking a significant milestone in their history.
The Titans made headlines with a thrilling 60-59 victory over Omaha Westside, which previously held the title as the last undefeated team in Class A, capturing the Metro Conference Christmas Tournament championship.
This victory is also significant for head coach Joel Hueser, who celebrates this triumph with his team.
With a 9-1 record, the Titans’ only loss came against Millard South, where they lost 62-55 during a tough stretch with senior point guard Reece Kircher sidelined with an injury. Kircher has now made a triumphant return just in time for the Christmas tournament.
The path to the title was not easy; the Titans faced stiff competition throughout the tournament. They first triumphed against Millard West with a score of 83-77, followed by a narrow 64-61 victory against Millard North, eventually beating Millard South 65-59 and reaching their inaugural final.
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This week, the Titans will look to defend their top spot as they hit the road for two tough games against teams currently at .500, starting with Omaha Burke on Tuesday then taking on formidable rival Papillion-La Vista on Friday.
After these meetings, Papio South prepares for a rematch against Westside on January 17. They will also face No. 6 Omaha Westview on Jan. 21, with a crucial home game scheduled for Jan. 24 against defending Class A champions Bellevue West.
After this difficult stretch, the Titans will not face another Top 10 opponent until a visit to No. 10 Millard North for their final regular season game on February 21. However, potential hurdles loom, including away games against Lincoln Northeast (5-3) on Feb. 14 and Millard West (3-4) on Feb. 18.
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“We are focused on implementing a strong process and improving as we move forward in January,” Coach Hueser said of his team’s approach.
Rankings Updates:
In the Class A Top 10, there are fewer changes than usual after the Christmas tournaments, mainly because the Heartland event has been rescheduled for late January. Millard North re-entered the all-class rankings after its strong performance against Papio South, while Lincoln Southwest fell to Lincoln North Star by a score of 74-61.
Class B: Norris remains undefeated against Class B teams, with their only loss coming against Papio South, as they easily defeated Elkhorn North 70-40 in the Eastern Midlands Conference final. The Wolves fall to third place as defending champions Omaha Skutt have enjoyed a comeback with five straight wins after starting the season 2-3. The Wolves will face Skutt on Saturday.
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Class C-1: Wayne moved up to replace Sidney in tenth place.
Class C-2: Pender (9-1) moves into eighth place, while Exeter-Milligan/Friend (9-0) moves into 10th place, dislodging Amherst and Oakland-Craig, which lost to Pender 50-26 on Saturday.
-Class D-1: No team fell, but the top six are all either undefeated or have just one loss.
Class D-2: Wausa started the season undefeated for the first time since 2012-13, putting pressure on Humphrey’s Archangels for first place, while the Defenders have two losses against C-1 winning teams.
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Tribute:
A celebration of life for retired Lincoln East men’s basketball coach Paul Forch will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 18 at St. Mark United Methodist Church, located at 84th Street and Pioneers Boulevard in Lincoln. Forch, who died on December 13, was 90 years old.
Upcoming Key Matches:
Class A: Tuesday: Millard South travels to Omaha Westview, Bellevue West takes on Omaha North, and Lincoln Northeast visits Lincoln Southeast.
Friday: Omaha Westside takes on Omaha Creighton Prep, Bellevue West plays Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln Southeast meets Lincoln Southwest, Omaha North takes on Millard South, and Papillion-La Vista South takes on Papillion-La Vista.
Saturday: Omaha Creighton Prep travels to Lincoln North Star and Lincoln Southwest visits Westside.
Class B: Tuesday: Wahoo visits Elkhorn. Thursday: Douglas County West takes on Columbus Lakeview. Friday sees Scottsbluff at Bennington, Norris against Gretna East, and Wahoo at Lincoln Lutheran. Saturday sees Elkhorn North at Omaha Skutt and Scottsbluff at Crete, with Boys Town visiting Elkhorn.
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Class C-1: Tuesday: Yutan travels to Omaha Concordia. Thursday includes Lincoln Lutheran at Concordia and Norfolk Catholic facing Wayne. Friday features Cozad at Ogallala, Boys Town at Wahoo Neumann, and Grand Island Central Catholic visiting Kearney Catholic. Saturday ends with North Platte St. Patrick in Cozad and Doniphan-Trumbull heading to GICC.
Class C-2: Tuesday: Wood River in Amherst, Pender in Bancroft-Rosalie, and Summerland in Plainview. Thursday: Sutton visits Cross County. Friday sees Sutton in Centennial, North Platte St. Patrick in Perkins County, and West Holt in Summerland. Saturday concludes with Elkhorn Valley in West Holt.
Class D-1: Tuesday: Santee at Boyd County. Thursday includes Boyd County at Stuart, Shelton at Deshler, and Pawnee City at Johnson-Brock. Friday brings the Humphrey Archangels to Howells-Dodge and Maywood-Hayes Center to Paxton. Saturday highlights Deshler at Thayer Central and Twin Loup visiting Pleasanton.
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Class D-2: Friday: Pender to Wynot.
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