The awards and records list came out for NPHS softball team who won the runner up spot at the Class A state tournament:&nbsp;

Letter winners Katelyn Aden** Sam Bales** Sydney Barner Skylar Bedlan** Tahjzha Botts** Macie Freeze** Josie Freeze Ellie Hanson Lauren Horne Tatum Montelongo Aspen Nelson Abby Orr Juliana Ortiz McKenzie Putnam Kylee Tilford** Emily Winkler Micheala Wright Shelby Yoshida

Sydney Barner Tahjzha Botts** Josie Freeze Ellie Hanson Aspen Nelson Abby Orr Juliana Ortiz Emily Winkler Micheala Wright Shelby Yoshida

Lincoln Journal Star All State 1st Team Super State – Tatum Montelongo 2nd Team Super State – Sydney Barner, Abby Orr

1st Team Class A – Tatum Montelongo 2nd Team Class A – Sydney Barner, Abby Orr

Honorable Mention – Tahjzha Botts, Aspen Nelson, Ellie Hanson

Omaha World Herald All State &amp; All Nebraska

1st All Nebraska Team – Tatum Montelongo 2nd All Nebraska Team&nbsp; – Sydney Barner, Abby Orr

1st Team Class A – Tatum Montelongo, Sydney Barner, Abby Orr

Nominated for NSAA Softball All Star Game

Ellie Hanson Tahjzha Botts Shelby Yoshida

Hits in a season – 65 – Sydney Barner Runs in a season – 55 – Sydney Barner Home Runs in a season – 15 – Sydney Barner &amp; Tatum Montelongo Shutouts in a Season – 5 – Tatum Montelongo Strikeouts in a Season – 203 – Tatum Montelongo&nbsp;

Abby Orr – Batting Avg, Hits, Doubles, Homeruns, RBI, Runs, Stolen Bases

Batting Average, Hits, Homeruns, RBI, Runs, Strikeouts, WIns

The awards and records list came out for NPHS softball team who won the runner up spot at the Class A state tournament:&nbsp;2020 Softball AwardsLetter winners Katelyn Aden** Sam Bales** Sydney Barner Skylar Bedlan** Tahjzha Botts** Macie Freeze** Josie Freeze Ellie Hanson Lauren Horne Tatum Montelongo Aspen Nelson Abby Orr Juliana Ortiz McKenzie Putnam Kylee Tilford** Emily Winkler Micheala Wright Shelby YoshidaManagers Hannah SimsAcademic All-ConferenceSydney Barner Tahjzha Botts** Josie Freeze Ellie Hanson Aspen Nelson Abby Orr Juliana Ortiz Emily Winkler Micheala Wright Shelby YoshidaLincoln Journal Star All State 1st Team Super State – Tatum Montelongo 2nd Team Super State – Sydney Barner, Abby Orr1st Team Class A – Tatum Montelongo 2nd Team Class A – Sydney Barner, Abby OrrHonorable Mention – Tahjzha Botts, Aspen Nelson, Ellie HansonOmaha World Herald All State &amp; All Nebraska1st All Nebraska Team – Tatum Montelongo 2nd All Nebraska Team&nbsp; – Sydney Barner, Abby Orr1st Team Class A – Tatum Montelongo, Sydney Barner, Abby OrrHonorable Mention – Tahjzha Botts, Aspen Nelson, Ellie HansonNPCA Academic All StateAspen Nelson Tahjzha Botts&nbsp;Nominated for NSAA Softball All Star GameEllie Hanson Tahjzha Botts Shelby YoshidaNew School RecordsSeasonHits in a season – 65 – Sydney Barner Runs in a season – 55 – Sydney Barner Home Runs in a season – 15 – Sydney Barner &amp; Tatum Montelongo Shutouts in a Season – 5 – Tatum Montelongo Strikeouts in a Season – 203 – Tatum Montelongo&nbsp;CareerAbby Orr – Batting Avg, Hits, Doubles, Homeruns, RBI, Runs, Stolen BasesTeam in SeasonBatting Average, Hits, Homeruns, RBI, Runs, Strikeouts, WIns

NPHS Softball: Awards and Records from 2020

What a fall season for NPHS athletics. A State title, a state runner up and plenty of records to go around. This has been about the best kick off to a fall season fans could have hoped for, especially in the COVID 19 era.&nbsp; &nbsp;Check back to this page over the next week or so as we catch up with Coaches, players and administrators about this fall for NPHS Sports.&nbsp;

Coach Jake Hasenauer with NPHS Cross Country:&nbsp;

Coach Todd Rice with NPHS Football:&nbsp;

What a fall season for NPHS athletics. A State title, a state runner up and plenty of records to go around. This has been about the best kick off to a fall season fans could have hoped for, especially in the COVID 19 era.&nbsp; &nbsp;Check back to this page over the next week or so as we catch up with Coaches, players and administrators about this fall for NPHS Sports.&nbsp;Coach Jake Hasenauer with NPHS Cross Country:&nbsp;<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/926688667&color=%232a1bd9&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eagleradio-1" title="eagleradio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">eagleradio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eagleradio-1/coach-hasenauer-2020-wrap-up" title="Coach Hasenauer 2020 Wrap Up" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Coach Hasenauer 2020 Wrap Up</a></div></div>Coach Todd Rice with NPHS Football:&nbsp;<div><iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" allow="autoplay" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/926688658&color=%232a1bd9&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true"></iframe><div style="font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/eagleradio-1" title="eagleradio" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">eagleradio</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eagleradio-1/coach-rice-season-wrap-up" title="Coach Rice season wrap up" target="_blank" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;">Coach Rice season wrap up</a></div></div>

Post Podcast: NPHS Fall Sports wrap ups

The Southeastern Conference is taking a hit from COVID-19.

The conference on Monday postponed Saturday’s game between No. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining within the Bulldogs’ program.

The SEC requires programs to have at least 53 scholarship players available for games. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said the Bulldogs were just a player away from having to postpone last Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt.

“Fortunately we didn’t have to,” Leach said. “We knew there was a pretty good chance we’d have to cancel this week just because we were that close (last week).”

No. 5 Texas A&amp;M paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. LSU is battling an outbreak that could put Saturday’s game against No. 1 Alabama in jeopardy. And Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has tested positive and could miss the game at No. 6 Florida.

The stop-and-start nature of college sports in the pandemic is familiar by now, but the cluster of problems was a reminder how fragile the season is. The problems Monday extended beyond the SEC, too: Michigan State announced that men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo has tested positive for COVID-19, the Mountain West canceled Air Force’s scheduled football game at Wyoming this Saturday due to an “upward trend” of COVID-19 cases at the academy and the Pac-12 opened its season over the weekend with two games postponed.

Mississippi State’s game against Auburn has been tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12 in Starkville, Mississippi. Athletic director John Cohen said the Bulldogs were disappointed, but “our priority is the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and staff.”

Texas A&amp;M coach Jimbo Fisher said the Aggies were undergoing additional testing and contact tracing amid hopes the team could return to campus Tuesday. He was confident that Saturday’s game at Tennessee will be played.

Pittman learned Monday he had tested positive. SEC protocol for asymptomatic positives will require him to isolate for at least 10 days from the date of the positive test if a retest confirms the result. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom will serve as interim head coach.

LSU coach Ed Orgeron said related quarantines due to possible exposure have thinned his roster. He declined to get into the number of players affected by the team’s latest outbreak.

“It’s going to be challenging, obviously, with the guys that are out,” Orgeron said. “When they tell me we’re at a certain number or something like that — we can play or we can’t play — I think that’s up to the league ... but for right now, we’re playing Alabama.”

Florida has already been through it — more than 30 players and staff tested positive in an outbreak last month that caused the SEC to postpone two of the Gators’ games.

“You really just have to really listen to your coaches and listen to the CDC guidelines because, if you follow those, then you should be in the best position possible to get back on the field as soon as possible,” Florida quarterback Kyle Trask said.

By CLIFF BRUNT - Associated PressThe Southeastern Conference is taking a hit from COVID-19.The conference on Monday postponed Saturday’s game between No. 20 Auburn and Mississippi State because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantining within the Bulldogs’ program.The SEC requires programs to have at least 53 scholarship players available for games. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said the Bulldogs were just a player away from having to postpone last Saturday’s game against Vanderbilt.“Fortunately we didn’t have to,” Leach said. “We knew there was a pretty good chance we’d have to cancel this week just because we were that close (last week).”No. 5 Texas A&amp;M paused in-person activities after a player and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from a win at South Carolina. LSU is battling an outbreak that could put Saturday’s game against No. 1 Alabama in jeopardy. And Arkansas coach Sam Pittman has tested positive and could miss the game at No. 6 Florida.The stop-and-start nature of college sports in the pandemic is familiar by now, but the cluster of problems was a reminder how fragile the season is. The problems Monday extended beyond the SEC, too: Michigan State announced that men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo has tested positive for COVID-19, the Mountain West canceled Air Force’s scheduled football game at Wyoming this Saturday due to an “upward trend” of COVID-19 cases at the academy and the Pac-12 opened its season over the weekend with two games postponed.Mississippi State’s game against Auburn has been tentatively rescheduled for Dec. 12 in Starkville, Mississippi. Athletic director John Cohen said the Bulldogs were disappointed, but “our priority is the health, safety and well-being of our student-athletes and staff.”Texas A&amp;M coach Jimbo Fisher said the Aggies were undergoing additional testing and contact tracing amid hopes the team could return to campus Tuesday. He was confident that Saturday’s game at Tennessee will be played.Pittman learned Monday he had tested positive. SEC protocol for asymptomatic positives will require him to isolate for at least 10 days from the date of the positive test if a retest confirms the result. Defensive coordinator Barry Odom will serve as interim head coach.LSU coach Ed Orgeron said related quarantines due to possible exposure have thinned his roster. He declined to get into the number of players affected by the team’s latest outbreak.“It’s going to be challenging, obviously, with the guys that are out,” Orgeron said. “When they tell me we’re at a certain number or something like that — we can play or we can’t play — I think that’s up to the league ... but for right now, we’re playing Alabama.”Florida has already been through it — more than 30 players and staff tested positive in an outbreak last month that caused the SEC to postpone two of the Gators’ games.“You really just have to really listen to your coaches and listen to the CDC guidelines because, if you follow those, then you should be in the best position possible to get back on the field as soon as possible,” Florida quarterback Kyle Trask said.

Postponement, outbreaks: SEC takes a hit from COVID-19

Alabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this year, extending its record of consecutive seasons with at least one week on top of the rankings to 13.

Notre Dame moved up two spots to No. 2 on Sunday after upsetting Clemson in a dramatic double-overtime game Saturday night. Ohio State remained No. 3. Clemson gave up the top spot for the first time this season and landed at No. 4.

The Crimson Tide, who had an open date, received 59 of 62 first-place votes. Notre Dame, which has its best ranking since it was No. 1 at the end of the 2012 regular season, received two first-place votes. Ohio State got one.

Texas A&amp;M moved up two spots to No. 5, the Aggies’ best ranking since they finished fifth to end the 2012 season.

Florida jumped two spots to No. 6 after beating Georgia to snap a three-game losing streak against its SEC East rival. The Bulldogs fell eight spots to a season-low 13th.

No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Miami and No. 10 Indiana round out the top 10.

The Hoosiers moved up three spots after beating Michigan to receive their best ranking since they were No. 10 in 1969.

It’s no surprise when Alabama reaches No. 1, but it’s always historic.

The Crimson Tide’s streak of seasons with at least one appearance at No. 1 started in Nick Saban’s second year as coach in Tuscaloosa. The Tide reached the top of the poll for the first time under Saban on Nov. 2, 2008, the day after beating Arkansas State.

No. 1 Texas lost that week at Texas Tech — Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree in the final seconds as the Red Raiders shocked the Longhorns — to open the door for Alabama to ascend.

The second-longest streak of consecutive years appearing at No. 1 in AP poll history belongs to Miami, which went seven seasons from 1986-92.

This No. 1 appearance is the 92nd under Saban and Alabama’s record 123rd overall. Take away Alabama’s other No. 1 appearances and just Saban’s appearances at No. 1 would rank as the fourth-most in college history behind Ohio State’s (105), Oklahoma’s (101) and Notre Dame’s (98). That’s also one more than Southern California (91) has ever had.

— No. 23 Northwestern is ranked for the first time since the Wildcats finished the 2018 season at No. 21.

— No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette returns to the rankings after cracking them earlier this season for the first time in almost 80 years.

— Boise State dropped out after getting run over by BYU on Friday night.

— Michigan is out for the first time this season after falling to 1-2. The Wolverines were last unranked while eligible for the poll at the end of 2017. Earlier this season, Big Ten teams were ineligible for the AP Top 25 because the conference was not planning to play a fall schedule.

After four Top-25 matchups this past weekend, there is none next week.

Blame LSU. The defending national champions have stumbled to 2-3, meaning for the first time since 2001, the Tigers will face Alabama as an unranked team.

By RALPH D. RUSSO - Associated PressAlabama is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll for the first time this year, extending its record of consecutive seasons with at least one week on top of the rankings to 13.Notre Dame moved up two spots to No. 2 on Sunday after upsetting Clemson in a dramatic double-overtime game Saturday night. Ohio State remained No. 3. Clemson gave up the top spot for the first time this season and landed at No. 4.The Crimson Tide, who had an open date, received 59 of 62 first-place votes. Notre Dame, which has its best ranking since it was No. 1 at the end of the 2012 regular season, received two first-place votes. Ohio State got one.Texas A&amp;M moved up two spots to No. 5, the Aggies’ best ranking since they finished fifth to end the 2012 season.Florida jumped two spots to No. 6 after beating Georgia to snap a three-game losing streak against its SEC East rival. The Bulldogs fell eight spots to a season-low 13th.No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Miami and No. 10 Indiana round out the top 10.The Hoosiers moved up three spots after beating Michigan to receive their best ranking since they were No. 10 in 1969.POLL POINTSIt’s no surprise when Alabama reaches No. 1, but it’s always historic.The Crimson Tide’s streak of seasons with at least one appearance at No. 1 started in Nick Saban’s second year as coach in Tuscaloosa. The Tide reached the top of the poll for the first time under Saban on Nov. 2, 2008, the day after beating Arkansas State.No. 1 Texas lost that week at Texas Tech — Graham Harrell to Michael Crabtree in the final seconds as the Red Raiders shocked the Longhorns — to open the door for Alabama to ascend.The second-longest streak of consecutive years appearing at No. 1 in AP poll history belongs to Miami, which went seven seasons from 1986-92.This No. 1 appearance is the 92nd under Saban and Alabama’s record 123rd overall. Take away Alabama’s other No. 1 appearances and just Saban’s appearances at No. 1 would rank as the fourth-most in college history behind Ohio State’s (105), Oklahoma’s (101) and Notre Dame’s (98). That’s also one more than Southern California (91) has ever had.IN— No. 23 Northwestern is ranked for the first time since the Wildcats finished the 2018 season at No. 21.— No. 25 Louisiana-Lafayette returns to the rankings after cracking them earlier this season for the first time in almost 80 years.OUT— Boise State dropped out after getting run over by BYU on Friday night.— Michigan is out for the first time this season after falling to 1-2. The Wolverines were last unranked while eligible for the poll at the end of 2017. Earlier this season, Big Ten teams were ineligible for the AP Top 25 because the conference was not planning to play a fall schedule.CONFERENCE CALLSEC — 5 (Nos. 1, 5, 6, 13, 24).Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 3, 10, 12, 23).Big 12 — 4 (Nos. 14, 17, 18, 21).ACC — 3 (No. 2, 4, 9).American — 2 (Nos. 7, 19).Pac-12 — 2 (Nos. 11, 20).Sun Belt — 2 (Nos. 15, 25).C-USA — 1 (No. 16).Independents — 2 (Nos. 8, 22).RANKED vs. RANKEDAfter four Top-25 matchups this past weekend, there is none next week.Blame LSU. The defending national champions have stumbled to 2-3, meaning for the first time since 2001, the Tigers will face Alabama as an unranked team.

AP Top 25: Alabama is on top again; Notre Dame up to No. 2

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 21-year-old University of Nebraska wrestler is dead after an accident Thursday morning in Lincoln.

The university announced the death of Christian Miller, a junior from Plainview, Nebraska. Details about the accident were not immediately released.

Miller was part of the wrestling program for four seasons. He was 15-9 overall, including a 12-3 record in 2019-2020.

Wrestling Coach Mark Manning called Miller's death "a tragic and devastating loss for everyone who knew and loved Christian." In a statement, Manning described Miller as a "young man full of energy with a bright future ahead of him."

Athletic Director Bill Moos said Miller's death "will have a deep impact on our wrestling program, including Christian's teammates, Coach Manning and his staff."

Miller was a four-time state champion at Plainview High School, where his career record was 169-2. He also was a two-time state qualifier in cross country at Plainview High.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/11/1604616012726.png" alt="Christian Miller (University of Nebraska Photo)" />
 <figcaption>Christian Miller (University of Nebraska Photo)</figcaption>
 </figure>LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - A 21-year-old University of Nebraska wrestler is dead after an accident Thursday morning in Lincoln.The university announced the death of Christian Miller, a junior from Plainview, Nebraska. Details about the accident were not immediately released.Miller was part of the wrestling program for four seasons. He was 15-9 overall, including a 12-3 record in 2019-2020.Wrestling Coach Mark Manning called Miller's death "a tragic and devastating loss for everyone who knew and loved Christian." In a statement, Manning described Miller as a "young man full of energy with a bright future ahead of him."Athletic Director Bill Moos said Miller's death "will have a deep impact on our wrestling program, including Christian's teammates, Coach Manning and his staff."Miller was a four-time state champion at Plainview High School, where his career record was 169-2. He also was a two-time state qualifier in cross country at Plainview High.

University of Nebraska wrestler dies in car accident

Good news for volleyball fans across Nebraska, you will still get your NCAA fix this spring during the national tournament.&nbsp;

The NCAA Volleyball Final Four will remain in Omaha after being rescheduled for the spring due to COVID 19. The new dates are April 22 and 24.&nbsp;

Its unknown if the decision has anything to do with the fact that weekend was open at the CHI Health Center but once NCAA officials made the decision to hold the final four that weekend they went full speed ahead with keeping the event in Omaha.&nbsp;

T.J. Meagher the chairman of the NCAA Division I volleyball committee had this to say: "Omaha had earned the right to be the host city for the championship, and it's always been a great ambassador for the sport. There's wonderful support from the community. It's very special in Omaha."

The tournament was to be played in December before the decision to move fall sports to the spring.&nbsp;

NCAA Volleyball matches are slated to begin Jan 22.&nbsp;

Good news for volleyball fans across Nebraska, you will still get your NCAA fix this spring during the national tournament.&nbsp;The NCAA Volleyball Final Four will remain in Omaha after being rescheduled for the spring due to COVID 19. The new dates are April 22 and 24.&nbsp;Its unknown if the decision has anything to do with the fact that weekend was open at the CHI Health Center but once NCAA officials made the decision to hold the final four that weekend they went full speed ahead with keeping the event in Omaha.&nbsp;T.J. Meagher the chairman of the NCAA Division I volleyball committee had this to say: "Omaha had earned the right to be the host city for the championship, and it's always been a great ambassador for the sport. There's wonderful support from the community. It's very special in Omaha."The tournament was to be played in December before the decision to move fall sports to the spring.&nbsp;NCAA Volleyball matches are slated to begin Jan 22.&nbsp;

NCAA Volleyball stays in Omaha

By ERIC OLSON-AP College Football Writer

Nebraska coach Scott Frost let out a chuckle when he heard Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters the Cornhuskers would have a big advantage going into Saturday's game because they were coming off an open date.

"Maybe if this was week 7 or 8, having a week off would be nice," Frost said Monday. "We've only played one game. Pat is one of the smartest guys in the country probably, but I don't know if I agree with him on that one."

That was about the only light moment during Frost's weekly videoconference with reporters. The coach is frustrated, not just by the global pandemic that has disrupted life for everyone, but by associated factors that have kept the Huskers from playing. Some teams in the country already have played seven or even eight games.

"I think we've had more practices with one game under our belt than any football team in the history of football," Frost said.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf11bbb1f9625e01ade0983b61fead22" target="_blank">What Frost called a "broken, messed up year" has seen the Big Ten originally decide not to play a fall football season and then reverse course and start in earnest Oct. 24.</a>

The emergence of daily rapid COVID-19 testing and strict protocols for handling positive tests helped bring back football. Before that, Nebraska was among the teams that pushed hardest for a season, its tactics drawing scorn from some in the national media and&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nebraskas-messy-marriage-with-big-ten-getting-uglier-184855339.html" target="_blank">suggestions that maybe Nebraska doesn't fit in the Big Ten.</a>

Nebraska lost its opener at Ohio State by 35 points, then was notified four days later that Wisconsin would not play in Lincoln last Saturday because of a virus outbreak on the team.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-virus-outbreak-barry-alvarez-graham-mertz-wisconsin-c3a1e42b43ac7996a1328ea274407fad" target="_blank">Wisconsin called off the game on its own volition, not because its positivity rate met the Big Ten threshold mandating cancellation.</a>&nbsp;The game goes down as a no contest instead of a forfeit.

"I know they left a provision in there for teams to decide if it wasn't safe in their community or university to play," Frost said, "and that's what our last opponent chose to do, so we're on to the next one."

The next one, Nebraska hoped, was to be a hurriedly arranged replacement home game against Chattanooga last Saturday. The Moccasins met virus testing standards, and Frost said he told his players the game would be played if the Big Ten approved.

"I don't think they were very confident when they heard that," Frost said, "and they were right. So we didn't get to play."

The Huskers practiced yet again on Saturday, Frost took his kids trick-or-treating, and then the team got together.

"We had a scary movie night on Halloween, trying to keep our guys from going to parties and doing some dumb things," he said.

Frost said his players have rolled with the punches and remain motivated.

"I think our kids have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," he said. "They see us fighting to try to get them to play. We've kind of failed at every turn. But they just want to be on the field. I think they feel like maybe some people are out to get them or have an ax to grind a little bit. They feel they haven't accomplished everything they could have accomplished."

Frost said he isn't worried about the ups and downs breaking his players' spirits.

"If we get two or three more games canceled, I don't know," he said. "But I don't think we have the type of guys who are going to throw up their hands and give up. They just want to play."

By ERIC OLSON-AP College Football Writer Nebraska coach Scott Frost let out a chuckle when he heard Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald told reporters the Cornhuskers would have a big advantage going into Saturday's game because they were coming off an open date."Maybe if this was week 7 or 8, having a week off would be nice," Frost said Monday. "We've only played one game. Pat is one of the smartest guys in the country probably, but I don't know if I agree with him on that one."That was about the only light moment during Frost's weekly videoconference with reporters. The coach is frustrated, not just by the global pandemic that has disrupted life for everyone, but by associated factors that have kept the Huskers from playing. Some teams in the country already have played seven or even eight games."I think we've had more practices with one game under our belt than any football team in the history of football," Frost said.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bf11bbb1f9625e01ade0983b61fead22" target="_blank">What Frost called a "broken, messed up year" has seen the Big Ten originally decide not to play a fall football season and then reverse course and start in earnest Oct. 24.</a>The emergence of daily rapid COVID-19 testing and strict protocols for handling positive tests helped bring back football. Before that, Nebraska was among the teams that pushed hardest for a season, its tactics drawing scorn from some in the national media and&nbsp;<a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/nebraskas-messy-marriage-with-big-ten-getting-uglier-184855339.html" target="_blank">suggestions that maybe Nebraska doesn't fit in the Big Ten.</a>Nebraska lost its opener at Ohio State by 35 points, then was notified four days later that Wisconsin would not play in Lincoln last Saturday because of a virus outbreak on the team.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/college-football-virus-outbreak-barry-alvarez-graham-mertz-wisconsin-c3a1e42b43ac7996a1328ea274407fad" target="_blank">Wisconsin called off the game on its own volition, not because its positivity rate met the Big Ten threshold mandating cancellation.</a>&nbsp;The game goes down as a no contest instead of a forfeit."I know they left a provision in there for teams to decide if it wasn't safe in their community or university to play," Frost said, "and that's what our last opponent chose to do, so we're on to the next one."The next one, Nebraska hoped, was to be a hurriedly arranged replacement home game against Chattanooga last Saturday. The Moccasins met virus testing standards, and Frost said he told his players the game would be played if the Big Ten approved."I don't think they were very confident when they heard that," Frost said, "and they were right. So we didn't get to play."The Huskers practiced yet again on Saturday, Frost took his kids trick-or-treating, and then the team got together."We had a scary movie night on Halloween, trying to keep our guys from going to parties and doing some dumb things," he said.Frost said his players have rolled with the punches and remain motivated."I think our kids have a little bit of a chip on their shoulder," he said. "They see us fighting to try to get them to play. We've kind of failed at every turn. But they just want to be on the field. I think they feel like maybe some people are out to get them or have an ax to grind a little bit. They feel they haven't accomplished everything they could have accomplished."Frost said he isn't worried about the ups and downs breaking his players' spirits."If we get two or three more games canceled, I don't know," he said. "But I don't think we have the type of guys who are going to throw up their hands and give up. They just want to play."

Frustrated Huskers holding up in 'broken, messed up year'

It's been an awesome fall for North Platte High School sports. A state championship (girls golf), a state runner up (softball), a birth in the state tournament (Volleyball), and a playoff victory for football (first since '04) Now the individual accomplishments are rolling in for the athletes on those teams who made it possible.&nbsp;

First up one of the five girls who brought a state championship trophy to North Platte in golf, Baylee Steele.&nbsp;

Baylee has spent her four years as the undisputed leader in the clubhouse. Early on she was being compared to Val Skinner, another NPHS girls golfer who went on to the LPGA.&nbsp;

Baylee has spent most of her high school career in the discussion for best golfer in the state and is well deserved in that praise. Baylee will continue her golfing career here in Nebraska at the University of Omaha.

Joining Baylee with Super State Honors is Karsen Morrison. Karsen had a successful year with the program as a leader and pushing the team to be their best.&nbsp;She walks away from this year as a state champion with a bright future ahead of her. 

Before this year the girls team had two straight years of runner-up status at the state tournament.&nbsp;

Below you can see the selections for Girls Golf Super State.&nbsp;

Next we have Tatum Montelongo who in her sophomore campaign lead the NPHS Softball team to a state runner up and is now considered one of the deadliest pitchers in the state. Its the first time in quite awhile that a North Platte girl made the all-state team.&nbsp;

<a href="https://omaha.com/sports/high-school/meet-the-2020-all-nebraska-softball-team/article_b00d0cec-0107-5569-8ae9-97e5310305fe.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_NEPrepZone">You can find the whole team here</a>

Finally the only boy on the list, Evan Caudy from the Cross Country team.&nbsp; Evan spent most of this year as the leader on the team and got quite a bit of attention on the statewide level, earning a Gold medal at districts this year and a 4th place finish at the state meet. Evan earned medals at state in back to back years.&nbsp;

Evan will be back next year for the Bulldogs and hopefully will make a push for that individual state championship.

You can see the Cross Country Super state results below:&nbsp;

It's been an awesome fall for North Platte High School sports. A state championship (girls golf), a state runner up (softball), a birth in the state tournament (Volleyball), and a playoff victory for football (first since '04) Now the individual accomplishments are rolling in for the athletes on those teams who made it possible.&nbsp;First up one of the five girls who brought a state championship trophy to North Platte in golf, Baylee Steele.&nbsp;Baylee has spent her four years as the undisputed leader in the clubhouse. Early on she was being compared to Val Skinner, another NPHS girls golfer who went on to the LPGA.&nbsp;Baylee has spent most of her high school career in the discussion for best golfer in the state and is well deserved in that praise. Baylee will continue her golfing career here in Nebraska at the University of Omaha.Joining Baylee with Super State Honors is Karsen Morrison. Karsen had a successful year with the program as a leader and pushing the team to be their best.&nbsp;She walks away from this year as a state champion with a bright future ahead of her. Before this year the girls team had two straight years of runner-up status at the state tournament.&nbsp;Below you can see the selections for Girls Golf Super State.&nbsp;Next we have Tatum Montelongo who in her sophomore campaign lead the NPHS Softball team to a state runner up and is now considered one of the deadliest pitchers in the state. Its the first time in quite awhile that a North Platte girl made the all-state team.&nbsp;<a href="https://omaha.com/sports/high-school/meet-the-2020-all-nebraska-softball-team/article_b00d0cec-0107-5569-8ae9-97e5310305fe.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter_NEPrepZone">You can find the whole team here</a>Finally the only boy on the list, Evan Caudy from the Cross Country team.&nbsp; Evan spent most of this year as the leader on the team and got quite a bit of attention on the statewide level, earning a Gold medal at districts this year and a 4th place finish at the state meet. Evan earned medals at state in back to back years.&nbsp;Evan will be back next year for the Bulldogs and hopefully will make a push for that individual state championship.You can see the Cross Country Super state results below:&nbsp;Girls Golf<div><iframe src="https://ncacoach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-Girls-Golf-All-State-Selections.pdf" width="100%" height="500px"></div>Boys Cross Country<div><iframe src="https://ncacoach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-Boys-Cross-Country-Super-State-All-State.pdf" width="100%" height="500px"></div>Girls Cross Country<div><iframe src="https://ncacoach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-Girls-Cross-Country-Super-State-All-State.pdf" width="100%" height="500px"></div>Boys Tennis Class A<div><iframe src="https://ncacoach.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/2020-Class-A-Boys-All-State-Tennis-Team.pdf" width="100%" height="500px"></div>

NPHS Athletics: Four athletes recognized with statewide honors

By Heather Johnson: MPCC Area Information

A representative of the Mid-Plains Community College Fishing Club reeled his way to the Top 20 during a national fishing tournament in Florida.

Grant Pavelka, of North Platte, finished 20th out of 118 teams in the 2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. The tourney was conducted at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla. Oct. 29-31.

It was Pavelka’s second time representing MPCC at a national competition. He and fishing partner Dylan Petersen, of North Platte, competed at the college national championships in Dayton, Tenn. last year – placing 36th out of 116 teams.

Pavelka qualified for this year’s competition by winning the state tournament at Merritt Reservoir alongside Clayton Stevens, of McCook. Unfortunately, because of academic commitments, Stevens wasn’t able to go to Florida.

“I was fishing alone, and all the rest of the teams were two-man teams,” said Pavelka. “But it was still a lot of fun. That was my first time ever seeing Florida. It was really great – a totally different world.”

The type of fishing was also different from what he was used to in Nebraska.

“Florida is usually a shallow water paradise,” Pavelka said. “The best pattern I had was in 20 feet of water, 200 yards off the bank. I was offshore fishing in a state where most don’t offshore fish.”

He had plenty of time to scout out a prime location. Pavelka left Nebraska Oct. 23 and arrived in Florida Oct. 25 on what ended up being a 24-hour trip. He was allowed to practice for three days before the tournament began.

“The Harris Chain of Lakes actually consists of seven lakes,” said Pavelka. “So, I would practice one then go on to the next one and try it out. A lot of it was eliminating water I didn’t want to waste my time with. I ended up being pretty fortunate because my starting spot was about 45 seconds away from blast off and the other spot I was looking at was about an hour and 40-minute drive away. So, I was able to spend less time on the road and more time fishing.”

He ended up staying on Big Harris Lake fishing for largemouth bass. His limit was five per day.

“I had to change my catching technique because in Florida, the bass spawn twice a year, as opposed to only once a year in Nebraska,” Pavelka said. “Right now, they’re about to move up to where they spawn, so I looked for brush piles and openings of creeks. It was like spring fishing in the fall.”

He used a 3/4-ounce jig – his fallback for a variety of situations.

“It works pretty much everywhere,” Pavelka said. “I’ve been using it since my dad taught me how to fish when I was little. It’s consistent.”

Pavelka caught his limit both days. He weighed in after the first round with 11.8 pounds, which ranked him 56th.

“I was really bummed out,” Pavelka said. “I had a chance at having a good bag but missed one that would have bumped me up about 20 spots. The second day, my dad told me just to go out and have fun fishing my last day in Florida.”

He hit the 8-pound mark then stalled out - trading up only an ounce at a time.

“I went out deep and had one that clued me into some bigger ones,” Pavelka said. “Suddenly, my luck turned around and I went from 8 pounds to 17 pounds in about an hour and a half.”

His total on the second day was 17.2 pounds, which wasn’t enough to put him into the championship round on Saturday but was enough to place him in the Top 20.

“The support alone was worth the trip,” Pavelka said. “There were so many people from back home texting me and rooting me on that I reached a point where I didn’t even feel like I was fishing for myself anymore. I was fishing for Nebraska. That’s a pretty special feeling.”

More information about the tournament, including full results can be found at bassmaster.com.

By Heather Johnson: MPCC Area InformationA representative of the Mid-Plains Community College Fishing Club reeled his way to the Top 20 during a national fishing tournament in Florida.Grant Pavelka, of North Platte, finished 20th out of 118 teams in the 2020 Carhartt Bassmaster College National Championship presented by Bass Pro Shops. The tourney was conducted at the Harris Chain of Lakes in Leesburg, Fla. Oct. 29-31.It was Pavelka’s second time representing MPCC at a national competition. He and fishing partner Dylan Petersen, of North Platte, competed at the college national championships in Dayton, Tenn. last year – placing 36th out of 116 teams.Pavelka qualified for this year’s competition by winning the state tournament at Merritt Reservoir alongside Clayton Stevens, of McCook. Unfortunately, because of academic commitments, Stevens wasn’t able to go to Florida.“I was fishing alone, and all the rest of the teams were two-man teams,” said Pavelka. “But it was still a lot of fun. That was my first time ever seeing Florida. It was really great – a totally different world.”The type of fishing was also different from what he was used to in Nebraska.“Florida is usually a shallow water paradise,” Pavelka said. “The best pattern I had was in 20 feet of water, 200 yards off the bank. I was offshore fishing in a state where most don’t offshore fish.”He had plenty of time to scout out a prime location. Pavelka left Nebraska Oct. 23 and arrived in Florida Oct. 25 on what ended up being a 24-hour trip. He was allowed to practice for three days before the tournament began.“The Harris Chain of Lakes actually consists of seven lakes,” said Pavelka. “So, I would practice one then go on to the next one and try it out. A lot of it was eliminating water I didn’t want to waste my time with. I ended up being pretty fortunate because my starting spot was about 45 seconds away from blast off and the other spot I was looking at was about an hour and 40-minute drive away. So, I was able to spend less time on the road and more time fishing.”He ended up staying on Big Harris Lake fishing for largemouth bass. His limit was five per day.“I had to change my catching technique because in Florida, the bass spawn twice a year, as opposed to only once a year in Nebraska,” Pavelka said. “Right now, they’re about to move up to where they spawn, so I looked for brush piles and openings of creeks. It was like spring fishing in the fall.”He used a 3/4-ounce jig – his fallback for a variety of situations.“It works pretty much everywhere,” Pavelka said. “I’ve been using it since my dad taught me how to fish when I was little. It’s consistent.”Pavelka caught his limit both days. He weighed in after the first round with 11.8 pounds, which ranked him 56th.“I was really bummed out,” Pavelka said. “I had a chance at having a good bag but missed one that would have bumped me up about 20 spots. The second day, my dad told me just to go out and have fun fishing my last day in Florida.”He hit the 8-pound mark then stalled out - trading up only an ounce at a time.“I went out deep and had one that clued me into some bigger ones,” Pavelka said. “Suddenly, my luck turned around and I went from 8 pounds to 17 pounds in about an hour and a half.”His total on the second day was 17.2 pounds, which wasn’t enough to put him into the championship round on Saturday but was enough to place him in the Top 20.“The support alone was worth the trip,” Pavelka said. “There were so many people from back home texting me and rooting me on that I reached a point where I didn’t even feel like I was fishing for myself anymore. I was fishing for Nebraska. That’s a pretty special feeling.”More information about the tournament, including full results can be found at bassmaster.com.

Pavelka places in Top 20 at national fishing tournament

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez says the total number of positive COVID-19 cases within the Badgers' football program has increased to 22.

Alvarez told ESPN's "College GameDay" on Saturday that 12 football players and 10 staffers have tested positive. Alvarez said school officials would decide Tuesday whether to go ahead with the ninth-ranked Badgers' scheduled Sept. 7 home game with Purdue.

"We're still having additions in our cases, and that's something we've got to get our arms around and control it," Alvarez said.

The Badgers (1-0) had been scheduled to play at Nebraska (0-1) on Saturday, but Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday they were calling off that game and pausing team activities for a week due to a coronavirus outbreak within the program. The Wisconsin-Nebraska game won't be rescheduled.

Wisconsin announced Wednesday that six players and six staffers - including head coach Paul Chryst - had tested positive since Oct. 24, the day after its season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois.

School officials updated that number Thursday by saying two more staffers and one additional player had tested positive. The Thursday update indicated the program had a total of 16 active cases, and that 15 of them had come since Oct. 24.

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez says the total number of positive COVID-19 cases within the Badgers' football program has increased to 22.Alvarez told ESPN's "College GameDay" on Saturday that 12 football players and 10 staffers have tested positive. Alvarez said school officials would decide Tuesday whether to go ahead with the ninth-ranked Badgers' scheduled Sept. 7 home game with Purdue."We're still having additions in our cases, and that's something we've got to get our arms around and control it," Alvarez said.The Badgers (1-0) had been scheduled to play at Nebraska (0-1) on Saturday, but Wisconsin officials announced Wednesday they were calling off that game and pausing team activities for a week due to a coronavirus outbreak within the program. The Wisconsin-Nebraska game won't be rescheduled.Wisconsin announced Wednesday that six players and six staffers - including head coach Paul Chryst - had tested positive since Oct. 24, the day after its season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois.School officials updated that number Thursday by saying two more staffers and one additional player had tested positive. The Thursday update indicated the program had a total of 16 active cases, and that 15 of them had come since Oct. 24.

Athletic director: Wisconsin has 22 positive COVID-19 cases

10.30.2020 NPHS Football @ Lincoln East PLAYOFFS LIVESTREAM

Good news for wrestling fans as the NSAA has put forth guidelines to keep the winter sports running.&nbsp;

Now schools and fans will know how their path to the championships in Omaha looks like. The NSAA released the district assignments for wrestling this year.&nbsp;

Best way to find your school is to Ctrl+F to find the name.&nbsp;

2020-2021 Wrestling District Assignments

Bellevue West Columbus Lincoln High Lincoln Southwest Millard South Millard West

Grand Island Lincoln North Star Lincoln Southeast Omaha Burke Omaha North Omaha South Omaha Westside

Gretna Lincoln Northeast Millard North North Platte Omaha Northwest Papillion-LaVista Papillion-LaVista South

Kearney Lincoln East Lincoln Pius X Norfolk Omaha Benson Omaha Bryan Omaha Central

Bennington Boys Town Columbus Lakeview Columbus Scotus Elkhorn North Hastings Nebraska City Omaha Roncalli Catholic Pierce Schuyler South Sioux City Waverly

Blair Falls City Minden Omaha Concordia Omaha Gross Catholic Platteview Ralston Seward Wayne West Point-Beemer York

Aurora Beatrice Crete Elkhorn Fairbury Mount Michael Benedictine Norris Northwest Omaha Skutt Catholic Plattsmouth Wahoo

Broken Bow Chadron Cozad Gering Gothenburg Holdrege Lexington McCook Ogallala Scottsbluff Sidney

Boone Central Crofton/Bloomfield David City Fillmore Central Fort Calhoun Grand Island Central Catholic Madison Nebraska Christian North Bend Central St. Paul Tekamah-Herman Tri County Tri County Northeast Wisner-Pilger Wood River

Battle Creek Bishop Neumann Central City Conestoga Hartington Cedar Catholic Lutheran High Northeast Oakland-Craig Quad County Northeast Raymond Central Sutton Syracuse Wakefield Wilber-Clatonia Winnebago Yutan

BRLD Centennial Cross County/Osceola HTRS Lincoln Christian Lincoln Lutheran Logan View Louisville Malcolm Milford Norfolk Catholic Palmyra Ponca South Central Nebraska Unified District #5 Twin River

Amherst Arcadia/Loup City Bridgeport Centura Chase County Gibbon Gordon-Rushville Hershey Kearney Catholic Loomis/Bertrand Mitchell O'Neill Ord Ravenna Valentine

Anselmo-Merna Arapahoe Cedar Bluffs Clarkson-Leigh Dorchester Elm Creek Franklin Friend Fullerton Guardian Angels Central Catholic High Plains Community Kenesaw North Central Pender Plainview Scribner-Snyder Shelby-Rising City South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) Weeping Water Wilcox-Hildreth

Brady Burwell Doniphan-Trumbull Elgin Public/Pope John Elkhorn Valley Freeman Meridian Niobrara/Verdigre Osmond Palmer Pleasanton Red Cloud/Blue Hill Riverside Santee Shelton Southwest St. Mary's Superior Twin Loup West Holt

Cambridge Central Valley Creighton East Butler Harvard Hastings St. Cecilia Hi-Line Howells-Dodge Johnson County Central Neligh-Oakdale Overton Sandhills Valley Sandhills/Thedford Southern Southern Valley Stanton Summerland Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Thayer Central Winside

Bayard Crawford Dundy County Stratton Garden County Hay Springs Hemingford Hitchcock County Hyannis Kimball Leyton Maxwell Medicine Valley Minatare Morrill Mullen North Platte St. Patrick's Paxton Perkins County Sioux County Sutherland Wauneta-Palisade

Good news for wrestling fans as the NSAA has put forth guidelines to keep the winter sports running.&nbsp; Now schools and fans will know how their path to the championships in Omaha looks like. The NSAA released the district assignments for wrestling this year.&nbsp;Best way to find your school is to Ctrl+F to find the name.&nbsp;2020-2021 Wrestling District AssignmentsDistrict A-1:Bellevue West Columbus Lincoln High Lincoln Southwest Millard South Millard West District A-2:Grand Island Lincoln North Star Lincoln Southeast Omaha Burke Omaha North Omaha South Omaha Westside District A-3:Gretna Lincoln Northeast Millard North North Platte Omaha Northwest Papillion-LaVista Papillion-LaVista South District A-4:Kearney Lincoln East Lincoln Pius X Norfolk Omaha Benson Omaha Bryan Omaha Central District B-1:Bennington Boys Town Columbus Lakeview Columbus Scotus Elkhorn North Hastings Nebraska City Omaha Roncalli Catholic Pierce Schuyler South Sioux City Waverly District B-2:Blair Falls City Minden Omaha Concordia Omaha Gross Catholic Platteview Ralston Seward Wayne West Point-Beemer York District B-3:Aurora Beatrice Crete Elkhorn Fairbury Mount Michael Benedictine Norris Northwest Omaha Skutt Catholic Plattsmouth Wahoo District B-4:Broken Bow Chadron Cozad Gering Gothenburg Holdrege Lexington McCook Ogallala Scottsbluff Sidney District C-1:Boone Central Crofton/Bloomfield David City Fillmore Central Fort Calhoun Grand Island Central Catholic Madison Nebraska Christian North Bend Central St. Paul Tekamah-Herman Tri County Tri County Northeast Wisner-Pilger Wood River District C-2:Battle Creek Bishop Neumann Central City Conestoga Hartington Cedar Catholic Lutheran High Northeast Oakland-Craig Quad County Northeast Raymond Central Sutton Syracuse Wakefield Wilber-Clatonia Winnebago Yutan District C-3:BRLD Centennial Cross County/Osceola HTRS Lincoln Christian Lincoln Lutheran Logan View Louisville Malcolm Milford Norfolk Catholic Palmyra Ponca South Central Nebraska Unified District #5 Twin River District C-4:Amherst Arcadia/Loup City Bridgeport Centura Chase County Gibbon Gordon-Rushville Hershey Kearney Catholic Loomis/Bertrand Mitchell O'Neill Ord Ravenna Valentine District D-1:Anselmo-Merna Arapahoe Cedar Bluffs Clarkson-Leigh Dorchester Elm Creek Franklin Friend Fullerton Guardian Angels Central Catholic High Plains Community Kenesaw North Central Pender Plainview Scribner-Snyder Shelby-Rising City South Loup (Callaway/Arnold) Weeping Water Wilcox-Hildreth District D-2:Brady Burwell Doniphan-Trumbull Elgin Public/Pope John Elkhorn Valley Freeman Meridian Niobrara/Verdigre Osmond Palmer Pleasanton Red Cloud/Blue Hill Riverside Santee Shelton Southwest St. Mary's Superior Twin Loup West Holt District D-3:Cambridge Central Valley Creighton East Butler Harvard Hastings St. Cecilia Hi-Line Howells-Dodge Johnson County Central Neligh-Oakdale Overton Sandhills Valley Sandhills/Thedford Southern Southern Valley Stanton Summerland Sumner-Eddyville-Miller Thayer Central Winside District D-4:Bayard Crawford Dundy County Stratton Garden County Hay Springs Hemingford Hitchcock County Hyannis Kimball Leyton Maxwell Medicine Valley Minatare Morrill Mullen North Platte St. Patrick's Paxton Perkins County Sioux County Sutherland Wauneta-Palisade

Area Wrestling: NSAA puts out 2020-21 district assignments

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Big Ten denied Nebraska's request to play a nonconference opponent Saturday to replace its originally scheduled game with Wisconsin that was canceled because the Badgers had a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green and athletic director Bill Moos released a joint statement saying the school had explored the possibility of securing another opponent. The Big Ten is playing only conference games in an abbreviated schedule that started last week.

"The discussions we had were with teams that had already implemented stricter testing protocols than those mandated by the Big Ten Conference," Nebraska officials said.

Nebraska was reportedly close to a deal with Chattanooga, an FCS school that played last week. The Mocs have no other fall games scheduled and are set to play in the Southern Conference in the spring.

Chattanooga athletic director Mark Wharton confirmed to CBS Sports the school was in negotiations with Nebraska and the team was tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday.

"Ultimately, the Big Ten Conference did not approve our request, and we respect their decision," Nebraska officials said.

The Cornhuskers (0-1) next play Nov. 7 at Northwestern.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - The Big Ten denied Nebraska's request to play a nonconference opponent Saturday to replace its originally scheduled game with Wisconsin that was canceled because the Badgers had a spike in COVID-19 cases.Nebraska Chancellor Ronnie Green and athletic director Bill Moos released a joint statement saying the school had explored the possibility of securing another opponent. The Big Ten is playing only conference games in an abbreviated schedule that started last week."The discussions we had were with teams that had already implemented stricter testing protocols than those mandated by the Big Ten Conference," Nebraska officials said.Nebraska was reportedly close to a deal with Chattanooga, an FCS school that played last week. The Mocs have no other fall games scheduled and are set to play in the Southern Conference in the spring.Chattanooga athletic director Mark Wharton confirmed to CBS Sports the school was in negotiations with Nebraska and the team was tested for COVID-19 on Wednesday."Ultimately, the Big Ten Conference did not approve our request, and we respect their decision," Nebraska officials said.The Cornhuskers (0-1) next play Nov. 7 at Northwestern.

Big Ten denies Nebraska request to play nonconference game

MADISON, Wis. (AP) - No. 9 Wisconsin has canceled its game at Nebraska on Saturday and paused all team activities for at least seven days after a dozen people within the program including coach Paul Chryst tested positive for COVID-19.

School officials said athletic director Barry Alvarez and chancellor Rebecca Blank made the decision in consultation with Big Ten officials. The game with Nebraska won't be rescheduled.

"This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday," Chryst said in a statement. "I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning."

Wisconsin said six players and six staff members had tested positive over the last five days.

The announcement followed reports that starting quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice - which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols - and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once.

Wisconsin already had lost 2019 starting quarterback Jack Coan to foot surgery that has left him out indefinitely. The Badgers' only other scholarship quarterback is junior Danny Vanden Boom.

"I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week," Chryst said. "But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/7/1563213481558.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>MADISON, Wis. (AP) - No. 9 Wisconsin has canceled its game at Nebraska on Saturday and paused all team activities for at least seven days after a dozen people within the program including coach Paul Chryst tested positive for COVID-19.School officials said athletic director Barry Alvarez and chancellor Rebecca Blank made the decision in consultation with Big Ten officials. The game with Nebraska won't be rescheduled."This morning I received the news that I had tested positive via a PCR test I took yesterday," Chryst said in a statement. "I informed my staff and the team this morning and am currently isolating at home. I had not been experiencing any symptoms and feel good as of this morning."Wisconsin said six players and six staff members had tested positive over the last five days.The announcement followed reports that starting quarterback Graham Mertz had tested positive twice - which would require him to sit out at least 21 days under Big Ten protocols - and that backup quarterback Chase Wolf had tested positive at least once.Wisconsin already had lost 2019 starting quarterback Jack Coan to foot surgery that has left him out indefinitely. The Badgers' only other scholarship quarterback is junior Danny Vanden Boom."I am disappointed for our players and coaching staff who put so much into preparing to play each week," Chryst said. "But the safety of everyone in our program has to be our top priority and I support the decision made to pause our team activities."

Wisconsin cancels Nebraska game; Chryst tests positive

Wisconsin may be facing the type of nightmare scenario that coaches feared as soon as the coronavirus pandemic arrived.

What happens if an outbreak hits a team’s quarterback room?

Wisconsin isn’t commenting on the COVID-19 testing results of individual players, but CBS Sports first reported that quarterback Graham Mertz has tested positive a second time. Under Big Ten protocols, that means Mertz can’t play for at least 21 days.

If that weren’t enough, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that quarterback Chase Wolf has tested positive at least once. Returning starter Jack Coan is out indefinitely after undergoing foot surgery. Junior Danny Vanden Boom is Wisconsin’s only other scholarship quarterback.

“Obviously this year there’s some things that will be unique,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said Monday without specifically discussing his players’ test results. “I’ve appreciated what that whole room of quarterbacks has done, kind of how they’ve approached everything.”

The situation could leave the ninth-ranked Badgers incredibly shorthanded at the game’s most important position as they prepare to visit Nebraska, host Purdue and travel to No. 13 Michigan over the next three weeks.

It’s the type of dilemma schools were hoping to avoid when college football decided to play amid the pandemic.

Ohio State coach Ryan Day this week detailed how the third-ranked Buckeyes try to ensure the virus doesn’t spread among Justin Fields and the other quarterbacks.

“When they’re in the quarterback meeting room with (quarterbacks coach) Corey (Dennis), they obviously are all masked up and distanced, and they do a great job of that,” Day said. “I’ll grab Justin and take him on my own sometimes for a lot of reasons, but that’s one of the, to kind of keep him away from some of the other guys. What a tricky situation.”

Back in the spring, Penn State coach James Franklin noted the difficulties in holding team meetings while also keeping players away from one another as much as possible out of fear an entire position group could be infected.

“But the other challenge is, are you going to meet with all your quarterbacks at the same time and they all get sick, you don’t have a healthy quarterback,” Franklin said then.

Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan said Tuesday that coaches have often reminded him and the other quarterbacks that “it’s a crazy year, and crazy things could happen.”

“So when we’re meeting as quarterbacks, we’re all spread out, 6 feet apart,” Morgan said. “We all have our masks on. Coach has his mask on. Unless you take a drink of water and put it right back up. We’re taking it seriously, because 21 days is a long time, and that’s something that we really can’t afford.”

After announcing Aug. 11 that it would postpone all fall sports until the spring due to the pandemic, the Big Ten reversed itself and opened the season in mid-October. Because it started later than most other Power Five leagues, the Big Ten put together a nine-game, conference-only schedule without any off weeks.

So while Notre Dame could postpone a scheduled game with Wake Forest after experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak last month, Big Ten programs don’t have that luxury. The Big Ten’s 21-day delay for players to return is also more stringent than other conferences — a decision the league knew could put its teams at a competitive disadvantage.

“I think there certainly were those questions after the decision was made,” Ohio State team physician Jim Borchers said last week. “And the answer is because that’s what it took to get us to a point where our presidents and chancellors felt comfortable in minimizing risk to allow a return to competition. And that’s all we really paid attention to.”

Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. All COVID-19 positive athletes must self-isolate for 10 days and undergo cardiac testing.

Doug Aukerman, the team physician for Pac-12 school Oregon State, said he considers the Big Ten policy reasonable.

“But at the same time, I prefer an approach where everybody isolates for 10 days and you do your cardiac testing and you return back based on their individual situation,” Aukerman said. “And pay attention to their individual symptoms as you progress them through those stages.”

The Big Ten and other conferences have set roster thresholds that teams must hit to play a game this season. Most include a 53-player minimum. There also are minimums at certain positions like quarterback (one) and offensive line (seven).

Several teams, including Florida and Vanderbilt, have postponed games because they haven’t had enough players overall. Baylor last month postponed a game against Houston because it was short on offensive linemen.

No team has publicly acknowledged it had to postpone a game specifically because it lacked enough quarterbacks.

Mertz’s first positive test reportedly came one day after he went 20 of 21 and tied a school single-game record by throwing five touchdown passes Friday in a season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois. Now the Badgers may have to turn to Vanden Boom, whose lone career pass at Wisconsin was for a 3-yard touchdown against New Mexico in September 2018.

By STEVE MEGARGEE - Associated PressWisconsin may be facing the type of nightmare scenario that coaches feared as soon as the coronavirus pandemic arrived.What happens if an outbreak hits a team’s quarterback room?Wisconsin isn’t commenting on the COVID-19 testing results of individual players, but CBS Sports first reported that quarterback Graham Mertz has tested positive a second time. Under Big Ten protocols, that means Mertz can’t play for at least 21 days.If that weren’t enough, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported that quarterback Chase Wolf has tested positive at least once. Returning starter Jack Coan is out indefinitely after undergoing foot surgery. Junior Danny Vanden Boom is Wisconsin’s only other scholarship quarterback.“Obviously this year there’s some things that will be unique,” Wisconsin coach Paul Chryst said Monday without specifically discussing his players’ test results. “I’ve appreciated what that whole room of quarterbacks has done, kind of how they’ve approached everything.”The situation could leave the ninth-ranked Badgers incredibly shorthanded at the game’s most important position as they prepare to visit Nebraska, host Purdue and travel to No. 13 Michigan over the next three weeks.It’s the type of dilemma schools were hoping to avoid when college football decided to play amid the pandemic.Ohio State coach Ryan Day this week detailed how the third-ranked Buckeyes try to ensure the virus doesn’t spread among Justin Fields and the other quarterbacks.“When they’re in the quarterback meeting room with (quarterbacks coach) Corey (Dennis), they obviously are all masked up and distanced, and they do a great job of that,” Day said. “I’ll grab Justin and take him on my own sometimes for a lot of reasons, but that’s one of the, to kind of keep him away from some of the other guys. What a tricky situation.”Back in the spring, Penn State coach James Franklin noted the difficulties in holding team meetings while also keeping players away from one another as much as possible out of fear an entire position group could be infected.“But the other challenge is, are you going to meet with all your quarterbacks at the same time and they all get sick, you don’t have a healthy quarterback,” Franklin said then.Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan said Tuesday that coaches have often reminded him and the other quarterbacks that “it’s a crazy year, and crazy things could happen.”“So when we’re meeting as quarterbacks, we’re all spread out, 6 feet apart,” Morgan said. “We all have our masks on. Coach has his mask on. Unless you take a drink of water and put it right back up. We’re taking it seriously, because 21 days is a long time, and that’s something that we really can’t afford.”After announcing Aug. 11 that it would postpone all fall sports until the spring due to the pandemic, the Big Ten reversed itself and opened the season in mid-October. Because it started later than most other Power Five leagues, the Big Ten put together a nine-game, conference-only schedule without any off weeks.So while Notre Dame could postpone a scheduled game with Wake Forest after experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak last month, Big Ten programs don’t have that luxury. The Big Ten’s 21-day delay for players to return is also more stringent than other conferences — a decision the league knew could put its teams at a competitive disadvantage.“I think there certainly were those questions after the decision was made,” Ohio State team physician Jim Borchers said last week. “And the answer is because that’s what it took to get us to a point where our presidents and chancellors felt comfortable in minimizing risk to allow a return to competition. And that’s all we really paid attention to.”Big Ten protocols say that athletes who test positive through point-of-contact daily testing must take a polymerase chain reaction test to confirm the first result. All COVID-19 positive athletes must self-isolate for 10 days and undergo cardiac testing.Doug Aukerman, the team physician for Pac-12 school Oregon State, said he considers the Big Ten policy reasonable.“But at the same time, I prefer an approach where everybody isolates for 10 days and you do your cardiac testing and you return back based on their individual situation,” Aukerman said. “And pay attention to their individual symptoms as you progress them through those stages.”The Big Ten and other conferences have set roster thresholds that teams must hit to play a game this season. Most include a 53-player minimum. There also are minimums at certain positions like quarterback (one) and offensive line (seven).Several teams, including Florida and Vanderbilt, have postponed games because they haven’t had enough players overall. Baylor last month postponed a game against Houston because it was short on offensive linemen.No team has publicly acknowledged it had to postpone a game specifically because it lacked enough quarterbacks.Mertz’s first positive test reportedly came one day after he went 20 of 21 and tied a school single-game record by throwing five touchdown passes Friday in a season-opening 45-7 victory over Illinois. Now the Badgers may have to turn to Vanden Boom, whose lone career pass at Wisconsin was for a 3-yard touchdown against New Mexico in September 2018.While Wisconsin awaits answers, Big Ten teams continue reminding quarterbacks about the potential risks inherent in this unusual season.“That’s another thing with this year, respect the virus,” Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras said. “I know all of us quarterbacks realize we have such a small room and it’s important we do what we can off the field to make sure we keep our circles extremely small and continue to do our best to avoid getting it.”___AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell and AP College Football Writers Ralph Russo and Eric Olson contributed to this report.