PITTSBURGH (AP) — Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame running back whose heads-up thinking authored “The Immaculate Reception,” considered the most iconic play in NFL history, has died. He was 72.

Harris' son Dok told The Associated Press his father passed away overnight. No cause of death was given.

His death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into the NFL's elite and three days before Pittsburgh is scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Harris ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, a dynasty that began in earnest when Harris decided to keep running during a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972.

With Pittsburgh trailing 7-6 and facing fourth-and-10 from their own 40 yard line and 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw drifted back and threw deep to running back French Fuqua. Fuqua and Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum collided, sending the ball careening back toward midfield in the direction of Harris.

While nearly everyone else on the field stopped, Harris kept his legs churning, snatching the ball just inches above the Three Rivers Stadium turf near the Oakland 45 then outracing several stunned Raider defenders to give the Steelers their first playoff victory in the franchise's four-decade history.

“That play really represents our teams of the ’70s,” Harris said after the ”Immaculate Reception" was voted the greatest play in NFL history during the league's 100th anniversary season in 2020.

While the Steelers fell the next week to Miami in the AFC Championship, Pittsburgh was on its way to becoming the dominant team of the 1970s, twice winning back-to-back Super Bowls, first after the 1974 and 1975 seasons and again after the 1978 and 1979 seasons.

Harris, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound workhorse from Penn State, found himself in the center of it all. He churned for a then-record 158 yards rushing and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 16-6 victory over Minnesota in Super Bowl IX on his way to winning the game's Most Valuable Player award. He scored at least once in three of the four Super Bowls he played in, and his 354 career yards rushing on the NFL's biggest stage remains a record nearly four decades after his retirement.

Born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 7, 1950, Harris played collegiately at Penn State, where his primary job was to open holes for backfield mate Lydell Mitchell. The Steelers, in the final stages of a rebuild led by Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, saw enough in Harris to make him the 13th overall pick in the 1972 draft.

“When (Noll) drafted Franco Harris, he gave the offense heart, he gave it discipline, he gave it desire, he gave it the ability to win a championship in Pittsburgh,” Steelers Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann said of his frequent roommate on team road trips.

Harris' impact was immediate. He won the NFL's Rookie to the Year award in 1972 after rushing for a then-team-rookie record 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Steelers reached the postseason for just the second time in franchise history.

The city's large Italian-American population embraced Harris immediately, led by two local businessmen who founded what became known as “Franco's Italian Army,” a nod to Harris' roots as the son of an African-American father and an Italian mother.

The “Immaculate Reception” made Harris a star, though he typically preferred to let his play and not his mouth do the talking. On a team that featured big personalities in Bradshaw, defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Lambert among others, the intensely quiet Harris spent 12 seasons as the engine that helped Pittsburgh's offense go.

Eight times he topped 1,000 yards rushing in a season, including five times while playing a 14-game schedule. He piled up another 1,556 yards rushing and 16 rushing touchdowns in the playoffs, both second all-time behind Smith.

Despite his gaudy numbers, Harris stressed he was just one cog in an extraordinary machine that redefined greatness.

“You see, during that era, each player brought their own little piece with them to make that wonderful decade happen,” Harris said during his Hall of Fame speech in 1990. “Each player had their strengths and weaknesses, each their own thinking, each their own method, just each, each had their own. But then it was amazing, it all came together, and it stayed together to forge the greatest team of all times.”

Harris also made it a habit to stick up for his teammates. When Bradshaw took what Harris felt was an illegal late hit from Dallas linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson in the second half of their meeting in the 1978 Super Bowl, Harris basically demanded Bradshaw give him the ball on the next play. All Harris did was sprint up the middle 22 yards — right by Henderson — for a touchdown that gave the Steelers an 11-point lead they would not relinquish on their way to their third championship in six years.

Despite all of his success, his time in Pittsburgh ended acrimoniously when the Steelers cut him after he held out during training camp before the 1984 season. Noll, who leaned on Harris so heavily for so long, famously answered “Franco who?” when asked about Harris' absence from the team's camp at Saint Vincent College.

Harris signed with Seattle, running for just 170 yards in eight games before being released in midseason. He retired as the NFL's third all-time leading rusher behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown.

"I don’t even think about that (anymore),” Harris said in 2006. “I’m still black and gold.”

Harris remained in Pittsburgh following his retirement, opening a bakery and becoming heavily involved in several charities, including serving as the chairman of “Pittsburgh Promise," which provides college scholarship opportunities for Pittsburgh Public School students.

Harris is survived by his wife Dana Dokmanovich and his son, Dok.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1671623958912.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>PITTSBURGH (AP) — Franco Harris, the Hall of Fame running back whose heads-up thinking authored “The Immaculate Reception,” considered the most iconic play in NFL history, has died. He was 72.Harris' son Dok told The Associated Press his father passed away overnight. No cause of death was given.His death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into the NFL's elite and three days before Pittsburgh is scheduled to retire his No. 32 during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.Harris ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s, a dynasty that began in earnest when Harris decided to keep running during a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972.With Pittsburgh trailing 7-6 and facing fourth-and-10 from their own 40 yard line and 22 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, Bradshaw drifted back and threw deep to running back French Fuqua. Fuqua and Oakland defensive back Jack Tatum collided, sending the ball careening back toward midfield in the direction of Harris.While nearly everyone else on the field stopped, Harris kept his legs churning, snatching the ball just inches above the Three Rivers Stadium turf near the Oakland 45 then outracing several stunned Raider defenders to give the Steelers their first playoff victory in the franchise's four-decade history.“That play really represents our teams of the ’70s,” Harris said after the ”Immaculate Reception" was voted the greatest play in NFL history during the league's 100th anniversary season in 2020.While the Steelers fell the next week to Miami in the AFC Championship, Pittsburgh was on its way to becoming the dominant team of the 1970s, twice winning back-to-back Super Bowls, first after the 1974 and 1975 seasons and again after the 1978 and 1979 seasons.Harris, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound workhorse from Penn State, found himself in the center of it all. He churned for a then-record 158 yards rushing and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 16-6 victory over Minnesota in Super Bowl IX on his way to winning the game's Most Valuable Player award. He scored at least once in three of the four Super Bowls he played in, and his 354 career yards rushing on the NFL's biggest stage remains a record nearly four decades after his retirement.Born in Fort Dix, New Jersey, on March 7, 1950, Harris played collegiately at Penn State, where his primary job was to open holes for backfield mate Lydell Mitchell. The Steelers, in the final stages of a rebuild led by Hall of Fame coach Chuck Noll, saw enough in Harris to make him the 13th overall pick in the 1972 draft.“When (Noll) drafted Franco Harris, he gave the offense heart, he gave it discipline, he gave it desire, he gave it the ability to win a championship in Pittsburgh,” Steelers Hall of Fame wide receiver Lynn Swann said of his frequent roommate on team road trips.Harris' impact was immediate. He won the NFL's Rookie to the Year award in 1972 after rushing for a then-team-rookie record 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Steelers reached the postseason for just the second time in franchise history.The city's large Italian-American population embraced Harris immediately, led by two local businessmen who founded what became known as “Franco's Italian Army,” a nod to Harris' roots as the son of an African-American father and an Italian mother.The “Immaculate Reception” made Harris a star, though he typically preferred to let his play and not his mouth do the talking. On a team that featured big personalities in Bradshaw, defensive tackle Joe Greene, linebacker Jack Lambert among others, the intensely quiet Harris spent 12 seasons as the engine that helped Pittsburgh's offense go.Eight times he topped 1,000 yards rushing in a season, including five times while playing a 14-game schedule. He piled up another 1,556 yards rushing and 16 rushing touchdowns in the playoffs, both second all-time behind Smith.Despite his gaudy numbers, Harris stressed he was just one cog in an extraordinary machine that redefined greatness.“You see, during that era, each player brought their own little piece with them to make that wonderful decade happen,” Harris said during his Hall of Fame speech in 1990. “Each player had their strengths and weaknesses, each their own thinking, each their own method, just each, each had their own. But then it was amazing, it all came together, and it stayed together to forge the greatest team of all times.”Harris also made it a habit to stick up for his teammates. When Bradshaw took what Harris felt was an illegal late hit from Dallas linebacker Thomas “Hollywood” Henderson in the second half of their meeting in the 1978 Super Bowl, Harris basically demanded Bradshaw give him the ball on the next play. All Harris did was sprint up the middle 22 yards — right by Henderson — for a touchdown that gave the Steelers an 11-point lead they would not relinquish on their way to their third championship in six years.Despite all of his success, his time in Pittsburgh ended acrimoniously when the Steelers cut him after he held out during training camp before the 1984 season. Noll, who leaned on Harris so heavily for so long, famously answered “Franco who?” when asked about Harris' absence from the team's camp at Saint Vincent College.Harris signed with Seattle, running for just 170 yards in eight games before being released in midseason. He retired as the NFL's third all-time leading rusher behind Walter Payton and Jim Brown."I don’t even think about that (anymore),” Harris said in 2006. “I’m still black and gold.”Harris remained in Pittsburgh following his retirement, opening a bakery and becoming heavily involved in several charities, including serving as the chairman of “Pittsburgh Promise," which provides college scholarship opportunities for Pittsburgh Public School students.Harris is survived by his wife Dana Dokmanovich and his son, Dok.

🏈 Steelers Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris dies at 72

High School Basketball - North Plate High School @ Columbus

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

Former Nebraska and North Alabama coach Ryan Held has been hired as head football coach at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Director of Athletics Marc Bauer announced today.

UNK will formally introduce Held as its 19th coach in team history at an 11 a.m. news conference Jan. 3 at UNK’s Health and Sports Center.

“I can’t tell you how fired up I am to be the next head football coach at UNK. The opportunity to return to Nebraska and lead the Loper football program, which has tremendous tradition and is committed to winning championships, is something I can’t wait to take on,” said Held. “The MIAA is one of the toughest football conferences in the country, and UNK is right there at the top with a strong foundation in place.”

Held, 48, spent the past season as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at NCAA Division I University of North Alabama. Before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at the University of Central Florida (2016-17).&nbsp;He was twice named one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com while at Nebraska.

A coaching veteran with 13 years of head coaching experience,&nbsp;Held climbed the coaching ladder as a junior college, NCAA Division II and NAIA head coach before joining the Division I ranks. He had head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M and Highland Community College, Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Panhandle State, and NAIA Peru State College.

Held’s other coaching stops include Butler Community College and the University of Tennessee, where he was a defensive graduate assistant in 1998-99, helping the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship.

Bauer chose Held following a nationwide search. He replaces Josh Lynn, who was UNK’s head coach the past six seasons.

“Ryan has created a strong reputation for leading, recruiting and developing players,” said Bauer. “His focus goes beyond the game, aimed at elevating players to become the best version of themselves on and off the field.

“Equally important, Ryan believes in the Division II model. Not only does he have plans to guide and continue to elevate the program, but also create a culture driven by our mission, complemented by our core values and efforts to contribute to our campus and community.”

UNK went 27-11 over the past four seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2021 while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Div. II Playoffs. The Lopers won the Mineral Water Bowl in 2019.

“We have a great opportunity to build on recent success,” said Held. “There are a lot of really good players returning. We’re going to add more moving forward and build on recent successes in the great MIAA conference.

“I look forward to meeting all the great alumni, boosters and community members who make it possible to build our program.”

Recognized as an outstanding recruiter and for developing players, as well as being an offensive-minded coach, Held’s running backs at Central Florida rushed for more than 2,500 yards in 2017 when the Knights went 13-0 and won the American Athletic Conference title.

At Nebraska, Held’s running backs produced impressive results in his first season in 2018. The group helped the Huskers rush for more than 2,500 yards, as Nebraska boasted the third-most-improved rushing attack in the country, averaging 209 yards per game.

His 2022 team at Northern Alabama was among the ASUN Conference leaders in multiple offensive categories, with running back ShunDerrick Powell’s 1,508 rushing yards the fourth-best total in the nation.

“Our players will be disciplined, detailed and tough. That’s our culture and what we stand for, on and off the field. That encompasses everything it means to be a Loper football player,” said Held.

He said his recruiting strategy at UNK will be to heavily recruit Nebraska high schools and players from across the Midwest and Florida, including junior colleges in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

“We will recruit impact players from winning programs who fill immediate needs – smart, tough, physical athletes who love to compete,” he said. “I look forward to working with all the great Nebraska coaches. We want Nebraska high school players to be Lopers. That will be paramount to our success.”

A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Held&nbsp;was a reserve quarterback and split end at Nebraska from 1993-96, when the Huskers won two national championships, posted a 47-3 record and won three conference titles.

He&nbsp;and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Jacob and Greyson. Held also has a daughter, Rhylan

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsFormer Nebraska and North Alabama coach Ryan Held has been hired as head football coach at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Director of Athletics Marc Bauer announced today.UNK will formally introduce Held as its 19th coach in team history at an 11 a.m. news conference Jan. 3 at UNK’s Health and Sports Center.“I can’t tell you how fired up I am to be the next head football coach at UNK. The opportunity to return to Nebraska and lead the Loper football program, which has tremendous tradition and is committed to winning championships, is something I can’t wait to take on,” said Held. “The MIAA is one of the toughest football conferences in the country, and UNK is right there at the top with a strong foundation in place.”Held, 48, spent the past season as interim head coach and offensive coordinator at NCAA Division I University of North Alabama. Before that, he was an assistant/running backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Nebraska (2018-21) and assistant/running backs coach at the University of Central Florida (2016-17).&nbsp;He was twice named one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com while at Nebraska.A coaching veteran with 13 years of head coaching experience,&nbsp;Held climbed the coaching ladder as a junior college, NCAA Division II and NAIA head coach before joining the Division I ranks. He had head coaching stints at junior colleges Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M and Highland Community College, Division II Southwestern Oklahoma State and Oklahoma Panhandle State, and NAIA Peru State College.Held’s other coaching stops include Butler Community College and the University of Tennessee, where he was a defensive graduate assistant in 1998-99, helping the Volunteers win the 1998 national championship.Bauer chose Held following a nationwide search. He replaces Josh Lynn, who was UNK’s head coach the past six seasons.“Ryan has created a strong reputation for leading, recruiting and developing players,” said Bauer. “His focus goes beyond the game, aimed at elevating players to become the best version of themselves on and off the field.“Equally important, Ryan believes in the Division II model. Not only does he have plans to guide and continue to elevate the program, but also create a culture driven by our mission, complemented by our core values and efforts to contribute to our campus and community.”UNK went 27-11 over the past four seasons, including a 10-3 record in 2021 while advancing to the second round of the NCAA Div. II Playoffs. The Lopers won the Mineral Water Bowl in 2019.“We have a great opportunity to build on recent success,” said Held. “There are a lot of really good players returning. We’re going to add more moving forward and build on recent successes in the great MIAA conference.“I look forward to meeting all the great alumni, boosters and community members who make it possible to build our program.”Recognized as an outstanding recruiter and for developing players, as well as being an offensive-minded coach, Held’s running backs at Central Florida rushed for more than 2,500 yards in 2017 when the Knights went 13-0 and won the American Athletic Conference title.At Nebraska, Held’s running backs produced impressive results in his first season in 2018. The group helped the Huskers rush for more than 2,500 yards, as Nebraska boasted the third-most-improved rushing attack in the country, averaging 209 yards per game.His 2022 team at Northern Alabama was among the ASUN Conference leaders in multiple offensive categories, with running back ShunDerrick Powell’s 1,508 rushing yards the fourth-best total in the nation.“Our players will be disciplined, detailed and tough. That’s our culture and what we stand for, on and off the field. That encompasses everything it means to be a Loper football player,” said Held.He said his recruiting strategy at UNK will be to heavily recruit Nebraska high schools and players from across the Midwest and Florida, including junior colleges in Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas.“We will recruit impact players from winning programs who fill immediate needs – smart, tough, physical athletes who love to compete,” he said. “I look forward to working with all the great Nebraska coaches. We want Nebraska high school players to be Lopers. That will be paramount to our success.”A native of Overland Park, Kansas, Held&nbsp;was a reserve quarterback and split end at Nebraska from 1993-96, when the Huskers won two national championships, posted a 47-3 record and won three conference titles.He&nbsp;and his wife, Katie, have two sons, Jacob and Greyson. Held also has a daughter, Rhylan

Ryan Held named head football coach at University of Nebraska at Kearney   

 North Platte High School Signing Day 2022

The 11th-ranked Central Oklahoma&nbsp;Bronchos&nbsp;got big efforts from Division I transfer Curtis Haywood II and junior guard Jaden Wells to pull away from Nebraska Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2022-23/central-oklahoma/boxscore/7129" target="_blank">62-53</a>, Sunday evening at the Health &amp; Sports Center. The Bronchos (10-1, 5-1) are now 19-5 all-time against the Lopers (2-9, 0-5). The two meet again on February 2nd in Edmond. UNK previously fell at then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth, 78-72, and at No. 1 Northwest Missouri, 84-74, last Saturday. Behind 11 of 28 three-point shooting and a strong effort from super senior forward&nbsp;Darrian Nebeker&nbsp;(West Jordan, Utah), the Lopers again hung with the nation's best. "The biggest thing tonight was they kind of came alive from the three-point line. Our plan was pretty simple … you can't run them off the three-point line and expect to protect the paint at the same time," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Kevin Lofton. "If you protect the paint, which we chose to do, there are going to be times where they'll get a look or two that could hurt you. We were going to live with that and for the most part it held up but there was stretch in the second half where they got hot." Both teams held a five-point lead in the first half with UNK ahead 17-13 and ready to grab a live ball turnover at the 5:48 mark. However, the ball instead remained with UCO who hit a wide-open corner three to kick start a half closing 13-4 run. The stretch included two more 'Chos threes with UNK missing its last four shots. The Lopers went 8 of 17 from behind the arc in the second half but never regained the lead as UCO grabbed eight offensive rebounds and hit four of their own triples. One key jumper just inside the arc came from Haywood II who previously played at Georgia Tech and Tulsa. The 6-5 guard buried an off balance 20-footer right before the shot clock expired to make it 45-34 with 11:20 to play. UNK didn't get the deficit under seven the rest of the night. "If you start scrambling around, trying to run them off and getting to spread out, now they are finding driving lanes and it's a dunk contest," said Lofton. "We had some guys that showed some signs and did good things but they are legitimately the second best, or the best, team in our league right now." UCO doubled up UNK in paint points, 20-10, and also had a 15-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Next, the 'Chos went 11 of 15 at the line with the Lopers attempting only four freebies. Finally, UCO (21 of 51) and UNK (20 for 50) were almost identical from the field. Haywood II got close to a triple double (15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) and added three blooks to boot with Wells at a game-high 24 points. He made 7 of 14 shots (4 of 8 threes) and went 6 of 6 at the line. The 'Chos also got seven boards and two dunks from 6-10 sophomore reserve post Luke Haasl. For UNK, Nebeker got close to a triple double (16 points, six assists, six rebounds) as he made 7 of 15 (2 of 6 threes) shots. Fellow starter&nbsp;Sean Evans&nbsp;(Parker, Colo.) tallied 11 thanks to three treys with reserves&nbsp;Winston Cook&nbsp;(Wahoo),&nbsp;Matt Brien&nbsp;(New Zealand) and&nbsp;Tom Connelly&nbsp;(Denver) combining for 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench "A lot of times this semester, Darrian has been hot but not Ryder (Kirsch). Or Ryder's been on and not Darrian," said Lofton. "We've found a solution at the point guard with Jamison (Gruber). He's doing a solid job for us and getting better. Every once in a while he makes a freshman mistake but it's about us getting all the parts clicking together at the same time. Hopefully, we can do that coming off Christmas break." UNK is now off until December 28th with its next games set for the 31st (at Lincoln) and January 2nd (at Central Missouri). "We have a good player (Jaleque Dunson) coming eligible at semester and we're hoping we can integrate him pretty quickly and start to see the rotation click," said Lofton. "Our guys know they can play with some really good teams. We just got to get over the hump."

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsThe 11th-ranked Central Oklahoma&nbsp;Bronchos&nbsp;got big efforts from Division I transfer Curtis Haywood II and junior guard Jaden Wells to pull away from Nebraska Kearney,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/mens-basketball/stats/2022-23/central-oklahoma/boxscore/7129" target="_blank">62-53</a>, Sunday evening at the Health &amp; Sports Center. The Bronchos (10-1, 5-1) are now 19-5 all-time against the Lopers (2-9, 0-5). The two meet again on February 2nd in Edmond. UNK previously fell at then-No. 7 Minnesota Duluth, 78-72, and at No. 1 Northwest Missouri, 84-74, last Saturday. Behind 11 of 28 three-point shooting and a strong effort from super senior forward&nbsp;Darrian Nebeker&nbsp;(West Jordan, Utah), the Lopers again hung with the nation's best. "The biggest thing tonight was they kind of came alive from the three-point line. Our plan was pretty simple … you can't run them off the three-point line and expect to protect the paint at the same time," said UNK head coach&nbsp;Kevin Lofton. "If you protect the paint, which we chose to do, there are going to be times where they'll get a look or two that could hurt you. We were going to live with that and for the most part it held up but there was stretch in the second half where they got hot." Both teams held a five-point lead in the first half with UNK ahead 17-13 and ready to grab a live ball turnover at the 5:48 mark. However, the ball instead remained with UCO who hit a wide-open corner three to kick start a half closing 13-4 run. The stretch included two more 'Chos threes with UNK missing its last four shots. The Lopers went 8 of 17 from behind the arc in the second half but never regained the lead as UCO grabbed eight offensive rebounds and hit four of their own triples. One key jumper just inside the arc came from Haywood II who previously played at Georgia Tech and Tulsa. The 6-5 guard buried an off balance 20-footer right before the shot clock expired to make it 45-34 with 11:20 to play. UNK didn't get the deficit under seven the rest of the night. "If you start scrambling around, trying to run them off and getting to spread out, now they are finding driving lanes and it's a dunk contest," said Lofton. "We had some guys that showed some signs and did good things but they are legitimately the second best, or the best, team in our league right now." UCO doubled up UNK in paint points, 20-10, and also had a 15-5 advantage in points off turnovers. Next, the 'Chos went 11 of 15 at the line with the Lopers attempting only four freebies. Finally, UCO (21 of 51) and UNK (20 for 50) were almost identical from the field. Haywood II got close to a triple double (15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds) and added three blooks to boot with Wells at a game-high 24 points. He made 7 of 14 shots (4 of 8 threes) and went 6 of 6 at the line. The 'Chos also got seven boards and two dunks from 6-10 sophomore reserve post Luke Haasl. For UNK, Nebeker got close to a triple double (16 points, six assists, six rebounds) as he made 7 of 15 (2 of 6 threes) shots. Fellow starter&nbsp;Sean Evans&nbsp;(Parker, Colo.) tallied 11 thanks to three treys with reserves&nbsp;Winston Cook&nbsp;(Wahoo),&nbsp;Matt Brien&nbsp;(New Zealand) and&nbsp;Tom Connelly&nbsp;(Denver) combining for 16 points and eight rebounds off the bench "A lot of times this semester, Darrian has been hot but not Ryder (Kirsch). Or Ryder's been on and not Darrian," said Lofton. "We've found a solution at the point guard with Jamison (Gruber). He's doing a solid job for us and getting better. Every once in a while he makes a freshman mistake but it's about us getting all the parts clicking together at the same time. Hopefully, we can do that coming off Christmas break." UNK is now off until December 28th with its next games set for the 31st (at Lincoln) and January 2nd (at Central Missouri). "We have a good player (Jaleque Dunson) coming eligible at semester and we're hoping we can integrate him pretty quickly and start to see the rotation click," said Lofton. "Our guys know they can play with some really good teams. We just got to get over the hump."

UNK MBB: Lopers fall to Bronchos 

The 26th/30th-ranked Nebraska Kearney women's basketball team got a double double from forward&nbsp;Shiloh&nbsp;McCool&nbsp;and shot 49 percent from the field dominate Central Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2022-23/central-oklahoma/boxscore/7066" target="_blank">73-52</a>, Sunday evening at Buckle Court. UNK&nbsp;enters Winter Break at 12-2 (5-1) while&nbsp;UCO, under the direction of a new head coach, falls to 4-6 (1-5). These two teams will meet in Edmond on February 2nd. "We're in a good place. I've said this multiple times but I'll keeping saying it; defensively we've been really consistent. The whole first semester we've shown we can get stops when we need to and make it tough for the other team," said&nbsp;UNK&nbsp;head coach&nbsp;Carrie&nbsp;Eighmey. "Offensively I like what we're doing. We're continuing to spread it around and different people are having big games on different days." The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;started Friday night with an 8-0 run against Newman and jumped on the 'Chos&nbsp;by an 8-2 margin today. UNK cooled off against Newman but that wasn't the case today as they tallied at least 14 points in each quarter, went 29 of 59 from the field and led by as many as 27 points. McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) went for a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds with many of her paint buckets coming off passes from forward&nbsp;Elisa Backes&nbsp;(Salina, Kan.) who was in the high post. McCool finished 10 of 12 from the field with Backes at a career-best 10 assists. "Elisa was doing a great job of finding the open player and it was big to have&nbsp;Klaire&nbsp;hit some perimeter shots (3 of 5 threes) when they went zone. It's important to have somebody out there that can stretch the zone," said Eighmey. "Shiloh did a great job finishing around the rim and attacking." UCO didn't find an offense rhythm until a 21-point fourth quarter. Forward Alayzha Knapp (18) and guards Brooke Rayner (15) and Aliyah Llanusa (13) reached double figures but both Knapp and Rayer did their damage in the final 10 minutes. "In the second half we did a good job of coming out and getting what we wanted instead of taking shots they were allowing us to take," said Eighmey. "Really good execution offensively." UNK held a double-digit lead for the last 26 minutes as they were plus 12 on the glass, plus 22 in paint points and plus nine in second chance points. After grabbing 14 o-boards against Newman, the Lopers pulled down 10 today. Besides McCool's heroics, South Dakota super senior wing&nbsp;Klaire Kirsch&nbsp;was at 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals, Backes blocked three shots in addition to her passing with Iowa redshirt junior point guard&nbsp;Sarah Schmitt&nbsp;at 13 points, five boards and two dimes. Off the bench, Iowa wing&nbsp;Meg Burns&nbsp;had another productive outing; 10 points, two boards and an assist. UNK returns to the court on December 28th in preparation for road games at Lincoln (Dec. 31) and Central Missouri (Jan. 2). UCM is now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in MIAA play.

Story by UNK Athletic CommunicationsThe 26th/30th-ranked Nebraska Kearney women's basketball team got a double double from forward&nbsp;Shiloh&nbsp;McCool&nbsp;and shot 49 percent from the field dominate Central Oklahoma,&nbsp;<a href="https://lopers.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2022-23/central-oklahoma/boxscore/7066" target="_blank">73-52</a>, Sunday evening at Buckle Court. UNK&nbsp;enters Winter Break at 12-2 (5-1) while&nbsp;UCO, under the direction of a new head coach, falls to 4-6 (1-5). These two teams will meet in Edmond on February 2nd. "We're in a good place. I've said this multiple times but I'll keeping saying it; defensively we've been really consistent. The whole first semester we've shown we can get stops when we need to and make it tough for the other team," said&nbsp;UNK&nbsp;head coach&nbsp;Carrie&nbsp;Eighmey. "Offensively I like what we're doing. We're continuing to spread it around and different people are having big games on different days." The&nbsp;Lopers&nbsp;started Friday night with an 8-0 run against Newman and jumped on the 'Chos&nbsp;by an 8-2 margin today. UNK cooled off against Newman but that wasn't the case today as they tallied at least 14 points in each quarter, went 29 of 59 from the field and led by as many as 27 points. McCool (Pleasant Hill, Ia.) went for a career-high 25 points and 10 rebounds with many of her paint buckets coming off passes from forward&nbsp;Elisa Backes&nbsp;(Salina, Kan.) who was in the high post. McCool finished 10 of 12 from the field with Backes at a career-best 10 assists. "Elisa was doing a great job of finding the open player and it was big to have&nbsp;Klaire&nbsp;hit some perimeter shots (3 of 5 threes) when they went zone. It's important to have somebody out there that can stretch the zone," said Eighmey. "Shiloh did a great job finishing around the rim and attacking." UCO didn't find an offense rhythm until a 21-point fourth quarter. Forward Alayzha Knapp (18) and guards Brooke Rayner (15) and Aliyah Llanusa (13) reached double figures but both Knapp and Rayer did their damage in the final 10 minutes. "In the second half we did a good job of coming out and getting what we wanted instead of taking shots they were allowing us to take," said Eighmey. "Really good execution offensively." UNK held a double-digit lead for the last 26 minutes as they were plus 12 on the glass, plus 22 in paint points and plus nine in second chance points. After grabbing 14 o-boards against Newman, the Lopers pulled down 10 today. Besides McCool's heroics, South Dakota super senior wing&nbsp;Klaire Kirsch&nbsp;was at 19 points, eight rebounds and two steals, Backes blocked three shots in addition to her passing with Iowa redshirt junior point guard&nbsp;Sarah Schmitt&nbsp;at 13 points, five boards and two dimes. Off the bench, Iowa wing&nbsp;Meg Burns&nbsp;had another productive outing; 10 points, two boards and an assist. UNK returns to the court on December 28th in preparation for road games at Lincoln (Dec. 31) and Central Missouri (Jan. 2). UCM is now 8-0 overall and 5-0 in MIAA play.

UNK WBB: Lopers top Bronchos 

High School Basketball - Norfolk @ North Platte High School

Story by Tri-City Storm Athletic Communications

The Tri-City Storm will host the organization’s first-ever mid-west based USHL Futures Camp July 28th&nbsp;– 30th, 2023 in Palatine, Illinois near the city of Chicago. The three-day development and exposure camp will be held at the Orbit Ice Arena located at 615 South Consumers Avenue in Palatine, Illinois.

The Tri-City Storm 2023 USHL Futures Camp is open to any interested player with a 2008 or 2009 birth year only. Camp sign-up and registration information is available on the team website (<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.stormhockey.com</a>&nbsp;) and is active now at the following link -&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/265706410" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/265706410</a>. Camp spots will fill fast and are “first come, first served” basis. Once positions at the camp are filled, potential registrants will be locked out from signing up at those positions.

The Tri-City Storm USHL Futures Camp will begin Friday, July 28th&nbsp;with player check-in and arrival at the Orbit Ice Arena at 5:00 PM followed by a group seminar early that evening and then the first on-ice session with a team practice for the attendees. Saturday, July 29th&nbsp;will feature camp participants on-ice for a position-specific practice session in the early part of the day, a group seminar, and an informative Question and Answer Session for the parents attending where they have the opportunity to ask the Tri-City Storm Hockey Operations Staff various questions and gain valuable insight into the Storm program and junior hockey level and beyond, and finally and a competitive game between attendees. Sunday, July 30th&nbsp;will finish off the event with another game between attendees and optional player meetings. Camp will conclude by 12:15 PM on Sunday, July 30th.

This camp is a great opportunity for 2008 and 2009 born players who are interested in playing for the Storm and in the USHL in the near future, but are not yet ready or eligible to play in the league. The camp provides an experience of an extremely competitive USHL camp, a chance to become familiar with one of the top developmental programs in the country, meet the Storm staff, and show their potential for future season(s).

By mid-July 2023, and at least one week in advance, a complete and official schedule, will be sent out to the players who have registered for the event. Expect the event to begin on Friday, July 28th&nbsp;at 5:00 PM at the Orbit Ice Arena and for the event to conclude by 12:15 PM on Sunday, July 30th&nbsp;for travel and planning purposes in and out of the Chicago area.

The Storm’s host hotel for the 2023 Futures Camp will be the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel – Chicago / Arlington Heights (75 West Algonquin Road / Arlington Heights, IL 60005)

Players are responsible for their own travel arrangements and meals while attending the Tri-City Storm Futures Camp.

The Orbit Ice Arena is about twenty minutes away from the Chicago O‘Hare International Airport (ORD) and about fifty minutes away from the&nbsp;&nbsp;Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) if flights are necessary for travel.

Story by Tri-City Storm Athletic CommunicationsThe Tri-City Storm will host the organization’s first-ever mid-west based USHL Futures Camp July 28th&nbsp;– 30th, 2023 in Palatine, Illinois near the city of Chicago. The three-day development and exposure camp will be held at the Orbit Ice Arena located at 615 South Consumers Avenue in Palatine, Illinois.The Tri-City Storm 2023 USHL Futures Camp is open to any interested player with a 2008 or 2009 birth year only. Camp sign-up and registration information is available on the team website (<a href="http://www.stormhockey.com/" target="_blank">www.stormhockey.com</a>&nbsp;) and is active now at the following link -&nbsp;<a href="https://stormhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/265706410" target="_blank">https://stormhockey.sportngin.com/register/form/265706410</a>. Camp spots will fill fast and are “first come, first served” basis. Once positions at the camp are filled, potential registrants will be locked out from signing up at those positions.The Tri-City Storm USHL Futures Camp will begin Friday, July 28th&nbsp;with player check-in and arrival at the Orbit Ice Arena at 5:00 PM followed by a group seminar early that evening and then the first on-ice session with a team practice for the attendees. Saturday, July 29th&nbsp;will feature camp participants on-ice for a position-specific practice session in the early part of the day, a group seminar, and an informative Question and Answer Session for the parents attending where they have the opportunity to ask the Tri-City Storm Hockey Operations Staff various questions and gain valuable insight into the Storm program and junior hockey level and beyond, and finally and a competitive game between attendees. Sunday, July 30th&nbsp;will finish off the event with another game between attendees and optional player meetings. Camp will conclude by 12:15 PM on Sunday, July 30th.This camp is a great opportunity for 2008 and 2009 born players who are interested in playing for the Storm and in the USHL in the near future, but are not yet ready or eligible to play in the league. The camp provides an experience of an extremely competitive USHL camp, a chance to become familiar with one of the top developmental programs in the country, meet the Storm staff, and show their potential for future season(s).By mid-July 2023, and at least one week in advance, a complete and official schedule, will be sent out to the players who have registered for the event. Expect the event to begin on Friday, July 28th&nbsp;at 5:00 PM at the Orbit Ice Arena and for the event to conclude by 12:15 PM on Sunday, July 30th&nbsp;for travel and planning purposes in and out of the Chicago area.The Storm’s host hotel for the 2023 Futures Camp will be the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel – Chicago / Arlington Heights (75 West Algonquin Road / Arlington Heights, IL 60005)Players are responsible for their own travel arrangements and meals while attending the Tri-City Storm Futures Camp.The Orbit Ice Arena is about twenty minutes away from the Chicago O‘Hare International Airport (ORD) and about fifty minutes away from the&nbsp;&nbsp;Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) if flights are necessary for travel.

Storm to hold 2023 USHL Futures Camp in Chicago

Story by UNK Athletic Communications

University of Nebraska at Kearney head football coach Josh Lynn announced today that he’s leaving the program to join West Texas A&amp;M University.

Lynn has led the Lopers since 2017, compiling a 33-25 record during that time, not including the unofficial 2020 season. UNK won the Mineral Water Bowl in 2019 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2021. This year’s team went 8-3.

Located in Canyon, West Texas A&amp;M is a Division II school competing in the Lone Star Conference. The Buffaloes went 5-6 this season.

“This is a hard day for Loper football because coach Lynn means so much to us,” said UNK Director of Athletics Marc Bauer. “Josh helped elevate our program and built it into a nationally ranked playoff team. He grew fan interest and community support and positively impacted Loper football and our student-athletes in countless ways.”

Lynn met with players and staff this afternoon to share his decision. UNK will begin an immediate national search for his replacement.

“We will move quickly in hiring a new coach, and I am confident we will find an accomplished coach who will continue our Loper football tradition of success,” said Bauer.

A native of Eunice, New Mexico, and an Eastern New Mexico University graduate, Lynn served as the head football coach at his alma mater and New Mexico Military Institute before joining UNK.

His Loper teams showed steady improvement, with the 2021 squad going 10-3 and posting the third double-digit win total in school history. Quarterback TJ Davis was runner-up for the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the Division II player of the year, and he’s a finalist for the award again this season.

During his playing days, Lynn was a two-time first-team all-conference tight end who helped Eastern New Mexico win back-to-back division titles.

Story by UNK Athletic Communications University of Nebraska at Kearney head football coach Josh Lynn announced today that he’s leaving the program to join West Texas A&amp;M University.Lynn has led the Lopers since 2017, compiling a 33-25 record during that time, not including the unofficial 2020 season. UNK won the Mineral Water Bowl in 2019 and reached the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2021. This year’s team went 8-3.Located in Canyon, West Texas A&amp;M is a Division II school competing in the Lone Star Conference. The Buffaloes went 5-6 this season.“This is a hard day for Loper football because coach Lynn means so much to us,” said UNK Director of Athletics Marc Bauer. “Josh helped elevate our program and built it into a nationally ranked playoff team. He grew fan interest and community support and positively impacted Loper football and our student-athletes in countless ways.”Lynn met with players and staff this afternoon to share his decision. UNK will begin an immediate national search for his replacement.“We will move quickly in hiring a new coach, and I am confident we will find an accomplished coach who will continue our Loper football tradition of success,” said Bauer.A native of Eunice, New Mexico, and an Eastern New Mexico University graduate, Lynn served as the head football coach at his alma mater and New Mexico Military Institute before joining UNK.His Loper teams showed steady improvement, with the 2021 squad going 10-3 and posting the third double-digit win total in school history. Quarterback TJ Davis was runner-up for the 2021 Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the Division II player of the year, and he’s a finalist for the award again this season.During his playing days, Lynn was a two-time first-team all-conference tight end who helped Eastern New Mexico win back-to-back division titles.

Josh Lynn steps down as head coach of Loper football

Nebraska's Jaz Shelley earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for her performances that helped the Husker women's basketball team to a 2-0 record last week. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, opened the week with a huge 31-point effort in Nebraska's 82-54 pounding of Wisconsin at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Shelley connected on 7-of-12 threes against the Badgers to help the short-handed Huskers to a runaway victory in opening a five-game home stand. With Nebraska missing a trio of starters (Isabelle Bourne, Sam Haiby, Trinity Brady) because of injuries and trailing 10-9 midway through the first quarter, Shelley scored 10 quick points to spark a 15-0 Husker run to close the period. She capped the outburst with a half-court, buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the Big Red to the second quarter with a 24-10 lead. Wisconsin never recovered.&nbsp; Shelley, who finished with 13 first-quarter points against Wisconsin, added 18 points the rest of the way while adding five rebounds and four assists in the game to lead Nebraska to a 2-0 Big Ten start.&nbsp; She closed the week with 15 points, three rebounds, a game-high six assists, a block and a steal in Nebraska's 71-46 victory over Samford. For the week, Shelley averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while hitting 54.5 percent (18-33) of her shots from the field, including 9-of-16 threes (.563). Through two Big Ten games, Shelley leads the conference in scoring (30.0 ppg) and three-pointers (13). Shelley, who opened Big Ten play with 29 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting in a win at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4), is 13-of-22 (.591) from three-point range through two conference contests. To put that in perspective, two of the Big Ten's most prolific three-point shooters, Caitlin Clark (6-14) and Taylor Mikesell (8-21) combined to go 14-for-35 (.400) through each of their teams first two conference games. All three guards helped their teams to 2-0 Big Ten starts. Nebraska (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) returns for the third game of its five-game home stand at Pinnacle Bank Arena by playing host to Wyoming on Sunday. Tip-off between the Huskers and Cowgirls (6-3, 0-0 Mountain West) is set for 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Story by NU Athletic CommunicationsNebraska's Jaz Shelley earned a spot on the Big Ten Weekly Honor Roll for her performances that helped the Husker women's basketball team to a 2-0 record last week. The 5-9 guard from Moe, Australia, opened the week with a huge 31-point effort in Nebraska's 82-54 pounding of Wisconsin at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Shelley connected on 7-of-12 threes against the Badgers to help the short-handed Huskers to a runaway victory in opening a five-game home stand. With Nebraska missing a trio of starters (Isabelle Bourne, Sam Haiby, Trinity Brady) because of injuries and trailing 10-9 midway through the first quarter, Shelley scored 10 quick points to spark a 15-0 Husker run to close the period. She capped the outburst with a half-court, buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the Big Red to the second quarter with a 24-10 lead. Wisconsin never recovered.&nbsp; Shelley, who finished with 13 first-quarter points against Wisconsin, added 18 points the rest of the way while adding five rebounds and four assists in the game to lead Nebraska to a 2-0 Big Ten start.&nbsp; She closed the week with 15 points, three rebounds, a game-high six assists, a block and a steal in Nebraska's 71-46 victory over Samford. For the week, Shelley averaged 23.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists, while hitting 54.5 percent (18-33) of her shots from the field, including 9-of-16 threes (.563). Through two Big Ten games, Shelley leads the conference in scoring (30.0 ppg) and three-pointers (13). Shelley, who opened Big Ten play with 29 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting in a win at No. 20 Maryland (Dec. 4), is 13-of-22 (.591) from three-point range through two conference contests. To put that in perspective, two of the Big Ten's most prolific three-point shooters, Caitlin Clark (6-14) and Taylor Mikesell (8-21) combined to go 14-for-35 (.400) through each of their teams first two conference games. All three guards helped their teams to 2-0 Big Ten starts. Nebraska (8-3, 2-0 Big Ten) returns for the third game of its five-game home stand at Pinnacle Bank Arena by playing host to Wyoming on Sunday. Tip-off between the Huskers and Cowgirls (6-3, 0-0 Mountain West) is set for 2 p.m.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Shelley earns Big Ten Weekly honor roll spot

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. He was 48.

U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in a section of Lusail Stadium reserved for journalists during extra time of the game, and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance.

Emergency services workers responded very quickly, treated him for 20 or 30 minutes on the spot and then took him out on a stretcher, said Keir Radnedge, a veteran British sports journalist who was working nearby at the time.

The World Cup organizing committee said he was taken to Doha's Hamad General Hospital, but it did not state a cause of death. “We are in touch with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes,” it said in a statement.

Wahl, who wrote for Sports Illustrated for a decade then started his own website, was a major voice in introducing professional soccer to an American public more used to seeing the sport as a school-level game. He also brought a critical eye to the organizational bodies of the international sport.

He “really helped put soccer on the mainstream sports map in the States,” Radnedge said.

“Grant had a strong moral compass, on where sports should be and how sport ... should help set standards for people,” he said. “There was never any doubt that Grant was on the side of the good guys in wanting soccer to make the best of itself.”

Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote Monday on his website that he had&nbsp;<a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/world-cup-daily-day-22">visited a medical clinic</a>&nbsp;while in Qatar.

“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”

Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.

“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.

Wahl tweeted on Wednesday that he had celebrated his birthday that day.

“We could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement. “Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all. Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”

Wahl's wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, tweeted that she was thankful for the support of her husband’s “soccer family” and friends who had reached out.

“&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/celinegounder/status/1601404727014879232?s=20&amp;t=Wpv4uCqNxr74RB-kYxrn-w">I’m in complete shock</a>,” wrote Gounder, who is an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and a CBS News contributor.

U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/StateDeptSpox/status/1601419687619067904">in a tweet</a>&nbsp;that American officials were in touch with Qatari authorities “to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible."

<a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/an-unexpected-detention-by-world">Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQ rights to the United States' World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21</a>&nbsp;and wrote that security refused him entry and told him to remove the shirt. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim emirate.

Wahl wrote he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.

Among Wahl’s work before he began covering soccer exclusively was&nbsp;<a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/ahead-of-his-class-ohio-high-school-junior-lebron-james-is-so-good-that-hes-already-being-mentioned-as-the-heir-to-air-jordan">a Sports Illustrated cover story</a>&nbsp;about LeBron James in 2002, when James was a junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio.

“He was always pretty cool to be around. He spent a lot of time in my hometown of Akron,” James said in Philadelphia after the Los Angeles Lakers lost in overtime to the 76ers. “Any time his name would come up, I’ll always think back to me as a teenager having Grant in our building down at St. V’s. It’s a tragic loss. It’s unfortunate to lose someone as great as he was. I wish his family the best. May he rest in paradise.”

A voter at times in FIFA’s annual awards, Wahl was among 82 journalists honored last week by FIFA and the international sports press association AIPS for attending eight or more World Cups.

“His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.

Wahl graduated from Princeton in 1996 and worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, known primarily for his coverage of soccer and college basketball. He then launched his own website.

Wahl also worked for Fox Sports from 2012-19.

His death at the World Cup left fellow journalists covering the games stunned.

“You come to a World Cup as a journalist to work, to share the stresses, the pressures but also the enjoyments and the fascination of it — and to share that with your readers, your listeners, your viewers. That’s what Grant was doing, that’s what he enjoyed doing. Everybody recognized that enthusiasm in him,” Radnedge said.

“So for him to not be with us anymore at such a young age, that’s an immense shock.”

LUSAIL, Qatar (AP) — Grant Wahl, one of the most well-known soccer writers in the United States, died early Saturday while covering the World Cup match between Argentina and the Netherlands. He was 48.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Just now: Security guard refusing to let me into the stadium for USA-Wales. “You have to change your shirt. It’s not allowed.” <a href="https://t.co/TvSGThMYq8">pic.twitter.com/TvSGThMYq8</a>&mdash; Subscribe to GrantWahl.com (@GrantWahl) <a href="https://twitter.com/GrantWahl/status/1594721724746338305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 21, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>U.S. media seated near him said Wahl fell back in his seat in a section of Lusail Stadium reserved for journalists during extra time of the game, and reporters adjacent to him called for assistance.Emergency services workers responded very quickly, treated him for 20 or 30 minutes on the spot and then took him out on a stretcher, said Keir Radnedge, a veteran British sports journalist who was working nearby at the time.The World Cup organizing committee said he was taken to Doha's Hamad General Hospital, but it did not state a cause of death. “We are in touch with the US Embassy and relevant local authorities to ensure the process of repatriating the body is in accordance with the family’s wishes,” it said in a statement.Wahl, who wrote for Sports Illustrated for a decade then started his own website, was a major voice in introducing professional soccer to an American public more used to seeing the sport as a school-level game. He also brought a critical eye to the organizational bodies of the international sport.He “really helped put soccer on the mainstream sports map in the States,” Radnedge said.“Grant had a strong moral compass, on where sports should be and how sport ... should help set standards for people,” he said. “There was never any doubt that Grant was on the side of the good guys in wanting soccer to make the best of itself.”Wahl was covering his eighth World Cup. He wrote Monday on his website that he had&nbsp;<a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/world-cup-daily-day-22">visited a medical clinic</a>&nbsp;while in Qatar.“My body finally broke down on me. Three weeks of little sleep, high stress and lots of work can do that to you,” Wahl wrote. “What had been a cold over the last 10 days turned into something more severe on the night of the USA-Netherlands game, and I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort.”Wahl wrote that he tested negative for COVID-19 and sought treatment for his symptoms.“I went into the medical clinic at the main media center today, and they said I probably have bronchitis. They gave me a course of antibiotics and some heavy-duty cough syrup, and I’m already feeling a bit better just a few hours later. But still: No bueno,” he wrote.Wahl tweeted on Wednesday that he had celebrated his birthday that day.“We could always count on Grant to deliver insightful and entertaining stories about our game, and its major protagonists,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement. “Grant’s belief in the power of the game to advance human rights was, and will remain, an inspiration to all. Grant made soccer his life’s work, and we are devastated that he and his brilliant writing will no longer be with us.”Wahl's wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, tweeted that she was thankful for the support of her husband’s “soccer family” and friends who had reached out.“&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/celinegounder/status/1601404727014879232?s=20&amp;t=Wpv4uCqNxr74RB-kYxrn-w">I’m in complete shock</a>,” wrote Gounder, who is an associate professor at New York University School of Medicine, an attending physician at Bellevue Hospital Center and a CBS News contributor.U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/StateDeptSpox/status/1601419687619067904">in a tweet</a>&nbsp;that American officials were in touch with Qatari authorities “to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible."<a href="https://grantwahl.substack.com/p/an-unexpected-detention-by-world">Wahl wore a rainbow T-shirt in support of LGBTQ rights to the United States' World Cup opener against Wales on Nov. 21</a>&nbsp;and wrote that security refused him entry and told him to remove the shirt. Gay and lesbian sex is criminalized in Qatar, a conservative Muslim emirate.Wahl wrote he was detained for 25 minutes at Ahmed Bin Ali stadium in Al Rayyan, then was let go by a security commander. Wahl said FIFA apologized to him.Among Wahl’s work before he began covering soccer exclusively was&nbsp;<a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/2002/02/18/ahead-of-his-class-ohio-high-school-junior-lebron-james-is-so-good-that-hes-already-being-mentioned-as-the-heir-to-air-jordan">a Sports Illustrated cover story</a>&nbsp;about LeBron James in 2002, when James was a junior at St. Vincent-St. Mary High in Akron, Ohio.“He was always pretty cool to be around. He spent a lot of time in my hometown of Akron,” James said in Philadelphia after the Los Angeles Lakers lost in overtime to the 76ers. “Any time his name would come up, I’ll always think back to me as a teenager having Grant in our building down at St. V’s. It’s a tragic loss. It’s unfortunate to lose someone as great as he was. I wish his family the best. May he rest in paradise.”A voter at times in FIFA’s annual awards, Wahl was among 82 journalists honored last week by FIFA and the international sports press association AIPS for attending eight or more World Cups.“His love for football was immense and his reporting will be missed by all who follow the global game,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino said.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">U.S. Soccer Statement On The Passing Of Grant Wahl: <a href="https://t.co/CBp1mCK1mQ">pic.twitter.com/CBp1mCK1mQ</a>&mdash; U.S. Soccer (@ussoccer) <a href="https://twitter.com/ussoccer/status/1601401947692863489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 10, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Wahl graduated from Princeton in 1996 and worked for Sports Illustrated from 1996 to 2021, known primarily for his coverage of soccer and college basketball. He then launched his own website.Wahl also worked for Fox Sports from 2012-19.His death at the World Cup left fellow journalists covering the games stunned.“You come to a World Cup as a journalist to work, to share the stresses, the pressures but also the enjoyments and the fascination of it — and to share that with your readers, your listeners, your viewers. That’s what Grant was doing, that’s what he enjoyed doing. Everybody recognized that enthusiasm in him,” Radnedge said.“So for him to not be with us anymore at such a young age, that’s an immense shock.”

⚽️ Writer Grant Wahl, who wore rainbow shirt to World Cup, dies in Qatar

High School Basketball - Skutt Catholic @ North Platte High School

Holdrege, Ne - The Ogallala Indians girls and boys basketball teams travel to Holdrege today to face off against the Dusters. Listen to the games on the radio at Z93.5 Country or <a href="https://z935country.com/">ONLINE HERE</a>.

4:30pm Mountain Time - #5 Ogallala Boys (2-0) at Holdrege (2-0)

6pm Mountain Time - Ogallala Girls (1-1) at Holdrege (02)

Holdrege, Ne - The Ogallala Indians girls and boys basketball teams travel to Holdrege today to face off against the Dusters. Listen to the games on the radio at Z93.5 Country or <a href="https://z935country.com/">ONLINE HERE</a>.Game Details4:15pm Mountain Time - Kwik Stop Pregame4:30pm Mountain Time - #5 Ogallala Boys (2-0) at Holdrege (2-0)6pm Mountain Time - Ogallala Girls (1-1) at Holdrege (02)

Z93.5 Country Game Of The Week - Ogallala at Holdrege Tonight

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Some of Geoff Bond's rowers loved and appreciated his demanding style. They thrived on how the coach at the University of California-San Diego pushed them to the limit while preparing them to take on the real world.

But for others, Bond was a nightmare, with over-the-top intensity, an unpredictable temper and rage they abhorred. They say he regularly threatened to harm or kill team members. One heartbroken couple insists Bond's behavior was to blame for their son's suicide.

Bond left his post earlier this year without any explanation from the school, and his employment status is unclear. In his wake, a debate now rages in college sports and athletics at every level: What constitutes bullying, and what is merely good, hard-nosed coaching that aims to get the most out of young adult athletes?

"There absolutely is a fine line between those two things, and it actually allows for somebody to behave in a more bullying manner under the guise of 'I'm pushing you to be the best that you can be.' And then the victim is kind of forced to accept that," said Deidre Abrons, a licensed marriage and family psychotherapist in Oakland, California, with extensive trauma and PTSD experience.

Sports programs across the county are weighing whether such tough coaching styles have a place in a world where student-athletes demand more sensitive treatment and more individualized training. Athletes of this younger generation also wield greater personal power over their career paths, which can force coaches to accommodate them or risk losing top talent.

There is evidence that coaching has become less autocratic, less brutal — that Bond was just a throwback from the days when legends such as Bear Bryant pushed football players to the brink and Bobby Knight erupted in volcanic outbursts at his basketball teams.

These days, athletes are speaking up about their experiences on and off the playing field, regardless of whether they are on high-profile teams or in smaller, non-revenue sports. As transfer rules have eased, students have also acquired more freedom to change schools, along with the ability to capitalize financially on their fame.

Many coaches have changed too, tailoring their dealings with each athlete based on that person's individual needs, rather than applying the one-size-fits-all approach of the past.

Still, Bond is far from the only coach whose practices have come under attack. The complaints extend beyond colleges and into Olympic events.

Abrons said it's often hard for athletes "to recognize the abuse and call it abuse."

"That's really hard to come to terms with, especially when it's somebody in your life who is such a mentor, who's guiding you, who's supposed to be on your side. And so they often blame themselves, like: 'Oh, this is me. This person has it all together. I'm the problem.'"

Bond's career in San Diego ended Jan. 13, when the school announced that he would no longer be coach, but it offered no details. Bond, who previously coached at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania, has challenged his dismissal in court, and the legal battle is ongoing.

Some rowers said his rage regularly went beyond intense coaching.

"He would make up the worst kinds of insults to people," said Dameon Engblom, a former assistant coach under Bond at Penn and in San Diego who also rowed for him as a high school athlete in the Bay Area.

"He never pushed or shoved anybody or made any physical contact, but he would get up in people's faces. He'd threaten to kill people," one ex-Penn rower said on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution in the tight-knit rowing community.

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, a group of nine rowers from the 2016 Penn team wrote to more than 60 parents of fellow student-athletes expressing fears that the program was "unsafe" under Bond. The rowers were unsatisfied with what one called the university's "neutral response" to concerns shared during exit interviews.

Bond "has shown a disregard for responsible oversight of the mental health of our team in a way that is counterproductive to Penn Rowing's performance," the athletes wrote.

The rowers said Bond had "created an abusive environment by the repeated use of belittling nicknames and hostile language like, 'Talk to me again, I swear I will f------ cap you. I will f------ kill you,' and 'I will break through you.'"

They also alleged that he "stigmatized the use of appropriate resources for managing stress by publicly shaming teammates" who utilized Penn's psychological services.

When reached for comment about Bond's tenure, Penn said only that he stepped down at the end of his contract in 2019. A second request for details received no response.

Some rowers who competed for him at UC San Diego have shared similar experiences, describing a culture in which Bond used crass and offensive language among other put-downs regularly uttered in front of athletes.

Through an attorney, several of Bond's former collegiate rowers from Cal, Penn and UCSD reached out to the AP in support of the coach.

Former Cal rower Vaclav Vochoska of the Czech Republic crossed an ocean for college and experienced severe isolation and depression from language and cultural barriers. He recalled how Bond checked on him one Thanksgiving when Vochoska was alone in the dorms. He calls his experience in Berkeley only "positive."

"My time with Geoff Bond was nothing but special," Vochoska said by phone from Europe. "The challenge never came in a hurtful way ... It doesn't sound right he would be threatening anybody at practice."

Gary Champagne, who rowed for Bond at Cal as a freshman in 2002-03, said via email: "I absolutely loved his style of coaching and feel it is a great fit for young college kids."

"I give him tons of credit for turning many of us coddled young boys like myself into great, young, independent men with qualities and attributes that helped us so much in business and life. I always felt comfortable with Geoff as a coach and loved the man he was."

But the parents of Brian Lilly Jr. are adamant that their son was verbally abused by Bond, leading to his suicide in January 2021. Brenda and Brian Lilly Sr. filed a wrongful-death suit against Bond, alleging that the coach mistreated their son largely because he challenged Bond's decision to allow a rower to remain on the team despite allegations of sexual assault against the athlete.

Bond's defense said the coach hadn't seen Lilly in person for the nine months prior to his suicide and that the coach reached out during the pandemic lockdown period to inquire whether Lilly would return to school in San Diego from the East Coast where he had been living.

A spokesman for UCSD, which is named in the suit, declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.

Olympic coaches have come under fire, too.

Longtime U.S. national team swimming coach Teri McKeever faces allegations from former athletes at the University of California-Berkeley who described a culture of abuse.

Former U.S. Olympic rowing coach Mike Teti resigned last fall after the Tokyo Games amid accusations of abusive behavior that spanned decades, including allegations that he physically threatened athletes or verbally attacked them if challenged. Most of the U.S. national team members who made the accusations spoke anonymously because they still fear the coach.

That the athletes spoke out at all represents a sea change in the balance of power between athletes and the coaches who once held almost unquestioned authority over their teams.

Now college athletes can use the NCAA transfer portal to change schools and teams if they are unhappy with their playing time or treatment. They can also make money in ways that were unimaginable until recently with new rules allowing compensation through endorsements and sponsorships. And with the rise of social media, student-athletes can share their opinions and experiences directly with the wider world.

Some coaches are struggling to adjust with athletes who are newly emboldened.

"It is making it a little more challenging," said Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State men's basketball coach, referencing the flexibility that students have "to leave if things get tough or if you get pushed too hard, or if somebody's telling you they can give you more."

But Tinkle said any pressure on coaches to be educators, not autocrats, is a good thing: "We've got to look ourselves in the mirror and show these young men that the biggest part of our job is taking them from late adolescence into early adulthood."

Tinkle will be rooting for Gianni Hunt, a junior guard at Sacramento State who left Oregon State's program earlier this year. Hunt sought a fresh start after his playing time failed to develop as he had hoped. He took a leave of absence from the Beavers last season when his "love for the game had deteriorated," he said.

The change worked out for Hunt, who is thrilled to get a new chance under first-year Sacramento State coach David Patrick, an Australian who previously served as coach at the University of California-Riverside and was a longtime assistant for several Division I programs.

Patrick believes coaching now demands more personal relationships with players.

"Some of the coaches I've played for didn't know if I had a mother, father, brother, sister, what my upbringing was," Patrick said. Now it's more important "to a have a relational piece there before you can dive into coaching them hard and coaching them in life ... because they do know their rights, unlike we did when I was coming out."

Kerry Keating, the former head men's basketball coach at Santa Clara who also worked as an assistant at UCLA and Tennessee, hopes more coaches focus on each individual's needs — a drastic change from coaching an entire team as one.

Looking back on it, Keating said, he "wasn't raised that way" and "didn't do a great job" of coaching players individually. "It's one self-criticism I have."

Hall of Fame Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer tries to consider the needs of each woman on her roster, and she has demonstrated over decades how to be successful without extreme tactics. She agrees that practices that were more prevalent in the past are no longer acceptable.

"In some ways, some people you can maybe be harder on and others not," said VanDerveer, the all-time winningest women's basketball coach. "Now there is a lot of talk among coaches of almost like, 'Don't even try to coach,' because a lot of players — they don't really want to be coached."

Sometimes, VanDerveer said, coaches will say or do something 10 times without drawing any complaints, but the 11th occasion might be considered by someone to be "over the line."

"I think it's always been challenging," she said, "but maybe now with social media, the portal, I think things are even more challenging for coaches."

More AP Sports at: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/12/1670506970986.jpeg" alt="Brian Lilly wipes away tears while watching a video of his son, Brian Lilly Jr., deliver a speech to his rowing team, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Easton, Conn. Brian Lilly Jr., 19, who committed suicide on Jan. 4, 2021, was a rower at University of California San Diego. The Lillys have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university and the rowing coach, Geoff Bond, who is no longer with the school. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)" />
 <figcaption>Brian Lilly wipes away tears while watching a video of his son, Brian Lilly Jr., deliver a speech to his rowing team, Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022, in Easton, Conn. Brian Lilly Jr., 19, who committed suicide on Jan. 4, 2021, was a rower at University of California San Diego. The Lillys have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university and the rowing coach, Geoff Bond, who is no longer with the school. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)</figcaption>
 </figure>By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports WriterSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Some of Geoff Bond's rowers loved and appreciated his demanding style. They thrived on how the coach at the University of California-San Diego pushed them to the limit while preparing them to take on the real world.But for others, Bond was a nightmare, with over-the-top intensity, an unpredictable temper and rage they abhorred. They say he regularly threatened to harm or kill team members. One heartbroken couple insists Bond's behavior was to blame for their son's suicide.Bond left his post earlier this year without any explanation from the school, and his employment status is unclear. In his wake, a debate now rages in college sports and athletics at every level: What constitutes bullying, and what is merely good, hard-nosed coaching that aims to get the most out of young adult athletes?"There absolutely is a fine line between those two things, and it actually allows for somebody to behave in a more bullying manner under the guise of 'I'm pushing you to be the best that you can be.' And then the victim is kind of forced to accept that," said Deidre Abrons, a licensed marriage and family psychotherapist in Oakland, California, with extensive trauma and PTSD experience.Sports programs across the county are weighing whether such tough coaching styles have a place in a world where student-athletes demand more sensitive treatment and more individualized training. Athletes of this younger generation also wield greater personal power over their career paths, which can force coaches to accommodate them or risk losing top talent.There is evidence that coaching has become less autocratic, less brutal — that Bond was just a throwback from the days when legends such as Bear Bryant pushed football players to the brink and Bobby Knight erupted in volcanic outbursts at his basketball teams.These days, athletes are speaking up about their experiences on and off the playing field, regardless of whether they are on high-profile teams or in smaller, non-revenue sports. As transfer rules have eased, students have also acquired more freedom to change schools, along with the ability to capitalize financially on their fame.Many coaches have changed too, tailoring their dealings with each athlete based on that person's individual needs, rather than applying the one-size-fits-all approach of the past.Still, Bond is far from the only coach whose practices have come under attack. The complaints extend beyond colleges and into Olympic events.Abrons said it's often hard for athletes "to recognize the abuse and call it abuse.""That's really hard to come to terms with, especially when it's somebody in your life who is such a mentor, who's guiding you, who's supposed to be on your side. And so they often blame themselves, like: 'Oh, this is me. This person has it all together. I'm the problem.'"___Bond's career in San Diego ended Jan. 13, when the school announced that he would no longer be coach, but it offered no details. Bond, who previously coached at the University of California-Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania, has challenged his dismissal in court, and the legal battle is ongoing.Some rowers said his rage regularly went beyond intense coaching."He would make up the worst kinds of insults to people," said Dameon Engblom, a former assistant coach under Bond at Penn and in San Diego who also rowed for him as a high school athlete in the Bay Area."He never pushed or shoved anybody or made any physical contact, but he would get up in people's faces. He'd threaten to kill people," one ex-Penn rower said on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution in the tight-knit rowing community.In a letter obtained by The Associated Press, a group of nine rowers from the 2016 Penn team wrote to more than 60 parents of fellow student-athletes expressing fears that the program was "unsafe" under Bond. The rowers were unsatisfied with what one called the university's "neutral response" to concerns shared during exit interviews.Bond "has shown a disregard for responsible oversight of the mental health of our team in a way that is counterproductive to Penn Rowing's performance," the athletes wrote.The rowers said Bond had "created an abusive environment by the repeated use of belittling nicknames and hostile language like, 'Talk to me again, I swear I will f------ cap you. I will f------ kill you,' and 'I will break through you.'"They also alleged that he "stigmatized the use of appropriate resources for managing stress by publicly shaming teammates" who utilized Penn's psychological services.When reached for comment about Bond's tenure, Penn said only that he stepped down at the end of his contract in 2019. A second request for details received no response.Some rowers who competed for him at UC San Diego have shared similar experiences, describing a culture in which Bond used crass and offensive language among other put-downs regularly uttered in front of athletes.Through an attorney, several of Bond's former collegiate rowers from Cal, Penn and UCSD reached out to the AP in support of the coach.Former Cal rower Vaclav Vochoska of the Czech Republic crossed an ocean for college and experienced severe isolation and depression from language and cultural barriers. He recalled how Bond checked on him one Thanksgiving when Vochoska was alone in the dorms. He calls his experience in Berkeley only "positive.""My time with Geoff Bond was nothing but special," Vochoska said by phone from Europe. "The challenge never came in a hurtful way ... It doesn't sound right he would be threatening anybody at practice."Gary Champagne, who rowed for Bond at Cal as a freshman in 2002-03, said via email: "I absolutely loved his style of coaching and feel it is a great fit for young college kids.""I give him tons of credit for turning many of us coddled young boys like myself into great, young, independent men with qualities and attributes that helped us so much in business and life. I always felt comfortable with Geoff as a coach and loved the man he was."But the parents of Brian Lilly Jr. are adamant that their son was verbally abused by Bond, leading to his suicide in January 2021. Brenda and Brian Lilly Sr. filed a wrongful-death suit against Bond, alleging that the coach mistreated their son largely because he challenged Bond's decision to allow a rower to remain on the team despite allegations of sexual assault against the athlete.Bond's defense said the coach hadn't seen Lilly in person for the nine months prior to his suicide and that the coach reached out during the pandemic lockdown period to inquire whether Lilly would return to school in San Diego from the East Coast where he had been living.A spokesman for UCSD, which is named in the suit, declined to comment, citing the pending litigation.___Olympic coaches have come under fire, too.Longtime U.S. national team swimming coach Teri McKeever faces allegations from former athletes at the University of California-Berkeley who described a culture of abuse.Former U.S. Olympic rowing coach Mike Teti resigned last fall after the Tokyo Games amid accusations of abusive behavior that spanned decades, including allegations that he physically threatened athletes or verbally attacked them if challenged. Most of the U.S. national team members who made the accusations spoke anonymously because they still fear the coach.That the athletes spoke out at all represents a sea change in the balance of power between athletes and the coaches who once held almost unquestioned authority over their teams.Now college athletes can use the NCAA transfer portal to change schools and teams if they are unhappy with their playing time or treatment. They can also make money in ways that were unimaginable until recently with new rules allowing compensation through endorsements and sponsorships. And with the rise of social media, student-athletes can share their opinions and experiences directly with the wider world.Some coaches are struggling to adjust with athletes who are newly emboldened."It is making it a little more challenging," said Wayne Tinkle, Oregon State men's basketball coach, referencing the flexibility that students have "to leave if things get tough or if you get pushed too hard, or if somebody's telling you they can give you more."But Tinkle said any pressure on coaches to be educators, not autocrats, is a good thing: "We've got to look ourselves in the mirror and show these young men that the biggest part of our job is taking them from late adolescence into early adulthood."Tinkle will be rooting for Gianni Hunt, a junior guard at Sacramento State who left Oregon State's program earlier this year. Hunt sought a fresh start after his playing time failed to develop as he had hoped. He took a leave of absence from the Beavers last season when his "love for the game had deteriorated," he said.The change worked out for Hunt, who is thrilled to get a new chance under first-year Sacramento State coach David Patrick, an Australian who previously served as coach at the University of California-Riverside and was a longtime assistant for several Division I programs.Patrick believes coaching now demands more personal relationships with players."Some of the coaches I've played for didn't know if I had a mother, father, brother, sister, what my upbringing was," Patrick said. Now it's more important "to a have a relational piece there before you can dive into coaching them hard and coaching them in life ... because they do know their rights, unlike we did when I was coming out."Kerry Keating, the former head men's basketball coach at Santa Clara who also worked as an assistant at UCLA and Tennessee, hopes more coaches focus on each individual's needs — a drastic change from coaching an entire team as one.Looking back on it, Keating said, he "wasn't raised that way" and "didn't do a great job" of coaching players individually. "It's one self-criticism I have."Hall of Fame Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer tries to consider the needs of each woman on her roster, and she has demonstrated over decades how to be successful without extreme tactics. She agrees that practices that were more prevalent in the past are no longer acceptable."In some ways, some people you can maybe be harder on and others not," said VanDerveer, the all-time winningest women's basketball coach. "Now there is a lot of talk among coaches of almost like, 'Don't even try to coach,' because a lot of players — they don't really want to be coached."Sometimes, VanDerveer said, coaches will say or do something 10 times without drawing any complaints, but the 11th occasion might be considered by someone to be "over the line.""I think it's always been challenging," she said, "but maybe now with social media, the portal, I think things are even more challenging for coaches."___More AP Sports at: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Emboldened athletes push back on old-school coaching methods

Maxwell (1-2) vs North Platte St. Patrick's (3-0)

Sandhills Valley (1-1) vs Sutherland (0-3)

Sandhills/Thedford (2-0) vs Wallace (0-2)

Maxwell (0-3) vs North Platte St. Patrick's (1-2)

Sandhills/Thedford (1-1) vs Wallace (0-2)

BoysGering (1-2) @ Mitchell (1-2)Gothenburg (2-0) @ Southern Valley (1-2)Maxwell (1-2) vs North Platte St. Patrick's (3-0)Sandhills Valley (1-1) vs Sutherland (0-3)Sandhills/Thedford (2-0) vs Wallace (0-2)GirlsGering (1-2) @ Mitchell (1-2)Gothenburg (2-0) @ Southern Valley (2-1)Maxwell (0-3) vs North Platte St. Patrick's (1-2)Sandhills Valley (1-1) vs Sutherland (0-3)Sandhills/Thedford (1-1) vs Wallace (0-2)

Area sports schedule for Thursday

Story by NPCC Athletic Communications

Bruce Carpenter accounted for 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Knights to an 89-84 win over Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference rival Central Community College on Tuesday night.

Carpenter connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field, including a clutch basket in the final minute as North Platte finished the game shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Ramiah Adedigba (24) and Antwone Gonzales (22) rounded out the double-digit scorers, as the Knights improve to 7-3 on the season.

The opening half featured a flurry of shots from downtown, as the Knights connected on 50 percent (6-12) of their shots from the perimeter. Gonzales opened the scoring with a layup before the Knights extended their lead to 14-8 with 14:15 to play.

Raiders rallied with a short 6-0 run to knot the game up, but the Knights found their rhythm on offense and quickly extended their lead to double digits on a transition three by Kayden Crosby. Central slowly narrowed the margin over the final 9:23, as the Raiders closed the half on a 12-2 run to pull back within three at the halftime break.

Central erased the three-point advantage to briefly take the lead in the early moments of the second half, but Adedigba answered from downtown on the next possession as the Knights regained the two-point advantage. Central kept the margin under ten for the next 6:46, but a North Platte steal and two-handed jam by Carpenter in transition once again pushed the margin back into double digits.

Raiders would not go away in the closing minutes, as the margin was cut to 81-78 with 1:20 to play. North Platte answered with key buckets from Carpenter and Adedigba on back-to-back offensive possessions as the margin grew to 85-80. Central would send the Knights to the free throw line twice in the closing seconds, but Carpenter and Adedigba managed to go a perfect 4-for-4 to seal the win.

Knights return to the hardwood on Friday for the first of two neutral site games in Sterling, Colo. North Platte will open the weekend with Central Wyoming College with tip set for noon inside the Bank of Colorado Event Center.

Photo:&nbsp;Bruce Carpenter lays it in over the outstretched arm of Central defender Trey Deveaux in the closing seconds of the game against Central Community College on Tuesday night.

Story by NPCC Athletic CommunicationsBruce Carpenter accounted for 24 points and pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Knights to an 89-84 win over Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference rival Central Community College on Tuesday night.Carpenter connected on 10-of-16 shots from the field, including a clutch basket in the final minute as North Platte finished the game shooting 45.5 percent from beyond the arc.Ramiah Adedigba (24) and Antwone Gonzales (22) rounded out the double-digit scorers, as the Knights improve to 7-3 on the season.The opening half featured a flurry of shots from downtown, as the Knights connected on 50 percent (6-12) of their shots from the perimeter. Gonzales opened the scoring with a layup before the Knights extended their lead to 14-8 with 14:15 to play.Raiders rallied with a short 6-0 run to knot the game up, but the Knights found their rhythm on offense and quickly extended their lead to double digits on a transition three by Kayden Crosby. Central slowly narrowed the margin over the final 9:23, as the Raiders closed the half on a 12-2 run to pull back within three at the halftime break.Central erased the three-point advantage to briefly take the lead in the early moments of the second half, but Adedigba answered from downtown on the next possession as the Knights regained the two-point advantage. Central kept the margin under ten for the next 6:46, but a North Platte steal and two-handed jam by Carpenter in transition once again pushed the margin back into double digits.Raiders would not go away in the closing minutes, as the margin was cut to 81-78 with 1:20 to play. North Platte answered with key buckets from Carpenter and Adedigba on back-to-back offensive possessions as the margin grew to 85-80. Central would send the Knights to the free throw line twice in the closing seconds, but Carpenter and Adedigba managed to go a perfect 4-for-4 to seal the win.Knights return to the hardwood on Friday for the first of two neutral site games in Sterling, Colo. North Platte will open the weekend with Central Wyoming College with tip set for noon inside the Bank of Colorado Event Center.Photo:&nbsp;Bruce Carpenter lays it in over the outstretched arm of Central defender Trey Deveaux in the closing seconds of the game against Central Community College on Tuesday night.

Knights escape with 89-84 win over Raiders

Dundy County Stratton 70, Medicine Valley 36

Maywood-Hayes Center 61, Oberlin-Decatur Community, KS 5

North Platte St. Patrick's 41, Kearney Catholic 26

Maywood-Hayes Center 65, Dundy County Stratton 30

BoysBrady 43, Sutherland 36Dundy County Stratton 70, Medicine Valley 36Garden County 79, Sioux County 36Haxtun, CO 51, Perkins County 50Maywood-Hayes Center 61, Oberlin-Decatur Community, KS 5North Platte St. Patrick's 41, Kearney Catholic 26Pleasanton 67, Cozad 57Girls&nbsp;Arthur County 62, Creek Valley 37Brady 30, Sutherland 23Broken Bow 41, Amherst 39Maywood-Hayes Center 65, Dundy County Stratton 30Medicine Valley 47, Arapahoe 35Perkins County 48, Haxtun, CO 36Pleasanton 56, Cozad 49Southwest 46, Hitchcock County 18

Area sports scores from Tuesday

Kearney Catholic (0-1) @ North Platte St. Patrick's (2-0)

Kearney Catholic (1-0) @ North Platte St. Patrick's (1-1)

BoysArthur County (0-2) @ Creek Valley (0-1)Brady (0-1) @ Sutherland (0-2)Cozad (1-1) @ Pleasanton (1-1)Haxtun, CO (0-0) @ Perkins County (1-1)Hi-Line (1-1) vs Maxwell (0-2)Kearney Catholic (0-1) @ North Platte St. Patrick's (2-0)Maxwell (0-2) @ Hi-Line (1-1)Pleasanton (1-1) vs Cozad (1-1)Sutherland (0-2) vs Brady (0-1)GirlsAmherst (2-0) vs Broken Bow (1-0)Arthur County (0-2) @ Creek Valley (0-1)Brady (0-1) @ Sutherland (0-2)Broken Bow (1-0) @ Amherst (2-0)Cozad (1-1) @ Pleasanton (2-0)Haxtun, CO (0-0) @ Perkins County (0-2)Hi-Line (0-2) vs Maxwell (0-2)Kearney Catholic (1-0) @ North Platte St. Patrick's (1-1)(1-0)