After pouring through oodles of statistics, all-state, all-conference and all-area teams, last year's state tournament bracket and plenty of postseason rankings, we have uncovered our Fort Kearny Conference projections for 2025-26.
Elm Creek carried a 21-game winning streak into its Class D1 state championship battle with defending state champion Pender last March. The winning streak may have to start over in December, but Elm Creek is expected to keep winning in the Fort Kearny Conference. Second Team Class D1 All-Stater Kendal Cavenee is set to lead the charge.
Overton played its way to a 14-10 record a year ago and returns five players that averaged between five and 10 points an outing last winter. Senior Daisy Ryan was a member of the All-Fort Kearny Conference Second Team after scoring 10.6 points and pulling down over eight rebounds a game a year ago.
Pleasanton and Amherst went 15-10 and 14-11 respectively in 2024-25 and return key players from those squads. Junior Emme Westland is Pleasanton's leading returning scorer at 8.8 points a contest a year ago. Junior Libby Mitchell carried the same scoring average for JD Carson at Amherst.
Enough of my rambling. Enjoy!
Girls Fort Kearny Conference
Elm Creek (26-2)
Overton (14-10)
Pleasanton (15-10)
Amherst (14-11)
Wilcox-Hildreth (19-10)
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller (6-14)
Loomis (6-18)
Ansley-Litchfield (8-15)
Axtell (6-17)
Elm Creek
2024-25 Record: 26-2
Record Over Past Decade: 177-64
2024-25 Postseason: 2-1 | Class D1 Runner-Up
Head Coach: Jadyn Ehresman
Top Returning Players:
Junior Kendal Cavenee | Point Guard
13.0 Points | 3.3 Rebounds | 103 Assists | 107 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
Second Team Class D1 Omaha World Herald | Second Team Class D1 Lincoln Journal Star
First Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Junior Teagan McDaniel
5.2 Points | 2.8 Rebounds | 28 Assists | 63 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention Class D1 Omaha World Herald
Junior Chelsea Kottich | 5-foot-9
8.2 Points | 4.9 Rebounds | 41 Assists | 38 Steals | 17 Blocked Shots
HM Class D1 Omaha World Herald | Second Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Overton
2024-25 Record: 14-10
Record Over Past Decade: 167-78
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Doug Luther
Top Returning Players:
Senior Daisy Ryan | 5-foot-9 | Small Forward
10.6 Points | 8.4 Rebounds | 56 Assists | 73 Steals | 9 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Second Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Senior Gracen Hughes | 5-foot-10 | Center
10.4 Points | 8.0 Rebounds | 27 Assists | 46 Steals | 7 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Senior Braelyn Florell | 5-foot-6 | Shooting Guard
5.9 Points | 5.7 Rebounds | 40 Assists | 73 Steals | 1 Blocked Shot
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Sophomore Halynn Hughes | 5-foot-8 | Shooting Guard
6.5 Points | 6.3 Rebounds | 36 Assists | 54 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Junior Kyla Elfgren | 5-foot-7 | Point Guard
5.7 Points | 2.6 Rebounds | 44 Assists | 66 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Pleasanton
2024-25 Record: 15-10
Record Over Past Decade: 187-62
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Jordan Arensdorf
Top Returning Players:
Sophomore Kenlie Zwiener | 6-foot | Center | Power Forward
6.4 Points | 7.3 Rebounds | 15 Assists | 15 Steals | 26 Blocked Shots
Junior Emme Westland | 5-foot-9 | Point Guard | Shooting Guard
8.8 Points | 4.3 Rebounds | 37 Assists | 48 Steals | 3 Blocked Shots
HM Class D1 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D1 Lincoln Journal Star
Third Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Senior Brittany Riley | 5-foot-9 | Shooting Guard
7.6 Points | 3.6 Rebounds | 57 Assists | 31 Steals | 11 Blocked Shots
HM Class D1 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D1 Lincoln Journal Star
Amherst
2024-25 Record: 14-11
Record Over Past Decade: 120-116
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: JD Carson
Top Returning Players:
Sophomore Addy Simmons | 5-foot-10 | Power Forward | Center
6.6 Points | 10.6 Rebounds | 31 Assists | 69 Steals | 7 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Junior Libby Mitchell | 5-foot-9 | Small Forward | Power Forward
8.8 Points | 4.9 Rebounds | 22 Assists | 39 Steals | 15 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Wilcox-Hildreth
2024-25 Record: 19-10
Record Over Past Decade: 116-122
2024-25 Postseason: 1-2 | Class D2 Fourth
Head Coach: Cody Whipkey
Top Returning Players:
Sophomore Camryn Bunger | 5-foot-8 | Guard | Forward
3.4 Points | 4.0 Rebounds | 12 Assists | 28 Steals | 1 Blocked Shot
Senior Cheyenne Lieb | 5-foot-4 | Shooting Guard
4.5 Points | 1.9 Rebounds | 43 Assists | 39 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
Junior Madison Sheen | 5-foot-6
3.6 Points | 1.9 Rebounds | 20 Assists | 31 Steals | 1 Blocked Shot
Sumner-Eddyville-Miller
2024-25 Record: 6-14
Record Over Past Decade: 101-110
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Megan Hunt
Top Returning Players:
Senior Jaycelyn Hoos | 5-foot-6 | Guard | Power Forward
12.0 Points | 9.1 Rebounds | 36 Assists | 33 Steals | 18 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Third Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Senior Taryn Arbuthnot | 5-foot-8 | Center | Power Forward
18.3 Points | 10.3 Rebounds | 18 Assists | 29 Steals | 13 Blocked Shots
First Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Loomis
2024-25 Record: 6-18
Record Over Past Decade: 111-122
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Nolan Benjamin
Top Returning Players:
Junior Sophia Schemper | 5-foot-10 | Shooting Guard
9.9 Points | 5.2 Rebounds | 30 Assists | 39 Steals | 4 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Third Team All-Fort Kearny Conference
Junior Addison Perry | 5-foot-3 | Shooting Guard | Point Guard
6.3 Points | 2.0 Rebounds | 48 Assists | 54 Steals | 1 Blocked Shot
Ansley-Litchfield
2024-25 Record: 8-15
Record Over Past Decade: 99-127
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Dave Shields
Top Returning Players:
Senior Caydence Feldman | 5-foot-3 | Guard
7.6 Points | 3.5 Rebounds | 57 Assists | 64 Steals | 1 Blocked Shot
Axtell
2024-25 Record: 6-17
Record Over Past Decade: 112-123
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Brian Hubbert
Top Returning Players:
Senior Emily Danburg | 5-foot-6 | Shooting Guard | Small Forward
7.0 Points | 4.1 Rebounds | 21 Assists | 31 Steals | 8 Blocked Shots
