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 made our Central Conference projections for 2025-26.
Led by Second Team All-Central Conference junior Kinsley Kern, Matt Fike returns six players that played in all 27 basketball games for the 23-4 Dukes a year ago.
With the return of junior Emersyn Graves and seniors Laiken Dorsey and Jolie O'Hara, Northwest looks like York's biggest challenger after the Vikings went 17-9 in 2024-25.
Seward returns seniors Karlee Baack, Ava Stutzman and Rilynn Hiser while Crete will rely on senior Camry Draeger and sophomores Kylie McMillan and Kassidy Egge as they battle through a rugged schedule to improve on last season's 12-12 record.
Enough of my rambling. Enjoy!
Girls Central Conference
York (23-4)
Northwest (17-9)
Seward (17-7)
Crete (12-12)
Hastings Adams Central (9-13)
Columbus Lakeview (7-18)
Aurora (9-13)
Schuyler (7-16)
Lexington (0-22)
York
2024-25 Record: 23-4
Record Over Past Decade: 185-69
2024-25 Postseason: 0-1 | Lost in Quarterfinals
Head Coach: Matt Fike
Top Returning Players:
Junior Kinsley Kern | 5-foot-9 | Guard
9.0 Points | 4.0 Rebounds | 48 Assists | 38 Steals | 17 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Second Team All-Central Conference
Northwest
2024-25 Record: 17-9
Record Over Past Decade: 144-103
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Derek Lindsey
Top Returning Players:
Senior Jolie O'Hara | 5-foot-3 | Point Guard | Shooting Guard
7.4 Points | 2.8 Rebounds | 58 Assists | 29 Steals | 6 Blocked Shots
HM All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Senior Laiken Dorsey | 5-foot-7 | Shooting Guard | Small Forward
6.4 Points | 3.9 Rebounds | 29 Assists | 35 Steals | 6 Blocked Shots
HM All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Junior Emersyn Graves | 5-foot-9 | Shooting Guard | Point Guard
10.0 Points | 4.9 Rebounds | 17 Assists | 13 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Heartland Super Squad
Seward
2024-25 Record: 17-7
Record Over Past Decade: 138-102
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Beth Bohuslavsky
Top Returning Players:
Senior Karlee Baack | 5-foot-9 | Shooting Guard | Small Forward
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Second Team All-Central Conference
Senior Ava Stutzman
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Senior Rilynn Hiser | 5-foot-5
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Crete
2024-25 Record: 12-12
Record Over Past Decade: 149-97
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Britt Ehlers
Top Returning Players:
Senior Camry Draeger
8.9 Points | 3.7 Rebounds | 64 Assists | 43 Steals | 18 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Second Team All-Central Conference
Sophomore Kylie McMillan | 6-foot
8.7 Points | 3.3 Rebounds | 23 Assists | 38 Steals | 4 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Second Team All-Central Conference
Sophomore Kassidy Egge | 6-foot
4.5 Points | 5.0 Rebounds | 36 Assists | 42 Steals | 6 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Hastings Adams Central
2024-25 Record: 9-13
Record Over Past Decade: 160-92
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Evan Smith
Top Returning Players:
Senior Annie Trausch | Point Guard | Shooting Guard
HM All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Junior Ava Katzberg | Small Forward | Power Forward
HM All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Columbus Lakeview
2024-25 Record: 7-18
Record Over Past Decade: 107-132
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Dave Licari
Top Returning Players:
Junior Hadley Hornung | 5-foot-7 | Shooting Guard
10.4 Points | 1.7 Rebounds | 25 Assists | 27 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Third Team All-Central Conference
Sophomore Jaelyn Mejstrik | 5-foot-11 | Forward
4.4 Points | 8.2 Rebounds | 8 Assists | 31 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Junior Kenzie Greisen | 5-foot-4 | Point Guard
6.8 Points | 3.8 Rebounds | 85 Assists | 50 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Junior Abby Bird | 5-foot-6 | Shooting Guard
6.0 Points | 3.8 Rebounds | 19 Assists | 31 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
Aurora
2024-25 Record: 9-13
Record Over Past Decade: 104-127
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Scott Phillips
Top Returning Players:
Senior Kenna Merrihew | 5-foot-10 | Small Forward | Shooting Guard
7.7 Points | 7.6 Rebounds | 29 Assists | 46 Steals | 8 Blocked Shots
Third Team All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Sophomore Kaitlyn Staehr | 5-foot-10 | Small Forward | Shooting Guard
7.7 Points | 5.1 Rebounds | 18 Assists | 28 Steals | 16 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | HM Class B Lincoln Journal Star
HM All-Central Conference | HM All-Heartland Super Squad
Sophomore Hailey Hoff | 5-foot-8
6.6 Points | 3.7 Rebounds | 20 Assists | 33 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Heartland Super Squad
Schuyler
2024-25 Record: 7-16
Record Over Past Decade: 34-189
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Jason Wehner
Top Returning Players:
Senior Natally Medina | Point Guard
Senior Diana Ramon
Senior Ashly Milan
Senior Ana De la Cruz
Senior Jaslyn Eggleston
Lexington
2024-25 Record: 0-22
Record Over Past Decade: 37-194
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Robb Koerting
Top Returning Players:
Sophomore Josslyn Mins | 5-foot-10
8.1 Points | 6.0 Rebounds | 4 Assists | 21 Steals | 2 Blocked Shots
HM Class B Omaha World Herald | Third Team All-Central Conference
Senior Maylin Novoa | 5-foot-10
6.1 Points | 3.7 Rebounds | 18 Assists | 16 Steals | 6 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Central Conference
Senior Abbriel Sutton | 5-foot-11
3.0 Points | 4.4 Rebounds | 4 Assists | 11 Steals | 3 Blocked Shots
