The NSAA's wild card points system proved unkind to the Blair High School boys soccer team.
The Bears were 17th behind No. 16 Kearney Catholic on Thursday when the Class B District Finals matchups were officially announced. The 8-6 Stars finished with 40.7143 points and played on, while the 8-8 Bears concluded with 40.625 and had their season come to a close.
“We were expecting to play Saturday,” BHS coach Curt Scott said after the announcement. He explained how the team had set its practice schedule for the week and planned for a rematch with top-seeded South Sioux City, which topped it April 30 during the subdistrict finals.
Instead, though, the Bears' campaign ended away from the field. They won a pair of shootouts with Elkhorn and Columbus Scotus, and won a postseason game with Norfolk Catholic/Lutheran, but they didn't get their second crack at the 15-2 Cardinals with a state tournament spot on the line.
The eight-win season was the last at BHS for seniors Ethan Lundgren, Quinn Baedke, Colton Matney, Ryan Gravedoni, Sakuto Yamada, Brady Thomas, Sean Tobin, Crayton Macholan and Riley Wolff. Coach Scott said it was a memorable crew.
“It's not all the time that you get a group of seniors that are so inclusive,” he explained, noting how they were team-oriented and supportive of their younger teammates' efforts. “I think that was a special characteristic of this team.”
A memorable match that stood out to Scott was his team's 2-0 win at Ralston, a traditional Class B power and thorn in the Bears' side.
“I thought it was turning point,” the coach said. “We played a balanced game and won there.”
Altogether, Blair is 29-34 since Scott took over the program in 2021. It went 10-7 that season, but suffered two-straight losing seasons before this spring's .500 mark.
The Bears remain in the hunt for their first Class B state tournament berth since 2006.
