“No man is an island, entire of itself, every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.” This is the beginning of a poem from 1624. In it, the poet John Donne appreciates how humans are all connected. Indeed, humans are social beings, and social connection is a factor in our health.

MAYWOOD - A new night and a new opponent, but the Subdistrict final result was almost identical to the first round for top-seeded Maywood-Hayes Center at the Girls D1-11 Tournament last Thursday. Two days after a 66-22 win over Hi-Line in the first round, the Wolves thoroughly beat Brady (13-11) 62-20 in Thursday’s final, improving to 21-2 on the season while advancing to a district final matchup Friday against Elgin/ Pope John.

SOUTHERN VALLEY 'It's hard to beat a team three times.' No doubt, those words echoed for members of the Southern Valley girls basketball team as they prepared for last Thursday's subdistrict final against Alma, a team they'd battle for the third time in 22 days. Southern Valley had already handed the Cardinals two of their three losses ''It is hard to beat a team 3 times' was posted on the whiteboard in the locker room before the game,' Southern Valley Coach Richard McDonald said.

LINCOLN - As part of the McCook Bison Swimming team, Medicine Valley junior Kevin Bantam will compete in Friday’s NSAA State Swim Meet in four different events. Medicine Valley co-ops with McCook and swims for the Bison.

OMAHA - After a grueling three days of competition, five area wrestlers earned medals at the State Wrestling Tournament in Omaha last weekend. While they each took different paths to get there, Braxton Hammond of Southern Valley, Arapahoe’s Briggs Hill and Cambridge’s Hunter Perks each finished third.

LOOMIS - Both the Arapahoe and Southern Valley boys basketball teams suffered similar fates at the Subdistrict D1-9 Tournament on Loomis. Monday, Arapahoe let an 11-point lead slip away and wilted down the stretch of a 45-43 defeat to Bertrand to see its season end at 12-13.

HAYES CENTER With victories Tuesday, the Maywood-Hayes Center and Medicinr Valkey boys basketball teams advanced to the Subdistrict D2-8 Finals on Thursday. Their paths through Tuesday’s contests were a bit different.

BENKELMAN - After a sleepy start, the Cambridge boys basketball team awakened and exploded in and out of halftime to roll away for a 57-39 win over Hitchcock County in the first round of the Subdistrict D1-10 Tournament.

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by Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner LINCOLN — A rural state senator called Tuesday for providing financial incentives for farmers to use less nitrogen fertilizer and help clean up the state’s groundwater.