AMHERST - A fast start was needed for the Southern Valley girls basketball team in its subdistrict final against top-seeded Amherst Thursday. The Eagles got that when they put up 17 points in the opening quarter and built a 17-12 lead through one.

Left to right: Hi-Line's Ryker Evans and Cambridge's CJ Fiene and Dahlton Wood. Left to right: Southern Valley's Kam.den Bose, Hi-Line's Colton Stubbs and Southern Valley's Rian Grove Left to right: Southern Valley's Matt Henderson and Arapahoe's Ander Wasenius and Tyler Miller.

OMAHA - Arapahoe and Southern Valley each produced a State Champion and scored 56 points at the Class D State Wrestling Tournament in Omaha last weekend. The scoring put the two teams into a tie for ninth place.

Arapahoe’s Tristian White.

Cambrigde’s Julien Grindle.

The finality of a match at the State Wrestling Meet can come fast and hard, particularly for seniors such as Cambridge’s Julien Girndle, Arapahoe’s Bryan Conn and Southern Valley’s Trevor Brown.

OMAHA - Arapahoe’s Levi Kerner had been there and done that at the Class D State Wrestling Tournament. A dominant wrestler for three seasons now, Kerner had medaled third and fourth the past two seasons, but with an undefeated record, there was but one result to set his sights on.

CAMBRIDGE - Through a back-and-forth first half, it was anyone’s game at the break as Cambridge and Southwest squared off in the Subdistrict D1-12 Championship Thursday in Cambridge. But a strong third quarter proved to be the difference for Cambridge, which outscored the Roughriders 18-8 in the third period and rolled away to a 58-45 victory, securing a berth in Friday’s district finals.

Each of the five area boys basketball teams saw their seasons come to a close early this week at subdistrict tournaments. At the Subdistrict D1-9 Tournament in Loomis, Southern Valley took down Arapahoe on opening night, 59-49, as the Eagles jumped to a big early lead, then held on down the stertch for victory.

OMAHA - Both Southern Valley’s Braxton Hammond, pictured above pinning Alma’s Carter Brandyberry in the 106 pound championship match Saturday night, and Arapahoe’s Levi Kerner, who’s pictured celebrating a state championship at 285 pounds with coaches Brandon Mues and John E Koller, had dominant runs at the Class D State Tournament last weekend in Omaha. Complete coverage of the 21 wrestlers who qualified for the State Meet can be found in section B.