Ansley-Litchfield Boys Basketball

- Finished season with a record of 20-5. - Made first ever appearance in the Boys State Basketball Tournament.

- Tycen Bailey, Jeffery Cunningham, and Caden Holm All Fort Kearney Conference Selections.

Spartans make their first ever State Tourney

This season was nothing short of spectacular for the Ansley-Litchfield boys basketball team. They finally were able to get over the hump and become district champions and qualified for the Coop’s first-ever Boys State Basketball Tournament.

This team also won the S-E-M Holiday Tournament and were the Fort Kearney Conference Runner-Ups.

The Spartans were one of the better teams in Class D1 and earned their No.6 rating they received in the final boys basketball ratings put out by the Omaha World-Herald.

The team was led by a strong core of seniors in Jeffrey Cunningham, Jackson Henry, Tycen Bailey, and Evan Samuelson. This group remembered the setbacks from prior years and worked hard to be the first team to qualify in the Co-op’s history.

“I am definitely proud of them,” A-L Coach Matt Drew said. “You like to play better when you play your final game, but I am very proud of them. They put in a lot of time before I got here, and the three years I’ve been here.”

For their work on the court this year, Tycen Bailey was a First-Team Fort Kearney All-Conference Selection and Cunningham was a Third-Team Fort Kearney All-Conference

Selection. Also making the Fort Kearney All-Conference Team was Caden Holm who was a Second Team Selection.

Despite getting to the State Tournament in Class D1, the Spartans were knocked out in the first round by North Platte St. Patrick’s. The game ultimately came down to the fact that the Irish had been there the previous year and A-L hadn’t. This helped them on the biggest stage in Nebraska

High School Basketball.

It would have been nice to make it down here one of the last two years,” Drew said. “It would have defiantly helped us in this type of atmosphere.”

In the end, it doesn’t negate the fact that this group had a 20-5 record this season. Their accomplishments will be celebrated in the communities of Ansley and Litchfield for years to come.

Kaszak Photography Class D1 State Tourney NP St. Pat’s- 59-47 L The 2020-2021 Ansley-Litchfield Spartans Boys Basketball Team from bottom row left are: Ryan Bailey, Joshua Lewis, Mike Smith, Noah Miller, Javob Heapy, and Ashoton Behmerwohld. Second Row: Calvin Finley, Jackson Henry, Student Manager Owen Cunningham, Student Manager Jimmy Fletcher, Student Manager Luke Bailey, Student Manager Luke Bailey, Jeffery Cunningham, and Sam Loy. Third Row: Leyton Rohde, Assistant Coach Garrod Gernau, Head Coach Matt Drew, Tycen Bailey, Caden Holm, Assistant Coach Jim Holm, and Evan Samuelson.