By Marisa Dawson, Photos by Marisa Dawson and Jeff Douglas

The Bennington Badgers made history Saturday night, capturing the program’s first-ever girls basketball state championship and completing an undefeated season with a victory over Gretna East at Pinnacle Bank Arena.

For head coach John O’Connor, the fast start set the tone, with Macie Reiner’s first two 3-pt shots creating a gap that Gretna East never recovered from. Bennington had struggled at times this season with slow openings, but that wasn’t the case on the biggest stage.

“I think that’s something that we have struggled to do at times this year, is get off to a fast start,” O’Connor said. “So that was huge for us to be able to do that; it gave us a lot of confidence. We knew that it’s a game of runs and they were going to come back at some point, and so it was great to get off to a fast start.”

Sophomore Macie Reiner led the offensive charge with a standout performance, scoring 23 points and hitting all five of her three-point attempts. “Yeah, I felt really good coming into it,” Reiner said in the press conference following the game. “On the way to school there was a bright light over my school when I was driving there and it just felt like a good day.”

Her early scoring helped establish momentum. “Honestly, the first quarter, coming out strong, that was huge,” Reiner said. “And then just being consistently able to hit the shots and then playing good defense and transitioning to the offense.”

Despite the strong start, the Badgers knew Gretna East would push back. “They do so many good things. They have so many weapons, so it’s hard to take them all away,” O’Connor said. “You just try to defensively do your best to limit their shots and try not to turn the ball over too much, which we didn’t do a very good job of. But, when it came to crunch time, we took care of it.”

Defense played a key role in sealing the victory. “They sold out on the defensive end,” O’Connor said. “That probably impacted the offensive end a little bit. We maybe didn’t have some scores that we normally do because they were selling out on the defensive line.”

Junior Haydin Jackson said the team’s preparation paid off when it mattered most. “I mean, they’re really important,” Jackson said of the big shots that fell during the game. “All credit to our teammates for finding us, getting us the ball. We practiced those shots.”

The victory capped a perfect season for the Badgers, but players emphasized the journey rather than the record itself. “I mean, it was a huge goal, but we just had to take it day by day,” Jackson said. “We didn’t really try to think too ahead of ourselves.”

Senior Reese Almquist described the moment as surreal. “I’m just kind of still in shock, in disbelief,” Almquist said. “It’s such a great feeling and it feels really good to go out with a bang.”

For Almquist (pictured below), the highlight came at the final buzzer. “Probably just the end of the game, hugging all my teammates and knowing that we did it,” she said.

Senior teammate Regan Bluhm echoed that statement. “It means so much to me,” Bluhm said. “The team is amazing, and we’ve gotten so close over the years, especially this year. We’re so close on and off the court, and that makes a really big difference with how we perform.”

Cutting down the net was a moment she’ll never forget. “It felt so amazing,” Bluhm said. “The past four years being a part of this program means so much to me, and going out with a bang is amazing with the best team.”

Sophomore Taylor Redmond said the team worked hard to tune out the outside noise throughout the season. “At the beginning of the season we thought, oh, we have a chance,” Redmond said. “And we have everyone telling us, oh, you’re gonna win it this year. But we just had to zone them out and just focus and dial in on practices. And it feels amazing that we finally did it.”

Team chemistry, she said, made the difference. “For sure, just spending time with my teammates,” Redmond said. “We’re such a close team. I think that really helps our game a lot.”

Junior Harper Bohaboj said the bond between teammates carried the team through both challenges and triumphs. “It feels amazing,” Bohaboj said. “It’s just such an honor. I’m so grateful to be able to represent Bennington and do it with my best friends all the time.”

She said the team’s chemistry was evident on the court. “I think today a lot of other girls got the chance to step up and give it their all,” Bohaboj said. “Even if one of us is down, everybody else can step up too.”

O’Connor said the championship was the result of collective effort across the entire roster. “I’m so proud of them,” he said. “It truly is a team win. Today they won out on the court, but it’s behind the scenes at practices and 15 girls getting each other better. Our practices are so competitive and fun that it’s really a credit to the whole team.”

The historic victory resonated throughout the Badger community. Fans left the town empty as they filled in the arena. “First girls basketball state championship in school history,” O’Connor said. “These girls were at youth camps growing up. They’ve come up through the program, they’ve come up through the schools, they’ve come up in the community, and it’s just an honor to represent Bennington.”

Bennington Activities Director Chris Kessell said the championship reflects years of dedication throughout the program. “It’s the culmination of a lot of hard work from a lot of people,” Kessell said. “Our girls have put in a tremendous amount of time, even before they got to Bennington High School with our middle school programs.”

The community’s support was evident throughout the tournament. “They have a lot of community support, student support,” Kessell said. “So yeah, it’s just a great event for all of us.”

Superintendent Dr. Aaron Plas said the team’s success has energized the entire district. “It’s fun to watch the girls succeed,” Plas said. “They’ve had an amazing year. To come into this environment and play well and see the humongous crowd that we have here supporting them, it’s a lot of fun.”

Success in activities often strengthens the sense of community, he added. “When you have success like we’re having in activities and our girls are having here, it just brings the community together,” Plas said. “You see the school support and the school pride that comes with it.”

Even those working alongside the teams throughout the season felt the impact of the team’s journey. Children’s Nebraska outreach athletic trainer for Bennington, Liz LaBombard, said watching the players grow over the years made the moment even more special. “A lot of these girls I’ve had from freshman up,” LaBombard said. “So that’s been really cool to see them and just see the growth that they’ve had as a team together.”

LaBombard added the significance of their win, saying, “I think it’s awesome, especially with our girls track team being that first girls state championship for us as a school, now the basketball team following and doing that.”

For O’Connor, the celebration was already planned. “I think we’ll probably listen to a lot of really good music on the bus, really loud with girls singing, and have a lot of fun,” he said.

After a historic season, the Badgers have secured their place in school history- undefeated, united and champions for the first time.

The Bennington Pep Band was awarded with the NSAA Ambassadors of Sportsmanship award following three nights of performing at Pinnacle and supporting the team.

The dance team capped off their third night performing two of their routines at halftime.