FRIEND, Neb. - It wasn’t a perfect performance from a team that has been excellent to this point in the season, but on this night it was more than enough: top-seeded EMF (21-4) set the tone with a strong second quarter and coasted from there, defeating fifth-seeded Guardian Angels Central Catholic (7-19) 53-30 in the second round of the 2025 C2-3 boys basketball subdistrict on Tuesday night. 

With the victory – the 21st in what has become a historic season for the Bobcats in just year two of the Exeter-Milligan and Friend alliance – EMF secured its spot in the championship game of the subdistrict it is hosting. Thursday’s night contest will be against second-seeded Archbishop Bergan, which started hot and coasted to a 62-46 win over third-seeded Humphrey-Lindsey. The winner of Thursday’s tie will be the subdistrict champion and earn an automatic berth to a district final, though it is likely that whoever loses Thursday will also make it to a district final next week as well.  

Fresh off an exciting win in the opening round in which the Bluejays hit a game-winning shot with less than two seconds left to beat Brownell Talbot 40-38 and earn a matchup with EMF, Guardian Angels came out of the gates strong on Tuesday. Cody Hass hit a two and then his cousin Sam Hass hit a three, giving GACC an early 7-2 edge. EMF retaliated to take an 8-7 lead that GACC countered to go up 9-8, but once the Bobcats took the lead thanks to three from Grady Bresson and Mikey Bartu, they never trailed again.  

In fact, after that deep ball from Hass early in the first, the Bluejays never connected from beyond the arc again. After scoring 11 points in a strong first quarter, GACC could not get its offense going the rest of the evening, scoring 19 points total over the final three periods. EMF outscored GACC 11-4 in the second quarter to begin to set the pace, and the Bobcats cruised from there.  

It was not a vintage performance from an EMF offense that averages more than 60 points per game this season. But the Bobcat defense holds opponents to 44 points per game, and they’ve defeated their opponents by an average of 17 points – and on Tuesday, even on a so-called “off night,” they still prevailed by 23.  

Bresson led all players with 14 points, followed by 12 from Zach Vossler for a typically balanced Bobcat team – ten different players scored for the home team. Luke Guenther paced the Bluejays with 12 of their 30 points.  

EMF will now turn its attention to the subdistrict championship game on Thursday night against Archbishop Bergan. Tipoff is set for 6:30 PM; you can listen to all the action live on Ol’ Red 99.5 FM or olred995.com, with pregame coverage beginning at 6:10.