(KMAland) — We’re moving on to the final 20 teams of the KMA Sports Top 50 Teams Countdown; starting off with the Maryville men’s tennis team and the Ashland-Greenwood men’s basketball team.

20. Maryville Men’s Tennis

Maryville men’s tennis’ best season in history came in 2024.

After opening the year with a loss to rival Savannah, the Spoofhounds have now won nine straight against Lafayette, Benton (twice), Cameron, Belton, North Kansas City, Raymore-Peculiar, St. Pius X and Clarinda, head coach Nicole McGinness told KMA Sports in early April.

“The kids have been working very hard,” Maryville head coach Nicole McGinness said. “They have been working very hard in the offseason to prepare for this season. It has resulted in a great start.”

McGinness believes that team chemistry is behind his team’s recent successful performance.

“They work really well together,” he said. “They want to win and they want their teammates to be successful. That helps the team.”

Kason Teale, Jaxson Staples and George Groumoutis headline the Spoofhounds’ roster. All three are perennial starters on the roster, with Teale and Staples both slated to be state dual qualifiers in 2023.

The Spoofhounds suffered another loss against Savannah in the regular season but entered the playoffs with a 12-2 record.

They opened their postseason play with a win over Bishop LeBlond, setting up a rematch with Savannah. The third time was lucky for the Spoofhounds, as they advanced to state with a 5-3 victory over the Savages.

“We always play Savannah first and see where we stand,” McGinness said. “We knew we could play them, but they’re such a great team. We were just getting there, and when we played them for the district championship, I changed my doubles lineup a little bit. (Savannah coach Wakefield Hare) did the same thing, so we had the same idea. It worked out in our favor.”

From there, the Spoofhounds defeated St. Pius X and Trenton to reach the Final Four.

Maryville’s streak ended with a loss to Bolivar in the semifinals on May 25, but it then defeated Father Tolton to finish third in Class 1.

“I thought this was a great team,” McGinness told KMA Sports. “They were loyal to each other and wanted to win for each other, which is something I don’t normally see.”

The Spoofhounds’ doubles team of Kason Teale and Jaxson Staples finished fifth at the Class 1 State Doubles Tournament. McGinness is the 2024 KMAland Tennis Coach of the Year.

19. Ashland-Greenwood Boys Basketball

Although they fell short of their goal of a third state championship, it was an incredibly successful year for the Ashland-Greenwood boys basketball team.

The Bluejays got off to a fast start behind a stingy defense. They had 4-0 wins over Beatrice, Lincoln Northwest, Ralston and Plattsmouth when Ashland-Greenwood head coach Jacob Mohs spoke with KMA Sports in December.

“Our defensive effort, our focus and our intensity impressed us,” Mohs said. “Every year, you try to put everything together. That’s what we work on offensively. The defense allowed us to take some time to do that.”

Ashland-Greenwood’s defensive focus was no surprise. The Bluejays limited their three 2023 State Tournament opponents to 28 points per game last year. Their 54-24 win over Auburn in the championship game set a record for fewest points allowed in a championship game since 1949.

“We knew we could hang our hat on (the defense),” Mohs said. “We can play one-on-one defense. It makes things easier because we can focus on matchups and trends. We do a good job of scouting. They just take advantage of the opportunity and always give a good effort.”

The Bluejays went 22-2 in the regular season and were highlighted by winning the Trailblazer Conference Tournament. Ashland-Greenwood opened the postseason with a 66-31 win over Louisville and then advanced to the regional finals with a 51-43 win over Wahoo. They returned to state for the fourth time in five years with a victory over Minden in the regional finals.

“It’s never easy to make it to the state tournament,” Mohs said. “We’re lucky and grateful to still be able to play basketball. Our team responded to adversity, adversity and high expectations. They did a good job of improving and finding their roles. It helped us continue our traditions.”

The Bluejays opened the Class C1 State Tournament with a 48-35 win over Doniphan Trumbull.

Offensively, Dane Jacobsen scored 24 points by making 7 of 12 shots and making 4 of 6 three-pointers.

“It felt really good,” Jacobsen said. “We hadn’t played in a long time, so we knew I had to make a big splash in this game. My teammates trusted me and my coaches put me in great places.”

Unfortunately, Ashland-Greenwood’s dream of a third state championship came to an end at the hands of Auburn, a team they had defeated in the previous two state championships.

The Bulldogs were a huge disappointment, losing 43-32 to AG in the semi-finals.

“They’re just a good defensive team,” Mohs said. “Our ball movement wasn’t great. We didn’t make good shots and then we took a couple of bad shots.”

Ashland-Greenwood’s season ended with a loss to Concordia in the third-place game.

Jacobsen (First Team), Derek Tonjes (Second Team) and Drake Zimmerman (Honorable Men’s) earned All-KMAland Nebraska honors.

---

Top 50 Team Countdown

50. Platte Valley Girls XC

49. Sydney Men’s Golf

48. Lewis Center Bowling

47. Clarinda Girls Tennis

46. ​​Woodbine Men’s Basketball

45. Bedford Baseball

44. Maryville XC

43. St. Albert Bowling

42. Elmwood-Murdock Volleyball

41. Martensdale-St. Marys Girls Basketball

40. East Atchison Girls Golf

39. Lewis Central Girls Basketball

38. Clarinda Bowling

37. Platte Valley Boys Basketball Team

36. St. Albert Volleyball

35. Lewis Central Girls Soccer

34. Woodbine Men’s Track and Field

33. Harlan Baseball

32. Rock Port Men’s Golf

31. Treynor Men’s Golf

30. Wayne Softball

29. Southeast Warren Softball

28. Elmwood-Murdock Girls Basketball

27. Kuemper Catholic Men’s Golf

26. Plattsmouth Baseball

25. Glenwood Men’s Soccer

24. St. Albert Girls Soccer

23. Worth County Football

22. Treynor Boys Basketball Team

21. Underwood Men’s Basketball