I covered a lot of basketball this past week, 11 games total, before getting back in the saddle again Monday for the start of the SPVA Conference Tournament play.
I enjoyed getting to take in a game at Potter once again after limiting my writing to mostly just Kimball activities a few years back as I try in vain to simply retire from the business of writing sport stories. Trust me, it is going to happen.
The games between Potter-Dix and Kimball were very competitive for both the girls and boys and Class D-2 Coyotes have a lot of talent for both their state ranked girls and for the boys. Kimball won out in both games, but it really was competitive contests. The crowd was good and the travel distance of course attractive. Much like the Kimball-Pine Bluffs games. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the Potter gymnasium and getting to chat with good people I don’t get to see that often anymore. I missed Elmer Jung at the official scoring table. He was a fixture for many years, and a good one.
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This week it is all SPVA Tournament play with games at the North Platte Community College site. No JV contests, but the Kimball junior high boy’s basketball season is underway and they have games at Morrill this afternoon (Thursday) at 3:30, and on Monday (Jan. 25) they play at Mitchell at 4 p.m.
There is also freshman games at Burns on Monday with a 5:30 start. This coming Tuesday is a date and a game you don’t want to miss as the Mitchell girls come to Kimball for JV ball at 5 and the varsity contest at 6:30. It will be a chance for Kimball to avenge the 44-42 loss to the state ranked Lady Tigers in a game played at Mitchell on January 8. Two Western Nebraska power house teams meeting up once again.
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There was no wrestling this week as the scheduled home match with Lingle/Southeast was cancelled this past Thursday. The Longhorns will head to the Lingle Tournament tomorrow (Friday). We have had some Federation Wrestling going on and we are gathering info on this from Bob Culek.
Kimball has a Federation Wrestling Team formed and active. They have already wrestled at three different tournaments and have more on the schedule.
At Mitchell Kimball had three champions in Cameron McGinnis, Mathew Johnson, and Britton Culek. Ciena McKenzie was 2nd, and Hunter Funk and Trey Schindler 4th.
At Scottsbluff Culek was 2nd, Kylee Kirby 3rd, McGinnis and Johnson both 4th. At Garden County this past Sunday, Culek was 1st, McGinnis, Johnson, and Alex Schadegg all 2nd, Brandon Paxton and James McGinnis 3rd. This Sunday the team will wrestle at Bridgeport.
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Keeping you informed on how things are going for our two former Kimball High standout basketball players now playing at the college level. Mike Daum is getting lots more playing time at South Dakota State University and the red-shirt freshman is performing great. In a 92-76 win over IPFW Daum played 28 minutes, was 4/10 on field goals and 1/5 on 3 pointers, 5/6 at the line, had 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal and 14 points. In a 68-57 loss to North Dakota State he played 29 minutes, was 5/14 from the field, 5/6 at the line, had 13 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 15 points for a double-double.
Kendall Ferguson at Hastings College was involved in an exciting 96-93 overtime win over Dordt College of Iowa this past Saturday. Kendall ended up with a double-double also with 12 points and 12 rebounds along with 3 assists and 2 steals.
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On Monday evening, while the Kimball High girls were playing Chase County in the main gym, the Kimball freshman teams were entertaining Mitchell in the practice gym.
The Kimball girls got blasted by a very good Mitchell club 54-11 with Hailey Paxton scoring 5, Lacy Klinkhammer 4, and Sheridan Magninie 2.
More positive outcome for the Kimball boys as they won over Mitchell 45-35 led by Izaac Reuter with 18, Grant Hickman 7, Jaren Winstrom 6, Corey Travis 5, Grant Golding 5, Thomas Lenzen 3, and Brady Kilgore 1.