Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The 2016 Longhorn basketball team is pictured above. Front row from left are, Austin Lulf, Beau Hanks, Brayden Tyan, Jacob Withrow, Samuel Cajero, Lane Wasielewski and Alexander Flores. Middle row, from left are, Grant Hickman, Cory Travis, Thomas Lenzen, Jaren Winstrom, Zane Anthony, Brendan Walker, Isaac Reuter and Brady Kilgore. Back row, from left are Edward Barnes, Brandon Barker, Kole Bush, Jordan Greenwood, Kyle Spicer, Jaden Withrow, Seth Krafczik and Andrew McCloud.
The Kimball Longhorns begin their 2016 season with co-head coaches Nick Kuxhausen and Gene Mohr taking over for Luke Dea and just two returning starters, seniors Jordan Greenwood and Jaden Withrow. After graduating five key players at the end of last season, these two seniors will be leaned on heavily.
Greenwood, 6'0", averaged more than 12 points per game last season and was the leading defensive rebounder for the Horns with 3.2, second only to graduated senior Trent Rutledge.
The Longhorn guard was also credited with 2.2 steals each time he hit the court and was named WTC All-Conference and SPVA Honorable Mention last year.
Withrow, 5'11", was another force on the court last season and is expected to be a strong leader for the home team. He scored 8.9 points per game on average, grabbed an average of 2.2 rebounds and snatched 1.5 steals. Withrow's speed and agility are sure to benefit the team in his senior year.
Brandon Barker, a 5'11" senior, saw a lot of playing time on the varsity court last year and returns as a starter. Barker averaged 3.9 points per game last season and just 1.1 turnovers.
After being a lead player for the Potter-Dix Coyotes last year, senior Edward Barnes, 6'2", will hit the court for the Horns as a starter this year.
Barnes averaged 4.9 points per game as a starting Coyote. He was also credited with 4.6 rebounds per game and 1.3 steals.
Rounding out the starting line-up for the Kimball club is sophomore Izaac Reuter, a 6'1" forward who played in eleven varsity games his freshman year.
Kuxhausen and Mohr stepped up after being assistant coaches last year and have a combined 17 years of coaching experience for the Longhorns, who ended last season with a 7-14 record. They expect several tough competitors this season including Gordon-Rushville, with an 18-6 record for the 2015-16 season, in the Western Trails Conference.
The Horns will battle Perkins County, who ended last season with a 14-9 record and are returning powerhouse junior Josh Johnston.
"We are returning two strong players, Jordan Greenwood and Jaden Withrow. We will have to develop players to go around them. Brandon Barker will fill one of these roll and transfer Edward Barnes will help," Kuxhausen said. "The other positions will be filled by underclassmen and one new senior. We will have to rely on speed and athleticism to make up for our lack of size. I think we'll be in the hunt to play well in both our conferences and we like our district match-up."
The Longhorns began their 2016-17 season by hosting an invitational on Friday, Dec. 2 and Saturday, Dec. 3.
The Horns wrapped up a 71-39 win against Morrill on Friday, Dec. 2 followed by a 77-74 win against Dundy County-Stratton on Saturday, Dec. 3.
