Jock Talk: Turnover Coming For Kimball Sports

The Kimball High boys basketball team had its final home game this past Friday highlighted by the honoring of the senior players and their parents prior to tip off. With 8 senior boys on the 12 member roster, I think it is safe in saying that next season may be the biggest rebuilding year ever at Kimball High!

The Kimball boys lost this final home game to a very strong Mitchell team, but they entertained the crowd like they have done all four years with some good effort and good team play. They seem to enjoy each other and for the most part, enjoy setting up a teammate to score with some sharp passing that lead to assists.

The highlight of the night was when the team was trying to get a basket out of Lane Wasielewski, a favorite of the entire student body, a young man who hasn’t seen a lot of varsity play. In the closing minutes, his teammates continued to feed Lane the basketball for some long shots at the basket, and in the meantime, the student body was holding up signs such as “Lane – Our LeBron” and others, and cheering for him to score. The Mitchell team, and crowd then joined in, in display of good sportsmanship, and Lane did not disappoint as he put one in from just shy of the 3 point arc for the last basket of the night. After the exchange of handshakes with the opposing team, Lane then swept past the Kimball student body for high five handshakes. He is a popular young man for certain.

Catching Up With

Jordon & Dillon

Another popular young man was home for the weekend to take in the game, and Jordan Greenwood is the young man I am talking about. He also made it to his younger sister Jenna’s final game at Ogallala in sub-district play, and also helped his Mom celebrate her birthday.

Jordan, as I am sure you fans will remember also played some good basketball for Kimball High and really stood out as one of the best golfers to ever play at Kimball High and was a four time state medal winner.

After two years of play at Southeast Community College in Beatrice, Jordan then signed to play at Midland College in Fremont and is getting ready for the spring schedule that is ready to get going right away. Jordan said he is heading to South Carolina with his team this week for a 3 day tournament and will play 36 holes the opening day. He promised me he would send me a schedule and keep me updated on how he and his Midland team does. I always enjoy it when former local athletes take the time to come up and talk with this old scribe.

I also had a telephone conversation with another former Kimball High golf standout. Dillon Wise is playing his golf at McCook Community College, and has been practicing already, but their first tournament isn’t until March 18th he informed me. Wishing Dillon and Jordan both a lot of success this spring and I will try to keep you readers updated.

Coaching Changes

Sometimes I have to write stories that I really would rather not, and it often times is when a coach that I have enjoyed working with for years announces his resignation. That happened this Friday night when Chauncey Pedersen came over at the Kimball-Mitchell boys game and told me he had informed Ken Smith, Kimball High Athletic Director, that he is resigning from his position as basketball coach. Coach Chauncey has been at it for 20 years including 8 at Mitchell and the past 12 at Kimball.

Chauncey said it was something that was a bit hard to do, telling the girls, and all involved, but said fellow coaches through the years always told me, “You will know when it is time.” I know I have enjoyed my association with you Chauncey as you made my job much easier with your cooperation of getting me stats and info as quick as you could. Thank you my friend and like you told me, now you can still follow the team and be a fan.

Other coaching changes also at Kimball including our head boys coach too as Mr. Mo Hanks filled the role this past season after Luke Dea took a position in Gothenburg. Mo is another special guy who has served Kimball in an administrative role for several years as principal, and leaves us this next year to take the position of superintendant at Crawford.

He had applied at three schools and was offered the position at all three. In recent years he has won several state awards for the good job he has done in his principal role. Just like Chauncey, Coach Hanks did all he could to make sure I got the stats on time and was a pleasure to work with. Crawford is getting a good man!

While I am on a roll, and talking about good men, Coach Gene Mohr informed me he will not be available to consider taking over the boys program as he has too many other irons in the fire, so to speak, that are keeping him very busy. This leads to yet another resignation as Gene has resigned as head track coach at Kimball High for this spring. Wade Brashear, who has been the jumps coach, will now head up the boys track and Samantha Walters will be the head girls coach for Kimball High.

Coach Mohr always picked up an extra copy of the results at each track meet Kimball participated in and then delivered it right to my door and you can’t beat that kind of service and cooperation. I told Coach Brashear I would continue to cover the track season if he would continue to provide me with the result sheets and he said, “I can do that.” I am sure he will as he is yet another coach who has been a pleasure to work with as he also serves as head wrestling coach for Kimball.

Cheers!

I am sorry I don’t have all the info at the time of this writing, but congrats to Kimball High Cheer Team and their coaches as I understand they won some top honors, including a gold in at least one division, at the State Cheer and Dance competition in Grand Island this past weekend.