North Platte senior Kenedie Summers has helped the Lady Panthers advance to the Class 2 State Quarterfinals.
DEARBORN – In pursuit of the first district title since 2019, North Platte (24-5) has exceeded past that through three postseason games so far to reach the Class 2 Girls’ State Quarterfinals.
Wrapping up the regular season with three consecutive wins by 20 points or more, North Platte didn’t let off the gas pedal in districts or beyond. Being the No. 2 seed in the Class 2 District 15 Tournament, the Lady Panthers took down Plattsburg (15-13) and West Platte (15-11) in its quest for a district title.
The Lady Panthers beat the Lady Tigers in the opening round 49-22 and came out on top of the Lady Blue Jays 40-32. This was the second time playing both teams this winter, having taken down both by a comfortable margin in the regular season.
“You have to forget about that and go in fresh,” North Platte girls’ basketball coach Ryan Davis said about the team’s mindset ahead of both matchups. “The last time we played them (West Platte) was two months ago, they’re a much-improved team and they worked hard to get here. When you grow up around here, North Platte-West Platte for a district championship, I mean that’s what you want,” Davis said.
The start to the district championship was in favor of West Platte, which scored the first six points and led 15-8 after one period. North Platte went on a 10-2 run in the second quarter to regain momentum and held off the rival to win by eight points.
“Both programs will be extremely excited to be playing for a district championship. They’re probably going to be a little nervous from the get-go, we just have to execute and do the things we’ve done it practice,” Davis said about the championship following the semifinals.
Camryn Kersten led the team in the main statistical categories, scoring 11 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and dishing out four assists. Lindsay Ramsey scored 10 points and Kenedie Summers had nine points.
It had not only been awhile since North Platte claimed a district championship, but also since it had played in one. Having been eliminated in the district semifinals in each of the last four seasons, the Lady Panthers were determined to not only get back to a district championship but also to win one.
“This team has been one of the most enjoyable teams for me to coach and they come to work at the right times. They know when to have fun, they know when to play hard so it’s good for them to get through that semifinal round,” Davis said.
Interestingly enough, the last time North Platte played for a district title it was against a No. 4 seed, which was what West Platte was, and the date was Feb. 23, and both of those were repeated. The Lady Panthers beat fourth-seeded Midway by 28 points in 2019 after the Lady Vikings bumped off top-seeded Plattsburg, like West Platte did to No. 1 seed University Academy this postseason.
North Platte had to travel far for the sectional matchup, taking on Gallatin (15-12) and prevailing 58-33 on Feb. 26. With the victory, the Lady Panthers advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2014 and will get to play that one at home against Skyline (27-2) on March 1.