For the second consecutive season, the North Platte football team (0-10) ended the season without a win.
The Panthers’ most recent defeat was to the hands of top-seeded University Academy Charter (7-3) in the first round of the Class 1 District 8 Tournament. The Gryphons defeated North Platte 57-0 in its last game of the year when they took the field on the Saturday afternoon of Oct. 30.
This was only the second time all season that the Panthers were shut out, as they also went scoreless in a 49-0 loss to Penney (7-3) on Sept. 10. The postseason defeat gives North Platte 21 straight losses, dating back to 2019, as the Panthers last win was a 27-20 victory over Penney in the 2019 regular season finale.
North Platte started the season off with a promising pair of home games. In each of the Panthers’ first two games at North Platte High School, they went into the locker room with a lead.
From left to right: North Platte’s Riley Hyde, Jacob Wright, Zach Dutcher and Reis Wright walk onto the field before the first round contest in the Class 1 District 8 Tournament on Oct. 30.
In the home opener against Maysville (3-7) on Sept. 3, North Platte led 8-0 at the break, but the second half was a different story. The Wolverines scored 28 unanswered points in the final two quarters and the Panthers turned the ball over seven times to lose the contest.
On Sept. 17, a winless team came to Dearborn when Plattsburg (1-9) entered the contest with no wins and three losses. North Platte played well in the opening half and took a season-high 16-point lead over Plattsburg.
The Panthers were up 16-0 at halftime over the Tigers, but once again, the second half was another story. The KCI rival scored 22 consecutive points in the final 24:00 of action to defeat the Panthers 22-16.
The first two games that North Platte played at home were its most competitive games of the season. A 54-14 loss at West Platte (8-2) on Oct. 8 was the next closest contest.
The Panthers play in a tough conference and district as three of the top four seeded teams in the Class 1 District 8 Tournament are also in the KCI Conference: Mid-Buchanan (10-0), East Buchanan (9-1) and West Platte. North Platte will look to improve the next time the Panthers step on the football field, which will be in the fall of 2022.