Second year North Platte Head Boys’ Basketball Coach Braydn Kemper kneels down and looks at the court after chatting with freshman starter Brenden Matt on the bench in the Panthers season opener, the second straight year that started off with a victory.
The second year under head coach Braydn Kemper had some highs and lows as the young North Platte boys’ basketball team gained experience and grew last winter.
Despite finishing 9-18, North Platte has set itself up nicely for years to come. Freshmen Dylan Armstrong and Brenden Matt were in the starting lineup at times and their classmates Hunter Palmer and Drake Keraus saw some playing time on the varsity level.
Westin Snook had a sixth man role when he was a freshman and took on a bigger role in his sophomore campaign when he was inserted as a regular starter. The young core of players will be a catalyst for the future, while some upperclassmen have helped lay the groundwork for the rebuilding of the program.
Guards Wesley Meadows and Kaden Mullendore saw the most playing time among seniors last winter, along with Jayce Gibson being a post off the bench and Josh Schaffart filling out the class. Junior big man Creek Johnson was an all-conference and all-district player after leading the team in scoring and rebounding.
Braydn Kemper has helped lead the North Platte boys’ basketball team to back-to-back 9-win seasons, which are both the most victories in a single season since 2016.
Kemper has helped lead North Platte to back-to-back 9-win seasons, which is more than any year since the Panthers went 14-13 in 2016. The KCI Conference has consistently been competitive and North Platte has had more success in the last two years than in many seasons prior.
North Platte won the WildCard Invitational around the midway point of the season, which was the first tournament championship since 2016. The Panthers have multiple experienced players returning with chances to break the 9-win barrier and potentially ending above .500 next season.
The North Platte girls’ basketball team captured its first 20-plus win season since 2016 but lost four of the last seven games of the year. The Lady Panthers went 21-7 but were upset by Polo – the same team North Platte beat 47-36 in the WildCard Invitational Championship – in the Class 2 District 15 Semifinals.
North Platte had a talented senior class led by post Karli Guinn and 3-year starter Jaylin Burgess. Gracelynn Hoffman has been a shooting threat, while Lonee French and Shelby Lingle were also seniors.
Creek Johnson was an all-district and all-conference player for the Panthers this winter.
In wrestling, North Platte has a co-op team with Mid-Buchanan and had multiple wrestlers make it to state. Spencer Cunningham earned third place in the 113-weight class, Ryder Coons collected a bronze medal in the 132-weight class, Grant Schuster took fifth place in the 106-weight class and Colton Kirkham claimed fifth place in the 165-weight class.
Owen Stockbauer ended the year with 37 wins and 14 losses, while taking fourth place in the 215-weight class. Seth Cruz earned a bronze medal in the 185-weight class, ending the year with a 43-9 record.
Kalli Schuster was a state champion, being the only North Platte wrester who qualified past districts. The senior 135-pound wrestler won 32 matches opposed to 12 losses and was the first Lady Panther to win a state title.